Opera House: Talk to the Hand (Nina Conti)

Apart from a section of the audience who seemed to think misogyny was the funniest thing on earth, this was a brilliant ninety minutes. Nina Conti's ventriloquial skills are consummate (she even did the drink-while-the-dummy-keeps-talking bit), and the play throughout the evening on the relationship between the dummies and her was beautifully conceived and executed, with a great final moment.

Mrs Carey's Concert (Bob Connolly and Sophie Raymond 2011)

Bob Connolly's back, and again he and his co-director are looking at music in an educational institution. It gave us refuge from a royal wedding, and while showing us our tax dollars at work among the privileged told a terrific story of music as challenge, with a handful of memorable characters.

My Afternoons with Margueritte (Jean Becker 2010)

I loved this for its big heart: a Harold and Maude whose characters aren't at all pathetic, and are in love with life and language. The French title La Tête en Friche means something like 'An untended head'.

On the Blue Comet (Rosemary Wells 2010)

A birthday present. After the seriousness of my recent reading, perhaps something by the author of Noisy Nora will be a welcome change of mood.

Every Man in This Village is a Liar: An Education in War (Megan Stack 2010)

On loan from the book club: a young journalist goes to Afghanistan to cover the war.

Francis Webb, Poet and Brother: Some of his letters and poetry (Peter and Leonie Meere 2001)

Compiled by Webb's sister and brother-in-law after Michael Griffith's and Bill Ashcroft's books, this aimed among other things to set the record right by publishing all his extant letters to his family, and giving context for his poems as recalled by his family.

STC: Zebra! (Ross Mueller 2011)

I don't know about the play - that is, it seemed to be playing with stuff about Australian vs US sensibilities, though not very convincingly - but it was great to see Bryan Brown and Colin Friels on stage together.

Paul (Greg Mottola 2011)

Perfect for a wet Saturday afternon. I haven't seen Sean and the Dead. I didn't get Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in Hot Fuzz. I enjoyed this a lot.

God's Fool: The life and poetry of Francis Webb (Michael Griffith 1991)

I'll be well prepared for the SWF session 'The Lost Poems of Francis Webb'.

The Gimbals of Unease: The poetry of Francis Webb (Bill Ashcroft 1996)

I'm clearly on a Francis Webb binge.

Incendies (Denis Villeneuve 2010)

I'd seen Wajdi Mouawad's play, on which this is based, but blush to say I slept through much of it. I didn't sleep through this. 'When does the story of your life begin? With your birth? ... With your father's birth?'

In search of Hobart (Peter Timms 2009)

In the same series as Delia Falconer's excellent Sydney. I scored it at the last Book Club swap session, and have to have it read in time to return it at the next one this weekend.

The Lincoln Lawyer (Brad Furmam 2011)

A wysiwyg movie. Mathew McConaughey's charm is enough to hold it together, though he's no Paul Newman.

Never Let Me Go (Mark Romanek 2010)

I haven't read Kazuo Ishiguro's novel and I'm unlikely to now, but I suspect I would have preferred to experience this story by reading the novel rather than seeing the film. It's a wonderful film all the same: horror with a cello, and only one scream (and thank God for that one, or the audience might have had to take things into our own hands).

Out to Lunch (Andy Kissane 2009)

Another title from the NSW Premier's Literary Awards short list

Griffin Theatre: The Brothers Size (Tarell Alvin McCraney 2007)

Directed by Imara Savage and performed by three brilliant men, this is just fabulous! I hope to have time to write about it in my main blog. Apart from anything else, it illustrates vividly the kind of thing we're missing because of the lack of cultural diversity in Sydney theatre.