Razer's New Edge Cuts Both Ways For Industry Network

Sun Herald

Sunday April 20, 2008

By Carlee Potter

HUNTERNET'S monthly get-together for manufacturers and engineering companies doubled as the official opening of new premises for Razer Industries in Tomago on Tuesday night.

Labor MP Sharon Grierson opened the new building and factory for the company that makes products for the mining and materials handling industries.

Razer, which began in Mackay, Queensland, employs more than 180 people. Its founder and chairman, Tom Meyers, flew in for the event.

Drama debut

EVEN Carl Caulfield struggles to remember how long he has lectured at university. "I think it's about 15 years," he said on Wednesday night as Newcastle Uni's first-year drama students made their stage debut at the Callaghan Campus drama theatre.

Caulfield's memory may be vague, but there's no doubting the kick he gets out of passing his expertise on to apprentice thespians. He chose and directed Edward Bond's Narrow Road To The Deep North, a black comedy about war and imperialism, for the performance. "I thought it would be provocative, and the war parable is still relevant," he said.

Student actor James Witchard said it was a challenging piece "which is a good thing. It's forced us to adapt to a professional ethos, as Carl always says".

Circus Oz stayin' alive

IN 1978 the Bee Gees had a global No.1 hit with Stayin' Alive. In the same year Circus Oz was born and they're still singing that tune, 30 years on.

The contemporary circus troupe bowled into the Civic Theatre on Wednesday night for the first of five performances that had HUGE written all over them.

Newcastle is the last stop on their tour and poignantly the performances featured final appearances from two long-serving members of the troupe, Christa Hughes and Mel Fyfe.

Sponsors of the show, Newcastle Permanent Building Society, held a VIP cocktail party upstairs on opening night. Chief executive Stephen Porges was there along with Jason Bourke from the Charitable Foundation and ABC radio's Brett Lavaring.

The Oz crew will take a break before re-opening in their home town of Melbourne mid-June for the official 30th anniversary celebrations. Then it's on to London, Madrid, Barcelona and Milan on their next six-month European tour.

© 2008 Sun Herald

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