Interval 2014
Choto: Brett Boardman P
Dear friends,
Welcome to Interval, our little mag that we like to rustle up at Belvoir mid-year, just for you. Stopping (momentarily) for a quiet think halfway through our season is a great way for me to reflect on what we’ve achieved since the new year, and what we’ve got to look forward to between now and when the sleigh bells start tinkling. The team and I are also currently very deep in planning the 2015 Season we’re cooking up for you, and the launch of that is only a few short months away. Meantime, I am writing this note en route to Geelong (every year I write this note en route to somewhere!) as our production of The Government Inspector is going on tour this week after wonderfully hilarious Sydney and Melbourne seasons. I hope you managed to catch it. Speaking of how we like to get around, we’ve been invited to several prestigious European festivals and venues this year, which is so great. Our touring just keeps growing year on year. As you read this, Thyestes is mid-tour between two festivals; our dynamic co-pro with Lucy Guerin Inc, Conversation Piece, is also mid-tour between the Czech Republic and Glasgow; and our beloved The Wild Duck will grace the stage of London’s Barbican come October. And that’s just the start of it – more about our tours on page 10.
In this issue of Interval we: introduce you to our brand new Resident Directors, Adena Jacobs and AnneLouise Sarks (well, they’ve been here six months and they’re still here, phew!); give you some insight into our fabulous Indigenous ‘chat show’ 20 Questions (by grilling the host, Wesley Enoch); have a chat to director Eamon Flack about his anticipated upcoming production of The Glass Menagerie; and, very importantly, on page 6 there’s a shout out to Belvoir’s original shareholders to get in touch with us about the 30th birthday party we’re throwing here in August. If you’re reading this, and you are one, and haven’t been in touch, we’d love to hear from you! None of what we do at Belvoir – both at home and abroad – could be done without you: our treasured audience members and supporters. Whether you are a subscriber, a donor, or both, we rely on your loyalty to Belvoir each year. It’s how we do what we do. And we love it. Happy reading, and see you in a foyer (somewhere in the world) soon, I hope. Ralph Artistic Director
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Meet Our Resident Directors At the beginning of this year we welcomed ADENA JACOBS and ANNE-LOUISE SARKS to their new roles as Belvoir’s Resident Directors. We stole them both from Melbourne (sorry, Melbourne) and feel very lucky to have their talents and energies in the building. Adena is also Artistic Director of independent theatre company Fraught Outfit (you may remember their mesmerising production of Persona here at Belvoir last year), and Anne-Louise, formerly Artistic Director of The Hayloft Project, co-wrote and directed the multi award-winning Medea for Belvoir in 2012, and directed the delightful Stories I Want to Tell You in Person here in 2013. Belvoir’s Marketing Intern ANDRÉ CHARADIA spoke to both women about joining the company and their upcoming shows. Anne-Louise grew up seeing Belvoir productions. ‘In lots of ways Belvoir challenged and formed my thoughts of what theatre could be, so in that sense it was the pinnacle for me, for years I had dreamed of working inside this company,’ she said. ‘Then it happened! Ralph offered me the job. Everyone in this building is so passionate about theatre and I’ve never really had the opportunity to engage in the mammoth process that exists outside the rehearsal room, all the people who make a show possible – from the Box Office staff to the Finance and Marketing and Development departments, everyone has such a deep commitment to all of the work. The level of conversation about theatre and the opportunity 02
inside and outside rehearsal rooms to be part of those conversations – that’s the thing I love the most.’ ‘Belvoir is one of the most exciting theatre companies,’ said Adena. ‘It isn’t afraid to put up bold work and to respond to the genuine ideas of artists, producing new work by young artists. For any theatre director that’s a very appealing prospect.’ She explained that it was being able to be a part of curating each season that excited her most. ‘As an independent theatre director, I’ve been working on my own for many years. What I can’t do on my own is support other artists. It’s such a beautiful thing to be part of shaping the stories and ideas that an audience will see in a year,’ she said. Adena and Anne-Louise have certainly hit the ground running here at Belvoir – they’ll be directing four upcoming productions and both tackling contemporary adaptations of well-known plays. Adena is currently in rehearsals for a team-devised adaptation of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler in the Upstairs Theatre (opening this month), then in August will direct a retelling of Oedipus Rex Downstairs. Anne-Louise’s Nora (opening in August) is inspired by Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, and she will also direct an adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, slated for November through till Christmas Eve. ‘I think it’s tricky with classic pieces,’ said Anne-Louise of working on Nora and A Christmas Carol. ‘An audience comes with a particular knowledge of a play, and there are certain things they come to expect, perhaps more so with A Christmas Carol.
You expect to see Scrooge and you expect him to say, “Bah! Humbug”,’ she said with a laugh. ‘I’m trying to harness the core that makes the work exciting and keep that element alive, but also I’m not at all precious about dragging those works into the present, with all the complications that might entail.’ And why a new work, Nora, based on the protagonist of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House (co-written with Kit Brookman)? ‘I’m really interested in the stories that have shaped us or defined us, these incredible classic plays that hang around, but I’m also really passionate about strong female characters. Partly it was that, partly it was being interested in Nora herself, partly it was those questions of trying to figure out if this work still speaks to us. I don’t really feel I need to be faithful at all to what Ibsen was doing. This is a new work inspired by what he wrote. At the moment [the script is] a two-part work that explores the period when Nora is at
home with her husband and kids, and then what would be the end of Ibsen’s play when she walks out and creates a new life for herself, or at least attempts to begin a new life. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s been quite exciting and quite difficult picking through those issues: what it is for a woman to walk away from her husband and kids in 2014. It’s quite extraordinary to have that structure of Ibsen to hold onto but also the ability to dream it anywhere. Most of his Doll’s House characters aren’t in Nora, other than the husband and kids, but the themes are very similar,’ she said. ‘It’s a tricky balance but the most important thing is the connection to the work now. I find it quite thrilling when I can enter a work and feel myself in it. I’m not interested in history pieces or museum pieces. There’re other places for that.’ Similarly, sticking word-for-word to Ibsen’s original script wasn’t the focus for Adena’s production of Hedda Gabler – viewing the work
Anne-Louise Sarks & Adena Jacobs. Photo: Elly Clough.
through a contemporary lens was. ‘We have to be careful that we’re truthful at all times and not feel like we are beholden to something because it was written,’ she said. ‘We need to meet the text as contemporary artists and make it truthful.’ Did Ibsen write feminist plays? ‘I would say that Hedda Gabler is a feminist play, and hopefully our production will be also,’ said Adena. ‘It’s my sense that Ibsen as a male writer was channelling himself through the shape and character of Hedda, trying to understand the world through a female lens, and that probably was a feminist act. Hedda’s not a particularly strong female character. She’s not a rebel, she doesn’t leave the house like Nora… she’s not an Antigone figure and doesn’t stand up for herself. She’s a troubling and troubled character,’ she said. ‘It was more about Ibsen trying to understand the complexities of the world through a woman, and that’s what makes it feminist.’ Choosing Ash Flanders, a man, to play the role of Hedda is part of bringing this understanding to a contemporary audience. ‘When the play was written, the image of a woman wielding weapons and riding a horse and who didn’t want to have a child was seen as a very controversial image,’ she explained. ‘To us, that image of a woman is not only not controversial but is also a cliché – our perception of gender has widened and so has our perspective.’ To create a genuinely ‘puzzling’ and controversial figure in a modern production of Hedda Gabler, Adena explained that Hedda needed to be a little different. ‘There is something about hooking into the notion of an ambiguous gender that is part of our exploration,’ she said. ‘There’s 04
something about the work that Ash does as a performer that is neither male nor female, it’s not in either category. It’s something far more complex than that.’ Anne-Louise is thrilled to be working again with Blazey Best, who will play Nora, and played the lead in Belvoir’s Medea in 2012. Nora, she says, is a progression from her previous works involving children, like Medea. ‘It’s really exciting to be back in a room with Blazey, who knows how I work and we have found a way of collaborating together. She was extraordinary in the role of Medea, but in a way didn’t have as much opportunity to explore as those kids did,’ she said. ‘I’m excited to have her at the centre of my work.’ Adena and Anne-Louise work with a great deal of cast and team input in the devising of their adaptations. Adena explained she came to the first rehearsal with an interpretation and a very good idea of what the production would look like. ‘The way I approach adapting a work is that every single artist in the room, from myself to the designers to the actors, are reinterpreting and reimagining the original in various ways,’ she said. So, exciting times ahead for our two Resident Directors, and a handful of intriguing productions for us all to look forward to. Anne-Louise reflected on being part of the Belvoir family: ‘It’s really incredible to have a group of people around you who are working with you to make great theatre possible. There is something about this place that’s really special.’ For full production details, dates and bookings head to our website: belvoir.com.au/whats-on
Youth Express
Students from The John Berne School perform in our Downstairs Theatre. Photo: Patrick Boland.
The students take their curtain call to rapturous applause. Photo: Patrick Boland.
In November last year, in Belvoir’s Downstairs Theatre, students from The John Berne School performed The Intervention, a short play they wrote and devised themselves. The school, which joined Belvoir’s Youth Express program for the first time last year (alongside Youth Off the Streets’ Key College), is a ‘second chance’ high school in Lewisham. It offers educational opportunities to young people who find themselves excluded from mainstream schools.
ideas and experience of the world. A script is written and, after several weeks of rehearsal, the young people perform, in costume and under lights, in front of a supportive, enthusiastic audience in our Downstairs Theatre.
Our Youth Express Program here at Belvoir has been running for nine years and aims to engage vulnerable and at-risk young people through drama. What’s incredible about this program is the confidence and self-esteem it instils in these young people, the sense they gain of their own potential and the capacity to see a project through to completion. The students participate in a two-hour workshop each week for 16 weeks, led by the indefatigable director James Winter, who introduces them to drama through exercises in trust, improvisation, movement and voice work. A few weeks into the workshops, the students begin devising a short piece of theatre, based on their own
They just stood up, and they were clapping for more than even 20 seconds. They were giving us a round of applause, like they were proud of us, and I was proud of myself too. Student, Key College I have discovered that I have boosted my confidence. Student, The John Berne School Confidence!! Doing something ‘unknown’ and succeeding unexpectedly has opened their eyes to future possibilities. Teacher, The John Berne School If you would like to donate to Belvoir’s Education Programs or would like more information please visit: belvoir.com.au/ support-education 05
30 Years at Belvoir Street (we’re having a party!) In 1974, architect Viv Fraser created a new theatre venue for Sydney from the abandoned Salt & Sauce vacated by Cerebos in 1971. The productions that Nimrod Theatre created within this building over the following decade employed thousands of workers and excited the audiences who flocked to see a distinctly Australian brand of theatre in an era when foreign stars were still the prevailing reality. Under the management of John Bell, Richard Wherrett and Ken Horler, a decision was made to sell the building to expand to a larger, more commercially viable venue. Over a single weekend in March 1984, two ex-Nimrod workers – Chris Westwood and Sue Hill – managed to raise the $50,000 deposit needed to secure a bid to buy the building. Rather than raising money at the big end of town, these two charismatic and persuasive women turned to fellow theatre workers, convincing 850 people to buy a share in Belvoir St Theatre and raising the remaining $450,000 needed to buy the building. All those who bought a share had an equal say in voting fellow shareholders onto two Boards: one to preserve the building as a working theatre, the other to put on the shows. The collective decisions hammered out then are still evident today and stand as a testament to the power and endurance of a vision conceived by two workers.
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Calling all original shareholders! To celebrate 30 years since this remarkable achievement, we’re throwing a party. If you’re an original shareholder of the Belvoir St Theatre we’d love you to join us on Sunday 17 August. If you haven’t received your ‘Save the Date’ notification yet, please let us know if you can make it at belvoir.com.au/ original-shareholders We’ve found as many original shareholders as we could, but unfortunately we’ve lost track of some people. Those we’ve been unable to find are listed at belvoir.com.au/ shareholders-tracker. Please take a minute to review the list and send any contact details you have to development@belvoir.com.au Thank you. Here’s to another 30 years of theatrical mayhem!
Playwright Patrick White (seated, white jumper) and director Neil Armfield (standing, middle) flanked by cast and creatives of Signal Driver in 1985, Belvoir’s first season. Photo: William Yang.
Extracts from our coffee table book, 25 Belvoir Street ‘Sydney loves a winner. Somewhere along the way Belvoir passed from being a Surry Hills upstart to an institution of the town. This might have killed the place stone dead, except Belvoir set its own terms for the city’s embrace. It would remain magically and pig-headedly itself. Labor loves the place; the Liberals have endowed it generously. Neither side has come to distrust Belvoir enough to dismiss what it’s about. The work has been too good, too rich, too unexpected.’ David Marr ‘Looking back now, it’s clear there has been a transformation in the productions over the history of Belvoir. In recent years, I’ve noticed a clear shift in focus. Several of each year’s works feature Aboriginal actors, not because the subject calls for them, but because they are consummate performers across all genres.’ Rhoda Roberts
‘Belvoir St, which manifestly lacks all the things that a good theatre should have – wings, flies and a proscenium arch – has taught me, the set designer, that you don’t need them anyway. The space forces us, both the theatre-makers and the audience, to take a journey into the imagination, a highly personal place that is infinitely more wonderful than anything that can be made of canvas and wood, even by the greatest of set designers.’ Ralph Myers ‘Belvoir as a space has experienced much: hundreds of sets that serve as thresholds to brave new worlds, love stories that start blearily in the foyer, blown bulbs, blown noses, eyes that catch the light at the moment of reveal, lines that evaporate before they’re spoken, lines that live with the listener forever, and changing clans of headshots meeting the audience halfway up the stairs. But its heart is a steady thing.’ Rita Kalnejais 07
The Host Is In the Hot Seat The spotlight swings round and WESLEY ENOCH finds himself in the hot seat, answering some questions about our unique Monday night Indigenous ‘chat show’ 20 Questions, which he’s been hosting since it opened in April.
How’s the show coming along, Wes? It’s great; it’s so different each time. Even though the questions are the same, the way the guests answer them and how each artist’s relationship with the audience forms is very different – it’s quite exciting. Tell us a little about the format. Do the guests get asked exactly the same questions each night? The name 20 Questions comes from the parlour game, in which you get allocated a celebrity then you get to ask 20 questions in order to guess who that celebrity is. We ask 345 questions of a guest, in three acts. They have no prior knowledge of what the questions are; they’ve not seen the show before. Some questions are as simple as ‘What’s your shoe size?’ and others are complex, philosophical questions, like ‘When was the first time you knew you were black?’ What have been your criteria for the guests invited to be part of the show? We talked about Indigenous performers who are well known – they could be a musician, they could be an actor, someone you know and can connect with. When you’re in a rehearsal room with a group of Indigenous actors, you get to understand their family, their background, what their lives are like. But when you just see them on stage you don’t get to see the depth of their life experiences. So this is 08
about peeling away some of those layers and understanding who this person is. The guest artist is a surprise for the audience each night. The questions asked of the artist are a surprise to them. What has surprised you the most each show? To watch how different performers answer different things. Sometimes the one question you imagine is the hardest to answer, they just fly into it and are amazing. But something that seems very simple, and you think they’ll just answer the question and get on with it, they find difficult. Each individual has their own responses to the world. And what I love about the audience is that they sit and listen to the questions and answer them in their own head – what’s their answer to that question? Or have they ever been in that situation before? And there’s an element of danger. You don’t know whether it’s going to work or not. You don’t know what the artist is going to say. Will the audience connect with them? Disconnect from them? It’s fascinating. How did you prepare to be a host of a show like this? I’ve done some media training, and I watched interview techniques and thought about what questions would unlock people. Eamon Flack [co-devisor] and I brainstormed ideas and talked about the difference between an interview and creating a
piece of theatre out of one. There is a difference. In an interview you often want to find the most salacious and interesting [facts about people] and you create the audience as voyeur. But with 20 Questions we wanted to create a piece of theatre where the audience is an observer and acts as support for the artist up there. As most audiences do, they come with a sense of empathy and sympathy and they come to be active in the room with the artists. There are no right or wrong answers. I want to make sure the guest feels absolutely supported all the way through. Why should people see this show? It’s a unique insight – it’s more like a ceremony than a show. It’s a series of revelations for both the person being interviewed and the audience. And no two performances will ever be the same. We say to the guests: ‘You can’t come and see the show beforehand, you just can’t. You can’t read the questions beforehand, you just can’t. You actually have to be fresh and new.’ So audiences can come and see half a dozen of these shows and they’ll all be entirely different.
What was his language? English Who is most responsible for you being an artist? I’m going to say Morag Morrison, my Year 9 English teacher. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have started on this path. Are you happy? Ah, no. Where do you think you’ll be in 40 years’ time? Dead! 20 Questions plays at 6:30pm on Monday nights until 11 August.
And finally, to borrow a few of your questions… What is your full name? Wesley James Enoch Do you cheat at board games? I don’t do board games. What’s in your top drawer? This is a bit strange – I don’t have drawers. I have shelving. So it’d be socks. What was your mother’s father’s name? Maxwell Silk. Guest Trevor Jamieson & host Wesley Enoch. Photo: Gez Xavier Mansfield.
News Bites
We like to get around Touring’s our favourite pastime at Belvoir – we want the country and the world to see the work we produce in our old tomato sauce factory. This year we’re getting our touring cases shipped to Europe, the UK and even Mexico! In May–June, Thyestes is playing at both the Theater der Welt (World Theatre Festival) in Mannheim, Germany, and the Holland Festival in Amsterdam. Also in June, our co-pro with Lucy Guerin Inc from 2012, Conversation Piece, is off to the Prague Festival in the Czech Republic then onto Glasgow’s famous Tramway Arts Centre. Our well-known production of The Wild Duck continues to receive world-wide attention; this year we’ve been invited to take it to London’s prestigious Barbican Centre in October. And to cap off our international touring for the year, Lally’s Katz’s delightful Stories I Want to Tell You in Person is heading to Mexico’s Dramafest in August. On the home front, we’ve completed great tours already this year of The Government Inspector in NSW, Vic and ACT, Stories in Albury, and Neighbourhood Watch in Melbourne. Our beautiful co-pro with Force Majeure, Food, is doing an extensive national tour from July onwards – make sure you catch it somewhere around the country. Check out belvoir.com.au/on-tour If you’d like to toss some dollars towards our (fabulous but expensive) touring program, contact our Head of Development, Nathan Bennett, on 02 8396 6224 or nathan@belvoir.com.au.
Unwaged performances Unfortunately not everyone in the community can afford to attend theatre on a regular basis. So for the last 20 years Belvoir has provided a free-ofcharge Thursday matinee performance of each Upstairs production to unwaged people. These matinees have a very enthusiastic following, with queues for tickets often weaving all the way down Belvoir St! Find out more at belvoir.com.au/unwagedprogram Back issue programs Did you know we sell back issue programs for our past Upstairs productions? And copies of our Downstairs programs are freely available on our website. Also, for most new plays or adapted works we publish the script with the program in conjunction with Currency Press. See what’s available at belvoir.com.au/publications Accessibility We’re always pleased to provide mobilecaptioned performances and audiodescribed performances at Belvoir, for patrons with hearing and vision impairments. We have a number of iPod Touches you can use during captioned performances if you don’t have your own smart phone or tablet. The Go Theatrical! app provides the captions. Please talk to our Box Office about your needs when booking, as these services are accessible from particular seats. More at: belvoir.com.au/access Mobile-captioned performances Hedda Gabler 2pm, Saturday 19 July The Glass Menagerie 2pm, Saturday 25 October A Christmas Carol 2pm, Saturday 20 December Audio-described performances Hedda Gabler 2pm, Saturday 26 July A Christmas Carol 2pm, Saturday 29 November
Dates for your diary If you haven’t subscribed to all the remaining shows in our 2014 Season, we have some great productions coming up. Apart from Hedda Gabler which is already on sale, non-subscription tickets for all remaining shows go on sale Monday 23 June for subscribers, and Monday 30 June for everyone else. You won’t want to miss…
Hedda Gabler After the 1902 Broadway premiere of Hedda Gabler, one reviewer wrote of its heroine: ‘Degenerate, selfish, morbid, cruel, bitter, jealous, something of a visionary, something of a lunatic.’ Ash Flanders, a man who has made an artform out of playing tragic heroines, will grace our corner stage in the title role of this fresh take on an Ibsen classic. A Hedda unlike any other. Plays 28 June – 3 August Nora Belvoir Resident Director Anne-Louise Sarks teams with writer Kit Brookman to imagine the life of Ibsen’s character Nora Helmer after she walks out the front door and slams it behind her at the end of A Doll’s House. In 2014, Nora’s dilemma remains the same: how much will a woman put up with and why? Blazey Best in a must-see role. Plays 9 August – 14 September Oedipus Rex This is a very new version, from Belvoir Resident Director Adena Jacobs, of a very old play. Oedipus Rex gets right to the heart of our most primal longings and fears. Get up close and personal in our Downstairs Theatre with this visionary, brutal and mystifying account of what it means to be human. Plays 21 August – 14 September The Glass Menagerie A top pick with our subscribers, this memory play from Tennessee Williams was written 70 years ago. What does this intensely personal family drama
say to us today? After a 20-year hiatus we welcome back to Belvoir the great Pamela Rabe. Luke Mullins (Angels in America) plays narrator/son Tom. Read our interview with director Eamon Flack on pp14-15. Plays 20 September – 2 November Is This Thing On? Zoë Coombs Marr’s brilliant new play for the Downstairs Theatre is a portrait of a life in a comedy routine. Brianna is a stand-up comedian and this is a magnificent and stupid quest for one shining moment of specialness which may have already happened. Plays 2 October – 26 October A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge was practically written for Robert Menzies! And what better way to herald in the manicness of the silly season than with this sprawlingly wonderful tale of redemption and awakening. Then if your pressies are wrapped and under the tree, come join us for closing night hoopla on Christmas Eve! Plays 8 November – 24 December Cinderella Like the original, this is a story about how ugly ugly people can be, and how ugly beautiful people can be too… and how love can be found in the strangest places. PS. When a man and a woman do finally fall in love, children may result. But they should not be brought to this particular show… Plays 13 November – 7 December 11
Belvoir Diary
19 June Unwaged Performance Brothers Wreck
22 June Sunday Forum Brothers Wreck
30 June Non-subscription tickets on sale* Nora Oedipus Rex The Glass Menagerie Is This Thing On? A Christmas Carol Cinderella * Subscribers are able to purchase nonsubscription tickets one week earlier than this date.
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2 July
3 August
Opening Night Hedda Gabler
Sunday Forum Hedda Gabler
10 July
13 August
Unwaged Performance Hedda Gabler
Opening Night Nora
19 July
23 August
Captioned Performance Hedda Gabler
Opening Night Oedipus Rex
26 July
11 September
Audio-described Performance Hedda Gabler
Unwaged Performance Nora
14 September Sunday Forum Nora
24 September Opening Night The Glass Menagerie
Photos: Gary Heery
2 October
2 November
18 December
Unwaged Performance The Glass Menagerie
Sunday Forum The Glass Menagerie
Unwaged Performance A Christmas Carol
4 October
12 November
20 December
Opening Night Is This Thing On?
Opening Night A Christmas Carol
Captioned Performance A Christmas Carol
25 October
15 November
21 December
Captioned Performance The Glass Menagerie
Opening Night Cinderella
Sunday Forum A Christmas Carol
29 November Audio-described Performance A Christmas Carol
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The Glass Menagerie In Conversation with Director Eamon Flack
Pamela Rabe. Photo: Gary Heery.
The Glass Menagerie was the work that made playwright Tennessee Williams into an instant theatre celebrity in 1944. It launched his career and he would go on to produce a body of work that would position him as one of the most lauded, most produced playwrights of the 20th century. Here we talk with the director of our upcoming production of this work, EAMON FLACK. Eamon, what drew you to this play in particular? Seventy years after it was written, what does it have to say to us now? It’s about a group of dreamers who find themselves inside a pretty workaday and dull, overly economic situation – much like the society we’re living in at the moment. And they have this great big human desire for something better. [These days] I feel like that instinct or wish or urge for something better seems to have been given up on and been replaced by a sort of shrug of indifference. I think that is what Tennessee Williams’ play is – it’s a little time capsule egg of that thing, that dream. It’s beautiful. It’s so gentle and delicate in so many ways. And I think the idea of a delicate play about wanting something better is kind of radical right now…
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Would you hope that audiences walk away at the end with a wish for something better, from what seems an oppressively bleak set of circumstances? In one way the story is bleak because it does end with three people who love and need each other, and one of them betrays the other two. And yet the one that does the betraying takes a sort of vow to spend the rest of his life making good on his betrayal. As an individual undertaking that is heroic and magnificent. This play that seems to be about betrayal and destruction actually gave birth to a bigger undertaking that is not just between three people now but between, in the case of Tennessee Williams and his work, millions of people over many decades now. So this production is just joining in that bigger undertaking. It’s so good to join in on something that’s been around and that’s worked and that continues and that grows.
Like Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, there’s an intense sexual frustration at the core of Tom. More than half a century later in a much more liberal world, what’s the journey for Tom now? There are still very many people who find themselves in similar circumstances to Tom and whose lives are completely ruined because of it. Because they can’t come out. Tennessee Williams wrote a play in which Tom’s sexuality was kept a coded secret. And there would have been gay men back then who watched that play and knew exactly what was going on. But it couldn’t be talked about. Luke Mullins [who is cast as Tom] said this when we first started talking about the play: those things just shouldn’t be hidden in a production any more. We won’t hide them. And certainly part of my way into the play is the fact that I did spend a good deal of my time feeling very much like Tom. Like Tom I had to sort of betray and flee in order to love. That’s just one strand inside the play but it’s definitely one that plucks a deep old string in me. During [Belvoir’s production of] Angels in America Luke suggested to me that this was a play that was ripe for looking at again. Certainly it’s the first American play that really took lyricism and theatrical self-awareness to this point, which could then give birth to plays like Death of a Salesman and Angels in America. Angels playwright Tony Kushner learned this from Tennessee Williams to some extent… they both understood that brilliant ideas, brilliantly formed in brilliant sentences, spoken out loud in the presence of a few hundred other people have inherent power. Angels is full of that and so is this play. It has a kind of magic value. It’s basic theatre. In his production notes Williams describes this work as a ‘memory play’ – one that can be presented
with ‘unusual freedom of convention’. Does the cinematic sense of this play and the structure of it allow you certain freedoms as a director? Dramatically it’s fairly perfectly formed. But the thing that struck me re-reading it was how original it is, and how contemporary it is in what it asks of theatre. Williams was really so bold and adventurous. The invitation to lyricism and to close-up and to a sense of cinematic scale to the work is really beguiling. It was certainly a big draw card for it in the first place. That and the fact that it’s this quartet of brilliant roles for great actors – that’s always a special thing. As Amanda you’ve cast Pamela Rabe, who was last on stage at Belvoir 20 years ago. What excites you about the pairing of Pam with Luke Mullins and what are the qualities they will bring to Amanda and Tom? Pam and Luke have worked together a lot. They have this fantastic simpatico, this tough mindedness. They’re both so thorough and smart, which I really love. The later plays of Tennessee Williams are all kind of hot blooded and really sexy, and this play seems a bit frigid from that point of view. And yet when you really look at the play, you see that under the surface there is so much hot bloodedness. Luke and Pam have that – that’s what they do. So instantly the temperature of the thing goes up just by having them in it. When Luke is given the opportunity to cut loose with a smart gay role – and he doesn’t get the chance to do that often – then you’re dealing with one of the country’s most formidable actors. The Glass Menagerie plays in the Upstairs Theatre 20 September – 2 November. 15
You Can Make a Difference at Belvoir Our donors are our partners-in-crime.† They’re loyal investors who make what we do possible. Many of you reading this right now are donors – we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We also like to thank each of our donors in person as often as we can, which is why we’re creating more and more opportunities for donors to spend time with us and our artists. We’re starting to open up our rehearsal rooms and give our donors unprecedented access to Belvoir. Through a series of new events in our theatres, rehearsal rooms and other interesting spaces, we hope to deepen our engagement and offer our most valuable individual stakeholders even more insight into what makes Belvoir tick. Our donors are not just important to us. They’re increasingly critical to our operational stability and ongoing artistic vibrancy. This dedicated group of supporters underwrites our education programs, community access initiatives, Indigenous programming, international touring endeavours and, of course, the productions we present yearround on our home stages and across the country. We couldn’t survive without them. If you don’t already donate to Belvoir, why not consider it? Yes, we’re tax deductible, but it’s also incredibly rewarding to be part of the Belvoir family! Here are a few ways you can get involved.
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The Hive Some of Belvoir’s most adventurous work begins its life in our Downstairs Theatre. This intimate space is a favourite among our diehard patrons but, with so few seats to sell, we have to fill a gap of over $80,000 per show. The Hive helps do just that by bringing a group of generous young people together to support the creative development and production of one Downstairs Theatre show each year. It’s audacious work supported by tenacious donors who will no doubt be the backbone of Belvoir’s success for many years to come. The group follows our artists as they develop a new work for production while networking with Belvoir’s community of other donors, business leaders, Board and staff. We have a loose definition of ‘young’, but if you’re not feeling it, consider sponsoring someone in your life that might benefit from being in The Hive. It’s $2,500 per year, which includes two tickets to each event. Belvoir on the world stage Over the past five years we have toured our award-winning productions to Austria, England, Norway, The Netherlands, South Korea and the USA. While we are committed to sharing Australia’s best artists and productions with the world, international touring is a costly exercise. So why do we do it? Belvoir plays an important role in promoting Australia as a producer of world-class cultural content. We think it’s important to shift the world’s perception of our country and what better way to do that
than by putting Belvoir on the world’s most famous stages? If you agree, you can help take us across the globe through our International Touring Fund. Supporters are invited to join us on the road or at events a little closer to home throughout the year. Do it for the kids A core focus of Belvoir’s mission is to allow audiences to access our work regardless of economic status, cultural background, age or geographic location. One of the most meaningful ways we accomplish this is through our diverse suite of youth and education programs. Belvoir’s Education Program gives young people across NSW opportunities to see our world-class productions, participate in a broad range of hands-on workshops or even have an artist visit their classroom. We also work with young people who have suffered homelessness or addiction and provide a platform for them to perform their stories on stage, under lights in front of a live audience. We invest over $650,000 in these education activities each year. With only a small amount of government funding, we rely on individuals who understand the important role the arts can play in enriching the lives of young people. Education Program supporters are invited to special events throughout the year. More importantly, these donors benefit from knowing they’re helping us give young people some of the skills they need to communicate effectively throughout their lives. Conscious giving, unconsciously A number of our supporters choose to support Belvoir by making regular contributions from their pre-tax income. Workplace Giving, or Payroll Deduction Programs, automatically deduct donations from your pay and send them direct to Belvoir. We like to
call it conscious giving, unconsciously. Any contributions to Belvoir over $2 are tax deductable. What’s even better is that many employers offer matching donation programs and may double or even triple your individual donation. Workplace Giving is the most effective way to donate to Belvoir because it lowers our administrative fees, gives you an instant tax benefit, and has the potential to multiply your donation. Example of how your dollar goes further: $20 $13.50
Monthly commitment to Belvoir Actual out of pocket cost, after-tax benefit*
$20
Amount Belvoir receives
$40
Amount Belvoir receives if employer matches donation**
*Tax benefit based on average full-time income. **Based on dollar-for-dollar matching.
Contact your program manager, payroll office, or human resources department about donating to Belvoir through Workplace Giving. Don’t forget to ask if your employer offers matching donations! If your company does not yet have Belvoir listed as an option for Workplace Giving, please contact Belvoir’s Development team and we will nudge your employer on your behalf. To donate to any of our programs, or for more information, please contact the Development team on 02 8396 6209, email us at development@belvoir.com.au or visit belvoir.com.au/support † We don’t actually commit any crimes with our donors. It’s just a saying…
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25 Belvoir Street Edited by Robert Cousins. Foreword by David Marr
This stunning book, full of essays, memories and vivid photographs, celebrates over a quarter of a century of theatre at Belvoir. Including a collection of essays by Robert Cousins, Ralph Myers, Benedict Andrews, Neil Armfield, Robert McFarlane, Rhoda Roberts, James Waites, Alan John and Rita Kalnejais, 25 Belvoir Street traces the social and political background from which Belvoir emerged and looks at the way the building itself has found a way into our imaginations.
Pick up a copy now from the Belvoir Box Office RRP $77 or only $67 if you are a 2014 subscriber. For a mailed copy, add $20 for postage & handling (within Australia). Also available at selected bookstores.
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From its first mercurial decade when it teetered on the edge of oblivion on more than one occasion, through to the appointment of Neil Armfield as Artistic Director, and beyond to a new generation of theatre makers headed by Ralph Myers, this book provides an extraordinary and intimate record of a company that has been described simply as the ‘heart and soul of Australian theatre’.
The Philanthropy Slice of the Pie Box office income represents only 39% of Belvoir’s operating revenue. In an increasingly challenging corporate sponsorship environment and with the uncertainty of government funding, we rely more than ever on generous individuals to help us reach new heights. Share in Belvoir’s success by becoming a donor and fattening the slice of the pie that is our philanthropy income. It’s more than just a gift. It’s a vote of confidence in our work that gives you the deepest possible access to the wonderful world of Belvoir.
Trusts and Foundations $288,000 3%
Philanthropy (your donations) $707,000
6% 5%
Ticketing fees $549,000 Sponsorship (cash and contra) $927,000 Earned income (eg: bar, programs, venue rental, bank interest) $1,504,000 Touring $709,000
39%
8%
14%
6%
19%
Government $2,105,000 Box office $4,344,000 Total $11,133,000* *2013 revenue
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In the Rehearsal Room
Actors Bjorn Stewart & Hunter Page-Lochard – Brothers Wreck. Photo: Brett Boardman.
Actor Helen Buday & director Eamon Flack – Once in Royal David’s City. Photo: Heidrun Löhr.
Actors Dana Miltins & Mary Helen Sassman – Cain and Abel. Photo: Brett Boardman.
Actors Fayssal Bazzi, Zahra Newman, Greg Stone, Robert Menzies & Eryn Jean Norvill – The20 Government Inspector. Photo: Brett Boardman.
Performers/directors Zoë Coombs Marr & Mish Grigor – Oedipus Schmoedipus. Photo: Brett Boardman.
Playwright Michael Gow & actor Brendan Cowell – Once in Royal David’s City. Photo: Heidrun Löhr.
Director Simon Stone, actors Mitchell Butel & Greg Stone – The Government Inspector. Photo: Brett Boardman.
Director Leah Purcell & stage manager Luke McGettigan – Brothers Wreck. Photo: Brett Boardman.
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Belvoir Donors We give our heartfelt thanks to all our donors for their generous support. Creative Development Fund
Makes a significant financial investment in Belvoir’s creative development. Neil Armfield AO Anne Britton Andrew & Cathy Cameron Janet & Trefor Clayton Anne & Michael Coleman Hartley Cook Gail Hambly Louise Herron & Clark Butler Victoria Holthouse Peter & Rosemary Ingle Helen Lynch & Helen Bauer Frank Macindoe David Marr Sherry-Hogan Foundation Victoria Taylor Mary Vallentine AO Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey
2014 Co-Conspirators Help Belvoir increase our private sector support base. Anita Jacoby Victoria Taylor Mark Warburton Peter Wilson
2013/2014 Chair’s Group Supports the creative development of Indigenous work at Belvoir. Anonymous (1) Antoinette Albert Berry Family Jillian Broadbent AO Jan Chapman & Stephen O’Rourke Louise Christie Kathleen & Danny Gilbert Sophie Guest Michael Hobbs Marion Heathcote & Brian Burfitt Cajetan Mula (Honorary Member) Ross McLean & Fiona Beith Steve & Belinda Rankine Alex Oonagh Redmond Michael Rose & Jo D’Antonio Ann Sherry AO Penny Ward David & Jennifer Watson Kim Williams AM Cathy Yuncken
2013/2014 B Keepers Income received from B Keepers underpins all of our activities. Anonymous (3) Robert & Libby Albert Claire Armstrong & John Sharpe Berg Family Foundation Bev & Phil Birnbaum Max Bonnell Ellen Borda Anne Britton Dr Catherine Brown-Watt Jan Burnswoods Lloyd & Mary Jo Capps Brian T. Carey David Chesterman AM Elaine Chia Jane Christensen Louise Christie Suzanne & Michael Daniel Tracey Driver & Simon Robinson Dr Linda English Chris & Bob Ernst Jeanne Eve Peter Graves David & Kathryn Groves David Haertsch Wendy & Andrew Hamlin John Head Marion Heathcote & Brian Burfitt Libby Higgin Michael Hobbs Anita Jacoby Shirley Jarzabek Avril Jeans Kevin and Rosemarie Jeffers-Palmer Margaret Johnston Corinne & Rob Johnston Colleen Kane Antoinette le Marchant Jennifer Ledgar & Bob Lim Stephanie Lee Atul Lele Hilary Linstead A Maxwell & R Godlee Professor Elizabeth More AM Jane Munro Dr David Nguyen Don & Leslie Parsonage Timothy & Eva Pascoe Greeba Pritchard Richard & Heather Rasker Colleen Roche Greg Roger Lesley & Andrew Rosenberg Andrew & Louise Sharpe
Vivienne Sharpe Peter & Jan Shuttleworth Merilyn Sleigh & Raoul de Ferranti Jennifer Smith Chris & Bea Sochan Judy Thomson Sue Thomson Lynne Watkins & Nicholas Harding Alison Wearn Paul & Jennifer Winch Ian & Judy Wyatt
Corporate B Keepers Constructability Recruitment Macquarie Group Foundation
2013/2014 The Hive Young supporters of new projects. Nathan Bennett & Yael Perry Dan & Emma Chesterman Joanna Davidson & Julian Leeser Este Darin-Cooper & Chris Burgess Julie & Jamie Garis Ruth Higgins & Liliana Munoz Emma Hogan & Kim Hogan Bruce Meagher & Greg Waters Gerard Outram & Fiona Holyoake Olivia Pascoe The Sky Foundation Andrew & Louise Sharpe Simpsons Solicitors Michael Sirmai Peter Wilson & James Emmett
Education Donors over $250
Provide opportunities for young people throughout NSW to access our work. Anonymous (2) Len & Nita Armfield Ian Barnett Anne Bromley Mary G Burchell Andrew Cameron AM Michael and Colleen Chesterman Karen Cooper Peter Demou Jane Diamond Veronica Espaliat & Ross Youngman Nancy Fox Kiera Grant Chris Green & Rachel Simons
Matthew Hall Julie Hannaford Siobhan Hannan & James Talbot Kim Harding & Irene Miller Susan Harte Paul & Melissa Hobbs Sue Hyde Peter & Rosemary Ingle Stewart & Jillian Kellie Matthew Kidman Xanthi Kouvatas Veronica and Matthew Latham Ian Learmonth & Julia Pincus Walter & Elizabeth Lewin Olivia Pascoe Kate Pasterfield Nicole Philps Chris & Bea Sochan The Spence Family Kerry Stubbs Sarah Walters
General Donors over $250
Provide valuable support to the projects most in need throughout the year.
Anonymous (9) Charles & Hannah Alexander David Antaw Neil Armfield Ross & Barb Armfield Ian Barnett Barrett Casting Anne & David Bennett Andrew & Jane Bennett Berry Family Baiba Berzins Angela Bowne Ian Breden & Josephine Key Jillian Broadbent AO Anne Bromley Rob Brookman & Verity Laughton Dr & Mrs Gil Burton Andrew & Cathy Cameron
Mary Jo & Lloyd Capps Susan Casali Penny Chapman Timothy & Bryony Cox Anne Duggan Diane Dunlop Anton Enus & Roger Henning Richard Evans Elizabeth Evatt Carole Ferrier Frances Garrick Jono Gavin Paul Gibson D T Gilbert Cary & Rob Gillespie Jill Gordon The Gorr Burchmore Group Anthony Gregg Priscilla Guest Sophie Guest Julie Hannaford Kim Harding & Irene Miller Dr Juliet Harper Margaret Harris Marion Heathcote & Brian Burfitt Libby Higgin Harrison & Kate Higgs Dorothy Hoddinott AO Anita Jacoby The Honourable Justice Johnson David Jonas & Desmon Du Plessis Iphygenia Kallinikos Su Kennedy Josephine Key Robert Kidd Jann Kohlman Ray Lawler Sarah Lawrence Ruth Layton Margaret Lederman Hilary Linstead Joseph Lipski Ross Littlewood & Alexandra Curtin Dr Carolyn Lowry Wendy McCarthy
Christopher Matthies Dr Helen McCathie Ruth McColl Catherine McDonnell Irene Miller Dr David and Barbara Millons Carol Mills Cynthia Mitchell John Morgan Annabelle Andrews & Peter Murray Dr Peter & June Musgrove Kevin O’Connor AM Judy & Geoff Patterson Susan Pearson Natalie Pelham Catherine Rothery Pamela Ryan Elfriede Sangkuhl Julia Selby Agnes Sinclair Eileen Slarke & Family Sandra & Barry Smorgon OAM Tim Smyth Andrew Smyth-Kirk Dr Titia Sprague Judy Stone Jeremy Storer Catherine Sullivan Anthony Tarleton Victoria Taylor Axel & Diane Tennie Janet Tepper Mike Thompson John Tuckey Ross Tzannes Louise & Steve Verrier Chris Vik & Chelsea Albert Lynne Watkins & Nicholas Harding Elizabeth Webby AM Bronwen Whyatt Peter Wilson & James Emmett Brian & Patricia Wright Lance Wright Jane Wynter List correct at time of printing.
Special Thanks We would like to acknowledge long-time supporters Cajetan Mula and Len Armfield. They will always be remembered for their generosity to Belvoir. These people and foundations supported the redevelopment of Belvoir St Theatre and purchase of our warehouse: Andrew & Cathy Cameron (refurbishment of theatre & warehouse), Russell Crowe (Downstairs Theatre & purchase of warehouse), The Gonski Foundation & The Nelson Meers Foundation (Gonski Meers Foyer), Andrew & Wendy Hamlin (Neil’s, now Ralph’s, office), Hal Herron (The Hal Bar), Peter Ivany (Ivany Box Office), Geoffrey Rush (redevelopment of theatre), Fred Street AM (Upstairs Dressing Room) Donations over $2 are tax deductible. If you would like to make a donation or would like further information about any of our donor programs please call our team on 02 9698 3344 or email development@belvoir.com.au
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Sunday Forum Good theatre makes you feel. It can also make you think. Sometimes you’re left thinking about it well after you’ve left the theatre. You want to know more; about the play, its ideas, its history or how it came about. If so then our Sunday Forums are for you. We hold a forum for each of our Upstairs performances. Each is different and tackles a specific aspect of the production. It might be a lecture, a discussion or a demonstration. One might take a look at the broader social context of a play. Another might focus on how a show was created. After the forum you have a chance to ask questions of the panellists, meet your fellow audience members and continue the discussion informally with us in the foyer. Sunday Forums are free. It’s best to see the show before you come because we’re bound to spoil the ending! Check our website or call Box Office to find out who will appear on each panel and what the topic of discussion will be.
Brothers Wreck 3pm, 22 June Hedda Gabler 3pm, 3 August Nora 3pm, 14 September The Glass Menagerie 3pm, 2 November A Christmas Carol 3pm, 21 December Although tickets are free, bookings are essential and are open four weeks or more before each forum.
Book online at: belvoir.com.au/sundayforum or call Box Office on 02 9699 3444. Tweet while you listen (or follow online) using #sundayforum
See you there!
Neil and Len Armfield. Photo: Cathy Hunt.
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Belvoir Sponsors IT Partner
Media Partners
Major Sponsors
Associate Sponsors
Key Supporter Indigenous Theatre at Belvoir supported by The Balnaves Foundation
BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION
Touring Fund Andrew Cameron Family Foundation
Mark Carnegie and Jessica Block
Event Sponsors
Government Partners
Youth & Education Supporter Supporters
Trusts & Foundations Copyright Agency Ltd Coca-Cola Australia Foundation Gandevia
Greatorex Teen Spirit Charitable Foundation
Goldman Sachs Picket Studio Street Promotions Australia Thomas Creative Time Out Australia
For more information on partnership opportunities please contact our Development team on 02 9698 3344 or development@belvoir.com.au
belvoir.com.au /belvoirst
@belvoirst
@belvoirst
18 & 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Email mail@belvoir.com.au Administration (02) 9698 3344 Fax (02) 9319 3165 Box Office (02) 9699 3444 Design: Alphabet Studio Printing: immij A Cover: Rarriwuy Hick by Brett Boardman