Summer Programme 2011
SUMMER 2011 Newsletter 116 Hello and welcome to 2011! Our SUMMER SEASON begins with a wonderful line up of Midsumma Festival shows and ends with much mirth in our Comedy Festival fare, with many challenging and delightful shows in between. You may have noticed our carpark conversion to a little piazza is nearing completion. We are delighted with the result and thank both the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government through The Cultural Precincts Enhancement Fund for their contribution to this transformation. See you at La Mama in our cool, air conditioned venues and brand new outdoor spaces over the coming months.
Liz Jones C.E.O. & Artistic Director And on behalf of Pippa Bainbridge (company manager), Maureen Hartley (publicist / education coordinator), Lisa HĂśbartner & Bec Etchell (house managers), Louise Jones (marketing coordinator), Mary Helen Sassman & Caitlin Dullard (community producers), Fiona Wiseman & Nedd Jones (administration) and the Committee of Management: Catherine Hill, Dur-ĂŠ Dara, Mark Rubbo, Caroline Lee, Tim Stitz, Rhonda Day, Emily Harms and Liz Jones
Tango Femme The Anorexic Chef Smudged Mrs Vincent Price Save for Crying Nothing Extraordinary Ever Happens in Toowoomba. (Ever). The Revengers’ Comedy An Evening with Chekhov This Is - of the Other Skinhouse The Long Day’s Dying KAPOW! Vladimir the Crow Everything Must Go ‘Til Divorce Australia Dot Com Miracle in Rwanda The Damsel in Shining Armour On War What Goes Around Dry Cleaning The Shroud of Turin La Mama for Kids - Smarties & Sillies La Mama Musica La Mama Poetica cover image credit: Fleur Kilpatrick La Mama Awards courtesy: Quiet Little Fox Theatre / Skinhouse
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a WishingWell Production
Tango Femme
Jan 18 - Feb 6 Written by Merrilee Moss Directed by Brenda Addie Produced by Ruth Katerelos Design - Jase Cavanagh Performed by Kristen Adriaan, Eleanor Bally, Rhyannon Grace, Ruth Katerelos, Flame Acacia Kimbell, Eloise Maree & Niki Pidd Choreography - Anny Salerni | Tango Choreography - Maeva Veerapen Stage Manager - Annie-Rose Cosgriff | Technical Management - Mark Delaney | Costumes - Marsia Bergh Tango Femme is a burlesque comedy, sassy and sexy. Set in the world of lesbian ballroom dancing, it blends body and dance, gender and sexuality, mothers and daughters, butch and femme, with a sublime dose of passion.
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Tue, Wed, Sun 6:30pm / Thu, Fri, Sat 8:00pm La Mama Courthouse 5.
a Burning Deck Theatre Company Production
The Anorexic Chef Jan 19 - Jan 30 Written and directed by Sofia Chapman Performed by Will Tait, Eloise Bowden, Kirri Buchler, Hilary Fairchild, Ben de Castella, Aleksandra Lane & Michael Lane
A sometimes absurd, fun yet thought-provoking play with live music, headless guests, chocolate sauce wrestling and more! Gordon Bleu, of French-Canadian and Inuit background, emigrates to Australia to become a chef, and realises his dream of opening a restaurant with the help of Oswald Paternoster, a somewhat patronising patron whose underlying agenda is to get his range of GM foods into circulation.
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Wed, Sun 6:30pm / Thu, Fri, Sat 8:00pm La Mama Theatre 7.
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Wed, Sun 6:30pm / Thu, Fri, Sat 8:00pm | La Mama Theatre 9.
the Arts Centre, Performing Arts Collection Melbourne, Coral Browne Collection.
Mrs Vincent Price
Feb 10 - Feb 27 Written by Peter Quilter Directed by Alice Bishop Stage Manager: Allie Pryor Lighting Designer: Richard Vabre Curator: Helen Laffin Performed by Heather Lythe, Grant Smith, Michael F Cahill, Chris Broadstock & Jo Gill A celebration of the life and career of Coral Browne who left Footscray in 1934 and became a grande dame of the London stage. ‘Uniquely-minded Queen of Style, No counterfeit could coin you.’ taken from Barry Humphries’ tribute to Coral at her memorial service in London
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Wed, Sun 6:30pm / Thu, Fri, Sat 8:00pm | La Mama Courthouse 11.
SAVE FOR CRYING
SAVE FOR CRYING Feb 18 - Mar 6 Written and directed by Angus Cerini Designed by Rachel Burke, Marg Horwell and Kelly Ryall Performed by Peta Brady, Ben Grant and Leroy Parsons Save for crying what you got? Nothing but the little love inside. And them tears you got what might bring on floods, save you from this world. Two little people got this little bit of love in this big snarling world. But in walk Ratspunk and what you got then? Nothing but a whole lot of Ratspunk. Warrior King and he want, he always want. Save for crying what you got then? Nothing but the little love inside. And them tears you got what might just bring on floods, might just save you from this world. Save for Crying was a winner of the R.E. Ross Trust Playwrights Script Development Awards 2009.
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Previews on Feb 16 & 17 - $10 Tickets | *Extra matinee performances Feb 26 & Mar 5 at 4:30pm Wed, Sun 6:30pm / Thu, Fri, Sat 8:00pm | La Mama Theatre 13.
Nothing Extraordinary Ever Happens in Toowoomba. (Ever). Feb 23 - Mar 6 Written & Performed by Sarah Collins Directed by Yvonne Virsik Lighting Design by Jason Lehane It’s 1991 in Toowoomba, Queensland. There’s a terrible drought in the ‘Garden City’ where nothing extraordinary ever happens. Ever. Socially inept eleven year-old home-schooler Kevin-John Vickery is trapped in an adult world of flower shows and short course certificates, and wondering if life will ever get better. Emerging writer/performer Sarah Collins plays all 20 characters in this unique storytelling experience with charm, humour, and exquisite macaroni jewellery for every member of her audience. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.
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Wed, Sun 8:30pm / Thu, Fri, Sat 6:00pm | La Mama Theatre 15.
The Revengers’ Comedy Mar 2 - Mar 20 Written and created by Leonard Radic Directed by Stefan Mrowinski The Revengers’ Comedy is a riff on a celebrated Jacobean tragedy. However, there is nothing dark or murderous here. A satiric comedy about present day middle class and affluent Australians behaving badly.
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Wed, Sun 6:30pm / Thu, Fri, Sat 8:00pm La Mama Courthouse 17.
An Evening With
Chekhov
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Wed, Sun 6:30pm / Thu, Fri, Sat 8:00pm | La Mama Theatre 19.
This Is - of the Other Mar 23 - Apr 3 Brigid Jackson and Georgie Read Performers and Makers ‘A singular being appears, as finitude itself: at the end (or at the beginning) with the contact of the skin (or the heart) of another singular being, at the confines of the same singularity that is as such, always other, always shared, always exposed’ Jean-Luc Nancy Georgie Read and Brigid Jackson create a new performance event around skin, touch and the leakage between bodies
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La Mama Theatre 21.
a Quiet Little Fox Theatre Production
Skinhouse Mar 23 - Apr 3 Created & Performed by Fleur Kilpatrick and Kristina Benton Directed by Fleur Kilpatrick Music by Kristina Benton Two lives converge in a suburban apartment: Fleur’s sunny childhood, and Kristina’s decade in the sex industry. The two remove the mystery surrounding sex work and, with candour, humour and exquisite music, tell their stories.
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Wed, Fri, Sun 8:30pm / Thu, Sat 6:30pm La Mama Theatre 23.
the Long Day’s Dying Mar 24 - Apr 10 Written by David Blackman Directed by Kevin Summers The battered shell of an Afghani village house. Three Australian SAS troopers inside. Their mates lie dead outside. Now it’s a matter of survival as the Taliban close in. They are lauded as the best fighters in the world but can they overcome not only the enemy without but their own frailties? A dramatic examination of Australians presently at war.
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Wed, Sun 6:30pm / Thu, Fri, Sat 8:00pm La Mama Courthouse 25.
La Mama for Kids Apr 2 - Apr 3 Directed Kate Kantor Sound Design - Ania Reynolds & Pete Wild Costume design - Amanda Fairbanks Performed and devised by Asking for Trouble – (Christy Flaws, Luke O’Connor and Ailsa Wild) The creators of Bubblewrap & Boxes present their second award winning family show KAPOW! An irreverent, comical and human look at the desire to be a superhero in the suburbs. Highly visual, acrobatic and full of skilful clowning
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), Sat, Sun 11am & 2pm | La Mama Courthouse | All tickets $15 25th melbourne international
Comedy festival
–> Comedyfestival.Com.au
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vladimir the crow Apr 6 - Apr 17 Written by Paul Bourke Vladimir the Crow is a haunted clown and conduit to all things ghastly and ghoulish. Step into a world of horror reminiscent of early silent cinema, when vaudeville actors were making the leap from the stage to the silver screen
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Wed, Fri, 6:30pm / Thu, Sat 8:30pm / Sun 4:30pm La Mama Theatre 25th melbourne international
Comedy festival
–> Comedyfestival.Com.au
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Everything Must Go
Apr 7 - Apr 17 Written & Performed by Rachel Leary Directed by Damian Callinan
Turn off the main road, follow the gravel road up the hill. It’s the old place on the left. Nancy Browne is having a garage sale. There will only ever be one sale like this.
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Thu, Sat, Sun 6:30pm / Wed, Fri 8:30pm La Mama Theatre 25th melbourne international
Comedy festival
–> Comedyfestival.Com.au
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a Thorny Devil Theatre Production
Til Divorce Apr 13 - Apr 24 Written by Tahnee Jones Directed by Eben Rojter
The idea of ‘Til Death us do part’ seems a little extreme. Is murder really necessary to bring about an end to a marriage? Thank God for divorce!
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Wed, Fri, 6:30pm / Thu, Sat 8:30pm / Sun 4:30pm La Mama Courthouse
25th melbourne international
Comedy festival
–> Comedyfestival.Com.au
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Australia Dot Com Apr 14 - Apr 24 Written by Michael Griffith Directed by Louise Howlett Produced by Rohana Griffith If you LOVED Baz Lurhmann’s Australia you’re going to HATE Australia Dot Com. ADC, the online souvenir store, is being invaded by a load of politically incorrect dancing rodents. If dodoisticality is true. There’s no hope. Or is there???
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Wed, Fri, 8:30pm / Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun 6:30pm *no performance Good Friday | La Mama Courthouse 25th melbourne international
Comedy festival
–> Comedyfestival.Com.au
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The Australian Premiere of..
Miracle in Rwanda A one-woman show created and performed by Leslie Sword Co-created & directed by Edward Vilga Originally produced by TheatreZone (Naples FL - Mark Danni, Artistic Director) Leslie Lewis Sword brilliantly transforms herself into a host of characters to tell the incredible story of Rwandan genocide survivor Immaculée Ilibagiza, a real life messenger of hope. Performer and writer Sword traveled to Rwanda with Immaculée to develop this unique piece of theatre. In fact, this return of Immaculée to Rwanda was the subject of a 60 Minutes feature, bringing international attention to the story of Miracle in Rwanda. ‘Sword’s one woman performance makes riveting theatre’ - Village Voice Jan 24
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7:30pm | La Mama Theatre
The Damsel in Shining Armour Written by Sophie Walsh-Harrington Directed by Tom Dickins Musical Director: Jennifer Kingwell In collaboration with The Jane Austen Argument, Winners of the 2010 Adelaide Fringe Best Cabaret ‘One must create melodrama in one’s life.’
The Damsel in Shining Armour seizes daringly into the dark depths of uncensored lust and melodrama. Brandishing her weapon of choice (the selected works of Celine Dion) the damsel slays inner dragons, awakens Sleeping Beauty and claims her rightful place - in shining (sequinned) armour...
Feb 7 & 8 | 7:30pm
| La Mama Theatre
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playreadings... On War
Written by Alexandra Collier When a Japanese businessman crawls out of the earth via a tunnel from Tokyo, and is discovered by a local schoolgirl in a dusty Australian town, his life is in peril. The old quarry needs to be fed its quota of bodies and there are crocodiles getting dangerously close to town as the drought intensifies. Set in the outback, On War is a weird story of love, loss and animals that attack. Jan 15
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2:00pm | La Mama Theatre
What Goes Around Written and performed Ruth Baird Directed by Kate Kantor
Disappearing letter boxes, letters that strangely won’t go away, troublesome dogs and a bicycle with plans of its own - such are the challenges and mysteries of Robert the Postie’s every day life. Then one day something unexpected happens and Robert’s life may never be the same again....... Drawing on the performer’s lived experience of the bicycle postie world, What Goes Around has cross generational appeal and a unique mix of realism, baffled humour and gentle slapstick Mar 5
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2:00pm | La Mama Theatre
A Fly-On-The-Wall Theatre Production
Dry Cleaning The Shroud of Turin Written by Barry Lowe Directed by Kym Davies Performers include Chris Gaffney, Christopher Pender, Stefan Taylor, Nicholas Opolski, Kerrie Tori, Barbra Quicksand, & Marc Opitz as Axel Hosted by Kaye Sera Axel, a young street worker, stands eating fish‘n’chips from a greasy paper bag. Beside him is a large striped shopping bag containing all his worldly possessions. As he confides to the audience, we learn of his friends and enemies on the street [people such as Magoo, Baby Love and his various male and female tricks]; his heroin addicted ex-girl friend from whom he has kidnapped his asthmatic son. He and his son are on the run from the Department of Community Services and have to be ready to move at a moment’s notice - hence the bag. Even so, Axel drugs his young son each night with a mild mixture of valium and serapax in warm milk so he can prowl the streets looking for rough sex and enough money for them to survive. But the inevitable has finally caught up and Axel is left with only one option. A playreading Tickets $15 full / $10 Con | Jan 30
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2:00pm | La Mama Theatre 39.
La Mama for Kids Smarties and Sillies and Everything in Between
Children rejoice as heroes and heroines make short work of any beast or baddie they encounter. Laughter rings out at foolish deeds. The wonder of tales told as they used to be. Stories to be remembered and held in the heart. Jan 22 | 11am | 4 to 8 years old | All tickets $12
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La Mama Theatre
Rosie Nose And The Suitcase Adventure
Rosie Nose is on an adventure! With a suitcase of full of treasures and tricks she is determined to create a world of magical proportions. Combining puppetry & mime, this is a truly enchanting show Feb 26 | 11am | 5 - 10 year olds | Preview (free) | La Mama Courthouse
Mysterious Mysteries: A Mystery At The Circus!
There’s mystery at the Circus! Connie Contortion, the Magician’s assistant, has vanished, leaving the performers in an uproar! Where has she vanished to, and who could have done it? Feb 26 | 2pm | 7 to 12 year olds | Preview (free) | La Mama Courthouse
La Mama MUSICA
Monday Jan 31: Anthony Schulz (solo accordion) & David Chesworth (laptop, electronics, field recordings) with Adrian Sherriff (trombone, shakuhachi). Monday Feb 21: Mark Shepherd (double bass), Dushan Mitrovic (clarinets, saxophones, rotary-valve trumpet), Roscoe Heck (darabuka, tapan): solo, solo, trio. Monday Mar 28: ANTITHESIS: music, text, and the whole damn Greek thing 3 musicians + 3 poets = 3 instances of shared creation. Nick Tsiavos (contrabass) and Koraly Dimitriades (poet) with new friends in a variety of combinations. $15 or $10 conc. (inc hot drinks and nibbly treats) | All shows at La Mama Courthouse @ 7pm for 7:30pm
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presents
language / work Featuring - Philip Salom, Sandra Fiona Long, LK Holt, Santo Cazzati and Michael Farrell.
Monday, march 14 at 8PM at La Mama theatre La Mama would like to thank the following for their generous support in 2011
La Mama Awards 2010 The Annual Lemon Scented Gum Award is for a contribution to La Mama above and beyond all expectations. In 2010, the Award goes to Peter Finlay for his exemplary work in so many productions in recent times…Waiting For Godot, Coranderrk: We Will Show The Country, Foxholes of the Mind, Norm and Ahmed, Cook: An Exploration, The Jerilderie Letter and many more.
The Apricot Tree Award, an occasional award for continuous contributions and unswerving loyalty to the La Mama community, is being presented to Ralph McLean for his dedication and extensive video footage of La Mama shows and events for the Channel 31 YARTZ programme.
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Tickets Full $25 Conc. $15 Bookings Book & Prepay Online www.lamama.com.au (follow links) Phone: 03 9347 6142 Information Phone: 03 9347 6948 Office Hours: Monday - Friday 10:30am - 5:30pm Venues La Mama Theatre 205 Faraday Street Carlton Melway Map 2B Ref G7 La Mama Courthouse 349 Drummond Street Carlton Melway Map 2B Ref G7
Phone bookings close at 4pm (weekdays) & 2pm (weekends) on the day of the performance Please pick up your tickets 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the performance Please note that parking can be difficult (try Safeway or Carlton Clocktower, both off Drummond Street, or alternatively City of Melbourne parking in Elgin Street near Lygon) Both venues are just a short walk from Melbourne University tram stop at Faraday & Swanston Streets La Mama is on Wurunjeri land, part of the Kulin nation, and the Commitee of Management, staff, and wider theatrical community acknowledge its traditional custodians La Mama Theatre is registered by the Heritage Council Victoria and has recieved National Trust status
www.lamama.com.au