Theatre Australia 3(10) May 1979

/ / tralia’s magazine of the performing arts

Hoopla’s Gentlemen Only Bastard director Rodney Fisher Regional Theatre Odd Angry Shot

May 1979

$1.50

1979 WINTER SEASON June 6 to October 20 Sydney Opera House

THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST (Puccini) in Italian J u n e 6 *, 9 * , 1 2 , 1 6 ( M a t .) , 1 9 * , 2 2 , 2 7 * *

LA TRAVIATA

(Verdi) in Italian

J u n e 1 3 , 1 6 , 2 3 ( M a t .) , 3 0 * * ; O c t o b e r 8 * * , 1 3 ( M a t .), 2 0 * * Production generously sponsored by UTAH Development Company

THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO (Mozart) in German J u n e 2 0 * * , 2 3 , 2 6 * , 3 0 ( M a t .) ; J u ly 3 , 6 *, 1 1 * , 1 4 , 21 ( M a t .)* *

IDOMENEO

(Mozart) in Italian

J u ly 4 * , 7 , 1 0 , 1 4 ( M a t .) * , 1 7 , 2 0 , 2 5 , 2 8 Production purchased from Victoria State Opera

THE QUEEN OF SPADES J u ly 1 8 * * , 21

(Tchaikovsky) in English

, 2 4 * , 2 8 ( M a t .) , 3 1 ; A u g u s t 3 * * , 8 , 1 6 * * , 1 8 ( M a t .)* *

FALSTAFF

Selected NewTitles David Young: EUREKA A T.I.E. play for the middle school which links the Industrial Revolution with the causes of the Ballarat uprising Louis Nowra: VISIONS (published July) Paraguay in the 1860s during the bloodiest conflict in Latin American history. A story of bungled diplomacy, superstition and conflicting values which bring a nation to destruction.

1: Makassar Reef

(Verdi) in English

A u g u s t 1 **, 4 , 7 **, 11 ( M a t .) , 1 4 , 1 7 , 2 2 * , 2 5 * ; S e p t e m b e r 1 ( M a t .)* Production generously sponsored by the Jim Beam Opera Foundation

JENUFA

Alexander Buzo: MAKASSAR REEF Lives at a turning point in this new romantic comedy.

Ray Lawler: THE DOLL TRILOGY The saga of the years that led to the Seventeenth Summer.

(Janacek) in English

A u g u s t 1 5 * , 1 8 , 2 1 , 2 4 , 2 8 ; S e p t e m b e r 5 *, 8 Production generously sponsored by the N.S.W. Friends of The Australian Opera

SIMON BOCCANEGRA

Patrick White BIG TOYS White’s first play for 14 years: a Mozartian power comedy.

(Verdi) in Italian

A u g u s t 2 9 ; S e p t e m b e r 1 **, 4 , 7 , 1 1 , 1 5 ( M a t .) , 1 9 * , 2 2 Production generously sponsored by the N.S.W Friends of The Australian Opera

SALOME

(Richard Strauss) in German

S e p t e m b e r 1 2 * * , 1 5 , 1 8 * * , 2 2 ( M a t .) , 2 5 , 2 8 ; O c t o b e r 3 * * , 1 0 * Production generously sponsored by Plessey Pacific Fly. Limited

PATIENCE

(Gilbert & Sullivan) in English

S e p t e m b e r 2 6 * , 2 7 * * , 2 9 ; O c t o b e r 1 * * , 2 , 4 * * , 6 ( M a t .) * * , 1 1 * * , 1 6 * * , 1 8 * * , 1 9 * , 2 0 ( M a t .)

ONE MAN SHOW

(Nicholas Maw) in English

Presented by the State Opera of South Australia

Walter Cooper: COLONIAL EXPERIENCE (published August) Sydney 100 years ago. A popular comedy of manners by the first colonial playwright to make his name abroad.

; ' # *•

Sumner Locke-Elliott RUSTY BUGLES (published October) Our famous comedy of war-torn Australia now in a new Currency edition.

In Preparation Contemporary Australian Drama: Critical Perspectives Since 1955. Edited by Peter Holloway A big illustrated collection of the best critical writing on our dramatic literature over two decades.

The Currency Press The Australian Drama Publisher 87 Jersey Road, Woollahra NSW 2025 Distributed by Cambridge University Press

T he n ational m agazine of th e perform ing arts

H ie a lre A u stralia Volume 3 No. 10

May 1979 Departments:

Spotlight:

2 3 5 6 54 7 8 9 10 11

Features:

Comment Quotes and Queries Whispers, Rumours and Facts Letters Guide — Theatre, Opera, Dance The Inner Life o f Helen Morse — Lucy Wagner Does Australian Theatre want an international contact?

— Robert Quentin Vivien Davis — Les Cartwright 7th Australian National Playwrights’Conference — Mick Rodger Civic Playhouse — Felicity Biggins

45

Gentlemen Only — Peter Corrigan Rodney Fisher talks to Rex Cramphorn Booming in the Backblocks — Regional Theatre Revisited — Prudence Anderson Children’s Theatre: TIE: Education & Community — John Lonie

13 15 40

International:

18

Keeping Options Open — Irving Wardle

Opera:

47

Sutherland in Melbourne; Rhinegold in Sydney; Fledermaus in SA — David Gyger

Dance:

49 50

A B first programme — William Shoubridge Tchaikovsky Ballet Company — Terry Owen

Theatre Reviews:

20

ACT Dusa, Fish, Stas and Vi — Roger Pulvers The Sound o f Music — Marguerite Wells

22

NSW Inner Voices — Adrian Wintle Rain — Mick Rodger The Bastardfrom the Bush — Dorothy Hewett How the other half loves — Marlis Thiersch Deathtrap — Robert Page Othello — Anthony Barclay

27

QLD 'Breaker' Morant — Richard Fotheringham Fallen Angels — Jeremy Ridgman Scapino — Veronica Kelly

29

SA American Buffalo — Susie Mitchell Tales from the Vienna Woods — John Kirby The Police Commissioner’s Grandmother — Bruce McKendry Pike’s Madness — Bruce McKendry

32

VIC Gentlemen Only — Albert Hunt Concerning Poor BB/The Hypothetical End o f Bert Brecht — Jack Hibberd M ickey’s Moomba — Murray Copland Tricks — Les Cartwright Macbeth — Raymond Stanley

37

WA Death o f a Salesman — Margot Luke Nola Rae — Peter Mann Gone with Hardy — Collin O’Brien Theatre De Papier — Margaret Maslen

Film:

51 52

Odd Angry Shot — Elizabeth Riddell Femflicks — Elizabeth Riddell

Books:

53

Australia, Beckett, Bergman & Marowitz — John McCallum

56

Thespia’s Prize Crossword No. 1

79 Playwrights’ Conference Mick Rodger reports.

P. 10

Bastard director Rodney Fisher talks to Rex Cramphorn.

P. 15

Designing for Hoopla’s musical hit Gentlemen Only.

P. 13

Joan Sutherland in Melbourne. P.47

F ilm: Odd Angry Shot.

P.51

TTiealre Australia Editor: Executive Editor: M anager: Artist:

Robert Page Lucy Wagner Brad Keeling Henry Cho

Advisory Board:

Nationalism and Internationalism More than ever before, 1978 was a year in which Australian theatre embraced and was embraced by theatre at an international level. As in all Festival years, the Adelaide Festival was, of course, a major source of overseas visitors coming into the country to give us a large range of pieces, the style and content of which were often radically different to our own work. The Polish Mime Theatre was remarkably popular, but the creation of Tadeusz Kantor with Cricot 2 left a far more lasting impression. Steven Berkoff brought out East, and stayed to recreate with an Australian cast, his adaptation of Kafka’s Metamorphosis at Nimrod. As well as presenting their own wares, the visitors were able to take in to some degree an amount of Australian theatre, give their own views on it and helping to disseminate knowledge of it through their impressions when they returned home. And last year was also the year when, among other things, London and San Francisco raved about Gordon Chater in Benjamin Franklin, Buzo was presented in the States, and Robin Ramsay delighted audiences with The Bastard from the Bush in the Hammersmith Riverside Studios.

This year the degree to which we have some international involvement seems considerably diminished<*Although The Club made Broadway for a few days, and Chater has now received personal accolades there himself, we seem to have lost some of the impetus of this outside reception; the reports that have appeared in the press have been mainly concerned with the negative notices. On the incoming side, although Berkoff is back, in Melbourne, he is here to reproduce last year’s Metamorphosis (and quite reasonably, to allow Victorian audiences a chance to see it), and Stoppard’s whirlwind visit to WA hardly enabled him to get a general picture of Australian theatrical activity. The Prospect Theatre Company’s tour, which sounded so promising, was a disappointingly untheatrical series of slight recitations, which went out with a whimper rather than a bang.

And it is a sad reflection that Edgley’s are able to do such excellent business with the very secondrate showing given by the “Tchaikovsky Ballet”, while many of our own (better) ballet companies are fighting for survival.

We seem, at present, unable to assess ourselves, and outsiders, in the light of a worldwide theatrical context. This will not be helped by a recent casualty of the latest funding squeeze, the Australian Centre of the International Theatre Institute which is likely to 2

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

become defunct. The ITI is the only internation­ al body which unites all nations with a theatrical tradition as we know it, through publications, seminars and the diverse help it extends to any travelling theatrical personnel. The Australian Centre had been in existence for eight years when its grant from the Australia Council was ended some weeks ago. During its lifetime it issued ITI cards, introductions and itineraries to many of the profession who travelled overseas in those years, and much hospitality was shown to visitors to Australia. Robert Quentin, the founding Chairman of the Australian ITI Centre goes into more details about the work it carried out, and asks does Australian theatre want an international contact.

Director, Rodney Fisher, however, has recently found that the international spirit is less than prevalent in Germany. At the end of January he was offered the post of Assistant Artistic Director of the Bavarian Opera in Munich, but his appointment is now in doubt because the Artistic Director is already nonGerman, and the company, unlike our own state organisations, look unfavourably on accepting another outsider.

With perhaps an excessively nationalistic zeal, the Playwrights’ Conference has decided not to extend invitations to overseas guest for the 1978 and 1979 conferences. The reasons for this are quite understandable; in the past the Overseas Guest has often become the star of the show and recipient of indiscriminate adulation. This has been thought to have been very much at the expense of our own talents, and now Australian stars are being given a chance to shine. The last international Conference visitor, too, was John Osborne, whose usefulness to and enjoyment of the affair mitigated strongly against others. But though his was the most public response, it should also be remembered that Snoo Wilson attended that same year and contributed a lot of constructive thought and help.

Although the Osborne type of publicity hardly does a great service to the reputation of Australian theatre, we are surely now in a position where we can accept and benefit from the views of an intelligent outsider, and realise that we have just as much to offer them. To invite a foreign guest to the Conference contributes to international theatre and is far from a one-sided activity.

The Playwrights' Conference is a truly national event, but being so it also highlights a degree of parochialism within the country. It Continued on page 46.

John Bell, Graeme Blundell, Ellen Braye, Katharine Brisbane, Vivian Chalwyn, Gordon Chater, John Clark, Michael Crosby, W.A. Enright, Jack Hibberd, Ken Horler, Garrie Hutchinson, Robert Jordan, Philip Mason, Stan Marks, Jake Newby, Phil Noyce, Raymond Omodei, Philip Parsons, Diana Sharpe, Ken Southgate, Raymond Stanley, Elizabeth Sweeting, Marlis Thiersch, John Timlin, Tony Trench, Guthrie Worby, Richard Wherrett.

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Theatre Australia gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the Theatre Board of the Australia Council, the Literature Board of the Australia Council, the New South Wales Cultural Grants Advisory Council, the Arts Grants Advisory Committee of South Australia, the Queensland Cultural Activities Department, the Victorian Ministry of the Arts, The Western Australian Arts Council and the Assistance of the University of Newcastle.

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as I am writing the scenario and directing a ballet of The Changeling to be choreographed by her. It is scheduled for spring 1980 and I will be going to Munich later in the year for that, whether the appointment holds or not.”

BREAKING DOWN ISOLATION

Helen Morse in Rain.

Photo: Peter Holderness.

RAVE REVIEWS FOR GORDON AILSA CARPENTER, Press Officer for Nimrod Theatre.

“Director Richard Wherrett and playwright Steve J Spears were present when Gordon Chater gave his 606th performance at the New York opening night of the Nimrod production of The Elocution o f Benjamin Franklin on Tuesday 20 March.

Gordon received rave reviews from the New York critics. Clive Barnes from the New York Post wrote, It is some of the finest acting seen in New York this season.

Mel Gussow from the New York Times: The play is a vehicle custom-suited to Mr Chater’s expansive talents — it would be difficult to imagine anyone else playing the part.

Douglas Watt of the New York Daily News, Chater’s performance — honed in Australia, London and San Francisco — is remarkable indeed.’’

NATIONALISTIC BIAS IN MUNICH RODNEY FISHER. “My appointment as assistant Artistic Director to Lynn Seymour at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich was announced on January 29th, 1979.

In the interim there has been some opposition within the Company to the appointment of another non-German to the administrative artistic staff and at the moment I am waiting none too hopefully for a decision. However my collaboration with Lynn Seymour will continue

MARY GAGE “Isolation has always been the hardest part of being a writer — particularly in WA and as theatre is a community art, an unperformed script is a dead script. You might as well be talking to yourself.

That’s why co-winning the 150th anniversary playwriting competition means so much to me.

Quite apart from the money, which staves off a return to journalism (I was trained on The Times, London), it means that The Price o f Pearls will be directed at The Playhouse by Stephen Barry later in the year, so long as he can get the money he needs for a first-rate cast of ten.

I hope it also means that my plays will begin to go on over East. (So far only The New Life has made it to a season at the Q Theatre, then still in Circular Quay, Sydney, in 1974.) If that does begin to happen now, I will be glad to have done my training in solitary here, because — as it’s that much harder to be nationally recognised — my plays will be that much better before they’re exposed to an audience.

The Price o f Pearls is a fairytale fantasy, set in WA in the 1920s, which begins and ends in the Japanese graveyard in Broome. It weaves together different threads of the State’s history — pearling, flying, the advent of the motor car — in an imaginery love affair between a half cast Broome beauty and Charles Kingsford Smith — then a young truckie in Carnarvon with an impossible dream that one day he would be first man across the Pacific.

I found Smithy a classic case of WA paranoia — certain he could do it, but stuck here in the West. He gave me the courage to go on trying myself, because his dream, which he realised, was crossing the vast Pacific ocean; whereas mine is merely crossing the Nullabor...”

Fifteen senior students from our Drama School will perform Ticki Ticki Tembo (the honoured elder son who is rescued from drowning by his little brother); the familiar story of Hansel and Gretel and Three Billy Goats G ruff outwitting the ugly troll.

These stories were chosen for their very different moods to encourage participation — dancing, singing and games.

Helen Martin, whose credits include On the Move for the Education Department, scripts for Playschool and Kindergarten o f the A ir and lecturing in drama and movement at the Nursery School Teachers’ College, adapted the stories for staging. Principal of the Drama School Audrey Blaxland is directing.

The Drama School, with over two hundred students mounts a young children’s show annually always playing in the Downstairs Restaurant area to uninhibited capacity audiences.”

TN CO NEW LOOK ROBBY BILLINGHURST, Twelfth Night Theatre Company.

“Twelfth Night Theatre Company has been actively engaged in re-thinking and re-defining its place in the performing arts of Brisbane. So many new ideas are already realised that it seems appropriate to bring one of them to your attention.

Twelfth Night Theatre Company has been a pioneer in many fields and its traditions are proud ones. Of all the local amateur companies, it was this one which boldly took an early step into professional status. The strain of that decision has been grave and is still being felt, but, after a year of consolidation in 1978, we are ready for a renaissance.

Part of that new birth is a new look. Carefully preserving our official name and logo we are opting for a simpler, cleaner, more contemporary style. By referring to ourselves as the TN COMPANY we hope to overcome the confusion in the public mind from the Twelfth Night Theatre Building Trust, and establish clearly our identity as a continuing vital entity.”

FOR THE KIDS THEATRE GOES WEST JUDY OLDING, Marian Street Theatre.

“Marian Street Theatre cares for kids — in fact we have an established audience now from the age of three. So, in recognition of Inter­ national Children’s Year, we are doing three Folk Tales from China, Germany and Norway for our participating three to nine year old patrons from 7th to 12th May.

JAN MeDONALD, Artistic Director, West Community Theatre.

“WEST Community Theatre, now in full-time operation in Essendon and the Western Region of Melbourne, devises shows for specific audiences and performs these shows in places where people are already meeting.

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

3

Q&Q Our programme for 1979 is many and varied, including clowning and out door shows, a rock musical devised with local high school students, The Golden Follies pub/club show, a football show for ‘pie nights’, a primary school program­ me, and an end-of-year play.

We’re interested in creating original, entertaining theatre that arises out of and is of interest to this community. In this way not only new Australian material is devised but also a new audience for theatre is encouraged.”

MAKING EXPERTS JAMES McCAUGHEY, Director of The Mill Theatre.

“Every Thursday night is open house at The Mill for anyone in the community. We give people things to do and things to watch. So far we’ve been overwhelmed by the response.

Here’s a typical response. ‘The first week there’s all these people doing things and you’re not really sure what’s going on. The second week you get the nerve to contribute something and suddenly find people don't put you down for it. By the third week you think you're a real expert’.

We are a small professional group of five actors based on Deacon University’s Mill Theatre, experimenting with ways to catalyse theatre activity in the Geelong area and trying to find what is the best form for a professional theatre presence in a city like this.”

THEATRE OF IDENTITY ROBERT PERRIER, Artistic Director, Murray River Performing Group.

“In Albury/Wodonga, the M RPG’s first show, A Big Hand fo r the Limbs is tapping into the very important tradition of Australian Tent Theatre. The central theme is identity. How do we preserve personalised live entertainment in the face of a deluge of amusements which are technologically based? More importantly, how do we preserve the ability to discover who we are in a cultural environment which measures success on the principle that all roads lead to London ... or in Australia to Sydney or Melbourne? Firstly we believe it is done by creating a content,, form, and style which specifically relates to the community in which we live. For us this means extending beyond traditional theatre audiences and therefore dealing creatively with the suspicions which most Australians probably legitimately, feel about the theatre. Secondly, it is achieved through direct involvement of the community in celebrations of past and contemporary struggles of the region. We are having such a celebration.

The MRPG’s Flying Fruit Fly Circus involving a hundred local kids in performance, with up to two hundred parents and teachers involved in production will be staged under the ‘Circus Oz’ Big Top for nine performances over four days in May. 4

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

Language is an integral part of identity. Our high school show, being written from the feelings and thoughts expressed by a group of twenty unemployed kids who live in Albury/Wodonga, will demonstrate the depth of our language while making a perspicuous comment on a delicate contemporary anxiety.

The approach is to essentialise the voice and movement expressions of these people, thereby revealing and underlying beauty and power of their spirit. We believe that a basic problem for us, as Australians, is to come to accept, indeed to love our own language.

We have created many programmes which are innovative and exploratory. Suffice it to say that The Murray River Performing Group, with the help of many friends, is off the ground and working hard and well.”

RICH CHALLENGE IN THE NORTH BOB KIMBER, Director of the Darwin Theatre Group.

“It’s a relief to be away from Adelaide and its theatre of colour combinations and to be faced with entirely different expectations. Here on the edge of the top end, the natural environment is its own scene dock.

The human beings who live and perform here are left to their own mental and physical resources as they explore character and expand upon their ideas in the works tackled by the Darwin Theatre Group. This of course is as it should be for people concerned to create a theatre that is personal, meaningful and rewarding to all involved.

Darwin is a rapidly expanding community and the leading city in the move towards state­ hood of a territory which saw its first settlers in the 1820’s. The city serves a vast hinterland, sandblown, ridden with all manner of flying beasts and crawling crackling lizardry; heavy rains one minute, the air steaming the next. The population is cosmopolitan in a way that can’t be matched by any other Australian city, blending all creeds, colours and occupations.

The lively individuality of so many you meet is readily apparent.

This is a scene which demands theatre that is direct and unpretentious. The performers are central to the success of the venture. They must be pliant, authoritative in their skills, vital as personalities and involved in the community where they live.

Here in Darwin the DTG play in Brown’s Mart a lop-sided squashcourt of a space with movable bleachers and heavy wooden beams set inside a late nineteenth century freestone shell.

When the lights go out anything is possible. The seats can change and the stage can change, and always the performers in spirit are on the move as they confront their audiences and challenge their thoughts and feelings. The people involved — performers and audience — are close; and that is as it should be for a theatre relevant to

the community.

Closeness is a rare commodity in regional theatre more’s the pity. One can be grateful that the roots exist here. It’s vital that such qualities not be lost in future developments.

Negotiations are well under way to create a professional core of players to serve metropolitan Darwin and to establish a regular touring circuit through the widely scattered towns, islands and settlements of the NT. The future holds variety and challenge and the prospect of making some mighty fine theatre and some rich contacts. That promises to be exciting.”

PREMIERE FOR ARMIDALE ANNA GLOVER, New England’s Travelling Playhouse.

“The Chairman of New England’s Travelling Playhouse, Professor Peter Elkin, announced this week that the company’s first production for adult audiences would be Bob Herbert’s award winning play N o Names N o Pack Drill. The premiere will be at The Arts Theatre, The University of New England, on Thursday 10th May and after a short season there it will tour the major centres of the region.

Opening night should prove a traditionally glittering affair, as all major theatre companies and critics will be interested to see the play — especially with the added interest of a newly formed company that already has the good wishes and support of the theatre world firmly behind it.

Certainly Bob Herbert winning this major award just when the company was searching for the right production guaranteed to capture the hearts and loyalty of regional audiences is considered the best of good omens.

The competition which Bob Herbert won was a competition for Playwrights held in connection with Western Australia’s recent 150th Anniversary celebrations.

N o Names N o Pack Drill has all the requisite ingredients: a good story; interesting characters; and a fascinating trip back in life for those who experienced The Second World War. Incidentally Bob is the uncle of Louis Nowra, Australian playwright who has written Inner Voices and Visions. ”

M ANAGING A DOZEN CHRISTINE MILLER, Christine Miller Management & Promotions and Music Hall, Neutral Bay. “In my eighteen years’ association with the Music Hall, our family business, I have always been struck by the seemingly appalling lack of good personal managers in Australia. It seems that most people involved on the performing side of show business are aware of this glaring lack in the industry. Certainly there are plenty of good agents but by definition they cannot act Continued on page 46.

Ray Stanley’s

WHISPERS RUMOURS

Some of the film producers and other film industry people I’ve been speaking to recently, seem quite excited at the special course the Australian Film and Television School has mounted to give theatre directors training in film techniques. It is going to cost a lot of money, and will be spread over eighteen months, but the long term results to Australian films could justify all this. Directors selected are Graeme Blundell, Rex Cramphorn, Kerry Dwyer, Aarne Neeme, Malcolm Robertson, Mick Rodger, Nigel Triffitt, George Whaley and Richard Wherrett.

Following on Noel Ferrier’s pleas for the establishment of a musical comedy theatre company with government funding, it is perhaps worth noting a touring company of M y Fair Lady in England is being backed by the Arts Council there to the tune of $45,000 ... Can we expect Mary Hardy back on the stage? For once Mary is remaining tight-lipped, but has been talking to John Sumner ... Believe the Nimrod are going to revive The Club again — this time for a twelve weeks’ season at the St George Leagues Club.

Attendance at the unusual “royal garden party” press reception held for the Melbourne season of Crown Matrimonial re-introduced me to several people of the past: Kay Eklund for instance, the first Australian actress I met on arrival in Australia, when she was playing in Ballad o f A ngel’s Alley, Berys Marsh who was Lewis Fiander’s girl friend before he went to England, and Kevin Howard ... Taking a break from acting, Barry Pierce tells me he is directing a series of documentary films for the Tasmanian Film Corporation ... After starring in Colin Eggleston’s vampire movie Romance in the Jugular Vein in Melbourne, will Vincent Price and Coral Browne stay on and do some stage work?

Understand David Williamson wrote the leading role in Travelling North with Frank Wilson in mind. Seems as if it is going to be Frank’s year: he has a role in the film Breaker Morant and also a lead in one of the Lawson s Mates TV series for the ABC, Steelman and Smith ... Another who is in Breaker Morant is Rod Mullinar, following his role in the film Thirst ... Seems it is going to be Bobby Limb (and not John Meillon) who, together with Jacqueline Kott, will be in Peter Williams’ production o f'

Tribute, the play which opens in Sydney June 22 ... It would not surprise me if a special edition of The Paul Hogan Show launches the new 3D system in Australia, and indeed in the world.

Since 1971 there have apparently been sixteen productions in New Zealand of New Zealander Brian McNeill’s play about Katherine Mansfield and John Middleton Murry, The Two Tigers. Its Australian premiere is at La Mama’s from May 16 for three weeks. I understand the playwright is flying over to assist with the production, which is directed by Robert Chuter with Sean Myers, Kim Frecker, Anna Gilford and Adrian Wright making up the c a st... Robbie McGregor, who I admired so much in the MTC’s Journey’s End and before that the Williamson Lear, is playing the lead in Bob Brothers, one of the ABC’s Lawson’s Mates series.

Touring the Northern Territory for the Arts Council of Australia (New South Wales Division), Beverley Dunn gave around twenty performances of her one-woman show A s We Are. In the programme, all researched by Beverley are twenty seven pieces with about forty different characters. In June/July she is touring Victoria with it ... Jack Thompson told me recently he would dearly like to get back to the stage (it’s ten years since he was), and that he knows he will eventually. It’s really a question of fitting it in with his film commitments. When Jack does it is likely to be for Hayes Gordon (he had twelve months training at the Ensemble), and possibly with Carol Raye.

A very annoyed Nick McMahon took me to task for my article in the February issue on Crawford Productions, pointing out inaccufacies: Nigel Dick is not general manager, but a director, the grant from the VFC for Young Ramsay was for the first series, not second, and Nick maintains he did send material and photographs to me, and apparently the PMG is to blame in that area. At the time he promised to send me material and photographs for another project, but after a fortnight, despite two further telephone calls, that also did not reach me ... Ella Fitzgerald’s Opera House concert record has been overtaken by Count Basie, also presented by the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust: $36,090 dollars was taken at the box office, $295 more than Ella’s concert.

Michael Crawford returns to the London stage in June in the musical Flowers fo r Algernon, directed by Peter Coe. It’s based on the film Charly for which Cliff Robertson gained an O scar... And Leslie Bricusse has been dashing off to New York to write the book and lyrics for a musical movie of Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara, with Henry Mancini composing.

Bricusse wants Julie Andrews, Peter Ustinov and John Wood (not Australia’s!) for the three star p a rts... Hear Kenneth Tynan has got half a million advance from his New York publishers for his biography of Laurence Olivier.

It seems customary to blast off at government bodies, but for once I’d like to go on record and

thank the Australia Council’s Arts Information Department for the help it gave me in setting up a recent project, providing me with information, names and addresses and useful suggestions ...

Reg Evans, who recently directed Bridal Suite at La Mama’s, is going to play an American pirate in The Island, a film directed by Peter Benchley •• and shot in the West Indies, which will star Angela Punch.

There’s been talk of another Australian EXPO next year, this time in America, with people like Jack Thompson, Terry Jackman and Pat Condon involved. There’s been mention of Australian films, and the Australian Ballet — but so far one has not heard any whispers of Australian drama. What about it Nimrod? ...

Official line from the Producers and Directors Guild of Australia (Victoria) is that the association believes that “under certain circum­ stances foreign directors should be permitted to direct film, television, theatre and radio productions in this country.”

It should be “house full” notices everywhere for Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy when they tour Australia June-September in George and Mildred. With the Trust involved in present­ ation, I understand as well as capital cities, they will play in towns like Ballarat and Rockhampton ... The State Theatre Company of South Australia looks like having a busy time around June. Not only is the company’s production of A Manual o f Trench Warfare going to Sydney (presented in association with the Trust), but Arm s and the Man will be seen in Tasmania and Summer o f the Seventeeth Doll is touring country areas.

At the Melbourne press reception of Peter Williams’ Bedroom Farce discovered: John Derum yet again muttering that he’ll never act on the stage again; but of course if the right role should come u p .... !... Peter Rowley saying he’d like to do a one-man show and make a leisurely tour throughout Australia ... Kerry Maguire still a little surprised at the recognition she’s continuing to receive for her role in Against the Wind ... and Barry Creyton is writing another comedy; his first, Follow That Husband, was presented in England by Ray Cooney. Wonder why it hasn’t been taken up for Australia?

Quote of the month surely must come from Zsa Zsa Gabor: “I’m a great housekeeper. After my divorces I kept all the houses.”

Special Birthday Wine Offer RED & WHITE from PENFOLDS & CAMPERDOWN CELLARS A vailable from June.

Details next month.

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

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Dear Sir, I was delighted to read Noel Ferrier’s article on musicals in the March issue of Theatre Australia.

It is indeed pleasing to know that someone of his standing is prepared to speak out for what is really a fine (and popular) form of culture.

Musicals are the culture of the people and have proven to be quite popular in Canberra which, apart from certain politicians who visit, is quite a civilised city.

You may recall that both myself and the Canberra Philharmonic Society have written to you on this subject previously. The real state of play was revealed when you chose to ignore us both. It is indeed a step forward to see that Noel has broken through on one front (ie Theatre Australia) I hope we can manage the other (ie official funding).

Canberra Philharmonic has been acting out Noel’s thoughts. In recent times we have revived Annie Get Your Gun, South Pacific, White Horse Inn (with Brian Crossley) Fiddler on the R o o f (with Ronald Maconaghie), The Mikado (with Thomas Edmonds) and The Sound o f Music. All of these shows were resounding successes. We are currently preparing M y Fair Lady for presentation in August this year.

I, for one, would be keen to hear more from Noel on the subject of musical theatre and to see more in Theatre Australia on the subject. Sadly the theatre is a neglected form of culture when one considers the level of support given by way of government funding to the high cultural activities existing in this country.

Let’s also hear from others interested in the musical and support Noel in getting the musical off the ground and onto the boards.

Yours faithfully, Ian Gammage Holder, ACT

Dear Sir, May I raise two points in connection with Mr Noel Ferrier’s challenging call for an Australian Musical Theatre Company (Theatre Australia, March 1979).

First, the early Australian musical Mr Ferrier mentions is Collits’ Inn, not Cobbitt’s Inn. The story, based on fact, revolves around an inn kept by one Pierce Collits — hence the placing of the apostrophe. Collits’Inn had its first performance at the Savoy Theatre, Sydney, on 5th December, 1932. Rene Maxwell starred as Mary Collits, and the rest of the company were mainly non­ professional. Collits’ Inn was later produced in a revised and expanded format by Francis W Thring at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, on 23rd December, 1933. This presentation starred Gladys Moncrieff as Mary Collits, with George Wallace providing the comedy. It later 6

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

transferred to the Tivoli, Sydney.

Collits’ Inn was certainly not the first Australian musical comedy, though. It seems that the first local musical to be professionally produced was the intriguingly titled F F F. With book by Jack de Garis and music by Reginald Stoneham, F.F.F. was first presented by Harry Rickards’ Tivoli Theatres Ltd at the Prince of Wales Theatre (now the Opera Theatre), Adelaide, on 28th August 1920. The company included Minnie Love, Hugh Steyne, Marie la Varre, Charles Workman and Maggie Moore. It was subsequently played in Perth, then moved to Melbourne for a three week season at the King’s Theatre. Though a box-office disappointment — it never played in Sydney — it did provide two hit songs, “Murray Moon” and “Sleepy Seas”, sheet music and gramophone records of which sold in thousands.

We are trying to locate copies of the scripts and scores of F F F and Collits’ Inn, and we would appreciate hearing from any Theatre Australia reader who can help us. We are also anxious to find copies of other early Australian musicals such as The Cedar Tree, Blue Mountain Melody, and The Beloved Vagabond.

Yours sincerely, Frank van Straten, Archivist, Performing Arts Museum, Melbourne,

Dear Sir, After reading Mr Noel Ferrier’s article in “Spotlight” (March TA). I would like to congratulate him on his ideas and comments (second hand rose or not!) They make a lot of sense.

The need for entertainment in the pure sense of transporting the audience from the mundane everyday world to a happy world of fantasy, is great. Also to the uninitiated, the musical is a gentler introduction to the world of theatre — the more complicated opera, serious drama etc can follow later as the interest (hopefully) develops.

Mr Ferrier’s list of shows and posssible stars is super, and there must be many many people who’ve never seen a lot of those shows and just as many more who’d love to see them again.

Love reading Theatre Australia — keep up the good work.

Sincerely, Jo Edwards, Kew, Vic

Dear Sir, I was thrilled to bits when I read that Mr Trent Nathan has designed a jumper for your third

anniversary celebrations.

My joy was tempered, however, by the realisation that your Melbourne critic Viv Richards would be placed in a parlous position.

While Trent Nathan is no doubt an estimable young man, he is nevertheless an entrepreneur engaged in the notorious fashion business and is thus profiteering from the exploitation of women.

The radical Gordon Greenidge will have no part of such sexist and capitalist high jinks and will resign immediately as a point of principle.

I wish Mr Kallicharran well in his new venture in the West Indies.

Yours sincerely, Alexander Buzo, Bondi Jnct, NSW.

Dear Sir, Peter Dent’s letter (TA March, 1979) worries me more than a little. It is so typically that of an administrator. After a fusillade of impressive statistics he claims these alone make the Queensland Theatre Company TIE teams deserving of a pat on the back.

Impressive as the quantity may be, might we not hear of the quality. I for one have very considerable reservations about the quality of the theatre I saw at school both as a pupil and teacher.

Yours faithfully W F Oakes Petersham NSW

Dear Sir, On my recent return from overseas, I enjoyed discovering your journal (the February Issue).

It represented to me an increase in interest in cultural events in Australia, that is until I discovered Mr William Shoubridge’s review of the Australian Ballet’s production of Spartacus.

In 1979, cold war incitement sounds a little too hackneyed, and sly references to socialist realism, the Politburo, ghost of ’56 invasion, and suppression of daring cultural expression in Hungary by the Soviet Ministry of Culture only brings about Mr Shoubridge’s credibility as an art critic.

I have recently spent five months in Hungary, and observed numerous productions of the state directed stage, film, TV and radio.

These performances included numerous savage criticisms of the social problems of the system, far more outspoken than any I have seen in this country. I have seen “realism” in full front nudity in an orgy scene on stage.

These experiences make me seriously wonder Continued on page 19.

The Inner Life of Helen Morse Lucy Wagner Helen Morse is one of the few Australian actors whose name in a film or play can be used as a drawcard to the public. And yet she is almost obsessively shy of publicity, not merely avoiding a personality cult, but actively discouraging press and media interest, interviews and any invasion of her privacy. She admits to being quite shy and “reserved in certain situations”, but her lack of desire for personal aggrandisement seems not so much to do with being a shrinking violet as with a complete diinterest in externals, and an almost exclusive focus on the intrinsic value of situations, her work and other people.

Typically, after Caddie and Picnic at Hanging Rock had brought her to a pinnacle of fame, she didn't capitalise on her success, but chose not to work for the greater part of 1976 and ’77: “I didn't think I was growing. I knew that if I wanted to work I could earn a fortune, but it wasn’t the kind of work I wanted to do; it wasn’t extending myself or making demands.”

What has returned Helen Morse, as far as she will allow, to the public eye, is her role in the recently released international film Agatha, in which she plays the woman who befriends Agatha Christie (Vanessa Redgrave) during her strange disappearance. When talking about the film she betrays no pride in having been chosen; when another actress was unable to commit herself to the role, the director saw Picnic and Caddie “and said 'Ah, we might take a punt on Ms Morse’, and that’s simply what happened”.

Nor does there appear to be the slightest magnification of her relationship with the “stars”; of her four small scenes with Dustin Hoffman, she thinks the only dialogue one has probably been cut — she hasn’t yet seen the film, perhaps because her involvement with it is now over.

Not that Ms Morse has any objection to a star system, but for her a star is simply someone who draws people to the cinema or theatre, with no further implications. She certainly doesn’t worry that in Australia there are fewer of the trappings that go with the big name syndrome elsewhere, and she doesn't feel undervalued. “I don’t really think in those terms. 1 suppose I’m a bit narrow­ minded, I tend to just think in terms of my relationship to the part I’m playing and the people I’m working with, and the ideas of the play or film.” So for her there is no real difference between working on an international film set, or at the tiny Ensemble Theatre in Sydney (where

Helen Morse she is currently playing Sadie Thomson in Somerset Maugham’s Rain). In fact she prefers to be working here; “the quality of work and the commitment from everybody involved is nothing to do with place, only people.”

If she has any criticisms of the quality of the work she did at NIDA (graduating in 1965 with Jim Sharman, Ross Thomson, Martin Harris and others), it is that inner acting techniques were glossed over. “Not enough time was spent on inner techniques, analysing a play, part or character. But then at drama school you can only learn certain disciplines that are valuable, the rest you pick up from experience.”

What Helen found most valuable about her time at NIDA was working in real theatre with the Old Tote — working backstage, front of house, understudying professional actors — so it was

not just an academic, student approach. And perhaps the most useful aspect for her was watching the professionals at work, picking things up.

A nine month country tour after the early Sharman production of A Taste o f Honey was “the best thing that could have happened” as far as gaining experience went. With an offshoot company of the Young Elizabethans, Alexander Hay directed potted versions of Richard I I I and The Merchant o f Venice. “It was marvellous.

We did one night, and sometimes one day, stands in NSW country areas, setting up in a completely new venue every time. It was terrific experience and very stimulating; I’d really like to tour again, in a good production..”

Helen claims she finds it hard to settle down, although “I suppose this is my home base. I love THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

7

Spotlight Sydney — the physical enviroment, the sun, the harbour. I just love to go to-Obelisk Bay and sit there, I find it very refreshing, rejuvenating”. A few years ago she thought of staying in England and finding work there, but now, in spite of her newfound stardom she feels “it depends on the kind of work you’re doing wherever it is. I'm not interested in going to America or England and doing lots of films, whatever they are. I’m interested in working with small groups of people.” She worked in an extended ensemble situation for a year with the Tote, in 1971, doing A s You Like It, Man o f Mode, Arturo Ui, The National Health and Lasseter, but external factors started to intrude and “I was glad to get out. Back stage politics had started to take precedence over audiences.”

That was the second period Helen Morse had spent with the Tote, the first being in 1967. when the company was still in the NIDA student theatre. Then she played roles like Lady Teazle in School fo r Scandal and Eliza in Pygmalion, a role she found a real challenge to get on top of, as she did Susan in Buzo’s Tom and Nina in The Seagull, both of which she played at Nimrod.

But Sadie, she thinks, is the most challenging part she’s ever had, because of her huge range from honky tonk to twice-born Christian. Jon Ewing, director of Rain, is a great help to her because he is* full of ideas that Helen finds psychologically and theatrically valid, and entirely related to the content of the play. Such stimulation is a rare experience — Ms Morse knows one or two directors whose notes she would knit through, if she were a good knitter.

But as long as the moment on stage is true, any method, she believes, is valid for achieving it.

Helen’s own approach is always by way of a strong first impression, re-reading and preliminary dialogue with directors and fellow actors — often panic! “Then I let the whole thing start to live in my head, and I shift into a gear where throughout the day, whatever I’m doing, things will pop out and I slot them into my play computer. A lot happens intuitively, but I think consciously too, build histories for characters in my imagination.”

For her, finding the inner life of a character is the essence of a true portrayal, and the challenge is to have the human being’s mind working within as freely as her own. “If the inside is right, the outside will come; a pair of shoes might give you a certain way of walking, but what interests me is what goes on in the head of the human being.”

Helen Morse’s motivation for being an actress seems to be that it is an ideal way to express the interest she has for the inner side of life. She moves easily between stage and film, enjoying the subtlety of the camera — “you just need to have a thought flash through your mind and it’s printed” — and the theatre because “you are able to express ideas in a way that’s often more heightened than in life”. But all acting is for her “exploring people I suppose. I really love it.

Sometimes it can be an obsession.”

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

Does Australian Theatre want an international contact?

Robert Quentin * At a meeting towards the end of 1978 the Australia Council’s Theatre Board deferred renewal of its annual grant to the Australian ITI Centre. In 1972 the first grant enabled the Centre to conduct a part-time office for the operation of its theatrical information exchange.

At this year’s March meeting the Theatre Board rejected the Centre’s revised application for a smaller grant.

What national and international services does the ITI provide for Australian Theatre? * As well as attending to a considerable volume of correspondence, * assisting overseas visitors with contacts in Australian theatre, * helping Australian theatre professionals travelling abroad with address lists and letters of introduction, and issuing them with individual identity cards, * the Centre keeps files for historical reference by collecting programmes and press notices, * reports, technical data of productions of Australian plays as World Premiers to all ITI Centres; * has gradually built up a small but quite comprehensive theatre library; * and for the past seven years has published a Newsletter which lists Australian plays in performance in all states and provides theatre information of interest to theatre professionals.

Four hundred copies of this edition were sent out quarterly. * The Centre also distributes the Paris quarterly bilingual review International Theatre Information to Australian theatres; * has put forward two Australian scripts for international distribution to all ITI Centres; * and has publicised Australian theatre around the world by airmailing 100 copies of Theatre Australia to other ITI Centres around the world every two months. * Voluntary ITI interstate representatives help in news gathering and publicity. * From time to time the Centre has ensured Australian representation in yearbooks.

The ITI holds biennial international congresses at which there is usually some Australian participation by one or two delegates.

Twice the Centre has proposed to host such a -congress in this country, which would serve as a valuable focus for Australian theatre as well as gaining us friends around the globe and stimulating future activities. For financial reasons it has been impossible to carry this idea through to performance.

During a tour of China, the Honorary Secretary made contact with officers of the

Chinese Dramatists Association, the official theatre body of the Ministry of Culture, encouraging them to join the ITI by establishing a Chinese Centre, and arranging that they receive the necessary documents and an invitation from the Executive Committee through the Secretariat in Paris. Chinese participation in ITI activities would increase Asian theatrical collaboration, so desirable from Australia’s near neighbours in this part of the world.

Is the money needed to plug theatre into world theatre circuit squandered?

We welcome new ideas and invite you to write and advise us how to fulfill our role within UNESCO and according to the 1948 ITI Charter which states: Since theatrical art is a universal expression of mankind, which links large groups of the world’s peoples, an autonomous professional international organization has been formed, which bears the name of International Theatre Institute. The purpose of the Institute is to promote international exchange of knowledge and practice in theatre arts in order to consolidate peace and friendship between peoples, to deepen mutual understanding, increase creative co-operative between all theatre people.

The sixty centres in member countries should engage in both national and international activities and are requested to assume the following minimum of responsibities: a) all the professionals in the country concerned shall be informed of the existence of the Centre and of its composition; b) the Board of the Centre should be composed of active elements of the professional life of the country and should, if possible, include a representative of each theatrical branch; c) the Centre should, imperatively, and whatever its means, provide visiting foreign professionals with the possibility of contacts and supply them with all non-financial help likely to facilitate their theatrical sojourn; d) the Centre should, according to national needs, form study committees charged with examining the most important problems, apart from commercial and union problems which are incumbent on other organisations: e) the Centre should, wherever possible, take the initiative of organizing cultural demonstrations such as round table talks, press conferences, exhibitions, theatrical publications, etc.

History Initially the Centre only engaged in Continued on page 44.

Spotlight This month Once A Catholic goes on tour; here we profile its star actress

Vivien Davis — A Sensitive Young Talent Les Cartwright One of Melbourne’s more exciting theatre performances last year came from Vivien Davies, whose portrayal of Mary Mooney in the MTC's production of Once A Catholic was widely praised for its sensitivity and completeness.

Although she has been acting professionally since 1972 this was Vivien’s first big role. Welshborn and an immigrant to Australia at the age of 17, she started acting by accident. She was waiting for a friend to finish rehearsals for The Effect o f Gamma Rays On Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds. At^ the time, the director, Bunney Brooke badly needed someone to play the part of Tilley. She got sight of Vivien and asked her to do it, and that was it. The play ran for twelve weeks, six weeks in Adelaide and six weeks on tour for the South Australian Arts Council.

While on tour the company had a gruelling schedule: three shows daily of Trumbo the Clown for children and then in the evenings, Marigolds for adults. For Vivien “it was just like being thrown in the deep end, exciting though”.

She followed this with club and TV work in a singing duo called The Two Reasons, and a stint with the Children’s Arena Theatre in Melbourne. In between she had jazz ballet classes, drama lessons for a year from Bill Zappa (“Bill’s classes were real drama and I learned more from Bill than from anybody”), and a year at the Victorian College of the Arts in 1977.

Once A Catholic provided her biggest break, and it has been her biggest achievement to date.

“I miss it. I think it’s got a lot of value if the people laugh and understand it. There’s a lot of subtlety in it that a lot of people didn’t get: they only reacted to the water-in-the-face gags”. Most audiences however were good and only a few walked out, mostly the suspects, staunch Catholics.

Her role as Mary Mooney was both a challenge and a joy. “She was such a lovely character to play — a real, sympathetic character. Her naivete was the hardest part to re­ create for myself....she was just so innocent, and at 27 one can’t pretend to be that innocent. It’s got to come from something, something that you remember. Otherwise it would just have been coarse. That was the hardest part of her”. It was also hard to sustain...“it was technical. Some nights I felt it inside as well and that was just marvellous. She was just beautiful, poor little thing”.

If the naivete was hard to capture what about the religion? “Ah, now the religion. The religion wasn’t so bad to get hold of once you got the rules down. But there were so many rules you

Robert Essex (Father Mullarkey) with Vivien Davis as Mary Mooney in the MTC Once A Catholic. Photo: David Parker. know. It must have been so suppressing to be brought up in a convent in the 50’s...awful. It was hard to believe that people actually did that, nuns actually did that. But it was true”.

Vivien will go Catholic when it tours to Sydney. In the meanwhile she is preparing to play one of the witches in Macbeth and is doing some late night shows at the Last Laugh Theatre

Restaurant. She would eventually like to work in film and “to sing all by myself with an orchestra”.

For the present though she is more than content with work at the MTC and sensibly wants to develop skill in a number of different areas. One thing above all is clear: Vivien Davies’ future will be worth following.

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

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Spotlight The 7th Australian National Playwrights’ Conference again takes place from 6th to 20th May, 1979 in Canberra.

Mick Rodger Artistic Director of the ’78 and ’79 Conferences, writes about the past history of the Conference, its philosophy, and value to Australian theatre, and its future.

those plays; rehearsed public readings of, and discussion on, an additional six new plays; and teaching seminars, held almost every day, on problems of practical benefit to fledgling playwrights, such as design, stage production and lighting, what is ‘actable’, theatre music and how to earn one’s living as a playwright.

The final four days, by comparison, were concerned with sessions on topics of interest to the theatrical profession as a whole: eg. theatre subsidy (one which created so much attention and heated debate that it was extended into an impromptu additional session early the next morning); the futures of the Old Tote and Theatre Australia, respectively; large and small scale touring in Australia; the problems of being an “itinerant worker” in the profession; and a close look at subsidised theatre and its alternatives in South Australia.

The notion of annual ‘conference’ suggests a regular meeting held for the purposes of serious discussion. Many professions have their annual ‘conferences’ where formal papers are given on the issues confronting those professions. There is no reason why the theatre profession should be a Cinderella in this respect.

A professional get-together, yes; but there is a more important function of those two weeks in Canberra which the term ‘conference’ does not accurately cover. The workshopping or public reading and discussion of up to twelve new plays is the real core of the event. In that respect ‘festival’ might be less of a mis-nomer than ‘conference’. On the other hand, the whole experience is aimed at teaching both participating and observer playwrights something of the craft of playwrighting. This teaching is done through their exposure to the ideas, suggestions, criticisms and skills of talented theatre practitioners. In this sense, the Conference is an extended ‘seminar’ or ‘forum’.

There is no single term which will adequately describe the Canberra experience because it is a mixture of activities and events.

Last year the first ten days were entirely devoted to the playwrights and their problems; the last four days to the professional meeting place. This change in the structure of the 1978 Conference merely reflected what had been happening — in a loose and undefined way — in past years. It seemed to be successful insofar as it concentrated the necessary thinking and attention on the right things at the right time.

Thus, the first ten days were comprised of detailed public workshopping and rehearsal analysis of the seven new plays chosen (from the 150 submitted), together with incisive discussion on the design and staging problems posed by 10

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

Scattered through the last four days of the Conference were the final rehearsals and discussions on the workshopped plays. In this respect, the Conference becomes a shop-window, of sorts, for new works and a number of theatrical managements come to see the wares.

Whilst this is an inevitable by-product of a situation where the pick of the country’s new plays by largely unknown authors, are being worked on, it is not a primary function of the Conference nor one which is particularly encouraged. The benefits of the Conference are more hidden and varied than this?

Whilst the list of new plays, which have found their way on to the stages of professional theatres via the Conference, is an impressive one, it is not. in itself, an argument for the success or value of the Conference. Indeed plays are sometimes chosen because of the clear potential of the writer concerned. If such a writer can be exposed to the inestimably valuable Conference workshop of his play, by highly skilled professional directors and actors, then we have contributed considerably to his future development. Out of the writer’s experience at the Conference might come another and firstrate play in the future.

From time to time the theatre companies do workshop or publicly read new writers. The MTC the Nimrod, Hoopla and the Pram Factory all have a considerable record in this respect.

Recently the QTC advertised a playwrights’ competition — another valid attempt to encourage new writing. But such companies do not have the time, energy, money or staff to do this work consistently.

It is sometimes said that it is unfair to expose vulnerable young writers to the harsh analysis which their plays are given at Canberra.

Certainly the texts are invariably given a nittygritty, line-by-line scrutiny by uncompromising professionals but I cannot see that this is any more traumatic for the playwright than having

his work eventually assessed in the theatre by the reviewers and the public. The Conference workshop process is not a cruel destructive tearing of the play limb-from-limb nor is it demanded that the writer must justify everything that he has written.

Rather, at its best, the process is a creative dialectic. The writer is shown, by the actors’ rendition of his text, what works and what does not; the actor receives clarification of the text and its inherent ideas from the writer. Together, creatively, they explore the virgin ground of a new play and test it according to their talents and instincts. The directors and dramaturgs guide this process carefully and tactfully: probing, enquiring, interpreting and suggesting.

Sometimes, at the end of the fortnight, the cast have only explored part of the fabric of a particular play. Time has run out and some of the play has been left untouched. It does not matter. The object is not to conclude the fortnight with the definitive version of the ideal ‘saleable’ script. The process (as a creative and learning one) is more important than the product; the means are more important than the end.

The format for the 1979 Conference will continue to develop the innovations of last year’s Conference. It will again be divided into a tenday teaching and workshop period, and a fourday professional conference. Furthermore, we shall again have a resident designer (which, when tried for the first time last year, proved most successful). New teaching seminars in 1979 will consider the problems peculiar to writing for film, and for television; with the possible future of musical theatre in Australia; with the adaptation problems of writing the-book-of-thefilm-of-the-play-of-the-book; and a further seminar on writing specifically for children's theatre as a contribution to the Year of the Child. In the four-day professional conference we hope to consider the desirability, problems and objectives of setting up a new State Theatre Company in NSW to fill the vacuum left by the demise of the Old Tote. Seven new plays will be workshopped at the 1979 Conference and up to a further seven new plays will receive a public reading and discussion.

Looking further ahead, I can see a time when it will not only be desirable, but necessary, for the Australian Playwrights’ Conference to have a similar status, and level of funding and permanence, as its American and Canadian counterparts, and one which would reflect its now seminal importance. (I might remark in passing that positive moves are now afoot in London to shortly set up a British Playwrights’ Conference).

In America the Playwrights’ Conference exists on a year-round basis with its own Continued on page 26.

Spotlight At a cost of $ 14 million the Hunter Valley Theatre Co. now has a home

Civic Playhouse: Can bricks ensure permanence?

Felicity Biggins Despite the fact that the critics deemed it impossible, the sceptics washed their hands of it and the directors of the Hunter Valley Theatre Company were divided, the Hunter Region now has a playhouse.

The fact that the Civic Playhouse is a reality is due to the determination of the company’s board of directors and particularly its chairman, John Robson. The board is responsible for instigating the construction of the playhouse, establishing a building committee to raise the funds and ensuring the continuance of the Hunter Valley Theatre Company. Architect Brian Suters as well as Robson has been a major motivator behind the playhouse. The theatre belongs to the people of Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, and is leased by the Hunter Valley Theatre Company.

But although the birth of the Playhouse is greeted with paternal pride and excitement, it could be dark within six months. The Hunter Valley Theatre Company is expected to run out of money by June. Robson, while agreeing that the company has only short-term funding, is optimistic about its future; the company has funds until after June, budgeting on a 50% boxoffice and on grants we are fairly sure of getting.

We expect to run much higher than 50% boxoffice with Cabaret, our first production in the Playhouse, and are hoping for a State Government supplementary grant.

Cabaret is expected to lose about $15,000, less than the budgeted $27,000. Mr. Robson said the company would not cease to function when the performance money ran out. “We will explore every possible use for the Playhouse — for touring companies, local groups, concerts and various activities, and will do everything possible to keep the theatre open.” he said. “But it will be dark for some periods of the year. We hope, however, by 1980 to be operating for a high proportion of the year. Response to The Club and early response to Cabaret indicates that Newcastle does want professional theatre.

There is no doubt as to the assured future of the company. If Cabaret is successful, we will be in a much better position to ask for further operating grants.

While John Robson may be optimistic that it is just a question of the company proving itself to make the grants flow Newcastle way, the State Government is not so sure. The Director of the Premier's Department’s Division of Cultural Activities. Evan Williams, said that funds for 1979 were fully committed. He could not guarantee any further money for the HVTC this year and his remarks suggest it will be unlikely the company will receive any more money. The

The set for Cabaret in the new Civic Playhouse. last time it plunged into financial destitution it all but died. Floundering in debt and with a poor reputation within its community, the company went into an extended recess and was only saved by the diligent optimism of its supporters.

Theatre supporters have mixed views about the Playhouse. While many are excited and thrilled with the result, several argue that the theatre’s inadequacies do not compensate for its good points.

Those against, while not disputing the desirability of a theatre, claim it is too small and impractical and does not justify its %lA million building costs. They claim that a 200-seat theatre can never hope to pay its way; that it should never have been built within the limiting Civic Wintergarden; and that the inevitable demise of the HVTC will mean the Playhouse may lie empty, or at least not fully used.

There is already talk of the need for a bigger theatre when and if the HVTC expands. But it is dubious whether it would ever be able to raise the sort of money needed a second time around.

When questioned on the prospects of the Cultural Affairs Division supplying funds for another theatre in Newcastle, Mr. Williams was very guarded.

He acknowledged that the theatre was too small to be the permanent home of a company with its ambitions, but he could not guarantee that the Division would think favourably of giving more money. The State Government has already donated $91.000 to the Playhouse, and recently granted $40,000 to the company for productions this year.

In spite of the general excitement and enthusiasm that surrounds the Playhouse, and which includes endorsement from the Premier Mr Wran, and the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Aid Cummings, some people have expressed concern that the theatre is a potential white elephant. When the HVTC runs out of performing money who will use the theatre? The

Photo: Tony Rapson-Coe.

cost of touring is exorbitant enough, but what theatre companies will come, knowing they will only be able to attract 200 people a night?

Critics say the stage is too small; the theatre too cramped. Some ask why it was not built lengthways in the Wintergarden instead of width-ways. Others say a theatre expert should have been consulted. Many do not approve of the site chosen.

The concerns are valid, but Suters and Robson argue that the stage is flexible and that the limitations must be accepted as a necessary reality to the theatre’s existence; no limitations, no theatre. The Civic Wintergarden seemed the most logical choice because of its ideal location next door to the Civic Theatre, and its availability.

Theatre-supporters, delighted with the positive fact that Newcastle has a professional theatre company and a solid theatre say that contentious decisions had to be made to get the theatre built; it was a question of compromise. A little positive thinking goes a long way — and although theatre companies do not survive on good-will and idealism alone, a little enthusiasm and faith helps.

The Hunter Valley Theatre Company is holding its breath: about the theatre (it is not fully paid for yet), about the audiences (will they come?) and about its future. But considering the air of resigned fatalism that preceded the building of the Playhouse, its existence is a remarkable and praiseworthy achievement.

The City Council supplied the building (and still owns it, leasing it to the HVTC at $75 a week), with the money for the radical conversion job raised by a building appeal. The theatre has cost $255,000. The appeal has raised, in pledges and cash, $215,000. The company is claiming another $28,000 from the State Government on its dollar-for-dollar subsidy, leaving the appeal about $12,000 short. That does not include airContinued on page 44.

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

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GENTLEMEN ONLY Hoopla’s hit musical is likely to tour.

PETER CORRIGAN designed it and I i n t P C m e lflpQ c;

RENNIE ELLIS took the photographs.

Notes to director GRAEM E BLUNDELL: This is not a drag show; it is more in the style of a masquerade.

The dinner suit costumes speak to the idea of men’s attire, but only more so.

The large coarse and cuckolded Algy (Betty Bobbit) is in black mohair.

This gives him a soft, weak, corpulent air. The vest and trim is a florid black brocade. He is a braggart.

Freddie (Ann Phelan), the amoral rue, is in a black shark skin type of silk.

The line is cold and glistening. The vest and trim is a black shantung. He is a cynic.

Bobby (Julie McGregor), the bounding newly wed buffoon, is in black velvet. The effect is one of a naive adolescent with a Gainsborough quality.

The vest and trim is a black corded velvet. He is a puppy.

Bertie (Marilyn Rogers), the suave Errol Flynn teddy bear, is in an expensive black wool. This lends him a particularly rakish dash. The vest and trim is of a charcoal brocade. He is a peacock.

All suit coats and cloaks are lined with the same crimson red satin as all club members use the same myopic Lower East side Jewish tailor.

The Maestro (Aurora Muratti) is in a black wool. She seems to enjoy keeping her top hat and Edwardian cloak on.

Johnny and Henry (Evelyn Krape and Joan Brockenshire) are in closely waisted flunkey costumes of the period. The trousers are full and the cuffs are pegged to give added line to the tap routines. Their individual “blue and green should never be seen” colour schemes should guarantee that they are not mistaken for club members or the cream furniture. Evelyn can tuck her curls under her cap.

The set should be reminiscent of that Yale Club dining room photo I showed you recently. You might remember Graeme that during your stay in New York I pointed out the building, it is opposite Grand Central Station, but I neglected to take you in. Gentlemen only.

The columns will have a cubist look to them, no capitals etc. If the particular powder green travertine marble with the black veins chosen for the columns, stairs and floor can be “simulated”, there should be a confident air of cloying opulence. The Empire State and the Chrysler Building can be seen in all directions.

The four large cubist “Venus de Milos” will look rather like badly polished marble. They have snail shells instead of heads. This seems to be what the evening is about. Men talk about the women in their lives, who allegedly have nothing between their ears, and do all their thinking with their twats.

I think these ideas coincide with the direction you’ve described. The play is a distinctly New York feminist piece. But the level of consciousness is somewhat higher there than locally. Thus for any points to be made, I suggest the evening requires a fullsome style, which reveals itself as much in design as in the singing and dancing.

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

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The Bastard from the Bush starring Robin Ramsay began in Melbourne, was acclaimed in London and is now playing in Sydney.

Director Co-compiler

RODNEY FISHER talks to REX CRAMPHORN

The framework of this interview is a chronological account of the progress of The Bastardfrom the Bush. Rodney’s digressions and general observations are given, as they occurred during the account, in the first person.

The initial impulse for the work came from Robin Ramsay. His long-standing enthusiam for Lawson developed into positive feelings of affinity when he discovered that Lawson spent some of his later life near Bega where Robin has his own farm. He decided to compile a one-man show from Lawson’s writing and early in 1976 he came to Sydney to do the initial research at the Mitchell Library. He called his programme The Nurse and Tutor o f Eccentric Minds (Lawson’s epithet for the bush) and on returning to the Melbourne Theatre Company for The Merchant o f Venice he showed the rough script to John Sumner who accepted it for production

at Russell Street, while suggesting that a more commercial title be found.

At the same time (April, 1977) Rodney had returned from London to direct the first production of David Williamson’s The Club for the Melbourne Theatre Company. After reading Robin’s script he agreed to become his director and collaborator on the project, now re-named The Bastardfrom the Bush.

“I knew straight away that I wanted to do it...for several reasons. Robin’s obvious affinity with Lawson was very interesting. And Lawson himself! A portrait of the artist as a young

pariah. He really does personify the colonial experience of the artist. It fascinates me: from the group experience of my own family at Drayton — countryside immortalised by a neighbour, Steele Rudd — to Vance Palmer and Louis Esson, the young Turks whose more educated eyes saw further than Lawson’s, but whose dreams of a self-respecting national literature and theatre left them as marooned as Lawson had been.”

Rehearsing The Club by day and reading Lawson by night, Rodney assembled references and ideas for the programme and as soon as The Club opened he began working on them with THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

15

Robin during the day, returning to the typewriter while Robin played Shylock at night.

The concept of the script as a series of linked pieces was soon replaced by a more ambitious one — a play for one actor, a flowing, autobiographical revelation of Lawson in his own words.

“Robin presented me with a phrase (Manning Clark on Lawson) ‘...an Australian Merlin, half innocent bush boy, half devil...’ which he saw as a crystallisation of his own understanding of Lawson. Of course, Robin had taken this phrase to heart because it articulated those aspects of his own personality which resembled Lawson’s. The potential of this synthesis — given Robin’s technical assuredness and responsive plasticity — made me confident that we could attempt a total evocation of Lawson.”

The first performance was given at Russell Street in September 1977. The nine-week season

16

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

achieved an excellent audience and critical response.

“Looking back, I see it very much as a first try­ out. I enjoy the Russell Street space but, in this case it was not ideal...perhaps I did not use it to its best advantage. The programme was less cohesive then — nevertheless, the Lawson microcosm of artistic endeavour: transcendental optimism and dogged humour in the face of rejection and persecution: was perceived and Robin’s performance was much praised.”

After the Russell Street season some months passed — Rodney in Sydney doing Obsessive Behaviour in Small Spaces for the Old Tote and then going to London, Robin doing Rockola in Sydney and Adelaide for Nimrod. Rodney was about to return home when Robin called him from Australia to suggest that they attempt to present The Bastardfrom the Bush in London. It took almost six months, from the time Robin

joined Rodney, to achieve this aim.

“I suppose those months of northern summer last June, July and August were the worst of the Bastard story. Signed up for Riverside, we worried about the show’s potential to reach a non-Australian audience and about our own potential to make ends meet in the meantime.

Until then it had been mostly exciting: there were a few brush-offs, naturally, but friends were kind and encouraging — Germaine Greer, Ian McKellan and particularly Sara Kestelman whose parents arranged a private preformance in their living-room for among others, Sebastian Graham-Jones and Keith Dewhurst from the National Theatre. The very next day, auditioning for Riverside’s artistic directorate, we were advised at interval that The Bastard was wanted for a season in September.”

When the play opened at the Riverside Studios in September there were about forty bookings for

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furniture — which had always remained the first night but by curtain time most of the 490 seats were full and, as a result of a good press constant in his mind. The smoothness and response and excellent word-of-mouth the season accomplishment of the performance was remarked on by all the critics and, despite a sold well and extra performances were given.

“Part of The Bastard’s success was the result disappointing presale occasioned, perhaps, by the of being presented in the Riverside Studios which plethora of Lawson programmes in Sydney, the Irving Wardle described in The Times as ‘a Downstairs theatre has (been full every night powerhouse the like of which can be found since opening and an extension of the season is nowhere else in London’. I fell in love with the being discussed. physical aspect of the old BBC studios, splendidly “The Nimrod Downstairs season has given us converted by Piano and Rogers (architects for the first chance, outside rehearsal and private the Pompidou Beaubourge Centre in Paris), one performance, to fully explore an intimate Sunday afternoon in January 1978 when I saw relationship with a whole audience: the haunted an early performance of The Gospel According and haunting eye-contact of the almost totally to Saint Mark by Alec McCowan in tandem with deaf, deeply self-conscious, yet often angry, Peter Gill’s wonderful production of The Cherry Lawson. And Robin is able to relax a little from Orchard. I thought to myself: ‘there’s nowhere in the broader, more heroic aspects developed by London I’d rather work’. And by some strange and for larger audiences. It is a most stimulating magic, seven months later, Robin was way to work and note sessions grow more performing The Bastard from the Bush in detailed. Drawing on the rapport and working tandem with Peter Gill’s much acclaimed understanding we have developed over three production of The Changeling. ” years Robin and I are now beginning work on a The National had hoped to transfer the play to future one-man show.” the Cottesloe for their Festival of London I love collaborating with and reacting to the programme but owing to a change of planning talent of others. At present my collaboration the season of one-man shows (including Cyril with Lynn Seymour is being frustrated by Cusack’s James Joyce evening and Julie German authorities who think that two nonCovington’s concerts) had to be postponed.

Germans in a State-run company are certainly Meanwhile Robin returned to Australia, Rodney not better than one, and my collaboration with went to the dance company at the Bavarian State David Williamson (I have directed the first Opera to restage a ballet he had done in production of his last three plays) has been collaboration with Lynn Seymour, and Nimrod arrested, temporarily I trust, by consideratons of were interested in the idea of a Sydney season of money and theatre politics.”

The Bastardfrom the Bush.

“In retrospect, one of the most important “For many reasons it had been satisfying to stages in the development of The Bastard from the Bush came between the Melbourne and present Lawson successfully in an alien London seasons with the publication of Manning enviroment. The adjustments we had made to Clark’s In Search o f Henry Lawson — an ensure his accessibility to a wider audience had inspiring affirmation of our view of Lawson. enhanced the script and only two alterations Professor Clark had loved the play in Melbourne, have occurred to me for the Nimrod season: suddenly I realised exactly where to place ‘An particularly Robin’s characterisation of Mrs Old Mate of your Father’s’ (this favourite of ours Spicer. His book immortalises the perception of had never quite reached home base) and also I Lawson as the colonial artist in a vacuum — happened on a way to incorporate ‘The Faces in patronised, indulged but never regarded seriously the Street’.”

— who began life believing, as part of his handYou see, the present state of the work is the me-down European heritage (however simply result of three detailed rehearsal periods together and in however uneducated a way), that art is the with quite a large number of performances: now life-blood of society and the very foundation of that kind of continuity of work pays handsome social self-awareness and development, and who dividends. And I think that The Bastardfrom the ended his days with the awful realisation that Bush ably demonstrates that a company — albeit art can be seen as a parasite and that the artist a company of two — can sometimes escape the can easily be rejected out of hand. The constrictions that too often frustrate creativity in disintegration of early ideals ¿nd the embittered Australian theatre — too little analysis and acceptance of importence and handouts are, in rehearsal, too little care and attention to detail by Lawson’s case, the final symptoms of this theatre companies obsessed with the overall realisation.”

Manning Clark’s perception of this and of shape of a season, too little concern for actors’ needs, too little respect for authors’ work, and Lawson’s transcendental optimism created a too much preoccupation with the evanescent furore in Australia and the controversy spread to London newspapers — coincidentally with the importance of opening nights.”

The Nimrod season opened on the 16th Riverside season. Suddenly I was being March. Tony Tripp had designed the Melbourne interviewed by the BBC and quoted in The production, Shaun Gurton had supervised the Listener — all of which was good publicity but London presentation but for the first time, in also, and much more importantly, an unexpected Sydney, Rodney took charge of assembling the confirmation of the relevance and contemporary features of the setting — the plank floor and the truth of the work Robin and I had been doing.

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U.K

International T.A. proudly announces that IRVING WARDLE major theatre critic of The Times (at present in abeyance) will be covering London theatre each month from now on

KEEPING OPTIONS OPEN Irving Wardle The one thing to be said in favour of Britain’s present industrial Totentanz as it affects the theatre is that it has at least counteracted the other British disease of institutional paralysis. I have lost count of the number of hopeful new talents that have wound up some years later as dumb pillars of the community, highly responsible script editors and the like (not forgetting the supremely job-conscious case of theatre critics). But there isn’t much temptation to bury yourself alive in BBC Television or the National Theatre if these institutions are cracking at the seams.

My guess is that they will survive in spite of the situation — new to Britain — that our major producing organisations are now at the mercy of stage crews with no interest in whether the show goes on or not. but if it does come to a war with the unions, it is the big companies that will collapse, and the fringe that will stay in business along with self-help outfits like Peter Gill’s Riverside Studios and Thelma Holt’s Round House (lately converted into London’s first theatre in the round with the aid of volunteer labour and cost-price materials.)

The message for the artist is clear: keep your options open. Buy a Mercedes if you must, but don’t abandon the old bike in the shed. And from the material that is getting into the West End, launched from small houses around the country, written and directed by men who have plenty of other outlets, it appears that the message had sunk in well before the present load of eroded differentials hit the fan.

Much the most conspicuous of the non-boatburners is Alan Ayckbourn, the undisputed master of West End comedy. The annual

18

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

Ayckbourn play is a more fixed institution than anything one can nominate from the formula entertainment days of H M Tennent Ltd, and if Ayckbourn had been operating then he would doubtless have followed Rattigan and Fry into some half-timbered Home Counties retreat. As it is, Ayckbourn famously works the year round in his little repertory theatre in Scarborough, and brings his annual play into London a year after it has been seen in Yorkshire. Joking Apart, for instance, opened at the Globe in mid-March, and the morning after the opening Ayckbourn was speeding back North to rehearse its sequel, Sisterly Feelings, for a European tour.

This may be the moment for me to disassociate myself from my grudging critical colleagues, and declare Joking Apart to be Ayckbourn’s most perfectly controlled work to date. It is a play about time: about the games the theatre can play with time, and about the wounds time inflicts on human life. The whole thing takes place in the spacious garden of Richard and Anthea, a pair blessed with everything the good fairies have to bestow, who keep open house to those less favoured than themselves. These number Anthea’s hopelessly torch-carrying admirer, a rabbity neighbouring vicar and his tyranously timid wife; and Richard’s Finnish business partner, the fanatically competitive Sven.

We first meet them all at a bonfire party in the late sixties: then, in a series of four-year leaps, the play remorselessly moves up to the present showing the collapse of everyone surrounding the golden central couple.

In general terms, you can see it all coming from the start; but what counts, as always, is the detail of how it happens. We know that Sven is

Alison Steadman, Julian Fellowes, Jennifer Fierley and Robert Austin in the Globe’s Joking Apart. Photo: Genista Streeten P u b l i c i t y . ______________________ finally going to lose. We do not know that he is going to suffer his crucial defeat in the moment of strutting victoriously off the tennis court only to discover that Richard has been playing lefthanded so as to give him the illusion of winning.

The tennis match, interwoven with a ludicrous love scene on the sidelines, is the kind of virtuoso set piece Ayckbourn’s customers have come to expect. It is well up to his usual standard; but the real excitement of the comedy lies not in its circus turns, but in passages where he deliberately brings the action to a stop, defying us to laugh; passages set in dead time where you observe the next events taking shape in the still air like crystals in a glass of poison. Comedy, as Ayckbourn is now writing it, suggests a slow bicycle race, with characters constantly on the point of tumbling down a deep dark pit. Very funny, and no laughing matter.

After prolonged wooing, William Gaskill — late of Devine’s Royal Court and Olivier’s National Theatre — has joined Peter Hall’s National Theatre team with the purpose of mastering the so-far director-proof Olivier auditorium. This is not a matter of getting the revolve to work: that has now been given up as a lost cause (but for the prohibitions of the South Bank Board, Hall would have sealed it up). It is a matter of achieving entrances without a twomile march, deciding whether Denys Lasdun’s thrust stage is better used as an illusory prescenium, and generally dispersing the “epic theatre” fog which has hitherto blanketed this address.

As to staging, nothing very conclusive

International emerged from Gaskill’s inaugural production of Middleton and Rowley’s A Fair Quarrel, as NATTKE (the main technical union) had selected it as a strategic target, and the company were kept off the stage until the last minute and then obliged to play on an incomplete set. The idea of Gaskill and his designer, Hayden Griffin, had been to extend the motif of the quarrel to the entire play by mounting it on a raised duelling platform, achieving quick entrances through a crowd of on-stage spectators and up through a central trap.

All well and good, except that the trap had no door; and instead of vomiting characters rapidly onto the scene, it remained virtually unused throughout the evening, and an imminent source of peril during Nicky Henson and Fred Pearson’s fights. As far as stage-management goes, the Olivier appeared to much better advantage in Christopher Morahan’s subsequent production of The Fruits o f Enlightenment, which bypassed the essential problem of focus by cramming every inch of the stage with handsome furnishings and social detail, so as to elaborate Tolstoy’s land-purchase intrigue between three virtuous peasants and the worthless gentry into an intricately organised ballet of class distinctions.

In the long run, though, I suspect that more will emerge from Gaskill’s austerely analytic work than from any number of prodigal blow­ outs on design. A Fair Quarrel may have come across like an anatomy lecture, but you certainly understood the body by the end: the organic links between the main and sub-plots, the inter­ relationships between various codes of Jacobean honour, the duelling ethic itself. This was achieved through exceptionally close ensemble playing, which brings me back to the question of institutions.

Gaskill’s cast consisted mainly not of regular National Theatre actors, but of the team he had built up for his fringe outfit, the Joint Stock Company. With these actors he had spent several months over an adaptation of Robert Tressell’s The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists; a long-term project which included a training spell in Devon where they moved into an old warehouse to learn about painting and decorating through doing the job.

The production, when it arrived in London last year, was justly acknowledged as a naturalistic triumph. And whatever his committments to South Bank, Gaskill retains his foothold in the other world of poverty-budgeting, and prolonged research work.

The irony in all this is that where The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists emerged as one of the most persuasively impassioned arguments for Trades Unionism ever to reach the British stage, no sooner did Gaskill lead his crusading troupe into the National Theatre than the argument backfired, in the shape of the NATTKE dispute, almost killing his next show. However, like Ayckbourn, and other part-time institutionalists 1 could mention, he has a world elsewhere.

LETTERS (Continued from page 6) if Mr Shoubridge has any but second-hand experience of Hungarian theatre to support his contentions. This to me leaves his critical validity in doubt, for it you remove the political content of his review, it is empty indeed.

Sadly, this is not an isolated incidence. Often, no matter what fields of endeavours certain vocal gentlemen pursue, the clarity of this vision is biased by the dictate of their political hatred, until they lose all credibility.

We in the West have committed similar blunders of thought in science during the 1950’s, when we believed our experts, who decried the poverty of thought of the Communist system, until the appearance of a Sputnik in the sky made these hundreds of self-styled experts redundant overnight.

I hope you keep up the good work and that Theatre Australia will not allow itself to become a vehicle of discredited ideas.

Yours Sincerely, J. Lazner, Applecross WA

Dear Sir, Well worth my subscription as I consider Theatre Australia to be I have noted one area of interest to your readers that is in the decline if not entirely absent, and that is the lack of attention to amateur theatre.

I realise there are difficulties in reviewing amateur productions because of their ephemeral nature but articles need not be regular, or reviews, or patronizing advice as is sometimes seen. Might I suggest that you look in on festivals such as the one coming up in Newcastle, these are often variable in standard but contain some gems. Perhaps the adjudicator could report — or you might send your own reporter as I find myself rarely in agreement with adjudicators.

As a second suggestion might not the role/function of amateur theatre be analysed, and experiment (rare as it may be) encouraged. In this area I might emphasise that few amateur groups capitalise on unique possibilities and advantages they have over professional companies such as local documentary theatre of the Peter Cheeseman Style.

A third suggestion. Would it be valuable to interview experienced amateur directors, designers etc. (How do you costume a play set before World War 1 to a high standard for SI50?

I know of several instances where this was done).

A fourth suggestion. If such a person exists, might not some notable professional be commissioned to write on, or interviewed on, applying his skills to solving such difficulties as amateur theatres regularly broach. Not so much the “How to apply the umpteenth brand of make-up” sort of thing. More the “What has Nimrod, Old Tote, Sydney Theatre Company

etc, learned from annual programme selection that might be applicable to an amateur group’s programme selection policy”, or the like.

A fifth suggestion. There are a number of venues throughout our state that get used by amateurs in particular, and professionals occasionally, as theatres. Not all these were designed for such use. Some, like Clubbe Hall at Mittagong leave little to be desired. Others, councils and architects need castigating for.

Might such not be reported upon?

Sixth. There are subsidies available to amateur theatre. Some are trivial and yet valuable. Should there be more? Why? Or Why not? Are they properly used?

Seventh. What sort of exposure are Australian playwrights getting at the amateur level? After all — to use that wilting cliche — that’s where the grass roots are.

Eighth. Noel Ferrier campaigns for a professional musical theatre yet in my experience the amateur musical theatre is thriving. Why? Ninth. Several universities are now teaching drama. One might expect some impact first at the level of amateur theatre. Is this so? I see none.

Tenth. Professional actors seem loath to credit any amateur background they might have. Yet I suspect as many have this to thank as, for example, NIDA. Has our professional theatre anything to thank our amateur theatre for?

What relationships exist?

Eleventh. There are a number of professional directors who direct amateur productions from time to time — often with the use of subsidy.

Should their work be reviewed critically by you?

I think so. Otherwise some bureaucrat in the Australia Council files a report and that’s it.

Buried in oblivion. Do these directors earn their money and are their efforts fruitful? Only you can tell us.

Twelve. Years ago the Arts Council of NSW was formed to send theatre to the country. If it has been successful this should manifest itself in one form as an improvement in amateur theatre.

Has it? We do not know. Perhaps a look at these shows on tour may be valuable.

There are sufficient points here for more articles looking at amateur theatre I am sure. If any of them prompt you to look more closely at this uncatered for area then I will be grateful.

Yours faithfully W F Oakes Petersham NSW

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THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

19

Theatre/ACT

DUSA, FISH , STAS A N D VI ROGER PULVERS Dusa, Fish, Stas and Vi by Pam Gems. Canberra Rep at Theatre 3, ACT. 7 — 31 March 1979. Director, Anne Godfrey-Smith; Musical director, Jenny Vaskess; Lighting designer, Trudy Dalgleish; Stage manager, Louise Davis.

Dusa, Celia Munro; Fish, Joyce MacFarlane; Stas, Julie Bail; Vi, Camilla Blunden.

(Amateur)

Someone said that books are two years behind society, films three, and TV about four or five. I often think that theatre would come next. This play is dated firmly in quaint sophistication. Four women are presented. The anorectous yoga-child of the seventies, slightly hungover from the previous decade. The flash ‘escort’, working her way through men’s bodies into college. The straight-lady, a pitifully abandoned mother. And the political activist who can’t tear herself away from her boyfriend.

It is billed as a comedy, and a comedy it should be, as the characters are stark types and their lines, caustic repartee. This production, however,

by Anne Godfrey-Smith, chose the usual

20

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

naturalistic method, of the basically static variety, with a small circle of set amidst a big cavernous black stage. The delivery of lines was too slow and ponderous most of the time. This weighed the presentation down. Another thing which held it down was the long entrances and exits necessitated by the staging. This staging and slowness put the characters in a cage, so to speak, from which they reached out to the audience with great difficulty. I felt very much as if I were on the sidelines looking in, only rarely glimpsing an emotion bursting.

One very fine element of the production was the use, by the director, of a female chorus dressed in black, sitting on the side. The music,

by Jenny Vaskess, and the lyrics by the director herself, combined in a plaintive and strongly moving effect. The chorus interpreted the sadness of the situation of the women for us.

One concrete example of how the staging didn’t come to terms with the huge Theatre 3 space: In the second act, an ambulance is called.

Stas, the blonde escort, goes to meet it at the front door and tells the men to go around back.

As we hear from her no longer, we assume she went with them. Later, however, a telephone call

comes for her and, called back, she runs in from the front. What was she doing there in such an emergency, standing around? She should either have come back in immediately or gone around back with the ambulance.

Another problem, which was felt throughout, was one of voice. While each actor had individual moments of true style, in general their voices were being forced out of control. The production was too monotonal, and the pitch too high. This was no doubt because the clever lines, some of them strung together building to an effect, were not working within the confines of a straight naturalistic direction.

This is a play about female mateship, relying on the same sort of humour and caricatural exaggeration as plays about male mateship.

When it is serious and philosophical, it tends to be maudlin or, worse, arch-trendy, as when Stas says that what’s important in this world is the last fifty years of physics and the next fifty of biology. And, unfortunately, in a curious way, it reinforces the notion that women are flighty and totally emotion-bound people who just cannot cope in the end. In that sense, this play is not only stereotypic; it’s backward-looking.

Executed not performed THE SO U N D OF M USIC MARGUERITE WELLS The Sound o f Music, Music by Richard Rogers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Book by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse, Canberra Philharmonic Society at the Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. Opened 28 February 1979. Producer, Eileen Gray; Conductor, Keith Hegelson. Stage Manager, John Thompson.

(Amateur)

Singers who can act seem to be far more rare and precious things than actors who can sing.

Perhaps a good voice is a gift and the ability to use it a skill, whereas the ability to act is a gift which may be refined by skill. If singing requires more, then there are fewer people who can do it well. Why then do amateur companies insist on doing large-cast Broadway-type musicals when the statistics are so heavily weighted against them? After all, how many tears will a tear-jerker jerk if the tear-jerker doesn’t seem real? Quite a few, thank goodness. I think it was Shaw who said in one of those entertaining prefaces that there are fifty people who enjoy a good tune, for every one who would prefer a poem. I didn’t believe him at the time, but now I am older and

wiser. There wouldn’t be a pop music industry if people cared what the words of songs said. And there wouldn’t be a Sound o f Music if people required that the book of a musical be as good as the music that carried it. So when musical directors cast singers hoping that they act, they are probably only doing what most of their audience would do, given half a chance.

All this makes for good clean fun for the large cast and the enormous backstage crew, and a nice night out for an audience who doesn’t see much theatre. It does not make for great art.

Canberra Philharmonic’s production, with a cast of one actor, (Ian Fletcher, who played Max), and a large number of singers with voices ranging from very sweet to really beautiful, suffered from the, “Well, you can-sing, so-we-hope-you-can-acttoo”, malaise, but it had another and slightly worse one. It was a production which was obviously going to pieces at the seams.

Last year’s highly successful production had obviously been conceived and executed on a grand and extremely professional, if traditional scale. The set accommodated the frequent scene changes with the minimum of fuss, the cast knew their lines, they draped the stage in a most decorative way, they knew their dances and executed them well. It was all very JCW. But that was what was wrong. They were executing, not performing. The joy had gone, and oddly

enough, the problem was the music. The only part of the music which was unmixedly pleasant were the nuns’ choruses — and they were unaccompanied. The orchestra played out of tune and totally without lyricism, kept rigid time like an overconscientious metronome and failed to accommodate the music to the singers. It also drowned the singers’ voices. Even Shirley Thomas’s beautiful voice did not show at its best in a version of “Climb every Mountain” sung from way upstage behind several rows of overhead curtains. “Climb every mountain” went straight up the flytower.

The set with revolving corner-stages down right and left, and shoulder-high cutouts of Austrian Alps, pinetrees and eidelweises in front of the cyclarama promised well, but the lighting was at best perfunctory. The lighting was obviously four lights flickering behind a screen, and the blue mountain sky was never anything but sky-blue — not the ghost of the hint of a cloud, and certainly no mountain sunsets. So many opportunities were lost.

And still, while there were certainly dry eyes in the house ther were also certainly misty ones — mine included. And there were good laughs too, for in there, among the pap, there were some extremely witty lines, quite well delivered. I do wish I’d seen it last year, before it had had a chance to start disintegrating.

PROGRAM TERM ONE 1979 IN SCHOOLS:

JUKE

Senior High School

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Years 3 and 4

KA SPA JACK THE LONG AND THE SHOR T OF IT

Infants

Pre School

IN THE COMMUNITY: By arrangement with Nimrod Theatre, Sydney

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DARWIN, GOVE, GROOTE, KATHERINE, TENNANT CREEK AND ALICE SPRINGS

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Staff: Gordon Beattie (Director), Terry Kenwrick, Andrew Kay, Denise Scott, Caroline Baker.

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THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

21

Theatre/NSW

Firm and sensitive direction INNER VOICES_____________ ADRIAN WINTLE Inner Voices by Louis Nowra. Riverina Trucking Company theatre, Wagga, NSW. Opened March 16. Director, Damien Jameson; set and lighting design, Stephen Amos; costume design, Ric Harley.

Ivan, Peter Grey; Mirovich, Ric Harley; Leo, Vladimir, Sandy McCutcheon; Princess Baby Face, Sharon Hillis; Peter, Stan Johnston.

(Professional)

Inner Voices, Louis Nowra’s mordant tragicomedy about mind manipulation at the Russian Court, received firm and sensitive direction by Damien Jameson during March as the opener for the Riverina Trucking Company’s 1979 season.

Manipulation of thinking is itself a subject containing high dramatic potential, and Nowra achieves tension by counterpointing mild buffoonery and savage psychosis in portraying the domination of a young Russian czar’s deranged mind by political opportunists.

But the play is noteworthy and memorable for its interweaving of emotional sub-themes alongside the great central issue of mind domination. Thus Inner Voices is also a sharply observed study of opportunism, gluttony, avarice, ambition and expediency even if the far from probable succession of events in the story may bring a hypercritical audience to the brink of suspended belief.

Partly this is the result of Nowra’s almost cinematic technique. Where short scene follows short scene in staccato continuity; partly a result of the playwright’s obvious desire to place psychological exploration as a first consideration.

Thus the young czar Ivan rightly dominates the play’s fabric; everything else is secondary to the mix of emotions that governs this strange character’s actions; and allowing for the spectre of improbability the play is an absorbing and challenging experience.

The first virtue in the Trucking Company’s performance was a resolute lack of embellishment both in acting and production terms. To be sure, the play’s opening scenes, during which the officers Mirovich and Leo hatch their scheme of kidnap and possession, were flawed, with Ric Harley and Sandy McCutcheon achieving merely occasional urgency and with the fairly amiable Harley never really alarming as a murderous schemer. But from the point at which Leo is dispatched, Mr Jameson and his small cast struck theatrical gold.

Peter Grey’s Ivan ran a gamut of articulated 22

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

Sharon Hillis (Baby Face) and Peter Grey (Ivan) in the Riverina Trucking Company’s production of Inner Voices. lunacy, in turn chilling and wryly funny and never less than compelling; Sandy McCutcheon as the hidden persuader Vladimir provided stronger characterisaton than when he was playing Leo; and Ric Harley brought fine swagger to the corpulent Mirovich. On the other hand Sharon Hillis was perhaps too mannered as the princess, and young Stan Johnson narrowly

avoided caricature as Mirovich’s sidekick Peter.

Stephen Amos’ setting, a series of suspended geometric shapes surmounting a simply tiered performing area, well complemented Jameson’s antiseptic view of the play, and his lighting was used skilfully to build mood; but I think this production would have benefitted by the use of incidental music to bridge scene shifts.

Lacking in haunting inevitability RAIN MICK RODGER Rain by Somerset Maugham. Ensemble Productions at the Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, NSW. Opened 5 April, 1979.

Director, Jon Ewing; Designer, Yoshi Tosa; Lighting, Ian McGrath; Sound, Stephen Emery; Stage Manager, Grace Said.

Joe Horn, Desmond Tester; Mrs Horn, Shaunna O ’Grady; Private Hodgson, Craig Lambert; Private Griggs, John Hageman; Sergeant O’Hara, Andrew Inglis; Mrs Davidson, Judy Ferris; Dr Macphail, Norman Kaye; Mrs Macphail, Sharon Flanagan; Sadie Thompson, Helen Morse; Quartermaster Bates, Michael Ross; Rev Alfred Davidson, Brian Young; Islanders, Allan Bruzzese, John Caruana, Sabina Dunn, John O ’Brien, Lorna Patten, Annette Powell, Mary Turansky.

(Professional)

“I read the bible every day,” said Somerset Maugham, “not because I believe in it but because it is a good story.”

Maugham loved (and wrote) a good story; he also hated that particular brand of hypocrisy called Christianity. Both preoccupations are abundantly evident in his short story Rain. The original jottings for the story are available in his later published A Writer’s Notebook. They reveal that the intention of the story was to examine human obsession. In this case it is the obsession that is commonly disguised as religious (or rather, religiose) fervour.

When they first went to the Gilberts (the Gilbert Islands), the original prototype for Mrs Davidson told Maugham, “it is impossible to find a single ‘good’ girl in any of the villages.” Later, when she bitterly complains about the “obscene” native dancing, Maugham has his alter ego in the short story (Dr Macphail) irreverently reply that he was not averse to dancing himself when he was a young man.

Maugham was ever concerned to prick the bubble of self-righteous Christian bigotry. His South Seas stories and novels amply expose the irreparable damage which obsessed Western Christian missionaries did to indigenous native cultures around the world.

If sin didn’t exist, it would be necessary to invent it. This, for Maugham, seems to underly the hypocrisy of the Christian ethic. When Dr Macphail asks Davidson, the missionary, how he sets about converting the innocent natives, he replies that he does so by instilling into them “a sense of sin.” So long as man is crushed under a burden of sexual guilt he is putty in the hands of the priest. Davidson achieves this, amongst the natives, in the fine Calvinist-Capitalist tradition of monetary fines for individual sins committed.

“I made it a sin,” Davidson triumphantly declaims in the story, “for a girl to show her bosom and a sin for a man not to wear trousers.”

Eventually, of course, Maugham’s missionary is caught in a web of his own weaving. He confuses spiritual fervour with sexual infatuation.

What is wrong with the 1922 stage version by John Colton and Clemence Randolph, is that it pays insufficient attention to Maugham’s original intentions. What is wrong with Jon Ewing’s production of the stage version for the

Ensemble Theatre is that it shifts the obsessive quality from the missionary to Sadie, ‘the fast woman.’ The change in balance between the characters drains the situation of that haunting inevitability in the original story.

“There’s no point in crying over spilt milk”, Maugham once said, “when all the forces of the universe were brought to bear on spilling it.”

Inevitability is part of the repertoire of the skilled raconteur. It imbues the plot with suspense and the beholder with a sense of horrible fascination and helplessness. Both inevitability and fascination are lacking in Ewing’s production.

Insufficient regard is paid, in the performance, to establishing, pointing and developing the plot.

It might have been first night nerves but I found both Helen Morse (as Sadie) and Brian Young (as Davidson) largely inaudible throughout the first act. When the actor’s back is turned, in the round, the voice can be lost — and with it goes the exposition. Thus it was at the Ensemble.

For Maugham’s expose of narrow Christian bigotry and self-delusion to work, the Rev Davidson must be seen to be obsessive, indeed.

Brian Young was not. It is a very restrained performance. The suppressed fire, self-righteous indignation and wrath, flashing eyes, and the savage eloquence of the zealous evangelical missionary are nowhere evident in Mr Young’s characterisation.

The single-minded obsession of the missionary who can ultimately delude himself and fail to distinguish between the passion of the spirit and that of the flesh is absent. Consequently, the production lost much of the fire and inevitability it should have had. It was hard to imagine Mr Young’s missionary ever stumbling out, under the burden of self-induced guilt, into ;the tropical rain sodden night and cutting his throat with a razor on the beach. There was no passion in Mr Young’s performance and no conviction.

Sadie Thompson is one of the great magdalens of English literature. Helen Morse, in the part, looked like a flapper version of a 1979 Vogue model. I wish no distrespect to Ms Morse’s talents as an actress, which I think are manifold (although she is often vocally very thin and slight for stage work). Her performance was a sincere and considered attempt at the role but it didn’t, in the end, come off. No amount of pouting, hipwriggling or jaunty swaggering could transform the rare beauty of Ms. Morse’s Sadie into the full, plump, voluptuous whore of Maugham’s invention. She was miscast.

Mr Ewing’s production has a lot of loving detail and atmostphere. A lot of hard work has clearly gone into it. But, it is too busy. The South Sea Islanders who intermittently rush about the stage contribute to the general ambience but detract from the main action and, once again, make it sometimes difficult to grasp the plot. The rain which Maugham tells us “rattled on the roof of corrugated iron with a steady persistence that was maddening” and in which “you felt the malignancy of the primitive powers of nature” was superbly captured in the sound design of the

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production. It contributed inventively to the “miserable and hopeless” tropical setting as did Yoshi Tosa’s total-enviroment set of suffocating lush undergrowth.

Maugham’s original short story is cleverly ambiguous. Is Sadie’s “conversion” a sham or is she genuinely terrified of returning to San Francisco and the penitentiary? Is she sexually leading Davidson on in order to obtain her sea passage to Sydney? We only hear of Sadie’s conversion through Davidson. We are not sure if it is real. In the stage version, there is no doubt.

We see it.

Whilst Ms Morse is at her most effective in the scenes where her Sadie is praying, repenting and bible reading, her conversion robs the ending of much of its force. It is too obvious.

In the story, we are left with the nagging suspicion that Sadie knew all along the power of her own sexuality and that Davidson would turn out to be a man with a penis just like the rest of us. Consequently, the story serves Maugham’s message: the exposing of the sham of Christian hypocrisy and self-delusion. The play does not.

Perhaps Ms Morse felt this herself for her final line “You men, you’re all the same. Pigs!” was most subdued and unconvincing. It had not that explosive element of discovery and surprise for the audience. Like Dr Macphail, we too should gasp and only then realise. I can imagine that a quietly stammering “Willie” Maugham would have muttered “Wrong” from the backrow.

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THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

23

Two boards and a passion THE BASTARD FROM THE BUSH DOROTHY HEWETT The Bastard from the Bush by Rodney Fisher and Robin Ramsay, drawn exclusively from the writings of Henry Lawson.

Nimrod Downstairs, Surry Hills, NSW. Opened 17 March 1979.

Director, Rodney Fisher; Stage Manager, Lighting Design, Margie Wright.

Henry Lawson, Robin Ramsay.

(Professional).

Robin Ramsay as Henry Lawson in The Bastardfrom the Bush.

A plain wooden table, and two kitchen chairs, a bottle of beer, a wooden form, a hatstand with the famous broad brimmed hat and walking stick, and Robin Ramsay as Saint Henry, the bastard from the bush.

And the first doubts; was he really like this manic, over-excitable, oversensitive misfit, an almost effeminate “bushy” in his teens who develops on that bare stage into the haunted middle-aged paranoid of Darlinghurst jail and the drunks’ line-up?

And the answer of course is “yes”, this is Lawson, the real Lawson, and it is a privilege and a joy and a tragedy to meet him at last. One of our greatest myth figures presented for so long — maybe to salve consciences, maybe because its easier, and we’re such great whitewashers — as the sentimental bush balladist, the nationalistic celebrator of Oz mateship. Well if that’s all he was he would 24

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

never have endured as one of the great writers of this country, who carried inside himself all the tragedy of the artist in a deprived environment.

To depict this man and depict him whole, warts and all, is a tremendous task, and Robin Ramsay and Rodney Fisher never flinch from it for a moment. The script is economic, full of pace and drama, and it pulls no punches.

Ramsay plays Lawson from bush boy to desperate drunk and great artist without a trace of condescension or “artiness”. It’s a tragic story but there’s humour in it too, and wryness and cynicism; Ramsay’s dramatisation of the Sydney “push” is a piece of great comic dialogue, and his persona of the “lair” is perfect.

Ramsay takes us from the slab hut where Lawson was born on the Grenfell diggings, the rush to Gulgong, the abandoned goldfields, the useless three hundred acres of Pipeclay, where the boy took the cows to the gullies and read Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe and Bret Harte, to Sydney and his first published poem, “Faces in the Street”, while his dreams receded in ratinfested coach factories, where he rubbed down eternally with pumice stone.

“Henry Lawson was an Australian Merlin: an innocent bush boy and a devil”, writes Manning Clarke in his controversial study of Lawson, and it is this figure that Rodney Fisher and Ramsay give to us: the complex divided artist in an alien landscape, the suffering, tragic, wry, bitter, brilliant Lawson who wrote his great stories out of his own experience, the stories that show us to ourselves without quarter.

Lawson never idealised the bush, the bush to him was desolation, a quarrelling couple in a slab hut under a barren ridge, a sea of blue-green scrub, where men tramped and begged and lived like dogs in a world of dust, sand and blazing heat for hundreds of miles.

Drawing exclusively from the words and writings of Lawson, Ramsay not only plays Lawson himself from youth to late middle age, but dramatises a plethora of Lawson “characters” along the way; the Giraffe, Jack Moonlight, Gentleman Once, One Eyed Bogan, Barcoo Rot, Alice the barmaid from the Great Western, Joe and Mary Wilson, and the immortal Mrs Spicer from Lahey’s Creek, the old mate of my father’s with the dream of a lost Eureka, the derelict London “messenger”, the Bastard from the Bush and the Leader of the Push.

The stage is full of characters, and central to it all like some kind of marvellously eccentric genie is Lawson himself, in his carefully respectable collar and tie, with his shambling walk, and his bright feverish eyes.

There is no idealisation in the character: he attacks the audience, is full of self-pity, misogyny, and paranoia; seedy, ill, stiff against a cell wall like a crucified man in his shirt sleeves and braces; shouting and suffering caught in a police line-up with buckling legs and shabby coat, still fantasising a dream about a farm and a pregnant cocky’s daughter, and “the man he might have been” before he “lost his soul”.

And at the conclusion, standing centre stage dressed as in the famous Low cartoon, stick in hand, pipe in mouth, hat on head, one hand raised in that old self-mockery of a salute, Ramsay is uncannily like Lawson, “the man who had taken his own measures to hide the man within”.’

A man in his late sixties in the front row cried and laughed all the way through the show.

Don’t miss it. You owe it to yourself, and your vision of a country.

And that legendary figure who still seems to haunt the Quay and Central and Redfern Station touting his poems for a swy, take some note of him. He’s the Australian artist who made about seven hundred quid for twelve years literary work, but he’s back, downstairs at the Nimrod, as great, as wry, as tragic, as comic, as important to us as ever.

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Neat if not too stylish H O W THE OTHER HALF LOVES MARLIS THIERSCH How The Other H alf Loves by Alan Ayckbourn. The Q Theatre, Penrith, NSW. Opened 7 March 1979. Director, Arthur Dicks; Designer, Arthur Dicks and Leone Sharp; Stage Manager, Trevor Connell.

Frank Foster, Seven Jackson; Fiona Foster, Gae Anderson; Bob Phillips, Bill Conn; Teresa Phillips, Judy Davis; William Featerstone, Alan Brel; Mary Featerstone, Linden Wilkinson.

(Professional)

The successful Q Theatre’s back in the suburbs at the foot of the Blue Mountains with its first 1979 production, a screamingly funny early Aychbourn play about adultery in high and lower places.

Written around 1972, this terribly ingenious piece is a witty deception farce whose plot presents a comic struggle for power between husband and wife. Fiona, the matutinally jogging executive Frank’s upper-class wife is involved in an affair with a younger man in her husband’s department. And in order to keep their respective spouses in the dark they use the alleged indiscretions of a third more simpleminded couple — the husband is the firm’s accountant — as their excuse for a late night.

As a recent drama manual puts it, “at the heart of farce is the eternal comic conflict between the forces of conventional authority (in this case monogamous husbands and wives) and the forces of rebellion (the bored other halves of the marriages). It is an art-form which rightly disrupts civilized dignity, responsibility and guilt.”

The two rebels against marital fidelity forever in Ayckbourn’s play are allowed to circumvent a full discovery of their extramarital sexual enjoyment. By deceit and lies they come deliciously and dangerously near to ruining the lives of the four ignorant if not innocent parties; achieving their ends by dissimulation without actually exposing them to public humiliation.

Their triumph is a secret shared between themselves, the telephone and a helplessly hooting audience, while the silly duped victim remains half unaware of the deception, so that the clash between illusions and reality is never resolved.

Popular comedy has always thrived upon the humiliation of unpleasant killjoys and foolish spoilsports. Ayckbourn’s characterisation is convincingly realistic and down-to-earth and the robustly physical aspects of farce are incorporated in this play as two lavatory episodes which add to the hilarity, as do the antics of an off-stage baby.

The third longsuffering couple are also — almost literally — wrapped over the knuckles until at the end they are better adjusted to present-day demands for equality of the sexes by having been made to reverse their traditional roles. The vital revolt of all three wives against

the patronising, selfish and stupid male dominances is thus successfully accomplished in this intricate and elegant jigsaw-puzzle of a play which is enlivened by flashes of appealing bawdiness.

Vintage Ayckbourn at its funny and subtle best. Stage encounters are incredibly cleverly constructed to manoeuvre people in and out of doors, never colliding in two-and once even three-simultaneous actions in different places, and at different times around the same schizophrenic stage set. The demands on set design and acting concentration are formidable, not to speak of a blocking technique to cope with the traffic.

Gae Anderson and Kevin Jackson, although perhaps a bit too crude and not quite cruel enough, nevertheless do very well as the top-dog couple, considering that it tends to be difficult for Australian directors and actors to assume the typically British class snobbery and superciliousness in which this kind of comedy glories. The wronged wife of the junior executive is played with vigorous charm of just the right shade by the curlyheaded and very pretty Judy Davis, sloshing or sliding in her beautifully slovenly garments. And Bill Conn gives her opportunist and violent husband the necessary sex appeal. As the excruciatingly gauche lowerclass figures, Alan Brel exhibits a nice ingenuousness while Linden Wilkinson plays her housewifely role to perfection in a cunningly coiffured wig.

Arthur Dicks’ set fits very functionally and neatly, if not too stylishly, into the comfortable confines of the Q’s acting space and auditorium which *was filled with enthusiastically laughing spectators, even on an Australian sunny summer Sunday afternoon.

The play’s title is, of course, a pun on the class based naughty and malicious story of how the better half lives and lets live.

Pay-off theatre DEATHTRAP_______________ ROBERT PAGE Deathtrap by Ira Levin. J C Williamson Productions Ltd and Michael Edgley International Pty Ltd at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, NSW. Opened 24 March, 1979. Director, Michael Blakemore; Scenery, William Ritman; Lighting, Sue Nattrass; Company Stage Director, Gail Esler; Stage Manager, Pauline Lee; Sidney Bruhl, Dennis Olsen; Myra Bruhl, Robyn Nevin; Clifford Anderson, John Howard; Helga ten Dorp, M aggie Kirkpatrick; Porter Milgrim, Brian Adams.

(Professional)

Thrillers, situation comedies and (merry) musicals form the abiding diet of West End and Broadway theatre. This is what drama is all about for an audience of business men and their blue-rinse wives who keep the industry and its venue going in the twin theatrical capitals of the world. Hold them near the edge of their seats, mildly titillate them with scantily clad ladies in slightly risque situations with middle-aged images of themselves, or keep them from nodding off with musical pizazz, but hold them. What they don’t want is tragedy — unless it is tear jerking

— depth — unless it is schmaltz — or provoking philosophy — unless it is either comic (Stoppard) or packaged like junk food (Equus).

One of the main springs of Deathtrap is tensioned on the economics of the set up. The first words are from playwright Sydney Bruhl (Dennis Olsen) informing the audience that the play “is in two acts, with five characters and one set — it has comedy suspense, and is certain to be a smash hit.” In his estimate the royalty will be in the region of $2 million. Probably Ira Levin’s prophecy when he wrote those lines with Broadway and (still running) West End seasons is close to being proved accurate.

The thriller tradition has now, with such box office greats as Mousetrap and Sleuth talked of with reverence by managements if not critics (tiresome lot!), become sufficiently established for it to turn in on itself as happens here. The play within the play, which comes into the possession of Bruhl, a once off, long ago, hit playright, is not his but the work of a young writer living a hermit’s existence....Is the chance of restored fame and fortune worth committing murder for?

The play within the play more and more becomes the play we are watching but the thriller tradition of secrecy allows the critics to reveal no more. Which is a pity, for after an initially quite brilliant opening situation Deathtrap loses its promise in the closing twenty minutes and the whys and wherefores cannot be explored without giving the game away. It can be said however, that Levin even stoops to using the visionary power of psychic Helga ten Dorp (Maggie Kirkpatrick) for the whole dastardly goings on to be unravelled for the outside world.

The problem with the sophisticated who dunit (and why) is that motives are never what they seem; constant shocks, tortuous twists and surprising reversals are its stock in trade. The genre, especially when it has comedy as here, is really a subdivision of farce with all the two dimensionality of character which that style imposes.

Praise for the actors then must resort to adjectives like “slick”, “sharp” and “smooth” with perhaps “brilliant”, “engaging” or “convincing” reserved for the very best performances: the form just does not allow such terms as “powerful”, “moving,,, “profound” or “transporting” to enter into it.

For what it is worth, then, Robyn Nevin as Bruhl’s wife Myra is brilliant, but rather like a Melbourne Cup Winner held at a trot. Dennis Olsen, at least more at home in this style, could not be bettered in his slick negotiation of the twists and turns of Bruhl’s motivation. Trumping his first-out commercial value in The Bed Before Yesterday, the engaging John Howard, as the apparently ingenuous young writer, looks all set for a successful career in West End-type material.

Maggie Kirkpatrick, ruggedly Scandinavian as Helga, and Brian Adams, as the slick walk-on solicitor, complete the fivesome.

One supposes the single set — a nouveau riche THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

25

Connecticut farmstead — is a replica of the London one; the programme merely mentions “scenery by...” — did it not require designing?

Blakemore’s direction is sharp though word has it no more than a recreation of his previous West End production. How nice for him to be so apparently understretched, get a free trip home and money too.

It is all very well for him and Robyn Nevin to talk of doing plays “of the best of their kind there is” and “excellence” (severally in TA March) but Miss Nevin, at least, also said “theatre should always be a devastating experience for both actors and audience” yet this does not look to be so for either. Even Jaws, with similar shocks had more teeth.

Levin, speaking through his characters (and with best sellers Rosemary’s Baby and Boys from Brazil under his belt), concerns himself only with the pay off. The play has economic viability (“two acts, five characters, one set” — remember) and the “comedy (and) suspense” formula which assures that there is not even much commercial risk. When theatre becomes as mechanically predictable as that, and has no concern whatever for quality (some of the oldest jokes around are in this) or depth, then it is of little more value than the RSL club poker machines.

Better than last year’s travesty OTHELLO__________________ ANTHONY BARCLAY Othello by William Shakespeare. The Actors Company, Sydney NSW. Opened 28 March, 1979. Guest Director, David Goddard; Design Consultant, Cedric Leeming; Lighting, Amanda Field, Billy Eggerking; Stage Manager, Stephenie Robinson.

Othello, Monroe Reimers; Desdemona, Lisa Peers; lago, James Jablonski; Emilia, Katherine Thomson; Roderigo, Billy Eggerking; Cassio, Peter Bensley; Brabantio/Gratiano, John Davies; Lodovico, Greg Howard; Bianca, Fiona Hallett; Montano, Nicholas Lidstone; Duke of Venice, Hugh Watson.

(Professional)

The Actors’ Company did students of Shakespeare a disservice with their production of Othello last year. Not that they have been the only ones — to my mind the archetypal horror was the Tote’s King Lear at the Parade in 1973.

And it requires no sleuth to find a common denominator : simply it’s the compulsory Shakespeare text set for the HSC examination.

One wonders how many teachers have been sent for six when their high praise of the Bard is seen to be empty nonsense by disintereted students as the latter examine the evidence on the boards.

It’s an old adage, no doubt true in many cases, that teachers turn students off Shakespeare but then what happens if theatre does the same? So why a revival of Othellol I heard a cynic mutter in the foyer ‘put money in thy purse’.

I will say that David Goddard’s production is better than last year’s travesty. But it is still a bits and pieces affair. Olivier once made a shrewd remark that could be the premise of any Othello production : God knows, you have to be 26

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

enormously big as Othello. It’s big stuff.” Now Monroe Reimers is neither physically nor vocally big but he did present a very credible Othello.

James Jablonski’s lago was similarly impressive and between them they carried the evening. It was Jablonski’s in the first half and Reimers’ in the second.

In one sense that’s how Othello should function but in this production it really amounted to insufficient development of character. Lisa Peers’ Desdemona lacked wit and energy though one suspected that the part had been well directed. Katherine Thomson’s Emelia was fine as a study of housewife flippancy but that is dangerous when one comes to Act V. Emelia’s sense of horror and outrage at Desdemona’s murder was completely absent.

Not that she was the only one - apart from Reimers the rest of the cast reacted to the white clad corpse as though it was just another piece of bed linen.

It was, then, a reasonably sound piece of direction with the four main actors. After that it fell to pieces. It was too long for one. The rest of the cast, with the single exception of Hugh Watson’s Duke, were so vocally thin and shambling in movement that they cut across the play’s seriousness. Roderigo, Cassio, Brabantio, Montana and Lodovico were badly caricatured and acted. Roderigo, in pink tights and carrying a rose which he gave to lago, looked like an early, though stilted, Commedia Pierrot wandering into the wrong scenario and mistaking the Ensign for his Columbine. I know it is likely that Roderigo and lago have a ‘thing’ going but an lago who grasps more grossly and lasciviously than any Moor at Roderigo’s person (’put money in thy purse') is pointed enough to border on farce.

Brabantio was portrayed without any of that stentorian Venetian paternalism that Shakespeare so livingly sketched. We had a Cassio who said ‘Mefinks’ and portrayed none of that ambiguous poise of the ‘arithmetican’, ‘Florintine’ and a ‘fellow almost damned in a fair wife’ that lago so venomously castigates in the play’s opening scene. The programme made reference to the influence of Commedia dell’Arte on Shakespeare, all good and well, but to attempt ‘scenes of near slapstick’ in a bumbling way is to miss the point. Fair enough that Bianca knees Cassio you know where, but Commedia antics require skill and precision and are better left alone if actors are incapable of this. It was also a mistake that lago addressed in his soliloquies to the audience as if he were narrating not thinking.

A final note: the schoolkids sat there chatting, chewing and shifting. I saw more eye-rolling than any actor playing Othello would have done. But in fairness to the Actors' Company I’ll round this vitriolic piece off by going back to the classroom.

One’s continual impression of most school parties visiting productions of set texts is that they have been sadly taught; they are not looking for keys to interpretation, they even seem to be unaware of important speeches and moments. That can only amount to a loss for theatre.

Monroe Reimers (Othello) and James Jablonski (lago) in the Actors’ Company’s Othello.

Spotlight Continued from page 10. permanent theatre and office, full-time artistic director and administrator and a six week operating workshop period. I am not suggesting that we must, per se, follow an overseas model but if we could encourage the funding bodies and the theatre as a whole to see the advantages of permanence and continuity so far as the Conference is concerned, then we might have a fully-staffed, equipped and subsidised operation dealing all the year round with the reading, assessing and placing of new plays and with the constant provision of advice for all playwrights (the publication of a playwrights’ directory for example?) as well as a lengthier, more sophisticated and detailed annual Canberra Conference.

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Donald MacDonald (Bolton) and Kerry Francis (‘Breaker) in the QTC’s Breaker’Morant.

Would be a very good play ‘BREAKER’ M ORANT RICHARD FOTHERINGHAM 'Breaker' Morant by Kenneth Ross. Queensland Theatre Company, SGIO Theatre, Brisbane, Q’ld. Opened 14 March 1979. Director, John Krummel; Designer, Stephen Gow; Lighting Designer, Derek Campbell; Stage Manager, Ellen Kennedy.

‘Breaker’ Morant, Kerry Francis; Peter Handcock, Kit Taylor; George Witton, Duncan Wass; Major Thomas, John Allen; Major Bolton, Donald MacDonald; Colonel Denny, Reginald Gillam; Dr Johnson, Reg Cameron; Mr Robertson, Mark Albiston; Lord Kitchener, John Clayton; Sgt Major Drummitt, Allen Bickford; Captain Taylor, Trevor Kent; Trooper Botha, Ken Kennett; Corporal Sharp, Peter Cousens; Van Rooyan, Reg Cameron; Colonel Hamilton, Mark Albiston; Guard, Malcolm Cork.

(Professional)

With its energy, flamboyance, and simple emotional appeal, this production is as unlike the typically laid-back QTC production as can be imagined. His approach may be crude, brash, and simplistic, but John Krummel’s arrival as resident director at the QTC looks set to light new fires of excitement in that all too sensible

emporium.

This production of Breaker’ Morant begins with “God Save the Queen”, follows with “Song of Australia”, divides the scenes with sharp military drumbeats, and finishes with the cast marching and saluting to “Waltzing Matilda”.

The action of the play, the infamous courts martial of Australian soldiers for war crimes during the Boer War, is throughout patriotic and theatrical. The defence and prosecution counsels strut and wheel, attack and retreat, bully and cajole in the best Perry Mason manner. Each witness has his own way of walking, saluting, taking off his hat, sitting, rising, and departing, each with an exit quip or piece of business.

There’s a spectacular sixty seconds of technical fireworks representing the Boer attack on Petersburg during the trial, and within the courtroom the arguments rage with much shouting and table thumping, followed by tension packed pauses during which significant glances are exchanged and studied gestures made before the next onslaught begins.

Ken Ross’s script is streets ahead of his earlier

D on’t Piddle Against The Wind Mate. That play was one dimensional; here there are real conflicts and arguments; and as subject matter an important Australian myth instead of a dubious and eccentric incident. Harry Morant and Peter Handcock were executed by a British firing squad after being found guilty of killing Boer prisoners of war; the belief that they were innocent scapegoats has passed into popular Australian folklore.

The British government was being accused internationally of committing atrocities in Southern Africa. The Boers had introduced guerrilla warfare into modern military strategy, and Kitchener replied with the containment policies which are now familiar; scorched earth, concentration camps, collective punishments, and roving mercenaries who countered the Boer attacks with commando raids. When inter­ national pressure forced the British to find someone to blame for these “excesses”, Harry Morant happened at the time to be leading a section of one such commando outfit: the Bush Veldt Carbineers. The excesses of that unit were THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

27

made to appear as if they were the only atrocities that occured (just as Indonesia withdrew and punished “unruly” units to defuse and confuse the issue of East Timor).

That part of the ‘Breaker’ Morant legend is both historically true and a valuable myth; with the other side of the story — the notion that Morant and his offsiders Handcock and Whitton were gallant and innocent bronzed Aussies — is harder to swallow. Ken Ross ignores the recent evidence that all three were guilty as charged, although to be fair one major piece of incriminating evidence — the diary of Carbineer Silke — has come to light since the play’s appearance. It now seems probable that they were murderers of civilians, women, and children, as well as Boer prisoners of war.

‘B reaker’Morant follows the popular patriotic story. All the prosecution witnesses are straw men, obvious liars corrupted by fear, power, or greed. All three defendants are fine upstanding Aussie lads, caught in a political trap for having merely “obeyed orders”. This elevation of the three to hero status leads on to a very sentimental and precious and overlong conclusion during which letters and poems are composed, horses and gifts exchanged, and final handshakes made.

Two films are planned based on the ‘Breaker’ Morant story. One is from this play; the other (to be made in South Africa) will presumably reverse the goodies and baddies and be a popular patriotic story for the Boer descendants. If ‘B reaker’ Morant had been a little more concerned with the complexity of the truth, it would be a very good play indeed.

Noel Cowardice FALLEN ANGELS JEREMY RIDGMAN Fallen Angels by Noel Coward. La Boite Theatre,Brisbane, Qld. Opened 8 March 1979. Director, Eileen Beatson; Designer, David Bell; Stage Manager, Beverley Parrish. Julia, Diane Eden; Fred, Stephen Billett; Saunders, Joan Docwra; Willy, Peter Penwarn; Jane, Kay Perry; Maurice, Errol O ’Neil.

(Amateur).

In the cold light of day, I find myself wondering why La Boite ever chose to mount Fallen Angels. Her is a minor Coward if ever there was one, an unskillful snipe at bourgeois morality (with a small m) and devoid of the incisive wit that developed once he knew where his true talents lay. Neither the excellent performances of Kay Perry and Dianne Eden as the contestants in the feud, provoked by sevenyear-itch, for the same, saucy, French boy-friend, nor Eileen Beatson’s crisp direction can disguise the fact that this is a particularly insipid piece of satire.

On the arena stage of La Boite, the play is like a fish out of water. Even in this early play, Coward works through the lustre of the drama rather than its substance, and at such close quarters, removed from the plate-glass showcase of the proscenium, the flaws and scratches in the crystal begin to show.

28

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

Furthermore, a huge grand piano, parked centre-stage, at which the ladies light cigarettes, against which they frequently recline andupon which they less frequently play (with one hand) effectively divides the space into four corners, thus making particular sections of the audience party to separate bits of the action: I found myself having a four-course meal consumed under my very nose, but missed out on much of the subtlety of the eventual denouement.

My major query however is one of policy.

There is little doubt that 1979/80 will be a crucial period in deciding the future of La Boite. Down the road, at Twelfth Night, a policy is developing which may well start to tread on La Boite’s toes and the oft-quoted remark of Barry Oakley’s regarding their potential for pushing back the frontiers of Brisbane drama is going to be severly put to the test. I hope they do not fall prey to the weakness that Peter de Vries once christened “Noel Cowardice ... a fear of facing up to the real issues”.

Doesn’t quite deliver SCAPINO__________________ VERONICA KELLY Scapino by Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale. Brisbane Actors’ Company at the Twelfth Night Theatre, Brisbane 8 — 24 March. Direction and Design, David Clendinning; Stage Manager, Greg McMichan.

Waitress, Rhee Hollyer; Carlo, Jim Porter; Headwaiter, Les Evans; Waiter, Paul Behm; Sylvestro, Brett Davidson; Ottavio, Steve Hamilton; Scapino, Rod Wissler; Giacinta, Penny Wissler; Argante, Macaulay Hamilton; Geronte, Michael McCaffrey; Leandro, Greg Gesch; Zerbinetta, Patricia Sledz; Nurse, Rhee Hollyer.

(Professional)

BAC’s colourful Scapino declares itself as being “a long way off from Moliere” — not necessarily any sort of disadvantage, as David Clendinning uses the Dunlop-Jim Dale version which was such a hit at the Young Vic. Alliance Française stalwarts (and we still have them) expecting from this director a Moliere “classic” received a doubtless pleasant surprise as the Twelfth Night theatre sprouted the sunny ethnic trappings of that stage-land “Italy” which most Australian audiences have learnt to recognise as the setting for fast physical comedy and outrageously inventive text-tweaking. And so it is, yet with all this going for it, Scapino doesn’t quite deliver the good olive oil. Whereas the Young Vic production triumphantly leapt over the Moliere play back to its Commedia inspirations, the BAC doesn’t quite make it to firm ground and is left stranded somewhere on the Neapolitan littoral.

Perhaps Clendinning and his energetic cast of well-drilled crazies are — for good or ill — too devoted to the text, refusing to ransack it primarily as a springboard for a display of anarchic comic talent. Not that Scapino lacks this. Rod Wissler, whose brilliant Mo at La Boite last year hit a definitive high, doesn’t quite score as the artful fixer himself, as the production can’t

exactly place his character in a credible modern dramatic ambiance. The motiveless drive for disinterestedly helpful intrigue, acceptable in the much-walloped Plautine comic slave, doesn’t easily suggest an analogous contemporary equivalent, unless — as this production doesn’t — the entire action resolutely cuts itself adrift from the text and sets out on a libertine quest for the confidently, monstrously, knowingly theatrical. Wissler’s comic agility really comes into its own in set pieces, like the inventively rendered sack joke, where the audience’s complicity with Scapino the jester is overtly solicited.

The cast deliver strong ensemble work with the polished ingenuity and careful attention to detail one expects of this director’s work. Steve Hamilton and Greg Gesch are real assets as the silly-twit lovers, producing superbly lucid and vigorous accounts of their roles. Michael McCaffrey’s miser, resembling an insanely elongated Old Steptoe, renders a bravura piece of intelligent physicalisation for his skinnyflint old meanie. And as a cheery parasite Jim Porter does much to anchor the show in the world of “Italian” panto, his almost mute presence assuming the dimensions of a true clown rather than a comic actor.

Altogether, the ingredients are present for a three star Scapino, which in the tasting however is better savoured as an assembly of spicy antipasti than as a successfully blended dish of New Farm-Italian pasta.

AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION OF DANCE EDUCATION (N.T.) invite applications for the position of

“ SUPERMOVER” (te a c h e r/d a n c e r/c h o re o g ra p h e r)

for a twelve week project, assisted by the Theatre Board of the Australia Council.

Through the project we aim to: — promote dance/movement in schools; — improve community awareness and appreciation of dance; — provide experience and expertise for local students; — provide a higher standard of live dance performances in the N.T.

A p p lic a tio n s c lo s e M ay 1 s t — to be s e n t to : B e rn ic e W a ts o n , B ro w n ’ s M a rt, P.O. B ox 54 57, D a rw in , N.T.

A p p lic a n ts P LE AS E N O TE:

qualifications, ' experience, special interest areas, availability and fees required. (Prefer­ ably that the Project commence early June.)

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Edwin Hodgeman (Donny) and Leslie Dayman (Teach) in the STC’s American Buffalo

American Buffalo or American bull?

AM ERICAN BUFFALO SUSIE MITCHELL American Buffalo by David Mamet. State Theatre Company of SA, Playhouse, Adelaide, SA. Opened March 29, 1979. Director, Nick Enright; Designer, Richard Roberts; Lighting, Nigel Levings.

Donny Dubrow, Edwin Hodgeman; Bobby, Colin Friels; Walter Cole (Teach), Leslie Dayman.

(Professional)

David Mamet is only thirty-one, has written twenty plays and is one of America’s most produced young playwrights. Comparisons with Australia’s David Williamson leap immediately to mind and although their approach to theatre is quite different, what they do have in common is an ability to get to the guts of their own particular milieux. The strength of their plays lies in this cultural specificity and their success proves the age-old advice given to writers of all kinds — write about what you know. American Buffalo is set in a junk shop in South side Chicago and Mamet spent a lot of his youth playing poker with the kind of characters that appear in this play.

The title refers to a valuable old coin which Don, owner of Don’s Resale Shop, plots to steal

(with a little help from his friends) from the guy he sold it to. It is the twists and turns in the power struggle that occurs between the characters that provides the main focus of interest. Like Williamson, Mamet is concerned with the notion of winners and losers and the myths that surround such concepts. The play opens with Don dispensing wisdom and advice to the younger Bobby who is his gopher (go for this, go for that), on the difference between friendship and business and how important it is not to get the two mixed up, if you’re going to be a winner. Lletcher, who never appears on stage, is the role — model — the mythical hero who has really got it all “by the balls”. As the Godot of the play, Lletcher dominates the action by his absence.

Don’s little sermon, however, is nothing compared to the ejaculatory monologue delivered by Teach whose irrepressible rantings and ravings spew forth with projectile momentum. Buffalo-like he snorts and stamps and froths at the mouth, but beneath the stream of verbal invective is the desperation of the little man who needs at all costs to convince himself and everyone else that he’s on top and “firstclass”. What gnaws at his guts is that other people don’t treat him that way. In true black comic vein he constantly mutters threats like

“The only way to teach these people is to kill them”. The difference between friendship and business is clearly understood by him and even though he uses the myths of loyalty and honour to get his own way, it is he who finally resorts to violence and theft against his so-called friends.

In Australia we call such myths “mateship” and Mamet’s aim is to explore the way in which they are perpetuated and more importantly what happens to them when they conflict with “business”. If there’s a buck to be made or business to be done, then that’s what really counts — the basic ethic being that of selfinterest.

So what else is new? You may well ask. This is hardly unexplored territory, nor does Mamet throw any new light upon it. Apart from the obvious comparison with Pinter, our own Jack Hibberd covers similar ground in his one-act play Who. What Mamet does achieve however is an accurate reflection of contemporary Chicago patois. Like Williamson, it is his use of a sub­ culture and his perception of what they reveal about the underlying motivations and preoccupations of his characters that is the key to his strength as a playwright. If however as an Australian you find you can’t tune in, then you’ll be left pretty unmoved by the end of the play.

What is successfully demonstrated is the THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

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dictum that we not only use language but that language also uses us. Chicago, the slaughter­ house of America, has firmly implanted its stench in the nostrils of these native inhabitants as behind the never-ending flow of abuse, self­ justification and home-spun philosophising we witness the cut-throat nature of business.

Significantly, the only object in the junk shop that is actually handled (other than the 1933 World’s Fair compact which Teach eventually steals) is described by Don as “a thing that they stick in dead pigs keep their legs apart all the blood runs out”. Teach also makes a further reference to them all being in a blood-bank.

Predictably it is Bobby, the innocent dumb animal, whose blood flows at the end of the play.

As Saul Bellow stated it “in raw Chicago you could examine the human spirit under industrialism”.

This is Nick Enright’s first major production for the State Theatre Company and his personal experience of America has meant that for once the attempt to achieve credibility has not resulted in phoney accents and cultural cliches.

The play is very static: Mamet’s intention being to focus on the words rather than the non-verbal and each of the actors pours his energy into the intensity that the language demands. Les Dayman as Teach gets most of the laughs and succeeds in achieving the right combination of

C O R D O N BLEU AGENCY for actors Sc, musicians (02) 29-7618 brash boasting and desperate self-justification.

He spits out his four-letter words with the same distaste he has for anyone who threatens or challenges his word as law. From his entrance as a supposedly ‘cool’ slick gambler complete with dark glasses to his exit as a selfish, vicious bully, he maintains the necessary level of concentration and verbal agility.

Teddy Hodgeman’s portrait of the inevitable loser is equally competent and his final scene with Bobby is a subtle portrayal of confusion and futility. Colin Friels conveys the powerlessness of the inarticulate and the vulnerability of the hanger-on, extremely well.

Richard Roberts’ set is a collection of junk borrowed from various dumps outside of Adelaide and serves well as a metaphor for capitalist society. Surrounded by the discarded debris of consumerism, Mamet’s characters betray each other in the name of free enterprise.

Whether one decides that it is American Buffalo or American Bull depends largely on how interested you are in the themes that Mamet pursues and the particular culture in which the characters interact. I feel a bit like an American who has just seen one of Williamson’s plays — well it’s OK but it doesn’t really grab me. What’s the big deal?

Theatrical gotterdamerung TALES FROM THE V IE N N A W O O D S JOHN KIRBY Tales From The Vienna Woods by Odon von Horvath, Adelaide University Theatre Guild at the Little Theatre, Adelaide. Opened March 21. Director & designer, Jim Vile.

Alfred, David Roberts; Alfred’s Mother/Aunt, Marion H owes’ Alfred’s Grandmother, Maree Tomasetti; Von Hierlinger/Confessor, John Edge; Valerie, Carolyn Isaachsen; Oskar, Edwin Relf; Havlitschek, Trevor Barnes; Ida/Baroness, Anna Michael; The Captain, John Castle; Lady/Aunt, Chris Runnel; The Zauberkonig, Graham Nerlich; Marianne, Christine Johnson; Erich, Geoff Crowhurst; The American, Paul Kolarovich; Musician, Dan Burt.

(Pro/Am)

The plays of 1930’s author Odon von Horvath are only just being discovered by a theatre bloated and one-eyed through over-indulgence in the works of his famous Weimar contemporary, Bertolt Brecht.

Horvath’s Tales From The Vienna Woods, translated by Christopher (Savages) Hampton, is being given its premiere production in South Australia by Adelaide University Theatre Guild Ensemble. It is not difficult to see why the play was banned by the Nazis, as one of its eccentric characters is a posturing Prussian jackass, Erich, who prefers goose-stepping to Richard Strauss rather than Waltzing to Johann. However, the figure pointed at German militarism is only a minor concern of Horvath’s. He has a devastating and curiously topical (in the view of the way psychology has become a cerebral “cottage industry” in the ‘seventies) ability to lay 30

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

bare the soul behind the deed by cleverly playing off the spoken work against the apparent intention. Horvath’s technique of constantly (and brutally) catching his characters out — saying one thing when they mean the opposite — produces some moments of brilliant psycho­ comedy.

The storyline is what would be described in today’s trendy Left-wing jargon as “bourgeois”: Middle class Marianne, depressed by the prospect of a suffocating marriage to Oscar, the romantic butcher, is seduced by the hope of the better life with the languid Alfred. The vision is

clouded by the Depression, and Marianne is literally left holding the baby, disowned by her family and reduced to shedding her bra for bread in a cabaret show.

Unfortunately, Guild has unwittingly thrown itself into a sort of theatrical gotterdamerung — available talent being eclipsed by the verbal and psychological subtleties of Horvath’s unique style of stagecraft.

It is symptomatic of Guild’s weakness that the performers, with the exception of “imported” professional, Maree Tomasetti (Alfred’s Grandmother), Graham Nerlich (the

Zauberkonig), Christine Johnson (an excellent development of the disillusioned Marianne) and Paul Kolarovich (a magnificent eye-rolling Yank) do not bring the play to life until the lively action of the second act cabaret scene, complete with black fishnetted coquettes, a topless Marianne and a high camp conferencier (called a confessor in the cast list).

The rediscovery of Horvath’s work is a momentous one that promises to yield yet greater treasures from the flourishing culture of Weimar Germany which the Nazi holocaust buried so effectively.

Out to make you laugh

Sydney (anywhere really) early 70’s; underground, just scraping by, drug induced, wild nights and dreamy days. On the other hand we are told of a story of two Salvationist witches who totally demoralise and dislodge a group of lay-about hippies.

Michael Chisnell woos us with some song as well as portraying your average dole-dependent, can’t find satisfaction in the main stream of life, character; his pace and timing are good and he comes over with a certain easiness.

THE POLICE C O M M ISSIO N E R ’S GRANDM OTHER BRUCE MCKENDRY The Police Commissioner's Grandmother by John Stapleton.

Theatre ‘62, Adelaide SA. 21-31 Mar. 1979. Director, Bill Rough; Stage Manager, Shauna Roche; Lighting, Jenny Levy and Jim Pearson; Sound, Jo Loughrey and Steve Sokvari.

Jenny, Kim Steblina; John, Eugene (Raggs) Ragghianti; Mike, Michael Chisnell; Dave, Roger Thompson; Simon, Richard Trevaskis; Al, Jon Firman; Dolly Birds, Mandy Salomon, Pandora Leeder; Grandmothers, Daphne Veasey, Paula Carter.

(Amateur)

Adelaide at present is brim full of alternative activity. People are accepting the varying tastes in drama and realising that one company does not cater to all theatrical appetities. One positive step in the direction of free speech and the minority group is a play written by John Stapleton and directed by Bill Rough titled The Police Commissioner’s Grandmother and performed at Theatre ’62. The play depicts

Some ritual to keep alive PIKE’S M A D N ESS BRUCE MCKENDRY Pike’s Madness written and directed by David Allen. Troupe at the Red Shed, Adelaide, SA. 22 Mar 8 Apr, 1979. Production Manager, Janet Symonds; Lighting Design, Richard Chataway; Stage Manager, Moira Lazarou.

Robert Pike, John McFadyen; June Brown, Christina Andersson.

(Professional)

Like the man, David Allen’s plays are indeed tall stories. They stand up in front of you, like about three inches away in Troupe’s Red Shed and deliver the goods as large as life. His latest “fantasy” revolves about a teacher and his excursions into madness. A play for two Pike's Madness draws on the talents of John McFadyen and Christina Andersson.

The play takes place in the Brown household where Pike, of the madness, is more than a casual visitor. Mrs. Brown’s daughter, June by name, once invited her drama teacher home to tea because he apparently looked hungry. The teacher happened to be Pike, who was somehow

The play is funny, mostly fast moving and quick to get a young audience going. The humour lies in the language of ‘headsville’, the constant paranoiac situations and the updatedness of the characters.

Daphne Veasey and Paula Carter give us two of the most fantastic grandmothers you’d ever hope to meet. Manic, gross right wingers who pass judgement on the day to day evils of the younger generation. Both actresses give to the parts a genuine commitment of age and a thoroughly hard working approach to playing a character. Kym Steblina who plays the kept pro manages to be convincing without being laboured, as many loose women on the stage tend to become. Eugene (Raggs) Ragghianti plays the queen who has no regrets for his life of drugs and debauchery with control, he even managed to pull off some borderline gags.

The director Bill Rough has brought together a cast of talented people around a play designed to provide performances. Mr Stapleton makes no bones; he is out to make you laugh and by Christ you will. The director has performed wonders on what could have been an evening tending to go over the edge. The ensemble works well together in delivering up balanced theatre.

It is to easy to parade the causes of a younger generation in a flourish of unjustness; sometime the narrative lapses into counter-culture sentimentality, but on the whole the dialogue remains entertaining. I felt the play fell down somewhat in the second act but the change in mood brings the play down to an actual basis of a generation gone.

It is a credit to those involved; The Police Commissioner’s Grandmother is a light to popular theatre dealing with today and today’s people.

playing Hamlet and mixed up in theatrical circles. June and Pike share some sort of relationship, for a time that is till Pike’s parents arrive from the mother country. We pick the story up just after the gala performance by Pike for his mum and stepfather. Or this is what the plot suggests is forming in the cluster of quick scenes, slide projectors and costume changes.

Beyond the plot of madness, you suspect, lie other things. The story provides two actors with a vehicle to portray six characters, the Pikes and the Browns.

The shifts, the range of personalities is vast.

From the sharp Margaret Pike to the kero kid Larry Brown, deliberate play-outs give field for stand-up comedy and situations absurd. Out the door goes Pike and in comes his grey haired, ash ridden stepfather Clive who took up with Pike’s mother under highly suspicious circumstances when he was the biscuit man. Under strange situations of obsessive behaviour the characters revolt amongst themselves. Larry, the kerosene freak believes it enlarges his member while Clive becomes nationalistic over his biscuits.

A pathway of murder, insanity, lust and perversion take the characters to the point of

explosion where the play dissolves to an almost home movie situation of devised eccentricity where two people are enjoying a game of pretend adventures of the bizarre kind. As some sort of therapy session even.

Both Mr McFadyen and Ms Andersson put an incredible amount of energy into the roles and managed to perform some wonderful feats of characterisation.

The play is a difficult one, it taxes the actors as well as the audience. By way of its convoluted threads the play ties knots on itself till in the final scenes all is unravelled to the simplicity of two people performing some ritual to keep alive a sense of magic and to let inhibitions fly.

Some of the humor seems awkward and looking for a laugh. A play of the mind served up in a slapstick way. At times the audience seemed confused but were content to roll along on the play’s bubbly note. David Allen’s direction made for slickness in delivery of image. The play is enlarged to take in the dead by way of gravestones and a voice-over of the passed away.

Pike’s Madness is an expansive play which stretches the imagination, hits you below the belt, fascinates yet troubles.

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

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Theatre/Victoria

Weakness exaggerated by production GENTLEM EN ONLY ALBERT HUNT Gentlemen Only by Eve Merriam. Hoopla Theatre Company, Playbox Theatre, Melbourne, Vic. Opened 16 March, 1979.

Director, Graeme Blundell; Choreographer, Nancye Hayes; Design, Peter Corrigan; Musical Director, Aurora Muratti; Lighting Design, John Beckett.

Maestro, Aurora Muratti; Johny, Evelyn Krape; Bertie, Marilyn Rodgers; Algy, Betty Bobbitt; Freddie, Anne Phelan; Bobby, Julie McGregor; Henry, Joan Brockenshire.

(Professional)

Some years ago in England — before feminism became a subject for international bestsellers — a radical male friend of mine directed a student project on Women’s Liberation, at the end of which a girl in the group wrote a poem which began, “This is a funny project, Women’s 32

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

Liberation run by a man.”

I remembered the poem on the first night of Gentlemen Only, a “musical diversion” set in “an exclusive men’s club in New York in 1903”. All the characters are male, and they’re all played by women. But in the programme there was the cryptic give-away: “Director — Graeme Blundell”. One could imagine the: “No, no, Betty, a man sits with his knees wide apart.

Marilyn, you’re not playing a woman. You're playing a man who’s pretending to play a woman. Now — everyone on stage for the cane dance.”

Gentlemen Only takes the form of a song-anddance show. It’s built around songs from the period 1894 — 1905, and jokes from old jokebooks. Four Club officials, together with Johnny, the page, and Henry, the chocolatecoloured coon servant, while away the time till four in the morning in this haven where women aren’t allowed. They drink vintage claret, tell male-preserve jokes, play pool, and rehearse for

the annual Club show. And they sing, mainly about the “Loverly Overly” girls they exclude from the Club, (with whose sexual attributes they’re clearly obsessed); but also about money and the goodies you can buy with it, like fine cigars.

From time to time, Johnny deals with messages about the women outside. One of the messages tells a Governor of the Club, Algy, that his third wife is “betraying” him with Club Chairman, Freddie. The news gives an added edge to the rehearsal, for the Club show, of a melodrama scene in which Algy plays a betrayed husband and Freddie plays the lover who’s betrayed him.

“All the joking and the songs,” writes Eve Merriam, “are related to male stereotyping of women.” And, of the jokes, she adds, “If some of these old wheezes are still in existence on television and nightclubs and in personal relationships, well the point is made without hitting the audience over the head.”

One can see what she’s at. By having male chauvinists played by women, she’s trying to hold up for comic inspection, Brecht-fashion, the postures and attitudes of men.

But once the form’s been established, nothing develops. The show trundles forward from song to joke to dance and back to song again with little variety of tone or ideas. Only, briefly, in the rehearsal scene, does Marilyn Rodgers, playing Algy’s “wife”, hint at other possibilities: she captures precisely the stereotype of a woman as played by a man. But even this scene never really explores the different levels of relationship between the husband and lover in the melodrama, and Algy and Freddie in the Club.

The weakness springs partly from the nature of the material. The jokes have to be crude and witless to demonstrate the crudity of male attitudes — but a succession of witless jokes quickly becomes tedious.

And Eve Merriam says she wanted to use

unfamiliar songs so that we’d listen to the words.

The trouble is that most of the songs are probably unfamiliar because they’re instantly forgettable. (An exception is a mordant ditty, spoken rather than sung by Joan Brockenshire as the chocolate-coloured coon, which I quote from memory: “If money talks, it sure don’t speak to me; It don’t get close enough for such familiarity...”).

Whatever weakness there is in the material, though, is exaggerated by the tone of this production. It’s relentlessly jokey, from the beginning, when a barber shop quartet version of the introductory song, “Come to the Club”, is hammed up to the point of parody. There’s a tendency throughout to put down the songs, from a sophisticated point of view, rather than bring out any weight they might have: so that the songs aren’t sung as if they ought to be memorable. (Again, there are exceptions, such as New Shoes Rag, which leads into a tap-dance in

which Evelyn Krape joyfully tries to match, step for step, Joan Brockenshire, whose dancing livens the show all night).

The central jokiness of the production, far from holding up male chauvinism for inspection, ends by inviting a kind of complicity. “I missed my ball, but I think I got one of yours,” says Algy, as his billiard cue catches Freddie in the groin. The audience laughs — but at what? At the schoolboy joke? Or at the fact that Freddie, who’s played by a woman, has no balls? What a spiffing wheeze!

Ironically, it was a woman friend who suggested, at the end of the evening, that the show might have hurt, for real, if it had been played by men, carrying off the jokes and songs with total conviction. We might then, in Brecht’s words, have caught a glimpse of “the horror in the heart of farce”.

And it could even have been directed by a woman.

being merely entertainming and picturesque. The attack of his ideas, the disconcerting sting of his social and political argumentativeness, are either blunted or obliterated. The comedy becomes empty, the tragedy sentimental. These pro­ ductions do not, to quote George Steiner, press upon the architecture of our beliefs. The theatricality is there, a mandatory component, the tough substance isn’t.

As an antidote to this maltreatment of Brecht (a worldwide problem), and as an aesthetic in its own right (theoretically justified by some of Brecht’s more antiseptic notions from his high didactic phase), there has been the Pure Approach to Brecht. The Pure Approach seeks

to liquidate most of the deviant theatricality, to present the ideas and polemics in a pristine form, unencumbered by character, stagecraft and impious humour. It is a priestly and academic approach to the rather polymorphous Brecht, and one that is ultimately yawn-provoking and ineffectual.

The first procedure, the Histrionic Approach, is readily explained by the intractability of the culinary theatre in Australia and abroad. The Pure Approach is understandable both as a reaction to the former and a product of ideological zeal. The first is a travesty of Brecht, the second is practically a heresy.

Brecht was passionate yet sceptical, earthy yet

Recent Brecht in Australia CONCERNING POOR BB THE HYPOTHETICAL END OF BERT BRECHT JACK HIBBERD Concerning Poor BB devised and performed by Beverly Blankenship. Back Theatre, Pram Factory, Melbourne, Vic. Opened 6 March, 1979. Director, Michael Brindley; Music, Elizabeth Drake; Design, Robyn Coombs.

(Professional) The Hypothetical End O f Bert Brecht by Martin and Jan Friedl.

Tributary productions, Melbourne Theatre Company at the Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne, Vic. 19-24 March. Director, Lex Marinos; Musical Director, Martin Friedl; Lighting, Phillip Wadds; Stage Manager, Rod Wilson; Music, Hanns Eisler.

Brecht, Peter Cummins; Actress, Jan Friedl; Piano, Graham Clarke; Trumpet, Barry McKimm; Clarinet, Danny Pregli; Bass, Anne Hosking; Percussion F1UAC, Dal Babare, Voice of Announcer, David Downer; Voice of Announcer, Malcolm Keith.

(Professional)

'They are only in the USA to make money. In the theatre the people are nomads, performing nomads — they come together and disperse again ... and the actors are types stuck together in a package. Rehearsals are merely a process of sticking the package together.

They do not live in the colonies.’

— Brecht: Diary entry, August 22, 1941.

Had Brecht visited this particular colony he might have uttered these very words, perhaps adding something about escape and egalitarian­ ism, egaliterianism in the sense that since we feel inferior we should all at least be the same in our inferiority and that no one should get above themselves, no rocking the little boat.

No one much rocks the boat in Australian theatre. A generous comprehension of Brecht, the local application and inventive adaptation of much of his theory and practice, a proportion of his passion, would contribute handsomely to a rocking and some propulsion of our rather paranoid and static vessel.

Brecht in Australia is liable to suffer from

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

33

philosophical, politcal yet theatrical, a stoic humanist and ample ironist. The theatre was his chosen tool. Take away the theatre from Brecht and you destroy his utility in the community, mutilate his polyphonies and ironies. You prevent the audience from actively, personally, apprehending and feeling the meanings. You curtail the possibility of individually achieved, and hence more effective, discovery. Both approaches devalue the audience. What is needed then is to bring Brecht back into the theatre, and the theatre back into Brecht.

Brecht was a true modernist in that he asserted the theatreness of theatre, and is here in the esteemed company of Pirandello and Beckett. He asserted and proved that theatre had a reality of its own, and was not just a mirror of reality with which you mindlessly indentified.

Brecht’s highly misconstrued A-effect was principally an apparatus for rendering, to the audience, anew, strange, different and disturbing, the standard view of reality. It was a device to demonstrate his belief that social reality was not immutable, that society had to create itself, just as the existentialists asserted that an individual had to create itself.

The most unaccommodating example of Pure Brecht I’ve seen would have to be Lindsay Smith’s production for the APG of The Mother.

A good example of Histrionic Brecht was the recent production by the MTC of Arturo Ui. In both, the dogmagoers and theatregoers, were complacently comfortable.

Nimrod’s Kold Komfort Kaffee, devised by Robyn Archer, had both elements side by side. It failed to concurrently unite the political passion with the theatrical zest. The Pure Approach had an approximate representative in Robyn Archer, similarly the Histrionic Approach had John Gaden, one of the country’s ablest actors.

Singing Brecht is also a matter of acting and 34

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

commentary. Acting Brecht is also a matter of non-acting and commentary. You need to be more than an excellent singer and actor.

I have seen only one strikingly successful example of a fully integrated approach to Brecht in Australia — Beverly Blankenship’s Concerning Poor B B, aptly directed by Michael Brindley and expressively accompanied by Elizabeth Drake. In this programme of songs, poems, witty epigrams, diary extracts etc, Beverly Blankenship weds actor and thinker so purposefully as to create an experience of pressing dramatic and intellectual force. She never, as the puritans might decide, makes Brecht a vehicle for herself, nor, as the theatrefops might exclaim, makes herself a vehicle for Brecht.

Blankenship’s treatment of song best illustrates her command of Brecht — her organically flexible use of irony, emotion, and distance. Her technique is to act out the song through song yet simultaneously strike an independent attitude of mind or emotion — through inflection, face and gesture. This ‘attitude’ is not necessarily fixed, rather it switches throughout a song in response or counterpoint to the material, eg, now mocking, now exaggeratedly sweet, now bitter, now full of pride or contempt. A fine specimen of this dexterity is Blankenship’s dramatization of Nanna’s Song from Roundheads and Pinheads where within the first twelve lines three distinct sets of “attitudes” are at work upon the song.

What makes this technique so dramatically pungent and affecting is that we are watching a process in a moment, understanding and feeling “the living dynamics of collision” (George Lukács!), we bear witness to the enforced cruelties of human cunning, ingenuity and defiance in the face of the iniquitous and barbarous. Brecht’s incessant philosophising and

wit further prevents us from simply identifying and having a good headless wallow. His humour is of the thinking or dianoetic kind.

As an interpreter of Brecht, as an actress, singer, and ironist, Beverly Blankenship is sheer quality. She offers the Australian theatre, its public, practitioners and students a very special example of Brechtian practice at its fullest and most mordant. Drama schools, theatre manage­ ments and festivals should all snap her up. The abject response to her Sydney season late last year for once puts that fine city in some theatrical and intellectual bad odour.

The Hypothetical End o f Bert Brecht can only be described as unfinished. The idea of an elderly Brecht rehearsing a young actress for a role in his play Galileo whilst the East Berlin workers erupt in revolt on the streets is a rich one, yet suffers here from a skeletal dramatic structure and a reluctance to extensively exploit, in the writing, all the paradoxical possibilities.

The least successful aspect of the whole evening, however, rests with the production.

The two actors were frequently marooned by a lack of purposeful stagecraft and technical support. Consequently the performances were unplaced and erratic. The director seemed extremely loathe to apply shape, pace and focus to the material, and left it full of holes and awkward clumps. I have experienced Lex Marinos at work as an actor before but never as a director. I imagine he understands what it is like to be lost on stage with tenuous material.

In the songs Jan Friedl tended to oversing and underact making it difficult to apply the appropriate tensions and contrasts — though in all fairness I felt she seemed somewhat unnerved by a ludicrously unnecessary microphone. Peter Cummins, who looked a most feasible replica of the latterday Bert, sang in an effective deadpan without taking too many risks, and squeezed what humour and earthiness he could out of things, but in the end was more vanquished than victorious.

I have seen both Jan Friedl and Peter Cummins, when comfortable, hand in excellent performances. Martin Friedl has proved his metal as a theatre composer. So, despite the underdone status of the text, I feel that the MTC through Tributary Productions could still have awarded the venture a little more production expertise than was apparent. Tributary Product­ ions could ideally be a kind of fully endorsed yet relatively anarchic La Mama within the offBroadway of the MTC. Realistically of course the La Mamas etc have to be without, even offoff. The perils, emperically speaking, of them being within are that they become treated as stopgap or token, or the initial organisational means of establishing another work company.

Originality, fresh direction, acting and writing, needs something to purchase upon and react creatively against. Too often this is seen as sowing the seeds of destruction rather than those of creation.

(Our next issue, June, will largely be devoted to Brecht — Ed).

Like Disney himself, had some merits MICKEY’S M O O M BA MURRAY COPLAND Mickey's Moomba by John Romeril. Australian Performing Group at the Pram Factory Melbourne Vic. Opened March 1979. Director, Alan Robertson; Musical director, Andrew Bell; Design, Ere Glenn; Movement, Bob Thorneycroft; Sound, Sally Clifton and Kelvin Gedye.

Players, Jane Clifton, Anita Coombs, Christa Drennan, Ursula Harrison, Steve Leeson, Susy Potter, Hellen Sky, John Thomson, Paul Trahair; Musicians, Lynda Achren, Andrew Bell, Celeste Howden, Tim Whiteseide.

(Professional).

The premise on which John Romeril has built his new rock musical is nothing if not paranoid.

It is a mark of paranoia, of course, to see sinister plots everywhere. In the choice of Mickey Mouse as the 1977 King of Moomba, lazer-eyed Romeril unhesitatingly detects the long and Machiavellian arm of US cultural and economic imperialism. “Whatever merits the product has — and it has some —”, thunders his programme note, “Disney in another country always works as a mind pollutant”.

This note raises more questions than it has the logic to answer. Would that sentence, for example, still hold if you substituted the word Mozart for the word Disney? By which I mean, is the basis of Romeril’s objection to Disney not perhaps a mere mindless chauvinism? I suppose he’d say not. His objection is that, as well as being an artist of sorts (with some merits, I wonder what?), Disney was also a “Republican”, a “monetarist”, and a “mad free enterprise freak”. Sure, just as Plato was a totalitarian apologist, Shakespeare a litigious snob, Goethe a monarchist toady, and Wagner a rabid antiSemite. Burn the lot of them, mind-pollutants all!

And then again, what is there in Melbourne

that is worth trying to save? I could find nothing in Romeril’s show to suggest that this dreary slough of a city has anything at all to offer in lieu of Mickeydom unless it be the aggressively raw enthusiasm and energy of its youth. Yet in this show that painfully raw energy is channelled mainly into its copious forgettable musical numbers — and these are couched througout in a style which is surely utterly derivative of — what but the USA? I also wonder if Australian parents and educators really need overseas aid in polluting the minds of their young. The apparently indulgent acceptance by a mainly young audience the other night at the Pram of some performances of quite awe-inspiring talentlessness seemed to indicate a rot, whatever its source, very thoroughly set in.

It is certainly part of Romeril’s premise that Melbourne Matters! On that ground alone his show stands convicted, not only of paranoia, but of parochialism too. And yet, and y e t.... It’s a sad fact, little though the pure in heart who desiderate a theatre that will do no offence to their deepest moral convictons may like to face it, that parochialism and paranoia are not only no bar to theatrical achievement, they have in their time given rise to some of the World’s greatest and most life-enhancing drama. I’m thinking in particular of Aristophanes. And it was M ickey’s Moomba that gradually battered, and teased, and ultimately galvanished me into thinking of him.

But once you noticed, there was no escaping it. It was in everything. The show is remarkably Aristophanic. Even to the entry of the True Deity of Moomba (how Aristophanic it is of Romeril to allege an unnamed true deity!) as a literal dea ex machina, regally flying in, the length of the shed, in a huge fluffy duck. This beautifully stage-managed opening to the second half finally clinched my dawning awareness of the extremely high level of invention, wit, and finish in Eve Glenn’s wide-ranging design contribution. Loved that Arthur Boyd-like talking portrait!

For yes, like Disney himself, M ickey’s Moomba had some merits — considerable ones, in fact, that gradually won me over as the rather long evening wore on. And they nearly all stemmed from the passionate commitment with which all concerned had given themselves to Romeril’s paranoid nightmare. When passionate commitment teams up with inadequate technique and ill-calculated physical embodiment the result can, of course, be dreadfully embarrassing. How, for example, could the director allow Paul Trahair to ruin a splendid physical suitability for the role of bungling undercover agent with all that unnecessary and external facial mugging?

But when passionate commitment is wedded to total physical control and that sense of style that no amount of workshopping can induce, the result can be professionalism and excitement of the highest order, and that peak was reached not

once but over and over again in the course of the evening in the person of Steve Leeson, both as a dangerously violent skin-head who believes he is Donald Duck, and as the effete heroin-addicted scion of a Toorak dynasty. Leeson rivets the attention whatever he is doing, because whatever he is doing he is totally immersed in and at one with it without any suggestion of strain. He achieves great charm, while scorning to offer the least hint of blandishment. I suspect that he represents what the Pram is all about, and it would no doubt be asking for the moon to demand that a whole show be up to that standard. But Ursula Harrison as his tentative, mixed-up girl-friend who believes that she’s Minnie Mouse was not all that far behind him in polish and relaxation, and they worked together a treat.

Strength of the show is production TRICKS_____________________ LES CARTWRIGHT Tricks by Ross Skiffington, The Last Laugh theatre restaurant, Collingwood, Vic. Director, Nigel Triffit; Designer, Trina Parker; Choreography, Michael O’Connor; Music, Michael Tyack; Technical director, Fred Wallace; Lighting, Fred Wallace and Nigel Triffitt. Starring Ross Skiffington and Mariette Rups.

This would have to be one of the most unusual shows ever presented. It is an original entertainment based upon magic.

The magician is an able young man named Ross Skiffington and the show is designed around a number of characters whom he portrays. The first is a Collingwood hobo who wanders in off the street to discover a magic box.

He dons a wizard’s cloak from the box and from this point on all manner of unlikely and strange phenomena take place. He plays tricks with number blocks, he pulls rope between seemingly separate objects, and all with such sleight of hand. From this series of short tricks he moves into a rock-star sequence alias Neville Fontaine doing illusion vs reality tricks, and then to Macho Man coolly tossing the silver rings.

In the second half there is a superb visual introduction based on 2001. Skiffington is in a Dracula/30’s persona and a marvellous spacemoog effect is preserved through the entire second half.

Skiffington is undoubtedly a fine magician, and he can act. From his entry as the hobo one notices his delight in a bit of business. He immediately gains audience interest as the character and holds it right through as he smoothly, deftly performs his tricks. The best tricks are those performed entirely in-role and without any talk. When he does ad lib it is generally good: an amusingly witty put-down.

On the night that I visited he once stepped out of role, very briefly, to gain a laugh in an aside with the audience: this should be avoided as it mars the mood effect and diverts audience THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

3S

Ross Skiffington and Mariette Rups in Tricks.

Photo: Cathy Koning. concentration needlessly. Skiffington’s breath control needs developing too in order to cope with the herculean energy demands of this show.

The associate performer is Mariette Rups, last seen in Chorus Line. She also is a talented performer and is integral to the whole concept of the show, acting as a singer and general magic factotum. Her rendition of “Quelque chose” was very good indeed; but why did she have to be overwhelmed every time she sang with over­ amplified recorded music?

The real strength of the show however is its production. This is excellent. Visually exciting and appealing to nearly every sense except taste and smell it is marvellous in every respect. The programme for instance is well-structured, with good contrast between the major acts.

Overall Tricks is a successful show. It entertains people and makes them wonder “how he did it”. The mystery of magic is very well evoked and it is enjoyable. If it was not so imaginatively directed and produced one wonders whether it could have succeeded so well. Most of the tricks have been seen before thanks to the rash of TV magic shows from overseas. In any case it is good theatre.

No special sparkle MACBETH_________________ RAYMOND STANLEY Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Melbourne Theatre Company at Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria. Opened 22 March, 1979. Director, John Sumner; Designer, Tanya McCallin; Music composed by Helen Gifford; Sword fights arranged by Malcolm Keith.

Duncan, Edward Hepple; Malcolm. David Downer; Donalbain, Ian Suddards; Macbeth, Simon Chilvers; Lady Macbeth, Jennifer Claire; Seyton, John Heywood; A Porter, Maurie Fields; A Gentlewoman, Gillian Seamer; A Doctor, Anthony Hawkins; Banquo, Malcolm Keith; Fleance, James Shaw; Macduff, John Stanton; Lady Macduff, Elizabeth Alexander; Son to Macduff, Anthony McManus; A Holy Man, Ian Suddards; Ross, Warwick Comber; Angus, Gary Day; Lennox, Anthony Hawkins; Menteith, Ian Suddards; Caithness. Malcolm Keith; Siward, Edward Hepple; Young Siward, James Shaw; A Bloody Sergeant, Maurie Fields; 1st Murderer, Maurie Fields; 2nd Murderer, Gary Day; Weird Sisters, Elizabeth Alexander, Vivien Davies, Gillian Seamer.

(Professional)

John Sumner’s production of Macbeth for the Melbourne Theatre Company is a carefully 36

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

conceived one, presenting the story in a clear-cut manner without any controversial interpretations. Everything seems to be there all right, but for the most part it lacks any particular excitement or special sparkle.

Basically I suppose one must blame the director, and one does so not unkindly. My impression is that Sumner has attempted too hard to ‘keep up with the times’ and incorporated much which he thinks ought to be in a Shakespearean production geared to the late 70s — possibly as he feels the Royal Shakespeare Company or National Theatre Company might have staged it. All the same, it is against his personal inclinations and at root he is not really temperamentally equipped as a director to do this sort of thing. It is something a younger and more imaginative one — such as Mick Rodger — could do standing on his head, especially if allied with an imaginative exciting designer such as Tony Tripp or Kim Carpenter.

Here and there throughout the production are suggestions of what could be brilliant touches; but they do not quite come off. Sumner has not been quite daring enough — and one is never left gasping at the sheer audacity of anything.

He is certainly not helped with the plain setting of two slanting smokey glass-like walls on an otherwise bare stage, that I found tediously montonous and which ultimately is restricting. It serves to highlight the sparseness of the cast.

With overhead spotlights seeming to be part of the setting, one would expect perhaps more lighting effects.

Too many of the dreary costumes seem designed for bikies.

Except during some excitable shouting, more care seems to be given in this production to the speaking of lines; although sometimes this is achieved by slowing the action and with speakers not always appearing to know the meaning of words. The speaking of the Three Weird Sisters is particularly clear, although there might be murmurs about their voices sounding too youthful.

For me the best performance comes from Elizabeth Alexander as Lady Macduff: beautifully controlled and with a stage ‘presence’.

I do hope we see more of her work at the MTC. 1 like too the Banquo of Malcolm Keith, who appears easily to dominate the scenes in which he appears. It would be interesting to see this couple play the Macbeths.

Jennifer Clarie seems to make as much of Lady Macbeth as one would expect, and is peculiarly lacking in fire. The sleep walking speech, delivered stationary, is given in a very minor key and thus not very effective. And at her first entrance, instead of reading her husband’s letter, she recites it, holding the crumpled paper in her hand and only glancing at it towards the end. It is nice though to see, in the early moments, how affectionate the Macbeths are to each other.

Simon Chilvers is an actor I do not find exciting, yet sometimes — as in say The

Removalists, The' Wild D uck and more recently in Bodies — he surprises my by coming up with a super outstanding performance.

His Macbeth I am less than happy with. As usual, Chilvers obviously has approached it conscientiously, yet the overall effect — for me at any rate — is one of dullness. It is always a little more than competent, but lacks any real stature, any lustre or that something extra a good Macbeth requires. One realises of course it cannot have been easy for him rehearsing such a role whilst playing an equally taxing part in Bodies by night.

Chilvers usually has been cast in Shakespearean roles for which he would seem to be largely unsuited. When he plays such roles certain vocal mannerisms seem to emerge and he never appears comfortable. I have no doubt at all though he would build up a character and sink himself into, and be outstanding as Pandarus, or Malvolio, perhaps Bottom or even Falstaff — but Othello, Macbeth and Antonio — no! But that is only my personal opinion.

Despite all the above comments, the production is definitely worth seeing, although most people will probably prefer an interval. I had not realised before how uncomfortable the seats at the Athenaeum are, and two and a quarter hours non-stop is rather an endurance test.

Simon Chilvers as the MTC’s Macbeth Photo: David Parker

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Alan Fletcher, Warren Mitchell and Dennis Schultz in the National Theatre’s Death o f a Salesman.

DEATH OF A SALESM AN MARGOT LUKE Death o f a Salesman by Arthur Miller, The National Theatre Company, Playhouse, Perth. Opened 8th March 1979. Director, Stephen Barry; Designer, Tony Tripp; Willy Loman, Warren Mitchell; Linda, Margaret Gill; Biff, Dennis Schulz; Happy, Alan Fletcher; Charley, Leslie Wright; Bernard, Igor Sas; Uncle Ben, Edgar Metcalfe; The Woman, Sally Sander; Howard Wagner, Michael Loney; Jenny, Rhonda Flottmann; Stanley, Ross Coli; Miss Forsythe, Michelle Stanley; Letta, Rhonda Flottmann.

(Professional)

It is strange seeing Death o f a Salesman in 1979, and to realise how much of it has become part of our mental furniture. It’s not so much that it has dated, as the fact that its message is so totally taken for granted now, making the explicit statements redundant, the psychological ramifications have become a little rickety, too.

Half the play shows us Biff, the elder son, damaged seemingly beyond repair after discovering his idolised father’s feet of clay. The other half shows him as the only one with the strength to accept reality and himself. It’s a sort

of conjuring trick Miller got away with because of the beguiling and dominating trumpet blasts of his main theme, about people having “the wrong dream”.

Where Miller still scores is in his flawless weaving together of the two perspectives: the corrupting values of a society which makes it impossible for a man of integrity to be a “success”, so that Loman’s attempt to incorporate the conflicting values in the one dream leads to his destruction. You can’t be a well-liked man and also emerge from the business jungle with fists full of diamonds.

Stephen Barry’s production at the Perth Playhouse relies almost entirely on the strength of an astonishingly subtle performance by Warren Mitchell. Whether the narrow focus is a deliberate ploy is difficult to determine, but Mitchell emerges as the only truly threedimensional figure, with even the main supporting actors, however lively or competent, somehow functioning on a different level.

Mitchell, almost unrecognisable with thinning

grey hair on top and a convincing American accent, gives a riveting performance as the ageing, shabby salesman at the end of his tether.

His unobtrusive integration of stage-business and dialogue, particularly in the early scenes, is masterful, and the pleasure of watching this performance is worth much of the tedium of the verbose second act. What makes the whole thing even more fascinating is to see how he manages to avoid becoming Alf Garnett with often superficially similar family-situations. But avoid it, he does, so that the audience has the additional (to the purists, quite irelevant, of course), pleasure of watching the man coming to grips with a purely personal challenge.

Margaret Gill, as Linda, the wife, is marvellously warm and supportive, but fails to bring out the sense of quiet desperation that should be present throughout to build up to the later outbursts. The sons inject much energy into their scenes. Alan Fletcher is at his best when young and ingenuous, but misses the darker notes of the go-getter he is becoming, even THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

37

though he manages to suggest the idea that eventually he will emerge carrying fistfuls of rhinestones. Dennis Schulz, as Biff, benefits from his authentic American background, which gives his performance additonal strength. Edgar Metcalfe, as the chimeric Uncle Ben, is too restrained for an obsessive vision, dominating a man’s inner life. He should have been larger — hammy, even — one feels.

Tony Tripp’s set, evocative of shabbiness and claustrophobia, is surrounded by a green encroachment that is more suggestive of under­ water than ruined suburbia, and does not seem flexible enough to accommodate scenes beyond the Loman household. The over all effect is curious: a strong emphasis on sharply lit central characters with the minor roles floating in and out of a greenish nimbus.

There was once a fashion for the “toughminded” to approve of Miller, sneering by way of contrast at the softness of Tennessee Williams.

Time has changed our perspective, and Miller’s soft centre has become apparent. The opportunity to reassess this major play is welcome and valuable.

Artist in complete control NOLA RAE PETER MANN Nola Rae at the Dolphin Theatre, Perth WA. Mime and Clown.

19-28 Feb. Some Great Fools o f History.

1-10 March 1979 Directed by Chris Harris.

(Professional)

Nola Rae was what the Festival of Perth needed. It was a pleasure to be totally involved in watching the performance of a theatre artist in complete control of her medium. One is thankful that the Festival organisation brought us a performer of such high achievement in theatre movement, as local drama is so lacking in this particular aspect. Yes, Perth can name one or two people with some training and experience in the art of mime, but none of them, regrettably, has any effect on performing standards here.

By comparison, attending other presentations in the Festival was memorable for the longeurs brought about by local groups (and, alas, by one of the visiting companies), where no cast member, it seemed, had any idea of where to begin in using movement, gesture and expression. Directors are not expected to be teachers of actors, but it seems that much is needed in actor-education to raise the standards of acting in Perth, and, apparently, Australia.

The revelations of what can be achieved by movement and expression in the two Nola Rae programmes might have gone some way to beginning such education. Very likely, nothing of the kind will have happened, since most of the “available players” in Perth were committed to performances, whose playing times precluded visits to see Ms. Rae. 38

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

Of course there have been mime performances in Perth before this, but the need for understanding, through practicing the techniques, remains. It is beside the point to say that “plays” do not depend on movement alone.

The expression achieved by what must be called “mime”, since we do not appear to have any other adequate word in English, is fundamental to all acting. Recently, books on “Body Language” have been best-sellers, suggesting that this matter was newly-discovered, but good acting is body language — to the extent that inadequate acting is equal to an untruth, or to an imcomplete picture. Nola Rae performs completely! Consequently, she can be man or woman, mouse or lion, transforming her own slight form into whatever she is intending to be.

Her hands become boneless tendrils — or elongated and simian — or lumpy pork-chops — or any other form, according to the character she is presenting.

At the risk of seeming unselective, I find that isolating any item from Ms Rae’s two programmes is to do injustice to the others, as each has its magnificences, and none is of no account. It would be easy to overlook the properties, sound-effects, make-up and lighting, as the presentations proceed so effortlessly, but, having endured too many “anyhow” performances, I draw attention to Ms Rae using make-up that does exactly what she wants it to do, and properties that work, but not so as to distract from her own achievement in the action.

I wish everyone could have seen Nola Rae, especially those aspiring to performing drama or dance on the stage.

GONE W ITH HARDY COLLIN O’BRIEN Gone With Hardy by David Allen. Hole in the Wall Theatre, Perth, WA. Opened 16 March, 1979. Director, Colin McColl.

Piano, Daun Eastman; Kate, Jenny McNae; Jock, Maurie Ogden; Stan, Michael Price.

(Professional)

Let me begin by declaring an interest: I worked as dramaturg on David Allen’s play at the 1978 Playwrights’ Conference with the author, director Terence Clarke and actors Kerry Walker, John Allen and Wallas Eaton. I feel we got further with the play in that fortnight of workshop than this production in the Hole in the Wall realised, so comparisons are inevitable.

The play deals with the fourteen-year relationship between comedian Stan Laurel and an Australian vaudeville entertainer, in this play called Kate Laurel, presumably to avoid a libel suit. The play is built on a series of scenes many of which include or themselves border on comedy routines. I found this a subtle device, as the Stan of the play was the sort of person who would use just such a device in real life as a means of distancing people, of avoiding undesired involvement. The play is tied together by a third character, a drunken old Scottish sod called Jock McTavish, a down-at-sporran Enobarbus to Stan’s flyweight Antony.

As I remember, Terry Clarke was a little unhappy with the second half, but I'm not sure that the tinkering which has gone on through both the MTC production by Ray Lawler and the Nimrod one has helped all that much. Some of the changes seem to have been motivated by fear of the aforementioned possibility of libel (the play is based on real events) but even those put in for theatrical effectiveness do not seem to me to be much of an improvement.

The tendency here in Perth has been to blame the script for the play’s failure, but I’m inclined to think it rather lies with the way things are done. It seems to me that an accumulation of faults prevented things from working, not a major error, so I’d better elucidate.

I remember Kerry Walker managing with Kate a peculiarlyAustralian mixture of innocence and vulgarity in such expressions as “Rub your back, sport?” and even “Pommy with a stick up his bum”. Excellent actress though Jenny McNae is, and much as I don’t wish to put down the culture which bred both Barrie McKenzie and myself, this innocent vulgarity seemed foreigh to Jenny’s English origins.

I was a little unhappy, too, with Maurie Ogden’s approach to Jock. I remember Wallas Eaton finding a decrepit seediness in Jock, reminiscent of Spike Milligan’s McGonigall. One could imagine him in a twice life-size tarn o’shanter, very much the half-drunken dribbling lecher. Maurie's Jock was more spruce and businesslike, though a skillful performance.

But the main source of worry by far was Michael Price’s Stan, a peculiarly remote and detached performance. John Allen, whose conception I thought excellent, managed in his

Stan to combine a professional ruthlessness with a jokiness which was a means of keeping people at a distance, the sort of likableness which is a shield rather than a means of human contact.

But one still felt some empathy for this Stan, whereas we, the audience, never felt for Mr Price’s at all, the wall was impenetrable.

The final aspect of the production I was

French superiority | complex THEATRE DE PAPIER MARGARET MASLEN It is extraordinarily difficult to review a theatrical performance that is best described in one word — “magical”.

Yves Joly’s Theatre de Papier ”is just that. It is magical in the same way that Cleo Laine’s singing is; or the pan-pipe music of Gheorghe Zamfir; or the Black Theatre of Prague. And just as one cannot describe for others the sensation of listening to Laine or Zamfir, except by stringing together a lot of totally subjective adjectives, one cannot describe the extent of the illusion that is Joly’s marionette theatre.

The programme notes certainly go no way towards preparing the audience for the delights in store. They are, I suspect, faithfully translated from the French of M Joly himself, since they are so deprecating in tone. (M Joly introduced each sketch so quietly as to be inaudible in Row G of the Regal Theatre in Perth. Indeed, an introduction was unnecessary since the marionettes speak so eloquently for themselves.)

The first note reads as follows: “To begin with, here is a short sketch called...Insomnia. You may recognise something familiar about it”. Nothing more! Or — c’est tout, as one might appropriately put it. What follows is a superb

unhappy about was that the routines did not seem to build enough, they seemed too rushed and peremptory. This may have been first-night nerves, but I felt that it was at the heart of the direction, so that a play which should have had flair and pizazz appeared “snatched” and hurried.

I was sorry that the evening didn’t work for a number of reasons: it was Colin McColl’s first

production as Director of the theatre, and (as will be obvious) I have a soft spot for the play. But I’m afraid we have to suspend judgement on Mr McColl’s abilities as a director, hoping that his next effort will reassure us. It is truly a shame that his first play for the Hole could not have been a success both artistically and at the box office.

evocation of the sleeper awakened — and, alas, unable to sleep again.

Later we had Umbrellas & Parasols, described thus: “Here is a fantasy where for us and, I hope, you as well, all the umbrellas and parasols become father and mother, a young girl, her seducer, some young ladies who meddle with things that do not concern them and above all, two policemen intent on chasing criminals.”

What followed conjured up a bourgeois family outing in the Tuilleries, crossed with excerpts from the Keystone Cops (or were they Kops?), and a Victorian melodrama — and all done with eight hands, furled umbrellas for the males, and swirling, brightly coloured open parasols for the females.

The last sketch Hands was quite out of the ordinary. The four puppeteers made out of their eight white-gloved hands flowering sea-things, bathers, and, finally, fireworks. This was undoubtedly the most original offering, and the most abstract.

There were disappointments, though.

Photography was largely derivative — Phillipe Genty or the Black Theatre did a similar sketch with a paper accordian representing an oldfashioned camera, and Paper Tragedy was conceived in Noh drama.

Further, the performance was very brief — given the price of the tickets; and, unfortunately, it was not for children or the naive.

The “plots” for the most part were extremely sophisticated, and it was notable that in the

second half, laughs were forced, or non-existent.

It seemed to me that the audience had come, as I had, to see “fun” things, like the Genty ostrich that kept losing its yellow knickers; or beautiful things, like the Black Theatre’s phosphorescent flowers and crystalline shapes. Instead we were presented with super French subtlety of an order quite beyond the grasp of the many children in the audience, and, I believe, of many of the adults too. It may be that the company has performed the sketches so often that their timing has become too “slick”, and they no longer wait long enough to establish the character/mood/situation. Or, it may be, after all, that the French are right in their estimation of themselves — that they truly represent “la civilisation”.

Two images juxtaposed themselves on my mind on the way home from the performance.

The one was a magic...The other of my first encounter with a Parisian child. It was in the dining car of a train somewhere between Barcelona and Paris. Papa, Maman, and l’enfant (aged about seven and impeccably dressed in a short-pant suit) had graciously permitted me to share their table. I was twenty-three; used only to Kraft cheese and a small sherry at Christmas; and equipped with University French!

L’enfant selected his own wine — to suit the course, of course; and he actually knew the names of all the cheeses on the after-dinner platter!

Something should be done about the French superiority complex!

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

39

Regional Theatre 1979 is seeing major strides being made in regional theatre — though often going unnoticed, it is the next major step in our theatrical development.

Boom ing in th e B ackblocks — Regional Theatre Revisited.

A special report compiled by Prudence Anderson, introduced by Robert Page Theatre for most people is associated with the way of life of major cities. Yet though urbanisation continues a reaction has set in.

New moves are now under way to take the arts back to the regions and the country.

Groups are springing up from Darwin to Geelong. From Bridgetown to the western suburbs of Sydney. They are trying to re­ establish a link with grassroots, to involve the local community. Locals are being made to realise that to enhance their quality of life, they need the arts more than the arts need them.

There are all kinds of indications that regional professional companies are both needed and wanted. At the top end in Newcastle, the country’s largest non-capital city, the Hunter Valley Theatre Company most closely approximates a capital theatre. In Sydney’s western suburbs the same is true of the Q which moved out of the city centre lock stock and barrel in 1976 to play the area around Penrith and Parramatta. Their community involvement, (artistic director, Doreen Warburton, requires that all members live in the suburbs they serve,) is much more extensive than their Newcastle counterparts.

In Wagga, the Riverina Trucking Company, again proved how vital is community involve­ ment. After first looking to ‘popular plays’ their greatest hits were and are locally devised shows.

In Victoria graduate students from the College of the Arts started two major companies this year, WEST, in Essendon, and the Murray River Performing Group in Albury-Wodonga.

Both groups did lengthy preparatory work with the respective communities before approaching the funding bodies. They attempted to establish grass roots awareness and involvement in the early stages to avoid any suggestion of imposition of an alien elitist activity.

They look all set to be adventurous without being avant garde in trying to attract nontraditional theatre audiences. They will go out to where the people congregate, hopefully expressing through drama the spirit and cares of their regions.

Regional theatre is poised for a major stride forward. But unfortunately it comes at a time when the federal purse is not getting any bigger.

In December, 1978 the Theatre Board released a policy document which offers up to a dollar for dollar subsidy to new theatre groups; whereas in the past they have had to vie with all comers for project grants. The federal body is to decrease its 40

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

equity by ten per cent each year with a cut of all funding after five years.

The States see the move as one manoeuvring them towards greater commitments each year.

Nor can their support operate on such a limited life liability. The regions, they believe, should get equal return culturally for their federal taxes.

Money spent on regional theatre this year is in the high decimals of a million — but money alone cannot of course ensure success. Many unsung pioneers are almost literally in the field, forging ahead with the cause of making theatre belong to the locality in which it functions.

Their challenge corporately is to bring off the next major development in Australian theatre.

(Reproduced in abridged form with kind permission from The National Times, 12.iv.1979).

The Darwin Theatre Group (Northern Territory) The Darwin Theatre Group has survived as an amateur organisation for over twenty years.

It now operates in Brown’s Mart, in a theatre which has a similar open stage to The Space in Melbourne. The theatre has been constructed in a National Trust building and is not owned by the group.

Negotiations are underway with the Northern Territory Government to form the basis of a professional core, using the resources already available at Brown’s Mart. Members of the Territory’s only fully professional resource, the TIE team sometimes join the DTG in perform­ ance and auditions are open to the public. DTG

is involved in a number of community projects as well as performance and is making itself available for use as an expertise resource.

The Darwin Theatre Group employs one professional. Artistic director, Robert Kimber.

Grants 1979: Theatre Board of the Australia Council $14,000.00 Territory Government $ 6,000.00

Mill Community Theatre Group (Vic) Mill Community Theatre Group, an activity of Deakin University, works out of an old woollen mill leased by Deakin University for use as a theatre. The company operates on various levels with ongoing community projects, workshops for adults and children as well as organising a series of workshops at the Corio Shire leisure centre.

The Mill employs seven professionals.

Director, James McCaughey; Theatre Manager, Community Liaison and Actor, Kelvin Harmon, Actor/Writer, William Henderson; Actor, Tom Considine, Ian Scott, Barbara Ciszewska, Meredith Rogers.

Grants 1979: Theatre Board of the Australia Council $10,000.00 Community Arts Board of the Australia Council $ 7,000.00 The Company also receives grants from Myer Foundation, Potter Foundation, South Barwon Council, Shire of Corio, Godfrey Hirst Company.

Regional Theatre Hunter Valley Theatre Company (NSW) The Hunter Valley Theatre Company was formed in early 1976 to service Newcastle and The Hunter Valley Region. Because of its difficult financial position the company is con­ centrating on performances at the Playhouse Theatre and is unable to tour schools and country areas or take part in other community projects.

HVTC employs four professionals who are on contract till 30 June, 1979. The future of the Hunter Valley Theatre Company is undecided.

Artistic director, Ross McGregor; Production Manager, Ric MacKay-Scollay; Stage Manager, Alan Gannaway; Asst. Stage Manager, Michael Sutton, Actors are contracted for specific pro­ ductions.

Grants 1979: NSW Cultural Division $40,000.00 Australia Council 20,000.00 NBN 3 TV 5,000.00 (Revenue from 1978) 15,000.00 (See Spotlight on the Civic Playhouse)

Murray River Performing Group (NSW/Vic) The Murray River Performing Group is Albury/Wodonga’s first full-time community theatre. Headquarters and rehearsal space are located in Albury. The group does not have its own theatre but doesn’t see this as an inhibiting

Hunter Valley Theatre Company’s production of A Happy and Holy Occasion

by John O’Donoghue. Photo: Tony Rapson-Coe.

HUNTER VALLEY THEATRE COMPANY 10th Moy...

THE MIRAGbE WORKER (bij William Gibson)

18th May...

mmu rn

m

m

(by Dylan Thomas)

on alternate weeks

"Directed, 6-tf

'fftc&teax.it

theneuu ctuie plauhouse, heuucastle Tuesday-Saturday nights 8pm.

Saturday matinees 2pm.

Tickets $7.90 Pensioners & Students $3.90 Party & School Concessions Available BOOKINGS AT THE PLAYHOUSE 262526

Regional Theatre factor. The performers strive to build on nontraditional theatre audiences and believe that this involves going out to meet the public. They attempt to develop the community’s support and awareness of the theatre by involving the people in productions from the very early stages.

The Murray River Performing Group is particularly active in working with the support of private enterprise and has made a wide-scale commitment to community theatre projects. A feature of their work is Kids’ Circus a pro­ duction involving 300 children from regional schools who will perform with the Murray River Performing Group in a circus tent 15-19 May. The MRPG employs nine professionals: Director, Robert Perrier; Writer in Residence, Lloyd Suttor; Administration, Heather Ross; Choreographer, Zoe Thomas, Actors, Mark Shirrefs, Julia Taphouse, Tina Eijsma, Ian Mortimer, Lee Connolly.

Grants 1979: NSW Cultural Division $15,000.00 Ministry of the Arts 15,000.00 Myer Foundation 2,000.00

The Q Theatre (NSW) The Q Theatre was established in Sydney at Circular Quay seventeen years ago. After deciding to deepen their commitment to regional theatre the group moved out to the western suburbs of Sydney in 1977. Their base theatre, the old Railway Institute building is provided for them by the Penrith Council. When on tour they play at Bankstown Town Hall and the

“ The Q ^ Theatre’s imaginative V decision to transfer to the W estern Suburbs in 1 9 7 7 is among the most important theatre initiatives in Sydney in this decade.

H.G. Kippax, k Sydney Morning Herald W

r

TflE FATHER B Y A U G U S T S T R IN D B E R G P enrith 30 May-17 June; Parram atta 20-24 June; Bankstow n 27-30 June.

the department B Y D A V ID W IL L IA M S O N Penrith 18 July-5 A ug u st; Parram atta 8-12 A ugust; B ankstow n 15-18 A ugust.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST B Y O S C A R W IL D E P enrith 29 A ugust-6 Septem ber; Parramatta 19-23 Septem ber; Bankstow n 26-29 Septem ber.

THE DEVIL’S (DISCIPLE b,

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

Sydney Opera House — Opens May 25th.

Q T h e a tre

• P e n rith P a rra m a tta • B a n k s to w n (0 4 7 )2 1 -5 7 3 5

42

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

In order to survive The Riverina Trucking Company must make up from their activities $29,000.00 per annum.

Theatre of Youth and Education in the Riverina (NSW) RIP TYER died at the end of 1978 when its grant was not renewed. After awarding the group 20,000 dollars in 1978 the Federal Government referred the submission to the State funding body who had no money to enable TYER’S continuation.

Tortoishell Theatre Company (WA) Bridgetown.

The Q has enrolled over 150 students in their theatre workshops, perform at schools regularly and are heavily involved in other community projects apart from their regular productions.

The Q employs sixteen professionals who are contracted on a yearly basis. Artistic Director, Doreen Warburton, Administrator, John M Rodgers, Director and Head of Design, Arthur Dicks, Youth Director and Dramaturg, Max Iffland; Director of Q workshops, Richard Brooks; Director/actor/tutor, Kevin Jackson; Actors, Elaine Hudson, Bill Conn, Gae Anderson, Alan Brel, Alexander Hay, Judy Davis; Stage Management, Sheryle Pike, Trevor Connell, Libby Higgin, Leone Sharp.

Grants 1979: Federal Government $120,000.00 State Government 50,000.00

Riverina Trucking Company (NSW) The Riverina Trucking Company was formed over two years ago by its first director, Terry O’Connell. During 1978 the group was funded

by Federal and State Governments and became officially known as the Theatrical Trucking Company.

The group’s theatre is on the southern campus of the Riverina College of Advanced Education and members work closely with the College theatre production course. The Trucking Company serves a region with radius 150 miles and hopes to tour a lot more this year.

Unfortunately the company can only afford to tour small cast shows but country towns will be able to book productions up to one month after the play finishes its season on the College campus.

The Riverina Trucking Company employs seven professionals. Director, Damien Jamison; Administrator; Brian Stenmark; Writer in Residence, Sandy McCutcheon; Actors, Steven Amos, Rick Harley, Peter Gray, Sharon Hillis.

Grants 1979: Australia Council $21,000.00 Culture Advisory Council 21,000.00 Grant from the Literature Board which provides the group with its Writer in Residence.

Is not a permanent company and comes together only for specific productions. It was established three years ago with a grant from the Australia Council and toured the eastern states as well as isolated areas in Western Australia.

In 1975 Co-directors Sean Grant and Sheila Heart moved to Bridgetown. Last year Tortoishell re-formed to make two separate school tours in the region.

This is the first time Western Australia has come close to having a professional regional theatre company.

Townsville Civic Centre (Qld) At the moment Queensland does not have a single regional theatre company. Till now people in regional areas have been serviced by productions toured by the Queensland State Theatre Company and TIE groups.

Townsville may be the first city in the north to establish a professional theatre group. The move is coming from the administration of the newly built Townsville Theatre. Townsville City Council has engaged director, Rick Nelson to stage amateur productions which sometimes use resting professional actors.

Applications for grants have already been prepared and now the outcome depends on discussion between funding bodies and the availability of directors.

Travelling Playhouse (NSW) The Travelling Playhouse Company works from a theatre on the campus of the University of New England. Its major objectives are to provide community theatre and theatre-in­ education. While on tour, the company also

CROSSFIRE

by Jennifer Compton

DARWIN THEATRE GROUP August 4, 8-18 MACBETH

Shakespeare's masterpiece in the unique setting of the W .W . II Gun Turrets at East Point.

Direction: Robert Kimber

Regional Theatre arranges workshops for local amateur groups, and contributes toward amateur productions.

Travelling Playhouse also tours disadvantaged country areas, trying to service regions where it is uneconomical for Arts Council productions to tour.

Travelling Playhouse employs eight professionals: Actors, Paul Gillett, Patricia Jones, Gordon Glenwright, Christine Woodland, Peter Hall, Timothy Elston, Jennifer Mackie; Administrator, Anna Glover.

West (Vic) West community theatre operates in Essendon and the western region of Victoria.

The group sees its role as maintaining a pro­ fessional standard of performing, and operates from a small hall in Essendon given to them by the city council which also pays for its maintenance and administrative costs.

WEST employs four professionals: Artistic Director, Jan McDonald; Actors, Ian Shrives, Linda Waters, Phil Sumner. An administrator is to join the team soon.

Grants 1979: Victorian Ministry of the Arts $20,000.00 Theatre Board of the Australia Council 14,000.00 Community Arts Board 6,000.00 Schools Commission 10,500.00 (For a specific schools project) Essendon Council supports the Company in kind.

Linda Waters from WEST. Touring Essendon primary schools.

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PROPOSED PROGRAM M E FOR 1979 Inner Voices by Louis Nowra. March 16 to April 1.

Indians by Arthur Kopit. April 26 to May 13.

Dusa, Fish, Stas and Vi by Pam Gems. May 18 to June 4.

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest by Dale Wassermann.

June 15 to July 3.

Teeth and Smiles by David Hare. July 13 to July 29. ***Hair by Rado/Ragni. August 10 to August 26.

The Ruling Class by Peter Barnes. September 7 to September 23. ***We are at present negotiating for the rights to perform Hair, why not bring it back after 13 years.

We also have a program of late night shows ranging through Pinter and Berkoff to group devised material.

A Youth Workshop program has started involving two groups, one for the 16 to 18 year old age group and one for older people. These two groups will be performing irr the theatre during the lull between major productions. Much of their work will be the result of Sandy working with them on group devised material, but we have also planned such productions as Sam Shepard’s ‘Geography of a Horse Dreamer’.

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Continued from page 8. correspondence and occasionally sent a delegate to congresses, as well as starting to report World Premieres to Paris. When Marlis Thiersch was appointed Flonorary Secretary in 1970 she visited seven European Centres and reported on their structure and operation to the then Australian Council for the Arts, requesting a small grant to operate on a part-time basis at the

□ □

University of New South Wales. With renewed and increasing support from the Australian Council, activities gradually expanded and in 1974 the Centre moved to its own room at the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust. Over the years the Honorary Secretary has been assisted by a series of part-time editorial secretaries. *Robert Quentin is President of the Australian ITI Centre. Enquiries to the Hon Sec Marlis Thiersch.

80 Elizabeth Street, Mayfield N.S.W. 2304

Civic Playhouse: Can bricks ensure performance?

Continued from page 11. conditioning, which is estimated to cost about1 $75,000.

Limitations aside, the Civic Playhouse is a delightful little theatre. Its first floor auditorium reaches into the roof, supported by concrete pillars. It has been built without major structural alteration and the architectural design of the Wintergarden has stayed intact. The 197-seat auditorium is a tiered arrangement around a thrust stage with raised ledges on either side.

The small stage is, according to architect Brian Suters, flexible enough to accommodate virtually any set design as long as a director is not contemplating grand opera. But there are no flying facilities, and only very limited access; the sets have to be built on location and cannot be changed in performance.

There is wing space on either side of the stage and storage space underneath. The dressing rooms, administration offices and green room (arguably unnecessarily big) are on the left of the stage and are spacious and sunny. The benchstyle seats are brown-cushioned with white carpet in the auditorium. The Nimrodesque theatre is given a polished, plush finish with bright red trimmings, dark blue carpet and abundant palms.

The artistic director Ross McGregor will follow what is sure to be a highly successful season of Cabaret with The Miracle Worker. Let us hope it will prove a prophetic choice.

Children’s Theatre: A series to mark The International Year of the Child.

International Year of the Child 1979

MAGPIE is the theatre-in-education team of the State Theatre Company. In 1978 it hit the headlines...

JOHN LONIE

TIE: Education & Community Magpie is the theatre-in-education team of the State Theatre Company of South Australia and comprises the director, Malcolm Moore, eight actors — four women and four men — a secretary, a researcher/writer and stage manager.

Since its formation at the beginning of 1977 under Roger Champman1, the team has pioneered many of the major developments in theatre for young people in South Australia. At the beginning of our third year of operation, we have been casting a critical eye back over our past work in a quest toward a redefinition of our role in South Australia.

Generally, the direction of Magpie’s work has been toward school age children with performances usually taking place within schools themselves. However, during the biennial Adelaide Festival of Arts and the ‘Come Out Festival’, the young people’s arts festival in South Australia, Magpie has also presented work on the Playhouse stage. The Festival of Arts’ productions, while taking up a small amount of any performance year, have been important in having theatre for young people accepted in Adelaide as an integral part of Australian theatre rather than being a mere investment in future ‘bums on seats’ for the major company.

Beginning with the Festival of Arts production of Anne Harvey’s Uncle Hector and the Bohemians, Magpie mounted seven new productions during 1978. Some contained themes common to any capitalist society like Australia, although content, naturally, was local.

Among these was D unno’s Journey which was designed to help very young school children from non-English speaking families with their English.

Network, a participatory play for middle year high school students, was concerned with the problems of survival of a ‘free press’ in the world of media monopolies. Strike at the Port, probably our most celebrated production of the year because of the publicity gained from attacks made on it by some local conservative politicians, was about the 1928 lockout of Port Adelaide waterside workers and made analogies with the current unemployment situation and the role of trades unions2.

During September of last year, Magpie went on its second country tour of the year, taking

Billy Gilligan’s Grand Cabaret Reunion Do to people in the railway and mining villages of outback South Australia. This production and the tour itself have been central to the current reconsideration of our collective conception of theatre-in-education.

The tour was undertaken with the support of the Remote and Isolated Children’s Exercise, based at Port Augusta and the assistance of the Australian National Railways, the Education Department, the Arts Council of SA and the Australia Council. The Billy Gilligan Do was an important challenge for us because we knew that its form and content would be dictated entirely by its intended audience and that that audience would be, in every case, a quite cohesive community made up of young and old. And, given that so many of these communities lack television and even radio, that they lack facilities which city folk take for granted, we had decided to mount a programme which was out of the ordinary, both for them and for us. We decided to draw on outback life and its recognisable features yet wanted to avoid any stereotyping.

Working with Magpie on this tour, were John and Sue Fox and it was under their influence

that we were able to build up celebratory images and symbols to articulate the familiar and the not so familiar aspects of outback life.

Briefly, the Billy Gilligan Do was thematically concerned with harmony and disharmony between people and their physical environment The show was divided into three parts, the first involving school children, the second involving the more symbolic aspects of the piece, the third being a celebratory cabaret in the local pub or hall. Fire wheels and sculptures were made in the company workshop and these were used in the second part to provide the spectacle and the symbolic depth to the presentation.

Working with and involving all the members of a small community was indeed, a novel experience for Magpie, one which created the setting and the opportunity further to consider our future direction. We had already experienced doing a community show with Strike at the Port in as much as a school’s production was presented to an audience of waterside workers and their friends. This show worked for both sorts of audiences although it had not originally been intended as a community play.

Theatre-in-education is usually taken to mean

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

45

Children’s Theatre dramatic presentations to school students which are first, committed and second, entertaining.

Certainly, Magpie remains as committed as ever to ‘message’ presentations which we have sought to mount in as entertaining a way as possible.

The heavy investment in time and skills which the company has put into music, which was such a vital element in the Billy Gilligan Do, has been important in strengthening the entertainment aspect of our work.

Theatre-in-education as we have experienced it, need not necessarily be confined only to school performances for students for the very simple and obvious reason that education itself is not the sole prerogative of the school system.

Education involves the quest for critical understanding and the ability to challenge. It is as relevant to farmers in Hahndorf and railway workers in Cook as it is to students at Sturt Street Primary School. Community performances of our work have enabled us to put into practise the idea that t-i-e is really theatre-in-education-in-thecommunity.

NOTES: 1.

Roger Chapman is on leave for eighteen months, directing the Tynewear Theatre in England.

2. See Nick Enright in Theatre Australia, January, 1979.

3. Magpie people are: Malcolm Moore (director), Marilyn Allen, Peter Farago, Des James, Val Levkowicz, Glenda Linscott, Patrick Mitchell, Denis Moore, Jacqy Phillips, John Lonie, Chris Maas and Rosemary Clutterbuck.

Comment

Continued from page 2. seems that some theatre companies feel that because they themselves offer a playreading service, and now readings and workshops of new plays, the Conference is an unnecessary duplication. But the ANPC’s work is an adjunct to that of the companies; while they do as much script-reading as they can, they rarely have the facility to carry this out as they would like, and the ANPC can bear some of this responsibility.

Its workshops are obviously not in competition with company readings — few can offer the same two solid weeks of workshops with top actors and directors. Just as several additional playwrighting competitions this year have increased, rather than decreased, interest in the Playwrights’ Conference, so its work is stimulating to theatre in general.

With a view to giving a broader theatrical context, we start this month publishing consistent monthly coverage of British Theatre (America should follow shortly). We are very pleased to have Irving Wardle, erstwhile critic of The Times writing this column for us.

Q&Q

Continued from page 4.

as managers also, it’s a matter of numbers. I don’t believe that you can successfully manage one hundred people, but you can represent them. There is a great difference. It is my intention not only to actively seek out work for my clients, but also to promote, guide, befriend and encourage them, whether they are well established or just starting out. With that amount of work to do on each client I see no possibility of ever having an active list of more than a dozen people, as long as I am working on my own.

I intend to continue doing publicity and public relations at the Music Hall whilst working on my new venture, both jobs being extremely compatible. My fiancee, John Little of the Aust­ ralian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, is giving me a great deal of moral support. With this, a lot of hard work plus the proverbial bit of luck, I have no doubt that I can offer the right people a management service that they previously have not been able to find.”

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Lilly and Jack Sprat in Billy Gilligan's Do.

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THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

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Opera

David Gyger

Sutherland in Melbourne; Rhinegold in Sydney; Fledermaus in SA. The return of Joan Sutherland to the staged opera scene in Melbourne, after a hiatus of fourteen years, would simply have to be regarded as Australia’s operatic event of the month for March 1979, were it not for the concert performance of Wagner’s The Rhinegold in Sydney a few days later.

Either of these events would have been enough to make my operatic month: that both came so close together was truly remarkable.

The Sutherland Traviata in Melbourne would have been a noteworthy event even had it been less of an artistic triumph than it was in fact; for there is no doubt Sydney has been guilty of monopolising Dame Joan’s presence in the years since the opening of the Opera House. Indeed, Australia’s major composite operatic event of the year will probably prove to be the fact that Dame Joan is appearing in all four eastern mainland capital cities in a total of five different roles — equalling in variety her 1965 stint with the Sutherland-Williamson touring company.

But I also found Sutherland’s Violetta a thoroughly marvellous experience in itself: quite dazzling when it needed to be — in particular, of course, in the great aria that concludes Act I — but, even more central to the effective realisation of Violetta on stage, quite heart­ warming and alluring in its radiant warmth, which is what Violetta is mostly all about.

It is impossible to forgo just a little comparison between Sutherland’s Violetta and that of Kiri Te Kanawa, who created the role in this Copley production in Sydney last year. I found Te Kanawa’s Violetta the most convincing performance, histrionically, I have yet seen from her, and — almost needless to say — it was vocally dazzling in its pyrotechnics and its tear-jerkingness as well. Yet Te Kanawa’s stage personality lacked even in this role a perceptible degree of the warmth and womanliness that is required of the ideal Violetta.

Aristocratic hauteur is clearly part of Violetta’s facade, coupled with a certain inner strength — she is, after all, a woman of easy virtue. But what finally makes Violetta great is that she is warm and human, a tender-hearted woman driven to deny her true love under duress. She is a victim of Victorian morality as well as her fatal disease, and this fact came across more poignantly in Sutherland’s Traviata than it Te Kanawa’s, great as that was in its own context.

Sutherland the vocal acrobat is undeniably beginning to show her age, if only in the odd fleeting hint of lost agility and the occasional sign of strain at the very top of her range. But at the same time Sutherland the singing actress and

the vocal artist are gaining stature by leaps and bounds.

It is a pity, in artistic terms, that so few of the cash customers could be close enough, in the cavernous context of the Palais Theatre, St Kilda, to experience the full impact of her immense stage personality. It was the first time I have ever heard Sutherland sing in opera that I had been moved to regard hers as a voice of mere human, and not superhuman, proportions; and it was overall as thoroughtly an enjoyable experience as I have ever had at the opera.

The Elizabethan Melbourne Orchestra played much better than I have ever heard it before (ironically, it was deprived of some of its rightful kudos by being wrongly identified in the printed programme as its Sydney counterpart); and both Robert Allman (Germont pere) and Anson Austin (Alfredo) were in top form. Austin, in particular, continues to improve noticeably almost month by month. He still has gravelly patches and the odd sign of strain at the top of his range; but the passages of clear tenor lyricism come more frequently and are of longer duration just about every time I encounter him on stage.

At the same time, his acting is becoming far less wooden. He gives every sign of reaching the peak of his career in the very near future; and a very excellent peak it seems certain to be.

The Melbourne Traviata was very close to a dead heat, in the overall excellence stakes of the month, to the lone concert performance in Sydney of the first of Wagner’s Ring opera’s, The Rhinegold. There were few vocal disappointments, and a couple of marvellous vocal surprises; had this been the opening shot in a salvo of performances, real inspiration might well have been achieved through the exercise.

Unfortunately, this was not the case, and there were a good many moments when nuance vital to the full dramatic realisation of the piece was blurred or simply not there. To some extent this was the fault of Mark Elder as conductor: though his reading of the score was slow ... very slow ... sometimes too slow ... it was occasionally rushed at the expense of dramatic impact; as at the vitally climactic moment, dramatically, when Wotan ponders whether to part with the Ring, and with it the power to rule the world, in return for the freedom of Freia. The shattering impact of pure silence, in the midst of three or so hours of otherwise continuous music, is used brilliantly at this point by Wagner, and no doubt Elder will quickly incorporate such nuances into his future performances as he gains confidence in his mastery of the complexities of The Ring.

There was also some orchestral lapses I had not anticipated from as generally an excellent body of musicians as the Sydney Symphony

Orchestra; though it would be churlish to dwell on such flaws in what ws by and large a superb all-round effort.

There were no weak links among the soloists, and there were some extremely strong ones — in particular, Robert Gard’s absolutely marvellous Loge and Donald Shanks’ full-voiced and noble Wotan (though it was just a trife too consistently noble, perhaps, to encompass fully the character, which has more than its fair share of human frailties despite the godlike hauteur of much of Wotan’s music).

The vocal surprises of the evening, with no disrespect to the rest of the soloists all of whom sang well and some stunningly, were Neville Wilkie’s Donner and Bruce Martin’s Fasolt.

Wilkie has been more or less incarcerated in the depths of the Australian Opera chorus for some time, following some impressive solo roles in Queensland a few years back — I remember his Germont in La Traviata and an Innisfail Rigoletto in particular. I had not encountered Martin before. Both sang with great power and evenness and beauty of tone, in this Rhinegold, in particular Martin (who, as Fasolt, was of course much more central to the action than Wilkie). Reginald Byers also made some superb noises as Froh, as did Neil Warren-Smith as Fafner.

Raymond Myer’s Alberich and Gregory Dempsey’s Mime both lacked a measure of the warped drama of the dwarfs. Margreta Elkins’ Fricka was lovely to listen to, but perhaps a bit short on the kind of wifely moralism and nagging that is so vital to her place in the drama.

Elizabeth Fretwell was a satisfyingly plaintive Freia vocally, without ever really convincing me

Heather Begg, Grant Dickson, Joan Suther­ land and Graeme Ewer in the AO’s La Traviata. Photo: Branco Gaica.

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

47

Opera

David Gyger dramatically that her plight was so desperate it was worth parting with the power to rule the world to save her.

But leave it to Lauris Elms just about to steal a show even in a relatively minor part such as Erda the earth goddess: appearing spotlit at the rear of the orchestra, well distanced from the other soloists, and singing as always with a marvellous abundance of controlled tone, she achieved all the dramatic impact possible within the confines of her brief innings and the concert context.

There was a good deal of to-ing and fro-ing in this concert performance, with most of the soloists — all but Elms, in fact — traipsing to and from the narrow belt of plywood between orchestra and audience during the orchestral interludes between scenes; and this was surely better than having everyone sitting chairbound or standing lectern-bound throughout.

Nevertheless, any concert performance of an opera must artistically run a bad second best to even a mediocre performance fully staged; and it is devoutly to be hoped the Australian Opera finds its way very shortly out of the convoluted politico-economic maze that has frustrated its plan in this direction for several years.

State Opera’s Fledermaus, which rechristened the renovated Opera Theatre, Adelaide, early in March with oceans of champagne both on stage and off, was the most thoroughly successful production I have yet seen from this most heavily subsidised of all Australia’s regional companies. It boasted a very strong cast led by June Bronhill as Rosalinda supported by a marvellously balanced team of co-principals in which there was no weak link: equally important, Adrian Slack’s direction was for once totally adequate and Myer Fredman was able to coax some more than acceptable sounds out of his orchestra.

One must comment, if only in passing, on the recent $1 million facelift for the theatre itself as it affected this particular production, and record that there were a few decidedly weird acoustic effects at least in the front row of the dress circle. Hopefully these can be corrected without great further expense; and there is no doubt that the overall atmosphere of the place has been improved significantly, and that is now a much more congenial place for performers and audiences alike.

Steven Haas and June Bronhill in the State Opera’s Fledermaus.

48

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

The particular strength of this Fledermaus, it seems in retrospect, was its marvellous balance.

Everyone was excellent and most were superb, the staging unpretentious but absolutely effective. Fledermaus is an operetta and was played as one, but its considerable musical merit was not neglected at any point.

Predictably, the individual star performer was June Bronhill who was absolutely in her element as Rosalinda — singing quite beautifully, and coping very well indeed even with the consider­ able technical demands of its mock-coloratura passages. Her physical stature is something of an inbuilt handicap when she plays the sophisticated society lady; yet she is such an accomplished old pro in the spoken dialogue department, and such an experienced actress, that one cannot seriously harbor such reservations all through an evening at the opera.

Her task in Fledermaus, though, was a good deal more formidable in the dramatic credibility department than in most operas due to the difficulties of the second act masquerade ball where almost everyone of consequence to the plot is present in disguise and the whole point of the exercise is that they must not recognise each other.

The “disguises” in this particular Fledermaus were the only significant lapse in Tom Lingwood’s designs: they were awful, and stretched credibility well beyond the willing suspension of disbelief. One might have thought they were intended to be a send-up of masquerade ball disguises, except that the element of send-up in the rest of the designs for this production was totally absent; and anyhow, the whole plot depends to a very considerable extent on the credibility of the masquerade itself so its comic potential can be exploited.

There was also the additional problem of the switch of garments between Rosalinda and her chamber maid Adele, played in Adelaide most ably by Carolyn Vaughan who is as tall and slim as Bronhill is short and well-upholstered. Double full marks go to Bronhill for her deadpan delivery of the punch line, when informed that the female wearing one of her gowns was her own chamber maid: “I never would have believed it.” Quite rightfully, it brought the house down.

Less tolerable in a very problematical Act II was the crazy way in which Dr Falke, half way through the party at Orlovsky’s, launched off into an explicit revelation of the subterfuges and intrigues he was engaging in to effect revenge on Eisenstein for the bat incident from which the name of the opera is derived. I have an ancient recording from the Metropolitan Opera, New York, on which this particular speech appears as a prologue of explanation. In that context, it makes perfect sense; in the midst of Act II of the drama itself it is quite out of place.

The above quibbles apart, though, this was a Fledermaus of real excellence — above all, for its unfailing teamwork. That I have so far mentioned only Bronhill and Vaughan should

Keith Lewis (Nadir) in VSO’s The Pearl Fishers. Photo: Branco Gaica. not be taken as any reflection on the rest. Both the leading tenors of the night, Steven Haas (Eisenstein) and Thomas Edmonds (Alfred) were excellent — the mock Italian accent assumed by Edmonds being as topically acceptable in Adelaide as I had found it a few weeks earlier in an otherwise much less successful Sydney pro­ duction, and Haas providing a tantalising preview of his talents which will no doubt be a good deal more fully displayed when he returns to Adelaide later in the year to play Massenet’s Werther.

Roger Howell was a thoroughly debonair Dr Falke and John Wood a hilarious Frank, assisted by a delightfully unexpected kind of performance from Tony Roberts as his even more inebriated offsider Frosch.

Only brief mention can be made of the two other events of the month — Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers as presented by the Victoria State Opera, and the Australian Opera La Boheme which alternated with the Traviata mentioned above during March at the Palais Theatre, Melbourne.

Designer John Truscott painted himself into a corner very early in the piece when conceiving the basic conception for his sets for The Pearl Fishers: nice though the thought was to have water in the forestage area complemented by shimmering water in the background, the result was to cramp unnecessarily the limited performing area of the Princess Theatre and give rise to some fundamental doubts about the geography of the stage action. Were we on a peninsula or an isthmus, for instance, or simply on a thoroughly self-contained narrow neck of land in limbo?

The idea of having a giant statue buried in the stage up to its torso was brilliant, but the costuming — notwithstanding its muchpublicised authenticity — appeared less authentic than that for last year’s Queensland production. In stagecraft, as in many other areas of human endeavour, appearances are far more Continued on page 52.

Dance

William Shoubridge

AB first programme - triple bill shrugged off; highlights that were highlights A lot of people had put a lot of store by the Australian Ballet’s first programme offering in Sydney this year, most specifically the world premiere of Barry Moreland’s Trocadero.

Hopes were high because people remembered the London Festival ballet here a few years ago with the different and entertaining Prodigal Son in Ragtime, and as this latest offering of Moreland’s inhabited somewhat the same territory — the period in the 40’s when dance halls were all the rage with their associations of old Glen Miller hits and so on — it was hoped the AB would come up with something like the entertainment value of Prodigal Son. In the event, it didn’t come about and there are few reasons why. For a start it seemed that yet again a triple bill work had been shrugged off without much financial outlay being involved, and somewhat more, but not enough, application and concentration from the dancers themselves.

But more than this there were severe problems within the work as such. As Moreland admitted himself in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, there are just so many variants and products to be got out of the limited choreographic vocabularies of the foxtrot, twostep, tango and so on. On the evidence of the ballet in performance it was apparent that Moreland hadn’t managed to create anything much out of them; he’d been trapped by his material so to speak.

So, as if to make up for lack of interest here, he had plumped for a bit of drama within the general nostalgia. What he in fact came up with was only the well worn theme of a young man out on the urban prowl for a lady, going to the old “Troc” dance hall, going through the motions of chatting up a girl, losing her and going home alone and despondent, just as he had seemingly done so many times before. That was it. An attempt was made to interweave this rather threadbare theme throughout the stream of dancing, but it never came about. The emotional level of the work, as well as the dynamic level of the music itself was far too

monochromatic. It was wry, bittersweet and sad, and for a work involving dancing and the mating rituals of urban man it was just too much of a downer to stay alive in the memory.

Difficulties were compounded by the dancers themselves. The old time dances looked uncomfortable on them, as if they had never danced them before and had to learn them from scratch at the rehearsals.

One would like to be complementary about Trocadero but it would be dishonest to give praise for something that was so thin, depressing and surrounded by an air of apology.

Even David Burch in the central role, who can manage to feed a bit of personality into some of the most emaciated material, was non plussed here, looking all at sea and not enjoying himself for a moment. I realise that it was meant to be slightly sad and we are meant to feel sorry for him when he comes home empty handed as it were, but it was a little too much to expect the audience to clamour uproariously when this pall of gloom settled immovably over the entire ballet.

What was interesting to note in this first programme is that the Australian Ballet has finally realised what an asset they have here in David Burch. There are other people in the Company who can dance better, or are at least more technically proficient, but there are few who can invest their parts with such meaning from one step to the next.

David Burch almost upset the balance of Garth Welch’s Othello, centring, as he did, the audience’s attention on his character of Iago.

Admittedly villians are the most interesting characters in drama and no less so in dance, but the focus here is meant to be on Othello.

Fortunately on opening night, Gary Norman realised what was happening and allowed himself to relax and feel into his character rather than merely portraying him.

Norman’s Othello was not so much the proud general, whose vanity gets in the way of seeing the passage of events but rather a loving, trusting soul who too late lets himself be

Artists of the Australian Ballet in Trocadero.

Photo: Branco Gaica.

hoodwinked into believing stories about his wife’s infidelity, and subsequently just lets things follow their tragic course. His dancing, too, was far more placed at the command of his character than it normally is and the inter­ actions between him and the sinuous, ingratiating Iago of David Burch were electrifying.

I will always have reservations about the choreography of Garth Welch though, and more so in this Othello than in many of his other works. What we get here is a rather rudimentary Graham technique, layed on with a trowel over a very bald and discursive concept of Shake­ speare’s play. I thought, if anything, that Othello should be expanded into a two-act work so that a bit more sense of culmination could be achieved.

To sprint through the plot of Shakespeare’s Othello and have Desdemona strangled after twenty minutes really is testing the audience’s gullibility.

Personally, I find the whole idea of Othello treated with far greater intelligence, originality and reverence in Jose Iomon’s The M oor’s Pavane, wherein the web of events and emotions is treated within the ritualistic confines of a stately, courtly masque, with all the protagonists of the drama slowly and threateningly pacing out a pavane. Welch’s Othello succeeded merely because of the excellent score by Jerry Goldsmith and the total dedication of the leading dancers.

It more than offset the limp viccissitudes of Ashton’s Les Rendezvous as restaged by Kelvin Coe. Apart from the fact that it is hardly one of Ashton’s most inspired creations, Les Rendezvous comes up against that old wheeze about the AB and “English” dancing. This company simply cannot handle it; the style of the Royal Ballet is different from that of the AB, even though their teaching and training methods are the same. The AB now has its own style, a tight, electric, dramatic style and the light, airy grace needed by Ashton in this work is something practically beyond their ken.

Les Rendezvous is nothing more than a divertissement, a set of dances for elegant people in a park somewhere, some time; if anything is to be made of it, the dancing has to carry the day.

Much as I have always admired Kelvin Coe as a good “pure” dancer with something of that elusive sense of grace, confidence and sheer cheek that a work like Les Rendezvous needs, he seemed unable to communicate that sense to the dancers he was rehearsing. Ergo, the work was wooden and lumpish and the audience’s hearts sagged with every audible thud.

In some ways, the highlights that were placed THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

49

Shoubridge within the main programme did in fact turn out to be the highlights, especially the MacMillan Concerto pas de deux as danced by Gary Norman and Marilyn Rowe. Although the male part in this ballet is reduced to nothing more than that of a porteur, Norman gave an excellent display of soft and confident control as he supported Rowe in all the turns, bends and elongations that go to make up this most limpid piece of choreography. Rowe herself is as estimable as ever, knowing that she is one of Australia’s favourite dancers. Her sense of relaxation and joy in dancing is truly comforting to an audience harrowed by some of the performances it has seen, and she was no less expansive and finely tuned in this work than she has been in practically everything else she has performed.

It was very considerate of guest producer Ivan Nagy to have his fledgling ballerina, Lynette Mann partnered by Kelvin Coe for his version of the Nutcracker pas de deux. Miss Mann, at the moment, is not only poorly equipped for the full choreographic rigours of the part but rather unsure of herself alone on stage. She had the most unnerving smile-through-gritted-teeth throughout her performance, and the shoulder twists towards the end were only twenty percent of what they should be. Apart from this, though, she has a good, clean line most of the time, and the fish dives at the end were very well finished, thanks again — and Miss Mann looked thankful — to Kelvin Coe. All in all, the one highlight that I was thankful to see was Bournonville’s Flower Festival at Genzano. It was a special joy to see it so well danced by Ann Jenner. Dale Baker didn’t bother to rein in his rather sloppy and boisterous style for this one and that was unfortunate because he had a pretty good idea of the crispness, lightness and pure line that Bournonville’s choreography demands. Ann Kenner knew it all though; she knows the difference in carriage, placement and port de bras that make up a Bournonville signature piece like this. She finished everything with a smart full stop and carried off the difficult feats (en levees) without drawing attention to them, and most of all she had a sense of poise and fun.

Believe me, it was a tonic.

Christine Walsh, David Burch & Gary Norman in Othello. Photo; Branco Gaica.

50

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

Terry Owen

Dance

Tchaikovsky Ballet Company A dull but honest quality “The Tchaikovsky Ballet Company, Russia’s award winning ballet company,” the ads proclaim, “the entire company of seventy five with complete orchestra and settings...following truimphant tours from Paris to Vienna...with special guest stars from the Bolshoi Ballet and the Leningrad Kirov Ballet...one special programme featuring the most popular of all Ballets, Giselle, and superb and brilliantly performed Gala Divertissements.”

Well, it wasn’t quite like that in Perth’s huge Entertainment Centre on the opening night of the Company’s first Australasian tour. The five divertissements making up the first of the programme began with “The Dying Swan’’, ended with the inevitable ‘Grand Pas from Don Quixote’ and offered the briefest glimpse, in a Chopin Waltz, of the two most interesting guest stars, Eve Evteyeva and Marat Dukiaev from the Kirov. Scungy backdrops, energy-crisis light plots, lifeless if correct performances with the occasional muffled finished to let the six and a half thousand people present know that even the Russians get it wrong sometimes; all this didn’t add up to Gala anything. The love of theatre for which Bolshoi dancers are noted was quite missing in the dreary Liepa/Kondratieva “Gluck Pas de Deux”. In fact the individual curtain calls had more theatrical instinct and energy about them than most of the Divertissement dancing.

As to the “complete orchestra” — at interval I counted around twently musicians, they sounded nine and a half strong, and played very badly indeed. The programme notes identified the conductor as Ivan Ivanov but boldly ignored the question of who the musicians were. I think I recognised some members of the WA Arts Orchestra.

Things got much better in the second half with Giselle and a fair sampling of “the entire company of seventy five”. The Kirov’s Irina Kolpakova danced the title role. Kolpakova, now in her mid-’40s, commands great respect for the substance and strength of her technique. Like the production as a whole, however, her portrayal lacked emotional impact, notably in the first act, where she wasn’t helped by a piece of casting which gave her a mother looking more like her daughter.

It was the white act that all the special familyprice groups had come for, of course, and a sigh of contentment went right around the massive auditorium at the sight of those Russian length tutus bathed in frosty blue arcs. The programme notes tell us that the Tchaikovsky State Academy Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Perm became the home of the Leningrad Kirov dancers and pupils during the second world war.

When the Kirov went back to Leningrad, Perm was left with the beginnings of a school and company faithful to Kirov principles and techniques. The school must be a good one, because the Wilis and Elean Kamenskaia's Mirta showed us a technical strength and clean finish rarely seen in classical corps work in Australia.

For connoisseurs of technique, the white act by itself would probably justify the price of admission.

The barely adequate orchestra may have been largely repsonsible for the muted impact of the second act, but the production in general had a dull but honest quality which made me wonder why the company should have become, as the programme puts it, “one of the most sought after Continued on page 52.

Irina Kolpakova in Giselle

Elizabeth Riddell

Film

Odd Angry Shot — ignores the awkward fact

John Jarrett, Graham Kennedy, John Hargreaves, Bryan Brown and Graeme Blundell in The Odd Angry Shot.

The Odd Angry Shot, like The Deer Hunter, is about combat that happens to take place in Vietnam, about soldiers being mates with one another and killing other soldiers, boozing, fraternising at the card table, worrying about their women back home, worrying about their tinea and their sexual future, and feeling somewhat dashed when they return to the old home town.

Apart from the fact that a lot more happens in The Deer Hunter — and why not, the budget was bigger — there is a considerable difference in the tone of the dialogue.

The Australians are smart-ass. They never ask a straight question or get a straight answer. The quips fly with the frequency, and are very much of the same quality (not all that bad) of a Graham Kennedy television hour.

Kennedy is the not very secret weapon of The Odd Angry Shot. He has the role of Harry, the somewhat beer-bellied older man, in the army because his wife left him (and not even for another chap, just because she didn’t like him much). He is wise, a lurk-man, chief mate of the mates.

The story begins with the birthday party of Bill a young man just off to the war. He has to cut the cake and make a wish. It is clear that what he wishes is that his girl friend will let him make love to her before he vanishes into the army. Everybody sings Freeza, and that done with he leaves the party and persuades her to a brief roll on the lawn. Next stop, Vietnam, via a Quantas plane. What a way to go to war, say the lads, breaking open the first of several million cans of beer.

From then on it is cards in the huts, rain every day, sorties into the scrub after the Charlies, a casualty every ten minutes or so, and endless jokes, most of them predictable, a lot of them funny, the kind of thing that would make you laugh if you overheard it in a bar.

The soldiers don’t know why they are fighting and they don’t care. But they fear that when they get home the politicians, the vague ever-present “they” will screw them in some way.

This is the film that was to be shown to the Prince of Wales on his recent visit and was suddenly cancelled by a city father. It may have been the monotonous flow of dirty words,

though I don’t for a moment doubt that is the way soldiers talk when communing with each other, the cook, their vehicles, their tinea and their guns. Or it may have been the full frontals under the camp shower. Incidentally, it is amazing how the mates scrubbed up, everyone of them pink and shining like surf lifesavers just out of the showers after a healthy days resuscitation and rescue. Their gleaming healthy faces helped to present the illusion that I was looking at a recruiting film in which the director had gone a bit far, so to speak exceeded his brief.

The mates in this Don’s-party-in-the-paddyfields are well portrayed by Graham Kennedy, John Hargreaves, Bryan Brown, John Jarrett and Graeme Blundell but the object of the exercise was surely not just to show a group of fun-loving Aussies drinking, retailing the odd bush yarn staging a boxing match between a spider and a scorpion and killing a few members of the Viet Cong. There was more to Australian’s presence in Vietnam than that. The rights and wrongs of it split the country down the middle for some years, and it seems a waste of time to make a film about soldiers in Vietnam while ignoring that awkward fact.

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

51

Film

Elizabeth Riddell

FEMFLICKS — some deserve a commercial airing.

Some of the films in the FEMFLICKS programme at the Sydney Filmmakers Cinema deserve a commercial airing, or at least to be seen on television not too late at night. Among them is Jetlag, A Whale o f a Day, Working with Child Care (which I thought would be about day nursery teachers but turned out to be about working parents), and a little piece called High Fidelity, animated fun with Little Nell’s voice singing over.

This is only two minutes long, a simple sexy little highly fluid encounter between a dancing girl and her partner made by Antoinette Starkiewicz. A Whale o f a Day is also short, five minutes of exhilerating filming on a beach directed by Sue Wilson in colour, which turns into a moving plea for the whale. Ms Wilson starts with children on a school outing sandsculpting whales and finishes with live footage of their slaughter.

Jetlag and Working With Child Care, respectively fifteen minutes and twenty minutes, are both by Carolyn Dartnell, who must be regarded as having a significant future as a director (It must be said, incidentally, that there is nothing “overtly femine”, for want of a better phrase, about these ten films. Their collection simply shows that women make films, and some women make good films.)

Jetlag is a fictional film, assured and witty, about a schoolgirl carrying out her fantasys of being one of the “beautiful people”. Her change of role, from tunicked kid to teenage beauty in tight jeans and heavy make-up, is suspensefully carried out in the powder room at an airport — from homework to the jetset, as it were, in five busy minutes. She naturally meets a young man with suitable handluggage who buys her a drink

or two. The only adverse criticism one could make here is that Dartnell telegraphed her punch line a bit too early in the piece.

Working With Child Care was made for the Women’s Trade Union Commission and is a very forthright documentary, though neither preachy nor dull. It is about parents who have to fit their working lives into social patterns which make no allowances. A Turkish woman says, “The boss don’t understand because his wife don’t work.”

An Indonesian migrant father, on the other hand, allowed to be late for work because of a short time lapse between the opening of the nursery and the clocking-in time at the factory. I have never seen a better example of the largelyignored fact that the child centre is as important to industry as the car park.

Another successful documentary is Bake-Off 1978, in which Elizabeth O’Neill goes behind the scenes of the Women's Weekly national cooking contest and manages to send the whole deal up in a good-humored way, reminding me of a piece I once read about the invasion of a “gracious home” by a team of Women’s Weekly staff who wanted four pages of pictures, and a column of text.

In the fictional films, Gillian Leahy’s I Never Saw Him Again is a well-scripted story of a fairly cliche situation — child from the wrong side of the tracks is warned off by a friend’s class­ conscious mother. Australians who like to think they are members of a classless society may be quite surprised at this, though possibly able to ignore its implications on the grounds that O’Neill has set her story in the sixties.

Daro Gunzberg’s The Clown and the Mind Reader is possibly the most ambitious film, with a cast of three, original music from Bruce

Smeaton and a script “elaborated from” a short story by Judith Wright. It was produced with the assistance of the Creative Development branch of the Australian Film Commission, in colour, and runs for twenty two minutes. The actors are Geraldine Turner, Timothy Bean and Rose Lilley as wife, man and female intruder, or other woman.

The film sets out to explore a marriage in which the husband is a clown and the wife a mind-reader, while the intruder is a pretty girl on a beach holiday who is attracted to the man while occupying herself with a boy friend of her own age. The story flashes back to an accident that turned the wife into an invalid and the husband into a bored, frustrated breadwinner.

The question is, how well does the wife read her husband’s mind?

The film has its moments but is confusingly constructed, slow and could have the pejorative adjective “arty” applied to it with some justification.

O p e ra

with even such an experienced conductor as Carlo Felice Cillario unable to maintain ensemble and bring out effectively the major points of the score; and things had deteriorated even further during the week between the premiere and the performance I attended.

But by that St Patrick’s Day matinee the orchestra was playing quite well (if not quite so well as it had played for Bonynge in Traviata the previous night), Lamberto Furlan was fairly well recovered from the throat infection which had badly affected his opening performance, and Joan Carden was a touchingly effective Mimi.

The relationship between the central lovers was touchingly portrayed and well sung, even though traces of Furlan’s affliction still occasionally manifested themselves through hints of strain at the top of his range. Carden, though, was in top form — singing magnificently all afternoon, and conveying a wealth of characterisation.

Dance Continued from page 50. of all Russian Ballet companies”. Certainly they did produce Nadia Pavlova whom we saw and marvelled at during the 1976 Bolshoi tour. But greater justice would be done to the company by evaluating it as a provincial company which, because of its historic link with the Kirov, does a reasonable pastiche of things done in a bigger and better way by its big city idol.

Cynicism has no place in Western Australia’s official 150th anniversary celebrations. But I wondered anew at the gullibility of local audiences coming to see, just because it’s Russian, a company they’d never heard of. I shouldn’t worry, I suppose — when the announcer, in reverential tones, gave us the details of the first half programme and cast, beginning with Galina Shliapina in “The Dying Swan”, the lady behind me said to her friend: “I’m glad they’re doing that. They left it out of the Swan Lake I saw here last year.”

Continued from page 48.

important than fair dinkumness.

Vocally, it was a nice night but not exactly a memorable one. Yvonne Kenny was a very good Leila, Noel Mangin an outstanding Nourabad.

Keith Lewis, while showing considerable talent in the role of Nadir, left me less dramatically moved than Yusef Kayrooz had in Brisbane.

Robert Bickerstaff, as Zurga, held up his corner of the action in all departments with a workmanlike but unmemorable manner.

The Australian Opera’s well broken-in La Boheme — I did not realise till looking through the picture files at the company's Sydney head­ quarters how many Mimis, Rodolfos and lesser Bohemians had been trundled through the production since 1970 — was in quite good form when I saw its matinee at the Melbourne Palais on March 17, less than a week after its first performance of the current season.

Reputedly, the premiere had been pretty bad.

52

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

Alan Hockley (Ron) and Simon Pearce (Danny) in Gillian Leahy’s I Never Saw Him Again.

John McCallum

Books

Australia, Beckett, Bergman and Marowitz The Performing Arts Yearbook of Australia 1977. Showcast

Publications. Rrp. $20.00.

Six Residua Samuel Beckett. John Calder.

Journal of Beckett Studies No.3. John Calder.

A Film Trilogy Ingmar Bergman. Marion Boyars. Rrp. $14.25

or $7.25 paperback.

The M arowitz Shakespeare Charles Marowitz.

The idea of a Performing Arts Year Book o f Australia is undoubtedly a good one (after all, they do that sort of thing in England) but with the 1977 edition it is difficult to see what use it will be to whom. It is basically a list of concerts, ballets, operas and theatrical productions; vaguely linked together by introductory blurbs and decked out with innumerable inadequately captioned photographs. It is easy to follow the work of specific companies, and there is an index of plays for the theatre section, but any other information, such as the work of a particular artist for the year, has to be searched for laboriously throughout the volume. The introductory sections are of inconsistent standard (some are quite good) and many are unsigned in spite of being rather idiosyncratic.

The theatre companies are identified only by name (not even city) and some have introductory histories and some not, with no apparent principle in the selection. It is good to have this information gathered together in one volume, but less glossy presentation and more care taken for users’ needs would vastly improve it.

The remaining books for this month are concerned with higher matters. A critic in the national press recently complained that Australian theatre catered only for his taste for pap and Big Mac hamburgers — the cult now based around the question “Whatever happened to good old Entertainment?” is all very well but is

no more nourishing in the long run than Farex and Big Macs.

Perhaps to counter this one can turn to the short prose of Samuel Beckett. Six Residua brings together six of his most exciting short prose pieces, all “residues of longer works which were either abandoned or condensed”. They all have a very specific “story”: an old man walks out of the house on yet another day and encounters a white horse crossing his path in the distance; a still white figure ends its meaningless existence in a white box, with faint flickers and flashes of meaning; about two hundred people search and climb around in a vast cylinder according to a set of precise rules commonly agreed upon. The pieces also use a great deal of what is usually thought of as rich earthy imagery — of earth, rain, the body — but with an austerity and formal preciseness which is astonishing. These prose pieces have the same perfect formal reflection of Beckett’s ambivalent search for elusive ‘meaning’ which readers will know from his later stage, film and television pieces.

And as if to prove that he is a sincere and wide-ranging artist in these media as well, we have the odd phenomenon of the Journal o f Beckett Studies, number 2 of which was mentioned in this column a few months ago.

Now number 3 demonstrates that what would appear a perfect opportunity for academic selfindulgence is in fact, with some exceptions, a fascinating account for the general reader of the continuing work of one of the giants of serious entertainment in the 20th century. This issue contains an unpublished short piece by Beckett, an interview with Billie Whitelaw about working with Beckett on stage, radio and television, and various reviews of productions, as well as the academic and bibliographical articles.

Reissued is A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman, which contains the scripts of Through A Glass Darkly, The Communicants and The Silence. They read extraordinarily well, being laid out almost as novels, the dialogue interspersed with quite lyrical descriptions. They are, claims Bergman, metaphysical explorations — like Beckett’s pieces. There is a remarkable image at the end of Through A Glass Darkly which almost exactly recalls the whole setting of Beckett’s Imagination Dead Imagine from Six Residua: “It seems as if they were standing in the midst of the sea’s whiteness, with the whiteness of the summer sky above their heads, as if they were shut in beneath a globe of milky glass.

Infinitely tiny in this silent misty whiteness.”

The Marowitz Shakespeare brings us down with a crunch. This is a collection of his collages and variations of Shakespeare. His introduction

attempts to justify the treatment (although, as he says, such work needs none) in terms of constant radical change, in the very assumptions of art, being the only thing which makes an “experience” in the theatre possible — which is surely an extraordinary claim. In spite of his talk of the “message” in each of his collages, he seems preoccupied with change in form for its own sake — or rather for the sake of shaking up his audiences, whom he regards condescendingly as “like the implacable face of the stopped clock that will resist all efforts to be wound to the correct time out of an obsessive desire to maintain the integrity of its broken mechanism.”

So go and see Marowitz, you poor dumb shits.

PLAYHOUSE THEATRE, PERTH, W.A. seeks T.I.E DIRECTOR Imagination, nerve and experience all necessary.

June-July appointment.

A pply in writing to:

Artistic Director 3 Pier Street, Perth, W.A. 6000

THE PERFORMING ARTS BOOKSHOP 232 Castlereagh Street, Sydney. 2000.

Telephone: Patrick Carr [02] 233 1658 THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

53

THEATRE OPERA DANCE

Í A.C.T. CANBERRA THEATRE (49-7600) The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company Iolanthe by W S Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.

14 to 19 May. CHILDERS STREET HALL (47-0781) The Jigsaw Company Wind in the Willows adapted by the company.

1 to 18 May, Monday to Friday.

PLAYHOUSE (49-7600) Marionette Theatre of Australia The Mysterious Potamus A puppet play for children.

5,7,8,9 May. THEATRE 3 (47-4222) Canberra Repertory Music Hall at Eight arranged and directed by Rosemary Hyde. 2-5 May. Tempo Theatre Oh, What a Lovely War by the Joan Littlewood Workshop. 11 May to 2 June Wednesdays to Saturdays.

m HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE (212-3411) Sacred Cows with Reg Livermore; directed by Peter Batey. Until 12 May. Annie, the musical; directed by George Martin with Hayes Gordon, Jill Perryman, Nancye Hayes, Ric Hutton, Anne Grigg and Kevin Johns. From 29 May. KIRRIBILLI PUB THEATRE (92-1415) Kirribilli Hotel, Milson’s Point.

The Vampire Show written and directed by Perry Quinton with Patrick Ward and Laura Gabriel. Saturdays throughout May. MARIAN STREET THEATRE (498-3166) Ten Times Table by Alan Ayckbourn; directed

by Alastair Duncan with Judy Nunn, Phillip Hinton and Tom McCarthy. Until 12 May. Fanny, the musical; directed by Alastair Duncan. From 16 May. MUSIC HALL THEATRE RESTAURANT (909-8222) Lost to the Devil written and directed by Stanley Walsh with Ron Haddrick, Alan Wilson and Karen Johnson. Throughout May.

For entries contact Marguerite Wells on 49-3192.

MUSIC LOFT THEATRE (977-6585) On Together written by Hilary Bamberger et al; directed by William Orr with Lee Young and Ann Emery. Throughout May.

NEW SOUTH WALES

NEW THEATRE (519-3403) Richard’s Cork Leg by Behan; directed by John Armstrong with Stan Ashmore-Smith, Janice Nary, Jon Williams, Paul Quinn and Betty Milliss. Throughout May on Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

NIMROD THEATRE (699-5003) Upstairs: The Sea by Edward Bond; directed by Richard Wherrett; with John Bell, Ruth Cracknell, Debbie Baile, Maggie Dence, Julie Hudspeth, Andrew James and Robert van Mackelenberg. Commences 8 May. Downstairs: American Buffalo by David Mamet; directed by Peter Barclay with Graham Rouse, Stanley Walsh and Brandon Burke.

From 16 May.

ACTORS COMPANY (660-2503) Othello by Shakespeare; directed by David Goddard with Monroe Reimers, Lisa Peers, James Jablonski and Kathryn Thompson.

Until 5 May with possible extension.

ARTS COUNCIL OF NEW SOUTH WALES (357-6611) Ballet Malambo Latino, Argentinian dancers.

Touring throughout the State and at Elizabethan Theatre, Newtown, 10, 12 & 13 May. LES CURRIE PRESENTATIONS (358-5676) Mike Jackson traditional bush music. Touring infant, primary and secondary schools in Sydney Metropolitan area.

ENSEMBLE THEATRE (929-8877) Rain by Somerset Maugham; directed by Jon Ewing with Helen Morse, Brian Young, Judy Ferris and Norman Kaye. Throughout May. FRANK STRAIN’S BULL N ’ BUSH THEATRE RESTAURANT (357-4627) Thanks fo r the Memory a musical review from the turn of the century to today with Noel Brophy, Barbara Wyndon, Garth Meade, Neil Bryant and Helen Lorain; directed by George Carden. Throughout May. FREEWHEELS TIE COMPANY (049 21363) The Right Thing To Do by Peter Matheson; Director, Brent McGregor; with Rosalind Hill, Susan Ramadan, Jason Wheatley. Playing in High Schools in Newcastle and the Hunter Region.

Quack by Peter Matheson and the Company.

Primary Schools. Vacation youth theatre workshop 7-12 May. GENESIAN THEATRE (827-3023) Tritus Andronicus by Shakespeare; directed by Margaret Rieneck with Peter Ryan, Dennis Allen, Peter Hickey, Gaynor Mitchell and Pat East. Commences 3 May. Performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

54

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

ORANGE CIVIC THEATRE (063-62-1555) The Jigsaw Company Wind in the Willows adapted by the company 24,25 May. PLAYERS THEATRE COMPANY (30-7211) Bondi Pavilion Theatre Spider’s Web by Agatha Christie; directed by Graham Correy with Tina Grenville, Ken Fraser, Joe James, Kenneth Laird and Kay Taylor. Expected to run throughout May. 269 PLAYHOUSE (929-6804) A n Evening with Margaret Rutherford with Tracey Lee; directed by John Howitt. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout May. Belong, along, alonga children’s musical by Rome Warrin with 680 Players directed by John Howitt. Saturdays throughout May. Q THEATRE (047-21-5735) The Good Soldier Schweik by Jaroslav Hasek.

At Penrith until 6 May; Parramatta 9-13 May and Bankstown 16-19 May. The Father by Strindberg commences 30 May, Penrith.

REGENT THEATRE (61 -6967) Danny La Rue female impersonator. Until 19 May.

D’Oyly Carte Company in H M S Pinafore by Gilbert & Sullivan. From 21-26 May and The Mikado by G & S from 28 May. RIVERINA TRUCKING COMPANY (069-25-2052) Old Campus Theatre, Wagga.

Dusa, Fish, Stas and Vi by Pam Gems. From 1127 May. ROCKS PLAYERS (358-6780/328-7638) 153 Bridge Road, Glebe.

Pinter Festival (The Birthday Party, The Home­ coming and Old Times) directed by Barry Hayes, Tony Barclay and Bill Pepper.

Until 5 May with possible extension.

SEYMOUR CENTRE (692-0555) York Theatre: Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare.

Nimrod production directed by John Bell; with Mel Gibson, Angela Punch, Drew Forsythe and Kerry Walker. Until 12 May. A Manual o f Trench Warfare by Clem Gorman.

State Theatre Company of SA production; directed by Colin George; with Colin Frields, Edwin Rodgeman, Patrick Frost, Wayne Jarratt and Neil Fitzpatrick. From 31 May. Everest Theatre: Nola Rae, mime artist from 7 to 12 May. Downstairs: Occupations by Trevor Griffiths.

Sydney University Dramatic Society production, directed by Neil Arnfield. Until 5 May. Production devised by City Road Youth Theatre; director Mark Radvan. From 7-12 May. SPEAKEASY THEATRE RESTAURANT (662-7442) Four on the Floor written by Ron Blanchard and Michael Boddy. Directed by Michael Boddy; with Anne Semmler, Gordon Poole and Ron Blanchard. Throughout May. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE (20588) Opera Theatre: The Australian Ballet in Coppelia choreographed by Peggy van Praagh.

Until 7 May. Les Sylphides choreographed by Fokine, Las Hermanas choreographed by Kenneth Macmillan and The Concert choreo­ graphed by Jerome Robbins from 10-30 May. Drama Theatre: Philippe Genty, theatre of animation until 19 May. Q Theatre production for the Sydney Theatre Company of The Devil’s Disciple by Shaw directed by Doreen Warburton. From 25 May. THEATRE ROYAL (231-6111) Deathtrap by Ira Levin; directed by Michael Blakemore; with Dennis Olsen and Robyn Nevin. Until 19 May. Once a Catholic by Mary O’Malley. A Melbourne Theatre Company production. From 22 May. For entries contact Carole Long on 357-1200.

Theatre Australia Binders and T-Shirts Now Available!

Guide NORTHERN TERRITORY

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

BROWN’S MART Old Times by Harold Pinter. Director, Robert Kimber. 28 Apri-12 May.

AUSTRALIAN DANCE THEATRE The Space Filthy Children. 17-19 May. Come Out Festival at the Balcony Theatre, Come Make a Dance. 7-11 May.

For entries contact Brown’s Mart 089-81-5522.

QUEENSLAND_________ ARTS THEATRE (36-2344) A ll fo r Mary by Kay Bannerman and Harold Brooke. Director, Margaret Brown.

3 May - 9 Jun. BRISBANE ACTORS’ COMPANY (52-7843) Macbeth by William Shakespeare. At Twelfth Night Theatre. Director, Jane Atkins; with David Clendinning, Jennifer Flowers, Michael McCaffrey, Kay Stephenson. Closes 5 May. CHILDREN’S THEATRE Peter Pan devised and directed by Jason Savage.

7-19 May. Raggedyanne by Jay McKee and Jan Bates.

Director, Jay McKee. Opens 26 May. HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE (221-2777) Maid o f the Mountains. Queensland Light Opera Company. Closes 5 May. The Kingfisher by William Douglas Home.

Director, George Ogilve; with Googie Withers, John McCallum and Frank Thring. 7-15 May. Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti. Queensland Opera Company. Director, John Milson; Design, James Ridewood; Conductor, Graeme Young. Queensland Theatre Orchestra. Opens 30 May. LA BOITE (36-1622) Visions by Louis Nowra. Director, John Milson; Designer, Luigi Forzin. Closes 19 May. LES CURRIE PRESENTATIONS (277-4184) Noddy Comes to Town written and directed by Garry R Ginivan. At the Rialto, West End. Musical director, Carolyn Thompson; with Kym Goldsworthy and Kevin Manser. 30 Apr-19 May. QUEENSLAND ARTS COUNCIL (221-5900) Mike McClellan and Geraldine Doyle in Concert at Her Majesty’s Theatre. 20 May. Jan Carter, classical guitarist. On tour.

Jack Glatzer, violinist. On tour.

Who’ll Come A ’ Flying by Douglas Hedge.

Queensland Theatre Company. Secondary schools tour.

I Know the Type by Lloyd Nickson, Whatsis name, poetry and music programme, Queens­ land Theatre Company school tour.

QUEENSLAND BALLET COMPANY (229-3355) SGIO Theatre La Ventana.

Choreography, August Bournonville; Design, James Ridewood.

Clowns. Choreography, Don Asken.

Dance Space II. Choreography, Harold Collins; Queentisements: Pas de deux from Spartacus, Pas de trois from Swan Lake. 15-19 May. The Nutcracker. Choreographer, Ivanov; Design, Max Hurley. On tour 28 May-21 July.

QUEENSLAND THEATRE COMPANY (221-5177) Hedda Gabler by Henrick Ibsen. Director, Alan Edwards; Design, Peter Cooke; starring Pat Bishop. Closes 12 May. THE TWELFTH NIGHT COMPANY (52-7843/52-5888) Happy End by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill.

Director, John Milson; Design, Mike Bridges.

18 May - 9 Jun. For entries contact Don Batchelor on 269-3018.

Q THEATRE Gigi by Anita and Collette Loos. To 12 May. Blythe Spirit by Noel Coward. Wed-Sat 26 May 23 Jun. SHERIDAN THEATRE (267-3751) Treats by Christopher Hampton. Adelaide Theatre Group directed by Brian Debnam. WedSat 9-26 May. STATE THEATRE COMPANY (51-5151) The Playhouse Shaughraun by Dion Boucicault; Director, Colin George. 28 Apr -19 May. STATE OPERA The Opera Theatre The Secret Marriage by Cimarosa. 2-12 May. Come Out Festival Lets Make an Opera by Benjamin Britten. 8,9,10 May. TROUPE Red Shed Theatre Cry A ll You Want To a programme of two plays. Director, Keith Gallasch. Eva Peron by Copi and Mrs Thally F by John Romeril. ThurSun 26 Apr -13 May. UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE THEATRE GUILD Little Theatre Come Out Festival: Running A way by Michael Cove. Director, June Barnes. 10.30am 14-18 May. I Suppose I ’d Better by Michael Cove. Director, Geoff Crowhurst. 2.30pm 14-18 May. For entries contact Edwin R elf on 223-8610.

TASMANIA POLYGON THEATRE (23-6959) Tom Jones devised and directed by Don Gray.

At Buffins Restaurant, Battery Point. Musical director, Bruce Cornelius. 4,5,18,19 May. TASMANIAN PUPPET THEATRE (23-7531) Rubb a dub dub at the Warehouse Theatre.

Director, Peter Wilson. 21-25 May. K idstuff written and directed by Peter Wilson.

At the Launceston Teachers Centre. Music, JohnShortis. 28-31 May. THEATRE ROYAL (34-6266) University Review Old Nick Company. 4-19 May. The Secret Marriage with the South Australian Opera Company. 23 May - 2 Jun. For entries contact the editorial office on (049)67-4470.

VICTORIA ACTORS THEATRE (429-1630) Twin Co-Stars — Now you know Vaudeville’s dead. Midnight Fri and Sat.

why

ALEXANDER THEATRE (543-2828) Guys and Dolls Cheltenham Light Opera Company. 4-19 May. ARENA THEATRE (24-9667/24-1937) Seascape by Edward Albee; Company One. Designed and directed by Peter Tulloch.

Touring upper secondary schools.

He Who Would Say "Yes” or "No” based on

ideas of Bertolt Brecht. Company One. Devised, designed and directed by Peter Charlton.

Winners by Brian Friel; Company Two. Designed and directed by Peter Tulloch.

Touring lower secondary schools.

Paul Palmer and his Fight against the Universal by Ernie Gray; Company Two. Designed and directed by Peter Charlton.

Touring lower secondary schools.

Tindall’s Quest by Stephen Walker; SCAT, Suitcase Activity Theatre.

ARTS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA (529-4355) Alexander Theatre Five Funny Folk Tales with Franciscus Hemi singing Hans Christian Anderson songs; Director Don Mackay.

AUSTRALIAN PERFORMING GROUP Pram Factory (347-7133) Traitors by Steve Sendell; Director, Kerry Dwyer. Front Theatre.

Concerning Poor BB, with Beverley Blankenship; 1 May, return season at the Back Theatre.

The Outstanding Optissimos Back Theatre.

Opens 8 May. COMEDY THEATRE (663-4993) Bedroom Farce by Alan Ayckbourn; Director, Peter Williams.

COMIC THEATRE OF ILLUSION MUSHROOM TROUPE (Bass 639-9111) Director, Michael Wansborough; Touring tye community, appearing at St Martins Theatre.

FLYING TRAPEZE CAFE (41-3727) Mercedes Bent. Director, R Kerle.

GAY NINETIES MUSIC HALL, Geelong.

Friday and Saturday nights.

HOOPLA THEATRE FOUNDATION (63-7643) Playbox Theatre: Gentlemen Only by Eve Merriam; Director, Graeme Blundell.

No M an’s Land by Harold Pinter; Director, Graeme Blundell. 18 May - 9 Jun. Antigone by Sophocles; Directed by Murray Copland. Daytime production 10.30am and 1.15pm.

Upstairs Theatre: Notes From an Old M an’s Diary from a story by Anton Chekov, adapted by Malcom Robertson and Scott Ramsay; Director, Scott Ramsay.

Opens 30 May. Bertolt Brecht Leaves Los Angeles by Roger Pulvers; Director, Malcom Robertson; Music, Felix Werder.

HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE (663-3211) Annie directed by George and Ethel Martin; Starring Hayes Gordon and Jill Perryman.

Continuing.

LAST LAUGH THEATRE RESTAURANT (419-6226) Tricks to 12 May. The Circus from 17 May. LA MAMA (350-4593/347-6085) Out o f Our Father’s House directed by Peter Rose. To 13 May. Two Tigers by Brian McNeill; Director, Robert Chuter. An Everyman Theatre Collective Production. 17 May - 3 Jun. MELBOURNE THEATRE COMPANY (654-4000) Russell St Theatre: Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka; Nimrod Theatre production. Adapted, directed and designed by Steven Berkoff. Closes 12 May. The Club by David Williamson; return season directed by Simon Chilvers. Opens 15 May. Athenaeum Theatre: THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

55

Guide Macbeth by William Shakespeare; Director, John Sumner. To 5 May. Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw; Director, Ray Lawler.

NATIONAL THEATRE Man o f La Mancha by Dale Wasserman; Festival Theatre Company. 11-19 May. THE MILL PEFORMING GROUP (052-21-1444) Drama Centre of Deakin University. Regular Evening Productions.

PALAIS THEATRE (94-0655) The Girl o f the Golden West by Puccini and The Mastersingers o f Nuremberg by Wagner, in repertory; The Australian Opera Company.

PILGRIM PUPPET THEATRE (818-6650) Peter Pan by J M Barrie; Adapted and directed

by Graeme Bent.

POLYGLOT PUPPETS (818-1512) Touring schools and community centres.

PRINCESS THEATRE (662-2911) The Triumph o f Honour by Scarlatti. Australian Opera Company.

THESPIA’S PRIZE CROSSWORD No. 11 N a m e ............................................................................

VICTORIAN STATE OPERA (41-5061) Elixir o f Love at the Mildura Arts Centre Theatre. 3,4,5 May. Twice Upon a Time Two Grimm’s fairy tales adapted by Peter Narroway.

Touring metropolitan and country areas.

Address..........................................................................

For entries contact Les Cartwright on 781-1777.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA CIVIC THEATRE RESTAURANT (272-1595) The Five Past 79 Show. Director, Max Kay. Continuing.

HAYMAN THEATRE (350-7026) The Crucible by Arthur Miller; Director, Tony Nicholls. 1-5, 9-12 May. THE HOLE IN THE WALL (381-2403) City Sugar by Stephen Poliakoff; Director, Colin McColl. 18 Apr - 19 May. Well Hung by Robert Lord; Director, Colin McColl. 24 May - 23 Jun. NATIONAL THEATRE (325-3500) A t the Playhouse

Something’s A foot by James McDonald, David Vos and Robert Gerlack; Director, Edgar Metcalfe. 3 May - 2 Jun. Three Sisters by Anton Chekov; Director, Stephen Barry. 7 Jun - 23 Jun.

Next Month B R E C H T ISSUE Exclusive articles by tw o of the w orld’s leading B recht experts Jo h n W illett an d M artin Esslin.

Reviews: O pera, T h eatre, Ballet, Film , an d lots m ore.

S U B S C R IP TIO N RATES A u s tra lia : $18.00 Post Free for twelve issues.

THE OCTAGON THEATRE (367-5555) Interstar Company: Statements by Athol Fugard. From 8 May.

Give a gift subscription — and SAVE! $32.00 for two subscriptions.

THE REGAL (381-1557) Bedroom Farce by Alan Ayckburn; Director, Peter Williams. From 12 Jun.

O ve rs ea s:

WA ARTS COUNCIL Touring Programme; WA Ballet Company on South-West tour.

Lloyd Noble, Puppeteer Primary and secondary schools.

WA BALLET COMPANY (335-6188) The Concert Hall: K AL based on a liberetto by Elizabeth Backhouse; Music, Verdun Williams; choreography, Garth Welch. 29 Jun - 7 Jul. WA OPERA COMPANY (328 431 1) The Beggars Opera by Benjamin Britten; Conductor, Alan Abbott. Country tour.

For entries contact Joan Ambrose on 299-6639.

56

THEATRE AUSTRALIA MAY 1979

S u rfa c e m all By air

AS25.00

New Zealand. New Guinea AS45.00 U K., U.S.A., Germany, Greece. Italy A$50.00 All other countries A$70.00

Across: 7. 23 Reserve little animals for avid readers (4,5) 8. Tune played by the in-sea pool (9) 9. “... o just, subtle and mighty - (Thomas de Quincey) (5) 10. Offering soft spirit, broken ... (9) 12. Syd, when huge, troubled the actress (5,6) 16. King caught up in terrible argument (4) 17. Monster has some bread after the meal (5) 18. God sounds as if he’s getting warmer! (4) 19. Actress I trapped between the ripper and the webster (5,6) 22. Excessively court business graduate in the Darling Downs (9) 24. “... she comes / in shape no bigger than an — -stone” (Romeo and Juliet) (5) 25. Infection spreading in at Congo (9) 26. Animals made of wax (5) Down: 1. Pelts come out for finishes (9) 2. Burns MS so ruled (9) 3. 100 to 1 it’s a solid! (4) 4. Puck’s honest chaps? (4,7) 5. Wait awhile and you’ll get covered in pitch (5) 6. Employing short exclamation of horror about bad deed (5) 11. Gossip and sweetmeats aboard a jazzy train, we hear (11) 13. Note stone in clown’s make-up (5) 14. Bostonian of unsavoury habits? (9) 15. Get in first and plant trees everywhere (9) 20. There’s nothing in the forenoon to indicate an idiot (5) 23. Swipes at South-eastern temples (5)

E' D G £ « £ £ The first correct entry Y a m k ■«M xM ai T t m a l ì p p o drawn on May 25th will ! ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ - ■ : ■ receive one year’s free ; ft e F subscription to TA.

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Bank drafts in Australian currency should be forwarded to Theatre Publications Ltd.. 80 Elizabeth Street, Mayfield. N.S.W. 2304.

Australia.

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S f\ C K< Last month’s answers.

H fi R D S H / P • M H I î M'j M p M ÎI ■¿■oM s t ^ l s l 'v l oU Last month’s winner was E S T U i M P U D E /V T Mr P J Fay, Parramatta, m m cU E um cu NSW. î P ‘J D v £ z