Little Emperors (2017) Program

LITTLE EMPERORS 小皇帝 9 – 26 FEB 2 月 9 日至 26 日

9 – 26 FEB BECKETT THEATRE WRITTEN BY / Lachlan Philpott

AV PROGRAMMER / Andre Vanderwert

DIRECTION / Wang Chong

STAGE MANAGER / Harriet Gregory

CAST / Diana (Xiaojie) Lin Liam Maguire Alice Qin Yuchen Wang

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER / Matilda Woodroofe

DRAMATURGY / Mark Pritchard SET & COSTUME DESIGN / Romanie Harper LIGHTING DESIGN & AV CONSULTANT/ Emma Valente

SCRIPT TRANSLATION / Hongyi Tian SURTITLES / Felix Ching Ching Ho CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT TEAM / Bernard Sam Kim Ko

SOUND DESIGN / James Paul

A Malthouse Theatre production presented in association with Asia TOPA: Asia Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts, and supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. With producing support from Ping Pong Productions.

Little Emperors is supported by the Sidney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne for Asia TOPA. Asia TOPA is a joint initiative of the Sidney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne and is supported by the Australian and Victorian Governments.

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A NOTE FROM THE WRITER

LACHLAN PHILPOTT: WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CHINA? I felt privileged when Matthew Lutton called me in early 2016, to ask whether I would be interested in collaborating with Beijing-based director Wang Chong to make a new piece for Asia TOPA. I agreed without hesitation. The guidelines were that Chong and I would work together and come up with a piece about the connection between China and Australia, using up to four actors and appealing to both English and Mandarin speaking audiences.

I have had a long fascination with only children and have always had questions about China’s One Child Policy. So when Chong and I met in Melbourne in late January 2016, I suggested we make a play that explored the impact of humanity’s largest social and demographic experiment. I was surprised that Chong was not very interested in this at first.

It was then that the terror set in.

It came in the form of questions that chanted like tubby monks inside my head. What do you know about China? How can you come to understand this country’s complex history, culture and humanity and get a play written in three months? How do you write for a Mandarin audience when all you can say is Ni Hao? How do you collaborate with somebody you have never met to make a piece that has something to say?

However, I have since become acutely aware of the difference between looking at something from the outside and seeing something from within. Without speaking for Chong, who himself is a product of this policy, it seems no one had ever suggested an examination of the affect the policy had on him or on China more generally. Perhaps at first I bullied Chong into focusing on this aspect of Chinese culture, but it soon became evident that the One Child Policy has impacted so

The first thing I did was accept that I knew very little. You can’t do a PhD on China in six weeks, as much as you can’t pretend to have lived there if you’ve only visited once. But there is a lot of information on offer. I gave myself a couple of weeks to read as

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much as I could, and met with people who knew more about China than me [it was a long list].

Malthouse Theatre also generously flew me to Beijing to work with Chong and to meet as many people as I could there. What a rich and eye-opening experience that was.

A NOTE FROM THE WRITER

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many Chinese people so significantly, that there are enough stories to create tens of thousands of plays.

And in the end of course I know a lot more about China, but it is still absolutely nothing.

I have found this project rewarding because it has been a unique hunt for the truth. I have found Chong’s perspective and approach refreshing and when I look back on the places I have found myself to research and create this work, it makes me laugh. I found myself carrying a cat in a banana box in Beijing and then chasing it with Chong when it slid out a hole in the top. I was chastised by a girl named Minki for my terrible pronunciation of every word at Mandarin classes at Macquarie Mandarin. I sat in freezing cold Cathay Theatre rehearsals watching actors rehearse under the slightly terrifying gaze of doyenne director Wang Hui-Li, playing their role on stage in Mandarin and then switching to English in order to pick up what they were telling me in whispers before.

This has been a rewarding collaboration and I feel lucky to have worked with a very intelligent team led by Wang Chong and Mark Pritchard. I thank them both for their brilliance as well the translator Hongyi Tian and the entire production and Malthouse Theatre team. Sincere thanks to all the people who agreed to trust me with their own personal stories.

I particularly want to thank the generous souls at Cathay Theatre in Ashfield Sydney, who allowed me to interrupt their rehearsals week after week to ask them questions about their lives.

In addition, I would like to thank the following people for their contribution to the research and development of the script: Felix Ching Ching Ho, Will Dao, Jane FitzGerald, Alison M. Friedman, Ross Gannon, Jane Golley, Mengtong Guan, Hannah Jiang Lee, Gisele Joly, Kim Ko, Xiao [Alan] Li, Matthew Lutton, Liam Maguire, Alice Qin, Alice Muhling, Sarah Neal, Bernard Sam Mun-Kin, Miranda Shao, George Spender, Elizabeth Troyeur, Zhaohui Wang, Susan Young, Shuang Zou and the people who generously shared their stories and experiences.

I was lucky to have many passionate conversations with children of the One Child Policy: people in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Sydney and Melbourne.

I relished the opportunity to become invisible and focus on telling the stories of people whose lives are too rarely seen on stage in Australia or anywhere else.

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编剧的话

2016 年年初，麦特·拉顿 (Matthew Lutton) 找到我，问我是否有兴趣和来 自北京的导演王翀合作，为亚太表演 艺术三年展 (Asia TOPA) 做一部新戏。 我倍感殊荣，立马答应下来。这部新 戏需要与中国和澳大利亚两国之间的 联系有关，最多可以使用四名演员， 且要对英语、汉语观众都有吸引力。

我 一 直以来都对独生子女与中国的 计 划 生育政策很好奇。2016 年一月 底 我 和王翀在墨尔本第一次见面的 时 候 ，我向他提议，就做一部关于 这 个 人类历史上最大规模社会、人 口 实 验的戏。但是王翀一开始似乎 对 我 的想法不太感冒，这有点出乎 我 的 意料。

这个 时 候 我 才 感到 恐 惧 袭 来 。 这 种 恐惧 在 我 脑 海 中， 僧 人 唱 诵 般 地 把 一大 堆 问 题 摆 在我 眼 前 ： 你 对 中 国了 解 多 少 ？ 你怎 么 可 能 在 短 短 三 个月 内 就 了 解 一个 文 明 古 国 的 复 杂 历史 和 文 化 脉 络， 还 能 写 一 部 戏 出 来？ 你 自 己 除 了“ 你 好 ” 之 外 一 句 汉语 都 不 会 ， 怎么 写 一 部 汉 语 观 众 能看 懂 的 戏 呢 ？你 怎 么 可 能 和 一 个 面都 没 见 过 的 人合 作 ， 做 出 一 部 有 点意 义 的 作 品 呢？

在 那 之后我才明白，从一件事的内 部 与 外部进行观察，经常会得出截 然 不 同的结论。虽然王翀本人也是 在 计 划生育政策之下出生的，但在 我 当 时看来还从没有人对这项政策 对 他 ，对全中国所产生的影响进行 过 仔 细研究。一开始我是有点“绑 架 “ 着王翀，强迫他把注意力集中 在 这 一点上，但很快我就意识到， 计 划 生育政策对这个国家所产生的 深 远 影响已经蕴含着不计其数的故 事 ， 就算是要写一百、一千部戏也 绰 绰 有余。

我做 的 第 一 件 事就 是 接 受 事 实 ： 我的 确 对 中 国 知之 甚 少 。 你 不 可 能 在六 周 之 内 读 完一 个 关 于 中 国 的 博 士学 位 ， 同 样 的道 理 ， 你 去 过 中 国一 趟 和 长 期 在那 里 生 活 过 是 两 码 事。 不 过 话 说 回来 ， 我 还 是 找 到 了 大把 可 供 参 考 和研 究 的 资 料 。 我 给 了自 己 几 周 时 间， 尽 可 能 多 地 阅 读 跟中 国 有 关 的 一切 ， 向 比 我 更 了 解 中国 的 人 请 教 （人 多 了 去 了 ） 。 同 时， 酿酒厂 剧 院 也 很 慷 慨 地 让 我 飞 去北 京 和 王 翀 一起 工 作 ， 结识 了 许 多 人 ，真 是 一 次 让 我 眼 界 大开 的 旅 程 。

这 部 戏的筹备过程让我受益很多， 因 为 它本身就是一个独特的、追寻 真 相 的过程。王翀的创作视角与 手 法 都很新颖，而且当我回想起搜 集 资 料过程中去过的那些地方时， 自 己 都会忍不住笑起来。我记得自 己 在 北京用纸箱子装着一只猫，后 来 猫 从箱子上的洞溜走了我和王翀 就 在 大街上追猫。我记得自己因为 糟 糕 的发音在麦考瑞大学的汉语课 上 被 一个叫 Mi nki 的女孩厉声训 斥 。 我还记得自己坐在冷得出奇的

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拉克兰·菲尔波特: 你对中国了解多少？

编剧的话

华轩 剧 社 (Cathay Theatre)， 看 着 演员 们 在 老 前 辈 王 惠 莉 导 演 冷 峻 逼 人的 注 视 下 排 练 ， 他 们 在 台 上 先 用 汉语 ， 然 后 再 换 成 英 语 ， 好 继 续 之 前和 我 的 悄 悄 话 。

皇 帝 》 剧 本的发展、写作做出贡 献 的 人 们 ：Felix Ching Ching Ho, Will Dao, Jane FitzGerald, Alison M. Friedman, Ross Gannon, Jane Golley, Mengtong Guan, Hannah Jiang Lee, Gisele Joly, Kim Ko, Xiao [Alan] Li, Matthew Lutton, Liam Maguire, Alice Qin, Alice Muhling, Sarah Neal, Bernard Sam Mun-Kin, Miranda Shao, George Spender, Elizabeth Troyeur, Zhaohui Wang, Susan Young, Shuang Zou, 以 及所有对我敞开心扉，分享 自 己 故 事的人们。

我很 幸 运 能 与 很 多 来 自 中 国 、 新 加 坡、 香 港 、 旧 金 山 、 悉 尼 以 及 墨 尔 本的 ， 在 计 划 生 育 政 策 下 出 生 的 人 有过 热 烈 的 谈 话 。 我 十 分 珍 惜 这 个 机会 ， 尽 量 让 自 己 隐 藏 在 这 些 人 的 故事 背 后 ， 他 们 的 故 事 不 论 是 在 澳 大利 亚 还 是 在 世 界 其 他 地 方 ， 都 很 少能 被 人 看 到 。

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在这 个 过 程 结 束 的 时 候 ， 我 对 中 国 的了 解 当 然 已 经 大 有 增 加 ， 但 仍 旧 是太 微 不 足 道 了 。 这是 一 次 颇 有 成 果 的 合 作 ， 我 也 很 高兴 能 有 机 会 与 王 翀 和 马 克 · 普 利 查德 (Mark Pritchard) 带 领 的 创 作 团队 合 作 。 我 要 感 谢 王 翀 和 马 克 的 杰出 工 作 ， 也 要 感 谢 剧 本 翻 译 田 弘 毅以 及 酿 酒 厂 剧 院 的 全 体 团 队 。 我还 要 感 谢 那 些 向 我 讲 述 自 己 故 事 的人 们 ， 尤 其 是 悉 尼 华 轩 剧 社 的 艺 术家 们 ， 是 他 们 不 厌 其 烦 地 让 我 打 断排 练 ， 提 出 各 种 问 题 。 此外 ， 我 还 要 感 谢 以 下 对 《 小

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A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR

WANG CHONG: EMBARRASSMENT 王翀:尴尬 Directing Little Emperors is an embarrassing experience. It’s embarrassing not because they put my handsome photo on the poster, but because I found myself on every page in the play, exposed completely.

I am the son Kevin, who forgets his mother’s birthday but always has his own remembered and celebrated by others; I am the daughter Huishan, who is in her 30s and still lives with her mother; I am the mother too, who blinds herself and can’t easily enjoy life.

我 估 计，上亿的中国人看了《小皇 帝 》 都会觉得尴尬，因为这就是中 国 独 生子女的现实。面对自己难， 改 变 自己则难于上青天。他们有没 有 足 够的智慧和勇气，改变自己？ 我 们 有没有足够的智慧和勇气，改 变 自 己？

This play must be embarrassing for millions of Chinese children born during the One Child Policy, as the family drama is a magnifying glass to look at the whole generation. Facing one’s self is never easy. Changing one’s self is much more challenging. Are the characters wise and brave enough to change? Am I?

独 生 子女政策终于在2016年寿终 正 寝 了。今天，我们在这里看看过 去 ， 也看看未来。

The One Child Policy officially ended in 2016. It’s the crucial moment to look back and look beyond.

真 该 好好看看。 感 谢 优秀的团队和向我们提供无私 帮 助 的朋友们。还要特别感谢我的 父 母 王志刚和孙恪凰，他们在北京 的 婚 姻市场照了很多照片，成为了 舞 台 上的景观。但愿他们没有顺手 把 我 的信息也发到市场里！

Let’s look.

Besides thanking all the great team members and people who offered generous help in the process, I have to give special thanks to my parents, Sun Kehuang and Wang Zhigang.

They went to a marriage market in Beijing and took photos for the set design. Who knows if they also conveniently posted my information.

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《 小 皇帝》这个戏很难导，因为它 太 让 我尴尬了！我尴尬的倒不是我 的 帅 照出现在了海报上，而是因 为 角 色一个个儿都跟我太像了。我 像 凯 文，因为我也会忘记妈妈的生 日 ， 但她却不会忘记给我庆祝；我 像 卉 珊，因为我也三十多了还住在 家 里 ；我还像妈妈，因为我总是自 欺 欺 人、话痨、无端焦虑。

CAST & CREATIVE BIOS

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Lachlan Philpott WRITER

Wang Chong DIRECTOR

Diana (Xiaojie) Lin CAST

Little Emperors is Lachlan’s first play at Malthouse Theatre.

He is currently writing new work for The American Conservatory Theatre (San Francisco), La ComédieFrançaise (Paris), Outburst and TheatreofplucK (Belfast), Merrigong Theatre (Wollongong), The Croatian National Theatre (Rijeka), The Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh) and Dirty Films. His other plays include Bison, Bustown, Colder (R.E Ross Trust Award), Lake Disappointment, M.ROCK, promiscuous/cities, Silent Disco (Winner Griffin Award for Outstanding New Australian play, Winner GAP Competition Aurora Theatre Co. USA, Winner best stage play, Australian Writers Guild Awards), Truck Stop (Winner Best Play, Young Audiences Australian Writer’s Guild Awards) and The Trouble with Harry. His work is published

by Currency and PlayLab in Australia and Oberon in the UK. Lachlan was the inaugural Australian Professional Playwright Fulbright Scholar and Chair of the Australian Writer’s Guild Playwrights’ Committee between 2012 and 2015. He is currently in residence at Cité des Arts Internationale Paris.

Wang Chong is a renowned experimental theatre maker, known for his exploration of politically subversive ideas in China and abroad. Founder of the world-renowned Théâtre du Rêve Expérimental, Chong’s work is characterised by radical interpretations of classic Western plays and the use of cutting-edge digital technology. Works include Thunderstorm 2.0, listed by Beijing News as ‘One of the 10 best small theatre works in China during the last 30 years’; Ibsen in One Take, noted

by Literary Life Weekly as ‘Top 10 performances of 2012 in China’. His work The Warfare of Landmine 2.0 won the 2013 Festival/Tokyo Award; his latest work, Lu Xun, is noted by The Beijing News as the Best Chinese Performance of Year 2016. Wang Chong was 2013 Asian Cultural Council Fellow.

Diana (Xiaojie) Lin graduated from Harbin Peking Opera School and Shanghai Theatre Academy. Leading film works in China include: Ren Sheng Mei You Dan Xing Dao, Nv Ren De Gu Shi, Xing Fu Bu Shi Mao Mao Yu, Xiang Min, Jing Guan Yu Zhen Tan, Feng Liu Jing Cha Wang Ming Fei and Shang Jie. Diana’s Australian film, TV and theatre credits include: Australia Day (Hoodlum & FOXTEL), The Family Law (Matchbox Pictures & SBS), Under The SkinThe Long Ride (SBS), Naked: Stories Of Men-Ghost Story (ABC) and Black Eyes (Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney).

Diana was awarded the China Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress for Xiang Min and was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Leading Actress in TV Miniseries for her work in Under The Skin–The Long Ride.

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Liam Maguire CAST

Alice Qin CAST

Yuchen Wang CAST

Growing up in the suburbs of Melbourne, Liam landed his first television role at 15 as ‘JJ’ in the Channel Nine children’s series Snake Tales. He later appeared as lead guest roles in Channel 7’s City Homicide and ABC’s Dead Gorgeous, as well as ‘Moritz’ in Melbourne’s premiere of Spring Awakening.

Since graduating from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2014, Liam has been involved in a variety of theatre, screen and voice-over work.

Including The Wonderful World Of Dissocia (STAGE: The Kings Collective, 2015) & numerous performances with Giant Dwarf Theatre due to the success of his comedy trio, Ridgey-Didge, in Sydney’s annual Cranston Cup. Little Emperors is Liam’s debut performance on the Malthouse Theatre stage, after being involved in its development in 2016.

This is Alice Qin’s Malthouse Theatre and Australian stage debut. She was previously based in New York, with credits including Romeo and Juliet, Richard II, Love’s Labour’s Lost (all with Hamlet Isn’t Dead, 2015), Is It Already Dusk? (Harold Clurman Laboratory Theatre Company/Irondale, 2013).

Alice has been nominated for Best Actress at the As iFF All Shorts Festival for her work in the short film, To Die or To Dream (2015, Peiling Kuo). On TV Alice has been killed multiple times in true crime shows including Secret Lives of Stepford Wives (2014, Discovery ID) and A Perfect Murder (2014, Discovery ID).

Alice is a graduate of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York.

Yuchen comes from Fushun, China and speaks fluent Mandarin and English.

Growing up in his mother’s movie rental store fostered his love for acting. Yuchen previously studied commerce, photography, film and television. In 2014, he was selected to perform at the 20th Performance Studies International Conference at the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

His credits include The Seagull directed by Melanie Beddie, 4:48 Psychosis directed

by Justin Nott, Bullets over Broadway directed by Gary Abrahams, Shot The Musical

by Chinese Music Group, Cloudstreet directed by Julian Fuentes Reta and The Human Project for Frisk, (Melbourne Fringe Festival 2015 and Adelaide Fringe 2016). In 2016, he also performed in Malthouse Theatre’s Approximate Translation directed by Felix Ching Ching Ho. Yuchen believes that performing art is a hard-fought battle into one’s own mind and the reward is an understanding of oneself, the world and humankind.

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CAST & CREATIVE BIOS

CAST & CREATIVE BIOS

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Mark Pritchard DRAMATURGY

Romanie Harper SET & COSTUME DESIGN

Mark is Resident Dramaturg at Malthouse Theatre and trained at the Victorian College of the Arts, PACT and the University of Wollongong. Malthouse Theatre shows include Heart is a Wasteland, Turbine, Edward II, Love and Information and Blak Cabaret. Mark was also dramaturg on Anti-Hamlet (New Working Group, 2016) and Wael Zuaiter: Unknown (Theatre Works & Next Wave, 2014). Mark has also directed Triumph (New Working Group, 2016), 4000 Miles (Red Stitch 2013), The Séance (No Show, 2012-2013), Unfinished Business (No Show, 2013), Outside Line (No Show, 2013), and Shotgun Wedding (No Show & Next Wave, 2012). Mark has been awarded the Mike Walsh Fellowship, and a place in the Australia Council Future Leaders Program.

Romanie Harper is a Melbourne-based theatre maker and Designer. Design credits include Turbine (Malthouse, 2016), Conviction (ZLMD Shakespeare, 2016), Triumph (Fortyfivedownstairs, 2016), Splendour (Red Stitch, 2016), Bright World (Arthur Productions, 2016), Jurassica (Red Stitch, 2015), META (Malthouse Helium/Samara Hersch, 2014), Madonna Arms (Next Wave 2014), M+M (Daniel Schlusser Ensemble, Melbourne Festival 2013, Greenroom Nomination for Best Design) and The Sovereign Wife (Sisters Grimm, NEON 2013, Green Room nominated for Best Design, winner of Best Independent Production).

In 2012-13 she worked in New York with The Wooster Group, and co-designed and created Radiohole’s Inflatable Frankenstein (The Kitchen, NYC, 2013). She has co-directed and designed The Collected Works of Victor Bergman (Fortyfivedownstairs, 2014) by The Family, and Calamity (NEON 2015) by ZLMD Shakespeare.

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Emma Valente LIGHTING DESIGN & AV CONSULTANT Emma is a freelance director, dramaturg and lighting designer. She is the Co-Artistic director and Co-CEO of feminist theatre company THE RABBLE. Recent lighting design credits: Testament of Mary (STC), Wizard of Oz (Belvoir St Theatre), More Female Parts (Fairfax Theatre, Melbourne Arts Centre), Calamity! (MTC NEON), Myth Project: Twin (MTC NEON, Arthur), Cain and Abel (Belvoir St Theatre), Frankenstein (THE RABBLE: Malthouse Theatre), Room of Regret (MIAF, Theatre Works, THE RABBLE), Story of O (Neon Festival, MTC), The Golden Dragon (MTC), For a Better World (Griffin Independent) and Manna (Sydney Theatre Company).

Emma will be designing Revolt.

She said. Revolt Again for Malthouse Theatre and Exodus Part 1 for Adena Jacobs later in the year. Emma has been nominated for 6 Green Room Awards and 1 Sydney Theatre Award including 2 nominations for most Outstanding Contemporary Performance (Room of Regret, Frankenstein) and won for Design Integration for Special.

James Paul SOUND DESIGN

Andre Vanderwert AV PROGRAMMER

Harriet Gregory STAGE MANAGER

James is a digital media designer. Recent work includes The Collected Works of Victor Bergman (The Family, 2016), Conviction (Zoey Louise Moonbeam Dawson Shakespeare Company, 2016), Menagerie (Daniel Schlusser Ensemble, 2013), Calamity (Zoey Louise Moonbeam Dawson Shakespeare Company, 2015) and META (The Second Cousins, 2014). He shares a 2014 Green Room Award with Darrin Verhagen and Michael Pulsford for Daniel Schlusser Ensemble’s M+M.

Andre’s background as a musician and I.T. technican worked as an entry into performative arts in all things technology including AV technical design, programming and lighting operation.

Working with progressive software and hardware utilising 3D projection mapping, he developed visual content and live video feeds as a means of translating and manifesting the artistic vision of his collaborators.

As an independently driven technology enthusiast, he has contributed to a range of visually dependent projects in theatre, dance, live music and set photography. Previous projects include: Next Move 9 (Chunky Move); Extinction (Nadia Tass - Red Stitch); Lucid (Chunky Move); MONO (Matthew Adey - House of Vnholy); The Motion of Light in Water (Marcel Dorney - Elbow Room); MAXIMUM (Natalie Abbott); Portrait of a Nation (Eugene Gilfedder); Brave (Sheep Knuckle); We Get It (Emily Tomlins - Elbow Room); Detroit (Tanya Dickson – Red Stitch) and HILDEGARDE (April Albert).

Harriet is a stage manager based in Melbourne.

Her previous Malthouse Theatre credits include The Book of Loco, Antigone, normal.suburban.planetary. meltdown, Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid, Come Away with Me to the End of the World and The Fiery Maze. She also works regularly with Circus Oz, Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Chunky Move.

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CAST & CREATIVE BIOS

CAST & CREATIVE BIOS

Matilda Woodroofe ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

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Matilda is a Set and Costume Designer and a Victorian College of the Arts BFA Production Design graduate.

She has growing experience in other areas of theatre making including stage management.

Matilda toured internationally with Malthouse Theatre in 2016 as Assistant Stage Manager on Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid and was previously the Design Assistant on Walking into the Bigness in 2014. Matilda has worked with a myriad of performing arts companies across Melbourne and Sydney including Sydney Theatre Company, Complete Works Theatre Company, Vic Opera, Melbourne Theatre Company and Bangarra Dance Theatre. Matilda completed an artist placement with THE RABBLE in 2016 as their Design Intern.

Hongyi Tian SCRIPT TRANSLATION A graduate of the playwriting MFA program at Columbia University School of the Arts, Hongyi is currently working as Stan Lai’s assistant at Theatre Above in Shanghai. His works include The Rubber Factory, Planet Heart, Wutopia, and others. The Rubber Factory was produced at the 2016 Wuzhen Theatre Festival and was a finalist in the Young Artist’s Competition. Wutopia was a finalist of the 2016 World Sinophone Drama Competition for Young Playwrights and was given a reading at the 2016 Beijing Fringe Festival. In September 2016, Hongyi worked as script translator for the China tour of Harlequino: On to Freedom, written and directed by Tim Robbins. Hongyi’s translation of Stephanie Arnold’s The Creative Spirit: An Introduction to Theatre is scheduled to be published by the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press in March 2017.

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ABOUT MALTHOUSE THEATRE

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT At Malthouse Theatre we collaborate with local and international artists to create inventive performances that cut to the core of the human experience. #LITTLEEMPORERS

Theatre has the power to interrogate, disrupt and to be an agent of change— and we think it always should. At Malthouse Theatre the work we produce explores the world personally, socially and politically.

Based in a dedicated venue, The Coopers Malthouse in Melbourne, we are a home for live experiences that entertain and provoke a dialogue with and within audiences.

Welcome to Malthouse Theatre.

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OUR PARTNERS

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

VENUE PARTNER

ACCOMMODATION PARTNER

CORPORATE PARTNERS

MEDIA PARTNER

INDUSTRY PARTNER

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS

OUR SUPPORTERS URANIA—MUSE OF THE STARS—$25,000+ Michele Levine, Mary-Ruth & Peter McLennan, Craig Reeves, Maureen Wheeler AO & Tony Wheeler AO CLIO—MUSE OF HISTORY—$10,000+ Roseanne Amarant, Annamila Fund, John & Lorraine Bates, Debbie Dadon AM, Colin Golvan QC, Janine Tai, The Vera Moore Foundation, Anonymous (2) THALIA—MUSE OF COMEDY—$5,000+ Richard Leonard & Gerlinde Scholz, Mary Vallentine AO, Anonymous (1) MELPOMENE—MUSE OF TRAGEDY—$2,500+ David Bardas, D.L. & G.S. Gjergja, Rosemary Forbes & Ian Hocking, Sue Kirkham, James Penlidis & Fiona McGauchie, Elisabeth & John Schiller, Dr Jenny Schwarz, Leonard Vary & Dr Matt Collins QC, Jason Waple, Jon Webster, Jan Williams, Tom Wright, Anonymous (1)

Sally Browne, Beth Brown & Tom Bruce AM, Ingrid & Per Carlsen, Min Li Chong, Prof John Daley & Dr Rebecca Coates, Andrew Curtis, Mark & Jo Davey, Dominic & Natalie Dirupo, Roger Donazzan, Rev Fr Michael Elligate AM, Dr Sian Fairbank, Brian Goddard, Val Johnstone, Michael Kingston, Susan Nathan, James Ostroburski, Rosemary & Roger Redston, Carol & Alan Schwartz AM, Robert Sessions & Christina Fitzgerald, Thea & Hayden Snow, Maria Solà, Gina & Paul Stuart, Toby Sullivan, Fiona Sweet & Paul Newcombe, Kerri Turner & Andrew White, Rosemary Walls, Pinky Watson, Henry Winters, Anonymous (1)

EUTERPE—MUSE OF MUSIC—$1,000+ Frankie Airey & Stephen Solly, Chryssa Anagnostou & Dr Jim Tsaltas, Marc Besen AC & Eva Besen AO, John & Sally Bourne,

TERPSICHORE—MUSE OF DANCE—$500+ Graham & Anita Anderson, Michael Arnold, Rowland Ball OAM, Sandra Beanham, David & Rhonda Black, Ros Casey, Tim & Rachel Cecil, Marisa Cesario, Chris Clough, Alan Connolly, Carolyn Floyd, John & Helen Gibbins, Leonie Hollingworth, Brad Hooper, Dr Irene Irvine, Joan & Graeme Johnson OAM, Dr Irene Kearsey, Dr Angela Kirsner & Dr Richard Kirsner, Virginia Lovett,

MARKETING & ADVERTISING / AKA +61 3 8866 8335 AKA-AU.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY / ZAN WIMBERLEY TIM GREY

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John McCallum, Ian McRae AO, Linda Notley, Jan Owen AM, Robert Peters, Katherine Sampson, Barbara & Neil Smart, John Thomas, Neil Waters, Phil & Heather Wilson, Anonymous (4) ERATO—MUSE OF LOVE—$250+ Simon Abrahams, Jennifer Bourke, Fiona Brook, John & Alexandra Busselmaier, Siu Chan, Diane Clark, Georgie Coleman, Patricia Coutts, Jason Craig, Kerryn Dickinson-Rowe, Brian Doyle, Orla & Rachel, Taleen Gaidzkar, Joanne Griffiths, Peggy Hayton, Sarah Hunt, Ann Kemeny & Graham Johnson, Mira & Dr David Kolieb, Robyn Lansdowne, Sally Lindsay, Kim Lowndes, Judith Maitland-Parr, Ian Manning & Alice De Jonge, John Millard, Paul Natoli, Dr Kersti Nogeste, Tony Oliver, Kaylene O’Neill, Gerard Powell, Gavin Roach, Pauline Robert, Rae Rothfield, Dr Michael & Jenny Rozen, Dr Jill Sewell, Chris Teh, Lee-Ann Walsh, Jan Watson, Gary Westbrook, Joanne Whyte, Barbara Yuncken VOLUNTEERS Malthouse Theatre would like to acknowledge the generous and ongoing support of our dedicated volunteers.

DESIGN / HOURS AFTER HOURSAFTER.COM.AU

#LITTLEEMPORERS

EDUCATION PARTNER

MAJOR PARTNER

MALTHOUSE THEATRE STAFF

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michele Levine (Chair), John Daley (Deputy Chair), Debbie Dadon AM, Colin Golvan QC, Michael Kantor, Jan Owen AM, Pamela Rabe, Nick Schlieper, Kerri Turner, Mary Vallentine AO & Leonard Vary.

ARTISTIC & PROGRAMMING Artistic Director & CO-CEO / Matthew Lutton Executive Producer & CO-CEO / Sarah Neal Resident Dramaturg / Mark Pritchard Resident Artist / Declan Greene Producer / Toby Sullivan Associate Producer / Jason Tamiru

TICKETING & BOX OFFICE

EDUCATION

CRM & Ticketing Manager / Prue Sutherland

Youth & Education Manager / Vanessa O’Neill

Box Office Manager / Dan Allemann

#LITTLEEMPERORS

Venue Manager / Aaron Rowlands

Box Office Staff / Abbey Barnes, Ian Michael, Jade Thomson, Lauren White, Michelle Hines, Paul Buckley

Front of House Staff / Jo Bassilios, Abi Murray, Alice Hill, Alice Dixon, Aly Grace, Amelia O’Brien, Amy Dowd, Andrew Foord, Anna Nalpantidis, Carissa Godwin, Daniel Moulds, Daniel Newell, Dirk Hoult, Emma Corbett, Fiona Moody, Gem Clarke, Ian Mitchell, James Chantner, Jessi Lewis, Kate Calton, Kate Gregory, Kathryn Joy, Kirilie Blythman, Lara Kerestes, Lee Threadgold, Leon Rice-Whetton, Mark Hoffman, Matilda Woodroofe, Mitchell Brotz, Pamela Cupit, Sam Harrison, Sanne Rodenstein, Sophia D’Urso, Syrie Payne, Tanja George

DEVELOPMENT

Company Manager / Alice Muhling

Development Manager / Jayne Lovelock

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Philanthropy Coordinator / Belinda Locke

Finance Manager / Mario Agostinoni Finance Administrator / Liz White General Manager / Amanda Macri MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Marketing & Communications Manager / Caraline Douglas

VENUE MANAGEMENT

Box Office Team Leaders / Jo Basilios Fiona Wiseman Kate Gregory

Sponsorship Coordinator / Olivia Satchwell PRODUCTION Production Manager / David Miller Workshop Manager / Goffredo Mameli Head Carpenter / David Craig Technical Manager / Baird Mckenna

Digital Marketing Coordinator / Davey Simmons

Operations Manager / Dexter Varley

Communications Coordinator / Alex Sadka

Head Electrician / Stephen Hawker

Publicist / TS Publicity

Venue Head Mechanist / Ivan Smith

Graphic Design / Hours After

Head Of Wardrobe / Delia Spicer Theatre Technician / Nathanael Bristow Workshop Assistant / Elizabeth Whitten

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Front of House Managers / Sean Ladhams & Anita Posterino

ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMITTEE Uncle Jack Charles, Richard Frankland, Tony Briggs, Lisa Maza, Pauline Wyman, Melodie ReynoldsDiarra & Jason Tamiru Malthouse Theatre acknowledges we are on the Land of the Boon wurrung Peoples within the Kulin Nation.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

THE HOMOSEXUALS, OR ‘FAGGOTS’ 17 FEB – 12 MAR Star of screen and stage Simon Burke and cabaret wunderkind Mama Alto join the allstar cast of Genevieve Lemon, Simon Corfield, and Lincoln Younes in this hilarious comedy of errors, that takes a magnifying glass to political correctness.

PIECE FOR PERSON AND GHETTO BLASTER 15 – 26 MAR This Helpmann Award winning show comes to you from Nicola Gunn; whose offbeat blend of physical comedy, satire and self-reflection was last seen at Malthouse Theatre in A Social Service.

ANTI­—GRAVITY 17 – 26 MAR In this Asia TOPA festival commission Chunky Move’s Artistic Director Anouk van Dijk joins forces with internationally renowned multimedia artist Ho Tzu Nyen for an immersive and evocative new dance work that confronts gravity-bound bodies with the ephemeral, ever-changing cloud.

FIND OUT MORE AT MALTHOUSETHEATRE.COM.AU

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#LITTLEEMPERORS

JOIN US FOR MORE BOLD WORKS OF AUSTRALIAN THEATRE

SEASON 2017

MONASH MEETS MALTHOUSE The Centre for Theatre and Performance presents a Monash meets Malthouse Theatre panel on Little Emperors.

#LITTLEEMPERORS

Some savvy theatre-goers prefer an expert discussion to get the most out of their experience. To coincide with Malthouse Theatre’s thrilling intercultural exchange in Little Emperors, Monash University’s Centre for Theatre and Performance will present a panel discussion on the legacy of this radical political experiment.

Our Major Partner, Monash University, will offer their scholarly expertise in a special afternoon conversation between the matinee and evening performance of Little Emperors on Saturday 25 February.

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– ASIA-PACIFIC TRIENNIAL OF PERFORMING ARTS – JANUARY to APRIL 2017 –

Asia TOPA is a festival celebrating our relationship with contemporary Asia. Vital, fresh and always unpredictable, Asia TOPA offers a city-wide window onto the creative imaginations fuelling the many cultures of our region.

– ASIATOPA.COM.AU – Asia TOPA is a joint initiative of the Sidney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne and is supported by the Victorian and Federal Governments

SCENE & HEARD

During rehearsals and testing for the large water tank that makes up the stage, cast and crew had to be provided with hot water bottles to keep themselves warm between sessions

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Š Malthouse Theatre, the artists, designers, photographers, collaborators and contributors. All rights reserved, 2017.