Stage Whispers May/June 2017 by Stage Whispers Magazine

In this issue

The Bodyguard ........................................................................................ 4 We chat with stars Paulini and Kip Gamblin

Alan Menken ......................................................................................... 10 The magical touch of music Musical Midas Touch ............................................................................. 12 The public theatre companies creating global hits

10 14

Birds Of Cabaret Paradise ....................................................................... 16 Our Musical Theatre divas at Adelaide’s Cabaret Festival Postcard From Broadway ....................................................................... 20 Latest hits on the Great White Way Where Musicals Match Rugby ................................................................ 26 New Zealand’s incredible Community Theatre musicals Sierra Boggess ....................................................................................... 30 Diva, Icon, or just a great gal? Technical Spotlight ................................................................................ 33 Lighting, Sound and Staging feature Choosing And Budgeting A School Musical ............................................ 48

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2 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

Regular Features Stage To Page

Stage On Disc

Stage Briefs

London Calling

Auditions

On Stage - What’s On

Reviews

Musical Spice

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Editorial Dear theatre-goers and theatre-doers,

Main image: Ancient Greek theatre in Segesta.

Dominic Rowan and Mir anda Raison in Henry VIII at Shakespea re's Globe in London. Photo: Luke MacGrego r.

Way back at the Festival of Dionysus in Ancient Athens, Sophocles and Euripides had never even heard of a lighting designer. Lights up was dawn, while lights down was sunset for their day-long dramatic marathons. If the Gods didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t smile with fine skies and sunshine, the theatre divinity doubled up as the God of wine, so presumably everyone retreated to the theatre bar. The sound guy was still well over two thousand years away too, forcing actors to rely on that nifty internalized body mic, projection, or if you believe the alternate version, the first personalized microphone - a mini-megaphone in their masks. Two thousand years later, Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unreliable skies and well developed projection in relatively intimate, yet frequently raucous, theatre space were all the technology Shakespeare had at his disposal. Those commercially unfriendly London skies, and inclement winters hastened a move indoors, and when theatre returned to London with the Restoration it was in grand indoor theatres. Of course, theatre has thrived since the advent of theatre lighting, even though many theatres also fell victim to it, as a history of great theatre fires attests. Naked flame, candles, limelight and gas, it seems, were never going to be an ongoing solution. Thankfully, ever since theatre harnessed electricity for illumination and amplification, theatre technology continues to develop exponentially, so I hope you enjoy our special focus this edition on the latest in lighting and sound.

, London c.1800. Sadler's Wells Theatre

Yours in Theatre,

Neil Litchfield Editor

CONNECT

Cover image: Kip Gamblin and Paulini in The Bodyguard, playing at Sydney Lyric Theatre through May and June, ahead of seasons in Brisbane from July 19 and Melbourne from August 24. See our feature story on page 4. Photo: Jeff Busby. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 3

The stars of the musical The Bodyguard might be better known for their TV profiles on Home and Away and Australian Idol, but Neil Litchfield discovered that local leads Paulini and Kip Gamblin also promise plenty of on-stage chemistry and a few hidden talents.

Playing roles created on film by Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, Paulini (Rachel Marron) and Kip Gamblin (Frank Farmer) have a lot to live up to in the Australian production of the musical version of The Bodyguard. In the iconic movie, when FBI agent Frank Farmer is hired to protect pop Diva Rachel Marron from a stalker, romance and on-screen fireworks blossom. While Logie winner Kip Gamblin is better known for TV roles like Scott Hunter in Home and Away, Dr Adam Rossi in All Saints and Brad Willis in Neighbours, he’s actually a classically trained dancer (Macdonald College and the Australian Ballet School) who has performed leading roles with the Australian Ballet, and boasts film credits including Moulin Rouge and Mao’s Last Dancer. “I find it hard when people write ‘who we know from Home and Away, and Neighbours’,” says Kip. “I get that because it’s a train that I jumped on, and I’m benefitting from it throughout my life, but it’s not entirely who I am or what I am. “People in Australia are quite easily pigeon-holed. Paulini and I may have reached bigger audiences through our TV work, but I think that’s mainly because it’s the loudest and biggest promoter. But we’ve 4 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

both been cutting our teeth for years, Paulini with her singing all over the country, and her family upbringing, and the same with my dancing.” Paulini first became known to

ballad, but (in the musical) it comes out of the scene where she’s fallen in love with Frank. She can’t believe that she’s fallen in love, because she hasn’t been in a relationship for such a long time. In the beginning she’s

national audiences when she reached the final four in the first season of Australian Idol. She’s gone on to a successful performing and recording career, which includes both a number 1 single and album. The pop classic score has great synergies for Paulini, as many of the songs have formed part of her repertoire. “I still do a lot of her songs in my sets now. The difficult part for me is that I’m going to have to story-tell while I sing the songs, while I’m used to singing them going strong from the beginning to the end. “I perform ‘Run To You’ in concerts and gigs. It’s my favourite

almost talking the first verse.” Paulini isn’t the first popular TV reality talent to play Rachel Marron on stage. While the role was created in the West End by Tony and Grammy Award-winning artist Heather Headley, who was subsequently replaced by soul performer Beverley Knight, 2008 X Factor winner Alexandra Burke eventually took over the role. The strength of the storyline of the original movie coupled with its amazing songs made The Bodyguard an obvious choice be adapted into a stage musical. The 1992 box office smash had a ready-made score drawn from its

Cover Story

triple Grammy Awardwinning album (the topselling soundtrack of all time), complete with five individual Whitney Houston hits. The stage

version has numerous additional Houston tracks. After six years in development, the stage musical opened in the West End in November 2012, only closing after two years to make way for another musical at Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Adelphi Theatre. A UK tour followed, before the production returned to the West End in mid 2016. International versions have followed in the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea, Canada and the U.S, with a Spanish production to open later this year. Whilst the 1992 film starred Kevin Costner as the former FBI (Continued on page 7)

Photo: Jeff Busby.

Online extras! The cast and creatives of The Bodyguard are raving about the show. Scan or visit https://youtu.be/XQ2SZCG6VYc www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 5

Photo: Jeff Busby.

Cover Story

Online extras! Watch Paulini’s rehearsal rendition of “Queen Of The Night”. Scan or visit https://youtu.be/6izA9Vt1MNY 6 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

(Continued from page 5)

agent, and real-life pop icon Whitney Houston, it could have been very different. One can only speculate on how different the film - which had been in the works since 1976 - and its score might have been had it gone ahead with original star choice Diana Ross opposite Steve McQueen or Ryan O’Neal. The list of other pop divas who were in the mix for the role of Rachel Marron at various stages included Olivia Newton-John, Pat Benatar, Madonna, Cher, Deborah Harry, Janet Jackson, Donna Summer, and Dolly Parton. But could Costner, McQueen or O’Neal dance like Kip? Photo: Jeff Busby.

The Bodyguard plays at Sydney Lyric Theatre through May and June, ahead of seasons in Brisbane from July 19 and Melbourne from August 24. “My father said to me once, when I started ballet, ‘Look, you’ve chosen a very narrow field for your career.’ But I take a lot of strength from my background; it’s where I learned my chops. When people come up to me and recognise me from my time in contemporary dance, I’m thrilled, because I know that I wouldn’t have gotten my start in TV without it. “So [whilst] neither of us have done a lot of Musical Theatre per se, what we can bring as performers is our professionalism, and that we are going to suit these characters. I love the fact that people know the real me and the blood, sweat and tears that I’ve put into it. I’ve worked with actors who were literally plucked off the beach, because they had good skin over the right bones, but I can guarantee you that Paulini and I are not those people.” Kip may be a newcomer to Musical Theatre, but it is clearly in his blood. “My mum was an actor/dancer [who] went to NIDA, and then she did Hair in Kings Cross with Reg Livermore and Marcia Hines. She did Sail Away, The Sentimental Bloke and Camelot. She even did a tour with Vanessa Redgrave. And I did a little bit of acting when I was a kid, but I fell in love with being a ballet dancer when I was very young; I went headlong into classical ballet, and I’m really grateful I did. “Mum was a bit like me. She was a bit of an actor/dancer. Singing wasn’t her strong point. So, thank God for musicals like The Bodyguard. I can get a run.” When I ask Kip what he brings to the title role of Frank Farmer, he’s clearly keen to dispel some of those TV soap preconceptions. “I’m ready for a role like Frank, where there’s a bit of groundedness. I feel that I’m getting to an age and level of experience where it’s not just about eyes and teeth. I’m excited to bring a level of maturity to my work. “Frank knows what he wants. He walks into a room and he’s working out what’s the quickest way out of

here, and what are the dangers of this place. “I’m quite analytical of myself and situations, so I think I may be good in that sense. And the love story; I really like that sort of partnership and frisson between the two characters. I’m looking forward to playing with that because I feel that there’s some really nice chemistry between us. “And I’m digging that I’m getting to wear a suit and a tux. I’m over the board shorts and looking like I’ve just run out of the surf.” And what does Paulini think she brings to the role of Rachel? “Ever since I was a little girl I’ve grown up with Whitney Houston’s music; I love to perform her songs. And I can connect with Rachel Marron; just the busy lifestyle, and the exposure I’ve experienced through Idol. So I can bring a bit of that into this role. I’m not a huge star like Rachel was, but I can bring a bit of my experience into the role. “I also think there are some definite advantages with both of us not being your classic Musical Theatre-trained person,” Kip added. “When Whitney did the film, she was by no means someone who had graduated from the Julliard school. She was someone who grew up learning to sing in church, and became a pop star. It was very autobiographical for her. Sometimes unlearning that sort of training is something that’s not easy. I think Paulini can bring a realness and edge to the role.” Will The Bodyguard help a popular music audience who wouldn’t necessarily go to musicals connect with the genre? “I hope so,” Paulini said. “I think you’re going to get people who aren’t into Musical Theatre anyway, because the movie was such a huge hit. My nieces and nephews watch it now, and they just can’t wait to see the show.” “That’s so true,” Kip agreed. “It’s not just your classic Musical Theatre (Continued on page 8) www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 7

Photo: Jeff Busby.

Cover Story (Continued from page 7)

crowd. There can be a lot of stigma involved with Musical Theatre as well, so to bring in an audience who are not going to see Les Mis or The Phantom of the Opera, and have them going, ‘OK, actually, that was really good. I might go and check out something else,’ would be great.” And what sort of experience can audiences expect, that they can’t get from the original movie? “The magic of theatre transcends genres. The movie was a great movie, but you’re so separated when you go to see it,” says Kip. “You’re lost in it when you’re in the movie theatre, but I think there’s such a special, magical thing that happens when you’re in live theatre. Some of those songs that Paulini’s going to be singing are just such magic songs. I think people who come and see it will get a whole other level of experience.”

8 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

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www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 9

The opening of the musical Aladdin at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne brought composer Alan Menken to the city. Patricia Di Risio listened in as Menken explained a little about the art of making musicals. Alan Menken loves being interviewed next to a grand piano, allowing him to break up the talking with some of his beautiful melodies. In the case of Aladdin, the most famous tune is “A Whole New World”, the centerpiece of the original animated film and now the musical. For Menken the stage version was an opportunity to revive the original concept of the film as he had envisioned it along with lyricist Howard Ashman, who sadly passed away before the completion of the film score. Both had intended it to be “a tribute to those old Bob Hope-Bing Crosby ‘road pictures’… and a celebration of the jazz of the 1930s and 1940s, particularly the music of

such breakout stars such as Fats Waller and Cab Calloway.” Menken learnt a long time ago not to be too precious about his work. “It’s not about you. Just be in love with the process,” he said. “If someone does not like a song throw it out and move on. It is about the collaboration, the process, it is not about you.” However the song Proud of Your Boy, which was cut from the film version but now features in the stage production, has a treasured place in Menken’s heart. “It was the hardest thing to lose from the film and not just because the song was lost - I’ve lost a lot of things in my career - but because we had also lost Howard.”

The song is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the show and gives the wondrous glitz and glamour on stage real emotional depth. Professionally Menken has explored almost every avenue. He enjoys revisiting his work and finding ways for improvement or reinterpretation. Menken and Ashman made this an intrinsic part of their art form. Their early work includes the horror rock comedy musical Little Shop of Horrors, which premiered Off -Off Broadway in 1982. The authors of the sharp-witted black humour that characterises this story would seem an unlikely pair to rescue the fading success of children’s animation for Disney. According to Frozen (2013) composer Robert Lopez, “They saw a link between Broadway musicals and the animated feature that no one had seen before.”

Alan Menken in Melbourne. Photo: TPR Media.

Online extras! Alan and the cast of Aladdin perform a Disney medley. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/oy_AMwZkDkI 10 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

Ainsley Melham and Arielle Jacobs in Disney’s Aladdin The Musical. Photo: Michele Aboud.

Alan Menken in Melbourne. Photo: TPR Media.

Featuring music by Alan Menken, Disney’s Aladdin, starring Michael James Scott and Ainsley Melham, plays at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne. Menken and Ashman energised the Disney animated films by making the music an integral part of the story. Through hugely successful projects such as The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Pocahontas (1995), Menken has essentially written the soundtrack for the childhood of a generation who grew up in the eighties and nineties. “I am really blessed. It is serendipity that I ended up at Disney. A song like “Under the Sea” (from A Little Mermaid) would have been a little cabaret song if I did not write it for Disney.” Menken is acutely aware of the enormity of the legacy he has created, and although it can sometimes be daunting to try and protect that legacy, he is willing for his work to take on a life of its own. He likens himself to an architect, creating structures for others to inhabit the way they see fit. “Other people are going to build on it and live in it, and they should live in it the way they want to. I try not to be very judgmental about that.” He observes the great chemistry in the Australian production of Aladdin and appreciates the minor changes that have been made to tailor the show to suit a local audience. Menken’s more recent project, A Bronx Tale, is currently playing on Broadway and attests to the versatility of his talent. It is a stage musical

adaptation of the 1993 film which tells the story of the world of mafia gangsters. The story is set in the 1960s and is partially based on the life of Chazz Palminteri who wrote the script and starred in the film. Described as “a combination of Jersey Boys and West Side Story”, the show highlights the turbulent relationship between a father and son who are torn between two worlds. While the genre seems far removed from Menken’s usual repertoire, he is clearly the composer of choice when looking for someone who can capture emotional intensity in music. He watched the audience reaction to his music first-hand in Melbourne, sitting through a matinee where children were standing in the aisle. “I watched the kids to see what it means to them.” Menken was most impressed with the actor playing the Genie (Michael James Scott), whom he described as “mind blowing”. Menken is no stranger to accolades, “I have an awards cabinet in my studio where I keep my eight Oscars, my eleven Grammys, my seven Golden Globes and my Tony Award.” It is no wonder he is still highly sought after and remains an inspiration for emerging composers. His face lights up as he reflects, “My dance card seems to be filled for the next…I don’t know how many years.”

Menken worked on the live action version of Beauty and Beast and there are plans to do the same with Aladdin and possibly The Little Mermaid. It could have been so different, as his parents assumed he would be a dentist. “If they had known I was going to be a song writer they would have lost their mind. But they have got over it. “All the men in my family have been dentists but I didn’t want to put my hands in people’s mouths.” Despite his legendary and veteran status, his warmth and candour convey a very endearing and youthful energy. His willingness to delight his interlocutor with a medley of his most famous tunes makes an encounter with Menken a larger than life experience. He offers candid advice to those who want to follow his craft. “Success may or may not come. That does not matter. Just keep creating new work. Dig for gold and enjoy the digging.” The range in Menken’s compositions shows that the secret to success is not about repeating formulaic patterns. Demonstrating a willingness to explore a variety of both heartbreaking and heartwarming emotions, and making them the centre of his work, seems to be the key to his success. This means he has a disarming ability to reach out to people in the most personable manner both in life and in his music. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 11

The world’s greatest public theatre companies are making fortunes out of blockbuster commercial musicals they develop in-house. Peter Gotting looks at how monster hits such as Hamilton, Les Misérables, A Chorus Line and Matilda are bankrolling not-for-profit organisations. When Muriel’s Wedding the Musical takes to the stage in November, the Sydney Theatre Company will be hoping to repeat the success of another Australian film-cum-musical: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Although long finished in Australia, Priscilla is still running in Spain, France, South Africa, Hong Kong and on a cruise ship. It’s tough to create a long-running show. But the STC has one advantage: it receives government funding. Some of the biggest musicals in recent years - both with critics and audiences - have come out of public theatre companies in the US and UK. The best example is Hamilton, the rap musical about the founding fathers of the United States that’s breaking Broadway records. It was created by New York’s Public Theater,

also responsible for another unlikely success, Fun Home. “Fun Home and Hamilton are probably the two most successful musicals we’ve had since A Chorus Line and Bring in da Noise,” the Public’s venerable artistic director Oskar Eustis told the Los Angeles Times. “But they are the product of a bunch of other things - a whole history - we’ve been developing here.” Ask a publicly funded theatre company how it is able to create a hit and the reason is clear - it can take risks and allow its creative teams to come up with original ideas. That’s certainly the case for Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company, which is behind Matilda the Musical. The company says it’s able to create hits because it works on a number of ideas at once. “Really it is a case of ensuring that we have

12 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

enough plays in development and properly supported through the commission process so one can surprise us,” the RSC’s literary manager Pippa Hill told Stage Whispers. Matilda, which is currently in Perth as part of an Australian tour, took the RSC seven years to get to the stage. “As a publicly funded organisation we don’t develop work with a necessarily commercial eye: so the art comes first,” Hill says. “We spend years developing our shows and we invest in a large number of projects and commissions.” Matilda is not the Royal Shakespeare Company’s first hit musical. In 1985, the producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh sought out the company’s artistic director Trevor Nunn to adapt a French musical called Les

The 2014 Australian production of Les Misérables. Photo: Matt Murphy.

Online extras! Relive the magic of Les Misérables with a stirring cast performance. Scan or visit https://youtu.be/cISwfxzdNvc

Matilda. Photo: James Morgan.

Online extras! Sing along to Tim Minchin’s catchy songs in Matilda. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/V6LJA-mLENM

Misérables. Nunn agreed only on the condition that he could bring in a team from the RSC, including a number of actors who took lead roles. Together with his RSC co-director John Cairn and other collaborators, Nunn overhauled the plot and script and came up with an idea that transformed the show: a revolving stage. Les Mis is now the longest-running musical in West End history (it’s still on, more than 30 years later). The collaboration between the publicly funded RSC and a private partner (Mackintosh) is seen as key to the show’s success. The British magazine What’s On Stage has reported that by 2012 the RSC had made £19 million ($29 million) from Les Mis. It only earned rights from the show; Cameron Mackintosh made a lot more. But with

Matilda, the RSC takes home a lot more money as the show’s primary producer. Last year alone, it banked £4.1 million ($6.7 million) in its reserves from that success. All income from Matilda is ploughed back into the company. “It certainly does enable us to keep on resourcing projects at the research and development stage,” Hill says Also enjoying huge success internationally is another of Britain’s publicly funded companies: the National Theatre. In 2016, the National’s production The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime became the longest-running play in more than a decade on Broadway, seen by 350,000 people. Here in Australia we’ve seen its hit productions of War Horse (Continued on page 14)

www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 13

Daveed Diggs, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, and Lin-Manuel Miranda in Hamilton. Photo: Joan Marcus.

(Continued from page 13)

and The History Boys - and other plays are regularly screened in our cinemas through the NT Live program. Just like the RSC, the National says it doesn’t produce shows with the specific intention of a commercial life. Only after a show has opened at its South Bank theatres in London is the decision on a possible West End or other transfer considered, says Kash Bennett, managing director of National Theatre Productions. “When we do find a show that we believe could be seen by more people, then we have a team of experienced people inhouse who work specifically on transferring our shows outside of the South Bank.” Last year, revenue from international productions made up about a fifth of the National Theatre’s revenue. But the company says it cannot plan these successes, as hits cannot be predicted. “None of our shows that have recently gone on to global success were expected to run beyond their original limited schedule at the NT,” Bennett says. “These include

War Horse, a play with a horse as its central character, People Places and Things, a story about a woman whose life is spiralling out of control because of her addiction to drink and drugs, and Curious Incident, a story about a boy with behavioural problems I guess you could call any one of these a risky choice.”

14 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

The Public in New York also produces a lot of plays, from Shakespeare and the classics, to contemporary and experimental works. But musicals have proven to be particularly successful, at least in terms of making money. “I don’t consider that selling out,” the artistic director Oskar Eustis told the LA Times. “Musicals are the only form that actually holds up the possibility of artists making a living in the theatre. It is directly related to the fact that you can reach many more people with a musical than you can with a play.” He says that even Hamilton, which received rave reviews and has become the hottest (and most expensive) ticket on Broadway, will not make as much money for the company as A Chorus Line. The Public was responsible for the original production of

Online

Raise a glas cast of Ham https://you

that American classic in 1975. According to the book Broadway: The American Musical, the Public’s Shakespeare Festival made $50 million from A Chorus Line. Not bad for a $500,000 investment. “No one will ever make as much money from a Broadway transfer again,” Eustis says. But he suggests this may be a good thing because it’s a “lousy business model” to have just one commercial hit funding an entire theatre company. “The Public will receive income from both Fun Home and Hamilton that will help us, but there’s never going to be a disproportionate amount of money,” he said in the LA Times interview in 2015. But since then, Hamilton’s financial fortunes have risen exponentially. Last year, it set a new record for the amount of money a Broadway show makes in a single week: $3.3 million

e extras!

ss to the original Broadway milton. Scan or visit utu.be/nF5F8Ai5zYk

(compared to around $1 million for many shows that do well - not to mention those that do not). The National Theatre’s artistic director Rufus Norris has talked about the challenges when hit shows

come to an end. War Horse and some other shows contributed massively to the company’s resources for a number of years, allowing his predecessor to redevelop the National’s theatres at South Bank. But when Norris took over in 2015, War Horse was coming to the end of its West End run. That was a problem, he told the Observer, because “we had pretty low reserves and a model that was to some degree dependent on commercial income.” These theatre companies are among the best - if not the best - in the world, pumping out a disproportionate number of hits. But they all say that while the big shows provide a huge boost and can even transform a company, they cannot rely on them. After all, hits cannot be manufactured. Instead, they need development - and all three companies say public money plays a vital role. “It’s crucial,” says Pippa Hill from the RSC. “It allows us to take the time to

Online extras! Learn about working “on the spectrum” by scanning the QR code or visiting https://youtu.be/k2bV75ITXJw

Joseph Ayre (Christopher) in the National Theatre’s Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Photo: Brinkhoff Mögenburg.

properly develop shows through research, workshopping and testing out ideas until we are sure we have a project that should be taken into production.” Kash Bennett from the National Theatre believes strong government support is key to the success of British theatre around the globe. “Public funding is at the heart of both the National Theatre and the RSC,” she says. “It runs through the veins of British Theatre and allows creativity to flourish.” And both British companies say they never lose sight of their public responsibility. Organisations that receive government funds have other duties beyond creating commercial successes “A hit show always boosts the company but we all understand that our main focus is not to make hits,” Hill says. “It is to create work with integrity that either challenges or reflects the world we live in.”

Les Misérables famously received bad reviews when the RSC production opened and there was controversy at the time over public money being used for such a commercial initiative. But Matilda was different highly praised by critics. The RSC has also had critical and commercial success in core business - playmaking. In recent years Wolf Hall and Bringing up the Bodies have played to rave reviews in Stratford, London and New York. Traditional Shakespeare such as Henry IV and Richard II have also crossed the Atlantic. The Sydney Theatre Company has also made a mark in New York, thanks in part to its star and former artistic director Cate Blanchett. Now, the company’s workshopping Muriel’s Wedding the musical and is hoping it will be one of the company’s biggest hits this season. Like Les Mis, this is a coproduction between a publicly supported theatre company and a private producer, Global Creatures. By teaming up with the STC, Global Creatures gains extra resources for development, as well as access to the company’s subscriber base. The risks are diminished. But previous Global Creatures musicals Strictly Ballroom and particularly King Kong have failed to become bigger hits. A reminder that even with strong source material, it’s difficult to get the adaptation right. The best hope of creating the next big show is to get the creative team right. And with the film’s director PJ Hogan on board, alongside Kate MillerHeidke and the songs of ABBA, they just might do it.

www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 15

BIRDS OF CABARET PARADISE When Lesley Reed asked female artists in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Adelaide Cabaret Festival about the challenges of the industry, the response was heartfelt. They work in a field dominated by men, with intense competition for job opportunities that have to be juggled with family commitments. Some of our leading ladies reveal how they cope.

Christie Whelan-Browne in Vigil. Photo: Jeff Busby.

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“I always loved fish for the colors and birds for the plumage. In the same way, I loved those women of Cabaret. They were birds of paradise,” said French fashion and shoe designer Christian Louboutin. But what’s behind the feathers and glitter? How do female cabaret artists meld relentless performance commitments with the everyday demands typical for every woman? How hard is it for female performers to get started in the business? Are there secrets for success, does the industry respect women and does being a woman in musical theatre come with unique issues? I asked these questions of some of the women in this year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival, including musical comedy artist Gillian Cosgriff, who is reaching cosmic heights with her show To the Moon and Back. “Even the fact that you’re asking is a step forward,” Gillian said. “Women are under-represented, but so are people of diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, disabled people, queer and trans people, along with other minorities. “The real problem for me is we don’t see much changing at the top of this profession. Women account for the majority of theatre audiences, yet most major theatre companies

don’t achieve gender parity for playwrights, directors, or artistic directors.” Gillian’s comments on this were later echoed by other artists interviewed. “Things are improving for female performers,” she said, “but there’s still a long way to go. The number of times I catch myself looking at a festival lineup and thinking, ‘Wow!

thinking, ‘You can do that? I never even thought of that!’ It blew my mind. Seeing this woman speak candidly and openly about sex, but also about relationships, blending together so many different facets of performance was incredible. It made me feel so empowered and so excited to make my own work.” Christie Whelan-Browne is presenting the World Premiere of

That’s heaps of women! That must be at least half!’ Then I count them and realise it’s barely a third. It’s a good indicator that we’re still not used to seeing gender parity in the arts.” Gillian revealed a defining moment that gave her confidence in being a woman in her industry. “I loved seeing Bryony Kimmings’ show Sex Idiot at Adelaide Fringe a few years ago,” she said. “I remember walking out of the tent

Vigil at this year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival. She had a story to tell about attitudes to women in her profession. “Generally speaking, I have always been respected,” she said, “but there was one occasion where this wasn’t the case and it haunted me for a long time after the job; really scarred me. From that time, I learned about standing up for (Continued on page 18)

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Gillian Cosgriff in To The Moon & Back. Photo: Lachlan Woods.

colleagues, we take risks and leave for the UK or the USA to pursue gigs myself, setting clear boundaries and in the bigger industries in those being strong in my convictions about countries,” she said. what is okay and what isn’t. In “I am finding, in my early 40’s, general, the people I have worked that the opportunities to be cast in with love and adore women and mainstream theatre are few and far celebrate them and I am very between - that’s why I’m so excited grateful for that.” to be a part of a show that has come On getting started in the industry, about because of personal she said, “My dream role was always relationships that I have built over the years. Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, and when I didn’t get the role I was “I do have a problem with the term ‘Diva’ being bandied about absolutely devastated. It took me a while to realise that I was on a with negativity when women in principal positions stand up for different path, taking me in a different direction and I learned to something they believe in,” she said. “I have appropriated the term for trust where the road was leading me, not necessarily where I thought myself in some instances, hoping to turn the negative into a positive. It is it should go.” Amanda Harrison, performing at a good thing to consider oneself as a ‘Mother, Wife and Diva’, in that the Cabaret Festival in the threecareer achievements and being a woman show Cyrens, agrees the forthright person are as much a part musical theatre industry is a tough of what makes me ‘me’ as the others gig. terms are.” “This country provides limited opportunities for artists, and in my experience, as well as many of my (Continued from page 17)

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One of Amanda’s fellow artists in Cyrens, Chelsea Renton-Gibb, loves the freedom of Cabaret. “I’ve never really thought about any restrictions I’ve faced being related to my gender,” she said, “but more that it’s type casting, my look, or simply them having another in mind. I can’t speak for comedy, but it does seem far more male driven. When it comes to Cabaret, it seems to be simply a free and exciting form, where anyone is free to create and express no matter the gender, or who, why or what.” Another in the Cyrens trio, Melissa Langton, said, “The main difficulty as a woman is the sheer volume of fabulous and talented women we have competing for a relatively small number of opportunities. Once you do get that break, sustaining it over the years is an art in itself. And once you add in childbirth and motherhood to the formula the whole experience can be very challenging.” Speaking of children, Elise McCann has escaped the pressure of her work somewhat, by tapping into the child within her. She’s playing to kids of all ages in this year’s Cabaret Festival, with her show Dahlesque. She said, “I think it is hard for any performer. There is not a definite path or steps to take to guarantee success. Women are still paid less than their male counterparts. The issue of look and aging is really the most prevalent thing I have faced in terms of expectations and being a woman in this industry.” British actor Bill Nighy once said about life, “The things you really want to relive are things like bedtime with your daughter, when she becomes incredibly entertaining ‘cause she doesn’t want to go to sleep…they just want to put it off, so they do a cabaret for you. You sit there thinking, please don’t let this end.’’ Little girls grow up and some become real cabaret artists. When the glorious ‘birds of cabaret’ begin performing in the Adelaide Cabaret Festival on June 9, audiences won’t want it to end either.

Elise McCann in Dahlesque. Photo: Harvey House Productions.

Cyrens. Photo: James Penlides.

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Could this Broadway season be more star driven? With Bette Midler, Glenn Close, Josh Groban and Patti Lupone all treading the musical theatre boards there’s an excess of mega-watt power on the Great White Way which fans are enthusiastically lapping up. Peter Pinne enjoyed classic revivals of Hello, Dolly! and new musicals including Groundhog Day, Come From Away, Anastacia and Dear Evan Hansen.

22-years ago Glenn Close won a Tony for her portrayal of the delusional faded silent-screen star Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Well, Close is back, still waiting for her close-up, and this time giving one of the most triumphant performances of her career. If anything, Close, now older, is better than she was in the nineties, bringing an outsized grandeur and unspeakable fragility to the part. The way she oscillates between little-girl coquettishness and steely determination as she manipulates her lover, or her studied but pathetic spider-dance routine, displays a great stage

Online extras! Check out a preview of Sunset Boulevard! Simply scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/R2aQ7Qj1boE 20 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

actress at the height of her powers. She is simply magnificent. Lonny Price’s production, which originated in the West End last year and won Close a swag of plaudits, is a staged concert version of the work which has the 41-piece orchestra on-stage and an industrial scaffolding-type set with runways and stairs by James Noone. The work benefits by being scaled back to basics, throwing the emphasis on the actors, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sumptuous score and Don Black and Christopher Hampton’s book and lyrics. Norma’s second-act return to Paramount Studios provides electric emotion. Dressed by Anthony Powell in a turban and striking black and white dress, Close’s ‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’ is heart-stopping - there’s not a dry eye in the house. My money’s on her to win the Tony again. ________________ But it’s not a one-horse race by any means. Close has formidable competition from Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersole, who headline the recently opened new musical War Paint about the careers of beauty titans Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden. The show, hollow at its centre, takes place between 1935 and 1964 and concentrates on the careers of the women, eschewing much of their personal lives except that Arden’s husband Tommy Lewis (John Dossett) left her and went to work for Rubinstein, whilst Harry Fleming (Douglas Sills), Rubinstein’s gay right-hand man switched his allegiance to Arden.

Online extras!

Steffanie Leigh, Erik Liberman, and company in War Paint.

Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of War Paint. Simply scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/RsU46aEEpbo In actual life the two women never met, so playwright Doug Wright (Grey Gardens) has manufactured a scene backstage at an award ceremony which gives them a chance to out-diva each other in their only duet, ‘Beauty in the World’. LuPone as Rubenstein, a Polish Jew, has the flashier role. Swathed in fabulous costumes by Catherine Zuber and weighed down with an enormous amount of bling, she commands the stage with a thick European accent and vocals like polished steel. Her penultimate number (‘Forever Beautiful’), sung against a gallery of Rubinstein portraits by Dali et al, in which she extols that great artists made her beautiful, is a showstopper. The authors have given equal weight to Ebersole’s Arden, a Canadian Episcopalian who passionately delivers ‘Pink’, an eleven-o-clock number about her signature colour. The team behind Grey Gardens, Scott Frankel (Music) and Michael Korie (Lyrics), have come up with a score that’s of the period (think Lady in the Dark), and one that plays to the strengths of it’s stars. The male leads, Dossett and Sills, are mere cyphers in the story about two women who dominated the beauty market at a time when men were masters of the boardrooms. Although Rubinstein

created her empire in Australia before conquering London and New York, there’s no mention of this in the show. ________________ Bette Midler is also throwing down the gauntlet for Best Actress in a Musical with her scenery chewing performance in the revival of Jerry Herman’s 1964 hit Hello, Dolly! If anyone was born to play Dolly Gallagher Levi it was Midler. She sashays around like it was going-out-of-style, mugs shamelessly to get a laugh, and literally stopped the show (Continued on page 22)

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Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly! Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

the suicide of his classmate Connor, he tells a lie about their relationship that goes viral, spiralling out of control. Pratt’s cold the night I was there having dried up in the middle of performance is remarkably honest, filled with verbal ticks, her big number ‘Hello, Dolly!’. But, like the master comic eye-blinking, and hands that shake in embarrassing she is, she ad-libbed her way out of it and received a moments. He fills the stage with his aura and he’s riveting standing ovation from the full-house of Midler fanatics. I to watch. just wish she’d done the show ten years ago when her Good support comes from Rachel Bay Jones as his voice was in better shape. It was OK, but unfortunately at mother; Laura Dreyfuss, sister of the suicide victim and the times a bit pitchy, especially in ‘Before the Parade Passes girl Evan wants to impress; and Michael Park and Jennifer By’. All in all it was an exuberant production that used back Laura Thompson as the parents of the dead teen. David -cloths with Currier and Ives scenes of New York at the turn Korins’ imaginative set of moving panels which display -of-the-century, paying loving homage to the original in social media messages help give the show context. sets and dance. It’s one of the hottest tickets in town, with seats at a face value of $150 selling on the black-market for $2,000. ________________ (Continued from page 21)

The other new hot ticket is Dear Evan Hansen, a transfer from Off-Broadway playing at the intimate Music Box Theatre with a breakout star performance by Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect), as the title character. With a sensitive acoustic guitar heavy score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Academy Award winners for the lyrics of La La Land), and a razor-sharp book by Steven Levenson, the musical at times feels like a second-cousin to Next To Normal; not surprising since the same director Michael Greif helmed both. Evan is a neurotic high-school senior, seeing a shrink and on meds, with zilch communication skills. Following 22 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

Online extras! Meet the cast and creatives of Dear Evan Hansen (above) on opening night https://youtu.be/vunrIXTowZ4

Another Off-Broadway transfer is Dave Malloy’s popopera The Great Comet, which was born four years ago at the tiny Ars Nova. An adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, it is long (not as long as the novel) and has a score that fuses Slovenian folk music with rap and traditional musical theatre. The large cast (over 30) is headed by pop-balladeer Josh Groban, making an auspicious Broadway debut in a fat-suit as Pierre. He’s a moody aristocrat, unhappily married, who spends much of his time drinking, playing the accordion and occasional piano. And he also sings, magnificently! The production is an immersive experience with the audience seated in the auditorium, or on-stage at benches, tables and bleachers that rise almost to the flies. It looks and sounds like an opulent Russian café with gilded mirrors and bleached 19th century Russian landscape paintings. With the action going on all around you in the aisles, the balcony and various levels of the stage, it’s a bit like a Cirque du Soleil performance. Even though the program lists a family tree, the story is still convoluted and difficult to follow, especially when characters sometimes talk in the third person. ________________ Tim Minchin has done it again. He’s taken a beloved movie and turned it into a musical that’s better than its source material. For my money Groundhog Day is the season’s most enjoyable new musical and Andy Karl’s performance in it is nothing short of brilliant. Karl, who played the part in its London tryout last year, where it won

Josh Groban and Denée Benton in The Great Comet. Photo: Chad Batka

Online extras! Watch The Great Comet’s Brittain Ashford perform her solo “Sonya Alone.” https://youtu.be/_HHmHv26tao Olivier Awards for him and the show, is wildly funny and touching as the sarcastic and cynical TV weatherman Phil Connors, who is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover their annual “Groundhog Day” and wakes up to relive his day on endless repeat. Bill Murray’s 1993 movie (Continued on page 24)

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Andy Karl as Phil Connors in Groundhog Day. Photo: Manuel Harlan.

Online extras! Mingle with the who’s who at the opening night of Groundhog Day. https://youtu.be/zz_PZmlIDtQ (Continued from page 23)

portrayal was a hard act to follow, but Karl manages to banish all thoughts of Murray and bring sexual chemistry to the part and lots of song and dance gravitas. Minchin, working with the original movie’s screenplay writer Danny Rubin, and the Matilda team, Matthew Warchus (Director), Rob Howell (Set and Costumes), and Peter Darling (Choreography) have come up with a genuine gold-plated hit. The lyrics are wittily satiric, the music poppy and catchy - perhaps not as catchy as Matilda on first hearing, but catchy nonetheless - and Warchus’s direction, especially his staging of the physical comedy, a perfect fit for this piece of small-town Americana. ‘Playing Nancy’, which opens the second act, is a clever self-deprecating song about a minor character’s role in the show (“the perky-breasted, giggly one-night stand”) and as performed by Rebecca Faulkenberry is a knockout. It’s Minchin at his best. ________________ I was wary at the concept of Come From Away, a musical about the aftermath of 9/11, but as the show wore on its relentlessly feel-good vibe and honourable intention swayed me, even occasionally bringing a tear to the eye. I’d call it a docu-musical as it’s based on true events and an amalgam of characters, and 24 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

is about the town of Gander in Newfoundland whose population of 9,000 was swollen by 7,000 “plane people” whose planes had been diverted there following the closure of American airspace on 9/11. Written by Canadians Irene Sankoff and David Hein, with direction by Christopher Ashley, an ensemble cast of 12 play townspeople, passengers and pilots on Beowulf Boritt’s set of stark tall trees and rustic wooden furniture. Musically the songs are in the folk-rock meets Celtic vein, and with the accompaniment including a Bodhran, Uilleann pipes and fiddle we’re never far removed from Riverdance territory, with lots of foot stomping. Although the cast work miracles in creating somewhere around 40 characters, few are distinguishable with the exception of Jenn Colella as an American Airlines pilot, and Q. Smith, the mother of a New York City firefighter. ________________ Pundits around Broadway have been surprised A Bronx Tale is still running. The reason is simple; it’s found the Jersey Boys audience. Chazz Palminteri’s autobiographical story about growing up as an Italian-American in the Bronx in the sixties has been around in several versions since it first jumped on the radar in Los Angeles and Off-Broadway in 1989. It became a film in 1993 with Palminteri and Robert DeNiro, who also directed, and

City Center Encores! series has rescued many lost or forgotten musicals during the past few years, but few of them would have had the fizz of Cole Porter’s 1931 The New Yorkers. In one of their most extensive resurrections, working from two barely decipherable carbon-copy scripts and arrangements, director John Rando and musical director Rob Berman pieced it together and added some Porter interpolations. Fortunately all of his original songs were available, including the most famous numbers - ‘Love for Sale’ (banned form radio at the time), and ‘I Happen To Like New York’, which over time has become a paean to the city. Performed as a staged concert, with orchestra on stage Anastasia is also pinning its hopes on a Best Musical framed by a swathe of white deco drapes, the show was nod, but frankly Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s stage simply irresistible. A story of bootleggers, broads and sugardaddies, whose high-jinks involved dubious love affairs, a version of their 1997 animated movie is carrying a lot of dead weight. For starters it’s too long, has too many songs, speakeasy gangster who wants to take over the city’s and a love triangle that doesn’t work. What it does have is lucrative caviar market, and a first act finale extolling the some rich and colourful costumes, striking sets and virtues of ‘Wood’ (yes-really!). projections, and a simply ravishing performance by Christy Like all musicals of the period, the story frequently got Altomare in the title role. She looks like a princess, acts like lost but the songs were great, including the interpolations a princess, and sings the way every princess should sing. ‘Night and Day’, ‘Say It With Gin’ and ‘Take Me Back To The show began life at Hartford Stage under the Manhattan’. The cast had loads of fun with the hoary old direction of their Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak (A sexist jokes but it was West End leading-lady Scarlett Gentleman’s Guide To Love and Murder), who’s still on Strallen as soubrette Alice Wentworth who brought a hand for this Broadway transfer. The problem is, in trying to delicious vampy style to the piece. make the piece more adult it’s lost its joie de vivre. Terrence McNally’s book spends far too much time with the Bolsheviks and the Russian Revolution and takes an eternity for Anastasia and her con-men cohorts to get to Paris. When they arrive, the generic ‘Paris Holds the Key (To My Heart)’ is almost euphoric as it opens the second act. The score’s most famous song, the Oscar-nominated ‘Journey to the Past’ delivers heft as a first-act finale but, bewilderingly, it’s never heard again. Mary Beth Peil brings imperial resolve to the Dowager Empress, Derek Klena is a handsome rogue Dmitry, and Caroline O’Connor’s secondact turn as Lily propels the ensemble number ‘Land of Yesterday’ to a showstopper. Ramin Karimloo - despite herculean efforts - fails to bring to life his implausible character Gleb, a revolutionary-turned-Bolshevik. DeNiro is still on board as co-director with Jerry Zaks in this musical version. With nods to West Side Story (a romance between a white boy and a black girl), Jersey Boys (a doo-wop score), and The Sopranos (gangsters running the hood), it trades on familiar tropes with good humour, enlivened by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater’s 60’s style score. Bobby Conte Thornton sings well as the adult Calogero but is almost overshadowed by his younger self (Hudson Loverro), who makes a meal of his solo ‘I Like It’. Nick Cordero, as the resident hood Sonny, gets two of the score’s best numbers - ‘Nicky Machiavelli’, a song about his survival tactics as learned from the great Italian Renaissance statesman and writer, and ‘One of the Great Ones’, a swinging big-band tune that has Sinatra written all over it. ________________

Derek Klena as Dmitry and Christy Altomare as Anya in Anastasia. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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Where Musicals Match Rugby Musical Theatre companies in New Zealand held their annual conference in the spectacular west coast town of New Plymouth in March, a town where the local community theatre is so well organised that it gets ten percent of the local population along to its annual show, giving the local Super Rugby team a run for its money. David Spicer reports on the business of musicals.

Online extras! Intrepid reporter David Spicer covers MTNZâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 57th AGM in New Plymouth. https://youtu.be/eRjMwkIxVJs 26 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

Towering over New Plymouth is the spectacular snow-capped Taranaki volcano, which last erupted in 1655. The next major blast is not due for another 150 years, which gives locals some breathing space. Towering over the local arts scene is a family that has helped protect and nurture its theatre landscape. The President of New Plymouth Operatic, Kevin Landrigan, has been involved since he left school in 1968. He admits being a lousy performer - starting out in the back row of the chorus and ending up as a backing singer off stage. “I am a second tenor. They call me a fiver,” he laughs. He makes up for it with his business acumen. His day job is as a principal with one of New Zealand’s major accounting firms. Also on Operatic’s board is his brother-in-law Kevin Murphy, the chief executive of New Zealand’s fifth largest bank. “The two Kevins run New Plymouth,” someone told me. Back in 1970 the club famously saved the town’s historic Opera House.

Developers were going to knock it down to build a supermarket. New Plymouth’s President John Murphy (Kevin M’s father and Kevin L’s in-law) was spat on in the street for suggesting that ratepayers buy it. He wiped the spittle off and instead lead the community theatre to purchase the building for $80,000. “We owned and operated the Opera House for 15 years. It cost us dearly until we gave it back to the city,” said Kevin. In 2000 New Plymouth Operatic helped raise six million dollars from the local council and local businesses, including $100,000 of its own cash, to refurbish the Opera House. It now also includes an additional 450 seat theatre. “The society always had a focus on quality, on local, and on being part of the community,” Kevin said. With heavyweight business leaders running an ‘amateur theatre company’ over a long period, it punches well above its weight.

“We punt $500,000 on a show; for Phantom of the Opera it was $700,000,” he said. This is a staggering sum for a notfor-profit company in a town of just 70,000. The theatre sells 10 to 12,000 tickets for its annual musical, which equates to ten percent of the population of the entire district. “We get as many people to our shows as there would be for a super rugby game.” Behind the success are some contradictions. On one hand Kevin says “we are strictly amateur” and “no-one gets paid” but on the other he reveals that this is just accountant’s speak, in that no-one is an “employee”. The company does pay professional performers as “contractors” because the district simply does not have the depth of talent to fill all the leading principal roles for every show. The next big production for New Plymouth is Mary Poppins. Beaming with pride, Kevin explains that a former local singer, now a professional opera (Continued on page 28)

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(Continued from page 27)

performer in the UK, is returning to play the lead. “Bryony Williams got her first big break with New Plymouth Operatic. Our leading lady in Cats would not do a matinee on the same day as a night performance. “So we put Bryony on with just a few days’ notice. She did a wonderful job and is now in my view the greatest female singer to come out of Taranaki.” The company also insists on strict quality control from the nonprofessional cast. “There would rarely be a year where I don’t sack someone in the cast,” he said. The sackings usually relate to the attitude of the performer to being part of the team. Keeping the wheels oiled behind the scenes are some clever local business partnerships. “We pay a four thousand dollar fee for newspaper advertising but we get $40,000 in value. “We provide 100 seats free for the sponsor, and an evening where they can take their top business partners and top suppliers to a show.” The local TSB Bank (run by New Plymouth’s own banker and board member Kevin Murphy) distributes a flyer to the local community offering a ten percent discount if they book early. One sponsor supplies a car for the run of their rehearsal period. Another provides wrap around advertising on it. Kevin stresses the importance of treating sponsors well and giving them the opportunity to get alongside other business people.

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New Plymouth Operatic Society’s Mamma Mia! Photo: Chris Hill.

New Plymouth Operatic also provides a dividend to the community. People with severe disabilities who might feel uncomfortable going out to a public theatre are given free tickets to their final dress rehearsal. Each year 300 school students receive an intensive orientation in theatre craft, ranging from backstage to being taught a dance number. “The teachers tell us the students learn more about singing, theatre and the arts during those sessions than they learn during the whole year.”

New Plymouth is one of the leaders of a consortium of very large community theatre companies in New Zealand that collaborate to build a set and make costumes that tour around the country. The companies often get access to musicals years before Australia. Mamma Mia! has already been staged all over New Zealand, whilst it is restricted to professionals only in Australia. At the conference, Music Theatre International promoted their long list of blockbusters that will be available over the next three or four years for community theatre. They include Matilda, Kinky Boots, Once and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. On the same weekend as the conference, Priscilla Queen of the Desert was opening at Showbiz Christchurch. ORiGiN Theatrical launched the availability of Strictly Ballroom the Musical during the weekend.

Tax Tips For Performing Artists Mark Chapman, H&R Block’s Director of Tax Communications has some advice for those in the performing arts to help them get ahead at tax time.

Just as the elite theatre companies are well organised, often owning their own premises and hiring out costumes to their local communities, so too is the umbrella organisation for the companies - Musical Theatre New Zealand. It has a full-time administrator, runs multiple training weekends and helps its members share resources in a number of ways. The annual weekend includes a number of traditions from the good old days when it was called the New Zealand Operatic Federation. All the conference virgins are called up on the stage for a special welcome from a local icon theatre, director Valda Peacock, there are competitions for best poster or program and there is the ubiquitous fancy dress party. The first night was themed in the colours of the local Rugby club. The grand ball on Saturday night was back to the 1960’s - coinciding with the 65th anniversary of New Plymouth Operatic. Naturally theatrical types just love frocking up.

The main tax perk for people in the arts world is income-averaging. Recognising that incomes in the arts can fluctuate widely over the course several years, the ATO allows so-called “special professionals” to average their income so that they don’t pay excessive amounts of tax in the good years compared to the leaner years. Averaging is available where your income from qualifying activities first exceeds $2,500. For the purposes of the income averaging rules, special professionals include:  Authors  Inventors  Artists  Composers  Performers  Production Associates (ie, someone who provides artistic services such as an art director, a choreographer, a costume designer, a director, a director of photography, a film editor, a lighting designer, a musical director, a producer, a production designer, a set designer) The income included in the averaging rules includes:  Prizes and rewards  Income from endorsements, advertisements, interviews and commentating  Royalties from copyright of a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work  Income from a patent for an invention Employment income is usually excluded unless the contract is for a oneoff piece of work and not part of an ongoing engagement. Income averaging works by applying a special rate of tax to the special professional income for the year which is above a 4-year average. There is no need to calculate this yourself. The ATO will calculate it for you. All you need to do is complete box Z at item 24 on your tax return. Deductions Given the inherently unique nature of many jobs in the performing arts, it is no surprise that the type of work-related deductions tend to be quite unusual. When working out what you can claim, you simply need to remember the basic rule that if you incurred the expense in earning your income, it should be claimable. So, depending on what you do, you might be able to claim items as diverse as acting or stagecraft classes, costs of stage makeup, fitness or personal trainer expenses or the cost of buying or repairing musical instruments - none of which would normally be claimable by employees in more ‘mainstream’ occupations. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 29

sometimes there wasn’t enough. But it was never a big deal. It was more important to them for us to develop and know who we really were, and sometimes well - when you’re a kid that can be a bitch. You’re still trying to find out who you are and what’s important to you deep down.” Sierra remembers how, as a gifted On the eve of her Australian concert tour, Sierra Boggess junior ice-skater, touted as a future Olympic star, she had to give up described by Andrew Lloyd-Webber as The Phantom of the lessons because her family could no Opera’s finest Christine ever - talks to Coral Drouyn. longer afford them. When you think about Musical true we grew up with an alternative “It didn’t break me. What would Theatre divas it’s a very long list, but lifestyle. My Dad never wanted that have been the point? I just looked it shortens when you look at those much from life. Most of the time he around and found something else I almost mythical creatures, the icons was happy making hand-made was good at.” of Musical Theatre: Ethel Merman, guitars and other instruments and we That something was music, and Mary Martin, Carol Channing and the were all taught to play. My sister although flute was her first love, once doyen of all, Dame Julie Andrews. They all originated roles in great musicals and we know their names even if we never saw them on stage. New talents come every year, but it’s hard to predict who will become an icon. The best bet at present is the amazing Sierra Boggess, who rose to Summer is actually coming to fame in Love Never Dies and 25th Australia with me and playing Cello Anniversary performances of The in the orchestra. Phantom of the Opera, and who “Watching television wasn’t a originated the title role of The Little Mermaid on Broadway. Despite a fast big deal. We just hung out and played all kinds of music. I was -growing fan base, Sierra has a problem identifying as either an icon very close to my sisters, still am, and Colorado is such a beautiful or a diva. state. We’d go camping and we’d “I think of divas as people like Idina (Menzel) or Bernadette (Peters). sing and listen to our voices echo I mean, they’re stars. I guess - I hope - back at us. The Rockies are pretty spectacular. We were I’m a leading lady, but not a star,” part of a state choir so we sang she says. “As for icon, come on! I’m way too young, plus I have no desire close harmony every chance we to stay up on a pedestal. I’d far rather could, and I loved that.” It sounds like an idyllic be down on the ground where the existence. real folks are. “Work was not all Sierra Boggess is “real folks”. She consuming; my parents describes her family as a “bunch of never chased money,” happy hippies,” in a home where there was an emphasis on music and Sierra explains. “It was just a tool for family togetherness. “We really were hippies,” she tells them and me. “Even our names are a give away (Sierra, Summer and Allegra), and it’s

Diva, Icon, Or Just A Great Gal?

Online extras! Watch her spine-tingling “Part Of Your World” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. https://youtu.be/VHDbbxjH5_k 30 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

Sierra Boggess as Ariel and J.J. Singleton as Flounder in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Photo: Joan Marcus.

Sierra discovered her voice she knew what her path was. “I never had a fall-back plan. I never studied to be a teacher or a secretary. I decided to go for it. … The truth is, music was the only thing I could see that I was good enough at to make a difference. Without it I might never even have graduated high school.” It takes amazing confidence and belief in yourself to set out on a path and let nothing deflect you. Small wonder that Sierra connects with her fans and young performers through her quote, ‘You are enough, you are so enough, it’s unbelievable how enough you are.’ “You know,” she says pensively, “I start every class with that quote, and most people attribute it to me. But I didn’t write it. I was seventeen when one of my teachers first said it to me, and somehow it seemed meant for me. The world is such a crazy place. Beautiful, but crazy. We all have moments of uncertainty when we wonder who we are, what (Continued on page 32)

Sierra Boggess as Christine in a performance from The Phantom Of The Opera during the 2012 Classic BRIT Awards at the Royal Albert Hall.

Online extras! Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo deliver a powerful Phantom performance. https://youtu.be/LSRNjnpM7y4

www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 31

(Continued from page 31)

we’re doing, whether we’ll make it. We just need to remember that all the tools are within us; we only need to learn how to use them.” I mention that it sounds just a bit Zen, or New Age, and she laughs. “I’m a believer in self motivation and I practise yoga, but I think it only sounds Zen because it’s not new; it’s very old. Believing in yourself, knowing who you really are, somehow got lost in the last century when we started worrying what other people would think of us instead of just being all we could be. And when I was studying Opera, I would often fear a note before it was coming, working out worst scenarios in my head if I didn’t make the note. But the whole mantra of “You are enough” freed up my voice, took away any fear and just let the music take over.” It’s this ability Sierra has to set the voice free and allow the lyric true emotional expression that makes her singing so special. “You don’t have to create the music,” she says, “you just have to be ready to set it free.” It’s the joy in the music, and her ability to soar, that first brought her to the attention of Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the role of Christine in The Phantom of The Opera. “I’d be an ungrateful fool not to be grateful to him for seeing something in me. I mean, who gets

32 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

Sean Palmer and Sierra Boggess in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Photo: Joan Marcus.

Sierra’s concert dates are Saturday June 3, State Theatre Sydney, Thursday June 8, QPAC Concert Hall and June 1, Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall. to play a lead like that on Broadway and in London’s West End when you’re in your early twenties? It was insane, and a little bit scary, but I clung to that saying, “You are enough.” ALW has called her “the finest Christine ever” and she’s also played Cosette and Fantine in Les Mis. Every time she steps on a stage the audience is mesmerised by the purity and clarity of the voice, and the depth of emotion behind it. So, for a girl who studied opera, was it disappointing that the first role she actually originated was as Ariel in The Little Mermaid? “Heck no,” she laughs. “It was amazing because some part of me can’t believe I am actually all grown up and I have a new fan base. They’re

girls, and they’re young, and I get to share what I believe, what I feel, with them.” I ask what would be her dream role that she will never get to play. She answers immediately. “That’s easy - Javert in Les Mis.” It seems a strange choice until she explains. “He’s so much more than he seems. We think of him as a villain but he’s actually a man of great integrity. He honestly believes he is right, and that he is upholding what he believes in. He’s complex, but honourable. I love imperfect characters because we can never be truly perfect and it’s the imperfections that make us human. “ The idea of concerts and cabaret is relatively new to Sierra, but it’s a chance to fulfil a lifelong dream of coming to Australia. “When I was in 4th Grade I had a teacher who was crazy about Australia and she always came for a month on Summer vacation,” Sierra explains. “So when she came back she would tell us these fantastic stories and I learned so much, never dreaming I would one day go there myself. I know not to call a Koala a bear, and that they are prawns, not shrimps, and you don’t often throw them on the Barbie, and Melbourne’s weather is a mystery even to the locals. And I’m just looking forward to arriving in this great silver cylinder and stepping out into this amazing world - like a cross between Disneyworld and Narnia. There I go being a kid again.”

www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 33

Designing The Light In The Piazza

Tom Willis explains how he designed the lighting and set for the stunning production of The Light in Piazza staged by the Life Like Company last December in the Melbourne Arts Centre.

The Light in the Piazza. Photo: Ben Fon.

34 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

I try to start each design process, regardless of the show, with the idea that my primary responsibility as a designer is to support the performer and the text (and in the case of a musical or opera, the score). It’s not so much about imposing ideas as it is about framing them, and often elevating them or providing clarity and context. In the case of The Light in the Piazza, a musical by Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas based on the novella by Elizabeth Spencer, the story is deceptively simple. A young American girl meets an Italian boy while on holiday with her mother. The two fall quickly and madly in love, and whilst circumstances beyond their control threaten to derail the relationship, the strength of their devotion to each other prevails. The final scene takes place on the steps of the church within which they will marry. One of the first steps in the design process is to read the script and meet with the director. It’s in these early conversations that we start to talk about the world we intend to create and the rules and conventions that govern both the look and feel of the show and how the characters interact within it. Theresa Borg, our director, gave me some very clear parameters. “I want to take our audience to Florence,” she said. “I want to feel that ‘light’ that you feel when you’re walking down the street early in the morning.” For Tess, Florence wasn’t simply a setting

The Light in the Piazza. Photo: Ben Fon.

for this piece. It was a character. “And remember,” she said, “everything has to be beautiful.” The original Broadway production made highly effective use of Florentine architecture to expand and contract the stage. The design was substantial, a combination of sky and stone, pillars and plinths. It would have been a great mistake for us to try and replicate this highly elaborate (and very costly) production. We didn’t have the budget to build large physical set pieces. Also, we had the added complication of having to design a show that would ultimately end up sharing the space with another production (a children’s pantomime). This meant that we needed to design something that could be effectively bumped in and out of the theatre each day. My first concept for the scenic design was based around a number of large square shaped columns that could be rearranged around the space to create the various locations and scales required to tell the story. While we’ll never know for sure, I think it was a good concept that presented great potential for the interplay of set and light, while also playing with scale and height. Unfortunately for me, one of the many challenges of scenic design is trying to work out how much

Lighting, Sound & Staging

everything will end up costing. For the columns to be effective, they had to be big (approximately 5m in height) and while we fought hard to find a way to make them a reality, it was ultimately deemed too expensive to do properly. A big mistake is not to realise an idea fully. Sometimes it’s better to go back to the drawing board and start again, as daunting as that might sound. My final design consisted of three key elements. The first was a floor, a giant wedge constructed of timber but scenic painted (by the remarkable Mattea Davies) to resemble stone or concrete, inlaid with lines of bronze that divided the wide surface into smaller sections. The second element was a series of paintings, suspended over several fly lines, that could be flown in to various heights to create multiple arrangements and configurations. Embedded into these arrangements were silhouettes of the Florentine skyline, including the clocktower of the Palazzo Vecchio and the great dome of the Florence Cathedral. The third and final element of the design was, of course, the light. Initially I had intended for the rear of the stage to be adorned with a massive painted cloth of a romantic cloudstrewn sky. We would use this surface

effectively as a cyclorama, bouncing masses of light off its textured imagery to frame our stage. For a whole bunch of technical and practical reasons, I ended up moving away from this concept and settled on the idea of placing the floor in a black void, and then used backlight and haze to draw the space up out of the ground. I didn’t just want the light to be cloth at the back of the stage. I wanted it to be something three dimensional that the actors could move through and around. I wanted light to extend from doorways in sharp corridors, or to cascade from above in giant slabs, as if sunlight bursting through clouds. I also wanted to be able to focus right down, and at certain times divide the stage to provide smaller concurrent spaces that could juxtapose different locations side by side. I always wanted the actors and the art to be the dominant elements in the space, to make sure they never got lost or overwhelmed by the design. We installed and teched the show over the last week of October 2016, opening on a Friday night to positive reviews and heartfelt applause. A cast of extraordinary performers brought (Continued on page 36) www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 35

Lighting, Sound & Staging (Continued from page 35)

their characters to life and imbued them with warmth and emotion. The music was staggeringly beautiful, realised by a chamber orchestra rich in strings that soared through Guettel’s magnificent score. Sometimes all I think a good designer needs to do is get out of the way and let the performers and musicians do their thing. I’m always in awe of what these talented human beings are capable of. If I had to pick one moment in the show as a favourite, it would be at the end of the first act as the two lovers finally embrace for the first time. Tess often talked of the show’s narrative as

a fable; a simple story through which we could explore the ideas of love and dependency. Our two young leads, Clara and Fabrizio, are real enough, their actions and feelings entirely relatable, and yet they are also mythical characters in a sense, the embodiment of a story told again and again throughout history. While some scenes in Piazza required a great deal of thought and problem solving to realise, the Act I finale had always been really clear in my head. The two lovers come together in silhouette, their small bed an island in a great void of darkness that transcends the boundaries of Clara’s humble hotel room. High above, half in shadow, the faces of gods, kings and muses look on knowingly. These painted characters embody the very soul of the city, its

The Light in the Piazza was performed at The Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne from October 28th to November 6th, 2016. Tom Willis is a lighting designer based in Melbourne. He works across a diverse range of theatre and performance projects including musicals, dance, drama, puppetry, circus and cabaret. www.willislighting.com

36 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

beauty and history. In this moment, these images shift and re-align to frame the young couple at the centre of a tableau, like a star surrounded by planets. The young couple at the centre of an ancient city, their embrace its beating heart. The Light in the Piazza. Photo: Ben Fon.

tungsten spotlight. The low maintenance and reduced power bills also combine to make the F500 a winner. Beam design has been redefined with the F500 employing a sharper and crisper edge to the beam (5° - 50°) than Theatrelight NZ’s new F500 LED Fresnel is a traditional diffuse edged Fresnel. This proving a hit with theatres, schools and museums. allows the light to be used not only Designers enjoy the way the 1200w tungsten Fresnel from another over the stage but in front-of-house tungsten colour of the light blends well manufacturer has an output of positions where the rotatable four-leaf with existing traditional theatre 2,300lm and their LED version also only barn-door produces clean cut-offs to lanterns. In fact telling the difference reached 2,600 lumens. ensure little spill on the proscenium can be a challenge with both light An intelligent cooling system arch. sources measuring close to 3200K. ensures the long life LED light engine Theatrelight can supply diffuser gels The cool beam from the LED source (20,000 hours) is kept cool yet quiet at for a softer beam, or you can simply also ensures faded gels become a thing the same time - quiet enough for drop a piece of Rosco 119 Hamburg of the past. television studios where programs such frost in the colour frame. F500s can be rigged in hard-toas New Zealand’s TV3 program The The F500 can be set to mimic the reach places while an optional integral Project sees them light up the studios thermal inertia of incandescent wireless DMX receiver is available, every night. filaments from 500w to 5kw, and has a helping to reduce data cabling. Schools have found the cool number of effects including Fire Flicker Theatrelight has pursued excellence operating surfaces of the F500 far safer and Strobe. Coupled with its in the design and specifications of the around children. The case temperature surprisingly low cost the F500 is LED light engine at the heart of the reaches only 35-40°C compared to the suitable for almost any job from the F500. Their engineers have produced foyer to the stage. scorching 160° plus of an equivalent colour rendering reaching an impressive CRI of 96.9, while achieving a high Talk to Theatrelight or your nearest Theatrelight agent for a average lumen output of over 3,000 demonstration. Check out the details at www.theatrelight.co.nz lumens. By comparison, a typical

New Theatrelight LED Shines

www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 37

The Yellow Wallpaper The Yellow Wallpaper, a production recently staged by Bachelor of Fine Arts students at NIDA, integrated extensive video and stage automation technology. Written in 1892 by Charlotte Perkins Gilmann, it depicts the fate of a woman who does not meet the expectations society imposes on her. What begins as an attempt for peace and order soon becomes a nightmare of decay and unrest. Students were challenged to deliver an evocative design where the technical elements worked in unison rather than conflict. The set, designed by then third year Design for Performance student Charlotte Mungomery, incorporated a revolving stage that had three partitioned rooms upon it. The Technical Theatre and Stage Management students needed to collaborate closely to realise the technical and artistic ambitions of the production. First year video designer Cecilia

38 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

Nelson allowed each room to retain a distinct lighting “character” that translated both for the eye of the audience in the physical space and the lens of the camera that was capturing a live feed of the action. Aron Murray, first year video designer, combined pre-generated video content with the mixing of live feeds from multiple cameras. First year sound designer Mattison Tabone underscored the action and transitions on stage with a perfectly

timed, emotionally powerful soundtrack that supported and punctuated the visual choreography of the piece. Felix Hauge’s diligent operation of the stage machinery ensured that all of the technical movements and changes occurred in a synchronous manner. At once visually striking, emotionally powerful, technically brilliant and artistically successful, The Yellow Wallpaper was not only a demonstration of the technical and artistic dexterity of NIDA’s students, but was a testament to the transformative power of artistic collaboration. Directed by Master of Fine Arts (Directing) student Madeleine Humphreys.

Toi Whakaari’s Exploding Stage

Lighting, Sound & Staging

Caucus, Caucus, Harvest, Dawn. Photos: Philip Merry.

Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School’s final production for 2016 was their most ambitious in years Caucus, Caucus, Harvest Dawn. Inspired by the dark children’s books of Maurice Sendak and Shaun Tan, this original work was described as “a post-modern fable about humanity partying while the world falls apart around us.” The explosion effect, pictured, was created with traditional ‘manual’ methods - utilising stage crew, actors, smoke, light and sound, all coordinated to create the explosion spectacle. No pyros or other stage effects (apart from smoke and light) were used to create the effect. The tower was constructed to building code to give the feel of a real semiconstructed building. Pipe, wiring and insulation was used to set dress it.

Lighting design (by Nathan McKendry) consisted of many practicals (lamp shades) as well as a core generic rig with a handful of intelligent lights supplementing the overall design. Sound (designed by Chris Winter) featured multi-layered surround sound, utilising a DB Technologies T4 line array for front-of-house, Electro-Voice SX300s for directional sound and multiple subs under the seating block to rumble the audience. AV design and content (created by Charley Draper) utilised a Hitachi 4000 lumen data projector, with

mapped content, onto the front of the tower. A simple CD tray shutter was used to block light when not in use. The production was devised and codirected by graduate Patrick Carroll, senior tutor Aaron Cortesi, school director Christian Penny and Jonathan Price, with support from second year acting students who played (almost all) the roles. The show was designed by performance design student Ivo Deliyski with audio-visual design from graduate Charley Draper and graphic design from Owen McCarthy.

See more photos at http://toiwhakaari.ac.nz/portfolio/caucus-caucus-harvest-dawn www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 39

Riedel Communications has launched what it describes as a “game changing” new wireless intercom solution. Called Bolero, it offers a wide range of features and connectivity that can be applied as a feature rich wireless beltpack, as a wireless keypanel, and in an industry first - as a walkie-talkie radio. “When we designed Bolero, we wanted to make life as easy for the use as possible,” said Jake Dodson, Director of Product Management at Riedel Communications. “With existing products in the market, registration of beltpacks can be laborious, requiring a user to go into the menu and apply a pin code so the beltpack can be registered to the antennas. This can easily take two minutes each. Imagine doing that for 25 beltpacks? “Bolero incorporates Near Field Communication technology. The user needs only to touch the beltpack to the antenna to complete the registration process.” Boleros also support Bluetooth 4.1, allowing either a Bluetooth headset or a Smartphone to be connected. When a Smartphone is connected, the beltpack can act like a car’s “hands free” setup so the user can receive calls on their phone and talk and listen via their headset. Users can also make calls and then connect that person into the intercom matrix, eliminating the need for a telephone hybrid. The beltpacks have been designed using a combination of premium materials, including high-impact plastics and rubber overmolds, to create a tough device that provides easy use and handling. The display can be inverted so that it is readable in any orientation. The beltpacks have six buttons for each of the six intercom channels, plus a separate “Reply” button that easily facilitates a reply to the last channel that called. Finally, in an industry first, the beltpack can be used

Features • Next-generation, digital, globally License-free, 1.9GHz DECT band • Riedel-exclusive ADR receiver technology overcomes multipath issues • Fully integrated with Artist for point-to-point comms and ease of use • Touch & Go registration • IP-65 environmental sealing • Up to six full-duplex channels plus convenient REPLY to last caller button 40 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

Online extras! See how Bolero could improve comms for you. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/yah89mmOzCw without a headset like a walkie-talkie radio, utilizing an integrated mic and speaker. Specifications It operates in an expandable, full-roaming, DECT-based intercom system, in the license-free 1.9GHz frequency range. Bolero runs over an AES67 IP network. Decentralized antennas connect to an AES67 network then to Artist frames equipped with AES67 client cards, providing a fully integrated point-to-point intercom ecosystem with seamless roaming capabilities. Bolero features Riedel-exclusive ADR (Advanced DECT Receiver) technology, a diversity receiver technology specifically designed to reduce sensitivity to multipath RF reflections, allowing the system to operate in the most challenging RF environments where other systems often fail. The Bolero high-clarity voice codec provides both higher speech intelligibility and more efficient use of RF spectrum supporting twice the number of beltpacks per antenna for the same audio bandwidth as other DECT-based systems. The codec has exceptional latency characteristics while having a low FPGA footprint, providing excellent beltpack battery life and maximising DSP processing power for other functions. Bolero will be available in Australia in the second half of 2017.

Dazzling Club Lights

Lighting, Sound & Staging

Souths Juniors’ Leagues Club was rocking to Hot Boogie Nights recently, blending Disco-Burlesque and Circus artistry with dazzling disco songs. 18 XMLite 915Z matrix LED moving heads were supplied by Phantos Lighting for their outstanding color blending, 10-50° zoom, pixel mappable LED cells, and fast infinite Pan/Tilt. Lighting designer Paul Kirk has been using them a lot and he loves them. “The pixel mapping really helps me to create various effects efficiently. I could just run a video across the fixtures. The lights are quiet, fast and very powerful for their size. I am only running them at 70% output”. For more details visit www.phantos.com.au

www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 41

channel. Headsets are Beyer, Clearcom and Ezicom; single or Lighting, Sound & Staging dual earpiece. Radio Microphone Systems are Sennheiser 100, 300 and 500 series in bands A, G, B and 1.8GHz. “This variety allows integration with existing systems in any location in Australia. Shure systems are UR J5E band and ULXD H51 band. Budget microphones are available for both brands. Additional lapel and headset microphones are from Countryman, DPA, Rode and ROM.” Andrew Bowen said in his Clear Systems has been supplying sound, vision, communications opinion LED stage lighting has reached a standard where it can and stage lighting to the theatre industry for over 30 years. equal (and surpass) conventional Based in Mount Waverley in “These have the best audio fixtures. Melbourne’s south-east, the quality we have experienced. “ETC Lustre II have seven company is continually adding to Versatile and extensive links to different coloured LED elements. its impressive hire inventory. wired systems, Ethernet, and two Rich deep colours and pale pastels “We test and evaluate, using our way radio systems are possible,” he are all possible from the one experience and technical said. fixture. Zoom and fixed angle knowledge to choose appropriate Other wireless comms are the profiles, Fresnel and CYC variants equipment for any application, for Telex BTR range, available in A2, B4 are all available for hire or a sales hire, sales and installations,” said and C3 bands, single and dual demo.” manager Andrew Bowen. For more details and a competitive quote get in touch with Recent additions include the Clear Systems at 2 Expo Court Mount Waverley, Victoria 3149, email Clearcom FreeSpeak II wireless andrew@clearsystems.tv or call (03) 9562 7999. intercom systems.

Clear Systems

Theatre Tech Specialists

42 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

CX reader Erica: “I believe Tech production is perceived by women the same way as any trade - it’s a tough physical job that requires a certain skill set. How many women become plumbers or chippies? This type of work is not attractive to women (or men) who want to wear nice clothes and work in air conditioning.” Bronwyn Pringle from Melbourne: “I see loads of women start out in technical fields and then many go off to other fields, often because they get sick of being surrounded by the blokey attitude. “It’s even there in the language we use. ‘Old Boys’ and ‘Soundgirls’. The bulk of women in technical areas are young. It’s also a problem across the In February more than 2500 people attended the ENTECH (Sound, world. I went to the trade show Light and Staging) Roadshow around Australia, yet just 4.5% were alongside the Live Design Broadway Masterclass in New York and the women. CX Magazine asked its readers why there are “such a situation was exactly the same.” ridiculously low” number of women who want to be techies. Camille Symmons: “The long hours Kat Grandquist, who is studying Harry Parker: “I’ve been around the and low pay is certainly not for tech production at WAAPA: “It is a theatre and corporate AV industry for everyone, especially women who will very obvious trend in the technical over 30 years and, yes, there are very eventually want to have children and production community. few females in technical roles and I settle down. But I do know a lot of “I don’t think the idea of wish that wasn’t the case. The women women (for whom) motherhood is participating in creative technical I’ve had the privilege of working with totally out of the question and all they trades is accessible to most women. were always excellent and I have never want to do is work in this industry and They are encouraged to be singers or had cause to think that they were in they have their heads screwed on really actors but don’t get shown other any way inferior to their male well. These women are few and far creative opportunities available in the counterparts.” between.” industry.”

Women Not In Black

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Stage on Page By Peter Pinne

DRAMA IN SILENT ROOMS - A History of Radio Drama in Australia from 1920s to 1970s by Peter Philp (Eureka Media $39.95). Little has been written about radio drama in Australia, which at one time, especially during the forties and the fifties, was the main source of income for actors and writers. Focusing as it does on drama production, with some side excursions into variety and music, this is the most comprehensive book on the genre since the publication of Richard Lane’s authoritative The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama (Melbourne University Press) in 1994. From the first primitive stab at the form in 1925 with The Barbarous Barber, through the golden age in the forties with Dad and Dave, Martin’s Corner and Courtship and Marriage, to the marathon runners Blue Hills (5,795 episodes) and When a Girl Marries (3,290 episodes), Peter Philp encapsulates the eras with minute attention to detail. A former radio journalist who began his career at 3KZ, Melbourne, he writes from an insider’s perspective which helps give the text authority. Radio drama was the acting school for many of Australia’s top actors; Peter Finch, Rod Taylor, Ray Barrett, Guy Doleman and Bud Tingwell all went onto international careers after

honing their craft in long sixteen hour days running from studio to studio. It was a brutal industry, rife with alcohol and tobacco addition, but it produced artists who were recognised as being the best in the world at their craft. Many including Thelma Scott and Gwen Plumb had stints in England and had no trouble picking up work at the BBC. Australian radio actors were in high demand. Lux Radio Theatre and General Motors Hour were the weekly showcases which produced everything from Shakespeare (Merchant of Venice) and the classics (Camille with Lyndall Barbour/Jane Eyre with Patricia Kennedy) to adaptations of books (Dymphna Cusack’s Come in Spinner/White Coolies with Ruth Cracknell), and Douglas Stewart’s verse plays - Ned Kelly with Lloyd Berrell and Fire on the Snow with Peter Finch. George Edwards, former J.C. Williamson’s song and dance man, was the pioneer of radio serial production. He established a production company in the mid-thirties at Columbia Records (EMI) which became one of the most successful in radio history. Their flagship serial was the popular Dad and Dave, based on the On Our Selection

Stage Whispers Books Visit our on-line book shop for back issues and stage craft books www.stagewhispers.com.au/books 44 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

stories of Steele Rudd, which ran for sixteen years. Throughout the serial Edwards, who was known as ‘The Man with a Thousand Voices’, would frequently play several roles in each episode, sometimes carrying on conversations with himself. He was also responsible for the children’s serial The Search for the Golden Boomerang (scripted by Lorna Bingham), another long-runner, on-air for eleven years, which was one of the first radio serials to explore Aboriginal folklore. But Edwards was not alone in the production stakes. The girl from Texas, Dad And Dave

Grace Gibson, had come to Australia during the late thirties to sell American radio serials and was so successful that after she returned to the U.S. she came back and set-up her own local production company which is still in existence today. Gibson was not only responsible for Australianised versions of U.S. formats Dr. Paul, Portia Faces Life and Nightbeat, she can also lay claim to producing three of writer Lindsay Hardy’s most successful serials, Dossier on Dumetrious, and its sequels Deadly Nightshade and 26 Hours. Hardy had emerged from Melbourne where he had previously scripted A Mask for Alexis, Two Roads to Samarra, Office Wife and later Walk a Crooked Mile for Donovan Joyce’s production house. He had success in London where he adapted A Mask for Alexis (1959) and Walk a Crooked Mile (1961) as six-part television series for the BBC. Other prolific writers in the medium at the time were Morris West, who established his own production company in Melbourne and later became a best-selling novelist, Sumner Locke Eliott, who went on to write the controversial play Rusty Bugles and later TV drama in the U.S., and Coral Lansbury, distant cousin of Angela, and Malcolm Turnbull’s mother, who became the last of George Edwards’ four wives and a prolific scripter for the Edwards’ serials. Melbourne was home to Crawford Productions, who began their radio operation with musical series (Melba

with Glenda Raymond was an early success), and then later drama with D24, a police series, and Consider Your Verdict, set in a courtroom, which used a real barrister to play the judge and had actors who ad-libbed their dialogue, having been briefed about their cases prior to the show being taped. One of the most colourful Sydney directors was E. Mason Wood or “Woody” as he was affectionately known. English by birth he had originally come to Australia as a baritone with Oscar Asche’s Theatrical Company, but remained and became one of the industry’s most beloved producers. It was his phraseology by which he is most remembered. When a break was called during rehearsals it was usually the cue for the male actors to rush to the nearest pub. The women would stay behind as it wasn’t the practice to take ladies into a public bar at the time. A new actress from England was in the cast of one of Woody’s plays and she was very disappointed to hear of the local custom as it was not a problem for her to visit a pub back in England. Woody, aware of this, said to her: “Never mind. We will get you in for a drink. We’ll poke you up the back passage.” Radio drama died overnight in 1956 with the introduction of TV. Sponsors cut back on their radio advertising and with the loss of revenue came layoffs and reduction in production. Several companies continued to produce into

the sixties but the “Golden Era” was over. Some actors made a successful transition to TV; Leonard Teale in Homicide, Gwen Plumb in The Young Doctors, but mostly the big names were forgotten. Sheila Sewell, a star and popular favourite in radio, tragically committed suicide. At 600 pages the book does not stint on information, and of particular value is the fact that Philp frequently gives a one line plot synopsis and lists what actors played which character in the productions mentioned, making it invaluable as a research document. Almost 300 pages are devoted to the “Golden Era”, and although the book cuts off with a final chapter on Gwen Meredith’s Blue Hills, which concluded its run on the ABC in 1976, it continues with an epilogue and a brief overview of what happened year by year until 2016. In 1982 Ross Napier created The Castlereagh Line, one of Grace Gibson Productions’ most successful serials which ran to 910 episodes. That was the same year How Green Was My Cactus was created and it was still being produced in 2016, thirty-four years later. Drama in Silent Rooms is a nostalgic memory-lane-walk for anyone who remembers the period and an enlightening one for those who don’t. The book comes with B&W photos and an index, and can be purchased from Grace Gibson Productions (02) 9906 2244 radio@gracegibson.com.au.

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John Cullum, guest appearing as the Starmaker, adds musical theatre heft to a minor role. The highlights are many, and none more so than Amercian Ballet Theatre dancers Robert Fairchild and Tiler By Peter Pinne Peck in the second act pas de deux dream ballet. Fairchild, Carousel (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein ll) (PBS who went on the star as Jerry Mulligan in An American In Rham601/DVD NTSC) Paris on Broadway is a handsome and athletic Carousel This version of Carousel springs from a performance on Boy, but Peck is simply stunning as Louise, bringing grace April 26, 2013, when PBS’ Live From Lincoln Center and superb timing to the part. presented the New York Philharmonic’s concert-staging of As far as the staging goes, it’s a bare bones affair with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s iconic musical. It’s taken four the orchestra on stage and a few wooden boxes down years for the DVD to be released but it has been well-worth front. the wait. Carousel is probably Rodgers and Hammerstein’s finest Top starred as Julie Jordan was Kelli O’Hara, playing her score and it’s great to hear it played robustly by the New second Rodgers and Hammerstein heroine after winning a York Philharmonic under the baton of Encores! musical Tony for her portrayal of Nellie Forbush in South Pacific in director Rob Fisher.  2008. Featured opposite her as Billy Bigelow was operatic baritone Nathan Gunn, who had been called a Dear Evan Hansen (Benj Pasek/ “barihunk” by People magazine and named their Justin Paul) (Atlantic 558631-2) “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2008. Also in the cast was Since they first emerged with mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, a fixture on opera Edges and followed it with James stages around the country, as Nettie Fowler; Jessica and the Giant Peach, and Mueller, making her first Broadway appearance as Dogfight, Benj Pasek and Justin Carrie Pipperidge after winning Chicago’s Joseph Paul have proved themselves as Jefferson award for the same role; Jason Daniely as one of the most exciting young Enoch Snow; Kate Burton as Mrs Mullins and Shuler composer/lyricist teams around, Hensley, no stranger to Rodgers and Hammerstein recognised this year when their heavies having played Jud Fry in Lincoln Center’s South Pacific, as Jigger Craigin. Online extras! It’s probably the most complete recording of the score, Buy Dear Evan Hansen on iTunes by clocking in at 2 hours 20 minutes, and includes most of scanning the QR code or visiting the things that are cut these days to shorten the piece. http://apple.co/2p5pLTJ O’Hara is a wonderful Julie (even if she does look a more mature mill girl alongside Jessie Mueller), but Gunn is simply sensational as Billy. He’s broody but likeable and his lyrics only assignment for La La Land won them an Oscar. performance of “Soliloquy” is every bit as good as John Dear Evan Hansen is not their first Broadway outing Raitt’s original. He also brings loads of sexual chemistry to (that was A Christmas Story) but it’s by far their most the role and a tenderness, especially in the finale which is impressive. Originating Off-Broadway last year, it’s now emotionally affecting. The famous extended bench scene one of the hottest tickets on Broadway, with a breakout which includes “If I Loved You” is star performance by Ben Platt, who’s a major beautifully played by both Gunn contender for the Tony. It deserves every accolade. and O’Hara. She also shines on Tackling the subject of teen suicide, the musical is a “When the Children Are Asleep” very personal development of an episode in the highand “What’s the Use of Wond’rin.” school life of Pasek and the aftermath of a classmate’s Mueller, on the cusp of a what tragic death when fellow students who had barely was to become a major Broadway known him claimed to have been his friend and career starring in Beautiful and inserted themselves into the tragedy. Waitress, is very appealing as Evan, a socially awkward teenager, goes from outsider Carrie and a delightful foil for to cool guy when he fabricates emails that idealize the Daniely’s straight-laced Enoch. friendship between himself and Connor, a suicide Blythe, not the first opera singer victim. It’s strong material but it never gets bogged to play Nettie, is outstanding on down by the subject matter. “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, whilst An ensemble cast headed by Platt find understanding, emotion, rage and love in Pasek and Paul’s excellent contemporary musical theatre score, whose sound is Online extras!

Stage On Disc

Buy the DVD of Carousel from Amazon by scanning the QR code or visiting http://amzn.to/2p5o6h1 46 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

Rating  Only for the enthusiast  Borderline  Worth buying  Must have  Kill for it

heavy on piano, acoustic guitar and strings. “Waving Through a Window” vividly sets up Evan’s world; “On the outside looking in, Will I ever be more than I’ve always been, ‘Cause I’m tap-tap-tapping’ on the glass, Waving through a window.” “Disappear (Nobody deserves to be forgotten)” is incredibly poignant, as is “You Will Be Found”, sung by the entire cast, and Rachel Bay Jones’ “So Big/So Small”, where she painfully recalls the day Evan’s father left the family when Evan was a child. The whole show brilliantly encapsulates the internet world where people “friend” thousands but are still so incredibly lonely.  Beauty and the Beast (Disney 002531402) The Deluxe-Edition soundtrack from Disney’s liveaction/CGI-animated remake of their 1991 animated movie comes in 2 CDs, the first with the songs and a second with the film score. The score contains all

Online extras! Get the Beauty And The Beast soundtrack from iTunes now. Scan or visit http://apple.co/2p5gU4A

the songs from the 1991 version plus four new songs written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Tim Rice. None of the songs written for the 1994 Broadway version are used except an instrumental of “Home”. Emma Watson is a fine Belle. The voice is sweet and true but of course not in the same class as Audra McDonald, who plays Madame Garderobe and sings the new “Aria”. Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey) has clipped some of the ferocious edges off the Beast, but his singing of the new “Evermore” can’t be faulted. Kevin Kline, as Belle’s father, also gets a new song “How Does a Moment Last Forever”, which is given a pop treatment by Celine Dion as one of the bonus tracks. “Days in the Sun”, another new number, allows the inanimate objects to become human again and roughly replaces the “Human Again” moment from the Broadway version. Two new characters have been added to the Beast’s castle; Maestro Cadenza, voiced by Stanley Tucci, a piano and the husband of Madame Garderobe, and Plumette, voiced by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, a feather-duster. Emma Thompson does a lovely job of Mrs Potts and sings the title tune with warm Cockney charm.

The bonus tracks also include Alan Menken’s demo version of the four new songs, a pop version of “Evermore” by Josh Groban, and a new duet version of the title song by Ariana Grande and John Legend.  Sing (Republic 002600202) If you liked the movie Sing as much as I did, then this soundtrack will put a smile on your face. The animated film about a koala who hopes to save his theatre by having a singing competition features classic songs sung by the film’s main cast plus one new song, “Faith”, specifically written for the movie and performed by Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande. Songs include Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing”, sung by Taron Egerton’s teenage gorilla Johnny, Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off’, with Reese Witherspoon and Nick Kroll as contestants Rosita, a housewife pig with singing ambitions, and Gunther, a passionate dancing pig, and “Set It All Free”, delivered with an amazing vocal by Scarlett Johansson as Ash, a teenage porcupine punkrocker. Seth MacFarlane gets to voice Mike, a white mouse with attitude who’s big on Sinatra, singing “My Way”, “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” and “Pennies From Heaven” (only on the Target release). Best vocals are by Tori Kelly as Meena, a teenage elephant with stage fright. Her “Hallelujah” soars, but a duet version with Jennifer Hudson is in the diva stratosphere. 

Online extras! Jam along with the soundtrack to Sing on iTunes. Scan the QR code or visit http://apple.co/2p5f7wa

www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 47

Most of the time you know how much you have to spend before you have even chosen the show. All shows have different pressures on the budget. It is a constant battle to choose a show that is popular and one that is tried and tested but not as known to students. As much as you want to do a particular show for artistic reasons, you have a responsibility to the budget to aim for a break- even outcome. Remember there are many reasons why shows flop on Broadway or in the Mark McDowell from YourShow has some handy hints to help stretch your West End, but mostly it’s show budget further. because they are not very good. One song does not Budgets for school sales can be added to reach of food, drink and programs. make a musical. Also, there musicals are usually set in the maximum budget, Some schools see musicals as is a limit to how many stone, i.e. “the same as last whereas others will give you promotion of the school and ‘artistically successful’ year”. The bean counters will a figure and the school will are therefore generous in productions a school board tell you the maximum you recoup as much of this as financial support and less will accept. My motto is can spend and that is that. they can with ticket sales. concerned about balancing whenever possible try to Some schools give an Front of house sales can also the books. break even and they will allocated figure and ticket be factored in with the sales leave you alone. If you make

48 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

a profit, spend it on something that will save you money on your next show. If you have a Principal or accountant who will try to help relieve the pressure by investing some capital money, spend it wisely. They may look at the big ticket hire items from last year’s show and inevitably instruct you to go and buy 20 radio mics. This is not a good idea and will come back to bite both of you in the short term. Unless you have a trained ‘Theatre Tech’ to maintain them, they will let you down and you will end up hiring them anyway. Also, you only use this number of mics once a year; the rest of the time they sit in the cupboard deteriorating. I’m not saying don’t buy radio mics, I’m just saying cap it at six. If its lights you want to buy, then first make sure that your infrastructure can support

them. Moving lights are very similar to radio mics, they require someone to maintain them. There is no use buying moving lights if your lighting console can’t drive them. Budgets are flexible. I don’t mean the overall amount, but the breakdown between disciplines in every show. Budget wise, look at each show that you are considering and check out the following details: How many scenes? By this I mean locations. Can this be done with a basic set and more lighting or props? Can I hire the set? Wardrobe? How many different sets of costumes does each cast member require? Does much need to be made or can it be hired? Can it be purchased from Op shops? How many radio mics? Can this be reduced by using corded mics with careful choreography? Will this suit

the show? Can the number of radio mics be reduced by more swaps? Can more students be put into the orchestra? Can money can be saved on hiring professionals? Do you need moving lights, as they require extensive programing. Most schools have lots of students keen to be involved, but not on stage. This is fantastic more follow spots - you have the operators. They don’t replace moving lights but can help the lighting be less reliant on them. Every spoken line or sung lyric in a professional musical has a follow spot on the actor. Remember follow spots don’t need to look like a hard edge circle of light following an actor around the stage. They also don’t need to be at 100% intensity. Once these types of questions are answered you

can adjust department budgets to suit the chosen show. Most people involved with school shows expect that their department will have the same amount of money to spend as they did last year, but that is not the case. Some departments will have more and some will have less. They should all be show dependent. Don’t worry about doing a show that has been done before at your school. As long as it’s over six years ago, you will have a different cohort and may in fact get the old cohort buying tickets to compare productions. You may also find that you have some resources lying around from the last time you produced it, therefore allowing budget monies to be re-allocated. Choose wisely and remember, ‘If it breaks even or makes money, it will continue to happen.’

Need help with your show budget? For more information, contact Mark McDowell at YourShow on 0412 580 977 or via email mark@yourshow.net.au www.yourshow.net.au

www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 49

Stage Briefs

 Carolyn Reed plays the role of Galinda in Willoughby Theatre Company’s production of Wicked at The Concourse, Chatswood from May 20 to June 4. Read more at http://bit.ly/2pr4K6O

50 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

 Melbourne’s CLOC Musical Theatre w of Les Misérables at the National Thea Bradtke directs his fourteenth CLOC pro full circle. Twenty-four years ago, Chris non-professional productions of Les Mis CLOC and won nine Music Theatre Guild and for Production of the Year. Pictured: Mark Doran (Jean Valjean) & A Read more at http://bit.ly/2pr39xR Photo: Ben Fon.

will produce a new re-imagined version tre, St Kilda from May 12 to 27. Chris oduction and one that brings him back directed one of the very first Australian s. The show broke box office records for d awards, including for Chris as Director

Ava Rose Houben-Carter (Little Cosette).

 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! plays at Roleystone Theatre (WA) in May 2017. Pictured are Hayley Currie as Laurey and Liam Gobbert as Curly. Read more at http://bit.ly/2pr2eOd Photo: Bree Hartley.

 Rockdale Opera Company’s Gala Fundraising Concert held on 8 April 2017 was an overwhelming success. It was the brainchild of José Carbó (pictured with the ensemble), copatron of the Company, who performed 5 major operatic roles with Rockdale prior to establishing his international career. Read more at http://bit.ly/2pqSV0K www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 51

ď&#x192;¨ Paul Nicholson (pictured) plays the title role when Manly Musical Society presents Stephen Sondheimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s macabre musical thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street from May 19 to 27. Read more at http://bit.ly/2pr4PYa

52 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

Stage Briefs

 John Wikman Productions presents the world premiere season of the new musical comedy Cleopatra - Clash of the Fashion Houses in Brisbane from May 26. Read more at http://bit.ly/2pr415V

 Arron Johnson plays the role of Angel Schunard, an HIV-positive Drag Queen, in Rockdale Musical Society’s production of the PulitzerPrize winning Broadway musical RENT, at Rockdale Town Hall from May 31 to June 4. Read more at http://bit.ly/2pr39hG

www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 53

London Calling

re-united, now 40-something women, who are still trying to fulfil their dreams of meeting their heroes. The cast of The Band is headed by Five to Five, a group of five youths who won the BBC talent search Let It Shine. Direction is by Kim Gavin and Jack Ryder, design by Jon Bausor, and choreography by Gavin. The 20 city tour will officially open at the Manchester Opera House on 26 September 2017. By Peter Pinne Meanwhile Gary Barlow (Take That) and Tim Firth’s musical version of the play Calendar Girls, called The Girls, is Oslo by J.T. Rogers is to transfer to London following a currently going gangbusters at the Phoenix. The popular run on Broadway. The National Theatre will present the story, which was originally a film and then a play, about a Lincoln Center production, directed by Bartlett Sher, at the group of Yorkshire women of a certain age who pose nude National Theatre from 5-23 September 2017, after which it for a charity calendar, according to the critics works better will transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End in this musical incarnation and that its “feel-good and run from 30 Spetember until 30 December 2017. The conclusion is genuinely earned rather than arbitrarily play tells of the part Norwegian diplomat Mona Juul and imposed.” The Guardian said it’s a “classy musical her social scientist husband Terje Rod-Larsen played in makeover”, whilst the Daily Mail opined “you’ll cry with negotiating a peace agreement between Israel and the laughter”. The authors grew up in the same village where Palestine Liberation Organization, which culminated in the the story is set. It stars Joanna Riding (Annie), Claire Moore signing of the historic Oslo Accord. Currently playing at the (Chris), Debbie Chazen (Ruth), Claire Machin and SophieLincoln Center, the play has had rave reviews Louise Dann, and is directed by Firth. Songs include an “Thrilling” (New York Times), “A triumph” (Washington opening chorale “Yorkshire”, which establishes the Post) and “A madly engrossing wonder” (New York). The supposedly timeless nature of life in the Dales, “The seasons production currently stars Jefferson Mays (Rod-Larsen) and come and go and yesterdays don’t change” and Jennifer Ehle (Juul). Following the West End season a film “Kilimanjaro” an emotional number of marital loss. version will be produced by Marc Platt, with a screenplay by While Broadway currently has Patti LuPone portraying Rogers, and direction by Sher marking his feature film beauty titan Helena Rubinstein in the high-gloss musical debut. War Paint, London has a more modest telling of her story in Further casting has been announced for the Menier Aussie playwright John Misto’s (The Shoehorn Sonata) Chocolate Factory’s upcoming revival of Peter Shaffer’s comedy Madame Rubinstein, which is currently playing at comedy Lettice and Lovage, the first since its original the Park Theatre, Finsbury Park, with Miriam Margolyes as production. Petra Markham and Sam Dastor will join stars Rubenstein. Co-starring with her, in the production directed Felicity Kendall and Maureen Lipman in the production by Jez Bond, are Frances Barber and Jonathan Forbes. directed by Trevor Nunn. The play is about the unlikely Following a similar story to War Paint, the play is set in friendship that develops between Lettice, a stately home 1950s Manhattan and involves the power struggle between tourist guide prone to an exaggeration of the history of the Rubinstein and rivals Elizabeth Arden and Revlon. The play home, and her supervisor Lotte. It was first performed in was the fastest selling show in Park Theatre’s history. London in 1987 where it ran for 768 performances with The Union Theatre, Southwark, is currently home to a Maggie Smith as Lettice. Smith later played the role on new same-gender production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Broadway, winning a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. Juliet which is set in a world where football is a religion and The UK tour of Take That and Tim Firth’s new musical Romeo and Juliet are two young men trying to begin The Band has become the fastest selling theatre tour in careers in the sport who find themselves ‘star-crossed’ history, taking 2 million at the box-office within two hours against prejudice. Adapted by Joe Mackenzie, it features of the tickets going on sale. The musical, produced by Sam Perry, Abram Rooney and Sam Wilson amongst others, David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers, was launched at the and is directed by Andy Bewley with choreography by Amy Manchester Apollo, the venue where Take That first Warren. performed in 1992. The plot follows five 16 year-old fans Director John Tiffany confirmed following Harry Potter for whom ‘the boy band’ is everything. 25 years-on they are and the Cursed Child sweeping the Olivier Awards with nine wins, that the play will definitely open on Broadway next spring at the newly refurbished Lyric Theatre. Based on an original story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, with a script by Thorne and direction by Tiffany, the play took home a record number of Oliviers which included Best Actor (Jamie Parker), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Noma Dumezweni), Best Actor in a Supporting Role Online extras! (Anthony Boyle), Best New Play, Best Lighting (Neil Austin), Find out about the Take That musical The Best Sound (Gareth Fry), Best Costume Design (Katrina Band by scanning the QR code or visiting Lindsay), Best Set Design (Christine Jones) and Best Director https://youtu.be/dIH04Dsjtos (John Tiffany). 54 Stage Whispers May - June 2017

Auditions

Advertise your show on the front page of www.stagewhispers.com.au

Place your audition notice in our next edition. Email stagews@stagewhispers.com.au or call (03) 9758 4522

Stage Whispers 55

On Stage A.C.T. Avenue Q. Conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. Book written by Jeff Whitty. Supa Productions. Until May 13. The Q Theatre, Queanbeyan. (02) 6285 6290. Velvet. May 3 - 14. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. (02) 6275 2700. View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller. Canberra Repertory Society. May 4 - 20. Theatre 3. (02) 6257 1950 (10am-4pm Monday-Friday).

A.C.T. & New South Wales

Talk by Jonathan Biggins. Sydney Theatre Company. May 31 - Jun 3. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. (02) 6275 2700. South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Queanbeyan Players Inc. June 2 - 11. The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. (02) 6285 6290. Coranderrk. Ilbejerri / Belvoir. Jun 14 & 15. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. (02) 6275 2700.

The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow, from the book by John Buchan Akmal - Trial & Error. May 9 and the Hitchcock film. 14. Courtyard Studio, Canberra Canberra Rep. Jun 16 - Jul 1. Theatre Centre. (02) 6275 2700. Theatre 3. (02) 6257 1950 Shirley Valentine by Willy (10am-4pm Monday-Friday). Russell. Christine Harris and HIT Bakersfield Mist by Stephen Productions. May 24 - 27. The Sachs. The Tasmanian Theatre Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Company and Straightjacket Centre. (02) 6285 6290. Productions in association with ORB. Sydney Dance Company. The Karralyka Centre. Jun 22 May 25 - 27. Canberra Theatre. 24. The Q, Queanbeyan (02) 6275 2700.

56 Stage Whispers

Performing Arts Centre. 02 62856290.

Continuing. Capitol Theatre, Sydney. 1300 558 878.

Cyranno de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, adapted by Damien Ryan. Jun 28 - Jul 1. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. (02) 6275 2700.

Talk by Jonathan Biggins. Sydney Theatre Company. Until May 20. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. (02) 9250 1777.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame in a new version by Maxine Mellor. La Boite. Jun 28 - Jul 1. The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. (02) 6285 6290. New South Wales The Bodyguard by Alexander Dinelaris, based on the 1992 film The Bodyguard, with a score featuring songs recorded by Whitney Houston. John Frost, Michael Harrison and David Ian. Continuing. Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star. 1300 795 267.

The Popular Mechanicals by Keith Robinson, William Shakespeare and Tony Taylor from the original direction of Geoffrey Rush. Sydney Theatre Company / State Theatre Company South Australia production. Until May 13. Wharf 2. (02) 9250 1777. Snugglepot & Cuddlepie. Young People’s Theatre Newcastle. Until May 20. Young People’s Theatre, Hamilton. (02) 4961 4895. Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph. Old Fitz Theatre. Until May 6. www.oldfitztheatre.com

Kinky Boots. Music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. Book by Harvey Big Fish. Book by John August. Fierstein. Michael Cassell Group. Music & Lyrics by Andrew Lippa. RPG Productions / Hayes Theatre

Just $40 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.

On Stage Co. Until May 14. (02) 8065 7337. Daylight Saving by Nick Enright. The Theatre on Chester. Until May 13. Cnr Chester St and Oxford St, Epping. (02) 9877 0081.

Based on the book by Shepherd Meado. Hornsby Musical Society. May 5 - 13. Hornsby RSL Showroom. hornsbymusicalsociety.com.au

Sweet Charity. Book by Neil Simon, Music by Cy Coleman and Lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Anyone for Breakfast? by Derek Wyong Musical Theatre Benfield. Club 71. Until May 13. Company. May 5 - 13. Wyong St Peter’s Hall, Hamilton Art House. www.wmtc.com.au (Newcastle). (02) 4942 6015. Chicago. Music by John Kander. Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Book by Fred Newcastle Theatre Company. Ebb & Bob Fosse. Penrith Until May 6. Newcastle Theatre Musical Comedy Company. May Company, Lambton. (02) 4952 5 - 13. Joan Sutherland 4958 (3pm-6pm MondayPerforming Arts Centre, Penrith. Friday). (02) 4723 7600. The Chapel Perilous by Dorothy Wicked. Music & Lyrics: Stephen Hewett. New Theatre. Until May Schwartz, Book: Winnie 27. www.newtheatre.org.au Holzman. Based on the novel by Don’t Dress for Dinner by Marc Gregory Maguire. Orange Camoletti, adapted by Robin Theatre Co. May 5 - 21. Orange Hawdon. Maitland Repertory Civic Theatre. (02) 6393 8111. Theatre, 244 High Street, Black is the New White by Maitland. Until May 13. (02) Nakkiah Lui. Sydney Theatre 4931 2800 Company. May 5 - Jun 17. www.maitlandreptheatre.org Wharf 1. (02) 9250 1777. Two Weddings, One Bride by The Golden Antelope by Chris Ronert Greene. Opera Australia. Fletcher and Brian Birkefeld. Until Oct 22. Playhouse, Sydney Footlice Theatre Company. May Opera House. (02) 9250 7777. 5 -13. The Unorthodox Church Perhaps, Perhaps…Quizás by la of Groove, Newcastle West. Munoz. Old 505 Theatre. May 2 footlice@gmail.com - 13. old505theatre.com Wicked. Music & Lyrics by Australia Day by Jonathan Stephen Schwartz, book by Biggins. Pymble Players. May 3 - Winnie Holtzman. Based on the 27. Players Theatre, Cnr Mona novel by Gregory Maguire. Coffs Vale Road & Bromley Ave, Harbour Musical Comedy Pymble. (02) 9144 1523. Company. May 5-28. Jetty Memorial Theatre, Coffs Do Your Parents Know You’re Harbour. (02) 6652 8088. Straight? Premiere of comedydrama by Newcastle writer Riley McLean. Eclectic Productions. May 3 - 6. Civic Playhouse, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977.

Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley. Old Fitz Theatre. May 10 - Jun 3. www.oldfitztheatre.com

Xanadu. Book by Douglas Carter Beane. Music & Lyrics by Jeff Lynne & John Farrar. Carillon Theatrical Society Inc. May 4 13. Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre. (02) 6333 6161.

Educating Rita by Willy Russell. The Depot Theatre. May 10 20. thedepottheatre.com

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, Willie Gilbert. Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee. Ensemble Theatre. From May 11. (02) 9929 0644. Bitch by Wayne Tunks. Tunks Productions. From May 10 - 20. The Depot Theatre.

New South Wales Go Your Own Way - The Story Of Christine McVie by Diana Simmonds. Tenacious C. May 11. Cessnock Performing Arts Centre. (02) 4993 4266.

May 13. Civic Theatre, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. Lithgow Musical Society. May 14 - 27. Union Theatre, Lithgow. fb.me/LithgowMusicalSociety

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Dale Wasserman, based on the novel by Ken Kesey. Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton. Glenbrook Players. May 12 - 20. Richmond Players. May 15 - 27. Glenbrook Theatre. (02) 4739 Richmond School of Arts, East 1110. Market St, Richmond. 42nd Street. Book by Michael www.richmondplayers.com.au Stewart and Mark Bramble. Laugh Out Loud Festival. Lyrics by Al Dubin. Music by Comedy sketches developed by Harry Warren. The Regals young actors. Hunter Drama. Musical Society. May 12 - 20. May 15 - 20. Civic Playhouse, Rockdale Town Hall. Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. www.theregals.com.au Only Heaven Knows by Alex Oliver! by Lionel Bart. Dural Harding. Luckiest Productions in Musical Society. May 12 - 27. association with the Hayes Soldiers Memorial Hall, Dural. Theatre Co. May 16 - Jun 24. (02) 8960 8895. The Play That Goes Wrong by Into the Woods. Music & Lyrics Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer by Stephen Sondheim. Book by and Henry Shields. Lunchbox James Lapine. The Players Theatrical Productions, Kenny Theatre, Port Macquarie. May Wax Ltd, Stage Presence, David 12 - Jun 4. (02) 6584 6663. Atkins Enterprises, ABA I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnick. International Touring and The Guild Theatre. May 12 - Jun Mischief Theatre Company. 10. The Guild Theatre, Rockdale. Roslyn Packer Theatre. May 16 (02) 9521 6358. 21. Ticketmaster. Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz. Arts Theatre Cronulla. May 12 - Jun 17. (02) 6523 2779. Model Citizens. Circus Oz. 12 13 May, Lismore; 19 - 20 May, Wyong; 26 - 27 May, Penrith; 2 - 3 June, Wagga Wagga. Rock of Ages. Book by Chris D’Arienzo. Tamworth Musical Society. May 12 - 27. Capitol Theatre, Tamworth. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie. Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent St. Sydney. May 13 - June 24. 1300 237 217. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Music & Lyrics by Richard & Robert Sherman. Book by Jeremy Sams & Ray Roderick. Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society. May 13 June 4. Judith Lucy & Denise Scott: Disappointments. Token Artists.

Advertise your show on the front page of www.stagewhispers.com.au

The Ham Funeral by Patrick White. Indian Ink Theatre Company. Syren Theatre Co / Griffin Independent. May 17 Jun 10. SBW Stables Theatre. (02) 8355 9341. Guru of Chai by Jacob Rajan & Justin Lewis. Indian Ink Theatre Company. Belvoir Downstairs. May 16 - Jun 4. (02) 8355 9341. Velvet. Nightclub musical developed by Craig Ilott. Organised Pandemonium and Strut & Fret. May 17 - Jun 4. Aurora Spiegeltent, Civic Park, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. Mr Jones - A Post-Electric Play. Writer Anne Washburn. Score by Michael Friedman. Lyrics by Anne Washburn. Belvoir / State Theatre Company of SA. May 19 - Jun 25. Belvoir Upstairs Theatre. (02) 8355 9341. Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker. Roo Stage Whispers 57

On Stage Theatre Company. May 19 - 27. Roo Theatre, Shellharbour. www.roo-theatre.com.au

New South Wales

Chicago. Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Ashfield Musical Society. May 19 - 28. Concord RSL Club Auditorium, Concord West. www.ashfieldmusicalsociety.com

Sweeney Todd. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Manly Musical Society. May 19 - 27. Star of the Sea Theatre, Stella Maris Annie Get Your Gun - 1999 College, Manly. Version. Lyrics and Music by www.manlymusicalsociety.com Irving Berlin. Book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields, revised by Sullivan & Gilbert. All of Sir Peter Stone. EUCMS (Eastwood Arthur Sullivan and some of Uniting Church Musical Society. Gilbert! The Zoo - Sullivan and May 19 - Jun 3. Eastwood Rowe’s short and witty comic Uniting Church Hall. opera. Sullivan Selections, www.eucms.org.au featuring favourites and some rarely performed items. NUCMS Wicked. Music & Lyrics by (Normanhurst Uniting Church Stephen Schwartz, book by Musical Society). May 19 - 27. Winnie Holtzman. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. Normanhurst Uniting Church. Willoughby Theatre Company. www.nucms.org May 20 - Jun 4. The Concourse Grease by Jim Jacobs & Warren Theatre, Chatswood. Casey. Engadine Musical www.willoughbytheatreco.com.au Society. May 19 - 28. Engadine Community Centre. 1300 616 Jesus Christ Superstar by Tim 063. Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Blue Mountains Musical Society. May 20 - Jun 4. Blue Mountains

58 Stage Whispers

Theatre and Community Hub, Springwood. (02) 4751 9996. This Is Not Mills and Boon. Glorious Thing Theatre Co. May 23 - Jun 3. Old 505 Theatre. old505theatre.com

Calendar Girls by Tim Firth. Nowra Players. May 26 - Jun 10. Players Theatre, Bomaderry. 1300 662 808 (Shoalhaven Visitors Information Centre).

Travelling North by David Williamson. Murwillumbah Hidden Sydney - The Glittering Theatre Company. May 26 - Jun Mile. Concept by Olivia Ansell in 11. Murwillumbah Civic Centre. collaboration with Wendy (02) 6672 6753. Richards. Live Ideas and Working Management with Rumors by Neil Simon. Woy Vivid Sydney. May 25 - Jun 16. Woy Little Theatre. May 26 - Jun The Rear Entrance of “THE 11. Peninsula Theatre, Woy NEVADA” at The World Bar, 1 Woy. (02) 4344 4737 Mansion Lane, Kings Cross. 136 Perfect Wedding by Robin 100. Hawdon. Castle Hill Players. May The Woman in Black. Adapted 26 - June 17. Pavilion Theatre, by Stephen Mallatratt from the Castle Hill. (02) 9634 2929. book by Susan Hill. Sutherland Circus Oz - Model Citizens. Joan Theatre Company. May 26 - 28. Sutherland Performing Arts Sutherland School of Arts. Centre. May 26 & 27. (02) 4723 thesutherlandtheatrecompany.com.au 7600. Lucy in the Sky by Tony Layton Bugsy Malone. Book by Alan and Siblings by Sandra James Parker. Music and Lyrics by Paul two one act plays. Lithgow Williams. Hills Musical Theatre Theatre Group. May 26 - Jun 3. Company. May 27 - Jun 3. Club Lithgow. (02) 6351 3375.

Just $40 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.

On Stage

New South Wales

El’ Circo - Slide’s famous circus degustation 9 courses and 9 acts. Every Friday and Saturday night throughout May/June. More info at www.slide.com.au Photo: Peter Sedlacik.

Online extras! Step into the mesmerising world of El’ Circo by scanning the QR code or visiting https://youtu.be/C2mc8mLGZTQ Model Farms High School Auditorium. www.hillsmtc.com H.M.S. Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan. Berowra Musical Society. May 27 - Jun 3. Berowra Community Centre, Berowra. www.bmsi.org.au The 7 Stages of Grieving by Wesley Enoch and Deborah Mailman. Queensland Theatre & Grin and Tonic Theatre. May 30 - Jun 3. Civic Playhouse, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. Rent by Jonathan Larson. Rockdale Musical Society. May 31 - Jun 4. Rockdale Town Hall, 448 Princes Highway, Rockdale. 0423 566 393 (3pm-8pm). Rumours by Neil Simon. Newcastle G and S Comedy Club. Jun 2 - 17. St Matthew’s Hall, Georgetown (Newcastle). 0432 886 149.

A Little Murder Never Hurt Anyone by Ron Bernas. Newcastle Theatre Company. Jun 3 - 17. Newcastle Theatre Company, Lambton. (02) 4952 4958 (3pm-6pm MondayFriday). The Witches. Based on David Wood’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel. Griffin Theatre Company. Jun 3 - 5. Civic Theatre, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl. New Theatre. Jun 6 - July 8.

The Hypochondriac by Molière. NIDA June Production Season. Directed by Constantine Costi. NIDA Theatres, Reg Grundy Studio. Jun 8 - 15. Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow. June 8, Cessnock Performing Arts Centre, (02) 4993 4266 & June 9 - 11, Civic Theatre, Newcastle, (02) 4929 1977. www.nida.edu.au Love and Money by Dennis Kelly. NIDA June Production Season. Directed by Judy Davis. NIDA Theatres, Space. Jun 9 16. www.nida.edu.au

The Village Bike by Penelope Skinner. Old Fitz Theatre. Jun 7 Jul 8. www.oldfitztheatre.com One Act Play Festival. The Players Theatre, Port Macquarie. Salem. Created by Madeleine Jun 9 - 11. (02) 6584 6663 / Humphreys and Emme Hoy. www.playerstheatre.org.au NIDA June Production Season. NIDA Theatres, Playhouse. Jun 7 Oliver! by Lionel Bart. Singleton - 14. www.nida.edu.au Theatrical Society. June 9 - 24. Civic Theatre. Civic Avenue,

Advertise your show on the front page of www.stagewhispers.com.au

Singleton. www.singletontheatricalsociety.com.au You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by Charles M. Schulz in the comic strip Peanuts. Young People’s Theatre. Jun 9 24. Young People’s Theatre, Hamilton (Newcastle). (02) 4961 4895. Chicago: The Musical. Music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. Novocastrian Players and Theatre on Brunker. June 9 - 24. St Stephen’s Hall, Adamstown (Newcastle). (02) 4956 1263. Eurydike + Orpheus. Words by Jane Montgomery Griffiths. Conceived and directed by Priscilla Jackman. NIDA June Production Season. NIDA Theatres, Parade Theatre. Jun 10 - 17. www.nida.edu.au Stage Whispers 59

On Stage

New South Wales Civic Theatre, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977.

22 - 24. Civic Theatre, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977.

The 7 Stages of Grieving by Wesley Enoch and Deborah Mailman. Queensland Theatre / Grin and Tonic. Jun 16 & 17. Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. (02) 4723 7600.

The Murder Room by Jack Sharkey. Hunters Hill Theatre. Jun 23 - Jul 2. Now performing at Hunters Hill Town Hall, 22 Alexandra St, Hunters Hill. (02) 9879 7765.

The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht. Translated by Alistair Beaton. NIDA June Production Season. NIDA Theatres, Atrium. Jun 10 - 19. www.nida.edu.au

Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe. Based on the film written by Daniel Waters. Miranda Musical Society. Jun 16 - 25. Sutherland Memorial School of Arts. www.mirandamusicalsociety.com.au

Don Giovanni. Australian premiere of new translation by Jeremy Sams of the opera with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Opera Hunter. Jun 14 - 25. Lake Macquarie Performing Arts Centre, Warners Bay. (02) 4943 1672.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Coranderrk by Andrea James Rice. Ballina Players. Jun 16 - Jul and Giordano Nanni, based on 9. Players Theatre, Ballina. (02) an 1881 Victorian parliamentary 6686 2440. inquiry into an indigenous Therese Raquin. Adapted from community’s attempt to be selfdetermining. ILLBIJERRI Theatre Emile Zola’s novel by Gary Abrahams. Dirty Pretty Theatre Company / Belvoir. Orange Civic & Critical Stages. Jun 16 - 17. Theatre, Jun 17; Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre, Jun 20; Cessnock Performing Arts Centre, Jun 21; The Art House, Wyong, Jun 24 - 26; Riverside, Parramatta, Jun 28; Northern River Performing Arts, Lismore, Jun 30 - Jul 1. ilbijerri.com.au/event/coranderrk

Heathers The Musical. Book, Music and Lyrics by Kevin

Lazy Sunday Lunch with Circus Avalon. Cabaret incorporating circus routines. Circus Avalon. Jun 18. Lizotte’s, Lambton (Newcastle). (02) 4956 2066. Mary Poppins. Music and Lyrics by The Sherman Brothers (additional lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe) with script by Julian Fellowes, based on books by P. L. Travers and the Disney film. St Phillip’s Christian College, Waratah. Jun

60 Stage Whispers

The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan. Rockdale Opera Company. Jun 24 - Jul 2. Rockdale Town Hall, 448 Princes Highway, Rockdale. www.rockdaleopera.com.au 1984. By George Orwell- A new adaptation created by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan. Sydney Theatre Company in association with State Theatre Company South Australia & by arrangement with Ambassador Theatre Group presents the Headlong, Nottingham Playhouse & Almeida Theatre production. Jun 28 - July 22. Roslyn Packer Theatre. (02) 9250 1777. Front by Michael Abercrombie. Jackrabbit Theatre. Jun 28 - Jul 15. The Depot Theatre. thedepottheatre.com Grace by Craig Wright. Knock and Run Theatre. Jun 28 - Jul 1. Civic Playhouse, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977.

Just $40 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.

On Stage Neville’s Island by Tim Firth. Meehan. Phoenix Ensemble, Ensemble Theatre. From Jun 29. Beenleigh, Until May 8. (07) (02) 9929 0644. 3103 1546. Spamalot by Eric Idle and John Du Prez. Armidale Drama and Musical Society. June 30 - July 15. The Armidale School’s Hoskins Centre, Cnr Brown & Chapel Sts, Armidale. www.adms.org.au

Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring. Mousetrap Theatre Company, Redcliffe. Until May 13. (07) 3888 3493.

New South Wales & Queensland Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Spotlight Theatre Co, Gold Coast. May 5 - 27. (07) 5539 4255. Run For Your Wife by Ray Cooney. Centenary Theatre Group, Chelmer. May 6 - 27. 0435 591 720.

The One Day of the Year by Alan Seymour. Toowoomba Repertory Theatre. Until May 13. 13 The Musical by Jason Robert (07) 4632 8058. Crown Matrimonial by Royce Brown, Dan Elish and Robert Ryton. Gold Coast Little Theatre, Charlie and the Chocolate Horn. Chatswood Musical Southport. May 6 - 27. (07) Factory by Roald Dahl, adapted Society. Jun 30 - Jul 2. The 5532 2096. by Richard George. Arts Theatre, Independent Theatre, North Brisbane. Until Jun 10. (07) The Last of the Red Hot Lovers Sydney. 3369 2344. by Neil Simon. Ipswich Little www.chatswoodmusicalsociety.org Theatre. May 10 - 27. (07) 3812 The Play That Goes Wrong by Queensland 2389. Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer Cosi by Louis Nowra. Beenleigh and Henry Shields. Lunchbox/ The Taming of the Shrew by Theatre Group. Until May 6. Kenny Wax/David Atkins/Stage William Shakespeare. Nash (07) 3807 3922. Presence. Concert Hall, QPAC. Theatre, New Farm. May 12 May 4 - 14. 136 246. 21. (07) 3379 4775. Once In Royal David’s City by Michael Gow. Qld Theatre. Swan Lake. Music by Avenue Q by Robert Lopez and Playhouse, QPAC. Until May 14. Tchaikovsky. Ben Stevenson Jeff Marx. Arts Theatre, 1800 355 528. production. Qld Ballet. Lyric Brisbane. May 13 - 27. (07) Theatre, QPAC. May 5 - 13. 136 3369 2344. Annie by Charles Strouse, 246 Martin Charnin and Thomas

Advertise your show on the front page of www.stagewhispers.com.au

The Village. A La Boite and MDA Ltd Production. Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove. May 15 19. (07) 3007 8600. Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose. Sunnybank Theatre Group. May 19 - Jun 3. (07) 3345 3964. Lady Beatle by Adam Brunes and Naomi Price. La Boite & Little Red Co. Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove. May 25 Jun 3. (07) 3007 8600. The Pearl Fishers by Bizet. Opera Q. Lyric Theatre, QPAC. May 25 - Jun 3. 136 246. Play It Again Sam by Woody Allen. Growl Theatre. May 26. boxoffice@growltheatre.org.au The Kingfisher by William Douglas Home. Javeenbah Theatre Co, Nerang. May 26 Jun 10. (07) 5596 0300. Shorts on Stage. Noosa Arts Theatre. May 27 - 28. (07) 5449 9343.

Stage Whispers 61

On Stage The Miracle Worker by William Gibson. Lind Lane Theatre, Nambour. May 27 - Jun 3. (07) 5441 1814. Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein. Mousetrap Theatre, Redcliffe. Jun 2 - 11. 0439 954 719. The Wind in the Willows by Alan Bennett. Villanova Players. F.T. Barrell Auditorium, Yeronga. Jun 2 - 18. (07) 3395 5168. Noises Off by Michael Frayn. Queensland Theatre. Playhouse, QPAC. Jun 3 - 25. 136 246. Dance Dialogues. Queensland Ballet. Thomas Dixon Centre, West End, Brisbane. Jun 7 - 17. 136 246. Miss Saigon. Music by ClaudeMichel Schönberg. Lyrics by Richard Maltby jnr and Alain Boublil. Qlueensland Musical Theatre, Schonnel Theatre, St Lucia. Jun 7 - 11. 136 246.

62 Stage Whispers

Queensland & Victoria

Sierra Boggess (In Concert). Concert Hall, QPAC. Jun 8. 136 246.

Wynnum. Jun 17 - Jul 1. (07) 3893 4321.

City of Angels by Cy Coleman The Woman in Black by Stephen and David Zippell. Beenleigh Mallatratt. Arts Theatre, Theatre Group. Jun 23 - Jul 8. Brisbane. Jun 10 - Jul 15. (07) (07) 3807 3922. 3369 2344. Murumba Drama Festival. 1984 by George Orwell / Shake Mousetrap Theatre, Redcliffe. & Stir. Lyric Theatre, QPAC. Jun Jun 23 - 25. (07) 3888 3493. 14-18. 136 246. Beauty and the Beast (Panto). This Way Up by Elizabeth Coolum Theatre Players. Jun 24 Coleman. Rondo Theatre, - Jul 2. (07) 5446 2500. Cairns. Jun 16 - 24. 1300 855 Rice by Michele Lee. Qld 835. Theatre. Bille Brown Studio, Prince Siddhartha - The Musical. South Brisbane. Jun 24 - Jul 16. fgs Academy of Art, Philippines. 1800 355 528 Concert Hall, QPAC. Jun 16 Woolf Works. Royal Ballet. Lyrics 17. 136 246. Theatre, QPAC. Jun 29 - Jul 2. One Hundred and One 136 246. Dalmations by Dodie Smith and Victoria Glyn Robbins. Arts Theatre, Aladdin. Music by Alan Menken. Brisbane. Jun 17 - Sep 2. (07) Book by Chad Beguelin. Lyrics 3369 2344. by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice The King and I by Rodgers & and Chad Beguelin. Disney Hammerstein. Savoyards. Iona Theatrical Productions. Her Performing Arts Centre,

Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne. Ongoing. 132 849. Cabaret. Music and Lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb. Book by Joe Masteroff. Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne. Until May 20. Ticketek. The Book of Mormon. Book, Music and Lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Ongoing. Princess Theatre, Melbourne. BookOfMormonMusical.com.au Three Little Words by Joanna Murray-Smith, Melbourne Theatre Company. Until May 27. Southbank Theatre, The Sumner. (03) 8688 0800. Werther by Massenet. Blank Knochen Opera. Until May 7. Abbotsford Masonic Hall. www.bkopera.com.au When I Was Five by Jeff Baron. Williamstown Little Theatre. Until May 6. (03) 9885 9678.

Just $40 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.

On Stage Strands by Peta Brady. The 1812 Theatre. Until May 7. Fairfax Studio. Arts Centre Melbourne. 1300 182 183.

Victoria

Rent by Jonathan Larson. Federation University Australia Graduating Music Theatre Company. Until May 6. Athenaeum 2, Melbourne. (03) 5327 8605.

Convention Centre, South Morang, May 13; Cardinia Cultural Centre, Pakenham, May 16; Altona Theatre, May 18; Frankston Arts Centre, May 20; The One Day of the Year by Drama Theatre, Monash Alan Seymour. Mordialloc University Academy of Theatre Company. Until May 6. Checklist for an Armed Robber Performing Arts, Clayton, May Shirley Burke Theatre, Parkdale. by Vanessa Bates. Off The Leash 23; Clocktower Centre, Moonee (03) 9587 5141. Productions. May 5 - 7, Old Ponds, May 24; Footscray Drouin Butter Factory; May 12, High Society. Book by Arthur Community Arts Centre, May 26 Traralgon VRI Hall; May 13, Kopit. Music and lyrics by Cole & 27; Kyneton Town Hall, May Stratford Courthouse Theatre. Porter. Malvern Theatre 30; Geelong Performing Arts Company Inc. Until May 6. 1300 The Savages of Wirramai by Centre, Jun 1 - 3. 131 552 Sandy Fairthorne. Geelong ilbijerri.com.au/event/coranderrk Repertory Theatre Company. The Realistic Jonses by Will Eno. Away by Michael Gow. Until May 13. (03) 5225 1200. Red Stitch Actors Theatre. Until Malthouse Theatre / Sydney May 28. Rear, 2 Chapel Street, Coranderrk by Andrea James & Theatre Company. May 3 - 28. Giordano Nann. ILLBIJERRI St Kilda East. (03) 9533 8083. Merlyn Theatre. (03) 9685 Theatre Company / Belvoir. 5111. Pride and Prejudice by Simon Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo, Reade, based on the novel by Miss Blossom Callahan by May 2; The Cube, Wodonga, Jane Austen. Heidelberg Theatre Stephen House. La Mama May 4; Riverlinks, Eastbank Co. Until May 13. (03) 9457 Theatre. May 3 - 14. (03) 9347 Centre, Shepparton, May 6; 4117. 6142. ESSO BHP Billiton Wellington Veronica’s Room by Ira Levin. Entertainment Centre, Sale, May Little Black Bastard by Noel Sunshine Community Theatre 9; Latrobe Performing Arts Tovey. La Mama Courthouse. Inc. Until May 13. Centre, Traralgon, May 11; May 3 - 14. (03) 9347 6142. Plenty Ranges Arts & Forever 39 by Amity Dry. May 3 - 7. Chapel off Chapel. (03) 8290 7000.

The Freedom of the City by Brian Friel. Eltham Little Theatre. May 5 - 20. 0411 713 095.

Melbourne Talam by Rashma N. Kalsie. Melbourne Theatre Company. May 4 - 20. Southbank Theatre, The Sumner. (03) 8688 0800.

The Yellow Wave by Jane Miller, based on the novel by Kenneth Mackay. La Mama Courthouse. May 10 - 21. (03) 9347 6142.

Echo. Melbourne City Ballet. May 4 - 7. Chapel off Chapel. (03) 8290 7000. Carmen by Bizet. Opera Australia. May 4 - 26. Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre. (03) 9685 3700. Tapestry: The Songs of Carol King. Sung by Vika Bull and Debra Byrne. Grows On Trees Productions. May 4 - 7. Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne. 1300 182 183. Iolanthe by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan (Musical Comedy). Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Victoria. May 5 - 7. Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre, Preston. (03) 8470 8282.

Advertise your show on the front page of www.stagewhispers.com.au

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Linda Woolverton. Bairnsdale Production Line Theatre Co. May 5 - 20. Forge Theatre and Arts Hub. (03) 5152 1482. Stories in the Dark by Debra Oswald. Croydon Parish Players. May 5 - 13. Croydon Uniting Church Hall. 0447 014 584, (7pm-9pm). Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Pagliacci by Leoncavallo. Opera Australia. May 10 - 20. Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre. (03) 9685 3700. Ben Noir: A French Cabaret. The Butterfly Club. May 10 - 14. thebutterflyclub.com Awakening by Daniel Lammin, a new adaptation of Franz Wedekind’s Spring Awakening. May 10 - 21. fortyfivedownstairs. (03) 9662 9966.

My Fair Lady. Book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Opera Australia / John Frost. May 11 July 30. Regent Theatre. Minnie & Liraz by Lally Katz. Melbourne Theatre Company. May 12 - Jun 24. Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne. (03) 8688 0800. The Vandal by Hamish Linklater. Tangled Web Theatre Productions. May 12 - 20. Brunswick Mechanics Institute. 0404 942 143. The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman. Torquay Theatre Troupe. May 15 - 27. www.ttt.org.au In Flagrante. The Butterfly Club. May 16 - 21. thebutterflyclub.com Stage Whispers 63

On Stage

Victoria

Wild Bore by Zoe Coombs Marr, Ursula Martinez and Adrienne Truscott. Malthouse Theatre. May 17 - Jun 14. Beckett Theatre. (03) 9685 5111.

Spring Awakening. Music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Stage Art. May 18 - Jun 4. Chapel off Chapel. www.stageart.com.au

Les Misérables. Music by Claude -Michel Schönberg. Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. Original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel. Additional Material by James Fenton. CLOC Musical Theatre. May 17 - 27. National Theatre, St Kilda. 1300 362 547.

Hats Off by Alison Campbell Rate. Brighton Theatre Company. May 18 - Jun 3. Bayside Arts and Cultural Centre, Brighton. 1300 752 126.

Orb. Sydney Dance Company. May 17 - 20. Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne. 1300 182 183. Songs for Jack by Will Hannagan. The Butterfly Club. May 17 - 21. thebutterflyclub.com Diamonds Are For Trevor: The 80th Anniversary Edition by Trevor Ashley. Hamer Hall, Arts Centre, Melbourne. May 18. 1300 182 183.

64 Stage Whispers

The Odd Couple by Neil Simon. Wyndham Theatre Company. May 18 - 27. King Roger by Szymanowski. Opera Australia. May 19 - 27. Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre. (03) 9685 3700. Godspell (2012 Revised Version). Conceived and originally directed by JohnMichael Tebelak. Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. NOVA Music Theatre. May 19 27. 1300 304 433. Forget Me Knot by David Tristram. The Basin Theatre

Group. May 19 - Jun 10. 1300 784 668 (7pm-9pm).

Jun 4. Strathmore Community Hall. (03) 9382 6284.

Footloose. Book and lyrics by Dean Pitchford. Music by Tom Snow (and Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins, Jim Steinman, Eric Carmen). MLOC Productions. May 19 - 27. Shirley Burke Theatre, Parkdale. (03) 9551 7514.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Dale Wasserman, adapted from the novel by Ken Kesey. Lilydale Athenæum Theatre Company Inc. May 25 Jun 10. (03) 9735 1777. Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Jeffrey Archer. The 1812 Theatre. May 25 - Jun 17. (03) 9758 3964.

Facts Don’t Matter - A Game Show for the Post-Truth World. The Butterfly Club. May 23 - 28. True West by Sam Shepard. The thebutterflyclub.com Mount Players. May 26 - Jun 10. Shrine by Tim Winton. The KIN Mountview Theatre, Macedon. Collective. May 24 - June 18. (03) 5426 1892. fortyfivedownstairs. (03) 9662 Steel Magnolias by Robert 9966. Harling. Cathouse Players. May One and The Other. Sue 26 - Jun 3. Kyneton Masonic Broadway and Debra Batton. La Centre. Mama Courthouse. May 24 www.cathouseplayers.com.au Jun 4. (03) 9347 6142. Hello, Dolly! Lyrics and music by The Dixie Swim Club by Jessie Jerry Herman and a book by Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Michael Stewart, based on Wooten. Strathmore Theatrical Thornton Wilder’s 1938 farce Arts Group (STAG). May 25 The Merchant of Yonkers. The Production Company. May 27 -

Just $40 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.

On Stage

Victoria

Jun 11. Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne. 1300 182 183.

Shrine by Tim Winton will be presented by The Kin Collective at fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne from May 24 to June 18. More info at www.fortyfivedownstairs.com

Miss Saigon. Music by ClaudeMichel Schönberg. Lyrics by Richard Maltby jnr and Alain Boublil. Wonthaggi Theatrical Group. May 27 - Jun 11. www.wtg.org.au The Book of Exodus Part 1 by Aaron Orzeck and Adena Jacobs. Theatre Works and Fraught Outfit. May 31 - June 18. Theatre Works. (03) 9534 3388. My Prerogative by Josh RH Daveta. The Butterfly Club. May 31 - Jun 4. thebutterflyclub.com Girl You Want by Tessa Mitchell. La Mama Theatre. May 31 - Jun 4. (03) 9347 6142. Ode by Karen Sibbing and Georgina Durham. La Mama Theatre. May 31 - Jun 4. (03) 9347 6142. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Music & Lyrics: Richard & Robert Sherman. Book: Jeremy Sams & Ray Roderick. Babirra Music Theatre. June 3 - 17. The Whitehorse Centre, Nunawading. (03) 9262 6555. Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Melbourne Theatre Company. Jun 5 - Jul 15. Southbank Theatre, The Sumner. (03) 8688 0800. The Moors by Jen Silverman. Red Stitch Actors Theatre. Jun 6 - Jul 9. Rear, 2 Chapel Street, St Kilda East. (03) 9533 8083. 21 Chump St by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Pursued by Bear. Jun 8 - 18. Chapel off Chapel. (03) 8290 7000. On the Meat of the Dodo by James Jackson. The Butterfly Club. Jun 7 - 11. thebutterflyclub.com Spencer by Katy Warner. Lab Kelpie. Jun 8 - 18. Chapel off Chapel. (03) 8290 7000. Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon. Pursued by Bear. Jun 8 - 18. Chapel off Chapel. (03) 8290 7000.

Online extras! Members of The Kin Collective ruminate on Tim Winton’s Shrine. https://vimeo.com/183254763 The Female of the Species by Joanna Murray-Smith. Peridot Theatre Inc. Jun 9 - 24. Unicorn Theatre, Mt Waverley Secondary College, Mt Waverley. (03) 9808 0770 (10am-2pm Mon-Fri). www.peridot.com.au Sierra Boggess in Concert. Concertworks. June 10. Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall. 1300 182 183.

Ski Whizz by Richard Ingham. Mooroolbark Theatre Group. Jun 15 - 25. Red Earth Theatre @ Mooroolbark Community Centre. 0490 769 245. Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again by Alice Birch. Malthouse Theatre. Jun 16 - Jul 9. Merlyn Theatre. (03) 9685 5111.

Advertise your show on the front page of www.stagewhispers.com.au

The Sleeping Beauty. The Australian Ballet. Jun 16 - 27. Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre. 1300 182 183. The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stephenson. Malvern Theatre Company Inc. Jun 16 Jul 1. 1300 131 552. One Man Two Guvnors by Richard Bean. Bendigo Theatre Stage Whispers 65

On Stage Company. Jun 16 - 25. www.trybooking.com/PMQQ Chicago. Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Windmill Theatre Company. Jun 17 - Jul 2. The Drum Theatre, Dandenong. Poetic License. Outer Urban Projects. Jun 20 - 24. fortyfivedownstairs. (03) 9662 9966. Model Citizens. Circus Oz. Jun 20 - Jul 16. Circus Oz Big Top, Birrarung Marr, Melbourne (between Federation Square and Batman Avenue). Ticketek. Cunning Little Vixen by Leoš Janácek. Victorian Opera. Jun 22 - Jul 1. Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne. 1300 182 183. Heart Is A Wasteland by John Harvey. Malthouse Theatre. Jun 29 - Jul 16. Beckett Theatre. (03) 9685 5111. Vincent in Brixton by Nicholas Wright. Williamstown Little Theatre. Jun 29 - Jul 15. (03) 9885 9678. The Rapture. Finucane and Smith. Jun 29 - Jul 16. fortyfivedownstairs. (03) 9662 9966. Australia Day by Jonathan Biggins. Mordialloc Theatre Company. Jun 30 - Jul 15. Shirley Burke Theatre, Parkdale. (03) 9587 5141.

Victoria, Tasmania & South Australia

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Dale Wasserman. The Launceston Players. May 24 28. Earl Arts Centre, Launceston. (03) 6323 3666. Whistle Down The Wind by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Devonport Choral Society Inc. May 13 - 27. Devonport Entertainment and Convention Centre. Heathers The Musical. Bijou Creative. June 1 - 10. Playhouse Theatre, Hobart. (03) 6234 5998. Emily Loves to Bounce. Inspired by the books of Stephen Michel King. Patch Theatre Company. Jun 6 & 7. Theatre Royal, Hobart. (03) 6233 2299. Dracula by Bram Stoker. Shake & Stir Theatre Co / QPAC. Jun 10, Princess Theatre, Launceston, (03) 6323 3666 & Jun 14 & 15. Theatre Royal, Hobart. (03) 6233 2299. 9 to 5. Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. Book by Patricia Resnick, based on the screenplay by Resnick and Colin Higgins. Launceston Musical Society. Jun 16 - 24. Earl Arts Centre. (03) 6323 3666.

Mr Burns. By Anne Washburn and Michael Friedman. State Theatre Company SA in collaboration with Belvoir. Until May 13. Space Theatre. BASS 131 246. Private Peaceful. By Michael Morpurgo, stage adaptation Simon Reade. Promise Adelaide. May 4 - 6. Bakehouse Theatre. www.bakehousetheatre.com or (08) 8227 0505. Eugene Onegin an Opera in Three Acts. May 4 - 7. By Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Co-Opera. Thomas Edmonds Opera Theatre Wayville. (08) 7221 2440. co-opera.com.au Let the Sunshine by David Williamson. Galleon Theatre Group. May 4 - 13. Domain Theatre Marion. 0437 609 577. AIDA-The Timeless Love Story by Elton John and Tim Rice, based on opera by Verdi. Hills Musical Company. May 5 - 20. Stirling Community Theatre.

hillsmusicalcompany.org.au or 0466 118 153. 9 to 5. Lyrics Dolly Parton, book by Patricia Resnick. ‘The Met’. May 11 - 20. The Arts Theatre. 0407 457 821 or BASS. metmusicals.com.au Bring It On The Musical. Book: Jeff Whitty. Music: Tom Kitt & Lin-Manuel Miranda. Lyrics: Amanda Green & Lin-Manuel Miranda. Pelican Productions. May 12 - 21. Norwood Concert Hall. www.pelicanproductions.com.au Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim. South Coast Choral and Arts Society. May 12 - 27. Victor Harbor Town Hall. www.trybooking.com/263564 DreamBIG Children’s Festival. May 18 - 27. dreambigchildrensfestival.com.au The Devil’s Acre by John Martin. Noarlunga Theatre Company.

Shit by Patricia Cornelius. Loud Mouth Theatre Company. Jun 22 - Jul 8. Theatre Royal Backspace, Hobart. (03) 6233 2299.

What Rhymes With Cars and Girls by Aiden Fennessy, Tasmania adapted from Tim Rogers’ album. Tasmanian Theatre Shenanigan’s Wake by Daryl Peebles. Directions Theatre. May Company. June 30 - July 15. Peacock Theatre. (03) 6234 6 - 28. Pear Ridge Theatre Restaurant, 1683 Channel Hwy, 5998. Margate. (03) 6267 1811 Giselle. Australian Ballet After Dinner by Andrew Bovell. Regional Tour. Jun 28, Princess Theatre, Launceston. (03) 6323 Hobart Rep. May 12 - 27. Playhouse Theatre, Hobart. (03) 3666 & Jun 30 - Jul 1. Theatre Royal, Hobart. (03) 6233 2299. 6234 5998. Uni Revue. Make Tasmania Great Again. Old Nick Company. May 12 - 27. Theatre Royal, Hobart, (03) 6233 2299 & May 31 - Jun 3, Princess Theatre, Launceston. (03) 6323 3666. 66 Stage Whispers

South Australia Mame. Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Gilbert & Sullivan Society of SA. Until May 6. The Arts Theatre. www.gandssa.com.au Just $40 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.

On Stage

South Australia & Western Australia

Adelaide Cabaret Festival Artistic Directors Ali McGregor and Eddie Perfect have announced that this year’s festival, from June 9 to 24, will feature 430 artists in 147 performances over 16 days and nights. There are 58 international artists, together with 372 Australian artists including 234 from South Australia. Read more at http://bit.ly/2pfYr5s Photo: Claudio Raschella.

May 20 - 27. The Arts Centre Port Noarlunga. 0498 077 051.

www.trybooking.com or (08) 8358 3018 or (08) 8410 5515.

It Runs in the Family by Ray Cooney. Tea Tree Players. May 24 - Jun 3. Tea Tree Players Theatre. (08) 8289 5266. www.teatreeplayers.com

Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Jun 9 - 24. adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au

Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical by Frank Wildhorn, Steve Cuden and Leslie Bricusse. Marie Clark Musical Theatre. May 26 - Jun 3. The Arts Theatre. www.marieclark.asn.au

The Psychic by Sam Bobrick. Adelaide Repertory Theatre. Jun 22 - Jul 1. The Arts Theatre. www.adelaiderep.com Blinky Bill by Josh Sanders, based on book series by Dorothy Wall. Hills Youth Theatre. Jun 23 - Jul 2. Stirling Community Theatre. www.hillsyouththeatre.com

Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Blackwood Players. Western Australia May 26 - Jun 17. Blackwood 21. Matilda by Dennis Kelly and Tim 0481 373 949 or Minchin. Royal Shakespeare www.trybooking.com/PBWU Company. Until May 7. Musical Fiddler on the Roof by Jerry based on the book by Roald Bock and Sheldon Harnick. Dahl. Crown Theatre Perth. Therry Dramatic Society. Jun 7 TicketMaster. 17. The Arts Theatre.

Design for Living by Noël Coward. Old Mill Theatre. Until May 6. 1930s comedy directed by Barry Park. Old Mill Theatre, South Perth. (08) 9367 8719. Love Me Slender by Vanessa Brooks. KADS. Until May 13. Comedy set in a slimming club. KADS Town Square Theatre, Kalamunda. (08) 9257 2668. The Lighthouse Girl by Hellie Turner. Black Swan State Theatre Company. Until May 14. Set in 1914 in WA. Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of Western Australia. 132 849. KOOZA. Cirque du Soleil. Until June 11. Under the Grand Chapiteau, Crown Perth. TicketMaster. Oklahoma! By Rodgers and Hammerstein. Roleystone Theatre. May 5 - 19. Classic

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musical. Roleystone Theatre, Brookton Hwy, Roleystone. (08) 9367 5730 www.roleystonetheatre.com.au Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward. Theatre 8 (Geraldton). May 5 13. Classic comedy. Theatre 8, Eighth Street, Mosman Park. www.trybooking.com/272200 The Diary of Anne Frank by Francis Goodrich and Albert Hackett. WAAAPA 3rd Year Acting Students. May 5 - 11. Celebrates 70th Anniversary of Publication. Roundhouse Theatre, WAAPA, Edith Cowan University, Mt Lawley. (08) 9370 6636. A Dream Play by August Strindberg, adapted by Caryl Churchill. WAAAPA 2nd Year Acting Students. May 6 - 12. Immersive production in the round. The Edith Spiegeltent, WAAPA, Edith Cowan Stage Whispers 67

On Stage

Western Australia & New Zealand

University, Mt Lawley. (08) 9370 Perth Cultural Centre, 6636. Northbridge. (08) 9227 7005. Rise. Multiple choreographers. WAAAPA 2nd and 3rd Year Dance Students. A new dance work. May 6 - 12. Geoff Gibbs Theatre, WAAPA, Edith Cowan University, Mt Lawley. (08) 9370 6636.

Conversations with the Dead by Richard Frankland. Yirra Yaakin Theatre. May 18 - 27. Jack is trapped between black and white politics. Subiaco Arts Centre. Ticketek 132 849.

Miss Saigon by Alain Boubil & Toast by Liz Newell. Maiden Claude-Michel Schönberg. Voyage Theatre Company. Mandurah Performing Arts Daughters gather at their Centre and Stray Cats Theatre mother’s wake. May 9 - 27. The Company. May 18 - 21. Musical Blue Room Theatre, Perth love story based on Madama Cultural Centre, Northbridge. Butterfly. Mandurah Performing (08) 9227 7005. Arts Centre. www.manpac.com.au Don Quixote. Choreographed by Lucette Aldous. West Australian Twin Share. Multiple Ballet, with the WA Symphony choreographers. LINK Dance Orchestra. His Majesty’s Company. Contemporary dance. Theatre, Perth. May 11 - 27. May 24 - 27. Geoff Gibbs Ticketek 132 849 Theatre, WAAPA, Edith Cowan University, Mt Lawley. (08) 9370 Anne Klinge - The Foot Murder 6636. by Anne Klinge. Century Entertainment. May 11 - 13. Sleep. Devised work by Foot puppetry. Regal Theatre WAAAPA 3rd Year Performance Chorus Room, Subiaco. Ticketek Making Students. May 25 - 26. 132 849. Puppetry inspired by Sleeping Beauty. Spare Parts Puppet Annie Get Your Gun by Irving Theatre, Fremantle. (08) 9370 Berlin, and Herbert and Dorothy 6636. Fields, The Murray Music and Drama Club. May 12 - 27. Life After George by Hannie Classic western musical. Pinjarra Rayson. Garrick Theatre. Civic Centre. 0458 046 414. Australian play directed by Lynne Devenish. May 25 - Jun The Witches by Roald Dahl, 10. Garrick Theatre, Guildford. adapted by David Wood. (08) 9378 1990. Koorliny Arts Centre & Kwinana Industries Council. May 12 - 27. Someone Who’ll Watch Over A play about real witches. Me by Frank McGuiness. Irish Koorliny Arts Centre. (08) 9457 Theatre Players. May 25 - Jun 3. 7118. Irish Club of WA, Subiaco. 0406 085 620. Class of 77 by David Hines. www.irishtheatreplayers.com.au Phoenix Theatre. Australian musical. May 12 - 27. Phoenix Disney’s Mulan Jnr by David Theatre, Memorial Hall, Zippel, Jeane Tesori, Stephen Hamilton Hill. Schwartz, Matthew Wilder and www.phoenixtheatre.com.au Alexa Junge. Stirling Players. Youth musical directed by Fran Sex Cells by Anna Longaretti. Gordon. May 26 - Jun 10. Harbour Theatre. May 12 - 21. Stirling Theatre, Innaloo. (08) Set in a call centre selling 9440 1040. erotica. Camelot, Mosman Park. Endgame by Samuel Beckett. (08) 9255 3336. Black Swan State Theatre Interrupting a Crisis by Georgina Centre. May 27 - Jun 11. Heath Crammond. Ribs. Songwriting a Ledger Theatre, State Theatre way through anxiety. May 16 Centre of Western Australia. Jun 3. The Blue Room Theatre, Ticketek 132 849. 68 Stage Whispers

The Play That Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Harry Shields and Jonathan Sayer. Lunchbox Theatrical Productions. May 31 Jun 11. Theatrical comedy. His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth. Ticketek 132 849. Confession: The Immersive Horror Experience by Dark Psychic Team. Phoenix Theatre and Dark Psychic Productions. Jun 2 - 10. Phoenix Theatre, Memorial Hall, Hamilton Hill. darkpsychicproductions.com.au Blueprint. Sean Crofton, Jessica Russell and Phoebe Sullivan. Physical theatre. Jun 6 - 24. The Blue Room Theatre, Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge. (08) 9227 7005. Greenwicks by John McPherson. Wanneroo Repertory Club. Jun 7 - 17. Original musical. Limelight Theatre. 9571 8591. www.limelighttheatre.com

20 - Jul 8. The Blue Room Theatre, Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge. (08) 9227 7005. Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham. La Boite Theatre. Jun 22. Classic adventure for family audiences. Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. www.manpac.com.au Grease by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Wanneroo Repertory Club with Mater-Dei College. Jun 23 - 27. Limelight Theatre. (08) 9571 8591. www.limelighttheatre.com Dracula by Bram Stoker. Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Jun 27. Gothic horror. Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. www.manpac.com.au The Secret Garden by Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon. Melville Theatre. Jun 30 - Jul 15. Musical based on Frances Hodgson Burnett novel. Melville Theatre, Stock Rd, Palmyra. (08) 9330 4565. www.meltheco.org.au

Cloud Street by Nick Enright and Justin Monjo. Old Mill Theatre. Jun 16 - Jul 1. Based on Out of Order by Ray Cooney. the Tim Winton novel. Old Mill Darlington Theatre Players. Jun Theatre, South Perth. (08) 9367 30 - Jul 15. Marloo Theatre, 8719. Greenmount. Bookings Gwynne Present Laughter by Noël Marshall. (08) 9255 1783. Coward. WAAAPA 3rd Year New Zealand Acting Students. Jun 16 - 22. The Sound of Music. Music by Classic British Comedy, Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Oscar Roundhouse Theatre, WAAPA, Hammerstein II. Book by Edith Cowan University, Mt Howard Lindsay and Russel Lawley. (08) 9370 6636. Crouse. North Canterbury Petits Fours by Hellie Turner, Musical Society. Until May 13. Chris Isaacs, Gita Bezard and Rangiora Town Hall. iTICKET Finn O’Branagain. WAAAPA 2nd The Wizard of Oz. Whangarei Year Acting Students. Jun 16 Theatre Company. Until May 13. 22. Four original plays. Enright whangareitheatrecompany.org.nz Studio, WAAPA, Edith Cowan University, Mt Lawley. (08) 9370 Last Legs by Roger Hall. Fortune 6636. Theatre Co., Dunedin. Until May 42nd Street by Harry Warren, Al Dubin, Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble. WAAPA. Jun 17 - 24. Classic Musical. Regal Theatre, Subiaco. Ticketek 132 849.

27. (03) 477 8323.

Gloria’s Handbag by Helen Moulder and Sue Rider. Arts On Tour NZ. May 2, The Playhouse Drama League Inc, Timaru; May 3, Oamaru Opera House; May 4, Roxburgh Town Hall; May 5, Tamagotchi Reset and Other Doomsdays by Finn O’Branagáin The Cellar Door, Alexandra; May and Scott Sandwich. Ten Tonne 6, Coronation Hall, Cromwell; May 7, Lake Hawea Community Sparrow. Finn’s new Tamagotchi is acting weird. Jun Centre; May 9, Arrowtown

Just $40 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.

On Stage Athenaeum Hall; May 10, Fiordland Events Centre; May 11, Repertory House, Invercargill; May 12, Owaka Memorial Hall; May 14, Twizel Events Centre; May 15, The Laboratory, Lincoln, Selwyn; May 19, Expressions Whirinaki Arts and Entertainment Centre, Upper Hutt; May 20, Central Hawkes Bay Municipal Theatre; May 22, Deluxe Theatre, Opotiki, Bay of Plenty; May 23, Paeroa Little Theatre; May 24, 16th Avenue Theatre, Tauranga; May 26, Whitianga Town Hall; May 27, Hauraki House Theatre, Coramandel; May 29, Riverbank Centre, Whangarei. May 30, Mangere Arts Centre, Auckland; June 1, 4th Wall Theatre, New Plymouth; June 2, Royal Wanganui Opera House; June 4, Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts, Hamilton.

The Dracula Rock Show. Book by Heather Hach. Matamata Musical Theatre. May Musikmakers Hamilton. May 20 6 - 14. - Jun 3. Riverlea Theatre, Hamilton. iTicket. Seussical The Musical by Stephen Flaherty and Lyn The Addams Family. Book by Ahrens. Theatre Whakatane. Marshall Brickman and Rick May 10 - 27. Little Theatre, Elice, score by Andrew Lippa. Whakatane. iTicket. Variety Theatre, Ashburton. May 20 - 27. Ashburton Trust Event Annie. Music by Charles Centre. (03) 307 2010. Strouse. Lyrics by Martin Charnin. Book by Thomas Little Shop of Horrors. Book and Meehan. Blenheim Musical Lyrics: Howard Ashman. Music: Theatre. May 11 - 20. ASB Alan Mencken. Centrestage Theatre Marlborough. (03) 520 Theatre Company, Orewa. May 8560. 23 - 27. iTicket. Four Flat Whites in Italy by Roger Hall. May 13, Clarence St Theatre, Hamilton; May 17, Gisborne War Memorial Theatre; May 18, Napier Municipal Theatre; May 19, Carterton Events Centre; May 20, Regent on Broadway, Palmerston North; May 30, The Opera House, Wellington; June 13, Ashburton Trust Event Centre; June 15, Oamaru Opera House; June 18, Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch.

New Zealand Tauranga. Jun 14 - Jul 1. 0508 iTICKET (0508 484 253). Bring It On. Music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Kitt and Amanda Green and book by Jeff Whitty. North Shore Music Theatre. Jun 14 - 24. The Pumphouse. Avenue Q. Book by Jeff Whitty. Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. Rotorua Musical Theatre. Jun 16 - 24. Casa Blanca. When Sun & Moon Collide by Briar Grace-Smith. Auckland Theatre Company. Jun 20 - Jul 5. ASB Waterfront Theatre. (09) 309 3395.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Hawera Repertory Society. Composer: Alan Menken. Lyricists: Howard Ashman, Tim The Vicar of Dibley by Richard Rice. Book by Linda Woolverton. Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer. May 25 - Jun 3. TicketDirect. West Otago Theatrical Society. A Season of Rodgers and From Jun 23. Hammerstein Classics. Showbiz Lady Windermere’s Fan by Oscar Christchurch. May 26 - 28. Isaac Wilde. Mairangi Players. Jun 23 Amadeus by Peter Shaffer. Theatre Royal. 0800TICKETEK. - Jul 1. TheatreWorks, Auckland Theatre Company. Three Days in the Country. By Birkenhead. May 2 - 17. ASB Waterfront Patrick Marber, a version of Theatre. (09) 309 3395. Iolanthe by Gilbert and Sullivan. Turgenev’s ‘A Month in the Wellington G & S Light Opera. In Transit by Wanjiku Kiarie Country’. Circa Theatre, Jun 24 - Jul 29. Wellington The Addams Family. Book by Sanderson. Tala Pasifika Wellington. May 27 - Jun 24. Opera House, Southward Marshall Brickman and Rick Productions and Africa (04) 801 7992 Theatre Kapiti, Regent Elice, score by Andrew Lippa. Connection Aotearoa. May 4 The Thrill of Love by Amanda Palmerston North, Royal Musikmakers, Hamilton. May 14 13. Mangere Arts Centre, Whittington. Elmwood Wanganui Opera House and - 28. iTicket. Auckland. 0800 BUY TIX (289 Players. Jun 8 - 17. (08) 355 Napier Municipal Theatre. 849). Daughters of Heaven by 8874. www.gns.org.nz Michelanne Forster. Stagecraft The 13-Storey Treehouse by Bonnie and Clyde. Book by Ivan Richard Tulloch, from the book Theatre (Wellington). May 17 - Festen. Written by Thomas Vinterberg, Mogens Rukov and Menchell, lyrics by Don Black 27. iTicket. by Andy Griffiths & Terry Bo Hr.Hansen, in an adaption and music by Frank Wildhorn. Denton. Baycourt Community The Musical of Musicals. Music by David Eldridge. Ellerslie Harlequin Musical Theatre. Jun and Arts Centre, Tauranga; May and lyrics by Eric Rockwell and Theatrical Society. Jun 8 17. 24 - Jul 8. iTicket. 5, Forum North, Whangerai; Joanne Bogart. Upper Hutt iTicket. May 8, Great Lake Centre, Les Misérables. Music: ClaudeMusical Theatre. May 17 - 27. Taupo; May 10, TSB Theatre, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Michel Schonberg. Lyrics: Up-Stage Theatre. (04) 527 New Plymouth; May 13, The Composer: Alan Menken. Herbert Kretzmer. Original 2168. Opera House, Wellington; May Lyricists: Howard Ashman, Tim French text by Alain Boublil & Mary Poppins. Based on the 19, Napier Municipal Theatre; Rice. Book by Linda Woolverton. Jean Marc Natel. Hamilton book by P.L. Travers and the May 21, Regent on Broadway, Thames Music and Drama. Jun Operatic. Jun 24 - Jul 8. 0800 Walt Disney Film. Music and Palmerston North; May 23, 10 - 17. TICKETEK (842 538) or (04) 384 Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman Rotorua Civic Theatre. 3840. and Robert B Sherman. Book by Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. Our Man in Havana by Clive Centrestage Theatre Company. Lord of the Flies. Original novel Julian Fellows. New Songs by Francis, adapted from the novel George Stiles and Anthony by William Golding, adapted for Jun 10 - 24. iTicket. by Graham Greene. Howick the stage by Nigel Williams. Drewe. Taieri Musical Not in our Neighbourhood by Little Theatre. May 6 - 27. Stagecraft Theatre (Wellington). Society (Dunedin). May 18 - 27. Jamie McCaskill. Centrepoint iTicket. Jun 28 - Jul 8. iTicket. Regent Theatre, Dunedin. Theatre, Palmerston North. Jun TicketDirect. Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. Weed by Anthony McCarten. 10 - 24. (06) 354 5740. TALOS. May 6 - 20. Woolshed Circa Theatre, Wellington. Jun Legally Blonde The Musical. Murder on the Nile by Agatha Theatre. 30 - Jul 29. (04) 801 7992. Music and Lyrics: Laurence Christie. Detour Theatre, O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin. Advertise your show on the front page of www.stagewhispers.com.au

Stage Whispers 69

Reviews: Premieres

Online extras! The cast of American Idiot tell us why they think it’s more than just a musical. https://youtu.be/m4acDmYD5qo

Green Day’s American Idiot Australian Premiere at QPAC. Photo: Dylan Evans.

American Idiot Music: Green Day. Lyrics: Billie Joe Armstrong. Book: Billie Joe Armstrong & Michael Mayer. Director: Craig Ilott. Shake & Stir & QPAC. Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane. Feb 25 - Mar 12. AMERICAN Idiot is the most exciting new rock-opera to appear on a Brisbane stage in over a decade. Shake and Stir’s launch into the big-time with this Australian premiere takes Musical Theatre on a blistering no-holds-barred journey that’s visceral and anarchic. Based on the chart-topping 2004 political pop-punk album of Green Day, that ranted against the establishment and the death of the American dream post 9/11, the show scorched its way onto Broadway in 2010 and ran for a year. On Josh McIntosh’s industrial warehouse-type set dotted with TV screens and graffiti, and with a cast dressed by Melanie Knight in urban grunge, we’re introduced to a trio of disillusioned young men eager to escape suburbia and their meaningless lives. Cameron Macdonald’s Tunny is seduced by an Army recruiting commercial and joins up to fight in the Middle East. Alex Jeans’ Will is all set to split when he discovers he’s knocked up his girlfriend and stays put becoming a couch-potato watching endless TV repeats and smoking dope. Ben Bennett’s Johnny, the main focus of the show, moves to the city and becomes addicted to sex and drugs courtesy of malevolent pusher St Jimmy, in this performance played by The Living End front-man Chris Cheney.

70 Stage Whispers

Tales of teenage angst are nothing new and this one traverses all of the familiar genre conventions (drugs, sex and rock ‘n’ roll), but it’s the sensational music that gives this production the vibe and energy of a rock gig. Craig Ilott’s affinity with the material results in razor-sharp direction. Peter Pinne Dreamtime By Maura Campbell. Reamus Youth Theatre. Maitland Repertory Theatre. Mar 24 - Apr 1. AMERICAN playwright Maura Campbell looks in Dreamtime at the dreams of people about the life they’d like to have, and the realities they actually experience or impose on others. The play arose from events in 2001 in the region where she lived, when two teenage boys intent on migrating to what they saw as an adventurous Australia killed a husband and wife pair of middle-aged university professors who caught them robbing their home. This Australian premiere staging of Dreamtime by Maitland’s Reamus Youth Theatre kept watchers engrossed as the story moved about in time. And even though they knew from early in the work that the crime would be committed and briefly saw people such as psychiatrists and police questioning the boys after the murders, the actual encounter between the two pairs wasn’t seen until well into the tale. By then, the audience had come to know much about the backgrounds and dreams of Willy (Conagh Punch), the aggressively more demanding of the two, and

Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au

the reticent Noah (Robert Lewis), who, even though he is keen to go to Australia, is nervous about entering people’s homes and robbing them. And the professors, largely seen preparing a dinner party, are a colourful couple who frequently show their affection for each other, with geologist husband Joerg (Alastair Anderberg) assisting Russian-language lecturer wife Greta (Millie Chorlton) in climbing a mountain in one amusing background scene. The other actors, Alex Simpson and Emma Ure, played multiple roles, among them parents, shopkeepers and truck drivers, continually moving swiftly from one character to the next, with different items of costuming and, on one occasion, wearing kangaroo heads. And in one scene an observer talked about the belief of Australian Aborigines that the world was created by their ancestors in the world’s Dreamtime, with the boys next shown imagining that they were on the way to Australia. It was a moving moment. Zac Smith made an impressive directorial debut, with the audience sitting around the action, with a set at the rear that had a shed-like structure alongside a room with kitchen fittings, and both effectively becoming many different places. Ken Longworth MDLSX Motus. With Silvia Calderoni. Directors: Enrico Casagrande and Daniela Nicolo. AC Arts Main Theatre. Mar 10 - 13. LIGHTS. Music. Cameras. Dancing. Philosophy. Nudity. Karaoke - and a touch of autobiography…? All this (and more) await the viewer of MDLSX. This solo performance by Silvia Calderoni is one wild ride: visually, aurally, and emotionally. The story presented in MDLSX - a journey of evolution, discovery, and growth, by someone grappling with nongender-conformity - feels extremely personal to Calderoni, without it being a literal account of her life. She conducts herself at times with the intensity of someone undergoing a kind of exorcism, but also maintains a loose, unburdened, exuberant style of performance, enabling her to carry an audience along even into intimidating areas where they may never have ventured before… Solo shows can run the risk of feeling self-indulgent (particularly once they reach a certain length), but MDLSX just manages to avoid this, through its detailed display of empathy, the excitement of its visual/sonic textures, and the intellectual/emotional layers that get us hooked early and keep us there until the end (with only the occasional lull). Happily, unlike much experimental performance art, MDLSX justifies almost every aspect of itself, in all the ways that matter. It is a truly impactful dramatization that illuminates a crucial component of the human condition. Anthony Vawser

royal family. The play is a romp - a mischievous piece of theatre that pushes the boundaries of style and pace, reaching a crescendo of ridiculous, frantic, well-timed action. On a quirkily designed set (Alicia Clements) with surprising lighting effects (Matthew Marshall), John Sheedy has directed this extraordinary production that has the pace, action and fun of a Feydeau. Every action and interaction is precisely timed; every aspect of each character’s eccentricity is meticulously exploited. He has complete empathy with Mulvany’s intent … and her sense of the absurd. Tall and lithe in swirling black robes, long hair flowing and wild eyes flashing, Sean O’Shea is stunningly ‘possessed’ as Rasputin, exuding the crazed passion of the zealot and the sustained energy and strength of the fanatic. The roles of the four assassins, played by Tom Budge, Hamish Michael, John Gaden and Zindzy Okenyo, demand similar strength and energy - and perfect comic timing. Whether setting up the tenor of the comedy, or racing around the stage in a carefully choreographed frenzy, each sustains a quirkiness that informs the eccentricity of the character. Overseen by a skilled and creative director and performed by a talented cast, this is another theatrical coup for Kate Mulvany and the Ensemble Theatre. Carol Wimmer

The Homosexuals or ‘Faggots’ By Declan Greene. Griffin Theatre Company in association with Malthouse Theatre. SBW Stables Theatre. Mar 17 - Apr 29. SET in a cramped if million door Darlinghurst flat, with the Mardi Gras Parade tonight just outside, Declan Greene’s furious farce is a very funny attack on PC preciousness around LGBTIQA identities. Online publisher Warren (Simon Burke) is hotly pursuing a gorgeous male model (Lincoln Younes), while his unknowing husband, Kim (Simon Corfield), a gender studies lecturer, is terrified of offending an influential transsexual blogger about to arrive. Warren’s trans mate, Diana (Genevieve Lemon), has already arrived, dressed as Bill Crosby, keen to get to the night’s Non-PC Costume Party. Cabaret artist Mama Alton is the disapproving blogger as well as a wonderfully androgynous, bogan crim doing over all the flats. A bag of coke disappears, doors slam, near naked people hide in cupboards or strut inexplicably in funny new costumes. These are the staples of farce, but the subject here is language, urban identities and powers of cultural self-determination, and offence. Sort of. Lee Lewis’ precise direction builds it to an explosion of chaos, smoke and hurled food, which somehow still fits into designer Marg Howell’s groovy if restraining apartment. The Rasputin Affair By Kate Mulvany. Ensemble Theatre (NSW). Apr 1 - 30. It’s a fabulous cast with Burke a master of timing and MULTI-TALENTED Kate Mulvany has let her very vivid physicality and Corfield perfect as his whining partner, with and extremely articulate imagination run wild in this farcical Lemon perhaps best of all as the droll butch Di. When the madness ebbs and jokes miss, the thin interpretation of the assassination of Rasputin, the mystic skeleton of Greene’s constructed situation and character ‘monk’ who wormed his way into favour with the Russian Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au

Stage Whispers 71

motives begin to show, and the ending is more portentous than thoughtful. But for the right audience - and me - this is hilariously camp theatre that the Griffin is now wellskilled at delivering. Martin Portus

The complex choreography was impressive, mirroring the complexities of human interactions. The intricate movements, the way the dancers’ bodies melded with each other, their intimacy, trust, strength and balance were entrancing. The dancers were athletic yet their movement was fluid and effortless. Chimerica While I appreciated the performance and respected its By Lucy Kirkwood. Sydney Theatre Company. Roslyn Packer message, I didn’t feel I completely understood it or Theatre. Feb 29 - Apr 1. engaged with it. I couldn’t work out whether each dance JUST when old talk of human rights in China is being piece was part of a continuous story or whether they were upstaged by what fake news Trump is tweeting, comes this meant to be more metaphoric, individually representing a chilling epic returning us to the brutal putdown of the different perspective on relationships. Tiananmen Square student protests. On the other hand, I took my sister-in-law who has a background in Fine Arts along with me and she loved this Lucy Kirkwood’s play follows an American photojournalist trying decades later to find what happened work. She commented that it was beautiful yet provocative. to the young Chinese man who, with his plastic bags of She particularly loved the use of intense directional light. shopping, defiantly stood down those tanks in 1989. She felt that this, coupled with the highs and lows in the Chimerica is a three hour saga, an intricate mix of many music, highlighted the drama in relationships, the light and shadows and how feelings and emotions can escalate. personal subplots, corporate settings and nasty bilateral economic politics. While it eddies sometimes into In Difference certainly confronted a politically-charged unnecessary confusion, Kip William’s kinetic direction drives issue. The dancers brought a vulnerability and tenderness to it ever onwards across David Fleischer’s bare stage and their performances, achieving their aim of communicating spinning revolve, the action etched out by Nigel Schlieper’s important issues in a creative way. down and sideways spotlighting. Shannon O’Connell Supplementing Williams’ cast are 20 NIDA students, dynamically choreographed and bringing the gravitas of an Talk operatic chorus to Chimerica’s huge themes. At its best, it By Jonathan Biggins. Sydney Theatre Company. Drama recalls the sort of festival fare staged by Robert Lepage. Theatre, Sydney Opera House. Apr 3 - May 20. Chimerica also puts centrestage a host of agile Asian JONATHAN Biggins’ compelling and entertaining play Australian actors, including Monica Sayers, Anthony traverses three newsrooms simultaneously coping with, or, Brandon Wong and, as Joe’s heroic but fatefully abandoned covering the unfolding drama that takes place when a talkfriend in Beijing, Jason Chong. As Joe, the photographer, back radio host hijacks his own radio station. Mark Leonard Winter brings a relentless intensity which The cracking set design by Mark Thompson depicted all helps propel the story but leaves his moral vanity three spaces at once. unexplored. On top of the rocket ship was a slick studio and control Geraldine Hakewill shines as Joe’s quirky British girlfriend room of a commercial radio station newsroom (think 2GB). researching new Chinese customers, and it’s a strong Underneath on the left of the stage (of course) from the support cast with the likes of Rebecca Massey and Tony audience’s perspective, a public broadcaster (the ABC) and Cogin. on the bottom right the executive suite of a right-wing Kirkwood’s occasionally blustering characters don’t newspaper empire (so who could that be?). always serve the precision of her themes but there are Being a working journalist, I delighted in the attention enough gotcha moments of real world politics and to detail, such as the frustration of getting guests lined up conspiracy to give this important play an enduring depth for a live radio program and the characters that inhibit a and excitement. public broadcaster. Martin Portus However, I did find the debates which a number of the journalists had about the competing demands of digital and 24 hour media with producing quality reports for the In Difference ‘legacy’ media, such as newspapers and television a little By Craig Barry. Form Dance Projects. Riverside Theatre, unrealistic. Parramatta. Mar 2 - 4. John Waters plays the central character of John Behan, a COINCIDING with the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in talk-back radio host being sought by Police on a contempt Sydney, In Difference embodied the theme of this year’s of court charge. Behan escapes by locking himself into the festival - “creating equality”. gilded cage of his radio station studio, from where he can Through contemporary dance, the work looked at two parrot anything he likes. real life couples of both homosexual and heterosexual Peter Kowitz as Taffy Campbell an ABC broadcaster orientation, taking the audience on a journey through the working on the last day of his 38 year career had the more highs and lows of relationships, exploring pleasure and delicious character to portray. He rolls up his sleeves to help pain, love and hate, heartaches and triumphs. It also delved crack one last big yarn. into the prejudices experienced by the gay and lesbian community. 72 Stage Whispers

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Online extras! Watch Writer/Director Jonathan Biggins’ discussion of Talk. Scan or visit https://youtu.be/V8g2qghnFSQ

John Waters in Talk. Photo: Brett Boardman.

Jonathan Biggins also directed this production and whilst there are not nearly as many belly laughs as a Wharf Revue, there are enough gags to please his regular fans. Talk also provides an insight into the world of today and the future where an ever-shrinking pool of traditional journalists compete with an ever more dominant on-line media. David Spicer

These interlocked scenes are energetically staged in Renee Halse’s graffiti splattered classroom set, the nine students quietly considering the action when not leaping around their schoolroom. All changes in the second act, set seven years earlier in Diane’s flat, on a rainy night when the unhappy Freddie arrives at the door. What happens then again shifts our moral compass. Whiddon is excellent as the egocentric, manipulative Consensual teenager while Richardson strikes the right postures but By Evan Placey. Australian Premiere. New Theatre, Newtown without inhabiting Diane physically. (NSW). Mar 16 - Apr 15. While the dénouement lacks punctuation and sexual CLASSROOMS out there are a sexual minefield for naïve tension (unaided by blanket lighting), this production by Johann Walraven is lively, satisfying theatre. And that’s teachers. Consensual shows schools bristling with hormonal thanks to Placey’s tug-of-morals play and the New’s teenagers, porn savvy through social media, bullish, even competent young cast as those terrifying teenagers. assaulting and yet all pumped up about their rights. And Martin Portus that’s just the girls. British writer Evan Placey puts Diane (Lauren Richardson) Queen of Mars right in the middle of it, as she struggles also to deal with a By John Wood. Theatre on Brunker. St Stephen’s Hall, thwarted young man at the school gate, back after seven Adamstown (Newcastle). Mar 10 - Apr 1. years and accusing her of unconsensual sex. JOHN Wood, the writer and director of Queen of Mars, So what did happen between the 15-year-old Freddie noted that he used the style of English playwright Alan (Paul Whiddon) and his teacher, 20-something Diana? Ayckbourn who shows people’s reactions to events that Cutting between overheated classroom debates on proper affect their families and friends amusingly but with moving sexual behaviour, we see the older Freddie inexplicably moments. That was certainly the case in this look at a pursuing Diana and her dull tax accountant husband, Pete young Australian woman chosen to be a member of a team (well-played by Benjamin Vickers), and the local police. who will travel to Mars but not return.

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Stage Whispers 73

Jude Perl in Roommates: The Musical. Photo: Annie Bourke.

Online extras! Get a taste of what Roommates: The Musical is all about. Scan the code or visit https://youtu.be/Us_K_GlwDnY

In the play’s first half the woman, Alicia (Amy Wilde), tells friends and family that she is in the final group of international applicants for the Mars venture, with the closing moments showing her receiving news by phone that she has been selected. In the second half, Alicia’s parents give her what they call a surprise birthday party, even though her birthday is three months away, and other guests more realistically referring to it as a going-away party. The reminiscences about past events and acquaintances frequently lead to arguments, initially jovial but increasingly darker, about what actually happened. Wood and the actors made the changing moods of the people understandable. Mark (Andrew Black), Alicia’s boyfriend for four years, is the first to learn of her finalist status when ahe invites him to dine with her at an upmarket restaurant. He is naturally upset. So, too, is her mother, Michelle (Jan Hunt), who spends much of the going-away party in the kitchen to try to hide her feelings. Father, Craig (Patrick O’Brien), is more receptive but his concerns about the Mars trek also come out at the celebration. Younger brother Jason (James Chapman), a keen television watcher aware of plans for the Mars excursion, offers his support. Longtime friend Lauren (Emily Daly) and Josie (Elissa Shand), a workmate at the firm where Alicia is a lawyer, are generally convivial, as is her employer Duncan (Carl Gregory), who jokingly refers to her as “Alicia, the alien”. The writer includes habits that audience members will recognise, such as Craig and Jason watching a television 74 Stage Whispers

cricket test match while party guests are arriving. And the joking actions are believable, with Jason presenting his sister with space food sticks, a type of food that was developed for use on space ships in the early years of space exploration, except that Jason’s, so he asserts, include pot. Ken Longworth Roommates: The Musical Written & performed by Jude Perl. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The Coopers Malthouse, Bagging Room. Apr 11 - 23. HOW can a one-woman show be a ‘musical’? Well, there’s a story, there are characters, Jude, Jane and Alice, and there are songs that arise directly from the story - the story of two women in a run-down share house, who are joined by a third and how they all change. ‘Jude’ is anxious, self-doubting and all too easily demoralised by her ‘best friend’ and housemate, Jane. In Jude’s first song, she’s defensive about being in a share house at thirty-five and explains: ‘…it’s not sad, it’s practical!’ But they need a new house mate - and happy Alice, a dancer and, naturally, the catalyst, moves in…Ms Perl leaves the piano and goes centre stage to suffer the ‘voices off’ of Jane’s ‘help’ and Alice’s ‘happiness’, which just bubbles up… Musically, the songs are in the style of contemporary music theatre, but without the ‘belting’, screaming and over-emoting. They are clever songs, with ingenious rhymes, going off at tangents and adding parentheses, but

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are beautifully structured and always come back to the subject - funny or poignant or angry - and the audience can’t help applauding every one. Ms Perl is a Green Room Award winner. She’s done a Marvin Gaye tribute show with Simon LaBonte. I think she can stick to her own material and she can certainly hold the stage. Go see her: she’s funny, she’s sharp, she’s touching, and she’s a big talent in a small package. Michael Brindley Joan Co-creators Kate Davis and Emma Valente. THE RABBLE and Theatre Works. Theatre Works, St Kilda. Apr 20 - 30. OPENING with extraordinary multi-media projections on scrims, Joan by The Rabble is a work of high art. It is riveting, hypnotic, haunting and sometimes deeply shocking. Joan of Arc, who led the French into battle with the English in The Middle Ages, who ultimately burned her at the stake thrice, is the subject of this production. Here her story is stripped back to its powerful and profound essence by a courageous affiliation of theatre makers. The performance at Theatre Works is remarkably finely micro managed. Lighting, sound, projections (Emma Valente and Martyn Coutts) and the human bodies of performers - Luisa Hastings Edge, Emily Milledge, Dana Miltins and Nikki Shiels - work in outstanding synchronicity to produce startlingly crisply timed images. Costumes by Kate Davis have the capacity to morph suggestively from military uniform to flowing dresses to projection screens of sorts. Encapsulated here are Joan’s strengths of huge courage and dogged determination, along with her humiliation at the very private becoming excruciatingly public, then her torture and horrific demise. When text is finally spoken it is acutely and intensely visceral. All four performers excel in affecting the audience with Emma Valente’s sharp acute text. It feels like a privilege and honour to be able to attend theatre of this caliber. Suzanne Sandow Big Fish Book by John August. Music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Directed by Tyran Parke. Hayes Theatre, Sydney. 21 Apr 21 May 14. THERE are many musicals that struggle to make it to the Australian stage. They’re Broadway or West End productions we hear little about, with limited commercial potential. But some - like Big Fish - are gems. Based on the novel and Tim Burton film of the same name, this musical is not perfect but has a touching story that’s easy to fall for. And this production hits all the right notes, with a wonderful cast and imaginative staging from director Tyran Parke. Big Fish explores the power of storytelling and imagination. The central character, Edward Bloom, tells tall tales, so much so that his son, Will, questions his integrity.

Will doesn’t believe what his father says - and thinks the most important truths remain untold. The production had serious challenges on opening night, with Phillip Lowe, as Edward, battling a throat infection. Parke stepped up to sing Edward’s songs, with Lowe miming. It works, probably because Parke has a lovely voice and Lowe’s acting is so strong. He’ll be even better when he recovers. His co-stars are also fabulous, particularly Katrina Retallick as Edward’s wife Sandra and Adam Rennie as Will. Peter Gotting Mark Colvin’s Kidney By Tommy Murphy. Directed by David Berthold. Belvoir, Sydney. Feb 25 - Apr 2 THE story of one of the ABC’s most distinguished journalists - and how he received a kidney donation - is a very unusual one for the stage. While the title is Mark Colvin’s Kidney, a lot of the play concerns the donor. Mary-Ellen Field is an Australian business consultant who worked in London for model Elle Macpherson. As the play tells it, Field’s career came crashing down when Macpherson blamed her for leaking to the press. It’s since emerged that Macpherson’s phone was hacked by the News of the World. After being interviewed by Colvin, an unlikely friendship develops and this play explores Field’s remarkable generosity. It examines ethics, not just in the media but more personally too. Murphy’s play has a documentary feel to it. Surtitles explain the time and place of each scene, tweets and text messages are shown, news clips from the hacking scandal played. Director David Berthold keeps the pace fast. Sarah Peirse plays Field and is, as always, indomitable. John Howard is canny as Colvin. This is a serious play with a light edge. It does not dig deeply: its insights into personal and professional ethics are somewhat superficial. But the astonishing plot is told with flair and acted very well. Peter Gotting Magic City Manual Cinema. Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide. Adelaide Festival. Mar 11 - 13. MANUAL Cinema is a team of film-theatre artists from Chicago. This is their first visit to Australia. Magic City is loosely based on the 1910 novel of the same name by Edith Nesbit, but the setting is now modern day Boston. The story is about a young parentless girl called Philomena whose world turns upside down when her older sister and guardian marries a man who also is a single parent with a young boy called Lucas. To escape the real world Philomena constructs an imaginary world out of junk - the Magic City - and magically she and Lucas enter this world. Ultimately, this is a journey for both children towards acceptance of change, tolerance of others and love of family.

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The production is simply marvelous. What is even more enchanting is the manner in which this tale is told. Combining the two artistic mediums of film and theatre is always challenging. Manual Cinema, however, has found a way, often drawing on old silent film techniques and means, as well as various forms of puppetry, to imaginatively illuminate the dramatic narrative. It is theatrical and filmic magic, specifically aimed at children and for the child in every adult. Furthermore, at the end of each performance the magic continues with the company inviting the audience on stage to work with the actors and puppets, the children’s joyous faces being blasted up on the big screen that dominates the stage. Magic. Tony Knight Trainspotting By Irvine Welsh (adapted by Harry Gibson). Andrew Kay and Associates and Adelaide Festival Centre present a Kings Head & In Your Face production. Adelaide Fringe Festival. Station Underground, Hindley Street, Adelaide. Feb 17 Mar 19. EVOLVING from the printed page to the cinema screen to a live theatrical rave (taking place in the most ideal of Adelaide locations), this is the version of Trainspotting that can truthfully be described as not just in-your-face, but possibly in-your-lap (or even on-your-glasses, as the case may be). If you’re not already familiar with the characters or the finer details of the story, this may not be the best place to start - but there is no doubt that you will be left shaken up and wrung out, as one would expect from any authentic depiction of drug addiction. It is honest enough to acknowledge the singular thrill of the heroin rush, as well as the terrible grip it wields over its users, and the often ghastly consequences that entail. Just like a drug itself, Trainspotting is exhilarating and hilarious - until it isn’t anymore. By the end, the party-time glow-sticks given out upon arrival begin to feel like very empty, useless objects. Newcomers need to know that Trainspotting is exceedingly impolite entertainment; at least 50% of its vocabulary can be spelt with four letters. It contains violence against women that, while relatively brief and

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responsibly justified by context, may prove unbearable and unwatchable for some viewers. There is a point early on when this reviewer was ready to accuse the show of opportunistically offering up a flash of female nudity as an easy thrill for an audience - until we also got served up an extended feast of equal-opportunity exposure in a scene as funny as it is grimy. What can feel like mere chaotic anarchy is actually executed with a great deal of artistry, even discipline. The level of energy and comedy and aggression and pain required from this remarkable cast is almost beyond belief. You may find it to be sensory overload - but then, that will rate as a warning to some, but also the highest possible recommendation to others. Anthony Vawser The Baby Farmer The Laudanum Project. Adelaide Fringe. The Bakehouse Theatre. Mar 6 - 11. THE Baby Farmer comes in three forms; a book, illustrations and a play. After looking at the grim sketches by artist Chloe Neath, I had a fair idea that I was going to witness something out of my comfort zone. Sitting in the front row I was met with baby dolls impaled on spikes lining the front of the stage; some missing limbs, heads and other dolls gutted. A tall imposing man entered through the side door. Pale faced, he sat behind a keyboard; Captain Enoch Malleus (Gareth Skinner) was to provide the soundtrack for the evening. Shortly afterwards, a frail, yet ominous man draped in a dark smock covered with dust made his way to the stage grasping a walking cane; as he turned toward the dim light his eyes cut a daunting gaze across the audience. He was to be our storyteller, Alphonse Cheese-Probert (Nick Ravenswood). As he began to tell us of the story of Agatha May and her mother Winnifred Alcorn, I was aware of the deathly silence in the theatre. His voice was commanding and intoxicating. His words had a beauty to them, yet they shocked me to the core. A macabre tale filled with terror and disbelief filled the air and although I wanted to disengage, I could not look away. The skill an actor must possess to carry an audience on his own, with only the narrative and the ambience of sound, is extraordinary. I was left numb by the experience. This is a must see for lovers of theatre and ghostly tales. Kerry Cooper Angel By Henry Naylor. Redbeard Productions and Gilded Balloon. Adelaide Fringe. Holden Street Theatres. Feb 14 - Mar 19. ANGEL is the story of the “Angel of Kobane”, who abandoned her law studies to become a sniper and purportedly killed up to 100 ISIS members. It is the third and final piece of Naylor’s trilogy “Arabian Nightmares”. This script makes no apologies and takes us on a dramatic narrative with grit and reality, a rarity in live theatre, actual life and death drama. The plot starts at a trot and quickly gets up to a gallop through to the end.

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The Play That Goes Wrong. Photo: Helen Murray.

Director Michael Cabot has set Angel on a bare stage with just one wine barrel, which is used to great effect as the play progresses. Avital Lvova shines in this monologue, using her physicality to enhance the context of the character which added to the reality being created. Her delivery is well paced and confident if a little rushed at times. Improved timing and more definition in the vocal range would help to define the different characters and would have strengthened an already powerful performance. Simple pauses would have allowed the audience to absorb some moments before being rushed onto the next “scene” but this will undoubtedly improve as the season progresses. This piece is exactly what the Fringe is for: new, different and definitely not run of the mill. Maxine Grubel The Play That Goes Wrong By Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields. Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, with Kenny Wax Limited, Stage Presence Ltd, ABA International Touring, in association with David Atkins Enterprises. Comedy Theatre, Melbourne from Feb 22; Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide, Mar 30 - Apr 2; Sydney, Apr 5 - 23; Canberra, Apr 25 - 30; Brisbane, May 4 - 14; Perth, May 31 - Jun 11. FOR anyone brought up in London in the fifties, this production is an homage to the Whitehall farces of Brian Rix. It doesn’t have a real plot, it lacks sophistication, and theatre elitists will turn up their noses - but that’s not its

purpose. Its purpose is to leave the audience weak from laughing, and that’s exactly what it does. Lord knows the world needs laughter now more than ever, and TPTGW delivers in both clichéd and innovative ways. There are not enough superlatives for the Australian cast. They are stunning. Nick Simpson-Deeks, a superb but underused actor, is perfect as Chris Bean playing Inspector Carter. In a beautifully measured performance, he delicately balances his own exquisite comic timing with the sublimated hysteria of the character as his production literally disintegrates around him. Original West End cast member James Marlowe is a great comedic talent. He allows the amateur actor Max to mug, be ungainly, upstage the rest of the cast, with sure knowledge of just when to rein in the performance and let it breathe. Brooke Satchwell is a delight as Sandra, a terrible actress from the Academy of Coarse Acting (Sandra, not Brooke). Equally as good is Tammy Weller as Annie, the Stage Manager. Luke Joslin is superb as ego driven leading man Robert Grove in the role of Thomas Colleymoore, and George Kemp is both infuriating and endearing (by intent) as the over-eager, under-educated butler Dennis. Adam Dunn is a hoot, but totally believable as Trevor, and Darcy Brown (such an interesting actor) is under-utilised but still makes an impression as the corpse of Charles Haversham. But if there is a star in this production it is Nigel Hook’s astonishing set. It really is a triumph. Coral Drouyn

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Reviews: Plays

Kate Mulvany in Richard III. Photo: Prudence Upton.

Online extras! Watch how Bell Shakespeare bring the set of Richard III to life. Scan or visit https://youtu.be/9aiKD1wTcxs Richard III By William Shakespeare. Bell Shakespeare. Sydney Opera House, Feb 25 - Apr 1; Canberra Theatre Centre, Apr 6 - 15; Arts Centre Melbourne, Apr 20 - May 7. THERE’S only one meaty role in Richard III and this touring Bell Shakespeare production is dominated by Kate Mulvany as the crooked monarch. The four female roles of dispossessed queens and widows must be content with endless rage and grieving, while the men play a quick parade of miscalculating nobles and henchmen doomed to a bloody end. Anna Cordingley’s royal sitting room, with its dark panelling and antique furniture, makes this drama of horrors a family affair. Dressed in 1940s evening wear, they sit randomly around, the men regularly swapping roles but, trapped, no one leaves the stage. And as they scheme, no one even credits this hunchback with kingly ambition, until it’s too late. Director Peter Evans masterfully handles this (topical) theme of unseen, creeping tyranny. He’s well-served by the agile theatrics and false faces of Mulvany’s mercurial Richard, as he suspends not only our disbelief but that of his royal relatives. This Richard is the Ham Actor. With knowing stares and plays to the audience, Mulvany’s Richard is devilishly charming and her female form adds to the villain the diminutive personae of a rascally boy. She makes us feel for Richard’s aloneness and crippled alienation; she’s electric as 78 Stage Whispers

she watches, incredulously, the behaviour and gullibility of normal people. As to them, in a cast sometimes uneven, James Lugton (as an oily Rivers), Ivan Donato, Sarah Woods (Duchess of York) and Rose Riley (Lady Anne) are strong. As dramaturg also, Kate Mulvany’s edit makes vivid theatre, even if the play’s action and lengthy denouement finally seems encumbered in that dark furniture. Thankfully Mulvany’s Richard has the last word. Martin Portus Lord of the Flies By Nigel Williams, adapted from the novel by William Golding. Hunter Drama, at Hamilton Public School Hall (Newcastle). Mar 23 - 25. DIRECTOR Charlotte De Wit’s decision to use an allfemale junior cast in this stage adaptation of William Golding’s story about schoolboys trying to survive after their plane crashes on a desert island showed how universal its characters and situations are. While plans to stage the production outdoors were shelved a couple of days before opening because of forecast wet weather, the presentation in a theatrical hall had the opening night audience watching intently through its 95-minute running time, with the actors and production team making good use of different levels and spaces

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bedecked with trees and plants to create the various island settings. Onlookers were gripped from the opening moments, as the girls appeared singly and in groups, with the different school uniforms indicating the individuality that came through when they got together. The two girls who became leaders of incompatible teams, Alexandra Jensen’s Ralph and Isabelle Clements’ Jack, showed their natures from the outset, with Ralph putting forward the need to start and maintain a fire that would be visible from a rescue ship, and Jack being more intent on hunting for wild animals such as pigs. Lighting was used well to create the brightness of the fire and the darkness that descended onto the island. The changing nature of the clothes, with the different school costumes being discarded by most of the students and replaced by more drab and increasingly dirty wear, showed the passing of time. The appearance of blood on skins and clothes likewise made evident the growing desperation and barbarity of the girls, as they killed more animals and fought among themselves. Ken Longworth Outside Mullingar By John Patrick Shanley. Mordialloc Theatre Company inc. Feb 17 - Mar 3. THERE are some rare moments when you witness a community theatre performance and wonder why some spend upwards of $100 to see professional shows. Mordialloc Theatre Company’s Outside Mullingar was one of those moments. The Reilly family, Tony (Eric Heyes) and son Anthony (Stephen Shinkfield) and the Muldoon family, Aoife (Juliet Hayday) and daughter Rosemary (Melanie Rowe), are neighbours outside Killucan, Ireland. Both have cattle and sheep farms that are increasingly harder to run. Aoilfe has just lost her husband, so it is up to Rosemary to continue running the farm; and Tony, thinking of selling the farm to his brother in America, even though Anthony is the one maintaining the livestock. Concurrently, Rosemary is bitter towards Anthony. We are delighted (and frustrated) to watch this relationship unfold. The ensemble was intensely wonderful to watch. Not one outshone the other, but worked together in total harmony. Accents were perfectly situated for the location of the play. Each actor compensated for the stronger Irish accent by enunciating each word. Director Helen Ellis, a consummate professional, always achieves the utmost peak from her casts. I was hoping for more traditional Irish music, rather than modern bands. However, this is a petty complaint really. The set by Jack Geraghty was beautifully designed in separated parts - the ’blokes’ and the ’feminine’ kitchen. Each was designed in keeping with the era, down to the dirty dishes and used teabags on one side and matching porcelain canisters on the other. Penelope Thomas

Little Gem By Elaine Murphy. The Mount Players. Directed by Richard Keown. Mountview Theatre - Macedon. Feb 24 - Mar 11. ELAINE Murphy’s writing is full of humanity in this play about the lives of three working class Dublin women. They are all ‘doing it hard’ in their own particular way and according to the social mores of their own particular eras. Basically, Little Gem is three women telling their stories to the audience, in rotating sequence. It is a marvelously funny and deeply moving work that unifies the audience with its humour and openheartedness. The evening opens with Amber (Marian Griffin), a young woman clubbing rather recklessly with what seems to be a particularly selfish self-interested young man. This relationship appears to have an unsatisfying casual edge that suggests Amber, although cheerful and self-righteous, is somewhat masochistic. Then we hear from Lorraine (Sonja Prater), a more mature woman with a wicked sense of humour, who is having some difficulties at work and melts down in the HR office, to be set on a redeeming course of getting counseling. Karen Hunt then similarly addresses us as the character Kaye. Ms. Hunt truly shines in this role with its frank and fabulously comic treatise on the sexuality of an over 60 woman. With considerable skill, she also brings her audience with her on an emotional rollercoaster. The acting is uniformly excellent and all actors shine in what is a very demanding staging. Richard Keown’s direction is of a high caliber, working with and guiding actors with considerable sensitivity. Suzanne Sandow Picnic By William Inge. Newcastle Theatre Company. NTC Theatre, Lambton. Mar 4 - 18 THINGS don’t always go smoothly when people get together to celebrate a special event. And that was certainly the case in this engrossing staging of William Inge’s play in which a young male drifter arrives in a small American country town on the eve of an early 1950s Labor Day holiday and his presence produces very different reactions from those he encounters. The story is set on the verandas of two adjoining houses and the yard between them, with director Julie Black making excellent use of the space. There was a lively scene, for example, in which some of those meeting before heading to the community picnic began dancing when they heard a nearby band rehearsing, with the alcohol they had been drinking amusingly affecting their actions. Kris McCord’s drifter Hal, who catches the eyes of women when he is seen working in the yard with his shirt off, was a sympathetic figure as he revealed the problems that had kept him on the move. But it is a strength of the play that those watching get to see at times a different side to him and to the other characters, and the 11 actors in this staging made them very down to earth. While a film version of the play in the 1950s, which included colourful picnic scenes, continues to be acclaimed,

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this production shows the writer’s decision to only show the partygoers before and after the picnic to have been the right decision. Ken Longworth

The Philadelphia Story - A Lux Radio Production. By Philip Barry. Directed by Sharon White. New Farm Nash Theatre. Feb 24 - Mar 18. FIRST performed in 1942 at the Victory Theatre by the United States Government as part of their war effort, the Snakes and Ladders radio version of The Philadelphia Story featured Kathryn By Tony Moore. Directed by Christine Ellis. KADS Theatre, Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart from the original Town Square, Kalamunda, WA. Feb 10 - Mar 4. film and was a great success. It later was made into the musical High Society, with Grace Kelly. AUSTRALIAN play Snakes and Ladders is a show for three actresses; a story about family relationships, academia Initially the audience had to adjust to the cast being on and a game of ‘Snakes and Ladders’. stage reading the scripts. Not your usual play, really. The KADS’ production is set in a cosy living room created by story centres round Tracy Lord, a wealthy socialite, her Geoff Rumsey. Nicely finished, the set was solidly built with divorced husband and her family just prior to her intended ring of truth detail. The stage was warmly lit by Stephen marriage to her next husband to be, a nouveau riche Marr (although there was perhaps a little too much spill businessman with political ambitions. The snappy dialogue into the first two rows) with effective sound design by and witty repartee kept the audience enthralled for most of Lindsay Goodwin. the performance. Many would have closed their eyes at Lovely and tangible relationships were created by Karin some time to just listen to the radio play as they did so Stafflund as Charlie, Julie Holmshaw as Charlie’s sister many years ago. Emily, and Jennifer McGrath as her daughter Beth. Strong Jane Hamer, as Tracey Lord, was the crucial pivot of the performances from all three, as Beth returns to the family play and she carried it off well, particularly after the first home when her marriage disintegrates. act. Actually everyone was a little flat initially but lifted to a A pleasant and watchable play with an interesting plot, very high standard after the break. All the performers had this incarnation feels a little long, despite the skill of the voices very suitable for their characters with Nathaniel performers, and I wonder if this show may be stronger in its Young and Steve Tonks standing out in the larger roles. one act form. On the night I saw it the pace felt somewhat Susie Williams was the onstage sound person responsible slow, exacerbating the issue. Luckily the story is interesting for the essential effects. The musical director and pianist and the characters believable and likeable, which kept the Stuart Crisp rounded off a good balanced production. audience engaged. Nash Theatre has created an expertise in “Radio Plays” Kimberley Shaw over the years and has maintained their standard. Bill Davies Sweet Road By Debra Oswald. Javeenbah Theatre, Nerang, Gold Coast. The Diary of Anne Frank Director Gaye Gay. Mar 24 - Apr 8. By Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Adelaide Repertory DEBRA Oswald will be better known to many as the Theatre. Arts Theatre, Angas St. Apr 6 - 22. scriptwriter for the TV hits Offspring and The Secret Life of GEOFF Brittain has gathered a stellar cast for this production of a very well-known story, who tell it with Us. That may explain why Sweet Road is a collection of short poignant and stoic beauty. Each actor brings a depth and scenes tracing the adventures of an odd assortment of respect to the characters. Their fear, desperation and characters, some travelling with a purpose and some just tenacity were real and palpable in every moment. I was drifting along this Sweet Road. immediately struck by the stage design, by Ole Weibkin, openly in view before the commencement of the play. This Happily married Jo (Kaela Gray) is planning a surprise is a cluttered, claustrophobic world, authentic to the period birthday for her husband when she is surprised to see him kissing her best friend, so she takes off! and set cleverly across a variety of levels. The lighting by Unhappily married couple Andy (Dave Fraser) and Carla Richard Parkhill complements this, with subtle hues and the (Emily Scanlon) and their imaginary young family and dog, use of projection, created by Ben Todd, drawing the are relocating. audience even further into the narrative. The play follows this two year concealment in a way that Michael (Craig Smith), Yasmin (Frankie Spear), Frank leaves the audience gripped to their seat - nerves taut (Colin Turner) and Curtis (Dom Bradley) are an odd assortment of travellers also on the road. knowing the sorrowful end, but willing and able to watch Director Gaye Gay settled on a minimalist set with two the connection of these people in what must have been a small (noisy) revolves depicting the passing scenery with 2 hideously difficult situation. Henny Walters, playing the title role, creates an Anne car interiors (front seats only) and an assortment of props who is perky, bright and full of optimism. Tim Williams as to create the action of the play. It took a little while to adjust to the concept. Otto Frank is powerful, and eminently watchable. Also an An interesting and different play to Javeenbah’s other absolute joy to watch is the full body acting style of Nicole offerings this year. Rutty as Edith Frank. Genevieve Venning as Margot brings a quiet integrity to the role. Mr and Mrs Van Daan are played Roger McKenzie well by Tim Taylor and Therese Hornby, while Ronan Banks 80 Stage Whispers

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Ningali Lawford-Wolf in The Secret River at the 2017 Adelaide Festival. Photo: Shane Reid.

Online extras! Artistic Directors Neil Armfield and Rachel Healy discuss The Secret River. https://youtu.be/SA6NRe9w-_Y is also quite lovely as the shy son. Other excellent performances are given by Chris Leech, Esther Michelsen and Stuart Pearce. Geoff Brittain is to be commended for this production which touches the heart and reminds us of light that can shine from even the darkest corner. Shelley Hampton The Secret River By Kate Grenville, adapted by Andrew Bovell. Sydney Theatre Company. Adelaide Festival. The Quarry, Anstey Hill Recreation Park. Feb 28 - Mar 1. THE stage adaptation of Kate Grenville’s novel The Secret River by Andrew Bovell, directed by Neil Armfield, is one of the highlights of this year’s Adelaide Festival. It is fantastic. Newly staged for the festival in the open-air in the Anstey Hill Quarry, with a giant cliff-face dominating the open stage below, the effect is spectacular, enhancing and lifting this production to epic proportions. I had not read the book, nor had I seen previous productions, so this was a whole new experience for me, and it is one of the very best productions of an Australian play I have ever seen. I was completely transfixed, challenged, thrilled and extremely moved. The ensemble of actors led by Nathaniel Dean and Ningali Lawford-Wolf are all superb, telling a tale simply and effectively. This is a tale set in the early colonial era. It is not a pretty tale - instead, quite tragic. The climax involves the massacre of an indigenous tribe and the ending is simply devastating. As Nathaniel Dean’s

character, William Thornhill, begins to plant fence posts upstage, the tribal warrior who had survived the massacre, Jack (played by Shaka Cook), sits silently downstage. As each post goes in, the light fades slowly on Jack. It is a slow descent into darkness, extremely effective and profound. Subsequently, one didn’t necessarily feel like applauding, the ending being so successfully moving. However, the applause did come, resulting in a thoroughly deserved standing ovation. Tony Knight Trelawny of the Wells By Arthur Wing Pinero. Canberra Repertory. Directed by Tony Turner. Theatre 3, Acton. Mar 29 - Apr 9. ROSE Trelawny farewells her theatrical colleagues at the Wells theatre to spend time living, on probation, with her imminent in-laws, and discovers that people in that world don’t exaggerate every mannerism, emotion, and word as her company has always done on the stage - and that her in-laws are unbearable. But returning to the stage keen to portray characters more realistically costs her her job. That doesn’t sound like laughing material, but in fact is. The play also succeeded as an acting lesson, its final minutes showing the apparently uncontrolled overacting preceding it to have been a mere ploy. Director Tony Turner’s lesson in how hamming up every word and motion drains actors and audiences alike and - despite Jon Pearson’s immaculate sound design - renders lines incomprehensible is one that could benefit audiences and amateur theatre directors even today.

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Executing this lesson left only Rob de Fries (as playwright Tom Wrench), Henry Strand (Arthur Gower), and Alessa Kron (Rose Trelawny) free to act naturally, which all three did easily in the play’s denouement, Kron and Strand eliciting the play’s first truthful, moving emotions. The play’s costumery and props nicely complemented its sets, beautiful as ever, with design by Ian Croker and construction coordinated by Russell Brown OA. But Trelawny is worth seeing for its role as a turning point in theatre history alone. John P. Harvey Russian Night By Anton Chekov. Malanda Theatre Company. Mar 23 - 26 MALANDA Theatre Company’s Russian Night was a big success, with the talented cast performing eleven of Anton Chekhov’s one-act plays. Pick of the plays for me were The Sneeze, The Governess, The Arrangement, The Drowned Man, The Proposal and The Seduction. Seth Hartley was in great form in several of the plays. His performances in The Seduction, The Sneeze and The Proposal were varied and brilliant. Murray Powdrell was excellent in The Arrangement, The Surgeon and The Drowned Man. Powdrell was well supported by the talented Mathew English in The Arrangement. Amanda Albon and Heather Hibbitt worked very well together in The Governess. A good play this one. With so many social implications it is no wonder Russia ended up with a violent

revolution. Albon in particular was outstanding as the ruthless governess. Mark Kerwin was excellent in The Drowned Man, The Writer and Defenceless Creature. Mark can either be the straight man or the funny man; he’s that good. Jo-Anne Dittman in The Proposal, Gill Birch in The Writer, Gill Harrington in Defenceless Creature, Sophie Irvine in The Seduction and The Arrangement and Damien Cavanagh in a variety of characterisations were also in top form in strong supporting roles. Also, Deb Bass did well in The Audition. It is not easy acting alone on stage. Credit to Graham Harrington, Marg Procter and Deb Bass for their smooth direction and the cast and crew for an entertaining, intellectual night of theatre. Ken Cotterill Hysteria By Terry Johnson. Darlinghurst Theatre Company. Eternity Playhouse. Mar 31 - Apr 30. FARCES need a good grounding in truth. This one starts perfectly one rainy night in London with a meeting between the dying great psychoanalyst Freud and the volatile surrealist Dali. Designer Anna Gardiner even creates a suitably washed out Hampstead consulting room for Freud with busy doors already at surrealist angles. Other visitors that night bring the play’s darker themes. A disturbed young woman is driven to expose why Freud retreated from his theories about infantile memories of Hysteria. Photo: Robert Catto

Online extras! We find the cast of Hysteria reclined on a chaise, discussing the production. https://youtu.be/BBaXh1X2aVU 82 Stage Whispers

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paternal rape. And Freud’s visiting Jewish English physician carries another theme, of Nazi atrocities. It’s 1938, but both these horrors of inexplicable human behaviour speak clearly to our time. But then Terry Johnson disarmingly switches his play to vaudeville and turns this troubled world into farce. Raine Paul’s black and white projections add an even more other worldly experience. Director Susanna Dowling mostly handles all these quick and challenging turns very artfully and she has a great cast. Wendy Strehlow is perfectly measured as the male physician, her gender-blind casting adding a further frisson of surrealism. Jo Turner although too young still has gravitas as Freud while Michael McStay’s Dali overflows with his boyish vanities. Comic timing is sharp and just when all is threatened by silliness, Miranda Daughtry’s obsessive Jessica resumes to nail Freud for his past compromises. The ambitious meshing of Johnson’s admirable wit, and the physical comedy, with the play’s intellectual clout and thriller-like revelations is not a perfect weave, but it’s very engaging to watch. Martin Portus

Scorch By Stacey Gregg.Prime Cut Productions. Adelaide Fringe. Holden Street Theatres. Feb 14 - Mar 19 THIS is the story of first love as seen through the eyes of a gender curious teen, raising modern conundrums around sexuality. The play starts with some techno music and nothing on the bare stage, but we are very quickly drawn into the life of 8 year old Kez. The audience is taken on a welldeveloped journey through the teenage years and how much easier life is in the anonymous, online world; “on there it is more real than real life”. Stacey Gregg has written a compelling play which focuses on the complexities of teenagers and modern gender identity. Director Emma Jordan has interwoven the action and dialogue seamlessly, creating a wonderful piece of theatre. The in-the-round seating arrangement enhances the action and dialogue, especially when breaking the fourth wall. Amy McAllister is mesmerising and had this reviewer in the palm of her hand from lights up. She demonstrated the awkwardness of the story, and being a teenager, with her physicality and expressions. McAllister shows a range of emotions and knows how to draw her audience in and Gentlemen Incorporated keep them. Her performance and timing is perfect, and By Deborah Mulhall. Darlington Theatre Players. Directed by combined with the seamless tech, this production will leave Hayley Derwort. Marloo Theatre, Greenmount, WA. Feb 24 you wanting more. - Mar 11. If you see nothing else this fringe make sure you see GENTLEMEN Incorporated is a slightly risqué Australian this. play by Deborah Mulhall. Maxine Grubel When Marcus returns from overseas travels, he decides to crash at his friend George’s place. George is running a Don’t Dress For Dinner male escort business from home, and when Marcus decides By Marc Camoletti. Cairns Little Theatre. Directed by Frank to help out with the business a complex web of Joel. Feb 24 - Mar 4 coincidences engulf both men, Marcus’ mother, his DON’T Dress For Dinner is a French farce based on a girlfriend and her boss. number of mistaken identities. Having two female Jake Dennis was very strong as catalyst character characters with almost the same name also adds to the Marcus. Very ill and unable to perform the night before, he mayhem. rose from his sickbed to deliver a charming and convincing The plot revolves around Bernard who has invited his performance. Owen Davies was solid as George and his mistress around for a meal while his wife Jacqueline is away alter-ego Damien - looking great in a capable and slick looking after her sick mother. The fast-paced chaos begins portrayal. when Jacqueline doesn’t go, her lover Robert unexpectedly Brittany Isaia was working hard as Isabelle, but I was arrives, followed shortly by Suzette the cook and Bernard’s distracted by the worry that a young lady who is still at mistress Suzanne. school was playing a character that was quite sexually Full credit must go to the actors for making this lunacy aggressive, in costumes that threatened to ‘malfunction’. plausible. Liam Elliston as Bernard was outstanding. How he Nevertheless Brittany did a good job in the role. kept a straight face throughout the confusion defies belief. Alyssa Burton was convincing as the strong, selfRobert de Rooy, playing Robert, was also in top form giving sufficient Marion and Marsha Bennet made a very a manic performance. Sarah-Jane Bellamy, as Jacqueline, impressive stage debut as Marcus’ mother Elinor in an was a calm rock as the madness swirled around her, while expertly layered characterisation. Kelly Moran as Suzette brought the house down with her The set design by George Boyd, Allan Derwort and antics. Cleo Legge as Suzanne added French class to the Ashley Johnson had beautifully clean lines and was proceedings and James Mousa, in a late appearance, thoughtfully decorated. David Bain’s lighting design was no provided the muscle. -nonsense and effective and sound design was provided by The combination of Australian, English, Scottish and Greg Rusha. French accents added to the insanity of it all. Madness, A production that was easy to watch and enjoyed by the totally contrived but highly entertaining and enjoyable. audience. Ken Cotterill Kimberley Shaw Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au

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Jason Klarwein and Adam Sollis in Once in Royal David’s City. Photo: Philip Gostelow.

Once in Royal David’s City By Michael Gow. Black Swan State Theatre Company. Directed by Sam Strong. Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, Perth WA. Mar 25 Apr 9. MICHAEL Gow’s latest play is a Christmas play with a difference, and makes its WA premiere in a Black Swan State Theatre Company and Queensland Theatre coproduction. A show that frequently draws on the influence of Bertolt Brecht in the narrative, it is significantly Brechtian in style, but borrows from a range of theatrical styles to tell a story that deals with the loss of a loved family member. Despite the subject matter, this a show of joy and light. Jason Klarwein shines as Will, a wonderful centre-cog for a fascinating production. Excellent support from the ensemble cast. Penny Everingham is ideal as Jeannie, a challenging role she simply owns. Ada Booth is strong, Emma Jackson plays teacher Jess well, but also nails a fabulous singing cameo. Toni Scanlon is a sympathetic, likeable Gail, Adam Sollis brings charm to his small roles, Kaye Stevenson has a wonderful tendency to steal scenes and Steve Turner is an audience favourite. Certainly the best time I have ever had learning about Bertolt Brecht, but also a beautifully nuanced and lovely to watch show about relationships, expertly crafted both by the author and this production team. Kimberley Shaw 84 Stage Whispers

The Mozart Faction By Kate Rice. Directed by Siobhan O’Gara. Melville Theatre, WA. Apr 8 - 22. THE Mozart Faction by Kate Rice features a community choir who find themselves held at gunpoint during their rehearsal. Playwright Rice, who has sung in community choirs, has an excellent understanding of the grievances, worries, jealousies and passions in community arts organisations, but this play goes further. How much does your hobby mean to you? Could you faithfully promise, never, ever to sing again? Choir director Evie is played with power and attitude by real-life chorister Victoria Dixon. Karl van Zwol believably plays headmaster Terry, with natural, easy authority, and Valerie Henry is lovely as the loyal Shirl. There are good characterisations and team-work from choir members played by Briana Dunn, Susan Veart, Callum Yardley, Daniel Wilson and Elouise Martin. Steven Hounsome demands attention in the catalyst role as Wolf, who invades the choir rehearsal with a gun because he can’t stand to listen to them anymore. A powerful performance. Melville Theatre have produced a solid and enjoyable production of this strong, likeable Australian play. Kimberley Shaw

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Reviews: Musicals

Online extras! Watch the cast of Kinky Boots perform “Raise You Up” and “Just Be”. https://youtu.be/20OQqsmvU2w

Toby Francis and Callum Francis in Kinky Boots. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

Kinky Boots Book by Harvey Fierstein. Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. Based on the motion picture Kinky Boots, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth. Capitol Theatre, Sydney. Opening night - Apr 19, 2017. WITH funky pink hair, Cyndi Lauper slipped into the theatre as opening night guest of honour, earning an impromptu ovation during the interval. The fact that she came from the US to the second city opening in Australia reflected the pop diva’s enthusiasm for her new career as a music theatre composer. Her talent and down to earth hard work was reflected on the stage. Kinky Boots is a beautifully crafted musical, with lots of laughs and loads of heart. It’s famously based on the real-life story of a Northhampton shoe factory that was saved from closure by changing its business model from regular footwear to high heel camp boots. In the role of lead Drag Queen Lola was sublime young British talent Callum Francis. Aged in his early twenties, he’s got the big star stamp firmly planted on his forehead. Local Sydney boy Toby Francis (same surname but no relation) played the straight lead - Charlie - bravely working to save the jobs of his shoe factory after his father died. It is an incredibly demanding role involving volumes of rapid fire dialogue with turns of shouting and high range tenor songs. On opening night Toby dug deep to give the gutsiest performance, winning a stirring ovation.

As a musical, there are not a lot of tunes that you go out whistling. The songs though are loads of fun, from the exuberant “Sex Is In the Heel” and “Everybody Say Yeah” to the reflective “Not My Father’s Son”. All the musical roads though lead not to Rome but Milan where Price and Sons shows off its new range of flashy and sexy boots. The image that lasts is the gorgeous kaleidoscope of colour on the runway set to the anthem “Raise You Up”. Kinky Boots is a musical that has legs! David Spicer Calamity Jane Adapted by Ronald Hamner and Phil Park. From the Stage Play by Charles K Freeman after the Warner Bros Film. Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. Music by Sammy Fain. Hayes Theatre. Mar 8 - Apr 9. A RIP-ROARING production of a creaky musical which has some surprising resonance to today. The audience immediately felt they been transported back to the Deadwood Saloon, being led through the side of the venue directly onto the stage, before being seated. It gave the production an immersive feel. The intimacy was further enhanced by the decision to use no microphones and have an orchestra of one on-stage saloon bar piano, save for the occasional interlude on a brass instrument by members of the cast. The direction by Richard Carroll skillfully papered over (as far as possible) the creaky bits of this musical, which

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began life as a movie starring Doris Day in 1953. However, some of the references to shooting Indians and jawdropping attitudes to women couldn’t be hidden. This production embraced the clichés of cheesy amateur theatre choreography, providing some of the funniest moments, when over wrought hand gestures were milked. Calamity Jane was a real life 19th century person with a huge personality. In this role Virginia Gay was a force of nature. She was intimidating, lusty and sweet. The first object of her affection Lt Danny Gilmartin (Matthew Pearce) was ‘exploited’ by having whisky splashed on his bare chest. Another surprisingly erotic moment, which apparently required no updating of the script, involved the scene where Calamity and Katie (Laura Bunting) explore their feminine side whilst redecorating a room in the song ‘A Woman’s Touch’. Providing many of the funniest cameos throughout the musical was Rob Johnson as Francis Fryer/Doc Pierce. Some lucky members of the audience got to sit at tables on the stage. Being able to watch their reaction, and those conscripted into the musical, added another layer of enjoyment to the experience. David Spicer The King and I By Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Rockdale Musical Society. Rockdale Town Hall. Mar 3 - 12. CLASSIC Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I was beautifully performed by Rockdale Musical Society. The story is set in Siam in the early 1860’s where the King, wanting to bring Siam into the modern world, employs Mrs Anna Leonowens to help teach his children English. The creative team have all done an outstanding job, in a production which features one of the best sounding 15 piece orchestras that I’ve heard in a long time in amateur theatre, headed by musical director Ian Buchanan. Director Cathy Boyle has done a tremendous job in moving her large cast around the stage and making you really feel you were looking into Siam, with her choice of beautiful costumes, minimal but effective set design and overall casting of her lead roles. Keely Soulsby’s choreography was a joy to watch, complementing Boyle’s direction, with The Small House of Uncle Thomas Ballet a standout. The entire cast of this show was very satisfying, from Stephen Halstead and Charmaine Gibbs as The King and Anna respectively, to the strong and completely focused children’s ensemble. Halstead brought the role of The King to life with fantastic energy, portraying the stubborn King to perfection. Vocally Stephen shone in his number “A Puzzlement”, really giving the audience a glimpse in the confusions the King undergoes. Gibbs lit up the stage playing the warm, loving English teacher, while her display of stubbornness towards the King was a delight to watch. The scenes she shared with Halstead were thoroughly entertaining. 86 Stage Whispers

Tisha Kelemen, playing Lady Thiang, was truly a delight to watch, her moving performance of “Something Wonderful” drawing thunderous applause. Technically everything ran smoothly and complemented the performers on stage. James Russell Boyband Conceived by Peter Quilter. Spotlight Basement Theatre, Benowa, Gold Coast.. Directed by Katie Steuart-Robins. Mar 24 - Apr 9. BOYBAND follows the trials and tribulations of a group of young guys assembled to be the next Pop sensation, summed up in a few words; Sex, Drugs and all the trappings of the eighties pop scene. The Band: Matt - Phillip Maas; Sean - Lachlan Beck; Jay Justin Wise; Adam - Ethan Beck and Danny - Clay Carlaw, come together with the promise of good times, guided by Alan Beck as their unethical promoter Wayland, and his plan to take the money and run. In their presentation of some of the era’s popular hits, all the boys were vocally strong, great movers, secure in their characters, awhile their harmonies were true and clear. Great performances individually and collectively. Director Katie Steuart-Robins, Musical Director Matt Pearson and Choreographer Erin Brummage have delivered a well-paced production. Simple but effective staging enhanced the band’s live performances and the presence of some adoring fans in the audience gave the show a sense of reality. Roger McKenzie 9 To 5 Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. Book by Patricia Resnick, based on the screenplay by Resnick and Colin Higgins. Directed by Kim Edwards. Fab Nobs Theatre, Bayswater. Apr 7 - 22. THE latest offering from Fab Nobs, a little company that punches above its weight, is Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5. Set in 1979, and based on the movie, it tells the eternal story of women’s struggle for equality in the workplace against a “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” boss. It’s light-hearted fun with a few belly laughs and, if you can’t get Dolly, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, you could do a lot worse than Rachel Tigel, Alison Coffa, and Lizzie Matjacic - surely one of the best and most versatile musical actresses on any stage - she is simply Matjestic (see what I did there?). Tigel’s Doralee doesn’t have the force of Parton herself, but she brings a certain vulnerability to the role, which is a nice contrast to the necessary feistiness. Coffa’s Judy is always credible, from the uncertain jilted wife trying to find herself, to the self-assured woman who owns her own space. Matjacic’s Violet benefits greatly from the actress herself being a psychologist. She knows all of this character’s baggage, every battle she’s had to fight, and she’s still standing. As their nemesis, the sleazy boss Franklin Hart Junior, Ash Cooper is delightfully nasty and always impressive.

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The Full Monty. Photo: Belinda Strodder.

Online extras! Check out a teaser for StageArt’s The Full Monty. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/TKItWg2H8d8 There’s a great voice that doesn’t get much chance to shine, a natural authority on stage, and a strong sense of comic timing. Far younger than the role requires, he still manages to convince us and is a talent to watch out for in the future. Also impressive is Jen Bush as Roz, the personal assistant who lusts after her boss under a demure exterior. And, in the cameo role of “lush” Margaret, Genya Mix is wonderfully convincing and almost steals the show on a couple of comic occasions. Kim Edwards’ direction is confident and effective and she designed the clever set. Fab Nobs is such a small performing space that it’s always a treat to see how the space will be re-imagined. In this case she’s managed to find room for an elevator and a toilet, literally in the closet! I am leaving Victoria, but I want to thank this very special company for the pleasure it’s given me over the years. Coral Drouyn

maintenance to his ex-wife and faces losing access to his son, Nathan. So he enlists some mates in a get rich quick scheme to produce a male strip show. Initially we encounter the wives attending a strip show, enjoying themselves enormously and complaining about their husbands. Sophie Weiss is particularly strong as Georgie. Scott Mackenzie did a lot of the heavy lifting as Jerry, desperate to maintain contact with his son, and cajoling his mates into joining his mad scheme. He moved and sang well and showed the frustration of this flawed man. Alexander Glenk was an excellent Nathan, displaying a maturity he wished his father had. They worked very well together. Giancarlo Salamanca was Jerry’s best mate, Dave, who was bullied into joining up. He was a good foil to Jerry and also sang well. Jeanette Burmeister had a lovely cameo as the pianist, Barbara, with some of the best one liners in the show. There were no weak links in this cast. The show is a mixture of comedy and pathos, and in the The Full Monty second act Malcolm, played by Montgomery Wilson, had a Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek. Book by Terrence tender song, “You Walk With Me”, which he sang at his McNallyBased upon the screenplay by Simon Beaufoy. mother’s funeral. StageArt. Director: Drew Downing. Musical Director: The band was excellent and the lighting effective. The Nathan Firmin. Choreographer: Rhys Velasquez. National dancing was strong and the coup de théatre in the finale Theatre, St Kilda. Mar 3 - 19. was the actual “full monty”, discreetly blanked from the STAGEART’s production of The Full Monty was a high audience’s view by blinding stage lights. energy affair. The story, familiar to audience members from An excellent night at the theatre. the film, had been moved to America. With the local Graham Ford factory having been closed, Jerry is struggling to pay Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au

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Melbourne Opera’s H.M.S. Pinafore. Photo: Robin Halls.

H.M.S. Pinafore By Gilbert and Sullivan. Melbourne Opera. Director: Robert Ray. Conductor: Greg Hocking. Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, Mar 14 - 18 and Monash University’s Robert Blackwood Hall, Apr 22. MELBOURNE Opera stepped out of their comfort zone in presenting a G&S operetta. Robert Ray’s approach was traditional, but with some neat twists. He included a recently discovered duet for the Captain and Josephine, “Reflect My Child”, though it didn’t seem as musically inspired as the rest of the score. The big surprise for me was David Gould as Sir Joseph Porter and he triumphed magnificently. His rich voice gave the elderly character a gravitas not usually seen. He was also very funny. Casting tenor David Rogers-Smith in the baritone role of the Captain was another unusual choice. His malleable face and wonderful comic timing were a constant delight, and his second act aria was beautifully sung. Music theatre practitioner Claire Lyon was a delightful Josephine. Andrea Creighton was a strong and funny Buttercup, looking far too young to have been the Captain’s nurse. Young Paul Biencourt displayed a clean tenor and found many more comic moments than I expected from a romantic lead, with a wonderful broad northern English accent. Roger Howell was a strong Dick Deadeye.

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The chorus sang well, though some of the choreography was a little wayward. Greg Hocking kept up a brisk tempo and the orchestra played well. Graham Ford Wicked Music & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Book by Winnie Holzman. Based upon the novel by Gregory Maguire. Miranda Musical Society. Sutherland Entertainment Centre. Mar 22 - 26. WICKED is renowned for lavish Broadway spectacle, so it’s pleasing that the huge challenge to pare it back for community theatre is in safe hands with Bob and Col Peet. They simplify the physical setting effectively, while atmospherics are achieved through lighting, projection and animation in a symbiotic collaboration with Technology Director Chae Rogan (supported by Adam Ring and Robert Mason). The ultimate visual treat of the night, though, comes courtesy of James Worner’s splendid costumes, wigs (impressively dressed by Mavia Timmer) and millinery (in collaboration with Jodi Burns). His Emerald City costumes are a delicious surprise, going way beyond a purely green palette in fabrics to achieve a strikingly textured emerald interaction with lighting design. The beating heart of Wicked, its touching theme of friendship between the two unlikeliest of friends in this Wizard of Oz prequel, is splendidly delivered through the performances of Misha Williamson as Galinda / Glinda and

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Emma Tavianni as Elphaba. Both have terrific voices, act truthfully, and engage the audience credibly as young university students. ‘For Good’, the climax of their friendship, is lump-in-the-throat special. Garth Saville’ s Wizard is a splendid song and dance turn. Leonie Johnson’s malevolent Madame Morrible is a strikingly textured interpretation. Emilie Davila’s Nessarose is genuinely vulnerable and touching. Daniel O’Connell’s controlled swagger as Fiyero makes him altogether human and sympathetic. Jack Paterson is an earnest, lovelorn Boq. Sam Cowes’ Doctor Dillamond, the goat history professor, provides not just a highly satisfying characterization, but perhaps the clearest illustration of the production’s outstanding make-up design by Rozlyne Vidal. The energy, focus and attitude of the large ensemble is a joy to behold. Director Tim Dennis, Musical Director Andrew Howie and Choreographer Craig Nhobbs deliver a totally integrated production with seamless acting, vocals and choreography. Sound design from Anthony Lorenz of Loud and Clear ensures an excellent balance between Andrew Howie’s top notch band (located in the dress circle foyer) and the performers. An excellent community theatre performance of one of my favourite musicals. Neil Litchfield Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. Adapted for stage by Jeremy Sams. Based on the MGM motion picture. Licensed script adapted by Ray Roderick. Novel by Ian Fleming. CenterStage Geelong. Geelong Performing Arts Centre. Mar 10 - 18. LIKE the directors - Narelle Bonnici and Samantha Heskett - I have fond childhood memories of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. All three of us entered the world of Chitty in front of our grandparents’ television. Even back then, Chitty was dated. While Ian Fleming’s other creation, James Bond, gets continuously updated, Chitty remains frozen in time. Why? None of today’s cars have enough character to be Chitty. Chitty tells a funny, nonsensical story about a flying and floating car. And a baron who wants Chitty because, like every spoiled brat, he always gets what he wants. My adult part sees several plot holes… Take “Toot Sweets”, which fails to move the story forward. But my child part sees that same number as one of the most fantasmagorical, fabulous numbers in the show. The success of Chitty depends on it maintaining its high energy. Veteran performer Mark Monroe (Caractacus Potts) serves as the thermostat, setting the energy for the rest of the cast, raising it when it dips. I do wonder why Rachel Allen (Truly Scrumptious) has waited so long to make her debut. Whether speaking or singing, her voice is melodic. I could have listened to her all night. So much more added to the fabulousness of this production, deserving more commentary than space

allows…Keith Greenwood’s set…Maxine Urquhart’s costumes…the children’s ensemble. Not to mention the delightful performances of Kempton Maloney (Jeremy Potts) and Sophia Grant (Jemima Potts). For many adults, CenterStage’s Chitty will be a trip back into childhood’s innocence. And for children, an excursion into magic and delight. Daniel G. Taylor Grease, The Arena Experience Book, Music & Lyrics by Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey. Harvest Rain Theatre Company. Executive Producer: Tim O’Connor. Director & Choreography: Callum Mansfield. Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. Apr 7 - 9 and then touring THIS recently well-publicised Brisbane venue was rocking last night for more than one reason. More like over 850 reasons, the amount of exuberant cast members prancing across the extremes of this arena experience complete with revolving stage and colourful lighting. Harvest Rain’s reputation didn’t disappoint, with classy presentation and a polished selection of performers, many of whom are graduates from established Australian musical theatre training institutions. But what added spice to the night was the huge ensemble of school students, all gyrating and dancing with glee at the opportunity to be a part of this unique presentation. And what with the catchy, quirky choreography to boot and such a devoted team to put it all together using such a gargantuan cast, full academic marks should go to all those who contributed towards mounting this enthusiastic epic bash. The famous Grease characters were well brought to life: Drew Weston as Danny, whose versatility is impressive, particularly his stylish and musical dancing; the vocallytalented Meghan O’Shea as Sandy; Ruby Clark’s superbly raunchy Rizzo, coupled with a voice to match; great characterisation by Stacey de Waard as Frenchy; and Bil Heit as Miss Lynch. The list goes on. There were also well-staged and outstanding presentations of musical numbers like “Those Magic Changes”, memorably performed by Barnaby Reiter as Doody, the ensemble version of “We Go Together” and “Born to Handjive”; but what really brought the house down was X-Factor winner Dami Im’s portrayal of Teen Angel in “Beauty School Dropout”, complete with a vast array of feathers and in full big-production-number mode. With such good vocals and tightly-rehearsed harmonies and a cast managing well, working without the musical director up front, there were still some excerpts where the band wasn’t quite ‘sitting-nicely-in-the-groove’, with a sound design hovering over more accent on the percussion rather than balanced layering between the instruments and total listening experience. Nonetheless, scintillatingly brought to life, this fun and energetic party musical hit the right notes for all those young and ambitious performers who have a passion for musical theatre. Brian Adamson

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Stage Whispers 89

Calvin Berger By Barry Wyner. Directed by Tyler Eldridge and Madeleine Shaw. Roleystone Theatre, WA. Mar 10 - 25. CALVIN Berger made its WA premiere with first-time directors Tyler Eldridge and Madeleine Shaw steering an impressive production. Seamus Harrison anchors the show. A consummate, professional performer, Seamus perfectly embodies Calvin, insecure about his looks, driven to desperate measures to try and win the girl of his dreams. Matthew Manning shines as Matt, Calvin’s love rival and mouthpiece. Shining in a gorgeously over-the-top dance number, he is excellent as this naïve pretty-boy. Overlooked Bret is beautifully played by Stephanie Shaw, Owning the power ballads, this is a highly-nuanced performance. Jennifer Gadecke makes an outstanding community theatre debut as love interest Rosanna, matching more experienced co-performers with lovely vocals and depth. A minimalist, clever set has surprise touches, and contemporary costumes are well chosen. Tyler Eldridge’s lighting design uses colour and focus to effect. Daniel Toomath successfully battled an uncooperative sound system. Liam Gobbert leads a very tight band. A strong production of a new show, with an amazing small cast. Kimberley Shaw

Camp Rock The Musical By Julie Brown, Paul Brown, Regina Hicks and Karen Gist, based on the Disney Channel movie. Black Box Performing Arts. Kalamunda Performing Arts Centre and Koorliny Arts Centre, WA. Feb 17 - Mar 19. FEATURING 52 talented young musical theatre performers, a couple of capable grown-ups, a solid young six-piece band and the support of a huge team, this is a new community theatre company with great potential. Central character Mitchie was capably played by Asha Vivian, who worked convincingly with Ashley Garner, solid, in his first stint as leading man. Blake Jenkins was gorgeously awkward as shy Nate, feeling his way in a romance with rival Dana (an excellent Christie McGarrity). Chloe Marlow and Sebastian Coe were scene-stealers as Tess and Luke, maintaining a very convincing bickering relationship. Lovely Teamwork and good performances from the Camp Rockers, and their rivals Camp Star, both backed by a supportive ensemble. A multi-level set by Gary Wetherilt was well constructed and used to great effect. An emerging company with a unique and important reason d’être. Kimberley Shaw

Violet - A Musical Music by Jeanine Tesori. Lyrics & Book by Brian Crawley. Davine Interventionz Productions. Adelaide Fringe. Star Heathers The Musical Theatre. Feb 22 - Mar 4. By Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy. WAAPA Final Year VIOLET is a relatively new American musical, and is a Music Theatre Students. Directed by Andrew Lewis. Geoff wonderful representation of the types of musicals coming Gibbs Theatre, WAAAPA, Edith Cowan University, Mt from the Broadway theatre today; that is, not like the usual Lawley, WA. Mar 18 - 25. blockbusters that generally grace our Australian stages. ON a bright set by Kelly Freegon, colourfully lit by Kristie This SA production, directed by David Gauci, with Smith and featuring powerful 80s costumes in bright hues Musical Direction by Peter Johns, is simply terrific. Set in (Kaitlin Brindley), the look of this show is strikingly 1960s middle America, during the Vietnam War era, it is juxtaposed with the dark themes of bullying, teen suicide essentially a ‘romance’ - a journey, a kind of modern day and high school massacres. ‘road’ musical - involving Violet, a severely disfigured young Veronica Sawyer is beautifully played by Monique woman travelling to Tulsa, Oklahoma to seek a miracle cure Warren; an expertly nuanced character who sings from a popular American evangelist. It is ultimately a beautifully and wins the audience’s heart. Dark, mysterious, journey of acceptance and the discovery of love and hope. and disturbed JD is well played by Nick Errol. Violet’s story is partly told in flashback with two Violets, The title roles - the untouchable, all powerful Heathers - as a young girl with her father, and as the adult Violet are excellent. Jenna Curran’s Heather Chandler is positively travelling by bus to Tulsa. terrifying, Meg McKibbin’s Heather Duke undergoes an The music has a contemporary ‘country’ and ‘blue grass’ unnerving change, while Daisy Valerio’s sunshiny but scary feeling and tone, with a touch of ‘gospel’, not unlike other Heather McNamara eventually wins sympathy with the new American musicals such as Memphis (2010) and Hands beautiful song “Lifeboat”. on a Hardbody (2013). Laura Jackson makes a very sweet Martha Dunnstock, This show has a rather large cast as well as musicians and “Kindergarten Boyfriend” is a show highlight. Ram and stage crew - they are all excellent. Eloise Q Valentine as Sweeney and Kurt Kelly are played with bad-boy expertise Young Violet and Casmira Hambledon as the adult Violet and camaraderie by David Cuny and Tom Gustard. are simply wonderful, as are Fahad Faroque and Mitchell Mackenzie Dunn is outstanding as Ms Fleming, acing Smith as the two American soldiers the adult Violet meets “Shine A Light”. on her journey. Heathers introduces a very promising crop of final year Violet - A Musical is highly recommended. students, who are already delivering impressive Tony Knight performances. Kimberley Shaw 90 Stage Whispers

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Les Misérables By Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. Free-Rain Theatre Company. Director Dr Cate Clelland. The Q - Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. Apr 4 - 12. FREE-RAIN’S gutsy take on Les Misérables made me fall in love with this wonderful score again. With a somewhat pared back treatment, this production emphasises the moral dilemmas and social commentary. Peter Cousens makes a conflicted Valjean, with “Valjean’s Soliloquy” a highlight. Tony Falla (Javert) comes into his own with “Javert’s Soliloquy”. Fantine (Amy Dunham) pours anguish into a heart-wrenching “I Dreamed a Dream”. The child players were stunningly good, especially Jake Keen, who makes a cheeky and confident Gavroche, and Hannah McConnell in a sweet performance as young Cosette. Stephanie MacLaine (as the adult Cosette) has a gorgeous light soprano voice which soars through the challenges of “In My Life” and “A Heart Full of Love”. Sam Ward’s rendition of “Empty Chairs and Empty Tables” was poignant and tragic. That said, there was an unevenness here which could be a consequence of the casting. Jim Adamik’s Thenardier is very good, but he’s let down by his voice. However, Peter Cousens’ performance of Jean Valjean is polished to a mirror sheen which seems to make him stand apart from the rest of the cast, who have more rawness or realness to them. Which isn’t to say it’s a bad performance - it just seems to belong to a different production. That nit-picking aside, it’s a great opportunity to reacquaint yourself with this romantic epic. Cathy Bannister Les Misérables.

PERFORMING ARTS MAGAZINE MAY/JUNE 2017. VOLUME 26, NUMBER 3 ABN 71 129 358 710 ISSN 1321 5965

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Stage Whispers 91

Musical Spice Erin Clare in We Will Rock You. Photo: Jeff Busby.

Online extras! Watch Stage Whispers TV’s video from We Will Rock You. Scan or visit https://youtu.be/bG-b833sUbQ

“Quite a lot of the script was written in Australia. I remember holding late night phone conferences with Queen. Wandering around outside so as to not wake the family, staring up at the Southern Cross whilst discussing what Brian and Roger (who hated the term Musical Theatre) were calling our rock theatrical,” Ben wrote last year. He says that We Will Rock You also was only fully formed after it was staged in Australia. “We chose Melbourne to mount the first show after London and it was there in 2003 that we were really able to put the lessons we had learned in London into practise. “The resulting show was a much more fluid and rocking production. It became the model for all subsequent productions worldwide.” Ben Elton and Queen still tinker with the show to keep it up to date. Running a small business that My connection with Queen goes mainly licences musicals to schools back to the 1970’s. For some and amateur theatres, it’s only reason I remember my big brother once in a blue moon that I have coming back from a Queen the excitement of announcing the concert in Sydney. He showed the release of rights to an international program off to my father and blockbuster! said. “Not only are they rock stars This happened in late April but they all have University when I sent out the email degrees.” announcing that community Brian May - the lead guitarist theatres in Australia and New has had added a degree since Zealand would be the first in the then. He now has a Doctorate in world allowed to stage the Queen Astrophysics. and Ben Elton musical We Will Rock Here is my secret, but please keep it But this hasn’t stopped his rock You. confidential. career. Roger and Brian are still touring The musical famously ran for over a Pictured above is my daughter, under the banner Queen and Adam decade in the West End and has been Rebecca, and I doing our best We Will Lambert. I finally got to see them in the seen in 28 other countries by 16 Rock You impersonation in the foyer of flesh a few years back in Australia and million people. Up until now only Sydney’s Lyric theatre during its last their international tour is revving up professional theatres and schools in the professional season in 2016. Queen again later this year in Europe. If your local community theatre US and UK have been allowed to stage loved my style and could see that my it. company rocks. Do you believe that? would like to stage your own Normally international hits are A more credible anecdote is production of We Will Rock signed up by global licensing houses that We Will Rock You is partly an You, contact DSP explaining why your (such as Music Theatre International or Australian written musical. Ben Elton, company is best equipped to stage it in Samuel French) which buy the the writer of the script, is a dual your neck of the woods. worldwide rights. How did David Australian/UK citizen and lives in Spicer Productions pull this one off? Fremantle. David Spicer 92 Stage Whispers May - June 2017