2 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
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In this issue
It’ll Be Right Wrong On The Night ............................................................. 6 Peter Pan goes (hysterically) wrong on stages across Australia and N.Z. Come From Away ................................................................................... 10 Broadway’s unlikely hit 9/11 musical is headed for Australia Musicals in 2019..................................................................................... 14 There’s a lot to sing and dance about on our stages next year
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New Plays & Star Power In 2019 ............................................................. 20 What’s coming up at our major theatre companies Shall We Dance? ..................................................................................... 28 Five of our top choreographers chat with Coral Drouyn
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Classic Queensland Theatres.................................................................... 34 Peter Pinne’s favourite theatres in Brisbane and beyond Hall Of Fame ........................................................................................... 39 Community Theatre legends recognised We Will Rock You ................................................................................... 46 A Lighting Designer’s diary
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Regular Features Stage Briefs
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Stage On Page
40
Stage On Disc
42
Broadway Buzz
44
London Calling
45
On Stage - What’s On
51
Auditions
61
Reviews
62
Musical Spice
88
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THE NEXT ISSUE OF STAGE WHISPERS IS FOCUSSING ON THE UPCOMING 2019 COMMUNITY THEATRE SEASONS
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Editorial
Come From Away producers Sue Frost and Randy Adams reading Stage Whispers magazine.
Dear theatre-goers and theatre-doers, Our final edition for the year has rolled around again so quickly, and it’s time to anticipate the theatrical pleasures in store for us in 2019. Each year in this edition we preview the plays and musicals which will fill main stages across Australia in the 12 months ahead. This time we hone in on the many premieres - both new Australian plays and local premieres of exciting works from overseas - which form part of the many subscription seasons announced in recent months. Musicals include big new shows from overseas, as well as new Australian musicals and revivals both large and small. They will be staged in venues ranging from our many major commercial and intimate theatres, to Sydney Harbour, replete with the city skyline as a spectacular backdrop. Hit plays and musicals from 2018 also hit the road in the new year, with a Melbourne premiere for Muriel’s Wedding The Musical topping the list. Next edition we feature Community Theatre seasons across Australia and New Zealand, so I’d encourage everyone to get in touch with me – neil@stagewhispers.com.au – to let me know about your shows, and any other exciting events and anniversaries. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the team at Stage Whispers. Yours in Theatre,
Neil Litchfield Editor
Cover image: Daniel Pitout as Jonathan in Peter Pan Goes Wrong at London’s Apollo Theatre. See David Spicer’s interview with two of the writers Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer on page 6. Photo: Alastair Muir.
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Stage Briefs
Online extras!
Step into the Cursed Child rehearsal room by scanning the QR code or visiting https://youtu.be/KVF4RfdZHps
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Online extras!
Meet Christiani Pitts, playing Ann for a new era of King Kong. Scan or visit https://youtu.be/kTU3DbblDbE The Australian cast of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre. L-R: Tom Wren, Gareth Reeves, Lucy Goleby, Sean Rees-Wemyss, William McKenna, Paula Arundell, Gyton Grantley. Photo: Ben King. Christiani Pitts as Ann Darrow in King Kong. The musical, which opens on Broadway on November 8, has multiple Australian connections. An earlier version was first staged in Melbourne, it is produced by Global Creatures and features songs by Eddie Perfect. Photo: Joan Marcus Hear Me Roar will bring together some of the greatest songs ever written by women, performed by some of Australia’s leading female artists on 13 and 14 December at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. This musical tribute to female empowerment will feature artists including Christine Anu, Tania Doko, Sarah McLeod, Emma Pask, Melinda Schneider and Prinnie Stevens, with an all-female eight-piece band, led by Tina Harris. Photo: Daniel Boud. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 5
The cast of Peter Pan Goes Wrong at London’s Apollo Theatre. Photo: Alastair Muir.
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Cover Story Chaos is returning to the stages of Australia and New Zealand with the The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s biggest disaster to date, Peter Pan Goes Wrong. Two of the writers, Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer, explained exactly how to stuff things up to David Spicer.
Online extras!
Check out a preview of Peter Pan Goes Wrong. Simply scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/oiaWsd8qUKE
When Henry Lewis was coming home from high school one day he realised that he had forgotten the key. “It was pouring with rain, so I attempted to get into my own house through the dog flap which we had in the back door to the kitchen,” he recalls. Half way through the dog flap something went wrong. “I got stuck. My Mum’s boyfriend had to come around (with tools) and saw me out. Which is exactly what happens in the play.” Henry said his family love that scene in Peter Pan Goes Wrong, although “when I was fifteen my mother did not see the funny side.” The team from the Mischief Theatre Company in London first staged The Play That Goes Wrong in a room above a pub. According to the website WhatsOnStage there were only four people in the audience. The cast were working in call centres and pubs. Fast forward to now and The Play That Goes Wrong has been seen by a quarter of a million people and counting. Its international success allowed the company to be much more ambitious with their second production. “The Play That Goes Wrong is set in one location an old manor house - whereas Peter Pan goes to Neverland, (flies to) London and goes underwater,” said writer Jonathan Sayer with relish. “There is some real spectacle. We use a revolve that is one of the fastest in the world. The amount of engineering is incredible. Every time it goes around we use a different comedic language and the set becomes ever more dangerous. You get to see the Pirate ship looking like an absolute death trap.” Thankfully there have been no serious injuries in any production, but occasionally things have gone wrong in an unplanned way. “There is a moment when Peter Pan flies too high up into the rig. His wires get caught and he falls to the floor,” said Henry. “That effect is achieved by having the actor fly out of sight. Then we don’t really drop the actor. We have a dummy which is weighted, wearing the correct costume, which looks like a falling person. The dummy falls down behind the rocks of the lagoon. (Continued on page 8) www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 7
Cover Story (Continued from page 7)
“We had a big problem one night during the tour of Peter Pan, when the mannequin fell while Peter Pan was in the scene below and fell on him. It was quite a surreal moment - Peter Pan standing there and another Peter Pan ploughs out of the lighting rig crushing him.” The writers say the audience’s familiarity with the story of Peter Pan also allows them to quicken the pace of the comedy. They don’t need to show the audience what was meant to go right. “They are one step ahead of the characters on stage. The audience knows about certain iconic moments such as when Peter Pan flies through the window and his shadow starts running around the (children’s) room,” said Jonathan. Both writers have appeared in the production. Henry played the actor Robert, whose roles are Nana the dog,
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Peter’s shadow and Starkey the Pirate. Jonathan modelled the character of Dennis (John, Darling and Smee) a little on himself. In The Play That Goes Wrong, Dennis knew most of his lines but he could not remember certain words and mispronounced them. He scribbled them on his hands, but it didn’t help. In Peter Pan things go from bad to worse. During the play’s development the team made him more and more forgetful. “By the time the play was fully developed, Dennis had big headphones on, so all of his lines are being fed to him,” said Jonathan. “We heard this story about a play running in the West End, with the actor having lines fed through an ear piece. That is a very funny idea. We started dreaming up all the mistakes that could happen. “As the show goes on Dennis picks up on arguments happening backstage, including on politics, and repeats them. We also learn there is a marital breakdown going on backstage.”
Peter Pan Goes Wrong is in Auckland from Oct 31, Wellington from Nov 21, Christchurch from Nov 28, Melbourne from Dec 19, Canberra from Feb 6, Sydney from Feb 13, and Perth from Mar 7.
Jay Laga'aia, Luke Joslin and Connor Crawford.
Adeline Waby as Annie (top right) and Daniel Pitout as Jonathan with Oliver Senton as Robert (bottom right) in Peter Pan Goes Wrong at London’s Apollo Theatre. Both photos: Alastair Muir.
So how do you practise to forget lines? “You don’t know them in the first place,” he jokes. On the contrary, it requires extra preparation. “We had a lot of practise, playing those characters a long time. “Dennis is based (a little) on how I respond under pressure, but an extremely heightened version (of me.)” So how does Dennis respond poorly to pressure? “He could either fight or flight. Dennis does neither, as he is too terrified. He doesn’t run away because he is paralysed in fear. He does not fight to combat it. He grinds to a halt. “That is why he repeats anything he can hear, because he does not have the imagination to get himself out of the problem. He just blindly follows whatever any other character wants him to do.” By contrast, Jonathan says, when some of the other characters make a mistake they assume it is someone else’s fault. “Whereas Dennis will assume it is his fault. He is pathetic. He is an easy
target and fun to laugh at. “You kind of hear what is being said to him. At one point he says, ‘good night mother’, then he repeats ‘no, speak with feeling for God sake’, ‘no, no, don’t say that’, ‘stop saying that’, ‘stop repeating me’, ‘shut up you idiot’.” Henry Lewis has experienced the blind panic of something going wrong in an amateur production. “I did a production of Peter Pan at an amateur theatre in West London over Christmas. “At one point the Lost Boys had to build a Wendy house around Wendy when she was first shot down over Neverland. The first time we saw this Wendy house was during the first performance, as we had not had it during the rehearsal. Unfortunately, it was the most complicated flat pack anyone had ever seen. We started to put it together, finding the right nuts and bolts, but there was only a bit of narration to do it, so we were not able to put it together very well.” Henry described it as “not a perfect moment in theatre”.
By contrast with the narrative of their plays, everything seems to be going right for the Mischief Theatre Company. Their productions have been seen in 20 different countries, from China to Argentina. On Broadway J.J. Abrams (of Star Trek fame) was the director. Other works they have penned include A Bank Robbery, A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong and The Nativity Goes Wrong. On the wish list also for the future is a magic show that goes wrong. The BBC has broadcast two television specials and the team has recently set up a new television production company. When I spoke to the writers, they were about to spend the weekend in Moscow for the Russian premiere of The Play That Goes Wrong. So does the world have the same sense of humour? Do Bulgarians laugh in the same place as the Japanese? Jonathan’s answer was surprising. “I find it staggering people laugh at the same thing. People are united at what makes them giggle.” www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 9
On September 11, 2001, the terrorist attack on New York and Washington forced 38 planes and 6,579 passengers to land in Gander, Newfoundland, almost doubling the population of the remote Canadian town. Their experience inspired the Tony Award winning musical Come From Away. David Spicer spoke to the producers of the musical during auditions, ahead of the Melbourne opening. When I met the Sue Frost and Randy Adams in a hotel lobby, the producers were in a jolly mood. Every time they discussed how unlikely the success of this project was, they giggled. “The writers came to us with their first show - My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding - and our advice to them was change the title,” said Sue, before she burst into laughter. “They said no, we won’t do that. We stayed in touch and later met in Toronto. They said we are going into workshop with this new musical called Come From Away. It is about all these planes being diverted to Gander during 9/11.” “Good luck with that!” quipped Randy. “We thought, another bad title.
The Canadian cast of Come From Away. Photo: Matthew Murphy.
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Then a year later we saw a 45 minute excerpt of it in a festival and just went crazy for it,” said Sue. “We told them we don’t know what this is. We love it. It is a great story. Not sure it is a Broadway musical, but we think it will have a big life,” said Randy. Michael Rubinoff, a Canadian lawyer with a passion for musicals, had the original idea. “He approached a number of writers who thought that a 9/11 musical is not a good idea,” said Sue. “David Hein and Irene Sankoff were just intrigued enough and just starving enough to say let’s try it.” “They got a grant to go out to Gander, Newfoundland, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. People came back from all over the world because their experience was life changing.”
“They were there for almost a month, and they interviewed anyone who could talk to them in depth. They came back with hundreds and hundreds of hours of stories and started to put it together.” The truth is this is not really a 9/11 story, but rather a 10/11 story. Gander in Canada is unique in that it is a small, isolated country town on the east coast of Canada but it has an enormous military airport that used to be a major refuelling stop. “It is a town of 9,000 people and they literally had 7,000 people land on their doorstep. They just opened every community centre, every church and hall,” said Sue. “Then they said, we don’t want you sleeping on that door step, why don’t you come to our house and have a meal. A lot of friendships developed out of it. “The Newfoundlanders don’t think they did anything special. (They think that if) somebody needs something you get it for them. They need food, shelter and
emotional support; that is what you do.” “They still get surprised at the reaction. (The people say) we just made them sandwiches. It is no big deal,” said Randy. What would have happened if the planes landed somewhere in America? Would they have been treated as well? “That is the question. You would want to hope so,” said Randy. “We both grew up in small towns. I think that in small towns it is prevalent that everyone takes care of everyone else. What is unique is that Newfoundland is an isolated place. The folks there are so used to taking care of each other, because of that isolation,” said Sue. In some cases the stranded passengers formed lifelong relationships. “Everything about this is absolutely true. It came from interviews with the real people,” said Sue. “One of the stories in the musical is about a Texas woman and a British guy who met there and fell in love. They are still married. They are huge in the story. They have seen the show 30 or 40 times.
Jenn Colella and the Broadway cast of Come From Away. Photo: Matthew Murphy.
“There is a story about having to come out and get diapers for the little ones. One of the little ones came to see the show. She is like 18 now. The stories just keep coming.” In Australia for the auditions, the producers were looking for cast members who could reflect the authenticity of the characters. Some musicals require athletic looking 42nd Street dancers - this one needs random looking passengers. “An audience member said it was so refreshing to see real people up there. I think they are all shapes and sizes and ages,” said Randy. “It is not about finding carbon copies of people. It is about finding
the spirit of these people and finding the essence of folks who are unassuming and take care of people.” “Everyone in that original company was over 40 years old,” said Sue. It also led to a spooky coincidence. “What was crazy is that the woman we cast as the pilot looked so much like the pilot the character is based on. (At the audition) the actor came in and nailed the song, then when the two of them met and (Continued on page 12)
Online extras!
The creatives behind Come From Away discuss the show. Scan or visit https://youtu.be/oKVyXR6hIeA www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 11
(Continued from page 11)
eyeballed each other, they both said I know who you are.” Come from Away is 100 minutes long with no interval. There are 12 actors in the musical who become 80 or 90 characters. “They switch (character) on a dime. There are eight in the band, who are on stage as well,” said Sue. The music is described as a mixture of Broadway ballad and Celtic rock. “There are a lot of Celtic instruments. There is hand drum, a guitar, mandolin fiddle and accordion. It is a cool sound and there is nothing like it.” The musical went on a very long journey before it made it to Broadway and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. A quarter of a million people had seen the musical in Canada and the US prior to New York. The most ecstatic reception was at an ice-skating rink in Gander, which, according to the producers, went crazy. The musical is only scheduled so far in Melbourne - the Producers would
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The Broadway cast of Come From Away. Photo: Matthew Murphy.
Come from Away opens at the Comedy Theatre Melbourne in July 2019. like to take it to Sydney but are having trouble finding available theatres. Sue Frost said the lack of available theatres in Sydney is short-sighted. “Industries bubble around a vital theatre community. We do the demographics of what Broadway
means to New York. It is massive to restaurants, shops and hotels.” But if a theatre is not available, the producers might need to go looking for an ice skating rink or a vacant church hall.
Christmas Subscription Dear Stage Whispers reader, Spread the joy of Stage Whispers by giving a special person the gift of a Stage Whispers subscription this Christmas for $34.50 for one year (including GST). You, or your recipient, will receive a free CD, DVD or theatre tickets from the list below. As supplies of some gifts are limited, please list three options. Please complete the form below or visit www.stagewhispers.com.au/subscribe. All the best, The Stage Whispers Team. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory at Capitol Theatre, Sydney - 2 Double Passes only Golden Age Of Musicals DVD Collection Muriel’s Wedding The Musical CD The Von Trapp Family DVD Josh Piterman CD Lucky Dip - Action Drama DVDs Lucky Dip - Costume Drama DVDs Lucky Dip - Show Music CDs
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Musicals In 2019 Revivals of classic musicals dominate the landscape in 2019. Musicals new to Australia are harder to find, but provide the highlights of the year.
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Natalie Abbott and Elizabeth Esguerra take on the roles of Muriel and Rhonda when Muriel’s Wedding The Musical hits Melbourne. Photo: James Green.
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre from March. Sydney Lyric in July. The opening season of PJ Hogan’s musical adaptation of his famous film was described by Stage Whispers as an “Abbasolutely fabulous night in the theatre, that is as refreshing as a popsicle on a hot summer’s day, with as much heart and warmth as your mother’s baked dinner.” Not only are the songs of the famous Swedish quartet seamlessly integrated into the narrative, but the four band members make frequent return visits as fairy godmother like characters. Taking on the lead role of Muriel Heslop, in her very first professional stage production, is Natalie Abbott. Like Muriel, Natalie left her small coastal town and moved to the big smoke - Sydney. “I honestly cannot think of another character I relate to as much as her. This is a dream come true.” Come From Away Comedy Theatre Melbourne in July. This Tony Award winning musical tells a true September 11 story about how 7,000 passengers became stranded in a small town in Newfoundland, Canada. It was described by the New York Times as a “big bearhug of a musical … even the most stalwart cynics may have trouble staying dry-eyed during this portrait of heroic hospitality under extraordinary pressure.” This musical has a welcome diversity of “normal looking people” in the cast and a fresh sound that is a mixture of Celtic rock and Broadway ballad.
Online extras!
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical comes to Melbourne in 2019. Scan or visit https://vimeo.com/291426194
West Side Story Sydney/Melbourne and Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. Too much West Side Story is barely enough. The modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, set in a New York City enveloped by bitter tension between two teenage gangs, is having two different productions. (Continued on page 16) www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 15
Musicals 2019
Online extras!
Watch as the Charlie boys unwrap their golden tickets. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/RBP4x7dc2Yg First will be Handa’s Opera on the Harbour, opening in March, with an “extravagant” set promised to complement the backdrop of the Sydney skyline and Opera House. Then an indoor season, with a completely different cast, kicks off first at the Arts Centre Melbourne in April then at the Sydney Opera House in August. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Capitol Theatre Sydney from January. Roald Dahl’s most popular book sold 20 million copies and spawned two movies. Now Australia gets the chance to see a replica of the Broadway musical production of the classic. Critics applauded the lavish sets and costumes, especially on those repulsive Oompa Loompas. The darkness of Dahl’s original vision, however, has been sweetened. Willy Wonka will be played by Paul Slade Smith, who is currently
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Tommy Blair, Ryan Yeates, Lucy Maunder, Oliver Alkhair, Xion Jarvis in Charlie. Photo: Peter Brew-Bevan.
appearing in the Broadway revival of My Fair Lady. Four Sydney boys - Tommy Blair, Ryan Yeates, Oliver Alkhair and Xion Jarvis (pictured above with Lucy Maunder) - will play the role of Charlie. Ninety-and-a-half-year-old Grandpa Joe will be played by Tony Sheldon. In the role of Mrs Bucket will be Lucy Maunder. This is sure to be a sugar hit for musical theatre lovers. Billy Elliot the Musical 10th Anniversary Tour. Sydney Lyric, October 2019; Regent Melbourne, February 2020; Crown Perth, June 2020; QPAC, July 2020 and Adelaide Festival Centre, September 2020. Based on the film of the same name, Billy Elliot the Musical follows the journey of a young boy raised in a small British mining town, set against the backdrop of the 1984/5 miners’ strike. With music by Elton John, it follows Billy’s journey from the boxing ring into a ballet class.
The Broadway cast of Chicago. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.
Online extras!
Chicago is coming to Sydney in the new year. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/r8loXWUJmew
The Producers say that with “clever adjustments” they are able to tour the musical outside of Sydney and Melbourne. Saturday Night Fever The Musical Lyric Theatre Sydney in March then an expected national tour. Based on the 1977 movie starring John Travolta, this is the story of Tony Manero and his quest to break free from conformity and become king of the club. The movie is credited with defining the 1970’s, while the soundtrack remains the best-selling soundtrack of all time with over 45 million copies sold. Packed with disco classics including the Bee Gees’ hits “Stayin’ Alive”, “How Deep Is Your Love”, “Night Fever”, “Tragedy” and “More Than A Woman”. Chicago Capitol Theatre Sydney then touring. Based on real life events back in the roaring twenties, jazz slayer Roxie Hart
shoots her lover and along with Cell Block rival, double-murderess Velma Kelly, they fight to stay off death row with the help of smooth talking lawyer, Billy Flynn. Created by the musical theatre talents of John Kander, Fred Ebb and legendary choreographer Bob Fosse, Chicago’s sexy, sassy score includes “All That Jazz” and “Razzle Dazzle”. It’s been running on Broadway since 1997 and shows no signs of slowing down. Jersey Boys Now playing the Capitol Theatre Sydney, QPAC in January, then Regent Theatre Melbourne in February. Jersey Boys has made a return a decade after it first opened here and the show still packs a punch. The story of Franki Valli and The Four Seasons - four American teenagers with police records who moulded themselves into one of the (Continued on page 18) www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 17
(Continued from page 17)
best selling music acts of all time - is a riveting ‘rags to riches’ yarn. All their hits are in the show. The four leads shine and Ryan Gonzales (Franki Valli) has a voice from heaven. The Book Of Mormon Now playing Sydney Lyric, before moving to QPAC in April, then Adelaide in June. Praise the Lord, this is one hell of a musical. The first thing to make your head spin is the Mormon church itself. The musical gives a thumb nail sketch of the origins of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Mormons deserve a medal for turning the other cheek and ignoring this musical rather than declaring a Holy War on what is clearly blasphemous to them. Now door knocking with our very own Aussie Elder Price Blake Bowden.
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School Of Rock On stage now in Melbourne and expected to tour in second half of 2019. Sydney-based actor, composer and musical theatre performer Brent Hill is playing wannabe rock star Dewey Finn, made famous in the movie by Jack Black. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical is his first major hit of the 21st century. The real stars are the multi-talented kids who will knock your socks off.
beautiful bird in captivity, the Swedish nightingale, Jenny Lind.
Barnum Comedy Theatre Melbourne in April A revival of this musical based on the life of the legendary circus showman P.T. Barnum will star Todd McKenney and Rachael Beck. Producers promise that the spectacle will include Jumbo, the largest elephant; Joice Heth, the oldest woman to ever live; a great white whale from Labrador; General Tom Thumb, only twenty-five inches from toe to crown; and the rarest and most
Madiba The Musical - A Celebration Of The Life Of Nelson Mandela On stage in Sydney and Canberra in November, then Perth and Adelaide in January. Inspired by the life of Nelson Mandela, who went from prisoner to President, this show is full of surprises. There is a love story, many funny moments and a mixture of musical styles. This show has everything from rap, reggae and traditional African to a little Broadway for good measure. The final
A Little Night Music Victorian Opera at Arts Centre Melbourne in June / July Victorian Opera presents Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s A Little Night Music in June ,with a cast headed by Ali McGregor, Simon Gleeson, Nancye Hayes and Samuel Dundas. This bittersweet musical comedy speaks of the follies of human nature with heartbreaking accuracy.
songs of the show reach fever pitch, culminating in one last rendition of Freedom that will stay with you long after the curtain falls.
Musicals 2019
Kiss Of The Spider Woman Melbourne Theatre Company in November / December The Melbourne Theatre Company closes its 2019 season with Kander & Ebb’s Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman, based on the powerful and emotive story made famous by the original novel and an Oscar-winning film. The production will star Caroline O’Connor, Adam Jon Fiorentino, Natalie Gamsu and Bert LaBonte. The Last Five Years Ensemble Theatre in March / April The Last Five Years, written and composed by Jason Robert Brown, will play at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre. The cult musical about modern love and relationships will feature Elise McCann (Miss Honey - Matilda The Musical). In the Heights Return season at Sydney Opera House. The original season of In the Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) at the intimate Hayes Theatre sold out before opening night. Now the musical, combining the sounds and rhythms of salsa, soul, hiphop and merengue with street dance and rap expands onto the Concert Hall stage at Sydney Opera House for a return season from January 16 to 20 as part of the Sydney Festival. Once Darlinghurst Theatre in June Once, based on the John Carney film, is a tender love story of a struggling Irish musician on the verge of giving up and a piano-playing Czech immigrant who reminds him how to dream. The show features an ensemble of performers playing instruments live on stage. Caroline, Or Change Hayes Theatre in August / September Caroline, Or Change starring Zahra Newman (The Book of Mormon) is set in Louisiana at the beginning of the civil rights movement. This musical by
Zahra Newman as Caroline in Caroline, Or Change. Photo: Marnya Rothe.
Tony Kushner (Angels in America) and Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Violet) examines what it means to just want to survive in a world turned upside down by change.
Devine, examining their famous feud and the criminal empires they ruled over for more than 20 years.
Catch Me If You Can Hayes Theatre Co in July / August Spamalot Catch Me If You Can, with a book Hayes Theatre Co in March by Terrence McNally (The Full Monty, Monty Python's Spamalot, staged Ragtime) and a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, is based on the by the team who created Calamity Jane, is lovingly ripped off from the biographical film of the same name, film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. about con man Frank Abagnale Jr, It re-tells the legend of King Arthur and which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and his Knights of the Round Table, who Tom Hanks. It will be directed and battle their way past various cows, choreographed by Cameron Mitchell. killer rabbits, and French people in pursuit of claiming the legendary Grail. H.M.S. Pinafore Hayes Theatre in November Director Kate Gaul will make her American Psycho Hayes Theatre Co in May / June Hayes Theatre Co debut with a new Based on the novel by Bret Easton- production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Ellis, which also inspired the 2000 film, H.M.S. Pinafore. Featuring a genderAmerican Psycho is set in the epicentre bending cast, this production promises of excess, New York City, where Patrick to be unlike any version of G&S you've seen before. Bateman fulfils his dark desires with terrible consequences. It features classic 80s hits from Phil Collins, Tears Fangirls for Fears, New Order and Huey Lewis Brisbane Festival, Queensland Theatre, and the News. Director: Alexander Belvoir and ATYP at Bille Brown Berlage (Cry-Baby) Theatre, QPAC in September. A world-premiere musical by new Razorhurst talent Yve Blake, Fangirls will delve into Hayes Theatre Co in June / July the intense world of hardcore fan girls. The show is Beyoncé concert-meets The Australian premiere of Razorhurst, a new musical with book religious revival with a wicked sense of and lyrics by Kate Mulley and music by humour, exploring love and other big feelings in the age of the internet. Andy Peterson. Set in and around the streets of Darlinghurst, it tells the story of crime queens Kate Leigh and Tilly www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 19
New Plays & Star Power In 2019 Mainstage theatre companies are serving up a mix of World and Australian premieres in 2019, along with classics and star casts. Here is a taste of the year ahead.
Online extras!
Watch Katherine Tonkin discuss her role in CosĂŹ. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/0hye5xN1HcA 20 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
MTC / STC co-production of CosĂŹ. Photo: Michelle Tran.
Premieres with Melita Jurisic as Mae West The grittiest new drama in 2019 opposite Diana Glenn as Diane Arbus. promises to be Packer & Sons at Radio also meets the stage at Sydney’s Belvoir. Three generations of Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre, with the men who have loomed large over Sydney for nearly 100 years take the stage in Tommy Murphy’s new work. The playwright who penned Holding the Man promises a passionate and rich study of Australian masculinity, told with yearning and savagery of men in powerful positions, a play about power and what it does to the men who wield it. Moving on from the iconic media family who’ve made Sydney their stage, to the man who declared ‘all the world’s a stage’, Melbourne Theatre Company’s Australian premiere of the stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning film and romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love promises to be another blockbuster. Directed by Simon Phillips, the company promises “a rollicking night of romance and backstage fun, with lavish musical accompaniment.” The period rom-com adaptation comes hot on the heels of a rather more chilling screen to stage adaptation at the nearby Malthouse, with Australian gothic horror in the flesh in the first stage adaptation of Wake in Fright. In this world premiere directed by Declan Greene, Zahra Newman (The Book of Mormon) explores a culture with a dark and explosive brutality pent up inside. Hollywood legends strut the stage, too, in MTC’s world premiere of Arbus & West by Stephen Sewell,
Online extras!
Watch the Black Swan 2019 season preview. Simply scan the QR code or visit https://vimeo.com/286850610
world premiere of Murder On The Wireless by Arthur Conan Doyle & Mark Kilmurry. Set in a 1950’s studio in the heyday of the radio play, tune in for an evening of suspense and intrigue and witness the world’s greatest detectives at their sleuthing best with atmospheric sound effects created before your very eyes. The Ensemble season features two further world premieres. In The Big Time, David Williamson satirises the ruthless world of celebrity, while new Australian comedy The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race by Melanie Tait is a funny story about upsetting the potato cart and standing up for your principles. Queensland Theatre’s five world premieres include Playwright Joanna Murray-Smith’s directorial debut with her new work L’Appartement, in which a dream holiday for a middle class Aussie couple in Paris - away from their three-yearold twins - is derailed after 15 minutes. In a coproduction with the State Theatre of South Australia, Queensland Theatre is staging Hydra by Sue Smith, which weaves the original writings of two of Australia’s literary icons, Charmian Clift and George Johnston, into a relationship drama set on an idyllic Greek island, in the period in which Johnston wrote his (Continued on page 22) Celia Pacquola in Black Swan State Theatre Company’s The Torrents. Photo: Rene Vaile.
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 21
Queensland Theatre / MTC co-production of Storm Boy. Photo: Justin Ridler.
Online extras!
Director Sam Strong discusses the motivation behind staging Storm Boy. https://youtu.be/FrFRBaWKe9E (Continued from page 21)
Miles Franklin award-winning novel, My Brother Jack. Queensland Theatre and Sydney’s Griffin Theatre Company co-produce Meyne Wyatt’s debut play City of Gold, described as “a call for change - a battle cry from the front line of Australian identity”. Griffin’s season-opener, Dead Cat Bounce, is Mary Rachel Brown’s look at romance and addiction. Mitchell Butel directs Kate Cheel in this tale of complicated love and human fallibility. Also at the Griffin, Kate Mulvany stars in the one-woman show Prima Facie by Suzie Miller. It’s about a lawyer who 22 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
Rebel Wilson in STC’s The Beauty Queen Of Lennane. Photo: Rene Vaile.
finds herself forced into the shadows of doubt she has ruthlessly cast over other women in the past. Jane Bodie’s Water at Black Swan in Perth is a world premiere Australian work, an epic drama following the journey of families born at different times in our country’s history who are seeking safe passage for their loved ones. Fresh from the success of her hit Black is the New White, the Sydney Theatre Company will stage the world premiere of Nakkiah Lui’s new satire on Australian politics, How to Rule the World, “tackling our country’s myths of multiculturalism and the fair go”.
Seasons 2019
Other STC world premieres in 2019 include Avalanche: A Love Story by Julia Leig, described as “an emotionally honest and exceptionally moving account” of a family’s experience with IVF, and Van Badham’s explicit new comedy Banging Denmark. The STC is joining with the National Theatre of Parramatta to stage the Australian premiere of White Pearl, Anchuli Felicia King’s portrait of toxic corporate culture, casual racism and the complexity of pan-Asian relations. Also at the STC, Anita Hegh and Mandy McElhinney will star in the
Griffin Theatre Company’s Splinter. Photo: Brett Boardman.
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Seasons 2019
Pamela Rabe, Zahra Newman and Hugo Weaving in STC’s Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. Photo: Rene Vaile.
Right: Griffin Theatre Company / Queensland Theatre co-production of City Of Gold. Photo: Brett Boardman.
Online extras!
Get the full list of 2019 productions on the Stage Whispers website. Scan or visit http://bit.ly/2QYyIce 24 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
(Continued from page 23)
Australian premiere of Lucy Kirkwood’s latest hit, Mosquitoes. Matthew Lutton directs Malthouse’s world premiere of the out -of-this-world adaptation of Stanisław Lem’s classic sci-fi novel Solaris. Adapted by Scottish writer David Greig, exquisite terror will be found in the vastness of outer space. Also at Malthouse, Aussie traditions are highlighted and unravelled in a suburban backyard in the world premiere of Zoey Dawson’s comedic satire Australian Realness, as cast members each play two characters one bourgeois, one bogan.
Murder On The Wireless. Photo: Christian Trinder.
Star Power Star casting at the Sydney Theatre Company includes the return to the stage of international Australian film stars Rebel Wilson, in a revival of Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and Mia Wasikowska, in a brand new adaptation of Lord of the Flies. Kip Williams will direct Hugo Weaving (Big Daddy), Pamela Rabe (Big Mama) and Zahra Newman (Maggie the Cat) in a new STC production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams, while Geraldine Hakewill and Toby Schmitz appear in a Simon Phillips directed revival of Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing. At the MTC Miriam Margolyes appears in The Lady in the Van directed by Dean Bryant. Kat Stewart and Peter Kowitz star in Simon Stephens’
latest Broadway and West End hit, Heisenberg, directed by Tom Healey. At Belvoir Colin Friels brings wattage to Brecht’s great masterpiece of individual liberty and political suppression, The Life Of Galileo. The new adaptation by Tom Wright portrays a man who realises the entire system is based on lies - and of his response when the forces of money and orthodoxy threaten him.
On Tour Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company audiences will both get to enjoy a revival of Louis Nowra’s Australian classic Così, starring Esther Hannaford, Hunter Page-Lochard, Rahel Romahn and Katherine Tonkin. The classic novel Storm Boy is brought to the stage in an epic Melbourne Theatre Company and Queensland Theatre co-production, in association with Dead Puppet Society, directed by Sam Strong and featuring a cast including John Batchelor, Tony Briggs and Emily Burton. 2019 will see sold-out hit Barbara and the Camp Dogs return to Belvoir before embarking on a national tour. Written by Ursula Yovich and Alana Valentine, it’s part play, part highoctane rock gig, and full of heart. The Ensemble Theatre’s sell-out hit Diplomacy by Cyril Gély, a thriller set as Paris is poised to be torched by the Nazis, is touring the country, with theatre legends John Bell and John Gaden reprising their roles. Following its huge success in 2018, Nakkiah Lui’s smash hit comedy Black Is The New White is being staged by the Melbourne Theatre Company and the State Theatre of South Australia.
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 25
MTC Family And School Tips The Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2019 season is filled with stories of adventure, love, friendship, discovery and drama. The season takes audiences on a journey around Australia and the world via the very best new plays, reimaginings of beloved classics and fresh productions of international smash-hits.
Three productions hold particular interest for families and schools. Esther Hannaford, Hunter PageLochard and Katherine Tonkin star in the MTC and Sydney Theatre Company co-production of Così, Louis Nowra’s darkly funny and deeply moving Australian classic, directed by Sarah Goodes. The timeless and much-loved classic novel Storm Boy is brought to the stage in an epic MTC and
Harry Tseng as Connor in MTC’s The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You. Photo: Michelle Tran.
Online extras!
Hear Harry Tseng discuss his role in The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You. https://youtu.be/qNbeQSVdfes 26 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
Queensland Theatre co-production, in association with Dead Puppet Society, directed by Sam Strong. The Violent Outburst That Drew Me to You by Finegan Kruckemeyer – MTC’s 2019 Family and Education show – is a smart, sweet and fiery tale about two offbeat kids at war with the world, starring Harry Tseng and directed by Prue Clark. In The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You we meet Connor, an angry sixteen year old. Everyone and everything annoys him, even his best mate. After his outburst, Connor’s parents exile him to the forest to calm down. There he meets Lotte – also sixteen, also angry – and the two teenage misfits find a happier future together. The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You has a long title but a short message: we were all teenagers once – we have all experienced the ticking time bomb of adolescence, the impatient impulse to kick and scream (or whinge) at the universe, while wanting to lie still in a quiet forest glade and dream of the future. Winner of the Australian Writers Guild Award for Best Play for Young Audiences, Finegan Kruckemeyer has written a script that will resonate with teenagers and anyone who has ever been one.
After its 2019 Victorian premiere season at Southbank Theatre, The Lawler (May 2 to 18), The Violent Outburst That Drew Me Tour You will tour regional Victoria and Tasmania, performing at Mildura Arts Centre (May 22), Ulmarra Theatre Bendigo (May 24), the Potato Shed Geelong (May 28), Lighthouse Theatre Warrnambool (May 30) and Hobart’s Theatre Royal (Jun 5). For more information and to purchase tickets visit http://bit.ly/2Jc6g3R
Giving A Voice To Transgender Actors
in NYC in 2019, so I'll be heading back to LA and NYC in June 2019. “This has been the busiest year of my entire life and I never would have foreseen all the things that have come my way.” We asked Harvey if he had and tips National Theatre Drama School graduate Harvey Zielinski has when auditioning for acting schools. won the $30,000 Heath Ledger Scholarship. The transgender “I think just be really diligent and actor is breaking new ground. do the work on your audition. Then, trust yourself! Breath deeply and feel Harvey’s parents enrolled him in auditioned for the 2018 graduate entitled to your space and your place drama classes when he was eight years ensemble member position at Red at that school. And play. I'm best when old to help build confidence and Stitch and myself and Casey Filips I'm playing, and worst is when I'm instantly he knew it was all he wanted (fellow 2017 Nashie) were selected. performing with tension and trying to to do. “After Hir I got a really good agent, prove my skill. Remember everyone in “I loved (and still love) the did a guest role on an ABC series, and the room is actually on your side and opportunity to step inside so many then was selected as a top ten finalist wants you to be great! Treat it as an different characters and experience for the 2018 Heath Ledger Scholarship opportunity to do what you love different lives in different worlds, whilst and flown to L.A for a week. I met a doing.” also always expressing something ton of amazing, inspiring people, did inside you at the same time.” my first red carpet and countless photo The National Theatre Drama Harvey came out as transgender shoots, interviews, and managed to School is now auditioning for the during his time at The National Theatre secure U.S management. I then got a 2019 Advanced Diploma in Drama School where he says he was grant from the extraordinarily generous Acting. For details visit met with complete support. Ian Potter Foundation to undertake the nationaltheatre.org.au/drama-school “I was very glad for the safety and 6-week Summer security of being a student at that Intensive at tumultuous time. I want to take this the HB opportunity too to really encourage Studio people from diverse backgrounds to apply for drama school. The schools need you, the industry needs you, you have an incredibly important voice that needs to be heard. I once felt like the industry wouldn't have a place for me but I've been so surprised. “Right now there is a major shift happening towards prioritising diversity (particularly in Hollywood) and it's a really exciting and vital thing to be a part of.” Harvey graduated last year and quickly became one of the National Drama School’s biggest success stories of 2018. “I've been very lucky. I thought graduating meant heading out untethered into the abyss but the day after my graduate showcase I auditioned for Hir by Taylor Mac at Red Harvey Zielinski. Stitch Actors' Theatre and got Online extras! the role of Max Watch Harvey’s National Theatre Drama a few days School showreel. Scan or visit later. A month https://youtu.be/MAYflYK_Qfc later I www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 27
As a kid I saw the inimitable Danny Kaye in the movie White Christmas, where he sang a song that went: Chaps, Who did Taps Aren’t tapping anymore - they’re doing Choreography! It helped inspire my lifelong fascination with Choreography. The five Choreographers I’ve talked to are all favourites of mine, who between them they have won over 50 national and international awards. They are
the legendary Graeme Murphy, whose Sydney Dance Company revolutionised contemporary dance; Stephen Page, the creative force behind Bangarra, the acclaimed Indigenous dance company; Kelley Abbey, who won Academy and BAFTA awards for her work on Happy Feet; Andrew Hallsworth, Helpmann winner and Musical Theatre stalwart, and Michael Ralph - the new kid on the block (and a Kiwi to boot) - who only has a handful of musicals under his belt, but already has everyone talking about the originality and freshness
Five of Australia’s best choreographers talk to Coral Drouyn about their love of dance and what makes them who they are.
West Australian Opera’s The Merry Widow with choreography by Graeme Murphy. Photo: James Rogers.
28 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
of his work. I put the same questions to all of them, but had to trim down their answers. Dancers, it seems, are as good with words as they are with their feet. Coral Drouyn: So, what makes a great choreographer? Kelley Abbey: Choreography is such a weird thing. You can’t go anywhere to train to be one. You either choose it or, in my case, it chooses you. On the job I learnt very quickly that it’s not just about making up steps. It’s about creating
something that makes music a visual experience Graeme Murphy: Ooh, a tricky one to start, because I never analyse it for myself. It’s not about the steps; it’s about the ability to tell a story, to touch people. It can be quite simple provided it connects emotionally and makes you feel something; makes you discover something for the first time. Stephen Page: It’s definitely the storytelling aspect - especially when dealing with our
heritage. I don’t like the term choreographer much because I’m really a custodian of culture and vision. But a good base as a dancer never hurts. If I hadn’t worked with Graeme (he was incredibly nurturing), if there hadn’t been an SDC, then there wouldn’t have been a Bangarra, except maybe as a purely educational tool or tourist attraction. Graeme Murphy: That’s very gracious. Andrew Hallsworth: For me, and I’m speaking about musicals, it’s someone who plays their part in
a team of people that are all aiming for the same outcome and that’s to serve the story. You can’t let ego get in the way, otherwise it all goes to shit! Michael Ralph: It certainly was all about steps, steps, steps for me in the beginning, but hey, everybody has to start somewhere. But yes, story - and it’s a magical thing, especially in musicals. When the characters can no longer say, or sing, their feelings, they can dance and the audience knows exactly (Continued on page 30)
Online extras!
Graeme Murphy discusses The Merry Widow’s choreography. Scan or visit https://youtu.be/u-wlpGNFy5M www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 29
Georgy Girl - The Seekers Musical with choreography by Michael Ralph. Photo: Jeff Busby.
(Continued from page 29)
what’s going on. Coral Drouyn: Who, or what show, was the epiphany for you that made you say “I want to do THAT”? Graeme Murphy: Well, my first instinct is to say my mother, because I remember her playing the piano right from the time I could walk, but I suppose it was the music. I couldn’t NOT dance. Long before I knew that dancing could be an actual job, I knew I had to do it. Nothing else brings the same feeling. I was choreographing my own moves without even knowing it, so I didn’t draw any line between dancing and choreography. And of course I remember the old movie musicals. Kelley Abbey: I loved the old musicals - Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse. They were my inspiration. And Fred Astaire, oh and Michael and Janet Jackson. Stephen Page: My dad used to bring home old TVs that had no knobs, and he’d use a pair of pliers to turn them on and off. When you’re one of twelve kids, there’s no money for luxuries. The old musicals were great. My mum loved them. So I grew up watching people like The Nicholas Brothers, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. 30 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
and that ‘dancing’ was so dull if it wasn’t connected to acting and story I loved that SO much. Ross Coleman was my epiphany. Kelley Abbey: Ross Coleman! I was his assistant for many years. Ross was incredibly inspiring and a great mentor. Coral Drouyn: It was certainly an epiphany for Stephen Page. Stephen Page: I was about sixteen and in Arnhem Land visiting my people, learning about tradition, because urban Aboriginals can lose the connection if they don’t nurture it. I remember we went to a corroboree. I’d been sunbaking and was shedding several layers of skin from sunburn and I was dressed just in daggy shorts. We all sat round in a circle in this clearing Michael Ralph: Yes, I loved that was lit just by the headlights of all watching Gene Kelly. But I was quite the utes. The men dancing cast giant young when my parents took me to shadows on the trees, like they were see Hot Shoe Shuffle and I was blown part of them. And this one dancer, a away. I still remember Rhonda boy about the same age as me, was Burchmore singing a ballad in a long doing a Brolga dance, and he came gown connected to the staircase. And towards me, his arms outstretched like then I saw Mamma Mia! and the other wings, and he invited me to dance shows from Australia touring NZ. I was with him. It was electric. I felt the in awe of those dancers and I found Brolga calling me and I got up and I out where they had trained and made danced with him, and I knew it was
up my mind to move and learn from their teachers. Andrew Hallsworth: I’ve always been interested in the creative process - making up dances, choreographing my sisters, school friends - but not until I was cast in 42nd Street in 1989 at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney did I realise how much I wanted to be in musicals. How to build a musical up from scratch intrigued me; everyone had their part and needed to work together to get the curtain up. Meeting my mentor Ross Coleman changed my life. Ross was the first Australian choreographer I worked with that made me really ‘feel’ - it was incredible. He was all about instinct, trust, rawness, sexual energy
where I belonged. I never doubted that it was my path from that moment. Coral Drouyn: What was the first show you choreographed and was it all that you hoped? Did you achieve your vision? Michael Ralph: I was still in High School and it was Fame, which Kelly choreographed here. Kelley Abbey: Fame was my first full length show as a choreographer. Michael Ralph: I have choreographed shows that were originally choreographed by Kelly and Andrew and Ross Coleman - Fame, Dusty and The Boy from Oz. But this was at Otumoetai College in Tauranga and I was 17 years old. My drama
teacher cast me in the lead role and then asked me to choreograph. I collected video clips and edited together all of the dance numbers I loved from the 1980s, like my own personal YouTube. I would say I was working from instinct without any vision. That came later. Stephen Page: I was still studying at NAISDA and we had to choreograph something that was relevant to Indigenous culture for a showcase. I remember I used a track by the Warumpi Band - a rock and roll piece and very political. Some of the dancers played schoolkids, one was the Principal and it was pretty anarchic but yes, it was my vision. After we presented it the teacher was very quiet and disappeared and told me to wait. Then she came back with the other teachers and told me to do it again and I was thinking, ‘I’m in trouble. They hate it. I’m going to get kicked out.” But they loved it and I knew to always trust my instincts. Kelly Abbey: It wasn’t easy for me because I was playing the lead role in Fame as well. I was the ‘chair’ in
Bangarra Ensemble’s Nyapanyapa with choreography by Stephen Page. Photo: Jhuny Boy-Borja.
rehearsals and created around the chair, and kept moving the chair around as a marker for where I would be standing. I learnt the role towards the end of rehearsal. It was hard, as the choreographer, to not be in the audience on opening night to see how the show went. Andrew Hallsworth: Leader of the Pack: The Ellie Greenwich Musical. Do
we ever completely achieve our vision, no, our minds are too wild with ideas compared to what can be achieved on stage - I’m still learning all these years later. Graeme Murphy: I knew I was never going to be a premier danseur with the Australian Ballet. There was something darker inside of me and I wasn’t sure (Continued on page 32)
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Kelley Abbey.
(Continued from page 31)
that anyone could choreograph me and get it out. So I had to get it out myself - I had to stretch my boundaries in a way that no-one else would especially in a classical company. Then I found a muse - in Janet Vernon - and seeing her dance my steps, pure inspiration. But what I created was so far outside what was expected and the reaction from the audience was mixed. I remember Dame Peggy Van Pragh saying to me, “Graeme, you DID mean
32 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
for the audience to laugh, didn’t you?” But I trusted I was on the right track. Stephen Page: My brother Russell was my muse - what a dancer. He and my brother David. We shared our visions. Coral Drouyn: All agree that the best choreography played to the dancers’ strengths and Graeme Murphy never pre-conceives any ideas until he sees the skills of the dancers involved. All have choreographed sequences they couldn’t do themselves. Kelly Abbey is responsible for break-
dancing routines “I can’t break to save myself, but I understand the movement.” I asked why there are so few acclaimed female choreographers in Australia compared to the USA. I’ll let Kelley answer. Kelley Abbey: Is it a man’s world? Yes, sometimes it might be, although it hasn’t stopped me from moving forward in it. I do know that my masculine side is very alive in fighting the obstacles you hit negotiating your way through the creative process of putting on a show in TV, film or theatre. You’re also expected to be a mother and carer for your family. You need to have loads of support and be financially secure. Maybe this is part of the reason. I’d love to work on a show with a full female creative team. Imagine how nurturing that would be, and how quickly we would get it done with a team full of multi taskers. Coral Drouyn: Finally, Stephen Page with the last word on dance. Stephen Page: Dance should never be clinical and only about technique; then it’s like moving ice around. Every dance is a creative story. We’re all, audience included, going to be rejuvenated and grow through it. Otherwise, why get out of bed?
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Venue Spotlight
Classic Queensland Theatres
In the third article in this series, Brisbane correspondent Peter Pinne nominates his favourite Queensland theatres. One of Queensland’s most unusual and distinctive theatres is Ipswich’s Incinerator Theatre. Situated in Queens Park, Ipswich, it opened in 1969, converted from a 1936 refuse incinerator designed by American architect Walter Burley Griffin, famous for the design of Canberra and the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne. During the Great Depression, work for architects was severely reduced and Griffin, and his partner Eric Milton Nicholls, gained the bulk of their work from designs for municipal incinerators. These used the reverberatory system patented by Australian engineer John Boadle. The Reverberatory Incinerator Company constructed twelve incinerators in the Eastern states, all of distinctive design, but only seven are believed to have survived, none of them as incinerators. In 1969 the Incinerator was converted into a theatre seating about 80 people. The conversion was affected by using the chimney end of the building, previously thought of as the rear, as the entrance. Engineer Ian Pullar, a member of Ipswich Little Theatre, carried out the design and planning. Changes made to affect the conversion included adding an entrance balcony with removable railings, toilets and changing rooms, fire escapes and a covered outdoor area. A rubbish hopper was removed to create a stage area and scenery tower, while the space 34 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
Incinerator Theatre.
Online extras!
Watch a short documentary on the history of Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre. https://youtu.be/CfWklGil83Q
previously used for machinery was converted into an auditorium. Currently the Ipswich Little Theatre Society has a twenty -year lease. Like most community theatres they program five productions each year, a mix of dramas, thrillers and comedy. The crown jewel of Queensland’s regional theatres is Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre. It opened in 1911 as “Empire Pictures” but a fire in 1933 destroyed most of the theatre except the northern and southern walls. These were incorporated into a new theatre built on the same site in Neil Street later that year. Built in the detailed artdeco style popular at the time, it had a seating capacity of 2,400. It had European-styled diffused lighting, the acoustics were excellent and it contained one of the largest provincial stages in Australia, attracting all types of performance from vaudeville to opera. Edward Gold, the theatre’s chief electrician and founder of 4GR Toowoomba, was responsible for the most striking of the interior features: the illumination of the grand proscenium arch in constantly changing colours. The local press claimed the theatre employed the most extensive use of diffused lighting in any theatre in the British Commonwealth. The theatre became the home of MGM movies during the thirties, screening films featuring Greta Garbo, Clark
Empire Theatre.
(Continued on page 36)
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Princess Theatre.
Venue Spotlight
(Continued from page 35)
Gable, Jean Harlowe and the Flash Gordon serials. Popular favourites during the forties included musicals with Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, and in the fifties, after a CinemaScope screen had been installed, Seven Brides for Seven Bothers. The last film to screen was in 1971, and after that the theatre fell into disrepair until the Queensland Government bought it in 1975 for a TAFE facility. Toowoomba City Council bought it in 1997 and restored it to its 1933 artdeco styling with state-of-the-art technical equipment and patron comforts. The orchestra pit can be hydraulically raised to audience floor or stage thrust levels. In 2005 a Conference Precinct extension was built to connect the Theatre with the adjacent Church Theatre (circa 1879), incorporating a 5-star restaurant, foyer and storage
36 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
areas. The current capacity is 1,565 seats, making it the largest proscenium arch theatre in regional Australia. In recent years the theatre has hosted the Queensland Ballet, the Australian Ballet, Opera Q and Queensland Symphony Orchestra. It is the home for Toowoomba Choral Society productions, while Heritage Bank and Empire Theatre annually present a major musical. Previous productions have included Wicked, The Boy From Oz and Mary Poppins, while next year Kinky Boots will be staged after a major refurbishment of the auditorium and foyers. The Princess Theatre in Annerley Road, Woolloongabba, is Brisbane’s oldest surviving theatre. Built in 1888 for prominent solicitor Phillip Hargrave, and designed by architect John Beauchamp Nicholson, it is a two-storeyed rectangular brick building with a narrow laneway to the rear and on either side. The main frontage is 20m with two
shops separated by the main entrance. A wooden staircase leads to the first floor and dress circle with six rows of tiered seating. The seating capacity is 500 including the balcony. Named the Princess Theatre in 1893, it was used sporadically for live performances and vaudeville. In the 1930s it was home to local fledgling theatre groups including Brisbane Repertory Theatre Society (now La Boite Theatre Company) and the Brisbane Arts Theatre. During the Second World War it was the administrative and rehearsal centre for the Entertainment Unit of the American Armed Forces. From 1948, it was sublet to small businesses. In 1986 the venue was refurbished with seats from the demolished Her Majesty’s Theatre and a flying system from the Paris Theatre. The newly decorated theatre was leased to TN! Theatre Company, which re-opened it with a production of Noel Coward’s Design for Living, and followed with eclectic seasons of plays that included Tartuffe, Hedda Gabler, and A Butt in the Hand is Worth Two in the Borscht. The company folded in 1991. The theatre was sold to current owners LifeCity Church in 2003 for church services and independent hire. A Griffith University Musical Theatre production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel appeared there in 2013, whilst the local musical Flaws and All played there in 2017.
When QPAC opened in 1985, one of its three theatres was named the Cremorne. It currently seats 277 people in a space that can be converted from a traditional proscenium arch style to theatre-in-the-round, concert, cabaret, cinema or flat floor mode. The largest of the theatres at QPAC is the Lyric. It’s a traditional proscenium-style theatre which can seat up to 2,085, with 1,053 in the stalls, 522 in balcony 1, and 510 in balcony 2. The orchestra pit seats up to 90. Large musicals like The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked and Priscilla Queen of the Desert - The Musical grace the Lyric stage, but it is also used by the Queensland Ballet and Opera Q for their subscription seasons, and hosts QPAC’s International Series, presenting major ballet companies from around the world. In 2018 it’s Teatro alla Scala Ballet in Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote and Giselle. The Concert Hall is more geometric in form. Its focus is the Johnstone River Hardwood concert platform. Above and behind it sits the magnificent Klais Grand Organ, which has 6,500 pipes on display. It was made in Germany by Johannes Klais and Co. of Bonn. The walls of the hall are panelled in Queensland Walnut and against the walls are suspended platforms that form acoustic shelves, while behind the timber fretwork are quilted curtains which can reduce reverberation time from the normal 2.1 seconds to 1.8 seconds. It seats 1,600, but increases to 1,800 if the The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is the choir balcony is used. The Concert Hall is home to the most successful arts complex in Australia and during the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Queensland Pops last financial year achieved its highest attendance on record Orchestra. The centre also includes a fourth theatre, the Playhouse, with a total attendance of 1,573,582. The complex sits on the South Bank site previously which opened in 1998 - a proscenium arch theatre that occupied by the Cremorne Theatre, which opened in 1911 seats 860. The venue is mainly used by Queensland Theatre, as an open-air theatre seating 1,800, with a tan bark floor Expressions Dance Company, Bangarra Dance Company, and seats arranged in a semi-circle. It first operated as a Circa and Shake & Stir. It’s also the venue for touring plays variety and vaudeville house, then later in 1934 MGM and mid-sized musicals. extensively remodelled the auditorium, roofed it and leased In May 2018 the Queensland Government announced a the theatre to show films until 1940 when the theatre new theatre for the complex, to be built on land beside the returned to vaudeville. It attracted stars including Roy Rene Playhouse. It will feature digital and technological advances (Mo), Will Mahoney, George Wallace and Evie Hayes. The available in new theatre infrastructure and is expected to venue was destroyed by fire in 1954. open in 2021.
QPAC.
QPAC.
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Hot Tips On Résumés APS Arts Administrator Julia Landberg shares some tips on creating an effective actor’s résumé.
AP Studio’s Full Time Acting Program is Melbourne’s first and only 1-2 year program to focus on both Stage and Screen. Students will obtain the tools to become great at their craft, have direct access to an agent while studying if needed (APS operates in conjunction - but not limited to - Derrick Talent Agency), and gain networking skills and industry contacts to become a working actor after graduation. For more information about the course visit the AP Studio website http://bit.ly/2Jdn7n0 Der Hamletmachine Laboratory.
38 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
Do you ever feel a bit lost when it comes to writing your acting résumé? It can be daunting since it might be people’s first impression of you and be a deciding factor in whether you’ll be called to an audition not. Casting directors go through a ton of résumés and if yours is not up to standard, it’ll go straight in the bin. Harsh, I know, but there is only so much time they have to provide the director with potential actors for a role. If you already have agent representation, keep in mind they may have a preferred template. If this is the case, use that for your résumé. Structure Your name should be on top, followed by your contact details (or your agent’s details if you have representation), your physical attributes, such as height, hair and eye colour. Then list your experience and training in your preferred order, divided in sections, such as theatre, film, TVC’s, musicals, acting training, vocal training, etc. Lastly list any skills that may be relevant to potential acting roles.
Tailor Your Résumé Always list your most relevant training and credits first and make sure this is the case each time you send your résumé off. Place any feature film credits on top of your work experience if that’s what you’re auditioning for; list all your accents and place them prominently for voice over work; place your voice type amongst your attributes when auditioning for a musical, etc. Order Your credits don’t have to be in chronological order. State your biggest, most relevant roles first. The casting director may only read a few credits in each section so put your best credits forward and work down from there.
Headshot We don’t need to stress the importance of a fantastic headshot do we? Get one professionally done, otherwise you can get lost amongst all the other résumés, and ensure you have a few different looks to represent your diversity for roles. Make sure it looks like you! If you Keep It Concise decide to DIY, you need to have a Keep your résumé to 1 or 2 pages. great camera, good lighting and a The casting agent or director might plain background. Have someone else specify the preferred length of the take your picture - definitely no résumé; be prepared to be able to fit selfies! Keep the headshot on a it all on one page if asked. Keep the separate piece of paper; that way you information as clear and concise as can still use it if you update any possible, unless something is highly information on your résumé. relevant to the role you’re going for. Keep It Up To Date Keep It Neat You should customise your résumé Due to the amount of résumés to every role you apply for. Review casting directors receive, they may your structure, order, contact info and have less than a minute to look at make sure your headshot is current. each one. Therefore it’s important to Change it immediately if you change have a résumé that is neat, clean and your hairstyle or facial hair. The easy to read. Use a clean font such as casting director doesn’t want you to Arial, between 10 and 12 points. Your look different from what they name, contact details and section remembered from the headshot. headings could be larger and/or bold.
The Association of Community Theatre inducted six new people into its Hall of Fame in September for outstanding service to community theatre. The presentations coincided with ACT’s Stagecraft conference at NIDA. At the conference dinner, ACT patron Nancye Hayes presented trophies to Coralie Wood (CAT Awards), Wendy Fahey (Gold Coast), Roger McKenzie (Gold Coast, ACT and various Sydney musical societies), Pat Slattery (Coffs Harbour), Janette Holmes on behalf of her late brother Paul Holmes (various Sydney musical societies) and Ros English (Gosford Musical Society). At the conference Martin Mitchell stepped down as Chief Executive of ACT after 23 years and has been succeeded by Ros English, who is President of the Gosford Musical Society. The Association holds a conference every two years at NIDA, publishes an annual What’s On guide for Community Theatre and offers a public liability insurance scheme and volunteer accident cover. During Martin’s period in office, ACT has grown from a little over 20 member companies to over 150. At the dinner, entertainment was provided by Rockdale Musical Society and Dural Musical Society. Nancye Hayes joined the cast of Dural’s Chicago to reminisce about her own involvement in the musical.
Hall Of Fame Awards
Hall of Fame inductees with Nancye Hayes. All photos: Lightbox Photography. Cast members of Dural Musical Society’s Chicago with Nancye Hayes.
Martin Mitchell and Ros English.
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 39
Stage on Page By Peter Pinne
THE BALLAD OF JOHN LATOUCHE An American Lyricist’s Life and Work by Howard Pollack (Oxford University Press U.S.$39.95) When people talk of John Latouche, if they talk of him at all today, they’re apt to call him a forgotten, unsung or little-known lyricist, yet for a time he was one of the most active and versatile creators working on Broadway. During his short life (he died at 42), he managed to cram in an amazing career that encompassed not only Broadway and cabaret, but also, radio, poetry and film. The wit and skill of his lyrics was likened to Lorenz Hart, Ira Gershwin and Cole Porter, whilst his celebrated list of friends read like a who’s who, with everyone from Truman Capote and Carol Channing, to Tennessee Williams, Salvatore Dali and Marlene Diedrich. Duke Ellington, with whom he wrote an interracial version of John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera titled Beggar’s Holiday (1946), called him “a great American genius”, whilst Stephen Sondheim said in his quest to develop a lyric theatre that combined music, word, dance, costumes and art direction, “he had a large vision of what musical theatre could be.” His most popular song was ‘Taking a Chance on Love’, written with frequent collaborator Vernon Duke, and came
from the Broadway musical Cabin in the Sky (1940), whilst his highest profile lyric credit was for Leonard Bernstein’s Candide (1956), written the year he died. Latouche was born in Baltimore in 1914 but raised in Richmond, Virginia, where he attended the John Marshall High School. His mother was Jewish, but he claimed he was protestant by conviction. According to Pollack, theatre helped alleviate “the poverty, rootlessness, abuse, alcoholism and psychosis that plagued his family.” A $1,000 scholarship enabled him to relocate to New York and enrol at Columbia University. He won Online extras! some minor Read a preview and grab a copy of the awards for his book on Amazon now. Scan or visit poetry and prose, https://amzn.to/2RHebKg but collegiate shows revealed his forte to be song lyrics. He contributed that was featured in the Federal some lyrics to the left-leaning revue Theatre Project revue, Sing for Your Pins and Needles (1937) before gaining Supper (1939). Extolling the virtues of national success with Ballad for democracy and liberty through the Americans, a 10-minute folk-opera voice of an everyman figure, it was cantata written with Earl Robinson, recorded by African-American baritone Paul Robeson, and the most popular singer of the day, Bing Crosby. Its appeal was so broad-ranging that it was sung at conventions of both the Republican Party and the American Communist Party. Latouche followed Cabin in the Sky with the Eddie Cantor vehicle Banjo Eyes (1941), again written with Duke, which was a quick fold at 126 performances, before he found a Visit our on-line book particularly like-mined collaborator in Jerome Moross, with whom he wrote shop for back issues two of his most significant works: and stage craft books Ballet Ballads (1948) and The Golden Apple (1954). Ballet Ballads was series of four dance-cantatas - Susanna and the www.stagewhispers.com.au/books Elders, which placed the biblical story
Stage Whispers Books
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of Susannah in the rural American Midwest; Riding Hood Revisited, a combination of Disney and a slightly lascivious version of the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale; Willie the Weeper, which depicted a poor chimney sweep’s fantasies of wealth, fame, power, and sex when high on marijuana, and The Eccentricities of Davy Crockett, which recounted the life of the fabled hero associated with America’s westward expansion. Ballet Ballads opened OffBroadway on May 9 but because of positive notices was quickly transferred to Broadway where, despite enormous goodwill concessions on behalf of the theatre owners and the cast, it expired on July 10. Latouche’s other collaboration with Moross was the score treasured by show music buffs the world over, The Golden Apple, which also opened Off-Broadway to rave reviews, transferred to Broadway and suffered the same dismal fate of only surviving 174 performances. The sung-through piece was a retelling of the Illiad and The Odyssey in turn-of-the-century America. Frequently called “one of the American Theatre’s most beloved failures”, the score produced the standard ‘Lazy Afternoon’, which has been recorded by artists such as Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. Two years later, still working in the folk story idiom, Latouche and composer Douglas Moore created The Ballad of Baby Doe (1956), about the scandalous romance of the Colorado silver mining magnate Horace Tabor, his great wealth gained and lost, and his eccentric femme fatale wife Baby Doe, who died frozen to death in a hut beside the silver mine. It opened to rave reviews and was ranked with Porgy and Bess and The Most Happy Fella as a “significant contribution to American opera” by John Chapman in the New York Daily News. Although he’s still credited as colyricist, Latouche’s contribution to Leonard Bernstein’s comic-operetta Candide (1956), based on Voltaire’s satire, is slim indeed. Notoriously slow to deliver on his lyrical assignments,
Bernstein became so exasperated he fired him after he’d only completed the first act. His replacement, also a poet, Richard Wilbur ended up revising almost all of Latouche’s work but Latouche still received a credit and royalties. In the intervening years, the show has undergone many transformations and the current version, authorised by Bernstein, has put back a lot of Latouche’s original work.
Thomson, Marc Blitzstein, Aaron Copland, Carson McCullers, and Australian composer Peggy GlanvilleHicks, who at one time became Latouche’s live-in help. He even helped her husband beat a male solicitation charge. Tennessee Williams met his long-time partner Frank Merlo at the soirees. Latouche also attracted émigrés who were fleeing the Nazis and the war in Europe by the dozen. Although barely surviving himself on what little royalties he earned, he was always a willing ear, drinking buddy and bedprovider (sometimes partner) to these displaced musicians and artists. Pollack’s claim that “Latouche was bridging a gap between high art and popular art” is very apt. In fact in his pushing of the boundaries of musical theatre he was a precursor to Sondheim. His lyrics had a rare sophistication and poetic sensibility, but the road to that sophistication was sometimes too difficult for his collaborators to negotiate. Kurt Weill once planned to write a show with him, but when In the forties Latouche wrote the Latouche turned up late and hung lyrics for two European operettas, Fritz over, Weill threw up his hands and Kreisler’s Rhapsody and the Chopin said, “I can’t work with him.” adapted Polonaise (1945), a second Latouche’s death at an early age musical with Vernon Duke, The Lady from a coronary occlusion sent shock waves through New York’s art scene. Comes Across (1941) and The Vamp Playwright Carson McCullers summed (1955), a musical about Hollywood’s silent-era for Carol Channing. up the reaction succinctly. “John was a Like his contemporary Lorenz Hart, man who died as he was approaching Latouche was more intent on partying the peak of his greatness. We can only until the dawn than writing lyrics. think with wonder and sorrow about the work he would have done.” According to Pollack, “There were Pollack has done an incredible job drinking binges, and he would disappear for days on end.” He smoked of recreating Latouche’s career and his life. One has to admire his attention to excessively, took all manner of drugs, and very rarely met a deadline. He was detail, where full biographical notes are given even for the most obscure also promiscuous with both men and women, but mostly men, although he composer that Latouche worked with, did marry Theodora Griffis in 1940 and together with an extensive scene by scene synopsis of the musicals he they stayed married for five years. created. A rich biography and a Well-liked and a celebrated compelling read, it comes with B&W raconteur, his soirees attracted the glossy photographs, notes and an crème-de-la-crème of the arts. His “little friends”, so named because of index. their short stature, were a group who comprised, amongst others, Virgil www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 41
Stage On Disc By Peter Pinne
Ladies In Black (Various) (Sony 19075894862) Bruce Beresford’s movie version of Madeleine St John’s best-selling novel takes its title from the successful stage musical penned by Tim Finn. The movie has obviously been the impetus for this Sony release labelled as “Music from and inspired by the motion picture”. The disc features a collection of hits from the fifties sung by their original artists - “Just Walkin’ In the Rain” (Johnny Ray), “It’s Now or Never” (Elvis Presley), “Que Sera Sera” (Doris Day), “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” (The Platters) and the “Theme from A Summer Place” (Percy Faith & his Orchestra). There are two newly recorded songs by Kate Miller-Heidke, “He’s My Baby” and “Don’t Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes”, plus one original track by Tim Finn, “Always Be Happy”, which comes from the score of his musical version, and is sung by his daughter Elliot, the first time it’s been recorded. It’s all pleasantly nostalgic.
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Get your hands on Ladies In Black from The Music Vault by scanning or visiting http://bit.ly/2JabSfb
Once On This Island (Lynn Ahrens/Stephen Flaherty) (Broadway Records BR-CD09318) The cast recording of Once On This Island, the 2018 Tony Award winner for “Best Revival of a Musical”, delivers all the folksy island charm of Ahrens and Flaherty’s 1990 one-acter based on the novel My Love, My Love, or, The Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy, about a fearless peasant girl in love with a wealthy boy from the other side of the island, who is guided by the island gods to reunite with the man who has captured her heart. Hailey Kilgore as the peasant girl Te Moune is arrestingly tender on the ballad “Waiting for Life” (To Begin), “Some Girls” registers in
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Download the cast recording of Once On This Island from Amazon now. https://amzn.to/2Jdc39B 42 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
a strong performance by Isaac Powell as the boy Daniel, whilst Lea Salonga as Erzulie eats up the popanthem “The Human Heart”. The distinctive Latin sound of the Caribbean permeates the score, and there’s some excellent close harmony singing by the chorus, who are centre-stage throughout as the Storytellers. Il Divo - Timeless (Decca Gold 6768039) The Guinness Book of World Records lists Il Divo as the most commercially successful classical-crossover group in international music history. Created by Simon Cowell in 2003, they pioneered the genre of operatic pop or “popera”. This new album, released on the eve of their Australian tour, finds them delivering more of the same; popular songs sung in English, Spanish, French and Italian. The show selections are from movies - a French version of “The Way We Were” (“Toi Et Moi”), an Italian version of Love Story’s “Where Do I Begin” (“Gracie Amore Moi”) and Limelight’s “Smile” sung in English. Other tracks include Adele’s “Hello” in Spanish (“Hola”), “What A Wonderful World” also in Spanish (“Que Bonito Ed Vivir”) and “Unforgettable” in English. They’re in great voice, sounding better than ever, and this collection will undoubtedly satisfy their millions of fans. Pity it’s only ten tracks.
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Buy Il Divo’s Timeless from iTunes now. Simply scan the QR code or visit https://apple.co/2JbWA9x
Renée Fleming - Broadway (Decca 4834215) Renée Fleming’s recent Tony Award for Nettie in the current Broadway revival of Carousel proved that Fleming was equally at home on Broadway as she was on an opera stage singing Countess Almaviva in Mozart’s Le nozza di Figaro or Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello. She nightly raises the roof of the Imperial Theatre with Carousel’s anthemic “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, a song absent from this collection, though it does include a good smattering of Rodgers and Hammerstein anyway, from “The Sound of Music”, “Something Wonderful” (The King and I) and “A Wonderful Guy” to the rarely recorded “Loneliness of Evening” (South Pacific). In the only duet on the album, sung with Hamilton’s Leslie Odom Jr, she couples the Rating Only for the enthusiast Borderline Worth buying Must have Kill for it
perceptive “You’ve Got to be Taught” from South Pacific with Sondheim’s equally insightful “Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods. It’s magic. Also magic are “So Big/So Small” (Dear Evan Hansen), The Visit’s pairing of “Love and Love Alone” and “Winter” and The Music Man’s “Till There Was You”. Fleming has a wonderful voice that’s warm and caressive when necessary and one that’s creamy in her stunning upper register when she’s in full soprano flight. She respects show music and gives it her all. Having spent some time singing jazz, she’s no slouch in that department either. Her version of Cole Porter’s “Down in the Depths (on the Ninetieth Floor)” (Red, Hot and Blue) has cabaret written all over it. She’s accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Rob Fisher, except for the jazz tracks which are appropriately sung with piano, bass and drums. Highly recommended.
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Listen to the Renée Fleming’s Broadway on Spotify now. Scan or visit https://spoti.fi/2JayrA9
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe - Together Again (Decca 5779793) Similar in style to Il Divo’s album, and like their previous double-platinum UK No.1 Together, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe’s Together Again is a collection of big-voiced show songs sung in their trademark tenor tones. It opens with a West Side Story medley of “Maria”, “Something’s Coming” and “Tonight”, follows with an all stops out male version of “As If We Never Said Goodbye” (Sunset Boulevard), before we get to David Foster and Carole Bayer Sager’s modern emotional classic “The Prayer” (Quest for Camelot). There’s a nice coupling of “Stranger in Paradise” and “And This Is My Beloved” (Kismet), plus a great duet of “Bring Me Sunshine”, a song forever associated in the UK with comics Morecambe and Wise. “You’re the Voice” and “Hero” (Boyband) find them in pop mode, whilst they’re joined by a lively chanting chorus for “He Lives in You” (The Lion King). The closing “New York, New York” allows them
to show off their Sinatra bigband pipes, followed by a traditional version of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” where, courtesy of the edit suite, they croon along with the master of crooners, Bing Crosby.
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Croon along with Together Again and get your copy from JB Hi-Fi. Scan or visit http://bit.ly/2JbFjgW
Benny Andersson - Piano (Benny Anderson) (Deutsche Gramophone 4798143) Benny Andersson of ABBA fame plays his own music on solo piano and it’s a delight. The 21 tracks feature songs from Chess, Kristina Fran Duvemala and of course Mamma Mia! It’s all quasi-classical, with the tunes at times sounding like Bach or Mozart, and a very easy listening experience. The Chess score yields the best examples - “Embassy Lament”, “Anthem”, “You and I”, “Chess” and the particularly lovely “Someone Else’s Story”. These are interesting arrangements of pop with a classical bent and ideal for relaxing late at night or playing in the car.
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Purchase Piano by Benny Andersson on Amazon now. Scan the QR code or visit https://amzn.to/2Jfleq4
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B
roadway uzz
By Peter Pinne
The beloved film Clueless, a modern spin on Jane Austen’s Emma, is being reimagined as a musical by its screenplay writer Amy Heckerling. 2018 Emmy winner Dove Cameron (Liv and Maddie) is to star as Cher in the upcoming world premiere, which begins performances 20 November at the Pershing Square Signature Center’s Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre, with an opening 11 December. It plays until 12 January. The score “reimagines 90s hits into ingenious parodies and yearning monologues for her lovesick characters”. Direction is by Kristin Hanggi, choreography by Kelly Devine, scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, with musical supervision by Ethan Popp. Atlantic Records have announced that a new album of covers from The Greatest Showman will hit the shelves on 16 November. The Greatest Showman - Reimagined will feature songs from the movie by Panic! At the Disco (“The Greatest Show”), Pink (“A Million Dreams”), Kelly Clarkson (“Never Enough”) and Sara Bareilles (“Tightrope”). The album also features The Reimagined Remix, in which the film’s star Keala Settle is joined by Kesha and Missy Elliott for “This Is Me”. Kesha also sings the tune as a bonus track. The score is penned by Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The movie, which starred Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum, founder of Barnum and Bailey Circus, also featured Zac Efron, Zendaya and Michelle Williams. The producers of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song have announced a $42 general rush ticket policy for the Broadway run. Tickets will be available on the day of performance and are restricted to two tickets per person. Directed by Moises Kaufman, the production stars Michael Urie, Mercedes Ruehl, Ward Hoxton, Roxanna Hope Radja, Michael Hsu Rosen and Jack DiFalco, all of whom appeared in the revival’s 2017 off-Broadway run at Second Stage Theater. A collection of three plays, Torch Song Trilogy opened on Broadway in 1982 at the Little Theatre (now the Hayes), where it ran for 1,222 performances and earned Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Actor in a Play (Fierstein). The story follows “Arnold Beckoff’s odyssey to find happiness in New York. All he wants is a husband, a child and a pair of bunny slippers that fit, but a visit from his overbearing mother reminds him that he needs one thing more: respect.” 2019 is the 100th birthday of famed lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, which the York Theatre Company plans to celebrate in their Musicals in Mufti season by presenting three of Lerner’s rarely seen works: Carmelina (January 26 - February 3), Dance a Little Closer (February 9-17) and Lolita, My Love (February 23 - March 3). Carmelina (1979) ran 17 performances, had a score by Burton Lane and was based on the movie Buona Sera, Mrs Campbell. Closing on opening night, Dance a Little Closer (1983) had a score by Charles Strouse and was based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play 44 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
Idiot’s Delight, whilst Lolita, My Love, which closed on the road, had a score by John Barry and was based on Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita. Despite the short runs, all three musicals have interesting and underappreciated scores. The York is also planning some additional events around the centennial which include The Songs of Alan Jay Lerner (February 25), The Creation of My Fair Lady (February 4) and The Creation of Camelot (February 6). All presentations are being created by theatre historian Charles Troy. Kelli O’Hara is to star in the upcoming Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate, which begins previews at Studio 54 on 14 February for an opening night set for 14 March 2019. O’Hara will play Lilli Vanessi/Kate, with Will Chase (Smash) as Fred Graham/ Petruchio. Both actors previously played the roles in a soldout benefit concert reading of the show in 2016. Starring opposite them will be Corbin Bleu (Holiday Inn) as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio and Stephanie Styles (Newsies) as Lois Lane/Bianca. Directed by Scott Ellis, the musical will have choreography by Warren Carlyle. Amanda Green (Hands on a Hardbody) will join the creative team to contribute “additional material to the book to update the production for 2018” according to a press release. The musical is based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and features iconic theatre tunes including “Another Op’nin’ Another Show,” “Too Darn Hot”, “So In Love” and “Always True To You In My Fashion”. It’s the first major revival of the work since the acclaimed Tony winning 2000 production which starred Brent Barrett and Rachel York. The Broadway musical Bandstand, which was previously screened in cinemas on 25 and 28 June, 2018, is to get a repeat cinema showing 15 and 19 November in celebration of Veterans Day. The show ran at Paper Mill Playhouse in March 2017 before transferring to Broadway, where Andy Blankenbuehler won a Tony Award for his choreography. Written by Richard Oberacker and Rob Taylor, the story follows a group of soldiers who have just returned home from the front lines of World War II. When this motley assortment of men is given an important opportunity, one that involves music, they find themselves opening up in ways that make them feel whole again. The cast is led by Corey Cott, Laura Osnes, Beth Leavel, Joe Carroll and Brandon James Ellis.
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Watch the cast of Bandstand perform “Nobody”. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/t7-7GqQqeqc
London Calling
Eugenius! The Musical. Photo: Scott Rylander.
By Peter Pinne The early closure of Foxfinder has meant that Eugenius! The Musical was able to transfer to the West End for a limited run. It began performances at the Ambassadors Theatre 27 October and plays until 5 January 2019. Produced by Warwick Davis, with book, music and lyrics by Ben Adams and Chris Wilkins, the musical tells the story of Eugene, a teenage boy and avid comic-book fan with dreams of getting a superhero he’s created made into a movie. The musical began life with a concert performance at the London Palladium in July 2016 and has since had outings at The Other Palace, where it just concluded its third season prior to the West End transfer. The London version of the Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen is set to begin performances at the Noël Coward Theatre from November 2019. Written by composers/ lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who created the songs for the movie The Greatest Showman, the musical tells the story of a high school student called Evan Hansen who suffers severe anxiety which has an effect on his ability to connect with people. However, the tragic death of a classmate brings him closer to the student’s family. The musical premiered on Broadway in 2016 and starred Ben Platt, who won Tony Award for his performance of the central character. The show continues to sell out at the Music Box Theatre and has just begun a U.S. national tour. Producers have said they will cast British actors for the musical, as well as casting the show colour-blind. The Almeida Theatre’s production of Anne Washburn’s adaptation of The Twilight Zone is set to transfer to the West End and will play the Ambassadors Theatre following the run of Eugenius! The Musical. Based on the classic 1960s CBS TV series written by Rod Serling, the adaptation weaves several episodes from the seminal American sci-fi series into one creepy, sweeping narrative; the first time it’s been seen on stage. The series draws comparisons with the current Netflix series Black Mirror in that each episode posed moral questions through a series of eerie, often shocking narratives which always contained a stunning twist. Several episodes made their mark in television history as pop-culture icons. It plays from 19th March until 1st June 2019. Agatha Christie’s 1953 blockbuster success Witness for the Prosecution is currently having a successful immersive revival in London County Hall, which has been reconfigured to represent the Old Bailey with the bench and witness box at one end and the audience seated in a horseshoe in the public gallery. The plot, which is based on a Christie short story The Hound of Death, written in 1933, concerns Leonard Vole, accused of killing an older woman whom he became close to just days after she changed her will. Philip
Online extras!
See why critics rave about Eugenius! The Musical. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/1PAbTHmuvcU Franks, who has been with the production since it opened in October 2017, continues in the role of lawyer Mr Myers. The play, directed by Lucy Bailey, is booked to run until 31st March 2019. The venue is adjacent to the London Eye on London’s South Bank. A musical version of the classic sit-com Only Fools and Horses will begin previews at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, 9th February for an opening night of 19th February, 2019. Based on the series written by John Sullivan, the musical is written by Sullivan’s son, Jim, and original series star Paul Whitehouse, who will star as Grandad alongside Tom Bennett as Del Boy and Ryan Hutton as Rodney. Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, the story is set in Peckham in 1989 as Del Boy sets out to find love, while Rodney and Cassandra are preparing to get married. It was the last project John Sullivan worked on before his death and his son Jim claims that he and Whitehouse have remained faithful to the feel of the TV scripts but added some contemporary issues. The original theme song, written by Chas and Dave, will feature in the show’s score. The National Theatre has just announced that Bruce Norris’ Downstate is to play the Dorfman Theatre from 12 March 2019. A co-production with Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, the play sees four men convicted of sex crimes share a group home, where a man shows up to confront his childhood abuser. Director Pam MacKinnon and cast Glenn Davis, K.Todd Freeman, Tim Hopper, Eddie Torres, Frances Guinan, Aimee Lou Wood, Matilda Ziegler and Celia Noble - all repeat their roles from the September 2018 Chicago tryout season. The play and Norris, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Clybourne Park, have been lauded, with the critics claiming it’s a “masterwork featuring stunning performances”. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 45
We Will Rock You A Lighting Designer’s Diary
Jason Bovaird from Moving Light Productions and Daniel Jow designed the lighting for We Will Rock You, staged by Centrestage Productions in Geelong, using 800 lighting and vision cues in a combination of state of the art and old school rock lighting. Jason explains how they achieved this combination. My first question to the production team was whether they wanted to replicate the professional production or do something new. The director Paul Watson created a wonderful new set design that evoked the feeling of Wembley Stadium. It comprised a semi-circular row of seats that gave the feeling of the last remains of the stadium. This allowed us to have four 3-metre lengths of hanging truss to create the feeling of light towers. These pieces of truss had ray-cans hanging off them to also create the old school rock feel that Queen had in its earlier days. I wanted to add a design element to the rig that had never been used before in a musical of this size and researched ways to incorporate revolving truss and moving lights. The problem was that most of the revolving 46 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
trusses were way too big or only moved at one speed. After months of investigation I found the perfect design from a company in Melbourne - Lighting Lab. The company had been testing a prototype from China - 1.5 metres in diameter with variable DMX speeds. It was perfect for the show, given that it required a “laser cage” to rotate regularly. We put 230 beam “sharpies” on the truss as they would give a strong thin beam like a laser and also had some great gobos that would be used for many other scenes. The most impressive moment that the truss was used for was the opening scene when director Paul Watson wanted to create the feeling of the cast member being chased by helicopters. This moment had the rotating truss
revolving fast, with the sharpies in an open white to create the feeling of helicopter blades rotating. A show of this size - with over 800 lighting and vison cues over 60 moving lights along with 150 generic fixtures - cannot be plotted in a normal production week due to the time in the theatre and the experience of the cast and crew. It was decided to pre-visualise the show in a vison suite a week beforehand. Moving Light Productions engaged the services of Nathan Aveling from Starlight Productions and their factory. Nathan spent two weeks drawing up the scaled venue plan. He then created the lighting design in Vectorworks, which allowed the creative team to sit in virtual mode and begin plotting the cues of the show. Being able to design the show in the visualisation suite with the director allowed us to be able to spend extra time on each of the cues and get the show almost perfect before we bumped into the theatre. This allowed us to spend more time
Jason has just returned from London having taken over Lighting Design of the hit West End show Peter Pan Goes Wrong, produced by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, which opens in New Zealand before its Australian Premiere in Melbourne in December. His team will also design the lighting for Melbourne Luna Park’s “Luna Dark” Halloween event. www.movinglight.com.au
incorporating three LED screens: two thin 4-metre LED screens and a centre 8 metre x 4 metre large central screen into the production. These screens provided all the story -telling content, ranging from “live feeds” through to moving images, still images and text. The screens were able to provide wonderful images during the show that also added the extra design element. Putting all this together created powerful imagery that allowed the creative team to provide the audience with a strong, visually entertaining production. Technical details: The story has an element of the old world and new world of Rock and Roll which needed to be shown through the use of parcans, moving lights, LED cans and lasers. The lighting rig consisted of 24 x Bumble Bee 330 spots, 12 x 230 Beam Sharpies, 12 x 60 watt LED Profiles, 30 x 8 watt LED Cans, 64 x Par VNSP Cans, 15 x 1500 watt Blinders, and 12 x Ray Cans.
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 47
Open Day For Stage ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ Sydney based scenic supplies company Yeo Creative Solutions will be holding a series of open days in November. Managing Director Jonathan Yeoman reveals what’s on show and what inspired his business. Our business is modelled unashamedly on a quirky little shop in London’s West End that resembled something out of Harry Potter. The door was so old and low you had to bend down so you didn’t bump your head to enter and the door step so high that you’d usually trip over on
48 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
Online extras!
See what Yeo Creative Solutions can do for your next production. Scan or visit https://youtu.be/_-G4uRLE0dw
To book a place at one of the sessions visit www.yeocreative.com/open and complete the short online form. For more information call (02) 9460 8159, email jonathan@yeocreative.com or visit the showroom at 59 Hume Street, Crows Nest, NSW 2065 your way out! But it was full of useful things for the stage - yes, a real ‘Aladdin’s Cave’. We can’t offer the low doorway but when you come into our showroom you will find shelves filled with creative products sourced from around the world, a busy design studio, a neverending supply of coffee and, hopefully, the feeling that we’ll go that extra mile to help you realise your design. I visited the shop in the UK in my capacity as a theatre production manager for the Royal National Theatre, where it was my job to work to turn the designer’s vision into reality. The huge scale of the European theatre industry means that it has generated its own support industries with which I have a strong network of contacts. We offer a wide range of quality products for the mechanists, prop makers, art directors, set decorators, construction carpenters, scenic artists and designers. The products we sell must all be accessible. If a school production wants seven metres of 8mm black polyester sash cord then they shouldn’t need to order a 100m reel and give four weeks’ notice.
We hold these items in stock and sell by the metre. They must be reliable - a castor should work as well a year into a tour or production run as it did on day one. If the tyre comes off after two months, then it’s not designed for this industry. Some of our most recent clients include major television programs such as Home & Away and the Logies, as well as the Sydney Theatre Company, Bangarra Dance Theatre and Queensland Theatre. On our open day all our stocked products will be on display. We will be demonstrating the Triple E track systems, new castors that lift a stage truck off the floor using compressed air, magical clear projection screens and new waterproof equipment cases from Italy, as well as showing our vacform brickwork and rock face panels. Representatives from suppliers will also be here to answer technical questions. Come in, see, touch and feel the products. A show stopper is a heavy looking gold gilt frame. It’s not gold of course, it’s vacuum formed gold coloured PVC, but it’s an example of some of the ideas you’ll find here - or on our website www.yeocreative.com.
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 49
New Screen Acting Course
A new screen acting school is starting next year in Sydney, run by four experienced screen acting teachers - Stephen Wallace, Ross McGregor, Chrissie Koltai and Lisa Schouw. They will be complemented by other specialist teachers in ADR, accents, auditioning and stunts. The Screen Actors Space (SAS) aims to develop the ‘whole‘ actor (in physical, voice, acting and life skills) developing comprehensive craft confidence and a broad psychological understanding of acting and human behaviour. SAS is offering a one year part-time course with a showreel starting on February 4, 2019 and finishing December 2019, plus a six week shortened course starting at a time to be announced in March. Each course is nine hours tuition per week. The shortened course will not have a showreel for the students but they will be trained to film auditions effectively on their phones. The aim of this school is to produce actors who have not only learnt their acting skills but who also have insightful knowledge about themselves and their creative possibilities, who are self-assured and understand themselves and the world. It is called ‘whole-istic’ because the aim is to produce the ‘whole‘ actor, a person with craft, confidence, selfknowledge and a positive outlook. For the one year course there will be chances for participants to not only play scenes from films but to act in plays for schools during the year to hone their skills. There will be a half yearly look at the best scenes done during the first six months for parents and friends to come and observe.
For more info visit thescreenactorsspace.com.au
50 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
On Stage
A.C.T. & New South Wales
A.C.T. Godspell. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Book by John-Michael Tebelak. Queanbeyan Players. Nov 2 - 11. Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre (The Q). queanbeyanplayers.com 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose. Everyman Theatre. Nov 14 - 24. Bicentennial Hall, Queanbeyan. (02) 6285 6290. One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean. Canberra Rep. Nov 15 - Dec 5. Theatre 3. (02) 6257 1950. Madiba The Musical. Music and lyrics by Jean-Pierre Hadida and book by Jean-Pierre Hadida and Alicia Sebrien. English coadaptors Dylan Hadida and Dennis Watkins. Nov 22 - 24. Canberra Theatre. (02) 6275 2700. The Illusionists: Direct From Broadway. Canberra Theatre. Dec 6 - 16. (02) 6275 2700. A Very Kransky Christmas. Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. Dec 9. (02) 6275 2700. Judith Lucy VS Men. Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. Dec 14 & 15. (02) 6275 2700. The Wiggles - Wiggle Pop! Big Show. Canberra Theatre. Dec 19 & 20. (02) 6275 2700. New South Wales The Book of Mormon. Book, Music and Lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Continuing. Lyric Theatre, Sydney. BookOfMormonMusical.com.au Jersey Boys. Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Music and lyrics by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe. Dodger Theatricals, Rodney Rigby and TEG-Dainty. Until Dec 15. Capitol Theatre, Sydney. jerseyboys.com.au A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice and The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare. Pop-up Globe, The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park. Until Dec 16. www.popupglobe.com.au
Get ready for the ultimate Christmas music event at Sydney Opera House this December, when Helpmann award winners Kerrie Anne Greenland and Teddy Tahu Rhodes join the combined Sydney Philharmonia Choirs for Carols At The House. 8pm Dec 7, 1pm Dec 8 and 1pm Dec 9. www.sydneyphilharmonia.com.au/carols-at-the-house-2018
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Stage Whispers 51
On Stage The Feather in the Web by Nick Coyle. Griffin Theatre Company. Until Nov 17. SBW Stables Theatre. (02) 9361 3817.
New South Wales
Disney's The Little Mermaid. Book by Doug Wright. Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater. Orange Theatre Company. Until Nov 4. Orange Civic Theatre. (02) 6393 8122.
Nov 10. Eastwood Uniting Church. (02) 8061 7195.
Legally Blonde: The Musical JR. Book by Heather Hach, music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe Silent Night Lonely Night by Robert Anderson. Guild Theatre, and Nell Benjamin. Bling Productions. Nov 7 - 8. Lake Life + Love: An Evening of Rockdale. Until Nov 24. (02) Macquarie Performing Arts Sondheim. Musical revue with 9521 6358. Centre, Warners Bay. songs by Stephen Sondheim. Four Flat Whites in Italy by www.trybooking.com/415868 Newcastle Young People’s The Director by Nancy Hasty. Roger Hall. Arts Theatre Theatre. Until Nov 4. Young Active Theatre Productions. Cronulla. Until Dec 1. 6 Surf Rd, The Serpent’s Teeth by Daniel People’s Theatre, Hamilton. (02) Until Nov 10. The Playhouse at Keene. The Pidgin Project. Nov 9 Cronulla. 4961 4895. Actors Pulse, 103 Regent Street, artstheatrecronulla.com.au - 24. KXT - Kings Cross Theatre. Redfern. www.kingsxtheatre.com Table Manners by Alan Armistice. bAKEHOUSE theatre activetheatreproductions.com.au Ayckbourn. Ensemble Theatre. company in partnership with KX The Sculpture Garden by Noel Until Jan 12, 2019. (02) 9929 Living Together by Alan Hodda (Premiere). Valley Artists. Hotel. Nov 1 - 11. KXT - Kings 0644. Ayckbourn. Ensemble Theatre. Nov 9 - 17. Laguna Hall, Cross Theatre. Until Jan 12, 2019. (02) 9929 Laguna. www.valleyartists.org Shrek. Book and lyrics: David www.kingsxtheatre.com 0644. Lindsay-Abaire. Music: Jeanine Our House. Music & Lyrics by Round and Round the Garden Tesori. Gosford Musical Society. Freud’s Last Session by Mark St. by Alan Ayckbourn. Ensemble Madness. One song “It Must Be Until Nov 10. Laycock Street Germain. Clock & Spiel Love’ by Labi Siffre. Book by Tim Theatre. Nov 2 - Jan 12, 2019. Community Theatre, Wyoming. Productions. Until Nov 10. Firth. Bankstown Theatre (02) 9929 0644. (02) 4323 3233. Reginald Theatre, Seymour Company. Nov 9 - 18. 9 to 5 The Musical. Book by Centre, City Rd, Chippendale. Bankstown Arts Centre. 0481 We Will Rock You by Queen and Patricia Resnick, based on the (02) 9351 7940. 869 858 Ben Elton. Blue Mountains screenplay by Resnick and Colin bankstowntheatrecompany.com Musical Society. Until Nov 4. Little Shop of Horrors by Alan Higgins, music and lyrics by Blue Mountains Theatre, Menken and Howard Ashman. False Pretences by Eric Chappell. Dolly Parton. Theatre on Springwood. Eastwood Uniting Church The Sutherland Theatre Co. Nov Brunker. Nov 2 - 24. St Musical Society (EUCMS). Until Stephen’s Hall, Adamstown www.bmms.org.au 9 - 18. Sutherland Memorial School of Arts. (Newcastle). (02) 4956 1263. thesutherlandtheatrecompany.com.au The Addams Family. Book by Spartacus. Choreography: Lucas Marshall Brickman and Rick Jervies. Music: Arum Elice, music and lyrics by Khachaturian. The Australian Andrew Lippa. Hills Musical Ballet, with Opera Australia Theatre Company. Nov 2 - 11. Orchestra. Nov 9 - 24. Sydney Model Farms High School, Baulkham Hills. 0420 608 110. Opera House, Joan Sutherland Theatre. australianballet.com.au Alfred Deakin is Afraid of the Harvey by Mary Chase. Dark by Carla Moore. The Theatre on Chester, Epping. Nov Newcastle Theatre Company, Lambton. Nov 9- 24. (02) 4952 2 - 24. 4958. www.theatreonchester.com.au Les Misérables. By ClaudeMichel Schönberg & Alain Boublil. English lyrics: Herbert Kretzmer. Coffs Harbour Musical Comedy Company. Nov 2 - 25. Jetty Memorial Theatre, Coffs Harbour. (02) 6648 4930. A Cheery Soul by Patrick White. Sydney Theatre Company. Nov 5 - Dec 15. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. (02) 9250 1777. The Wharf Revue 2018. Written and Created by Jonathan Biggins and Drew Forsythe. Sydney Theatre Company. Nov 6, Civic Theatre, Wagga Wagga; Nov 9 - 10, Civic Theatre, Newcastle, (02) 4929 1977. 52 Stage Whispers
The Sound of Music by Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Cooma Little Theatre. Nov 9 - 24. www.clt.org.au
The Dance of Death by August Strindberg. Belvoir. Nov 10 - Dec 23. Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre. (02) 9699 3444. The Norman Trilogy by Alan Ayckbourn. Ensemble Theatre. Nov 10 - Jan 12, 2019. (02) 9929 0644. Blame Traffic by Michael Andrew Collins. Old 505 Theatre. Nov 13 - 24. www.old505theatre.com
Just $50 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.
On Stage
New South Wales
Walk This Way Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co will present Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love from Nov 22 at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre Co. The cast includes Jonathan Hickey as Alex, Caitlin Berry as Rose, Grant Smith as George, and Stefanie Jones as Giuletta. www.hayestheatre.com.au Photo: Chris Parker. Broadway Bound by Neil Simon. George Furth. Limelight on New Theatre. Nov 13 - Dec 15. Oxford, Darlinghurst. Nov 14 www.newtheatre.org.au Dec 1. limelightonoxford.com.au Resonance by Graham Patterson. Armidale Drama and Musical Society. Nov 13 - 23. The Armidale Playhouse. www.adms.org.au
Eurydice by Sara Ruhl. Red Line Productions. Old Fitz Theatre. Nov 15 - Dec 15. redlineproductions.com.au
The Wharf Revue 2018. Written and Created by Jonathan Biggins and Drew Forsythe. Sydney Theatre Company. Nov 13 - Dec 15. Roslyn Packer Theatre. (02) 9250 1777.
The Overcoat. Created by Michael, Rosemarie and Constantine Costi. 25A Season. Nov 14 - Dec 1. Downstairs Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre. (02) 9699 3444.
Menopause the Musical Women on Fire! Revised version of the musical by Jeanie Linders. Twelfth Night Theatre. Nov 13. Lizotte’s, Lambton (Newcastle). (02) 4956 2066.
Yellow Yellow Sometimes Blue by Noëlle Janaczewska. Q Theatre. Nov 15 - 24. Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. (02) 4723 7600.
Mandy Patinkin In Concert. John Frost & Phil Bathols. Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House. Nov 14. www.mandypatinkin.com.au Company. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by
Peter and Alice by John Logan. Glenbrook Players. Nov 16 - 24. Glenbrook Community Theatre. (02) 4739 1110. Hissyfest 2018: 2300. Short plays developed by Tantrum Youth Arts members and associates, that are related to
the title’s Newcastle post code. Nov 16 - 18. Civic Playhouse, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. Les Misérables. By ClaudeMichel Schönberg & Alain Boublil. English lyrics: Herbert Kretzmer. Based on the novel by Victor Hugo. Albatross Musical Theatre Company. Nov 16 - 24. Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, Nowra. 1300 788 503. Brassed Off by Paul Allen. Wyong Drama Group. Nov 16 24. The Art House Wyong. (02) 4335 1485 thearthousewyong.com.au Calendar Girls by Tim Firth. Hunters Hill Theatre. Nov 16 25. Hunters Hill Town Hall. (02) 9879 7765. Love by Patricia Cornelius. Darlinghurst Theatre Company. Nov 16 - Dec 9. Eternity Playhouse. (02) 8356 9987.
Seussical Jr by Stephen Flaherty and Lyn Ahrens. Lane Cove Theatre Company. Nov 16 - Dec 1. St Aidans, Longueville. lanecovetheatrecompany.com Little Shop of Horrors. Book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken. WEA Hunter. Nov 16 - 24. WEA Creative Arts Space, Hamilton (Newcastle). Private Lives. Castle Hill Players. Nov 16 - Dec 8. Pavilion Theatre, Doran Drive, Castle Hill. (02) 9634 2929. www.paviliontheatre.org.au 70th Anniversary Gala Concert. Rockdale Opera Company. Nov 17 & 18. Rockdale Town Hall. www.rockdaleopera.com.au Charlie Pilgrim by Sam O’Sullivan. ATYP @ Griffin. Nov 21 - Dec 1. SBW Stables Theatre. (02) 9361 3817.
The Wedding Singer. Music by RocKwiz Revue 2018. Renegade. Matthew Sklar, book by Tim Nov 16. Civic Theatre, Herlihy and Chad Beguelin, and Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. lyrics by Chad Beguelin.
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Stage Whispers 53
On Stage
New South Wales
Danielle Cormack in Queensland Theatre’s Hedda, a re-imagining of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler by Melissa Bubnic, directed by Paige Rattray, at Bille Brown Theatre from Nov 10 - Dec 8. www.queenslandtheatre.com.au Photo: Jonno Searle. Criterion Theatre Grafton Inc. Nov 22 - Dec 2. www.criteriontheatre.org.au Big The Musical by John Weidman, David Shire & Richard Maltby Jr. Roo Theatre Company. Nov 22 - Dec 8. Roo Theatre, Shellharbour. (02) 4297 2891. www.roo-theatre.com.au Heath Franklin's Chopper Bogan Jesus. Developed and performed by the title actor. Laughing Stock. Nov 22. Civic Theatre, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. The Catherine Tate Show - Live. The British comedian and actor in scenes from her popular television series. Live Nation. Nov 23. Civic Theatre, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977.
- Dec 8. www.genesiantheatre.com.au
Artistic Director Sam Strong introduces Hedda. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/qSY3IUliuCA All My Sleep and Waking by Mary Rachel Brown. Apocalypse Theatre Company. Old 505 Theatre. Nov 28 - Dec 22. www.old505theatre.com
It's A Wonderful Life! Adapted by Tony "Sparx" Palermo from Frank Capra’s film script. Maitland Repertory Theatre. Nov Faulty Towers - The Dining 23 - Dec 9. Maitland Repertory Experience. Homage to the television comedy series. Theatre. (02) 4931 2800. The Vicar of Dibley - The Second Interactive Theatre International. Nov 28. Lizotte’s, Lambton Coming by Ian Gower & Paul (Newcastle). (02) 4956 2066. Carpenter. Nowra Players. Nov 24 - Dec 8. Players Theatre, Bomaderry. 1300 662 808.
Disney’s Sleeping Beauty KIDS. Adaptation from the film script and additional lyrics by Marcy Heisler, additional music by Bryan Louiselle. Young People’s Theatre, Newcastle. Nov 24 Dec 8. Young People’s Theatre, Hamilton. (02) 4961 4895.
Storylines. bAKEHOUSE in What Santa Does Other Days of partnership with Cana the Year. Book & Lyrics by Roger Community. Nov 26 - Dec 2. Gimblett. Music by Sally Bodkin- KXT - Kings Cross Theatre. Allen. Genesian Theatre. Nov 23 www.kingsxtheatre.com
54 Stage Whispers
Online extras!
The Laramie Project and The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later by Moisés Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris, Stephen Belber and Members of The Tectonic Theater Project Theatre Travels. Nov 28 - Dec 8. Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre, Chippendale.
2018 City of Newcastle Drama Awards (CONDAs). CONDA Inc. Dec 1. Starlight Room, Wests, New Lambton. Wowfest - Jeepers Creepers! Hunter Drama students in short
plays they have developed looking amusingly at spooky situations. Dec 3 - 11. Civic Playhouse, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. The Hysteric by Gretel Vella. Glitterbomb. Dec 7 - 15. KXT Kings Cross Theatre. www.kingsxtheatre.com The Smallest Hour by Phil Spencer and Susie Yussef. Griffin Theatre Company. Dec 5 - 15. SBW Stables Theatre. (02) 9361 3817. Trial By Jury and Love, Life and Opera III. Double bill, incorporating Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury and operatic works by composers including Wagner and Verdi. Newcastle Theatre Company and Opera Hunter. Dec 5 - 8. NTC Theatre, Lambton. (02) 4952 4958. The Club by David Williamson. 25A Season / isthisyours? Dec 7
Just $50 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.
On Stage - 22. Downstairs Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre. (02) 9699 3444. Be More Chill. Book by Joe Tracz. Music and Lyrics by Joe Iconis. Manly Musical Society. Dec 7 - 15. Star of the Sea Theatre. www.manlymusicalsociety.com
New South Wales & Queensland Queensland
Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, adapted by Ian Austin, Gloria Swenson and Gavin Hawley. Brisbane Arts Theatre. Until Nov 10. (07) 3369 2344.
You’ve Got Hate Mail by Billy Van Zabdt & Jane Milmore. A Very Choppy Christmas (or Brisbane Arts Theatre. Until Dec Mistletoe is just another noxious 12. (07) 3369 2344. weed). Radio play jazz cabaret Neon Tiger by Julia-Rose Lewis by the Smoking Chops. Dec 7 - & Gillian Cosgriff. La Boite. 16. Royal Exchange, Newcastle. Brisbane Powerhouse. Until Nov (02) 4929 4969. 17. (07) 3358 8600. Prada's Priscillas: An all-male Christmas Revue. Developed and performed by Sydney Drag Queen. Dec 8. Civic Theatre, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Berowra Musical Society. Dec 8 - 16. Berowra Community Centre, The Gully Rd, Berwora. www.bmsi.org.au
Legally Blonde by Laurence O’Keefe & Nell Benjamin. Queensland Musical Theatre. Until Nov 4. queenslandmusicaltheatre.com We Will Rock You by Ben Elton & Queen. Spotlight Theatre, Gold Coast. Until Nov 17. (07) 5539 4255.
Don Quixote. Ballet by Rudolf Nureyev. QPAC & Teatro alla Scala Ballet. Lyric Theatre. Nov 7 - 17. 136 246. Livvy & Pete. Beauaraba Living. Empire Theatre, Toowomba. Nov 8. 1300 655 299. A Kick In The Baubles by Gordon Steele. Javennbah Theatre Co. Nov 9 - 24. (07) 5569 0300. Viva Vivaldi. Camerata. Concert Hall, QPAC. Nov 9. 136 246. Ladies Day by Amanda Whittington. Sunnybank Theatre Group. Nov 9 - 24. (07) 3345 3964. Bespoke. Queensland Ballet. Brisbane Power House. Nov 9 17. Dogfight by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul. Griffith Musical Theatre. Burke St Studio. Nov 9 - 17. 136 246.
Merchants Of Bollywood. ATA Crime and Punishment by Chris Allstar Artists. Concert Hall, Towards Zero by Agatha Hannan. Secret House. Limelight QPAC. Nov 1 - 3. 136 246. Christie. Centenary Theatre on Oxford, Darlinghurst. Dec 12 Hello, Dolly! by Jerry Herman Group. Chelmer Community - 22. thedepottheatre.com and Michael Stewart. Gold Christina Bianca - O Come All Ye Coast Little Theatre. Nov 3 - Dec Divas! Trevor Ashley Enterprises. 1. (07) 5532 3224. Dec 13 - 15. Studio, Sydney High Society by Cole Porter and Opera House. (02) 9250 7777. Arthur Kopit. Villanova Players, Chicago: The Musical. Music by Morningside. Nov 3 - 18. (07) John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, 3395 5168 book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. Men In Pink Tights. Retfar Hunter Drama. Dec 14 - 16. Entertainment. Concert Hall, Civic Playhouse, Newcastle. (02) QPAC. Nov 4. 136 246. 4929 1977.
Advertise your show on the front page of www.stagewhispers.com.au
Hall. Nov 10 - Dec 1. 0435 591 720. Hedda by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Melissa Bubnic. Queensland Theatre. Bille Brown Studio. Nov 10 - Dec 8. 1800 355 628. Avenue Q by Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx, Brisbane Arts Theatre. Nov 10 - Dec 22. (07) 3369 2344. Armistice. QPAC presentation. Concert Hall, QPAC. Nov 11. 136 246. Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & Friends. Select Touring. Concert Hall, QPAC. Nov 16. 136 246. Mandy Patinkin In Concert. John Frost & Phil Bathols. Concert Hall, QPAC. Nov 17. 136 246. Giselle. Ballet by Coralli-Perrot. QPAC & Teatro alla Scala Ballet. Lyric Theatre, QPAC. Nov 14 18. 136 246. What The Butler Saw by Joe Orton. Noosa Arts Theatre. Nov 15 - 24. (07) 5449 9343.
Stage Whispers 55
On Stage
Queensland & Victoria
Get Smart by Mel Brooks & Buch Henry. Coolum Players. Nov 16 - 25. (07) 5446 2500.
The Catherine Tate Show Live. Olafur Arnalds. Top Shelf. Live Nation. Concert Hall, QPAC. Concert Hall, QPAC. Nov 27. Nov 20 - 21. 136 246. 136 246
Managing Carmen by David Williamson. Nash Theatre, New Farm. Nov 16 - Dec 8. (07) 3379 4775.
A Piece of Cake by Lucy Bennett. North By Northwest by Carolyn Ipswich Little Theatre. Nov 21 - Burns, Kay & Maclean Dec 8. (07) 3812 2389. Productions, Lyric Theatre, Mahler 8. Johannes Fritzsch and QPAC. Nov 27 - Dec 9. 136 246. Conservatorium Symphony
Seussical Jnr by Lynne Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty. Mousetrap Theatre, Redcliffe. Nov 16 - 25. (07) 3888 3493 Glorious by Peter Quilter. Toowoomba Repertory Theatre. Nov 17 - Dec 1. toowoombarepertorytheatre.com.au The Cat In The Hat by Dr Seuss & Katie Mitchell. Brisbane Arts Theatre. Nov 17 - Jan 2019. (07) 3369 2344. Whose Line Is It Anyway? Adrian Bohm. Concert Hall, QPAC. Nov 18. 136 246.
Orchestra. Concert Hall, QPAC. Nov 23. 136 246.
Private Lives by Noël Coward. St Luke’s Theatre Society, Tarragindi. Nov 23 - Dec 1. (07) 3343 1457. Elf Junior by Matthew Sklar & Chad Beguelin. Phoenix Ensemble. Nov 23 - Dec 1. (07) 3103 1546. Alondra Conducts Mahler 3. QSO. Concert Hall, QPAC. Nov 24. 136 246.
An Evening With The Church. Tognetti’s Beethoven. Australian Frontier Touring & Triple M. Chamber Orchestra. Concert Concert Hall, QPAC. Nov 25. Hall, QPAC. Nov 19. 136 246. 136 246.
56 Stage Whispers
Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne. schoolofrockmusical.com.au Tarantara! Tarantara! By Ian Taylor. Songs by Gilbert and Sullivan. Malvern Theatre Company Inc. Until Nov 10. www.malverntheatre.com.au
Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. CenterStage Geelong. Until Nov 10. Geelong Handel’s Messiah. QSO. Concert Performing Arts Centre. www.centerstage.com.au Hall, QPAC. Dec 8. 136 246. The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. Astroman by Albert Belz. Queensland Ballet. Lyric Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Co. Until Dec 8. Arts Centre Melbourne, QPAC. Dec 14 - 22. 136 246. Fairfax Studio. 1300 182 183. Spirit Of Christmas. Concert A Gentleman’s Guide to Love Hall, QPAC. Dec 21 - 22. 136 and Murder. Book and lyrics by 246. Robert L. Freedman, with music New Year’s Eve Gala Concerts. and lyrics by Steven Lutvak. The Queensland Pops. Concert Hall, Production Company. Until Nov QPAC. Dec 31. 136 246. 11. Playhouse, Arts Centre Victoria Melbourne. 1300 182 183. School of Rock by Andrew Lloyd Dr Zhivago. Based on the novel Webber, Julian Fellowes and by Boris Pasternak. Music by Glenn Slater. GWB Lucy Simon. Book by Michael Entertainment. Continuing. Her Weller. Lyrics by Michael Korie Cinderella. Pantomime. Gold Coast Little Theatre. Dec 7 - 16. (07) 5532 3224.
Just $50 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.
On Stage and Amy Powers. NOVA Music Theatre. Until Nov 11. 1300 304 433. The Rug by Ben Grant. Until Nov 11. La Mama Courthouse. lamama.com.au Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett. Starring Max Gillies. Until Nov 11. fortyfivedownstairs. (03) 9662 9966.
Victoria
Virginia Gay in Calamity Jane, returning to Melbourne for encore seasons at Arts Centre Melbourne from Dec 12 - 23, then the Comedy Theatre from Jan 1, 2019. www.calamityjaneoz.com Photo: Marnya Rothe.
Lorelei by Julian Langdon, Casey Bennetto and Gillian Cosgriff, Victorian Opera. Nov 3 - 10. Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse. (03) 9685 5111. Tash York: Badass. The Butterfly Club. Nov 5 - 10. (03) 9663 8107. Tim Clark: When I Was A Girl. The Butterfly Club. Nov 5 - 10. (03) 9663 8107. Any Given Monday by Bruce Graham. Torquay Theatre Troupe. Nov 5 - 17. ttt.org.au La Bohème by Puccini. Opera Australia. Nov 7 - 22. Arts Centre Melbourne. 1300 182 183. The Hamlet Apocalypse. The Danger Ensemble. Nov 7 - 18. Theatre Works. (03) 9534 3388. Pass The Butler by Eric Idle. Brighton Theatre Company Inc. Nov 8 - 24. Bayside Cultural Centre, corner of Wilson and Carpenter Streets, Brighton. 1300 752 126. Lamb of God by John Summons. Strathmore Theatrical Arts Society (STAG) Nov 8 - 18. Strathmore Community Hall. (03) 9382 6284. The History Boys by Alan Bennett. Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company Inc. Nov 8 24. (03) 9735 1777. Ophelia Tries Harder by Joanna Murray-Smith. wit incorporated. Nov 9 - 24. Bluestone Church Arts Space, Footscray. www.witinc.com.au Bombshells by Joanna MurraySmith. The Basin Theatre Group. Nov 9 - Dec 1. www.thebasintheatre.org.au
Online extras!
Check out a preview of Calamity Jane. Simply scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/FBHHzGg245c
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Stage Whispers 57
On Stage Snoopy!!! The Musical. Book by Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw and Michael L Grace. Music by Larry Grossman. Lyrics by Hal Hackady. Beaumaris Theatre Inc. Nov 9 - 24. www.beaumaristheatre.com.au The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. The Mount Players. Nov 9 - Dec 1. Mountview Theatre, Macedon. www.themountplayers.com Things My Mother Taught Me by Katherine DeSavino. Mordialloc Theatre Company. Nov 9 - 24. Shirley Burke Theatre, Parkdale. (03) 9587 5141. The Hamlet Apocalypse by Danger Ensemble. Theatre Works and The Danger Ensemble. Nov 9 - 18. Theatre Works, St Kilda. (03) 9534 3388.
Victoria
Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Melbourne Theatre Company. Nov 12 - Dec 29. Southbank Theatre, The Sumner. (03) 8688 0800. FELT Like Murder. The Mighty Littles. The Butterfly Club. Nov 12 - 17. (03) 9663 8107. The Madwomen Monologues. Baggage Productions. Nov 12 17. The Butterfly Club. (03) 9663 8107. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Wagner. Opera Australia. Nov 13 - 22. Arts Centre Melbourne. 1300 182 183. Just a Couple of Song and Dance Men. Chapel off Chapel. Nov 13 - 25. (03) 8290 7000.
Lamb. A New Play with Songs by Jane Bodie, music and lyrics by Mark Seymour. Red Stitch. Nov 13 - Dec 13. Red Stitch Actors Theatre, St Kilda East. Mandy Patinkin In Concert. John (03) 9533 8083. Frost & Phil Bathols. Nov 11.
58 Stage Whispers
Don’t Judge Me. Tom Casamento. Nov 14 - 17. The Butterfly Club. (03) 9663 8107. The Pink Panther Strikes Again. Based on the film by Blake Edwards. The 1812 Theatre. Nov 15 - Dec 8. (03) 9758 3964. Circus Oz Rock Band. A Circus Rock Opera. Nov 15 - 25. Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse Theatre. malthousetheatre.com.au Eileen. An early 20th century opera by Victor Herbert. Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria. Nov 15 - 18. Ken Watson Theatre, Forest Hill College, Burwood East. www.gilbertandsullivan.org.au
All For Peter Pan by Stephen Andrews. Powderkeg Players. Nov 17 - 25. Dempster Park Hall, North Sunshine. 0407 802 165. Death Boat. Corey M. Glamuzina. Nov 19 - 24. The Butterfly Club. (03) 9663 8107. Confetti. Ashy Rose. Nov 19 24. The Butterfly Club. (03) 9663 8107. Cutting Loose. The Butterfly Club. Nov 19 - 24. (03) 9663 8107. Rotterdam by Jon Brittain. Theatre Works and Hot Mess Productions. Nov 21 - Dec 2. Theatre Works, St Kilda. (03) 9534 3388.
A Good Man by Frederick Loot by Joe Orton. Eltham Little Stroppel. Essendon Theatre Theatre. Nov 15 - Dec 1. Eltham Company. Nov 22 - Dec 1. 0422 Performing Arts Centre. 0411 029 483. 713 095. Sylvia by A R Gurney. Peridot The Complete Works of William Theatre. Nov 25 - Dec 1. Shakespeare (Abridged) by Unicorn Theatre, Mount Adam Long, Daniel Singe, Jess Waverley Secondary College. Winfield Williamstown Little (03) 9808 0770 (10am-2pm Theatre. Nov 15 - Dec 1. 0447 Mon-Fri). 340 665. The Dearly Departed. The Broken by Mary Anne Butler. Butterfly Club. Nov 26 - Dec 1. Lab Kelpie. Nov 15 - 25. (03) 9663 8107. fortyfivedownstairs. (03) 9662 Bottomless by Dan Lee. Nov 28 9966. - Dec 14. fortyfivedownstairs. Inheritance by Hannie Rayson. (03) 9662 9966. Heidelberg Theatre Co. Nov 16 Spiritual Gangster. Joana Dec 1. (03) 9457 4117. Simmons. The Butterfly Club. Private Lives by Noël Coward. Nov 28- Dec 1. (03) 9663 8107. Geelong Repertory Theatre RENT by Jonathan Larson. Company. Nov 16 - Dec 1. Presented by James Terry. Woodbin Theatre, Geelong Chapel off Chapel. Nov 29 - Dec West. (03) 5225 1200. 8. (03) 8290 7000. Exit Laughing by Paul Elliott. Mapping Melbourne 2018 Frankston Theatre Group. Nov Independent Contemporary 16 - Dec 2. Mount Eliza Asian Arts Festival at various Community Centre. Cabaret locations across Melbourne Style - Bring your own drinks Dec 1 - 15. and nibbles. 1300 665 377. www.multiculturalarts.com.au Secret Bridesmaids’ Business by Calendar Girls by Tim Firth. Elizabeth Coleman. Sherbrooke Ballarat National Theatre. Dec Theatre Company Inc. Nov 16 1 - 8. The Courthouse Theatre. 24. Doncaster Playhouse. (03) 5333 5888. sherbrooketc.org.au Fresh, Pungent and Prickly. AIM Sylvia by A. R. Gurney. Peridot Music Theatre Graduates. The Theatre. Nov 16 - Dec 1. Butterfly Club. Dec 3 - 7. (03) Unicorn Theatre, Mt Waverley. 9663 8107. (03) 9808 0770.
Just $50 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.
On Stage
Victoria, Tasmania & South Australia
The Very Hungry Caterpillar emerges off the page and onto the stage, as audiences are invited to journey through Eric Carle's stories in this show created by Jonathan Rockefeller. Octagon Theatre, Perth, on Nov 23 and 24; Arts Centre Melbourne from Nov 28 - Dec 2; Gardens Theatre, Brisbane from Dec 13 - 16 and Glen Street Theatre, Sydney from Dec 19 - 21. hungrycaterpillarshow.com/australia/
Online extras!
See The Very Hungry Caterpillar emerge on stage before your eyes. Scan or visit https://vimeo.com/138040065 Dead Reckoning. The Butterfly Club. Dec 3 - 8. (03) 9663 8107.
The Gruffalo’s Child based on the picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. CDP and Tall Stories. Dec 11 Alice's Theorem: A Conceptual 22. Athenaeum Theatre, Excretion of Thoughts. Alice Albon. The Butterfly Club. Dec 5 Melbourne. Ticketek. - 8. (03) 9663 8107. Performance Management by Scott Hollingsworth. Chapel off Evita by Tim Rice and Andrew Chapel. Dec 12 - 16. (03) 8290 Lloyd Webber. John Frost, 7000. Opera Australia and David Ian. From Dec 5. State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne. 1300 182 183.
Calamity Jane. Adapted by Ronald Hamner and Phil Park. From the Stage Play by Charles K Freeman after the Warner Perpetual Frustration Machine Bros Film. Lyrics by Paul Francis by Stephen Sewell & Zebastian Hunter. Theatre Works. Dec 7 - Webster. Music by Sammy Fain. 23. Theatre Works, St Kilda. (03) One Eyed Man Productions, Neglected Musicals and Hayes 9534 3388. Theatre Co. Dec 12 - 23. Arts nd 32 Bruce Awards. Music Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Theatre Guild of Victoria. Dec 8. Studio. 1300 182 183. Season Bunjil Place, Narre Warren. 0438 at Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 711 378. follows - From Jan 1, 2019. ‘Tis The Season. Maverick A Christmas Tale. The Butterfly Newman and Stacey Thomsett. Club. Dec 17 - 22. (03) 9663 The Butterfly Club. Dec 10 - 15. 8107. (03) 9663 8107.
Peter Pan Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields. Songs by Richard Baker and Rob Falconer. Mischief Theatre. Dec 19 - Jan 6, 2019. Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne. 1300 182 183. Shrek The Musical. Music by Jeanine Tesori, with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. PLOS Musical Productions. Dec 31 - Jan 9. Frankston Arts Centre. artscentre.frankston.vic.gov.au Tasmania The Campaign by Campion Decent. Tasmanian Theatre Company. Until Nov 3. Peacock Theatre, Salamanca Place. (03) 6234 5998. Calendar Girls by Tim Firth. Hobart Repertory Theatre Society. Until Nov 10. The Playhouse Theatre. (03) 6234 5998. The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Encore
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Theatre Company. Nov 1 - 17. Princess Theatre, Launceston. (03) 6323 3666. BUMbelina. Bawdy Pantomimes. Dec 4 - 15. Playhouse Theatre, Hobart. (03) 6234 5998. South Australia Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks by Richard Alfieri. Therry Dramatic Society. Until Nov 9. Arts Theatre. (08) 8294 7907. www.trybooking.com/323033 Mamma Mia! The Musical. Music and Lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Book by Catherine Johnson. Michael Coppel, Louise Withers and Linda Bewick. Until Nov 18. Festival Theatre. 131 246. OzAsia Festival. Adelaide Festival Centre. Until Nov 11. ozasiafestival.com.au The Flint Street Nativity by Tim Firth. Red Phoenix Theatre. Nov 8 - 17. Holden Street Theatres. www.holdenstreettheatres.com Stage Whispers 59
On Stage Avenue Q. Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. Book by Jeff Whitty. Based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. The Hills Musical Company. Nov 9 - Nov 24. Stirling Community Theatre. hillsmusical.org.au
South Australia, Western Australia & N.Z.
- Dec 2. Tower Arts Centre, Pasadena. (08) 8294 6582.
Honk by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Murray Music Christmas Proms 2018. Adelaide and Drama. Nov 9 - 24. The musical tale of the ugly Festival Centre. Dec 14 & 15. duckling. Pinjarra Civic Centre. Festival Theatre. 131 246. 0458 046 414 North by Northwest. Adapted www.mmdc.com.au/tickets by Caroline Burns from the SolOTHELLO by Regan Taylor. Hitchcock film. Kay + McLean The Gods of Strangers by Elena Productions. Dec 29 - Jan 13. Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company Carpetis. State Theatre and Te Rehia (NZ). Nov 10 - 24. Festival Theatre. 131 246. Company SA. Nov 14 - Dec 2. Bold Maori twist on the classic Western Australia Dunstan Playhouse. 131 246. tragedy. Subiaco Arts Centre. In The Next Room or The www.ptt.wa.gov.au Man of La Mancha by Dale Vibrator Play by Sarah Ruhl. Wasserman, Mitch Leigh & Joe Nobody’s Talking to Me by Black Swan State Theatre Darion. St Jude’s Players. Nov Tommy Marren. Irish Theatre Company. Until Nov 4. Sassy 15 - 24. St Jude’s Grundy Hall, Players. From Nov 15. Fast play about power and passion. paced comedy set in Ireland. Brighton. (08) 8296 2628 or Heath Ledger Theatre, State 0436 262 628 (9am-5:30pm The Irish Club, Subiaco. Theatre Centre of Western Mon-Fri). www.irishtheatreplayers.com.au Australia, Perth. And Then There Were None by www.bsstc.com.au Opera in the Quarry. West Agatha Christie. Adelaide Australian Opera. Nov 15 - 17. Xenides by Clare Watson and Repertory Theatre. Nov 15 - 24. Heart racing, heartbreaking and Collaborators. Black Swan State Arts Theatre Adelaide. (08) heartwarming opera hits. Theatre Company. Until Nov 11. 8212 5777. Quarry Amphitheatre, City New musical about Adriana Beach. Look Homeward, Angel by Xenides. Studio Underground, www.ticketmaster.com.au Thomas Woolfe. Independent State Theatre Centre of Western Little Miss Sunshine by William Theatre. Nov 16 - 24. Australia, Perth. Finn and James Lapine. Stirling Goodwood Theatre. www.bsstc.com.au independenttheatre.org.au Players. Nov 16 - Dec 1. Musical Jesus Christ Superstar by Alice in Wonderland by William Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim based on the film. Stirling Theatre, Morris Pl, Innaloo. (08) Glennon. Murray Bridge Players Rice. Platinum Entertainment, 9446 9120. and Singers. Nov 16 - 18. Until 4 Nov. Rock musical, Looking for Love by Raymond Monarto Memorial Hall. Quarry Amphitheatre, City www.trybooking.com/WXXQ Hopkins. KADS. Nov 16 - Dec 1. Beach. Comedy directed by Ken Harris. Explain The Handcuffs - A Time www.ticketmaster.com.au KADS’ Town Square Theatre, Travel Comedy. By Jeff Carlson The Trial. Devised and Kalamunda. and Zach Triplett. Top Of The performed by WAAPA’s 3rd www.kadstheatre.com.au Torrens Theatre Group. Nov 17 - Year Performance Making Fever by Andrew Bovell, Christos 25. Mount Pleasant Soldiers students, adapted from Franz Memorial Hall. Tsiolkas, Melissa Reeves and Kafka’s novel. Nov 2 - 3. Patricia Cornelius. WAAPA stickytickets.com.au/77346 Adapted from Franz Kafka’s Aboriginal Performance Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. darkly humorous novel. Spare By Alice Birch. House of Sand. Parts Puppet Theatre, Fremantle. Graduates. Nov 16 - 22. Directed by Rachael Maza. (08) 9335 5044. Nov 20 - Dec 2. Holden Street Enright Studio, WAAPA, Edith Theatres. www.sppt.asn.au Cowan University, Mt Lawley. www.holdenstreettheatres.com ABBA-solutely Fabulous by (08) 9370 6636. Puss in Boots - Pantomime. By Rhonda Burchmore and Lara www.waapa.edu.au Ben Crocker. Tea Tree Players. Mulcahy. The Harbour Agency. Nov 23 - Dec 8. Tea Tree Players Nov 3. Abba tribute. The Regal The Gruffalo’s Child. Adapted by Olivia Jacobs and Toby Theatre. www.ticketek.com.au Theatre. (08) 8289 5266. Mitchel from the children’s www.teatreeplayers.com End of the Rainbow by Peter book by Julia Donaldson and Quilter. Nov 9 - 24. Koorliny The Merry Widow by Franz Axel Scheffler. Score by Jon Lehár. State Opera SA. Nov 29 - Arts Centre and Kwinana Fiber, Andy Shaw and Olivia Industries Council. Musical Dec 6. Festival Theatre. 131 Jacobs. CDP Theatre. Nov 21 about Judy Garland. Koorliny 246. Dec 2. Physical theatre, music A Starry Night. SA Light Opera's Arts Centre - Theatre 2. and puppetry for children. Christmas Variety Show. Nov 29 www.koorliny.com.au Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of Western 60 Stage Whispers
Australia, Perth. www.bsstc.com.au The Envelope Please. Wanneroo Repertory. Nov 22 - Dec 8. Cabaret show directed by Gillian Binks. Limelight Theatre, Wanneroo. www.limelighttheatre.com.au Bare - A Pop Opera by Jon Hartmere and Damon Intrabartolo. Hand in Hand Theatre. Nov 22 - 25. Musical for mature 15+ audiences. Nexus Theatre, Murdoch University. www.trybooking.com/408078 Wonderful World by Richard Dresser. Melville Theatre. Nov 23 - Dec 8. Black comedy directed by Geoffrey Leeder. Roy Edinger Theatre, Palmyra. www.meltheco.org.au Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. Midnite Youth Theatre Company. Nov 28 - Dec 1. Tony Award winning musical. Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, Perth. www.bsstc.com.au Hotel Sorrento by Hannie Rayson. Harbour Theatre. Dec 7 - 16. Australian play directed by Thomas Dimmick. Camelot Theatre, Mosman Park. (08) 9255 3336. The 91 Storey Tree House by Richard Tulloch. A cdp kids production. Dec 12- 23. Adapted from the book by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton. State Theatre Centre of WA. (08) 6212 9292. New Zealand Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas. Until Nov 10. Circa Theatre, Wellington. (04) 801 7992. The Wiz. Music and Lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. Manukau Performing Arts. Until Nov 10. www.mpatheatre.co.nz The Wizard of Oz. Book by John Kane. Music by Harold Arlen and Herbert Stothart. Lyrics by E. Y. Harburg. Centrestage Theatre Company, Orewa. Until
Just $50 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.
On Stage Nov 17. www.centrestagetheatre.co.nz
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. Pop-up Globe Somerset's Company. Nov Wolf Hall and Bring Up the 9 - Jan 13, 2019. Pop-up Globe Bodies. Adapted for stage by Theatre, The Shakespeare Mike Poulton, based on the Gardens, Ellerslie Racecourse, novels by Hilary Mantel. Stagecraft Theatre (Wellington). Auckland. 0800 BUY TIX (289 849) Nov 2 - 24. iTicket. I’ll Leave it to You by Noël Friday’s Flock by Reihana and Coward. Howick Little Theatre. Karla Haronga. Te Pūanga Whakaari Theatre and Taki Rua Nov 10 - Dec 1. iTicket (09) 361 1000. Productions. Nov 7 - 17. Circa Theatre. (04) 0801 7992.
Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett. Ellerslie Theatrical Society. Nov 8 - 17. ellerslietheatre.co.nz Kings of the Gym by Dave Armstrong. Tadpole Productions. Nov 8 - 18. PumpHouse Theatre. (09) 489 8360
Richard III by William Shakespeare. Pop-up Globe Somerset's Company. Nov 10 Feb 3, 2019. Pop-up Globe Theatre, The Shakespeare Gardens, Ellerslie Racecourse, Auckland. 0800 BUY TIX (289 849)
New Zealand Nell Gwynn by Jessica Swale. Dolphin Theatre. Nov 16 - Dec 8. dolphintheatre.org.nz Annie. Music by Charles Strouse. Lyrics by Martin Charnin. Book By Thomas Meehan. Whangarei Theatre Company. Nov 16 - Dec 1. whangareitheatrecompany.org.nz Puss in Boots - The Pantomime by Paul Jenden. Nov 16 - Dec 23. Circa Theatre. (04) 0801 7992
23 - Dec 23. Circa Theatre. (04) 0801 7992. Mary Poppins. Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B Sherman. Book by Julian Fellows. New Songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Abbey Musical Theatre. Nov 22 - Dec 15. Wallace Development Company Theatre, Hokowhitu. www.abbeymusicaltheatre.co.nz
Menopause The Musical by Jeanie Linders. Coasters Musical Madame Butterfly by Puccini. Nov 17 - 24. Hannah Playhouse, Theatre. Nov 23 - Dec 8. www.coastersmusicaltheatre.com Wellington. www.hannahplayhouse.org.nz
The Vicar of Dibley Christmas! by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer. Detour Joseph and the Amazing Theatre, Tauranga, Bay of Technicolor Dreamcoat by Tim Plenty. Nov 21 - Dec 8. 0508 Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. iTICKET (484 253). Blackadder Goes Forth, Episodes CentreStage Rolleston. Nov 15 5 & 6. South Canterbury Drama Public Service Announcements: 24. League. Nov 8 - 24. The The Ghosts of Christmas Parties www.centrestagerolleston.org.nz Playhouse, Timaru. by Thom Adams and Carrie dramaleague.org.nz Green. No Fefe Collective. Nov
Auditions Place your audition notice in magazine. Email stagews@stagewhispers.com.au or call (03) 9758 4522
Advertise your show on the front page of www.stagewhispers.com.au
Astroman by Albert Belz. Nov 24 - Dec 15. Fortune Theatre, Dunedin. (03) 477 8323.
The Work Do by Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden. Basement Theatre, Auckland. Nov 29 - Dec 21. Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Auckland Live Kids. Dec 19 - 23. Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland. 0800 111 999.
Online extras!
Check out all the auditions that didn’t make it to print. Scan the QR code or visit the next edition of Stage Whispers www.stagewhispers.com.au/auditions
Stage Whispers 61
Reviews: Premieres
Online extras!
See why audiences love Madiba The Musical. Simply scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/i7EPSHoTGjw
Perci Moeketsi and the cast of Madiba The Musical. Photo: Serge Thomann.
Madiba The Musical By Jean-Pierre Hadida. The Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Oct 3 - 26 and touring Australia and NZ. FRENCH author and composer Jean-Pierre Hadida has taken on the monumental task of telling the story of Nelson Mandela’s life in a musical. Indeed this was a man who spent 27 years, almost a third of his life, in prison. He then became the first democratically elected president of the same country that imprisoned him, only four years after his release. Through all that, he could still bring humour to the most serious situations. Producer Neil Croker has brought the first English language version to lucky audiences in Australia. It has kept the same title as the French version Madiba - the name of Mandela’s clan. Mandela is portrayed by South African Perci Moeketsi, who rises to the challenge of portraying his hero, bringing deep reverence and ample talent to the title role. The show is given structure by a narrator, played by David Denis. The fact that the Mandela character was not centre stage throughout the entire show made it clear that the show was actually about the impact Mandela had on people’s lives, more than his life itself. The rest of the cast is teaming with young Aussie talent including Ruva Ngwenya as Winnie Mandela, Timomatic as Sam Onotou, Barry Conrad and William Xulu. Australian director Dennis Watkins rose to the challenge of adapting the show to suit Australian, rather than Frenchspeaking, audiences. He said the Australian version is much more chronological in structure and focuses on narrative flow. Johan Nus’ choreography, while nothing particularly 62 Stage Whispers
original, enhanced the show and was well executed by the cast. A three-piece band brought the brilliant score to life. This show has everything from rap, reggae and traditional African, to a little Broadway for good measure. This show must not be missed! Sophia Dickinson The Fall - All Rhodes Lead to Decolonisation Big World Up Close program at Arts Centre Melbourne. Aug 28 - Sep 2. COMING to us from The Edinburgh Fringe Festival and presented by students who were directly involved in the action, The Fall is vital, vibrant and massively relevant to our multi-cultural modern world. It is a rousing, honest and reflective ‘docu-drama’ by a group of young people, about a student revolution at Cape Town University that aimed to remove a statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes - rhodesmustfall movement. The opening night in Melbourne was enthusiastically rewarded with a heartfelt, jubilant standing ovation. The clever, focused and energetic team of seven performers - through stirring and uplifting song, percussive sound, spoken word and enactment - describe how the lives of Black Africans are atrociously undervalued in Cape Town and presumably South Africa generally. Even in the Tertiary Education System these young, capable hardworking intellectual elite do not have the same social standing as their white counterparts. The Fall is the perfect fare for VCE Drama Students and those working towards a collaborative style of making
Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
Verbatim Theatre. It reminds us all of just how accessible, relevant and appealing political theatre can be if well handled. Suzanne Sandow Luna Gale By Rebecca Gilman. Ensemble Theatre, Sydney. Director: Susanna Dowling. Sep 7 - Oct 13. LUNA Gale is the impressive name of the baby brought to an Iowan hospital by her messed-up teenaged parents. High on crystal meth, the mother bounces off the walls trying to summon help while the father sits in slumped, comatose silence. Enter the weary social worker with her forms and lists to begin her 91st entry in the desperately underfunded world of child protection services. This is the impressive starting point to Rebecca Gilman’s excellent play, another recent winner from America. And the actors rise to the challenge: Lucy Heffernan and Jacob Warner show their skills as Luna’s youthful parents, Karlie and Peter, while Georgie Parker is perfect as Caroline, the social worker, outwardly objective yet ruled by a private passion only occasionally revealed. The problem is religion. Karlie’s mother Cindy (Michelle Doake) is an evangelical (or ‘crazy Christian’ in Caroline’s terms) and, in league with Pastor Jay (David Whitney), she demands to take full custody of poor little Luna. It doesn’t help that Caroline hears ‘personal trainer’ when Cindy refers to her ‘personal saviour’.
All this is marvellously directed by Susanna Dowling and I found myself constantly pushed this way and that, though I could have wished for a more complex setting than the one provided (by Simone Romaniuk). The scene changes are many and the tiny changes to the set - sometimes with the entire cast on hand as prop bearers - seem minor. Fortunately, they swiftly get on with the next excellent scene. Frank Hatherley Umami Mermaids Created and performed by Anna Straker. Directed by Elizabeth Millington. Brisbane Festival, QUT and La Boite Theatre Company. Theatre Republic - La Boite Studio. Sep 18 - 22. UMAMI Mermaids is an imaginative combination of puppetry and live action. It’s set in a dystopian future where mankind has consumed natural resources, causing our extinction. Mutated mermaids crawl from the ruins to take their vengeance against the worst humans. The storytelling is akin to gothic fairy tales, complete with morals to each story. The show’s environmentalist allegory supports commanding feminist messaging. Each tale is told by Anna Straker, supported by a mute, masked, onstage assistant (Daniel Gough). Daniel displays excellent physicality, often times to the amusement of the crowd. Both are excellent at manipulating the puppets used to ‘act out’ several short stories of mermaids taking their revenge.
Jacob Warner as Peter and Lucy Heffernan as Karlie in Luna Gale. Photo: Phil Erbacher.
Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
Stage Whispers 63
The script is in rhyming couplets, presenting a linguistic challenge for Anna. While she occasionally stumbles, you can’t fault her focus or commitment to character. Her hilariously satirical German accent never waivers, nor does her command of physicality and body language. There’s obviously a lot of time and effort put into the artworks, puppets and costuming. The result is a mix of steampunk, Labyrinth era Henson, spooky circus, Mad Max and Tim Burton. Design is in a predominantly warm palette. The puppets deliver a lot of fun surprises and playful moments. The converted rickshaw used as a ‘stage’ for the puppets is genius. Everything is so beautifully made with such astounding attention to detail. It’s nothing short of magical. Umami Mermaids will transport you to an alternative reality. It’s well worth catching if you enjoy superb puppetry and timely political messaging. Kiesten McCauley Lovesong By Abi Morgan. Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre. Directed by Denny Lawrence. Aug 21 - Sep 23. RED Stitch Actors’ Theatre’s version of Welsh playwright Abi Morgan’s perceptive and deeply moving play Lovesong is wonderfully cast, perfectly paced, and beautifully produced. This seamless production contrasts the early relationship of youthful couple Margaret (Maddy Jevic) and William (Dylan Watson) with the durable relationship of their dotage - when they refer to each other as Maggie (Jillian Murray) and Billy (Paul English). There is an emphasis on tricky issues that surfaced in the early relationship - the sadnesses and disappointments. This brings gravitas to the longevity of the marriage and makes the overall story more moving. There are times of reminiscence, for the older characters, where we become aware of some of their blighted expectations. This is particularly poignant. Campbell Banks’ Cello accompaniment and percussive effects do much to enhance the whole. Lovesong is another very classy and highly recommended production from Red Stitch. Take a hanky. Suzanne Sandow
are related by mortality, adventure, family, friendship, love and connections. While some moments may bring a tear to the eye, it’s ultimately uplifting, with a completely joyful dénouement. There’s a lot of creativity, guts and heart to Caroline Dunphy’s direction. You can feel she’s taking the subject matter seriously enough to create the right mood while still having a whole lot of fun with this playful interpretation. There is lovely lighting design from Christine Felmingham, while the star of Jonathan Shankey’s set design is the piece that’s reminiscent of an old fashioned corrugated water tank on stilts. This play has a distinctively Australian flavour to it. Our unique landscape is like another character in the show. The excellent soundscape designed by Dane Alexander also supports the Aussie feeling. Belloo Creative is continuing their streak of developing outstanding shows. This is a cast and crew delivering state of the art theatre. It’s a standard to which other productions can aspire. Kiesten McCauley
Deanna: The Musical By Dee Gatgens Johnson. Dee Johnson Entertainment and The Really Thoughtful Company. The Royal Exchange Salon Theatre, Newcastle. Oct 5 - 27. MOST Australians wouldn’t even think of having a royal family ruling this country, so it’s not surprising that this musical’s title character is a princess living in NSW who has become a cabaret-style performer trekking to clubs and trying to get the message across to audiences through her song and dance that they need governing officials they can look up to. Writer Dee Gatgens Johnson makes amusing use of well -known songs as Deanna and her support team deliver partially rewritten versions when she moves among the seated audience members, interacting with them on occasions, while the assistants largely remain straight-faced in the background. Members of her family are also seen from time to time as she thinks about them, and it’s not surprising, given their demanding attitudes, that her mother, Dame Doctor Lady Glad Spender, and father, Lord Ernest Spender, are mega-stars of stage and screen, with the mum revealing in her lively Big Spender that she is equally a Glad Spender. The musical, which has two brisk 55-minute halves, is Rovers set in a rural venue called Bonk Hill Soccer Club, and it is By Katherine Lyall-Watson. Directed by Caroline Dunphy. Devised by Belloo Creative. Brisbane Festival and QUT. The certainly ideal for performing in intimate venues, with an accompanying on-stage pianist. And several members of Block, Theatre Republic. Sep 11 - 15. the small cast played two roles in this premiere staging, BARBARA Lowing and Roxanne McDonald are resplendent in Rovers. This is a show created for and which was directed by the writer. Sarah Hutton was a bright Princess Deanna and was inspired by these astounding actresses. They rise to the hardly offstage. One of her songs, “Bruce”, had her occasion with hilarious physicality and facial expressions, referring to her unseen husband of that name as “a goose”. multi-faceted and nuanced characterisations and 100% And her professional assistant, Irving (Andrew Wu), who believability and commitment. They lithely skip from character to character as a mix of fictionalised and verbatim was always watching her interactions, delivered a rousing snippets of stories from their own and their ancestors’ pasts “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” as he acknowledged that she was showing people the need for royalty. David Gubbay play out. Writer Katherine Lyall-Watson’s superb script creates a played two very different but equally engaging people, Lord collage of brave and inspirational moments. The narratives Ernest, who wore bushman’s garb to indicate to those 64 Stage Whispers
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Ear To The Edge Of Time. Photo: Kate Williams.
around him that he was very Aussie, and Stephanie, formerly Stephen, in a glittering dress when singing “Sex Changes”. April Pressier, Camila de Oliveira Machado and Julie Muir likewise did amusing things with their characters. And Peta van Drempt’s piano playing also made her very much part of the story. Ken Longworth Ear To The Edge Of Time By Alana Valentine. Sport for Jove. Seymour Centre. Oct 11 - 27. ALANA Valentine’s compelling play explores how sexual discrimination can lurk within the traditional team ethic of science. What so appeals theatrically - and dialectically - about Valentine’s refreshing approach is that it’s a male visitor who calls out the sexism, while the female scientists are pulled between ego and collaborative achievement. And Tim Walter is charismatic as the driven, empathetic poet, Daniel, who arrives at the Parkes Telescope to interview a young astronomer, Martina, about her love of the heavens. His story deepens when Martina (Gabrielle Scawthorn) excitedly makes discoveries but then is resigned when her boss (Christopher Stollery) manoeuvres for the credit. Martina tries to stop Daniel’s story, fearing a dummy spit could ruin her career prospects of leading scientific teams. Gabrielle Scawthorn is a gauche, interestingly conflicted Martina, with a lively heterosexual tension with Daniel, as the scientist battles the artist.
And here Valentine’s writing is as rigorous as it is poetically powerful. Martina’s debate with an accomplished fellow astronomer (Belinda Giblin) adds a further complexity of ideas beyond gender clichés. Under Shaun Gurton’s angled giant telescopic eye to the colourful heavens, in an otherwise sparse black box set, Nadia Tass’ direction is slick and inventive. It’s a play of ideas, always welcome, and a rare one about science, and Stollery and Giblin in other smaller roles add much character and wit to the journey. Martin Portus Evie May Book and Lyrics by Hugo Chiarella. Music and Lyrics by Naomi Livingston. Hayes Theatre, Sydney. Directed by Kate Champion. Oct 12 - Nov 18. SYDNEY’S Hayes Theatre is producing premieres of Australian musicals of variety and accomplishment rarely seen in this country before. Evie May starts slow but, when it hits its stride, nails it. Some of the music and writing is superb - and it’s given the best start possible with a brilliant production. The show looks back at another time - the 1930s to 60s - telling the story of a star from the Tivoli vaudeville circuit, how she got there and how her stage career ends. Hugo Chiarella has written a robust book, structured around an older Evie looking back at her life and with plot twists that keep the audience engaged. The show takes off when Naomi Livingston’s songs strengthen: “Life of a Woman”, performed by the
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Tim Draxl, Jo Turner and Amanda Harrison in Evie May. Photo: Nik Damianakis.
Online extras!
The creatives discuss the production of Evie May. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/xwXfPJ2LN54 astonishing Bishanyia Vincent, marks a turning point. “They Say I am Too Young”, “Great Australian Digger” and “One Last Chance” are also beautiful. Director Kate Champion does not put a foot wrong. She gets the utmost out of a talented cast - led by the amazing Amanda Harrison. Alongside Harrison and Vincent, Loren Hunter is also brilliant as the younger Evie/ Evelyn. Developed by the Hayes’ incubator program New Musicals Australia, Evie May is a fine work that that should be developed further. Creative, varied and with loads of talent - that’s worth applauding. Peter Gotting
the baby as largely a present to herself, given that Jessica (Alison Cox), the new partner of her husband, Bill (Patrick Campbell), is soon to give birth to a child they have conceived. Sue’s life is also brightened by visits from longtime friend Denise (Tracey Gordon) and the unexpected arrival of an old flame, Daniel (Derek Fisher), from her high school years, with his very perceptive mother, Mary (Kathleen Warren), accompanying him for a get-together after the wedding reception. Sadly, I felt the play, despite having a skilled cast and reasonable direction by renowned Julie Black, did little to help the status of older women actors. Scenes such as that showing Sue and Denise continuing the celebration after The Third Act the wedding went on for too long and were repetitive. By Emma Wood. Newcastle Theatre Company. NTC Theatre, And, while many audience members frequently laughed, I Lambton (Newcastle). Oct 6 - 20. could do little more than occasionally smile because the NEWCASTLE playwright Emma Wood’s concern that few characters were very much two-dimensional fictional figures contemporary plays have older female characters led her to in a repetitive 140 minutes that fortunately had an interval write The Third Act, with the central character a woman break at its midpoint. whose husband has left her for a younger person. And, Ken Longworth before this premiere season, it had staged readings this year in Canberra and the United States’ North Carolina at Dry River Run theatre events dedicated to women. Opera by Paul Dean. Director/Librettist: Rodney Hall. This comedy-drama shows family members and friends Queensland Conservatorium. Conductor/Chorus Master: coming together for the celebration of the marriage of the Associate Professor Nicholas Cleobury. Assistant Director/ Choreographer: Delia Silvan. Conservatorium Theatre, couple’s daughter, and others making unexpected appearances. The main character, Sue (played by Leanne Southbank, Qld. Sep 1. Guihot), is trying to work out what she will do when PAUL Dean’s new Australian opera Dry River Run is a powerful and epic piece of theatre. Set at the time of daughter Lara (Cassandra Griffin) leaves home. And while she is concerned that Lara is already pregnant, she also sees Federation, the tragic story revolves around the wife 66 Stage Whispers
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(Gladys) and daughter (Veronica) of a recently deceased popular pastoralist, his land-holdings Dry River Run, and his brother, the Reverend Callaway. With the help of two love-struck jackeroos, Callaway nefariously plots an assignation with his niece in a bush hut and whilst they’re out droving he rapes her. Later when he’s accused he hides behind the cloth, is never punished for his crime, and walks away to stand for the new federal parliament. It’s a marvellous character, perhaps a secondcousin to Sweeney Todd’s Judge Turpin, but a man who bloviates with pomposity, manipulates with evil intent and a self-righteous prig. Paul Dean’s music is atonal, atmospheric and lyrical. Scored for a full orchestra, his opening with its buzz of flies and butcher bird cries is brilliantly evocative of the outback. Oliver Boyd was perfect as the Reverend. It’s a big role and one which finds him onstage for almost the entire duration, but he proved more than up to the task, finding energy, emotion and passion. Xenia Puskarz Thomas was also exceptional as the mother Gladys. Her beautiful mezzo soprano hauntingly etched the emotional turmoil of the outback woman, as did Sheridan Hughes as the daughter Veronica, who brought pathos and youth to a soprano role. Rounding out the principals were tenor Philip Costovski as a young jackaroo nursing an unrequited love for Veronica, and bass Henry Pinder, whose feelings mirrored those of his colleague. The key element for the success of the performance was Nicholas Cleobury and his conducting of the Conservatorium Orchestra, with enormous understanding of the entire creative vision of the project. Dry River Run is a masterful addition to the burgeoning canon of new Australian operas. Peter Pinne
Jethro Woodward’s and Gian Slater’s sound and music maintain a continuing threat, and the Invenio Singers (Josh Kyle, Ms Slater and Louisa Rankin) sing a cappella, keeping up a constant accompaniment of sounds natural and unnatural, often lamenting, sometimes gleeful, creating emotions that thread through the action. Director Kate Sulan has had the enormous task of bringing together and coordinating the many contributions of her performers and her achievement is highly impressive. The amazing light effects - the blast - were conceived by Richard Vabre and realised by Rachel Burke. The theatre shakes, and the audience too is shaken. But our survivors get up, look around, look at each other. The throat is weary, but there is still a song. This is a tremendously affirmative work. Michael Brindley
Four Go Wild In Wellies Indepen-dance. Awesome Arts Festival. Choreographed by Stevie Prickett. Directed by Anna Newell. PICA Performance Space, Perth Cultural Centre, WA. Oct 3 - 6. IN Four Go Wild in Wellies, four adorable actor-dancers go wild in Wellington Boots and bobble beanies in a 30 minute warm hug of a show aimed at 3-5 year olds and their families. The show begins with beautiful tent puppetry, which drew squeals of delight from the crowd. From the tents emerge the young cast who dance their way through a day of camping. Games are played, the environment is explored, friendships are broken and mended, in this kind and loving little show that teaches us about loving our friends and getting along. Indepen-dance 4 are touring from Scotland, the flagship ensemble of Indepen-dance, an inclusive dance company for disabled and non-disabled people. The dancers, Hayley Song For A Weary Throat Earlam, Emma Smith, Neil Price and Adam Sloan, are a Conceived & performed by The Rawcus Ensemble & Invenio beautifully blended ensemble with wonderful teamwork. They dance to a quirky and likeable score by David Goodall, Singers. Rawcus Ensemble. Melbourne International Arts Festival. Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio. Oct 10 - 14. with a picturesque Autumnal design by Brian Hartley. AFTER an overwhelming catastrophe - a nuclear blast, A brilliantly happy little piece of theatre. carpet bombing, house to house street warfare - a motely Kimberley Shaw group of survivors gather in an empty, ravaged dance hall… Now what? Unsolicited Male This sprawling, group-devised, almost wordless By Ron Elisha. Q44 Theatre. Abbottsford Convent, performance piece is a matter of constantly changing Abbottsford VIC. Sep 17 - Oct 7. movement, configurations, groupings, tableaux vivants if WENDY (Kym Valentine), still wounded by a relationship you will, in which a variety of responses and means of break-up, restricts life to work and a small apartment. Her survival are dramatised. There is completely demoralised boss, Zeke (Russell Fletcher), a single dad of two kids, is still despair; there is crazy denial; there is panic; there is conflict wounded by his divorce. Zeke invites Wendy for dinner at a and suspicion. And there is Art. The urge to dance, despite restaurant. It’s ‘the least he can do’, given how hard she everything. works. He drives her home… she invites him in for a coffee The program lists only the members of the Rawcus - and one thing somehow leads to another… Ensemble (Clement Baade, Hannah Bradsworth, Michael Chelsea (Gabriella Rose-Carter), Wendy’s sister takes a Buxton, Harriet Devlin, Rachel Edward, Nilgun Guven, ‘feminist position’, which in this case is judgemental, black Joshua Lynzaat, Paul Matley, Mike McEvoy, Ryan New, and white, and without a shred of sympathy for Zeke or Kerryn Poke, Leisa Prowd, Louise Riisik, Prue Stevenson, Wendy. Zeke’s ‘life coach’, Noah (Liam Seymour), is an Danielle van der Borch) but the ensemble as a whole is exponent of ‘masculinist’ certainties - as simplistic as cohesive, made up of disparate individuals of all shapes, Chelsea and just as unsympathetic to either party. But their sizes and ages. interpretation begins before we have seen the incident in Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
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question. The play operates between two timeframes: Wendy and Zeke’s present, and Chelsea’s and Noah’s differing but unnuanced commentary. Director Suzanne Heywood elicits sympathetic and funny performances, and cleverly stages proceedings on a narrow transverse stage. In the centre is the office, the restaurant and Wendy’s kitchen. At either end, Chelsea and Noah attack, judge, blame or encourage. Ms Valentine’s Wendy has a thin carapace of polite evasion but underneath a misery that leaves her uncertain and vulnerable. Mr Fletcher’s Zeke has his shattered selfesteem and self-pity; he makes the mistake of thinking this woman can save him. Chelsea says all the ‘correct’ things, but we squirm at her abstract dogmatism. Mr Seymour’s Noah scores the most laughs, but he’s so gung-ho in his clichés that it is as if he’s in another play. Will Atkinson operates the bio-box and plays a snotty waiter in the restaurant scenes. We leave the theatre wondering, was Wendy too sympathetic - and to a man she didn’t find attractive at all until it was too late to say no? Or is it ever too late to say no? These questions, so apt in the context of #MeToo, are presented in such slick, funny and concentrated form that we are held, entertained and made thoughtful. Michael Brindley Working With Children Concept, Text, Direction, Design & Performance by Nicola Gunn. An MTC NEON NEXT commission. Southbank Theatre, The Lawler, Melbourne. Aug 30 - Sep 29. NICOLA Gunn’s show works against - or confounds our expectations. Working with Children involves the audience in making connections and guessing at meanings. She slides across the stage in a whole-body rubber cat suit, smeared with lubricant - but in the dark. It looks like ‘naughty’ fun, but in a wholly different way from what we might have expected. She makes repeated movements that appear random as she delivers a monologue that appears disjointed - but delivered with beautifully judged comic timing. Here, the only explicit reference to the children of the title: a narrative concerning a television show about teenage sexuality with a panel of teenagers and a panel of ‘experts’ led by a German sleazoid named ‘Marten’. The accompanying movements bear no obvious connection to the monologue, so we try to find them. Meanwhile, geometric shapes, a jokey commentary, are projected onto a gauzy backdrop, and the disturbingly inappropriate but insistent music by Kelly Ryall drowns out the birdsong that reminds us of an outside (better?) world. The way in which Working with Children confounds expectations is in its strategy of open-ended noncompletion. There are set-ups without pay-offs. The stories in her monologue have no endings. We don’t know, for instance, how the television show run by creepy Marten turned out and certainly not what it is that children must be protected from. Her strategy culminates in her final sequence when she brings on stage a number of most interesting props - while we watch her. Patiently. The joke is on us and we should have known. The show is more playful 68 Stage Whispers
The Man With The Iron Neck. Photo: Brett Boardman.
than substantial but unlike just about anything else. An experiment, as Ms Gunn would probably admit - and carried to no small extent by her deadpan but elfin charm. Michael Brindley The Man With The Iron Neck By Ursula Yovich (original concept by Joshua Bond). Legs on the Wall / Brisbane Festival - Brisbane Powerhouse. Sep 26 29. IN a world premiere for the Brisbane Festival, The Man With The Iron Neck deals with the difficult truth that indigenous people are twice as likely to commit suicide as other Australians. Despite the serious theme, the play is warm and inclusive and one-act theatre at its best succinctly raising awareness of this critical social issue. The performance space is simple, using an Aussie back yard, Hills Hoist and gum tree, with dramatic back projections imparting a sense of country. Clever set design incorporates creative use of drone photography and projections to ‘double expose’ us to a number of Australian paradoxes: the beauty of our landscape contrasting with the harsh reality of our history; the freedom of our wide open spaces versus the trap of suburbia; one family’s survival instinct and humour set against the inescapable shockwaves and taboo of suicide. We are drawn in to the suburban setting where awardwinning playwright/performer Ursula Yovich is a young Mum, bringing up her twins, Bear and Evelyn, after her husband’s suicide. As Evelyn, Caleena Sansbury thrives with female resilience. Playing her brother Bear, Kyle Shilling is
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Watt. Photo: Pia Johnson.
have no effect upon his life. In a crucial - or circular - sense, nothing happens, but as our narrator tells us, the way to make nothing into something is to speak of it as if it were something… The bare stage is designed and lit by Sinead Mckenna. Lights alone separate and designate the stages of Watt’s journey and his experiences chez Knott. Mr McGovern, in undershirt and baggy trousers held up by braces, and that mismatched footwear, uses only a straight-back chair to suggest other characters. You sense that director Tom Creed has honed every element: the show is peppered with tiny detail and very precise. Mr McGovern has distilled Beckett’s 1945 (but unpublished until 1953) novel, written during the Nazi Occupation of France where Beckett was hiding from the Gestapo - due to his participation in the French Resistance. The ‘novel’ was written in dribs and drabs as a means of staying sane. It’s a transition to his plays: absurd, elliptical, weighted with irony, implicitly philosophical, playfully repetitious, quasi-vaudevillian and apparently nihilistic. In any case, it is held together, and it holds our attention. because of Mr McGovern. Michael Brindley
As If No-One Is Watching Vulcana / Brisbane Festival. Stores Building, Brisbane Powerhouse. Sep 27 - 30. THE all-female collective, Vulcana, begin their partperformance, part-installation with 18 individual flighty and funny, but weighed down with personal monologues delivered via smartphone app and digital demons. As their mutual best friend, Ash, Tibian Wyles is design by Line 26. The 20-minute introduction takes place the light and positive force, trying to keep his love for outside in the concrete space next to the Brisbane Evelyn and his mateship with Bear on an even keel. To cope Powerhouse Stores Building. The performers repeat with his friend’s death, Ash obsesses about The Great Peters movements, carry out silent scenes, enact fragments - The Man With the Iron Neck - a death-defying Circus star. shards of their stories - while we voyeuristically watch on. In the end, his own death-defying act is his decision to let These are hidden narratives, deeply personal tales of inner go - a heart-wrenching coda to an emotional piece. voices, mental insecurity, body image, relationships with Beth Keehn food and alcohol, expectations, work, family, fear and freedom. It is an intimate and easy way to introduce us to Watt the multitude of ‘characters’ who then perform in the Adapted from the novel by Samuel Beckett by Barry adjacent theatre for the next hour in an unconventional mix McGovern. Melbourne International Arts Festival. Arts of individual and group movement pieces. And what better Centre Melbourne, Playhouse. Oct 4 - 11. way to show improved self-confidence and strength than BARRY McGovern, alone on a bare stage for sixty through high-wire acts? minutes, tells a rambling, discursive and dissatisfying tale The blend is backed by a haunting soundtrack by Sound and compels attention by his concentration, the Designer Anna Whitaker and live vocal courtesy of the modulations of his rich voice and the minimalist use he ethereal baritone of Velvet Pesu. The music is relaxing and makes of his body - particularly his eyes, which can the performances refreshing, aided by the variation of suddenly light up… and then go dull, resigned to the performers - women aged between 20 and 70 years old, hopeless fate of his eponymous ‘hero’. with an array of heights, backgrounds and body shapes He narrates the story (such as it is) of Watt’s journey to lovingly highlighted in bright and muted circus colours in his employment with one Mr Knott. But we first meet Watt clever costume design by Kaylee Gannaway. The loneliness - the pun is intended, as is ‘Knott’ - as an indistinguishable of individuals going through their daily routines while nobundle of rags in a Dublin street. He wears, we are told, one is watching is turned on its head and becomes the joy one brown boot and one brown shoe. Mr McGovern too of being yourself, unselfconsciously, as if no-one is wears one brown boot and one brown shoe. Is he Watt? watching. When the group comes together in a final bow, Are we? it is a triumphant celebration of self-love, changed Once a member of Mr Knott’s establishment, Watt perceptions and collective support. encounters congenial others, but they leave no residue and Beth Keehn Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
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Bullies By Reg Cribb. WAAPA Second Year Acting Students. Directed by Andrew Lewis. Enright Studio, WAAAPA, Mt Lawley, WA. Oct 12 - 18. THE world premiere of this moving original commissioned work was presented by Second Year Acting Students, and designed, built and crewed by Production and Design Students. Reg Cribb has created a collection of stories and songs based on real-life incidents. This is a strong ensemble who work well together, changing characters convincingly and performing with intensity and passion. Jessica Veitch (Sarah) and Bryn Chapman-Parish (Paul) stand out, featuring in a story that provides a through-line, the true story of an Australian exchange student who raped his European girlfriend and sought forgiveness many years later. Beautifully and sensitively acted and portrayed, they are an outstanding pairing who show great depth and talent. The show is highly episodic, with nearly all of the eighteen cast members having a moment to shine. Music plays an important role, with Reg Cribb providing original composition and guitar accompaniment, assisted by Matthew Henry on cello. Many of the cast sing well, and movement has impact and is well executed. The show looks great with Ashlea Langsford’s constantly surprising set used to great effect. Lighting design (James Glasson) shows bold, emotive choices, with Maddison Bradfield’s sound design equally effective. Monique Doubleday made subtle but effective decisions with costume design.
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Despite the bleak subject matter, the message is ultimately uplifting, a story of survival and hope. An engaging and exciting production of a moving and fascinating new play. Kimberley Shaw Let Me Finish By Charlotte Otton and collaborators. Directed by Phoebe Sullivan. The Studio, The Blue Room Theatre, Perth. Oct 2 20. LET Me Finish was a vibrant, dynamic, devised production about being a young woman in 2018, from dating and relationships through to self-image and the struggle to be heard. Unapologetic and outspoken, this episodic piece of theatre uses the experiences of the cast, growing up and living as young women in our society. We got to know these very likeable young women and saw a snapshot of their lives. There is also a hint of a love story woven into the plot. Wonderful ensemble work from Charlotte Otton (who conceived the project), Ana Ika, Angela Mahlatjie, Izzy McDonald and Jess Moyle. They moved the show swiftly, performing with honesty and warm humour. While this particularly resonated with young women in this age bracket, this show has broader appeal and is a lovely celebration of female self-acceptance and empowerment. Kimberley Shaw
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Reviews: Plays
Kate Cole in Suddenly Last Summer. Photo: Jodie Hutchinson.
Suddenly Last Summer By Tennessee Williams. Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre, East St Kilda VIC. Oct 5 - Nov 4. STEPHEN Nicolazzo and designer Eugyeene Teh reinforce this Southern Gothic piece’s heightened, ‘poetic’ reality. Grieving mother Mrs Venable (Jennifer Vuletic), a rich ‘steel magnolia’, her authority emphasised by the way she treats her assistant, Miss Foxhill (Chanella Macri), clings desperately to her version of her son Sebastian, the sensitive poet, and their very, very special relationship. She seeks to convince stolid Doctor ‘Sugar’ (Charles Purcell), who experiments with lobotomies, to hear the vile lies about Sebastian’s death and do something surgical about them to cut them out of her niece Catherine’s brain. Catherine (Kate Cole), Sebastian’s cousin and travelling companion, claims she witnessed Sebastian’s death in Cabeza de lobo - and worse, the sordid, vicious reasons for it… Kate Cole is exemplary as Catherine. She gives us a fragility alongside a wry humour and a stubborn courage so that she rises above the grubby, compliant or deluded other characters and personifies heart and virtue. Catherine’s mother, Mrs Holly (Zoe Boesen), and her indolent brother George (Harvey Zielinski) are also desperate to keep Catherine quiet - but because they stand to benefit from Sebastian’s will and Mrs Venable is blocking them. Sebastian’s garden set, as designed by Mr Teh, is a claustrophobic, foetid place with walls of grey vine and just a hint of magnolia and hanging bromeliads above. It sets the tone perfectly. Sound design by Daniel Nixon is
pervasive and melodramatic, which is entirely appropriate here. Katie Sfetkidis’ lighting works through a constant haze until Catherine is isolated in a golden glow and at last the truth is spoken - so forcefully, so vividly, so bravely that even Mrs Venable cannot escape it. We hang on every word delivered by this great cast in which Ms Vuletic, with her ruthless but sentimental cruelty, and Ms Cole, fighting to cling to what she witnessed with pity and terror, sweep all before them. Michael Brindley The Madwoman Of Chaillot Based on La Folle De Chaillot by Jean Giraudoux. Translated & adapted by Maria Plumb & Rod Thompson. Villanova Players, Brisbane. Aug 25 - Sep 9. WRITTEN before the end of World War II, at a time when Paris was still occupied, The Madwoman Of Chaillot was one of the first plays to explore environmental issues. A group of money-hungry capitalists are happy to destroy Paris in their search for oil until the Madwoman devises a devious plan to stop them forever. Despite being a bit wordy, Maria Plumb and Rod Thompson’s adaptation is amusing and at times very funny. Glynne Liddy’s Madwoman, Countess Aurielle, was masterful in her manipulation to achieve her aims and a strong protagonist. Pat Wocknor’s Gabrielle was awash with whimsy, Mary Woodall’s Josephine was a delightfully away with the pixies Judge, but it was Maria Plumb’s Constance who wryly captured the laughs with her invisible
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pooch Dickie. Together their act-two tea party was a riot of madness. Paul Liddy wore the “black hat” well as the ruthless investor President, with good support from Brian Cannon as the Baron and Desley Nichols as the Banker. Thompson, doing double duty as director and set designer, captured the eccentric milieu of the play well (helped by strains of familiar accordion music) whilst the motley haute courtier of the costumes was strikingly accurate, especially Plumb’s long flaming-red flapper dress with feather fascinator. It was a show-piece. Peter Pinne
Ben Gerrard in Bell Shakespeare’s The Misanthrope. Photo: Brett Boardman.
The Misanthrope By Molière. A new version by Justin Fleming. Bell Shakespeare. Playhouse, Sydney Opera House. Aug 28 - Sep 28. JUSTIN Fleming is a master at adapting Molière’s old satires and couplets into our contemporary vernacular. Here Fleming takes on Molière’s most famous play about the man who despises the false flattery and conniving of his peers yet pines for a faithless love-rat called Cymbeline. But in an inspired gender play, Fleming makes he a she, an engagingly robust Danielle Cormack as Alceste, and Cymbeline an egocentric Sydney party boy, swearing love to her but playing off a trail of mostly male admirers. This parade marches through Dan Potra’s backstage studio cluttered with props old and new, but centred on a very contemporary white photographic background perfect for strutting vanities. There Ben Gerrard’s Cymbeline does it best, sporting his porn star appeal to stirring musical interludes from composers Max Lambert and Roger Lock. Director Lee Lewis though also elicits a tender truth from her excellent cast of unrequited lovers as they give full voice to Fleming’s wittily updated rhymes. Molière speaks here to our own age of cosmetic image, selfies and fake truths. By end, Cymbeline’s outrageous games are revealed but, unlike with Shakespeare, there’s no blunting the satire with the sweetness of restored true love - except for two women who find themselves. One is the indomitable Rebecca Massey; Simon Burke also commands as the guarded Arsenio; and Hamish Michael is true as the musician who sues Alceste for panning his lyrics. With Matthew Marshall’s feast of lighting and Potra’s sleekly modern costumes, this Misanthrope thrills all our senses. Martin Portus Julius Caesar By William Shakespeare. Bell Shakespeare. Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio. Jul 18 - 28, and touring. THE virtues of this ‘poor theatre’ production of Julius Caesar are its simplicity and clarity. The cast is small and young; casting is colour and gender-blind; and there is some interesting doubling. Plebeian Romans are represented by evocative bursts of music and sound from sound designer Nate Edmondson. Verity Hampson lights 72 Stage Whispers
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downstage and upstage fades into gloom. The set is some scaffolding, steps and platforms that can stand in for rostra, podia, Brutus’ home or battlefield tent. Some of these decisions by director James Evans and designer Anna Tregloan have to do with this being a touring production. Some throw new light on the text; others again are puzzling. For instance, Ivan Donato’s Brutus is not an aristocratic over-thinker, but instead a genial, ordinary sort of bloke. This diminishes Brutus’ tragedy and reduces the drama of the assassination plot and his having to justify it. Nick Simpson-Deeks speaks with admirable clarity, but there’s not much menace to his Cassius. Emily Havea seems awkward as Calphurnia but shines as the smug future dictator Octavius. An irrepressible Ghenoa Gela plays Casca for laughs: she’s entertaining and a wonderful clown - so we almost forget that this not Shakespeare’s Casca. Kenneth Ransom’s Caesar is no victorious military commander, no incipient dictator who must be assassinated to ‘save’ the republic. Instead, he’s remote and almost pathetic. But most interesting is Sara Zwangobani as Marc Antony - a radical departure from the usual playboy opportunist, yet she makes perfect sense of the ‘I come to bury Caesar’ speech, hitting every note that shows Marc Antony’s purpose. This production strips the play to its essentials: the story qua story is simple. As it tours it should provoke discussion of motives and why this play matters now. Michael Brindley That Eye, The Sky Book by Tim Winton, stage adaptation by Justin Monjo and Richard Roxburgh. State Theatre Company SA. Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre. Aug 24 - Sep 16. TIM Winton has said, ‘Closure is a sort of confection; it’s a construct that people wrestle on to the messiness of life. But life is open-ended and cyclical, more ragged, more strange, harder to wrangle neatness out of than people will admit.’ None of this approach to Winton’s narratives about life is lost in the stage adaptation of his book That Eye, The Sky, produced by State Theatre Company SA. That Eye, The Sky is told from the perspective of twelveyear-old Ort Flack who lives an isolated life with his family on a farm in rural W.A. Early in the narrative, Ort’s father is severely brain damaged in a car accident. This creates devastating change for Ort’s family, impacted even more when a mysterious drifter turns up at the house. Tim Overton produces a brilliant, believable performance as warm-hearted, impulsive and loving 12-year-old Ort Flack. Elena Carapetis (Ort’s mother Alice) embodies the strength and stoicism of rural women. Kate Cheel is superb as Ort’s rebellious sister Tegwyn, who is a sarcastic, emotionally fraught teenager. Bill Allert is very convincing in the difficult role of semicomatose Sam Flack. Christopher Pitman is very fine as the mysterious, damaged drifter Henry Warburton. Support cast also do well. Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
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Director Kate Champion’s background in dance and choreography is evident in her direction, with a dreamlike aura to the overall performance, physicality and pace. Infused with tragedy, love, conflict and human failings, That Eye, The Sky surely leaves audience members with plenty to contemplate about ourselves. Lesley Reed Outside Mullingar By John Patrick Shanley. Centenary Theatre Group. Community Centre, Chelmer, Brisbane. Sep 15 - Oct 6. SET in the recent past on two rural properties in county Westmeath, Ireland, John Patrick Shanley’s Outside Mullingar is basically a romcom of unrequited love between two middle-aged farmers, Anthony and Rosemary. But being Irish, of course, there’s a lot of talk of death (it opens just after a funeral) and with the constant off-stage sound of rain, it’s a constantly bleak and gloomy atmosphere. Although it took a while to warm up, Rod Felsch’s production finally took off in the second act when Meg Hinselwood as Rosemary squared off against Patrick Farrelly’s Anthony. The sparks flew, their (Irish) tempers flared, and we could see the ending just around the corner, but Hinselwood and Farrelly made us work for the denouement with well-timed rapier wit and the author’s lyrical spin on everyday language. Brian Hinselwood captured the mordantly ironic Tony with deadpan accuracy which culminated in a tender death bed scene, whilst Penny Murphy’s recently widowed Aoife was a sharp-tongued delight. At times the rural dialect was difficult to break through, which was not helped by the acoustics, but by play’s end it didn’t seem to matter when the mismatched lovers embraced. Peter Pinne A Midsummer Night’s Dream By William Shakespeare. Pop-up Globe, The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, Sydney. Directed by Miles Gregory. Sep 5 - Nov 4. POPPED up in the heart of Moore Park’s Entertainment Quarter is a full-size replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and it’s really something. This 200-tonne, 3-storey conglomeration of scaffolding and seats faces a really big stage that guarantees brilliant, up-close contact with the actors. Pop-up Globe is divided into two companies, one offering all-male shows, the way they were done in Shakespeare’s day, the other giving actresses a go. Opening their 4-play season with Shakespeare’s best-loved comedy, the all-male team go full speed ahead and you hardly notice what’s missing, so self-consciously skilled are Hermia (Max Loban) and Helena (Thomas Wingfield). Their boyfriends, Demetrius (Patrick Carroll) and Lysander (Will Alexander), are delightfully in on the joke. The other woman, Titania, Queen of the Fairies, is played by Asalemo Tofete, and he’s massively built. His/Her major conflict with Oberon (Jason Te Kare) and Puck (Jade Daniels) can only be guessed at for the dialogue between 74 Stage Whispers
these three is in Te Reo Maori - great gobs of it - and naturally I was lost. To have all the magic come with a Pacific Island background is great, but not pages (and pages) of important speech. Not that it seemed to bother the opening nighters, who loved the to-and-fro between Bottom (Chris Huntly-Turner) and his audience and the combined tomfoolery of the Mechanicals as they scrape together their play for the Duke. Frank Hatherley Run For Your Wife By Ray Cooney. Gold Coast Little Theatre. Director: Dorothy Henderson. Sep 1 - 22. FARCE is described as a boisterous comedy and this production had it all - a laugh-a-minute script executed by a very talented cast under the direction of an equally talented lady. By the end of the show the audience was divided between envy and pity for the taxi driver bigamist “John Smith”, played brilliantly by Noel Thompson, with unwitting support from his neighbour, Bob Allen, and to the frustrations of his two wives, Linda Furse and Natalie Stephenson, much to the amusement of the “strong arm of the law”, Nathan Schulz and Bruce Alker Jnr, and the frequently sashaying visits from the gay dressmaker George Pulley. A single set represented the living area of both of the flats, which easily showed all the “comings and goings”, and the cast never missed a beat in their timing with “double entendres” left, right and centre - much to the audience’s delight! The play maintained a hectic pace throughout and by the conclusion both cast and audience felt exhausted. Roger McKenzie Tom, Dick & Harry By Ray and Michael Cooney. Tea Tree Players (SA). Director: Barry Hill. Oct 10 - 20. IF comedy is hard, then farce is especially so. For a really crackerjack farcical comedy to have been written in the first place is relatively rare; to see it staged and performed at the level of true expertise required feels like a privilege. TTP’s production of Tom, Dick & Harry is all of this, and more besides: it’s a joy! The premise is really just a bit of shamelessly silly nonsense, but this is the kind of show that is all the more wonderful for the degree to which it embraces the inherent nature of the genre that it inhabits. Barry Hill once more proves himself an expert and a master at whipping up a wildly funny time on stage, directing this show with a breathless pace that exhilarates without ever tipping over into the kind of irritating, unsympathetic hysteria that can so easily bring farce undone. The leading man is Adrian Heness, whose virtuoso performance here as Tom Kerwood - requiring him on stage almost without a break in sight - is very likely his best and most impressive work yet. The entire supporting ensemble
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Stuff Happens. Photo: Jon Green.
surrounding Heness is as high-quality and hard-working as he is. Tea Tree Players can usually be relied upon to deliver, at minimum, a good fun time, but with Tom, Dick & Harry, you can be guaranteed of a great fun time. Bravo! Anthony Vawser
Stuff Happens By David Hare. WAAPA Final Year Acting Students. Directed by Gregg T. Daniel. The Roundhouse Theatre, WAAPA, Mt Lawley, WA. Aug 24 - 30. DAVID Hare’s Stuff Happens is a historical, political drama about the U. S. Invasion of Iraq. Dealing with real life events and people, it is performed as an ensemble piece Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks by the Final Year Acting Students at WAAPA. By Richard Alfieri. Javeenbah Theatre, Nerang, Gold Coast. Riley Tapp designed a clean, panelled stage, and projections and vision help create a myriad of locales. Director: Gaye Gay. Sep 7 - 22. ACCORDING to the adage ‘opposites attract’, and a Rapidly changing settings are also differentiated by Bradley prime example of this is Javeenbah’s production of Six Hodgkiss’ lighting, with sound design by Matthew Clark and composition by Patrick Middleton adding emotion. Dance Lessons in Six Weeks. This two hander is a ‘tour de force’ with consummate Interestingly, female actors playing males are costumed performances from Joanne-fae Worland as Lily and Andrew as women, with high heels and feminine suits by designer Kara Roosseau, who also uses colour to distinguish between Cockcroft-Penman as Michael. Set in a Florida Seniors Living apartment, the widow of a the different nations, in a subtle and clever design scheme. Jarryd Dobson leads the cast as George W. Bush, nailing southern Baptist Minister is seeking dance lessons from a mannerisms and voice patterns in a convincing and layered former Broadway ‘hoofer’ turned Ballroom dance instructor. Both live lonely lives - both crave for performance. Shannon Ryan is a sympathetic and surprisingly believable Tony Blair. James Thomasson brings companionship and along the journey there are little lives and fiery exchanges intertwined with a lot of great dancing. depth to the moral quandary faced by Colin Powell, with Director Gaye Gay has crafted this abrasive combination Teresa Moore creating a sophisticated and intelligent into a very enjoyable two hours of great theatre with never portrayal of Condoleezza Rice. a dull moment. This show has pace and panache. The remaining cast play multiple roles with conviction, Javeenbah’s intimate 100 seat theatre is perfect for this making strong decisions and creating clear distinctions. Stuff Happens is not an easy show to watch, both from style of entertainment. A wonderful theatre treat! the rage you feel as an audience for the situation and for the intricacy of the story. The standard of the performances Roger McKenzie makes it a riveting watch. Kimberley Shaw Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
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Accidental Death Of An Anarchist. Photo: Daniel Boud.
Online extras!
Catch the trailer for Accidental Death Of An Anarchist. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/3UnFdeE_Ohw Accidental Death Of An Anarchist By Dario Fo, adapted by Francis Greenslade with Sarah Giles. Sydney Theatre Company. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. Sep 10 - Oct 27. IN what’s a true story, an anarchist plunged to his death from the fourth floor of the Milan police station in 1969. He was likely thrown out by cops during a long interrogation, following a bomb attack probably planned by fascists. Corrupt police and extremists, fake news and the distracting power of scandal: it’s all still happening. The challenge today is to refresh the farcical buffoonery with which Dario Fo tells this story, trying to rouse Italian workers to activism. Besides reworking the script with co-adapter Frances Greenslade, director Sarah Giles sharpens Fo’s satirical knife by casting women in drag as this crude, incompetent police force. Amber McMahon is perfectly agile as the compulsive impersonator, an anarchist himself, arriving it seems to lead a judicial investigation into the cock-up. Jonathan Oxlade’s tacky, delightfully detailed 1970 office, with a wide view of Milan’s cityscape, has enough tricky doors and cute props for McMahon to show her fleet -footedness. Julie Forsyth’s balding, incompetent Bertozzo, Bessie Holland’s grossly malevolent Pisani and Caroline Brazier’s straight man if amoral Superintendent are each comic gems to match McMahon. With sound punctuation from Stefan 76 Stage Whispers
Gregory, the pace mostly rips along with a wit balanced between inventive and just silly. And Oxlade’s period Italian costumes add further joy. When the cops are finally questioned by a leading journalist (Annie Maynard), their male threat of real violence is clear. And Fo’s analysis of their political skullduggery is mightily entertaining. Martin Portus ‘Night, Mother By Marsha Norman. Directed by Gino Cataldo. Old Mill Theatre, South Perth, WA. Oct 5 - 20. FOR those seeking good theatre, rather than “a good time” Old Mill Theatre’s ‘night, Mother, was a great choice. This intense two hander was a successful directorial debut for Gino Cataldo. The performances he extracted were excellent. Caroline McDonnell was believable in her performance as Jessie Cates, an epileptic divorcee, caring for her widowed mother and suffering from chronic depression. We learn early in the show that she has determined to take her own life. Suzannah Churchman has a wonderful ability to play much older than her true age with great conviction, playing Thelma Cates, an elderly widow whose powerlessness in the face of her daughter’s decision was palpable. The women work together brilliantly and the audience was completely engaged throughout.
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George Boyd designed and created a highly realistic set that gave the audience greater immersion in the story, the addition of multiple clocks, counting time away, an unnerving touch. John Woolrych’s lighting design was less organic, and at times is a little jarring. Good drama with heartfelt performances. Kimberley Shaw Blasted By Sarah Kane. Malthouse Theatre - The Merlyn. Aug 24 Sep 16. IF you love, or hate, or are completely overwhelmed by it, there is no doubting that Blasted is an astonishing production of an extraordinary play. This particular rendition boasts a stunning set by Marg Horwell and is directed with exquisite finesse by Anne Marie Sarks. It is very powerful and pervading theatre, the type of work that one mulls over for days and days because it offers rich perceptions and startling insights. Opening as a two hander, seemingly based in naturalism, we watch a tortured dysfunctional relationship that activates concerns about abuse and domestic violence. Two helplessly mismatched individuals, a young woman played by Eloise Mignon and older man by David Woods, spend time together in an upmarket hotel room. Emotional blackmail, psychological manipulation and violence reign. As the work progresses it becomes a vastly more extensive study of ‘man’s inhumanity to man’. Nothing is sacred and it speaks of deep primitive masculine drives towards brutal sexual violence. Kane seems to be trying to investigate the masculine need (of some men) to sexually abuse. One must pay homage to Eloise Mignon, David Wood and Fayssal Bazzi. Their capacity and courage, as actors, to work with the intimacy and trust required to truthfully communicate their characters’ experiences is astonishing. Sound by Jethro Woodward is superb. This is one of those gems of theatre that we so often hope to find but very seldom do. Suzanne Sandow A View From The Bridge By Arthur Miller. Grads. Dolphin Theatre, University of Western Australia. Oct 17 - 20. YOU might expect this 1955 drama to be rooted in realism, with a highly detailed set. Director Barry Park flipped this idea. Performed on a stark set, well constructed by Gary Weltherilt, we were given little sense of place. It was played almost in the round, with some seating on the stage, and performed without an interval. These changes had the effect of focusing us much more on the acting, a great decision given this highly talented cast. Dean McAskil soared as Eddie. A strong, convincing and highly emotive performance, we saw his conflict and sympathised with him against our will as he anchored the show beautifully. Sally Barendse was excellent as Beatrice, attempting to be a voice of reason, in a well nuanced portrayal.
Grace Edwards was niece Catherine, in perhaps her best performance to date, a lovely characterisation of a young woman maturing and finding her inner strength. She was nicely matched with Thomas Dimmick, in a stirring characterisation of illegal immigrant Rudolpho. David Cotgreave narrated, observed the action and played lawyer Alfieri with great feeling and precision. Judd Milner was solid as Rudolpho’s brother Marco. Good support from Emerson Brophy as Louis, and Neale Paterson and Matti Helm in their brief appearance as Immigration Officers. Sound, by Justin Camilleri and Daniel Toomath, provided punctuation and pushed emotions, while Mark Nicholson’s lighting design was bold and thought provoking. A production that was intelligently directed, expertly acted and very, very moving. Kimberley Shaw (dis)Solution By Ariella Stoian. tempest. Directed by Susie Conte. The Studio, Subiaco Arts Centre. Oct 16 - 20. WESTERN Australia’s feminist theatre company, tempest, presented its the WA premiere of (dis)Solution, a script developed by women, with an all female cast. Two very different sisters, Margot (Kylie Maree) and Abby (Madeleine Clouston), face the dilemma of what to do with their ageing grandmother, who can no longer care for herself. The women have very different opinions on the appropriate solution and we follow their journey as they search for an answer, and in the process, find themselves. Excellent teamwork from two fine young actresses, one of whom, Madeleine, collaborated on the original production of this show. The characters are fully developed, have a believable history and beautifully layered connections. A very simple setting takes us from Abby’s messy share house, to a car journey south, a hospital waiting room and cafe, and the verandah of a country home, with ease and simple changes. This hour long show tells a compelling story that was a pleasure to watch. Kimberley Shaw Sleuth By Anthony Shaffer. Ipswich Little Theatre. Director: Les Chappell. Incinerator Theatre, Ipswich. Sep 19 - Oct 6. SLEUTH has long been a favourite on the community theatre circuit. Andrew Wyke is a successful mystery writer obsessed with game-playing. He lures his estranged wife’s lover, travel agent Milo Tindle, to his house where he persuades him to embark on a scheme to steal his wife’s jewellery as part of an insurance scam. The game begins and once Milo is into it, he quickly becomes an avid player until Wyke reveals the whole exercise was to frame Milo as a thief, giving him an excuse to shoot him. It’s a complicated plot which keeps the audience guessing as to what is real and what is not.
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Callum Campbell played the pompous and selfimportant Wyke with a cunning deviousness, a man who relishes the play and one-upmanship and who was determined to succeed. His humiliation in defeat was palpable. As his foe, Aaron Watson was a well-matched Milo, giving as much as he got then slyly turning the tables as he sought revenge. His second-act turn as the local plod was hilarious, complete with Groucho Marx glasses and nose and a regional accent. Together they were a formidable pair as they played out Shaffer’s bizarre games on an appropriately cluttered set that included a stainedglass window, tiffany lamp and life-size teddy bear. Peter Pinne
archways - custom-made for hiding and eavesdropping in on the action - which the audience are invited to do. In this interpretation of the play, it is not only men who are hooked by the hypnotic pull of power. As the scheming Cassius, Lisa Hickey offers a standout performance as one who has aspirations but not the courage to see them through. Instead she plants the seed of ambition in Brutus and sets the stage for the conspirators to bring down the head of state. Director Adrienne Costello uses the maze-like setting to add momentum to the action. The audience is constantly on the move, following the performers into different rooms. As Caesar, Peter Condon could be a strong ex-military man but he lacks the looming dictator’s air and gravitas to explain the conspirator’s ardent bent. Brent Schon’s Brutus is more knife-edged, his own craving for Betty Grumble: Love And Anger By Emma Maye Gibson. Presented by Brisbane Festival and control sharply drawn and clearly visible on his face. QUT. Theatre Republic - The Block. Sep 18 - 29. The use of smartphones as part of the action hints at the media frenzy that would have occurred had these THE sex clown character Betty, played by her creator Emma Maye Gibson, is a fearless, glamorous, strong, punk events happened today - perfect timing with recent rock artist. You’ll can feel the love in the room as this shenanigans in Australia politics. There would not be an talented performer guides you through her mix of bawdy audience member who did not feel part of the action in this humour and egalitarian intellectualism. Themes of gender immersive encounter with Shakespeare. inequality, environmentalism, spirituality and love dominate Beth Keehn the work. It’s like wild anarchy, yet you can tell it’s controlled, rehearsed and considered. The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged) The first, striking element of this modern art piece is the By Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield. Newcastle hand-painted costume and set. Betty’s face is an extreme Theatre Company, at the NTC Theatre, Lambton. Aug 25 clown parody of modern make up styles, challenging the Sep 8. beauty myth. Her grunge take on a Georgian wig completes WHEN I checked my notes after the show’s conclusion a visually stunning look that evolves throughout the show. on opening night, I found that the two halves had a total The performance consists of music and singing, running time of 97 minutes: the length the show’s energetic dancing, storytelling and performance art. Emma development and acting trio - Adam Long, Daniel Singer has a marvellous singing voice during the musical sections and Jess Winfield - had declared it to be. This showed how and she applies her dance talent with gusto. The music well the production team, including director John Wood provides the perfect mood at each stage of the production. and actors Beth Aubrey, Jo Cooper and Claire Thomas, had Sound and lighting cues are picked up with perfect timing. put the work together. And the audience reactions, with Emma spends extended periods of time naked, but her frequent loud laughter and big smiles on the faces of nudity is completely justified and often laugh-out-loud watchers taken on stage to play characters, certainly funny. She presents a wonderful celebration of the female confirmed that. body, juxtaposed with humour centred around the less Likewise, the interactions of the female acting team, pleasant bodily functions. In that respect, the scripting is who used their own names when addressing each other somewhat Shakespearean; jokes for the groundlings between sequences, confirmed the timelessness of intertwining with highly philosophical concepts and social Shakespeare’s plays, written in an era when only men were commentary. This is world-class clowning and cabaret by a allowed to perform on stage. It’s also significant that the brave and talented performer who is delivering important director chose three women after holding auditions. political messages. The brisk staging of short scenes from the Bard’s 17 Kiesten McCauley comedies which amusingly show how much repetition there was in these funny works also showed how deserving Julius Caesar he is to be called the world’s greatest playwright. And, By William Shakespeare. Adapted and directed by Adrienne while most of the second act was a send-up of Hamlet, the way the actors added humour to what is generally a Costello. heartBeast Theatre. Spring Hill Reservoir. Oct 5 20. gripping work reinforced how well he put together a THE dark caverns of the Spring Hill Reservoir are the diverse group of characters in a tragedy. Tongue-in-cheek perfect location for this new interpretation of Julius Caesar - references the staging team added, such as seeing a manly the ultimate conspiracy tale. Presented by Brisbane-based, Shakespearean figure as The Bachelor and hand-held doll indie company, heartBeast Theatre, this is a streamlined figures as members of a pop-up glove puppet theatre, also version of one of Shakespeare’s most famous pieces. The added to appreciation of the Bard. reservoir is a series of large and dank rooms, linked by Ken Longworth 78 Stage Whispers
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Reviews: Musicals
Online extras!
The opening night audience couldn’t get enough of Jersey Boys. Scan or visit https://youtu.be/gGZTX4bPK00 Jersey Boys. Photo: Jeff Busby.
Jersey Boys Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Music by Bob Gaudio. Lyrics by Bob Crewe. Dodger Theatricals, Rodney Rigby and TEG-Dainty. Capitol Theatre, Sydney. Opening night: Sep 6. JERSEY Boys has made a return to Sydney a decade after it first opened here and the show still packs a punch. The story of Franki Valli and The Four Seasons - four American teenagers with police records who moulded themselves into one of the best selling music acts of all time - is a riveting ‘rags to riches’ yarn. All their hits are in the show “Fallen Angel”, “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Oh What a Night”, “My Eyes Adored You” and more. They are performed with high energy by a great cast who well deserved their standing ovation on opening night. Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice’s book has snappy clever dialogue with jokes about the mafia dominated Jersey neighborhood the group grew up in. The big hook of this show is that unlike some musicals most of the characters have many sides to them and the story is based on real life. Each of the Jersey Boys gives us their own version of the group’s rise to fame and ultimate bust up. The four leads of Franki Valli (Ryan Gonzalez), Tommy DeVito (Cameron MacDonald), Bob Gaudio (Thomas McGuane) and Nick Massi (Glaston Toft), are backed by a good supporting cast of wives, girlfriends and music industry wheeler dealers. The women’s roles in the show are minor, but the story is after all about four men.
Well directed, great choreography and a quirky Kiara Zieglerova set with large industrial frames and projections of real 1960’s television audiences on either side of the stage for scenes set in television studios and pop art cartoons projected behind some of the action add to the appeal. A must see. Jamelle Wells Heathers The Musical Book, Music and Lyrics by Kevin Murphey and Laurence O’Keefe. Based on the film written by Daniel Waters. Dramatic Productions (ACT). Directed by Kelly Robert and Grant Pegg. Gungahlin Theatre. Oct 12 - 27. DRAMATIC Productions have pulled together a great show which is surprisingly chirpy but maintaining a lot of the jagged edges of the movie. Belle Nicol makes a less morally ambiguous Veronica Sawyer than Winona Ryder was. Ms Nicol conveys a mix of chutzpah, vulnerability and intelligence and has a bold, confident voice, nailing “Beautiful”, “Fight For Me” and “Prom or Hell”. Dark and handsome, Will Huang makes a great JD. Huang brings together JD’s charm and psychopathy, oozing dangerous charisma. There’s enough chemistry between him and Veronica, although arguably more in one direction than the other. The duets between the two were great; the leads having strong compatible voices. Charlotte Gearside (Heather Chandler), Maddy Betts (Heather Duke) and Mikayla Brady (Heather McNamara) are relishing the peak mean girls of the three Heathers. Their
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trio “Candy Store” was a highlight, with the three exuding an exaggerated bitchiness and they sing fabulously together. Pippin Carroll and Pierce Jackson are gloriously awful as jocks Ram and Kurt and don’t miss a beat on the awkwardly explicit “Blue”. If there was a detraction, it was the lighting. People on stage were often inadequately lit - at one stage, the three Heathers were in the centre of the stage with the leftmost highlighted in a natural yellow/white while the other two were lost in a muted red. The cast would disappear into the gloom while singing solos. Dramatic Productions’ Heathers is a dark nostalgic trip with a killer script and lyrics. Highly recommended for those with a twisted outlook. Cathy Bannister Spring Awakening Music: Duncan Sheik. Book & Lyrics: Steven Sater. Underground Broadway. Director: Tim Hill. Musical Director: Dominic Woodhead. Choreographer: Deanna Castellana. Metro Arts, Brisbane. Aug 24 - Sep 2. SINCE it premiered on Broadway, Spring Awakening has gone onto success on international stages. This rock musical version of Frank Wedekind’s 1891 German play, with its themes of adolescent sexuality, teen suicide, peerpressure, abortion and homosexuality, still resonates with a contemporary immediacy. On a bare stage set dominated by a huge tree trunk, a young cast bring explosive energy to this potent hormonal
mix of angst and delirious first love. What elevates the production is Tim Hill’s stunningly effective and focused direction. Particularly admirable was his handling of the ambiguous first act finale with Wendla (Jacqui McLaren) slowly acquiescing to sex from a horned up Melchior (Harrison Aston). It was sensitive and awkward, but honest. McLaren opened with a lovely and haunting “Mama Who Bore Me”, whilst Aston dynamically led the ensemble with the show-stopping “Totally F****d”. Other highlights were Oliver Lacey (Moritz) leading the ensemble with “The Bitch of Living” and his mash-up with Ruby Clark (Ilse) of “Don’t Do Sadness” and “Blue Wind”. Tim Carroll (Hanschen) and Michael Nunn (Ernst) as the experimenting schoolboys had a nice moment of warmth and sweetness with the reprise of “The Word of Your Body”. As the two adults, in multiple roles as teachers and parents, Elise Greig and James Shaw brought concise vignettes of Victorian authority to this coming-of-age tale. Peter Pinne We Will Rock You Songs by Queen, Book by Ben Elton. Metropolitan Players. Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Aug 21 - Sep 1. WHILE using the songs of Queen to help tell a story about life in a future world might seem to be unworkable, this was a very enjoyable musical, with writer Ben Elton helping to make it gripping, funny and swinging. And the staging by director Julie Black and her team added to the pleasure, with the costumes, sets, lighting and occasional
Spring Awakening. Photo: Kenn Santos.
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projections giving the Earth (here known as iPlanet) a very different look to what we see around us, and the small band and large singing ensemble in the orchestra pit boosting the sound. The characters are a diverse bunch. Galileo (Dave Geise) is a graduating student who hears long lost lyrics and declares his refusal to conform in “I Want to Break Free”, with a female classmate, Scaramouche (Bec Kynaston), sharing his feelings. The nature of the rulers was shown by the unsmiling Killer Queen (Wendy Ratcliffe), in a song that has her name, and she was backed by Khashoggi (Dain Watts), a not very efficient head of police. The Bohemians, the rebels who want to have a better life, were brightly led by Brit (Brett Edman) and Oz (Nicolette Black), who show their hopes in “I Want It All” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, in which they were joined by Galileo and Scaramouche. Another key character is Buddy (Michael King), an elderly librarian who is trying to establish when the music died. In this show, however, the music was very much alive. Buddy certainly showed that, when singing “These Are the Days of Our Lives” while pouring drinks for the Bohemians in the Hard Rock Cafe, with them sharing his enthusiasm for the more relaxing way they could be living. So it wasn’t surprising that the fight for freedom had a very enthusiastic response from the younger inhabitants of iPlanet when Galileo subsequently led them in declaring that “We Are the Champions”. Ken Longworth Tarzan Music and lyrics by Phil Collins. Book by David Henry Hwang. Stray Cats Theatre Company. Directed by Karen Francis. Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, WA. Oct 11 14. THE jungle was gorgeously recreated in a highly detailed set designed by Bronwyn White and Karen Francis, with projection by Alan White - establishing high production values from the outset. Costumes were impressive, with makeup (Jodie Mars), giving credence to the gorilla characters. Jake Garner was strong in the title role, showing depth and complexity. Young Tarzan was played nicely by Angus Thomson. Vocal Director Kristie Gray created a wonderfully maternal Kala, working well with Kerchak (a moving performance by Robert Sardual). Best friend Terk was played with vivacious energy by Bailey Bridgman-Peters. There was strong support from a large tribe of gorillas who added colour and personality. Choreography by Leanne Driel catered well to broad abilities, using the stage well. Jane was given great sensitivity and lovely voice by Emily Lambert. Her father was as an audience favourite, in a nicely balanced comedic performance by Paul Hayward. Villainous Clayton was well played by Harry Stacey. Ryan White is strong as Snipes, Dean Moran moves brilliantly as the leopard, and Brendan Geuer and Asha Perry set the show in motion with lovely appearances as Tarzan’s parents.
Musical Director Vanitha Hart leads a live band that sounds superb. A feel-good production that looked and sounded top notch brought joy to large audiences. Kimberley Shaw The Marvelous Wonderettes - Dream On By Roger Bean. Ballina Players, Players Theatre. Directors: Paul and Sue Belsham. Aug 24 - Sep 9. FOLLOWING on from their successful season last year, the Players are presenting the sequel which brings us another 10 years down the track in the lives of this High School quartet and into the 70’s. Ballina has been fortunate in being able to present three of last year’s cast: Candace Baldwin, Helen Jarvis and Jo Fletcher (recreating their original characters) together with Mel Strawbridge and supported by a number of cameo appearances from some of the people in their lives. Once again, the directors have let the music be the hero of the piece with the many memorable hits loosely held together by banter, with the four performers being on stage for the entire performance. We were informed (prior to the performance) that there were several “deputies” in the pit, and one of the performers was unwell, but, with the occasional sip of water, she “soldiered on” and maintained the standard of the show. The rousing finale of the show, “We Are Family”, is the feeling one always gets from this theatre company. Roger McKenzie The Hatpin Music: Peter Rutherford. Book & Lyrics: James Millar. Oz Theatricals. Director: David Harrison. Musical Director: Julie Whiting. Spring Hill Reservoir, Brisbane. Sep 20 - 23. BRISBANE’S newest independent community theatre Oz Theatricals is presenting the Queensland premiere of Peter Rutherford and James Millar’s darkly themed musical The Hatpin. Set in Sydney in 1892 and based on a true story, director David Harrison has given this Dickensian tale an almost grand opera feel with a heightened sense of reality that underlines the horror of the plot - a young single mother who puts her baby into care with tragic results. Lara Boyle played the distraught mother Amber with zealous conviction. Her second-act solo “Something Like Being a Mother” seared with emotion. Carly Skelton’s Harriet brought some earthy humour to a piece sorely in need of light relief and scored with the comic “Bad Fruit”. The avarice driven Agatha was in good hands with Fiona Buchanan, likewise her partner-in-crime Charles, nicely played with controlled evil by Chris Kellett. Particularly impressive was the teenaged Tyallah Bullock as the troubled Clara, a difficult role that she carried off with a skill well beyond her years. Good support came from Tristan Ham as the prosecutor, Valdemar Jakobsen as the judge, and Christopher Batkin as an uncooperative editor. A string-heavy 10-piece group was in good hands with Julie Whiting, whilst costumes by Erin Tribble were sombre
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but appropriate for the period. Rutherford’s Sondheimesque score, more chamber opera than anything, is unrelenting in its intensity but it’s the perfect musical landscape for this harrowing tale. Peter Pinne
Tomfoolery Words & Music: Tom Lehrer. Adapted by Cameron Mackintosh and Robin Ray. Loaded Productions. Director: Theresa Borg. Gasworks Theatre, Gasworks Arts Park, Albert Park, Vic. Sep 12 - 22. TOMFOOLERY is a musical revue written in 1980 to Hello, Dolly! celebrate the songs of Tom Lehrer, songwriter and satirist. Words & Music: Jerry Herman. Book: Michael Stewart. His clever lyrics are not always in the best taste, but always Based on the play The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder. funny and often poking fun at the politics and issues of the Toowoomba Chorale Society. Director/Choreographer: Bec day. Stanley. Musical Director: Neil Roche-Kelly. Empire Theatre, This professional production was very well done. Tom Toowoomba. Sep 7 - 9. Lehrer himself appeared as a skeleton in a dinner suit, though he did change to an archbishop for “The Vatican HELLO, Dolly! has had a renaissance ever since Bette Midler’s 2017 smash Broadway revival. Jerry Herman’s Rag”. Directed by Theresa Borg, all the action was tight, hugely hummable score, coupled with Michael Stewart’s with some good choreography. As you’d expect from a smart and funny book, make it the perfect musical comedy. professional production, the comic timing was excellent. Toowoomba Chorale’s production of it may not be perfect, Rather than being the story of Tom Lehrer, it comprised many of his songs, with brief introductions for each. Peter but it does have its joys, not the least being director/ choreographer Bec Stanley’s terrific routines. Hurley was excellent on the piano, also joining in the vocals, Shannon Gralow, Toowoomba’s leading lady, a former and Susan-ann Walker accompanied a couple of his songs. Susan-ann was a typical brassy belter, and an excellent Maria and Mary Poppins, was more of the latter. She sang it well, she got the laughs and her terpsichorean talents foil to Michael Dalton and Sean Weatherly. Though all were extremely polished. It was a totally professional and songs were originally written as solos, some involved some or all of the participants, which included some lovely winning performance and she looked great in the famous second-act red dress. harmony singing. It was a fast-paced show, with the stage being reset Opposite her as Horace Vandergelder was Justin Tamblyn, who played irascible with charm. Nimble on his during the applause so they were ready to launch into the feet, he led the male chorus in a testosterone fuelled “It next number. At the end the audience was left wanting more - always Takes a Woman”. Best of all however were James Taylor’s Cornelius and a good sign. Gabe Tiller’s Barnaby. They added joire de vive to the whole Graham Ford production whenever they appeared and their “Dancing” routine was a riot. Sarah Van Tricht’s uncertain solo vocals Shrek The Musical marred what was otherwise an OK performance of Irene Music by Jeanine Tesori, with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. Based on the Dream Works animation Molloy, whilst Briony Scotton’s Minnie Fay was ebullient and perky. motion picture and book by William Steig. PRIMA. Directed Jack Lee and Adelaide Cool coupled well as Ambrose by Miranda Selwood. Redcliffe Cultural Centre. Oct 5 - 14. and Ermengarde, but it was dependable Vicki Bravery who SHREK doesn’t mince words and neither will we: if brought some delicious low and vulgar comedy to Ernestina you’ve got a fluffy butt, and even if you haven’t, take it to Money’s cameo. Big bouquets to James Taylor’s tender the Redcliffe Cultural Centre this weekend and you won’t lump-in-the-throat version of “It Only Takes a Moment.” It regret it. captivated. The school holidays might be over but this production of Peter Pinne Shrek The Musical deserves the attention of everyone who has ever loved the Dream Works fairytale about an ogre who is forced to rescue a princess in a tower in order to reclaim his swamp. It is brilliant. The vocal talent is of a calibre you would expect of a mainstage QPAC musical, there are no weak links. On stage, every actor is switched on and in character, whether they are animating a gingerbread cookie, moving a tree off stage, hoisting Lord Farquaad into the air, or manipulating a giant puppet dragon. Nathaniel Currie, Lucy Bardsley, Zach Price and Tristan Vanyai appear to be mirror images of their film doubles of Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey and Lord Farquaad but you won’t be fooled for long. They extend (or shorten) their Get noticed on the Stage Whispers characters beyond the screen, bringing a vibrant energy to website with a premium listing the show that allows it to live in its own world, not as a www.stagewhispers.com.au/directory-central shadow of the film.
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82 Stage Whispers
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Sunday In The Park With George. Photo: Jon Green.
Vanyai’s knees would be taking a pounding in this show, but it was hard not to beg him to do one more encore; he is hilarious as the pint-sized would-be king, Lord Farquaad. And while we are talking about just one more, would it be presumptuous to ask Emily Hamacek to reprise her jazzy Dragon? Hers is a voice like melted chocolate and there isn’t enough chocolate in the world. This is a huge production of acting, singing, puppetry and dance, with almost 100 people involved. There’s a cast of 26, a 15-strong orchestra, a creative team of seven, and a production and support crew of more than 50. And they are all on point and bringing magic to the stage. Miranda Selwood has excelled herself with this show, and PRIMA as a supporter of emerging and established actors of all ages, is to be commended for its contribution to community theatre in Queensland. Debra Bela Sunday In The Park With George Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by James Lapine. WAAPA Third Year Music Theatre. Directed by Tyran Parke. Geoff Gibbs Theatre, WAAPA, Mt Lawley, WA. Aug 25 - Sep 1. WAAPA’s Third Year Music Theatre students near the end of their time at WAAPA with this musical about creative fulfilment and the plight of the artist, a highly polished, beautifully presented production showcasing the talents of this cohort and their creative contemporaries beautifully. Live action meets exquisite projection, beautiful costuming and notable lighting in a seamless collaboration
between director and creatives. Wonderful artistic cohesion from Set Designer Maeli Cherel, Costume Designer Georgia Manning, Lighting Designer Spencer Herd, Vision Designer James Glasson, Sound Designer Matthew Beaver, Stage Manager Catherine O’Donoghue and their departments. The role of George is mammoth, handled with a compelling performance by Jarrod Draper, a pleasure to watch. Prudence Daniels is outstanding in dual roles of Dot and Marie, bringing depth and wonderful honesty to her portrayal The remaining roles are smaller, but all of the performances are strong, with a strong commitment to character. Sunday in the Park with George shows a strong cast who seem ready to make their mark on the theatre world. Keep your eyes peeled for this dynamic young graduating class. Kimberley Shaw Songs For A New World Music & Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. Auckland Music Theatre. Directed by Minouk van der Velde. Sep 12 - 15. SONGS for A New World - It's about one moment. It's about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back. These are the stories and characters of today. This collection of early songs from Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Bridges of Madison County) examines life, love and the choices that we make. Brown transports his audience from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge, 57 stories above Fifth
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Stage Whispers 83
The Drowsy Chaperone.
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Join the cast for rehearsals of The Drowsy Chaperone. Scan the QR code or visit http://bit.ly/2CCPsSf Avenue, to meet an array of characters from a young man who has determined that basketball is his ticket out of the ghetto to a woman whose dream of marrying rich nabs her the man of her dreams, but a soulless marriage. The music is heavily influenced by a broad range of musical genres, including pop, gospel and jazz. Director Minouk van der Velde cleverly sets this song cycle in a cabaret setting, in what appears to be an internet café, where the seven characters gather but tell their own individual collection of stories, never to meet. The seven actor/singers are sublime vocalists, the difficult harmonies are gorgeous and when the voices all blend it is musical heaven. I had some standout favourite moments - “Just One Step” sung by Delia Hannah, Jennifer Quail-Allen’s “Christmas Lullaby” and Bevan Williams’ emotional rendition of “King of The World”. Anthony Cotton, Bridget Chasemore, Caroline Everitt and Jesse Reynolds were all equally as impressive in this vocal masterclass. The Musical Director, Mark Bradley, enhances his reputation for excellence by both the vocal preparation and his band leadership. His piano performance was brilliantly supported by Graham Trail on bass, and Andrew Rooney on drums. The technical teams on lighting and sound were outstanding. Pauline Vella
84 Stage Whispers
The Drowsy Chaperone Music & lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. High Street Productions, at The SPCC Theatre, Waratah (Newcastle). Oct 13 - 20. THIS show is subtitled “A Musical Within a Comedy”, and in this production it was certainly a very amusing and engaging mix of the two forms of theatre. It begins with an old fellow, The Man in the Chair, gushingly explaining why he likes recordings of musical shows from his early life as he gets ready to listen to a vinyl recording of a 1928 production, The Drowsy Chaperone, and, while he talks, an elaborate set appears and then performers in colourful garb from that era. The staging team, headed by director Robert Stuart, made this one of the most delightful musical comedies that I have seen. Theo Rule’s chair man was a treasure, with a scene in which he mistakenly puts on a recording of the second act of a very different musical, so that the performers come on stage in exotic clothes, having the audience laughing very loudly. All the performances were splendid, with Rachelle Schmidt Adnum’s title character having a champagne glass in her hand for much of the time as the characters got ready for the marriage of an oil millionaire and an elegant showgirl. Tyran Stig’s groom, Robert Martin, brought the house down when he had to skate blindfolded to keep him away from the bride, and Zoe Walker’s bride, Janet, amusingly showed how being a stage star had led to a loss of reality. The other leading players likewise made their larger-than-life characters decidedly over the top, with one
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of a pair of gangsters, disguised as chefs and employed by a major investor in Janet’s latest musical to try to prevent the marriage from going ahead, threateningly telling marriage advocates that “I hope we have been very éclair”. Ken Longworth
RMT’s Theatre 102, where the audience was close to the action and could become involved in the excellent music. William Davies
Margaret Fulton: Queen Of The Dessert Book and Lyrics by Doug Macleod. Music by Yuri We Will Rock You Worontschak. Bondi Theatre Company. Bondi Pavilion Music and Lyrics by Queen. Story and Script by Ben Elton. Theatre. Oct 12 - 27. Redcliffe Musical Theatre. Directed by Madeleine Johns. THIS new musical is a winner, like the woman this show Aug 24 - Sep 9. immortalises, renowned Australian chef and cook book THIS rock musical is set in the distant future where writer Margaret Fulton. Fulton is now 94 and recently met everybody thinks, acts and dresses the same, under the up with this production’s magnificent team to put the control of Killer Queen. Musical instruments and composers cherry on top of this wonderful musical show. Her life is are forbidden and rock music is all but unknown. A group fascinating as she triumphs over poverty, adversity and a of Bohemians struggle to restore the free exchange of string of dud husbands to become Australia’s most famous thought, fashion and live music. Galileo, with his flashes of and followed writer chef. dreams, and his friend, Scaramouche, lead us on the road Her tale has been turned into a musical, with book and of discovery. That road is mainly through the music of lyrics by Doug Macleod and music by Yuri Worontschak. Queen - and what a great musical way to travel. There are lots of songs, plus dance, well delivered by the Director Madeleine Johns has devised an interesting cast of six actors. The mixing and baking is superbly done staging to highlight the music with a basically bare stage, by director Ruth Fingret and topped by wonderful steps to the upper acting area and a large screen. It works. choreography by Emma Jarman and Veronica Clavijo. All movement and the full use of the acting area were very This rollicking tale is driven by the marvellous Manon good. Naomi Drogemuller, as Killer Queen, was a Gunderson-Briggs playing Margaret Fulton. She embodies consistently nasty piece of goods, together with a very drive, dedication and charm. So, we see why Fulton good singing voice. Her underling, Khashoggi, was well overcame so many hurdles and became a great Australian played by Richard Rubendra. The main characters, Galileo success. Gunderson-Briggs is captivating and makes and Scaramouche, were played by Timothy Kennedy and believable all that occurs. She is ably supported by five Kaley Jones. They both sang clearly but, at times, more actor/singer/dancers who each play a variety of characters emotional inter-play would help the dream of the music. as we cruise through decades of Fulton’s life and The Bohemians, Yuppies and Gaga Kids all moved well achievements. Rebeca Spicer is a stand out as Fulton’s best and added strength to the production. In that group, I friend (amongst other roles). must mention John Chant as the kilt-wearing Britney at the Director Ruth Fingret is the ringmaster of this swirl of Hard Rock Café. I should mention that the Bohemians had story, songs and dance and she nails it by keeping up a taken the names of past rock singers - hence Britney. cracking pace, adding a pinch of sadness, a dollop of Tiffany Payne as Oz helped spread the bohemian dreams. happiness and a big serving of energy and excitement. The sound at times went astray but it worked quite well in Stephen Carnell Margaret Fulton: Queen Of The Dessert. Photo: Lightbox Photography.
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Stage Whispers 85
Nine The Musical.
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Watch scenes from Nine The Musical. Simply scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/lzEhYKxP40I Nine The Musical By Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston. Stage Art. Chapel Off Chapel. Oct 12 - 28. NINE The Musical is a true experiential stirring of the senses; a Broadway musical written by Arthur Kopit, based on Federico Fellini’s film 8 1⁄ 2, it is a wild adventurous story that explores the mind of a creative genius. Famous film director Guido (Anthony Scundi) is caught between a midlife crisis and a crumbling marriage, while being pressured to provide a script to appease his producer and keep the press at bay. Bereft of ideas, he spends time in Venice musing about all the woman in his life. Maury Yeston’s outstanding score provides a vivid, colourful canvas for Michael Ralph to direct and choreograph his stunning and talented cast. Protagonist Scundi is a gem at orchestrating an emotive circuit of song and dance around his women. He cheekily captures the portrait of the torn artist who clings to his muses with desperate unease, while the rest of the cast provide an alluring and magical backdrop to his plagued subconscious. This is an audacious production; performed in a confined space with minimal sets, it is driven by dynamic exuberant energy. Guido’s ideal muse and actress Claudia (Courtney Glass) delivers an emotive almost operatic rendition of “A Man Like You”, while in “Folies Bergeres” Guido’s sassy producer Lilliane La Fleur (Rebecca Morton) and company perform an alluring burlesque inspired song and dance routine, prodding Guido to create a musical. 86 Stage Whispers
Nine The Musical is a beguiling and charming production with fine detail to costume and dance that enhances character and song combination. The entire team are superb performers and each song is equally as fantastic as the next. This is a wonderful revival of Nine The Musical that never ceases to entertain and bedazzle us. Flora Georgiou Candide Music: Leonard Bernstein. Book: Hugh Wheeler after Voltaire. Lyrics: Various. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Conducted by Brett Weymark. Directed by Mitchell Butel. Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House. Sep 29 & 30. THIS lavish banquet of a production is an absolute treat for lovers of operetta and musical theatre. The first thing to knock your socks off is the tidal wave of sound. A sumptuous orchestra fills the Concert Hall stage, surrounded by up to 300 singers. The choir sounds both tight and energetic, and is a dynamic part of the production which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the birth of the composer Leonard Bernstein. At various times they move, change costume and radiate a joy of appreciation for the work. Candide is based on Voltaire’s 1759 novella of the same name. It “takes the audience on a round the world romp of idealistic optimism as it clashes with a series of absurdly unfortunate events” (program notes). It starts in a castle in
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Europe and traverses love, murder and mayhem to the new world. The format of a concert stage with principals entering the front, then popping in and out of the choir stalls was an excellent vehicle to feast on the genres of music succinctly described by the Director Mitchell Butel as “operetta, gavottes, waltzes, musical comedy, Wagnerian choral singing, and Gilbert and Sullivan patter songs.” Alexander Lewis as Candide was charismatic and sweet. However the show was stolen by Annie Aitken as Cunegonde. She acted with huge dollops of chutzpah and her soaring aria was stunning. Phillip Scott charismatically held the proceedings together both as a narrator and as the character Pangloss in the grand adventure. Kanen Breen milked every laugh possible from his camp character Maximillian. There was so much star wattage from the choir, cast, orchestra and lavish costumes from Brendan de la Hay that I began to wonder when Caroline O’Connor was going to appear and how crucial she was to the production. Eventually her character of the Old Lady entered the narrative providing a nice bit of icing on already delicious cake. David Spicer Strictly Ballroom Music & Lyrics: VARIOUS. Book: Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce, adapted by Terry Johnson. Ipswich Musical Theatre Company. Director: Cienda McNamara. Musical Director: Robert Clark. Sep 14 - 23. WHENEVER Strictly Ballroom was dancing (which was almost the entire show) this production soared. The choreography was the star of a very glitzy show. The David and Goliath story finds Scott and Fran winning the Pan Pacific Grand Prix after being ostracised by the dancing community for daring to create and dance their own steps. Mason Hayward, as the defiant Scott Hastings, danced like a champion. His solo routine to “On the Edge”, after being disqualified, was full of disappointed angst, while his “Paso Doble” finale, complete with bejewelled gold toreador’s jacket (mirroring the movie), captured the exhilaration and fire of the flamenco dance. Opposite him, Erica Naddeil blossomed from ugly-duckling to swan, in a spunky portrayal as Fran. Her song “Love is a Leap of Faith”, sung with her mother (Susan Glosco), was one of the second-act highlights. Best acting performance came from Adrian Carr as the obnoxious dance federation head, Barry Fyfe. He got laughs with little help from a clunky script. Annabelle Harbison was a deliciously bitchy Tina Sparkle, Kayla Fritz channelled the classic stage-mother with Shirley Hastings, Russell Reynolds displayed some nimble pins in his youthful flashback as Doug Hastings, but it was Susan Glosco’s Spanish mother Abuela who brought some heart to the piece. Kirralyn Strudwick (Kylie) and Mason Kidd (Luke) were a delight and sometimes stole the spotlight as future young ballroom obsessives. Peter Pinne
PERFORMING ARTS MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018. VOLUME 27, NUMBER 6 ABN 71 129 358 710 ISSN 1321 5965
All correspondence to: The Editor, Stage Whispers, P.O. Box 2274, Rose Bay North 2030, New South Wales. Telephone: (03) 9758 4522 Advertising: stagews@stagewhispers.com.au Editorial: neil@stagewhispers.com.au PRINTED BY: Spotpress Pty Ltd, 24-26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville, 2204 PUBLISHED BY: Stage Whispers PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION & DESIGN BY: PJTonline Solutions, email: pjtonline@pjtonline.com DISTRIBUTED BY: Gordon & Gotch, 25-37 Huntingdale Road, Burwood, 3125 DEADLINES For inclusion in the next edition, please submit articles, company notes and advertisements to Stage Whispers by November 25th, 2018. SUBSCRIPTION Prices are $39.50 for 6 editions in Australia and $60AUD elsewhere. Overseas Surface Mail (Airmail by special arrangement). Overseas subscribers please send bank draft in Australian currency. Maximum suggested retail is $6.95 including GST. Address of all subscription correspondence to above address. When moving, advise us immediately of your old and new address in order to avoid lost or delayed copies. FREELANCE CONTRIBUTORS Are welcomed by this magazine and all articles should be addressed to Stage Whispers at the above address. The Publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material. Black and white or colour photographs are suitable for production. DISCLAIMER All expressions of opinion in Stage Whispers are published on the basis that they reflect the personal opinion of the authors and as such are not to be taken as expressing the official opinion of The Publishers unless expressly so stated. Stage Whispers accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any opinion or information contained in this magazine. LIMITED BACK COPIES AVAILABLE ADVERTISERS We accept no responsibility for material submitted that does not comply with the Trade Practices Act. CAST & CREW Editor: Neil Litchfield 0438 938 064 Sub-editor: David Spicer Advertising: Angela Thompson 03 9758 4522 Digital production: Phillip Tyson 0414 781 008 Contributors: Cathy Bannister, Anne Blythe-Cooper, Mel Bobbermien, Michael Brindley, Rose Cooper, Kerry Cooper, Ken Cotterill, Bill Davies, Coral Drouyn, Jenny Fewster, Graham Ford, Peter Gotting, Frank Hatherley, Jude Hines, John P. Harvey, Barry Hill, Tony Knight, Neil Litchfield, Ken Longworth, Kiesten Mcauley, Rachel McGrath-Kerr, Roger McKenzie, Peter Novakovich, Shannon O’Connell, Peter Pinne, Martin Portus, Sally Putnam, Lesley Reed, Lisa Romeo, Suzanne Sandow, Kimberley Shaw, David Spicer, Penelope Thomas, Anthony Vawser and Carol Wimmer.
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Stage Whispers 87
Musical Spice
Bondi Theatre Company. Photo: Lightbox Photography.
in Melbourne in 2012 and was given a standing ovation. This time around, at the age of 94 and living in a distant nursing home, it was too much for her. Instead we did a road trip and took excerpts of the musical to the This has been one of the We would have been retired cooking superstar. hardest editions of Stage delighted to have Margaret We met at a home near Whispers ever for me to there. her nursing home. It complete my contributions Paul Keating turned up reminded me of the time I because I have been many times to Keating the met the Queen in 1992. drowning in pavlova. This is a Musical and Shane Warne There was the nervousness as cheeky reference to how busy famously got up on stage she entered the room for a I was staging the musical photo shoot for the with Eddie Perfect in Shane Margaret Fulton: Queen of Australian Women’s Weekly Warne the Musical. the Dessert at Bondi. Margaret Fulton attended no less. In walked the Queen of There have been many the premiere of her musical special moments. One 93 year old audience member turned up and recalled how Margaret used to have long pony tails when they were in primary school together (apparently he used to tug on them). Fourteen members of the Fulton family sat in the front row on opening night. So accurate was the portrayal of Margaret that her daughter confessed to being completely spooked that she had just seen her mother as a younger woman. 88 Stage Whispers November - December 2018
the Dessert, immaculately dressed. Margaret immediately made us laugh. She spotted Brett O’ Neill, who portrayed two of her three husbands. The first words that came out of her mouth were “he’ll do”. More flirtatious behaviour followed. Margaret let Brett know about the sexual prowess of her first husband, sang a duet with him, and at one stage would not let go of the actor. “You can all go now and leave us alone.” Other pearls of wisdom which flowed from her during the meeting included “if you meet a cad give him a kick” and “if there is food there I’ll eat it”. We had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the musical. My favourite write-up described the production as “chicken soup for the soul” and “a love letter to Australian ingenuity”. Audience members told me they love their Margaret Fulton cook books and enjoyed attending a piece of well written theatre focussed on a successful and iconic Australian woman. Long may the musical reign. David Spicer
Margaret Fulton shakes the hand of Brett O’Neill. Photo: Nica Photography.
Read scripts, listen to music and order free catalogue at: www.davidspicer.com.au david@davidspicer.com (02) 9371 8458
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