SPARK 2023

Welcome to Stage Whispers' annual School Performing Arts Resource Kit (SPARK). The aim is to provide school teachers with more tools to spark a love of theatre in their students. Please click through to the section that is relevant to you.

We welcome feedback on this edition and any suggestions you have for us to improve it in future years. Leave your comments here

All The World’s Their Stage

The long-awaited resumption of overseas Performing Arts excursions for students marks a return to normalcy, where teachers can provide opportunities for students to reconnect with their passions and to explore new cultural experiences. Shane Bransdon from Travel Gang reports.

For young performers, overseas excursions provide a platform to showcase their talents and to receive feedback from professional artists and industry experts. This exposure can help to further their careers and to establish new connections within the industry.

Drama students from Mackillop Catholic College, Warnervale, located on the Central Coast of NSW, are preparing for a tour to Los Angeles where they will participate in the Disney Imagination Campus performing arts program. The highly anticipated event is bringing with it a sense of hope and renewal after the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teacher Sharon Baird said, “after the challenges of remote learning and the halt to extracurricular activities, this tour provides a much-needed chance for our students to re-engage while growing as artists and performers.”

Recognising the benefits of overseas drama tours to provide opportunities for students to see world-class performances and to learn

from the techniques and styles of professional artists, Chantel Monro, Head Teacher of Drama at Cranbrook School, will be taking her students to Japan and England in September. “The Drama tour we have planned will be an invaluable, hands-on experience, offering students a unique insight into the performing arts and helping to build their skills and confidence,” explained Ms Monro. “Our students better understand the curriculum content through a lived experience.”

Sydney based youth theatre academy Fantasia Showstoppers has a Musical Theatre tour planned for students and their families to London and Paris, where they will undertake workshops with West End performers and acting classes at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

Group director David Catterall said, “Our young performers are looking forward to the chance to learn new techniques and styles, enriching their own artistic practice.” Similarly, Tahnae Luke, who is chaperoning 40 students from Newcastle to New York

in April, acknowledged, “Overseas performing arts excursions offer a chance to experience new and diverse forms of artistic expression.” This exposure to new cultures and ways of life can broaden perspectives and help to foster greater understanding and appreciation between different communities.

Youth theatre tour specialist Travel Gang has heralded the return of overseas excursions as a time for celebration. Daniel Stoddart from Travel Gang said, “It’s time for the arts to reclaim their place at the forefront of our cultural lives. Let us embrace this opportunity to inspire our students and open their eyes to the world.”

Whether you want your students to experience Broadway or undertake workshops in the techniques of Frantic Assembly or Complicité, the team at Travel Gang can use their connections with teaching artists around the world and custom design a Performing Arts tour for your students.

Kids do it effortlessly, they make and they believe. Adults can so easily forget the value of both. Theatre is all about making and thrives only on believing.

After the tumultuousness of the last couple of years, felt deeply in all schools, 2023 is a chance to come

together and celebrate the joy of theatre. So, what’s on?

A killer new production of Macbeth which wowed audiences in 2022 with its detail, spectacle, great performances and thrilling fights returns, playing a 4-week season at Seymour and Riverside. Macbeth: make a better world, set the time

free, silence the dark heart of tyranny. And Tyrants...careful what you believe! The world can prove a riddle.

The moving Romeo & Juliet returns. It has been hailed as one of Jove’s best productions visually divine, provocatively staged, a transporting world and honesty that deeply affected audiences. Romeo & Juliet: make friends, turn hate to love, soar above a common bound. Believe in your children, hear their voices, set them free.

And it’s finally a double bill of history plays that Artistic Director, Damien Ryan has always wanted to bring to the stage for students and teachers Henry IV, Part I and Richard III. Politics is always personal and chaos is contagious in that mad place called merry England!

Henry IV, Part I: make something of yourself, make sense of it all before it’s too late. Believe in yourself, underdogs bark loudest.

Richard III: make it up as you go along...that’s politics in the big, bad world. Believe there is another way, believe the past will haunt the future.

Sport for Jove wants to deliver quality productions that are committed to the authentic transformation of a text to stage and ensure that teachers attending will have the support they need.

Accompanying each production is a detailed (and free!) Teacher Resource Kit. It comprises an analysis of the play, a guide to the production, lesson activities, videos, photos and design materials. These materials are available for all shows and appropriate for multiple year levels from Stages 4-6.

Sport For Jove’s 2023 Education Season

Henry IV, Part 1: 1880 Hall, Feb 20 to 25

Richard III: 1880 Hall, Feb 27 to Mar 4; Orange Civic Theatre, Mar 8

Macbeth: Riverside Theatres, May 11 to 19; Seymour Centre, May 24 to Jun 2

Romeo & Juliet: Riverside Theatres, Jun 28 to 30; Seymour Centre, Aug 2 to 18;

HOTA QLD, Jul 20 to 21

sportforjove.com.au/educationseason2023

Sport For Jove theatre company previews their 2023 season in New South Wales, Queensland and beyond.

Sport For Jove’s Romeo & Juliet Photo: Seiya Taguchi.

Damien Ryan has compiled the report drawing on his extensive professional theatre career, work as a High School teacher, a lecturer at tertiary level, and two decades of creating work with young artists.

“Teaching these texts in high schools is easily the most rewarding professional experience I’ve had and it was also the central reason to build a theatre company for me, to give students unforgettable experiences of these works,” Ryan says.

Sport for Jove has other extracurricular opportunities for students. The Shakespeare Carnival is a statewide performance competition for students; the Shakespeare Residency is a week-long, in-school program; and their Youth Workshops are an opportunity for young performers in acting training outside of school hours. They can also tailor courses or experiences.

Finally, if you are a regional school, or unable to get students out on an excursion or have an incursion, Sport for Jove have a library full of digital offerings of their productions and symposiums.

Sport for Jove is back in 2023 with one of their best seasons ever and looking forward to coming together and making believe with you again in theatres, schools and backstage.

Online extras!

Check out the thrilling and atmospheric trailer for Sport For Jove’s Macbeth fb.watch/iM2PRI43HM

Sport For Jove’s Macbeth

Photo: Kate Williams.

HSC Plays At ACA

Actors Centre Australia has established a new education arm that will present four plays in its inaugural year at the company’s own theatre at Leichardt, in inner-western Sydney.

“We are thrilled to welcome HSC students for an immersive experience, exploring the challenging works that form part of their HSC English Curriculum,” said Actors Centre Australia’s Head of Acting, Adam Cook.

“Students will experience top class performances by professional actors (our very own ACA alumni), and an opportunity to discuss the rich and relevant content, with some of our industry’s best.”

For two of the plays, the performance will include an exclusive pre-recorded Q&A with the Australian

playwrights David Williamson and Joanna Murray-Smith.

“There will also be a session at the conclusion of each performance, hosted by the actors and/or the director, giving students and teachers the opportunity to engage directly with the creative team.”

The inaugural season comprises:

The Laramie Project (May 23 - 26). Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project’s searing play about a gay bashing in the US town of Laramie.

The Removalists (May 30 - Jun 2). David Williamson’s iconic play set in a

Discover more about ACA’s upcoming The Laramie Project and their entire 2023 range of school programs at actorscentreaustralia.com.au/education

crime-ridden inner suburb of Melbourne where a seasoned police Sergeant and a raw recruit are drawn into the lives of two women dealing with domestic violence and abuse.

The Female of the Species (Sep 58). Joanna Murray-Smith’s farce of switching allegiances. A hilarious riposte to the received idea that feminism and feminists are not funny.

The Shape of Things (Sep 12 - 15). Neil LaBute’s play pits gentle, awkward Adam against experienced, analytical, amoral Evelyn, a graduate student in art.

Performances are during the day, with one at night.

In other ACA news, the Bachelor of Performing Arts (Stage & Screen) has an extra two spaces available each year, with the intake lifting to 30. The degree now also accepts international students, building further on the diversity and inclusion of ACA.

Online extras!

Hear from graduate Oliver Crawford what makes ACA a great choice

fb.watch/iPaT2-brFR

Twelfth Night

Photo: Clare Hawley.

What is I Wanna Be Yours about?

I Wanna Be Yours

The experience of a young modern love in a big multicultural city is the subject of Melbourne Theatre Company’s May production I Wanna Be Yours, which is also part of the Company’s Education and Families Program. One of the stars, Oz Malik, explains why he believes it is a must see for students and the general public.

I Wanna Be Yours is about two people falling in love and navigating their intercultural relationship. It’s about the political context that influences our subconscious. The difficulties, happiness, complexities all wrapped into one.

What were your thoughts when you first read the script?

I first thought, this is somebody I know. I connected with it straightaway because I had similar thoughts growing up when I was in relationships. The story of a young person dating in a multicultural city like London, is a lot like me. I was also drawn to how authentic the nature of the writing is, it’s so real.

What excites you most about bringing this play to audiences?

People are probably looking forward to a different experience when it comes to acting and theatre and shows, and this is a story that is relevant to Melbourne culture. I think a lot of diaspora in the South Asian community as well will love it. Students will love it and I hope it will get new audiences through the door.

How would you have felt if you had seen this play when you were a student?

If I saw this play when I was a student, I would’ve felt so

I Wanna Be Yours

On the VCE Theatre Studies playlist, it is also suitable for school years 9 to 12. Playing at Southbank Theatre, The Lawler from May 11 to 27 before hitting the road for a regional tour. School bookings are now open. mtc.com.au

Online extras!

Oz Malik discusses the attraction of I Wanna Be Yours to a young audience. youtu.be/GCKUP45bMRM

proud. But also, seen. And I know that’s what people hear a lot now I want to be seen in theatre, I want to be seen on screen. And I think if this was out when I was a kid, it would have made life much easier.

It would have made my life seem normal and regular, seeing people like me having relationships. It would have made me realise I’m not alone in feeling like this. So my character of Haseeb is many, many people. And this is true of the other character in the play Ella is many, many people as well.

What are you most looking forward to about working on this show?

I can’t wait to work with the Director Tasnim Hossain. I’m also looking forward to working in the institution of Melbourne Theatre Company and the great team we have assembled. I think it’s a historical company and just to be able to perform and bring this story to students and people in Melbourne and across Victoria is massive.

The fact that these sort of stories are being told means a lot to me. And I know it means a lot to many other people as well. I’m very proud to put this story out there and I feel very lucky and fortunate to be telling a story that many young people and young people of colour have experienced.

Above: Oz Malik.

Photo: Jo Duck.

Shows For Schools In Sydney’s North

Glen Street Theatre on Sydney’s upper North Shore welcomes student groups and excursions to experience the magic of a live theatre performance.

For some children, visiting Glen Street Theatre may be their first experience of the performing arts. A trip to the theatre exposes students to new ideas, inspires their creativity and challenges them to think critically. It can also be a tool for cultivating important life skills in young people such as empathy and confidence.

The theatre in Belrose is proud to present a variety of shows that cater

to the very young all the way through to high school-aged students, with strong links to curriculum to enhance learning outcomes.

In 2023 the venue is taking the little ones and primary-schoolers to see Roald Dahl’ two very nasty individuals, The Twits, as well as going on a fabulous road trip across Australia with Are We There Yet? and the beloved Possum Magic

High-schoolers can experience acclaimed dramas like The Sunshine Club, set in the late 1940s in Brisbane, and Tim, based on the controversial novel of the same name by Colleen McCullough and adapted for the stage by Tim McGarry (most recently known for his stage adaptation of Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe).

Teachers are invited to stay up to date with what Glen Street Theatre has on offer for schools at glenstreet.com.au/education

Online extras!

Take a road trip around Australia with CDP Kids’ Are We There Yet?

youtu.be/CUXdTqLPxr0

Main: Shake & Stir’s The Twits Photo: Morgan Roberts.

Opposite page: CDP Kid’s Are We There Yet?

Photo: Heidrun Lohr.

Brainstorming And Creating For 40 Years

Now, more than ever, educators are searching for ways to engage their students in meaningful conversations around issues like mental health, bullying and online relationships. Live theatre is the perfect vehicle for stimulating discussions around these complex and often sensitive topics.

For 40 years in-school performances by Brainstorm Productions have been both delighting young audiences and empowering them to make positive changes.

The company’s team of creatives, educators and mental health professionals have developed shows that capture the imagination of students.

Clinical Psychologist Dr Ameika Johnson, a member of the team since 2017, said: “We know the best learning happens when students feel emotionally connected. When they see young performers being vulnerable, it helps them to be vulnerable themselves.

“We have a big emphasis on helpseeking and peer support. We want students to be moved by the stories

and inspired by the characters’ journeys. We hope they’ll feel empowered to open up and seek support.”

With simple sets and costumes, Brainstorm is an accessible option for educators. Students are drawn in by the relatable characters, emotive soundscapes and professional young actors. The key is to preserve the integrity of the narrative. “We don’t let the messages get in the way of a good story,” says Ameika. “Our first priority is to create a compelling piece of theatre.”

Central to the company’s success is the ability to adapt to the changing needs of students, while continuing

to address universal themes such as emotional resilience, empathy, respect and responsibility. All the shows are original Australian works and the company is independent and unfunded. Brainstorm nurtures longterm relationships with their clients, with many schools booking annually for upwards of 15 years.

Brainstorm Productions perform shows for primary and high schools in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT. Each performance is supported by a Q&A and a suite of curriculumaligned classroom resources, designed to complement each school’s existing wellbeing frameworks. The company is an official R U OK? school partner and endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider.

Online extras!

Discover what educators have said about Brainstorm Productions’ shows.

vimeo.com/304479961

Brainstorm Productions is now taking bookings for 2023. Discover more at brainstormproductions.edu.au

Brainstorm Productions’ Cyberia

Aussie Students Take Home Junior Theatre Festival Award

The Aussie All-Stars performance group, composed of students who had auditioned from towns across Australia, received a top youth theatre award at the USA Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta. The fifty-three Aussie students, aged eleven to eighteen, won the Freddie G Inspiration Award, an accolade for their outstanding performance, named after Music Theatre International Co-Chairman, Freddie Gershon.

The Aussie All-Stars travelled to New York City in January, where they spent four days creating their performance for adjudication under the music direction of Broadway composers Daniel J Mertzlufft (Ratatouille the Musical) and Rob Rokicki (The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical). A VIP performance was held in New York City for staff at Music Theatre International and I Heart Radio Broadway. Stuart Hendricks, who sponsors the program on behalf of MTI said, “This is a hugely impressive program, really showcasing the cream of Australian stage talent.”

The students then joined 6,800 like-minded performers in Atlanta for the three-day Junior Theatre Festival, where they performed excerpts from Sister Act JR. and Shrek The Musical JR. for industry professionals.

Adjudicator Holly Stanfield said, “Their commitment to exaggerated, and honest characterization made the story engaging and fun for the audience.” Adjudicator Lotte Wakeham added, “Their accent work was spot on, as was their inventive staging. I commend them on their comic skills and acting, singing and dancing abilities.”

While competing at the festival, the Aussie All-Star students performed on the main stage for the launch of the new musical Dot and the Kangaroo JR, created by Australian book writer Daniel Stoddart.

Recalling her experience on the main stage, Layla Schillert said, “Performing ‘On Our Way’ from Dot and the Kangaroo JR. in front of over 6,000 people was a highlight.”

The first Australian title to appear in the Broadway JR collection of musicals by Music Theatre International (MTI), Dot and the Kangaroo JR. is an adaptation based on the 1899 novel by Ethel C. Pedley. The story features a young and rambunctious girl who longs for an adventure. When she finds herself lost and afraid in the darkening Australian bush, Dot befriends a wise mother Kangaroo who enlists the help of Australia’s favourite bush creatures to help her get home.

The All-Stars program is a partnership between youth performance tour operator Travel Gang and the Junior Theatre Festivals worldwide. It allows students to represent their country and travel to the five festivals:

Layla Schillert performs “On Our Way” from Dot and the Kangaroo JR

Photo: Marcus Woollen.

Online extras!

Watch students perform numbers from Dot And The Kangaroo JR at JTF2023. youtu.be/NEjPl9K0lXM

Atlanta, Sacramento, Birmingham (UK), Auckland (NZ) and Newcastle (Australia).

Each January, students also attend Broadway shows, musical theatre workshops and talkbacks with Broadway performers. They also participate in the Disneyland Performing Arts workshop program and are put through mock audition processes by Disney talent directors.

Shane Bransdon, co-producer of the Junior Theatre Festival Australia, said students have an experience they will remember fondly for the rest of their lives. “In addition to the amazing performing arts opportunities, this program embodies the power of theatre to build bridges, connect people with common goals, build friendships and relationships, and make you feel empathy.”

Students interested in the Aussie All-Stars program should follow the social media accounts for the Junior Theatre Festival Australia.

@jtfaustralia

Photo: Rachael Monteleone.

Shows For Schools

Online extras!

Watch a trailer for Away, or rent the entire production on demand. vimeo.com/458439371

ALPHA SHOWS

alphashows.com.au/shows

Incursion

All states except WA and NT

Real, quality theatre. That comes to your school. Let your imagination run wild and experience real quality theatre, in any venue you choose. Alpha Shows brings

21 Stage Whispers SPARK 2023

everything with them to create that theatre magic. They bring shows to your local area so everyone has the chance to experience a full theatrical show, no matter the venue. They are a group of dedicated theatre professionals who adapt classic stories into powerful metaphors for our lives, as well as highly entertaining and fun comedy shows! As a group, they have been touring for over 16 years and are dedicated to what we do.

Relevant to all subjects.

Grade P - 9

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

MONKEY BAA THEATRE COMPANY

monkeybaa.com.au

Theatre Skills Workshop Incursion Program

Incursion

monkeybaa.com.au

NSW: Term 3

National: Bespoke workshops available year-round. Discover courage and creativity with Monkey Baa's theatre workshops! From playbuilding and scriptwriting to puppetry and comedy, gain valuable skills with experienced Teaching Artists and industry pros.

Drama, English, Creative Arts, Visual Arts

Kindergarten - Year 12, tailored to suit the year level.

Liam Nunan and Naomi Rukavina in Australian National Theatre Live’s Away

Photo: James Green.

CRITICAL STAGES

criticalstages.com.au

Black Sun Blood Moon Excursion

criticalstages.com.au

QLD: Term 2

NSW: Term 2

WA: Term 2

Two intertwining stories – one magical, the other all too real – bring two unlikely heroes to the stage in a new work inspired by the Fridays for Future student-led protests of 2019. Black Sun / Blood Moon follows Maddy, a ten-yearold climate champion, and Katie, the underachieving assistant of a climate-denying politician, as they set out to save the planet.

Study Resource Kit available.

Hamlet Prince of Skidmark Excursion

criticalstages.com.au

VIC: Term 1 & 3

QLD: Term 2

NSW: Term 3 & 4

Kidult superstars The Listies are back with their badaptation of Shakespeare’s classic, made just for kids. A very cheeky, clever, irreverent riff on Hamlet – made especially for children. The Listies have pulled apart Shakespeare’s classic and glued it back together with hilarious costumes, loads of silliness and plenty of interactivity.

Study Resource Kit available.

The Box Show Excursion and Incursion criticalstages.com.au

QLD: Term 2

WA: Term 3

NT: Term 3

NSW: Term 3

In the hands of Junkyard Beats, ordinary household items are transformed into musical instruments and unwanted junk comes alive in exciting and surprising ways! The Box Show follows four characters during their daily activities in a world made of cardboard boxes and junk. The contents of an abandoned kitchen and wheelie bins become the greatest drum set in the world; plastic bags are an amazing musical instrument and the human body becomes a unique sound machine. Includes options for music workshops.

BELL SHAKESPEARE

bellshakespeare.com.au/education

The Players Performance Excursion and Incursion bellshakespeare.com.au

NSW: Term 2 - 4

ACT: Term 2

WA: Term 4

TAS: Term 3

SA: Term 3

VIC: Term 3

QLD: Term 3

Monkey Baa Theatre’s Theatre Skills Workshop Incursion Program.

NT: Term 4

50-minute performances of Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night are paired with a 10-minute Q&A for an action-packed hour of Shakespeare immersion. Study Resource Kit available. bellshakespeare.com.au/shakespeare-hub

Primary Shakespeare Workshops Incursion

bellshakespeare.com.au

NSW, VIC, WA, SA, QLD: Terms 1 - 4. Primary Shakespeare workshops are designed to immerse students in the plays of Shakespeare through drama and interactive storytelling, in their very own classroom. Choose from: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Magic & Mayhem (a blend of plays) or Lovers & Tyrants (a blend of plays)

OPERA AUSTRALIA

Opera Australia’s School program is run by Troubie troubie.com.au

El Kid

Incursion and Excursion troubie.com.au

NSW: Term 3

VIC: Term 3

Based on Three Billy Goats Gruff, this 50-minute opera using the popular tunes of Bizet’s Carmen, introduces the drama of opera to primary school students. El Kid is just a kid, but the other goats don’t think he’s got much to offer. When they all head out to attend Seville’s biggest fiesta, no one thinks little Diego will have a part to play. But in opera, it’s often the outsider who comes to save the day, and before the party’s over, Diego will prove he’s no silly goats gruff! El Kid is fun, satirical, slapstick with colour and movement as well as confronting serious issues of bullying, loneliness, sibling rivalry. Study Resource Kit available.

AUSTRALIAN THEATRE LIVE

australiantheatre.live

Away

vimeo.com/ondemand/michaelgowsaway

It’s the summer of 1967, and three families head away for a beach holiday. Set against a backdrop of war and social revolution, they find themselves caught up in their own storm of secrets and conflict. Michael Gow’s classic Australian play explores themes of loss and change, as three mothers deal with their own personal grief and their attempt at letting go. Relationships are pushed to the edge as secrets are exposed and the pressure of social change takes its toll.

Norm and Ahmed

vimeo.com/ondemand/alexbuzosnormahmed

Fifty-three years since its premiere in Melbourne, Alex Buzo’s tense two hander remains alarmingly relevant, confronting issues of racism, xenophobia, female politics, cultural difference and assimilation.

This season played at the Riverside Theatres and was live captured for online digital release in 2022.

Emerald City

australiantheatre.live

A fast-moving, wisecracking commentary on contemporary urban mores and morals, and the rivalries and passions to be encountered on the road to success. Colin, a screenwriter, and his wife Kate, a publisher, move to the ‘Emerald City’, where fame and fortune are there for the taking, but surprises are in store for them both.

Taming Of The Shrew

vimeo.com/ondemand/tamingoftheshrew

Two sisters. One wants to marry, one doesn’t. What could possibly go wrong? With a sprinkle of old-time movie magic, this classic love story is transported to a time when Kate is a promise of great women to come, filled with glamour, romance, song and laughter.

Erth’s Prehistoric Picnic

vimeo.com/ondemand/erthsprehistoricpicnic

Meet the ancient creatures that are remembered in the stories of the first people of our nation.

An Erth, Sydney Festival and The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust production. Study Resource Kit available.

Return To The Dirt

vimeo.com/ondemand/returntothedirt

In a year spent tending to the dead, a young man learns to live.

Steve never imagined he’d end up working in the funeral industry. But when he finds himself living back home in Toowoomba to save up for his wedding, it’s the only job he can get.

The year he spends working among the dead opens his eyes to what awaits us at the end and what it means to live.

By Steve Pirie. A Queensland Theatre production Study Resource Kit available.

CTP PRODUCTIONS

education.cdp.com.au

Are We There Yet?

Excursion cdp.com.au

NSW: Term 1 - 3

VIC: Term 1 - 2

QLD: Term 2

ACT: Term 3

WA: Term 2

Online extras!

Bell Shakespeare’s The Players bring Shakespeare to schools across Australia. youtu.be/C0fH6rpARv8

"The year I turned eight, Mum and Dad took us on a trip around Australia. Luke, Billy and I missed school for the whole winter term."

Join 8 year old Grace and her family on their adventurous and often funny expedition around Australia!

Following CDP's successful national tour of Magic Beach, Alison Lester AM's classic book comes to life on stage, with songs, fun, (and quokkas!) for children aged 3-10 and their adults.

From the team behind The Gruffalo and The 13-, 26-, 52-, 78- and 91-Storey Treehouses, this new adaptation from multi-award winning playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer, based on the book by Alison Lester, is a celebration of family, love, and the diversity and beauty of Australia.

SHAKE & STIR THEATRE COMPANY

shakeandstir.com.au

Terrortorial Incursion shakeandstir.com.au

Stephen, Craig and Sophie are about to face the unimaginable - starting grade 7. Targeting those students about to enter the terrifying world that is high school, this production arms your youngest students with an artillery of valuable tools designed to tackle change head on, renewing their confidence and reassuring them that everything will work out just how it’s supposed to.

SPARK 2023

Bell Shakespeare’s The Players.

Year 7

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Romeo & Juliet Incursion shakeandstir.com.au

A tale of two young lovers, trapped in their social roles, struggling to be heard in a world drowning in conflict, intolerance and hate. In this reimagined version, the live action is contrasted against retrospective on-screen interviews with the play’s minor characters allowing these key players to consider what they would have done differently, had they had their time again. When your first true love is also, devastatingly, your last.

Year 8 - 10

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Macbeth Incursion shakeandstir.com.au

Murder, corruption and manipulation. Is Macbeth a brave soldier or a cowardly slave to evil? Appearances can be deceiving and a hole-in-one- story this ain’t. Performed against a dynamic, cinematic background, interspersed with interviews from some of the key minor players, this take guarantees Shakespeare’s shortest play sticks with you the longest.

Year 10 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Hamlet Incursion shakeandstir.com.au

How quickly circumstances can change. Prince Hamlet was excelling at uni, had the girlfriend of his dreams and a future fit for a King - but that’s all in the past. Forced to defer and move back home to come to terms with his drastically altered family situation, Hamlet’s whole world soon unravels faster than his mother’s hasty remarriage… Angst. Revenge. Madness. Love. Loss.

Year 10 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Vacant Incursion

shakeandstir.com.au

Sometimes the pressure is just too much, and students crave their own space. Senior studies pressure, parental pressure, peer pressure. Evading the scrutiny of teachers, witness the comings and goings of a collection of students as they fight for the right to survive some of the most important years of their life. Based on true stories, Vacant uncovers how student pressures influence choices and how some choices can affect young lives forever.

Year 10 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

1984 Incursion shakeandstir.com.au

Oceania is a place perpetually at war. Cameras watch every move, Thought Police roam the streets and Big Brother rules. What happens when one man stands up in an attempt to maintain some control over his otherwise totally controlled life? Big Brother is back on our televisions and back in schools - more psychotically relevant today than ever.

Year 10 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Animal Farm Incursion shakeandstir.com.au

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. shake & stir’s award-winning adaptation of Orwell’s intensely powerful tale stampedes schools for the first-time in history. Revolution has taken place at Manor Farm. The pigs have assumed control and a better life free from human service is promised to all… Over 40 animals portrayed between three dexterous performers, to bring the farmyard inhabitants to visceral life. Pig in to witness one of the most shocking, relevant and wickedly funny in-school touring productions in 2023.

Year 9 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Great Shakes Incursion shakeandstir.com.au

Three young people from three different eras find themselves at Shakespeare’s final resting place. Strange enough in itself but made stranger by the sudden appearance of the ghost of Shakespeare himself who asks of them a favour – to keep his legacy alive by finding new relevance in his plays. How can these three players, from the 50s, 80s and 2023 – apply what they know to the scenarios written by the man himself over 400 years ago? Great Shakes will prove that where there’s a will there’s a way.

Year 7 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Fractured Fables Incursion shakeandstir.com.au

Did you know – Aesop wrote 725 fables way back in the 6th century BCE? It’s time to dust them off and present them for 2023. A lot has changed since Aesop was around – but his iconic messages remain as pertinent as ever. Ready, set, go – it’s fast-paced, kookily creative and utterly delightful. Featuring a collection of favourite fables including: The Tortoise and the Hare, The Ants and the Grasshoppers, Two Travellers and a Bear and The Dog and his Reflection

Year P - 10

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

ACTORS CENTRE AUSTRALIA

actorscentreaustralia.com.au/education

The Laramie Project Excursion

actorscentreaustralia.com.au

Term 2

In 1998 Matthew Shepard fought for life after being crucified on a fence in Laramie, Wyoming: the victim of a gay bashing, something others have come to call a ‘hate crime’. Months after the American media bore witness to this event, Moises Kaufman and the New York-based Tectonic Theatre Project traveled to Laramie to help piece together a story from this community and the mosaic of humanity all living under the one sky in a small American town.

Drama Stage 6, Creative Arts Stage 6, English Stage 6

Q & A with cast.

The Removalists Excursion

actorscentreaustralia.com.au

Term 2

“Stuff the rulebook up your arse.”

In a crime-ridden inner suburb of Melbourne, a seasoned police Sergeant and a raw recruit are drawn into the lives of two women dealing with domestic violence and abuse. Fifty years later, domestic violence is still a rampant problem in our society, the statistics are alarming, and Williamson’s play remains sadly relevant as a bloody, violent, and deeply disturbing portrait of Australia.

Drama Stage 6, Creative Arts Stage 6, English Stage 6

Q & A with cast, plus David Williamson has pre-recorded a Q & A session for ACA.

The Female of the Species Excursion

actorscentreaustralia.com.au

Term 3

“Darling I know I am old. I remember when a Brazilian was a person. But sixty is the new forty and all that.

A farce of switching allegiances, this is a hilarious riposte to the received idea that feminism and feminists are not funny. In The Female of the Species, feminism has found its farcical funny bone, but the belly laughs are spiked with sharp truths and no point of view is off-limits.

“The landscape of feminism and sexual politics is a minefield of sensitivities. The time has finally come not only to observe the triumphs of feminism but also to laugh at its ironies and hypocrisies.” – Joanna Murray-Smith”

Drama Stage 6, Creative Arts Stage 6, English Stage 6

Q & A with cast, plus Joanna Murray-Smith has prerecorded a Q&A session for ACA.

The Shape of Things Excursion

actorscentreaustralia.com.au

Term 3

In a modern version of Adam’s seduction by Eve, The Shape of Things pits gentle, awkward Adam against experienced, analytical, amoral Evelyn, a graduate student in art. After a chance meeting at a museum, they embark on an intense relationship that causes shy and principled Adam to go to extraordinary lengths, including cosmetic surgery, and a betrayal of his best friend, to improve his appearance and character. In the process, Evelyn’s subtle and insistent coaching results in a reconstruction of Adam’s fundamental moral character. Only in a final and shocking exhibition does Evelyn reveal the nature of her interest in Adam, of her detached artist’s perspective and sense of authority–to her, Adam is no more than “flesh…. one of the most perfect materials on earth. Natural, beautiful, and malleable.”

Drama Stage 6, English Stage 6

Q & A with cast.

GLEN STREET

glenstreet.com.au

360 Allstars Excursion

glenstreet.com.au

Term 2

THEATRE

A physical performance exploring all types of rotation, 360 Allstars connects the street with the elite to deliver a supercharged urban circus.

Possum Magic Excursion

glenstreet.com.au

Term 2

Mem Fox and Julie Vivas’ beloved picture book ‘Possum Magic’ has enchanted children for decades and Monkey Baa Theatre Company brings the paper and ink to life on stage once again!

Adapted by Eva Di Cesare and Sandra Eldridge.

The Twits Excursion

glenstreet.com.au

Term 2

Roald Dahl’s gruesome twosome The Twits are ready to delight and disgust, in equal measure.

Are We There Yet? Excursion

glenstreet.com.au

Term 3

Alison Lester's beloved Are We There Yet? comes to life on stage!

CHRISTINE DUNSTAN PRODUCTIONS

christinedunstan.com.au

Tim Excursion

christinedunstan.com.au

Term 3

A new Australian play based on the novel of the same title by Colleen McCullough, adapted for the stage by Tim McGarry.

Central to the story is an unorthodox love that develops between Mary, a career driven, mid-50’s business executive and Tim, a handsome 25-year-old labourer with a mild intellectual disability.

What begins as a chance meeting between them, soon develops into a life-changing relationship for both. Tim’s protective family grapple with a deep suspicion of sexual coercion, a disability system that has failed them and the devastating loss of Tim’s mother. Themes include feminism, class, masculinity and ableism. Study Resource Kit available.

BELVOIR

belvoir.com.au/schools

Into the Woods

Excursion

belvoir.com.au/into-the-woods

Term 2

A brand new production of the classic musical. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by James Lapine. Originally directed on Broadway by James Lapine. Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia).

Q & A (selected performances only) / Study Resource Kits available.

Subjects: Drama, Music

Years 7+

At What Cost?

Excursion

belvoir.com.au/at-what-cost-2023

NSW, QLD, SA, TAS: Term 2

The provocative hit of Belvoir’s 2022 returns for a limited season.

By Nathan Maynard.

Q & A (selected performances only) / Study Resource Kit available.

Subjects: Drama, English, Aboriginal Studies, Society & Culture

Years 11 - 12

Scenes From The Climate Era Excursion

belvoir.com.au/scenes-from-the-climate-era Term 2

Life, love, and making money, as things heat up.

By David Finnigan.

Q & A (selected performances only) / Study Resource Kit available.

Subjects: Drama, Science, English

Years 10 - 12

Miss Peony Excursion

belvoir.com.au/miss-peony-2023

Term 3

Michelle Law’s comedy of beauty pageants, unrealistic expectations, and the business of family.

Q & A (selected performances only) / Study Resource Kit available.

Subjects: Drama, English, Mandarin

Years 10 - 12

The Weekend Excursion

belvoir.com.au/the-weekend

Term 3

A sophisticated new adaptation of Charlotte Wood’s bestselling novel of friendship and the wisdom of age. Based on the novel by Charlotte Wood. Adapted by Sue Smith.

Q & A (selected performances only) / Study Resource Kit available.

Subjects: English, Drama

Years 10 - 12

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill Excursion

belvoir.com.au/lady-day

Term 3 & 4

The Tony award-winning tour-de-force by Lanie Robertson. Q & A (selected performances only) / Study Resource Kit available.

Subjects: English, Drama

Years 11 - 12

The Master & Margarita Excursion

belvoir.com.au/master-margarita

Term 4

Magic, mayhem, and a book that can’t be burnt – a classic of literature lets fly at Belvoir.

Devised by The Cast & Creative Team. Adapted and directed by Eamon Flack. From the book by Mikhail Bulgakov. Subjects: Drama, English

Years 11 - 12

25A

Excursion

belvoir.com.au/25a

Shows made by independent and emerging artists. They have been produced and marketed by the theatre makers themselves. They get 100% of the box office and the theatre for free. Their task is to make a show for less than $2500.

SPORT FOR JOVE

sportforjove.com.au

Macbeth

Excursion

sportforjove.com.au/macbeth

Term 2

Sport for Jove’s brand new production of Macbeth played to packed houses and incredible responses in 2022, offering fresh insights into this extraordinary play – a deeply atmospheric, faithful and exciting introduction to the play for young audiences.

SPARK

Online extras!

Watch an interview with At What Cost? writer Nathan Maynard. youtu.be/-sFJdusix44

English – Stage 4 & 5, also suitable for all years in Drama; Language, Literature, Literacy; The Arts, Theatre and Cultural Studies

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

Romeo & Juliet Excursion

sportforjove.com.au/romeoandjuliet

Term 2 – 3

Sport for Jove’s energetic new production of an incredible play for young audiences, Romeo & Juliet, from Artistic Director Damien Ryan, moved thousands of students in 2022. The existential crisis facing our world today has triggered a deafening chorus of ‘How dare you!’, screamed from the heart of our planet’s youth. And it’s not just about climate issues. What can children teach us in their struggle to be heard?

Middle School English & Drama syllabus - Introduction to and sophisticated analysis of Shakespeare’s plays and theatrical practices. Senior English – Year 11

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

The Merchant of Venice – Symposium Excursion sportforjove.com.au/hsc-symposiums

Term 2

The Merchant of Venice is an eternally relevant study of justice, mercy and religious division. Sport for Jove’s new Performance Symposium offers a unique opportunity for your students to dissect this formidable play.

Belvoir’s At What Cost?

Photo: Daniel Boud.

English

Stage 6 HSC; Stage 4, 5: also suitable for younger years in Drama; Language, Literature, Literacy; The Arts, Theatre and Cultural Studies.

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

The Tempest – Symposium Excursion

sportforjove.com.au/hsc-symposiums

Term 2

One of Shakespeare’s truly original and most personal plays, The Tempest is a symphonic vision of forgiveness, discovery and self-discovery – famous for its language, context, enchanting characters and breathtaking theatricality, a reflection of the world’s most famous playwright at the height of his powers and at the end of his remarkable career.

Sport for Jove will unpick the play with students through live performance and analysis and direct contrast and comparison with Atwood’s Hag-seed in this brand new Performance Symposium series.

English – Stage 4, 5 & 6 HSC: also suitable for younger years in Drama; Language, Literature, Literacy; The Arts, Theatre and Cultural Studies.

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

Othello – Symposium Excursion

sportforjove.com.au/hsc-symposiums

Term 2

Othello, easily Shakespeare’s most relentless and tightly compressed drama, a dark, brooding thriller. A rare chance for students across NSW to see this masterpiece live.

English – Stage 5 & 6, Year 11 students: also suitable for Stage 4 & ;5 Drama students; Language, Literature, Literacy; The Arts, Theatre & Cultural Studies

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

The Crucible – Symposium Excursion

sportforjove.com.au/hsc-symposiums

Term 2

Damien Ryan’s intensive and detailed Symposium on The Crucible offers a rich opportunity for students to meet the characters, look beneath the play – its language, characters, form and theatricality – and discuss the big ideas with professional actors who have a long relationship with the play.

English – Stage 4, 5, & 6: Drama; Language, Literature, Literacy; The Arts, Theatre & Cultural Studies.

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

SPARK 2023

Sport For Jove’s Macbeth Photo: Kate Williams.

ENSEMBLE THEATRE

ensemble.com.au/education

Clyde’s Excursion ensemble.com.au

Term 2

On a long stretch of highway, in the middle of here and there, Clyde’s truck stop diner sizzles with the aroma of possibility and redemption. Led by sandwich sensei Montrellous, can the team juggle customer orders, dark pasts and their boss’ incessant mind games to avoid having their aspirations burnt to a crisp?

Drama Stage 5 & 6. English Stage 5 & 6.

Year 9 - 12

Q & A available (at selected performances).

Benefactors Excursion ensemble.com.au

Term 2 - 3

David feels his new architectural dream, the redevelopment of an inner-city housing project, will be the answer to future home building. But as Sheila settles into her neighbours’ way of life, Colin starts to oppose David’s bright new view of the future.

Drama Stage 5 & 6. English Stage 5 & 6.

Year 9 - 12

Q & A available (at selected performances).

Mr Bailey’s Minder Excursion or live streamed performance ensemble.com.au

Term 3

Leo has been ravaged by years of alcohol abuse, selfloathing and indulgent misbehaviour, and now needs round-the-clock care. Enter Therese, fresh out of prison and down to her last option, who takes up the challenge as Leo’s carer. Therese is determined to succeed – even if it means going head-to-head with Mr. Bailey.

Drama Stage 4, 5 & 6. English Stage 4, 5 & 6.

Year 7 - 12

Q & A (at selected performances) / Study Resource Kit available

Summer of Harold Excursion ensemble.com.au

Term 3 - 4

Hilary Bell’s new play explores our love for odd things. What is the magic that makes us possessive about objects? Three stories intertwine to take us on a hilarious, poignant and magical journey.

Drama Stage 5 & 6. English Stage 5 & 6.

Year 9 - 12

Q & A available (at selected performances).

The Memory of Water Excursion ensemble.com.au

Term 4

Where does reality end and family mythology begin? Why has sibling war broken out in their Mother’s bedroom? Why are past recollections still so with us?

Drama Stage 5 & 6. English Stage 5 & 6.

Year 9 - 12

Q & A available (at selected performances).

SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY

sydneytheatre.com.au/education

Fantastic Mr Fox Excursion sydneytheatre.com.au

Term 2

Adapted for the stage by award-winning producers shake & stir theatre co, Fantastic Mr Fox sees live actors interact with lush and beautifully-realised animations, bringing to life the magic and touching detail of Dahl’s fantastical world.

Drama Stages 2, 3 and 4. Stage 2 and 3: Making, Performing and Appreciating. Stage 4 Dramatic Forms and Performance Styles: Scripted Drama. Stage 4 Elements of Production: Costume, Lighting, Set, Props.

Year 3 - 7

Q & A (at selected performances) / Study Resource Kit available

Julia

Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House

Sydney Theatre Company and Canberra Theatre Centre sydneytheatre.com.au

Term 2

In 2012 Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female prime minister, gave a speech that sent shockwaves around the world. Now, ten years later, one of Australia’s most esteemed and celebrated playwrights, Joanna Murray-Smith, brings the human story behind that speech to the stage.

Drama Stage 5 and 6. Stage 5 Dramatic Forms and Performance Styles: Scripted Drama. Stage 6 Monologues Stage 6 The Voices of Women in Theatre (Joanna MurraySmith).

Suitable for Years 10 - 12

Q and A and study resources available

The Importance of Being Earnest Excursion

sydneytheatre.com.au

Term 3

In The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde rips the covers off Victorian propriety and relishes in the unbridled silliness and snobbery of London’s upper classes.

Drama Stage 4 - 6. Stages 4 - 6: Dramatic Forms and Performance Styles: Scripted Drama, Comedy of Manners. Stage 6: Improvisation, Playbuilding and Acting. Stage 6: The Elements of Production in Performance.

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

The Visitors Excursion

sydneytheatre.com.au

Term 3 and 4

The Visitors is at once a deeply researched insight into one of the most impactful and painful days in Australia’s history, and an entertaining study of how communities respond to change and the unknown.

Drama Stage 4, 5 and 6

Dramatic Forms and Performance Styles: Contemporary Indigenous Theatre Suitable for Years 8-12

Study Resource Kit available.

The Seagull Excursion sydneytheatre.com.au

Term 4

The first of Chekhov’s great masterpieces, The Seagull is a rich, funny and moving play that is unmissable for anyone who loves theatre.

Year 10 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available

BRAINSTORM PRODUCTIONS

brainstormproductions.edu.au

Being Brave Incursion

brainstormproductions.edu.au

Term 1 - 3

Fly’s parents have separated. He misses his dad desperately and tries to be brave by keeping his emotions bottled up. By connecting with the people in his community, Fly discovers the true meaning of being brave: sharing stories, showing feelings, keeping good memories and living life.

Year K - 6 (K - 2 version available)

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

Saving Lil & Archie Incursion

brainstormproductions.edu.au

NSW: Terms 1 - 3

ACT: Term 3

There is pandemonium on Planet Arkon when two robots, Lil and Zig, are zapped to Earth and into the lives of two siblings, Bella and Archie. Bella is being bullied by the girls in her friendship group. With no sleep and too much screen time, Archie finds it hard to connect with other children. They must restore the balance so that Lil and Zig can return to Arkon.

Year: K - 6 (K - 2 version available)

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

Cyberia Incursion

brainstormproductions.edu.au

STC’s The Importance Of Being Earnest

Photo: Rene Vaile.

Term 1 - 3

Ruby loses touch with her values. Anxious and impulsive, she gets caught up in cyberbullying and online drama. Tim is in self-imposed exile. Social isolation and a lack of sleep lead to mistakes, scams and dangerous online experiences. Students follow Tim and Ruby’s journey as they restore their privacy, reputations and relationships, and develop skills for help-seeking and positive mental health.

Year 7 - 11

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

Sticks & Stones K-6 Incursion

brainstormproductions.edu.au

Term 2 & 3

When things go wrong at home, at school or online, Toby’s body goes into fight/flight. He feels angry, frightened and confused by messages from peers, family, video games and YouTube. Toby reacts the only way he knows how – with aggression. When Toby meets Joe, he learns positive ways to deal with feelings and how to ask for help. He is assertive, respectful and cooperates with other kids to create a circus routine.

Year K - 6 (K - 2 version available)

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

The Flipside Incursion

brainstormproductions.edu.au

NSW: Term 1 - 3

ACT: Term 3

When bullying is used to wield power, Jack and Ella must create an ethical roadmap to navigate the online world. When people post words, images and videos, how will they be received? What will be the consequences? Who will speak up? The Flipside encourages students to think critically about their online values and provides strategies

for empathy, resilience, help-seeking and upstander behavior.

Year 7 - 11

Q & A / Curriculum-aligned Classroom Resources

Wired Incursion

brainstormproductions.edu.au

Term 4

This performance follows the journey of two students whose lives are spiralling in different directions: one towards stress, anxiety and overload, the other towards depression and disconnection. When their worlds collide, the audience must help them choose a different path. Wired addresses barriers to help-seeking and provides strategies for resilience, mental health and safe online relationships.

Year 7 - 11

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

CRITICAL STAGES

criticalstages.com.au

Alphabetical Sydney Excursion criticalstages.com.au

Term 3

Inspired by Hilary Bell and Antonia Pesenti’s best-selling picture book, this immersive musical will take audiences of all ages on a journey around the world’s most famous harbour city. The guides, the chaotic Ibis and order-loving Nanna take audiences on a whirlwind adventure. Climb aboard the tour bus to discover their Sydney, one letter at a time.

Grade P – 6

Study Resource Kit and creative play opportunities available.

ATYP

atyp.com.au/education

Theatre Flat-Pack Incursion atyp.com.au

ATYP Education favourite, Theatre Flat-Pack, returns in 2023. The company co-produce an ATYP play with at your school, supporting you from auditions and rehearsals to opening night.

Intersection Festival Excursion atyp.com.au

Term 3

After a successful launch year in ATYP’s new space, teachers and students will once again have the opportunity to present new Australian stories through Intersection Festival, culminating in a showcase held in The Rebel Theatre at Pier 2/3.

SPARK 2023

Brainstorm Productions’ Saving Lil & Archie

Professional Productions

Excursion

atyp.com.au

ATYP also gives teachers and friends an exclusive sneak peek at their professional productions: shows driven by young characters, played by young actors, working with leading professionals. Take your students along to a school’s show that will provoke conversation and get students thinking about the world around us in a new way.

COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE AUSTRALIA & FOOLS IN PROGRESS THEATRE CO.

facebook.com/commediadellart

#FoolsInSchools Incursion

Term 1 - 4

A funny show that presents the comedy, characters and controlled chaos that Commedia dell’arte is famous for. Introduce your students to the very birth of the acting profession, the ‘sitcom’ and improvised comedy with this 1 hour show and/or workshop. Students can dive deeper, playing building and performing their own Commedia Carnivale with full day workshops.

Drama, History, Italian. Show can be adapted for all ages

SPORT FOR JOVE

sportforjove.com.au

Romeo & Juliet

Excursion

sportforjove.com.au/romeoandjuliet

Term 3

Sport for Jove’s energetic new production of an incredible play for young audiences, Romeo & Juliet, from Artistic Director Damien Ryan, moved thousands of students in 2022. The existential crisis facing our world today has triggered a deafening chorus of ‘How dare you!’, screamed from the heart of our planet’s youth. And it’s not just about

climate issues. What can children teach us in their struggle to be heard?

Middle School English & Drama syllabus - Introduction to and sophisticated analysis of Shakespeare’s plays and theatrical practices. Senior English – Year 11

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available.

BRAINSTORM PRODUCTIONS

brainstormproductions.edu.au

Sticks & Stones K-6 Incursion

brainstormproductions.edu.au

Term 1 - 3

When things go wrong at home, at school or online, Toby’s body goes into fight/flight. He feels angry, frightened and confused by messages from peers, family, video games and YouTube. Toby reacts the only way he knows how – with aggression. When Toby meets Joe, he learns positive ways to deal with feelings and how to ask for help. He is assertive, respectful and cooperates with other kids to create a circus routine.

Year K - 6 (K - 2 version available)

Q & A / Study Resource Kit available

ZEN ZEN ZO

zenzenzo.com

Romeo and Juliet Incursion

zenzenzo.com/romeoandjuliet

Term 1 - 4 (Available in other states on demand)

Zen Zen Zo's in-schools show explores Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet through the eyes of three modern high school students. The themes of love, hate, fate and betrayal explode onto the stage through dynamic physicality, contemporary beats and both classic and modern text.

QUEENSLAND THEATRE COMPANY

queenslandtheatre.com.au/educators

Excursions

Group Bookings for all school groups are made through QPAC Groups on (07) 3840 7466 or groups@qtix.com.au

Teacher previews

Teachers with a current school booking can attend the first Preview performance for free. There are limited tickets, only available for the first Preview in the season, unless otherwise notified.

Education resources

Teachers booking school groups will have access to education resources for each show to enhance the experience of Queensland Theatre productions.

The Scene Project

queenslandtheatre.com.au/tsp

Each year a playwright pens a new work and the participating drama groups are tasked with the challenge of creating their own unique 15 minute version of the play. During the rehearsal phase, Queensland Theatre artists visit the participating schools to facilitate workshops. The Scene Project is about collaboration, acknowledging students and teachers as artists, building confidence and encouraging live performance in a professional space and manner. It is also an excellent way of participating in professional development and enhancing existing curriculum in schools.

HOMUNCULUS THEATRE COMPANY

homunculustheatre.com.au

Thoughts Have Feelings Too Incursion

homunculustheatre.com.au

Term 1 - 4

Thoughts Have Feelings Too shows students how to think positively about the feelings they experience in their day-today lives in a primary school environment.

The students meet two clowns: Sweet ‘Clown’ and the absent-minded ‘Professor’. When the two clowns meet in the Professor’s laboratory, they discover that thoughts and emotions are connected.

Drama, Health

Grades P - 6

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available. homunculustheatre.com.au

20 Lazzis In A Hat Incursion

Primary: homunculustheatre.com.au

Secondary: homunculustheatre.com.au

Term 1 - 4

Audiences will discover the origins of Commedia dell’Arte and witness, first hand, its improvised nature. The performance showcases numerous masked stock characters, hilarious burle and 20 of Commedia’s famous traditional lazzi consisting of verbal asides on current political, social and literary topics, pratfalls and acrobatics.

Drama, English, Italian, Humanities and Social Science (History)

Grades P - 6 and 7 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Primary: homunculustheatre.com.au

Secondary: homunculustheatre.com.au

SPARK 2023

Queensland Theatre’s Artist In Residence Program.

Photo: Stephen Henry.

Life? It’s A Circus Incursion

Primary: homunculustheatre.com.au

Secondary: homunculustheatre.com.au

Term 1 - 4

Through the use of high level physicality, balloons, poetry, balancing chairs, acrobatic antics and clown, these two highly experienced circus theatre performers promise to take you on a thought provoking and thoroughly entertaining journey through the ups and downs of life. Drama; Health and Physical Education

Grades P - 6 and 7 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Primary: homunculustheatre.com.au

Secondary: homunculustheatre.com.au

Workshops in Laughter, Drama, Clowning and Masks homunculustheatre.com.au/primary Available for primary school students.

COMPLETE WORKS THEATRE COMPANY

completeworkstheatre.com

Australian Poetry Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 4

Students participate in an interactive workshop to discover ideas for writing their own poetry. Investigating the ballad, free verse, spoken word and song.

English

Year 7 - 9

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Romeo & Juliet Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 4

Shakespeare’s famous star-crossed tragedy. An abridged 60 -minute retelling performed by 3 actors.

English Year 9 - 10

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Macbeth Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 4

Shakespeare’s famous play about ambition, temptation and guilt. An abridged 60-minute retelling performed by 3 actors, followed by a Q&A.

English

Year 9 - 11

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

The Women of Troy Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 3

Euripides’s famous tragedy plays out in the aftermath of the Trojan War. A 70-minute abridged performance addressing the ideas, themes and issues.

English

Years 11-12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Medea Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 3

A story of betrayal, exile, vengeance, violence and grief. Medea by Euripides is one of the greatest tragedies ever written. A 70-minute abridged performance.

English

Year 11 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

The 7 Stages of Grieving & The Longest Memory Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 3

A comparative study integrating scenes from both texts into performance, enabling students to make thematic comparisons and contrasts between the texts.

English

Year 11 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

The Crucible & The Dressmaker Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 3

A comparative study integrating scenes from both texts into performance, enabling students to make thematic comparisons and contrasts between the texts.

English

Years 11 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Rainbow’s End Incursion completeworkstheatre.com

Term 2

Three generations of Indigenous women in 1950s Australia strive to protect their family and find joy, love and purpose in their lives.

English

Year 11 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Much Ado About Nothing Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 4

90-minute interactive workshops including a staged reading of selected scenes, detailed analysis and discussions of the characters, themes and ideas.

English

Year 7 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

LA MAMA

lamama.com.au/about-la-mama/engagement/education

Frankenstein Excursion lamama.com.au

Term 2

A feminist perspective and multi-layered story of gifted scientist Victor Frankenstein, who successfully gives life to a

being of his own creation, but not the perfect specimen he imagined.

Adapted by Christine Davey, from Mary Shelley's novel. Skin of our Teeth Productions in association with La Mama Theatre.

VCE Drama, also Theatre Studies, English, Literature

Year 10 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

The World According to Dinosaurs Excursion lamama.com.au

Term 2

An interrogation of globalism through the lens of paleontology, world events and what we had for dinner last night, with comedy, a game show, physical theatre, scifi, heightened realism, and absurdism.

By Belle Hansen and Amelia Newman. Frenzy Theatre Co in association with La Mama Theatre.

VCE Drama, also Theatre Studies, English, Environmental and General Studies

Year 10 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Cactus Excursion lamama.com.au

Term 3

A fast- paced award - nominated coming of age comedy, exploding with the confidence, conviction, and confusion only a teenage school girl can have.

By Madelaine Nunn.

SPARK 2023

La Mama’s Cactus

Photo: Darren Gill.

VCE Theatre Studies, also Drama, English, Social Studies

Years 10 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

MELBOURNE THEATRE COMPANY

mtc.com.au/discover-more/education

Bernhardt/Hamlet Excursion mtc.com.au

Term 2

For her first show as Melbourne Theatre Company Artistic Director, Anne-Louise Sarks brings together two prolific women of theatre – Kate Mulvany as celebrated French stage actor Sarah Bernhardt. A comedy about a woman ahead of her time, Bernhardt/Hamlet offers a timeless exploration of gender and equality.

VCE Theatre Studies, Drama, English, Literature

Year 10-12

Study Resource Kits available.

I Wanna Be Yours Excursion mtc.com.au

Term 3

The debut play from London Laureate and poetry slam champion Zia Ahmed, I Wanna Be Yours, is a modern-day romance that asks whether love really is all you need.

VCE Theatre Studies, Drama, English, Literature.

Year 9 - 12

Study Resource Kits available.

Escaped Alone and What If If Only Excursion mtc.com.au

Term 3

In this world-first theatrical experience, Melbourne Theatre Company Artistic Director Anne-Louise Sarks directs two separate Caryl Churchill works: What If If Only, the micromeditation on grief and possibility starring Alison Bell; and Escaped Alone, a visionary play about afternoon tea and the apocalypse starring Helen Morse.

VCE Theatre Studies, Drama, English, Literature

Year 9 - 12

Study Resource Kits available.

BRAINSTORM PRODUCTIONS

brainstormproductions.edu.au

Zanna & The Lost Code Incursion

brainstormproductions.edu.au

Term 1 - 4

When Zanna and Eddie arrive at Coding Camp, they embark on a magical journey inside the Camp Captain’s new game for kids. Through a series of exciting challenges, Zanna and Eddie experience the power of empathy, respect, kindness and resilience. They change the game so

that children all over the world can use it to be assertive, responsible and safe online.

Year K - 6 (K - 2 version available)

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Wired Incursion brainstormproductions.edu.au

Term 1 - 4

This performance follows the journey of two students whose lives are spiralling in different directions: one towards stress, anxiety and overload, the other towards depression and disconnection. When their worlds collide, the audience must help them choose a different path. Wired addresses barriers to help-seeking and provides strategies for resilience, mental health and safe online relationships.

Year 7 - 11

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

COMPLETE WORKS THEATRE COMPANY

completeworkstheatre.com

Macbeth by William Shakespeare Incursion completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 4

An abridged version of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy exploring ambition, guilt and temptation. Focusing on key scenes following Macbeth, his rise to power and his ultimate downfall.

English, Drama

Year 10 - 11

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 4

An abridged version of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, performed by three actors, follows star-crossed lovers as they try to outwit fate and end their family feud.

English, Drama

Year 8 - 9

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare - Online Incursion completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 4

Benedick and Claudio arrive in Messina after the war. Through conflict and parties, Claudio and Hero are betrothed, while Beatrice and Benedick reignite their courtship.

Drama

Year 11 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

SPARK 2023

The Women of Troy by Euripides - Online Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 4

Euripides’ anti-war tragedy is a story told by the anguished voices of women; collateral damage in a war they didn’t make, powerless and tragic.

English, Drama

Year 11 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Medea by Euripides - Online Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 4

Jason abandoned his wife, Medea, and two children in order to marry Glauce, the daughter of Creon the King.. An ultimate betrayal ending in tragedy.

English, Drama

Year 10 - 11

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

The 7 Stages of Grieving & The Longest Memory Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 3

A comparative study integrating scenes from both texts into performance, enabling students to make clear thematic comparisons and contrasts between the two stories.

English, Drama

Year 11 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

The Crucible & The Dressmaker Incursion or Excursion. Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 3

A comparative study integrating scenes from both texts into performance, enabling students to make clear thematic comparisons and contrasts between the two stories.

English, Drama

Year 11 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

MTC’s Bernhardt/Hamlet

Photo: Pia Johnson.

Australian Poetry Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Terms 1 - 4

A presentation of performance poetry, expressing diverse Australian voices. An interactive workshop with the actors provides students with ideas for writing their own poetry.

English, Drama

Year 7 - 8

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Literary Workshops

Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Term 1 - 4

VCE and Literature Workshops, available exclusively online for small groups, are tailored to meet specific teaching units and areas of study, making daunting texts accessible for students and teachers alike. Staged readings of key

scenes are followed by detailed discussion and analysis. These interactive workshops enable students to gain a greater understanding of their study text. This workshop series is designed in collaboration with a focus group of English teachers. 2022 Workshops Series includes Othello by William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare, Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekov. Also available are Twelfth Night by Williams Shakespeare, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. English, Drama

Year 11 - 12 Study Resource Kits available.

Rainbow’s End Incursion

completeworkstheatre.com

Set in the 1950’s on flood prone river flats on the outskirts of Shepparton, Jane Harrison’s play focuses on the

Homunculous Theatre’s 20 Lazzis In A Hat

consequences of dispossession and colonisation of Koori peoples. Contrasting the Menzies’ era policy of the great Australian dream of home ownership, the Dear family struggle with inadequate housing, few possessions and endure constant threats to their safety. The women of three generations strive to protect their family and to find joy, love and purpose in their lives.

Year 11 - 12

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

MALTHOUSE THEATRE

malthousetheatre.com.au/discover/education

Atlantis Excursion

Atlantis by Chanella Macri will be the 7th play commissioned for The Suitcase Series. Three young people gather together in a theatre to talk about the big one: Climate Change. But before they can even agree on how big this big one is, a tsunami hits and both they and the audience are dragged to the bottom of the ocean…

Using Plato’s ancient myth of a sunken city as an anchor point, Atlantis is an allegory for Australia in its current stage of climate crisis and the search for lost systems of knowledge that might help us understand our relationship to the environment. Drawing on Indigenous and Pasifika philosophies and modes of storytelling, this fantastical play is ultimately about young people stepping into their power as future guardians of country.

MELBOURNE FRENCH THEATRE

melbournefrenchtheatre.org.au

A unique Australian theatre company presenting plays in French, organising events and serving as an agency for French actors for all multimedia applications

Le Petit Nicolas

Incursion (Performance or Workshop) and Excursion

melbournefrenchtheatre.org.au

Term 1 - 4

10 market scenes in French and English from the film. French and Drama.

Grade 3 - 6 (Performance only) or Year 7 - 10 (Performance or Workshop)

Designed flexibly and adapts to all school environments Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Courtes Lignes de Courteline

Incursion and Excursion

melbournefrenchtheatre.org.au

Term 1 - 4

Performance of 2, 3 or 4 of the following short sketches by Georges Courteline in modern/contemporary adaptation: Monsieur Badin - Mr Badin: A public servant who never shows up for work!

L’Extra-Lucide - the Super Clairvoyant: A sleepwalking fortune teller with a 6th sense!

Une lettre chargée - A Registered Letter: A letter is trapped by a post office official.

Avant et Après - Before and After: A picnic goes wrong between Marthe and René.

French and Drama.

Grade 3 - 6 (Performance) or Year 7 - 12 (Performance)

Designed flexibly and adapts to all school environments.

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Le Petit Prince

Incursion and Excursion

melbournefrenchtheatre.org.au

Term 1 - 4

A pilot (the narrator) crashes his plane in the middle of the desert a thousand miles from anywhere. Thinking he’s all alone and with limited water supplies, he starts to attempt to fix his plane. But a young boy suddenly appears one morning as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He demands that the pilot draw him a sheep. Slowing, through the following days, the pilot, hearing the little prince’s story, rediscovers some truths about the truly important things in life. The little prince comes from another planet, a very small planet. He leaves due to troubles getting on with his rose and decides to travel to learn about life. During his journey he visits six planets and meets their inhabitants: a must see experience for students

French and Drama.

Grade 3 - Year 10

Designed flexibly and adapts to all school environments

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available. Performance only - rehearsed reading

BRAINSTORM PRODUCTIONS

brainstormproductions.edu.au

Zanna & The Lost Code Incursion

brainstormproductions.edu.au

Term 2

When Zanna and Eddie arrive at Coding Camp, they embark on a magical journey inside the Camp Captain’s new game for kids. Through a series of exciting challenges, Zanna and Eddie experience the power of empathy, respect, kindness and resilience. They change the game so that children all over the world can use it to be assertive, responsible and safe online.

Year K - 6 (K - 2 version available)

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Wired Incursion

brainstormproductions.edu.au

Term 2

This performance follows the journey of two students whose lives are spiralling in different directions: one towards stress, anxiety and overload, the other towards depression and disconnection. When their worlds collide, the audience must help them choose a different path. Wired addresses barriers to help-seeking and provides strategies for resilience, mental health and safe online relationships.

Year 7 - 11

Q & A / Study Resource Kits available.

Melbourne French Theatre’s Le Petit Prince

SPARK 2023

STATE THEATRE COMPANY SOUTH AUSTRALIA

statetheatrecompany.com.au/education-program

Workshop Intensives

Excursion

statetheatrecompany.com.au

Term 2 - 4

State Theatre Company South Australia’s programs in the July and December school holidays provide an opportunity for young people, ages 15 - 18, to deepen their knowledge and skills from recognised artists. These weeks are intensive skills-based weeks with the opportunity to devise new work or work on existing scripts toward a performance outcome.

Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan

Excursion

statetheatrecompany.com.au

Term 2

A young boy attempts to bring his mother out of depression by making her a list of every brilliant thing in the world. Decades pass, the list grows and what was once a game becomes a new way of looking at the world.

Curriculum links: Creative Arts, Drama, English

Year 9 - 12

At What Cost? by Nathan Maynard

Excursion

statetheatrecompany.com.au

Term 2

Putalina, Oyster Cove, just south of Hobart, Tasmania. A Palawa man, Boyd Everett, is determined to do right - by his family, by the land, and by his people.

Year 11 - 12

Curriculum Links: Aboriginal Studies, History, Drama, English, Creative Arts

Euphoria by Emily Steel

Excursion

statetheatrecompany.com.au

Term 3

Country Arts SA will be touring Euphoria regionally to venues including Whyalla, Port Pirie, Noarlunga, Renmark, Mt Gambier and Naracoorte.

School teacher Meg wants to start a new festival called “Euphoria” to celebrate everything her country town has to offer. Former student Ethan doesn’t think there’s much to celebrate until he meets Annie and things start to look up.

Year 10 - 12

Curriculum Links: Creative Arts, Drama, English

The Dictionary Of Lost Words

Excursion

statetheatrecompany.com.au

Term 3

In 1901, the word bondmaid was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dictionary. The Dictionary of Lost Words is the story of the girl who found it.

Adapted by Verity Laughton, from the Pip Williams novel.

Year 11 - 12

Curriculum Links: Women’s Studies, Drama, English, Creative Arts

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre’s Blueback

Photo: Simon Pynt.

BLACK SWAN STATE THEATRE COMPANY

blackswantheatre.com.au/learn/school-programs

School Group Workshops

Incursion

blackswantheatre.com.au

Black Swan’s Teaching Artists are skilled at motivating students through joyful theatre-based learning experiences. To support curriculum outcomes and different learning styles, workshops are designed in consultation with booking teachers. Below is a suggested list of workshops, suitable for all year groups.

Improvisation – introduce students to fundamental acting processes which focus on developing collaboration, storystructure, and character in energetic and motivating ways Devising – create original work in the classroom through a range of devising processes including physical and object theatre

Working with Text – deepen understanding of character motivation, given circumstances and physical action through monologue, duologue, and scene work

Actors’ Instrument – explore the ways in which body, breath and voice support meaning, character and carry emotion

Design – understand the relationship between text, set & costume in these hands-on workshops

School Bookings

Excursion

blackswantheatre.com.au

Black Swan Theatre offers discounted tickets to school matinees (and any other performance excluding Opening Night), complimentary resources, and 1 free educator ticket for every 10 students attending a production.

It encourages teachers within learning areas to get together and book a school package to receive further discounts when booking more than one production in the 2023 Season.

Schools with ICSEA ranking of <1000, or <300 students are eligible for $20-$30 tickets (subject to availability), please contact learn@blackswantheatre.com.au to find out more. Additional Parent/Teacher tickets are available at a maximum of two per student per group booking.

SPARE PARTS PUPPET THEATRE

sppt.com.au/education

Show Day Excursion

sppt.com.au

Term 2

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre will return to regular performances for Perth families, presenting the world premiere of Show Day

Blueback Excursion

sppt.com.au

Term 2

One of Tim Winton’s most personal and quintessentially Western Australian stories, Blueback depicts the life of a young boy, Abel, and his mother, their relationship with the environment and their desire to protect and preserve the natural habitat of the place they call home. Adapted by Pete Murray from the book by Tim Winton.

PERTH ARTS COMPANY

pertharts.com

Suitcase Stories Incursion

All year

Eight different people from eight different countries and eight different eras tell of coming to Australia. Australian History, Multiculturalism.

Grade 2 - 6

Study Resource Kits available.

The Lucky Country Incursion

Western Australia and NSW

All year

Eight different people from eight different countries and eight different eras tell of coming to Australia. Australian History, Multiculturalism.

Year 7 - 11

Study Resource Kits available.

Costuming, Props Make Up & Seating

When I speak to audiences of nontheatre folks, I often find myself making the distinction that theatre is a collaborative art form. The painter or poet can work solo, but the theatre maker requires a team of creative people all working towards one single storytelling mission. The director of the production holds the responsibility of keeping all of the brilliant creative minds working on the show pointing in the same direction.

So, how does a director work to ensure that the audience member is seeing one unified artistic voice, not a whole bunch of disparate viewpoints? The director must establish the “True North” of the play or musical. This is not the staging or the casting or the couch upstage right, but is the overarching, driving concept that will keep all of the collaborators working towards the same vision.

“True North” can be thought of as the central storytelling idea that the director is bringing to the script. The script and music are supplying the storyline and characters, but how you

tell that particular story is the director’s decision. The director of a production has a curatorial obligation to interpret the story that the playwright has written with a lens that brings out something new and interesting for the audience.

In a pre-production process, it is this vision that unites the team and begins the task of using the creative superpowers of each individual theatre artist in their area of expertise to make sure that the final production all lives in one world. The director’s role is to be an adept and agile communicator, using many different forms of communication to bring along the entire team. Visuals, written word, spoken word, audio whatever tools the director can find will be helpful because all of the different designers are likely different types of learners. A set designer likely is a visual storyteller and visual processor of information, where a dramaturg is more likely to connect deeply to words. The director has to be fluent in multiple languages of artistic communication.

One easy version of getting everyone to understand the “True North” of a show is a Pinterest board with images and links to audio. For instance, when I directed the premiere of the TYA version of the musical James and the Giant Peach with book by Timothy Allen McDonald and music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, I used images that captured the overall feeling of the production that I wanted to present colour, texture, era, tone but also, specific costume silhouettes that spoke to me.

I also put in ideas that didn’t yet have a full resolution, but that I was playing with in my head. I found an image of an umbrella that inspired me to present the seagulls. As we worked together as a team, it became clear that seagulls out of umbrellas were not going to work, but we ended up using umbrellas parasol size, midsize and patio size as the peach itself.

The joy of the “True North” collaboration is it allows for divergent thinking, which is one of the primary strengths of the creative mind. All ideas can flow and be out there to grow. The director is not saying, “This is how it must be.” Instead, the

Award winning Director Nina Meehan explores the process of setting the stage for a production involving young people.

Bay Area Childrens’ Theatre’s James And The Giant Peach

Online extras!

See the results of the staging choices for James And The Giant Peach youtu.be/J3iMNnLpQIk

director is using the concepts presented as an invitation to allow each artist to bring their own brilliant creative ideas into the production.

All of this is lovely and great, but for most of us in the theatre world, we are working with resource constraints. Maybe you are working in a black box theatre and there is no room for big set pieces or you have a limited budget and have to costume the show based only on what can be found in the storage room. These constraints are completely normal in our world. The good news is that it’s these constraints that can actually make the job of the director, and therefore the collaborators, easier!

The “True North” concept can be daunting without any limits. It would have been great in my production of James and the Giant Peach to have a full skyscraper to grow from a trap in the stage and meet a giant flying peach, but the space I was working in at that time had no trap and no fly system. These constraints led me to my “Anchor Point” for the production, or the element of the design or production element that is fixed and therefore the thing you build everything else off of.

Another example. In a recent production of the Jungle Book I was working on, the show was being performed in a theatre where set pieces were not an option. I decided to use pre-created projections from

Broadway Media to bring settings to life with visual storytelling. As a result, the “Anchor Point” became those projections. The colour palette and tone were all set, but there was still a “True North” that I created that focussed on the vibrancy of the world and the jazzy style of the music. But, the hard work was done because I had settled on an “Anchor Point” early on in the process. My job as a director was actually simpler, but still artistically relevant and fulfilling.

The key to all of this is to communicate early and often. And

then communicate more. The director’s voice brings the team together and while for some people it can feel intimidating to be the leadership voice in the room, particularly in a collaborative process, the more clear and defined the director is early on, the more creative room the design team will have later in the process. The director is not in charge of managing and deciding every detail, but instead, setting the table with all the tools that the designers need to cook an exquisite storytelling meal.

Nina Meehan is the Founder and former CEO of Bay Area Children’s Theatre, the largest TYA company in California. She was an invited guest speaker at the Australia Junior Theatre Festival in 2022.

An Aladdin’s Cave Of Costumes

Ranging from adorable prepaged kids costumes to adult-size period dress, the company is a one stop shop for teachers and parents.

Stage School Australia offers everything from full staging and costume packages for 100+ students, to intimate studio plays, with discounts for government schools. Customers can tour both warehouses in Melbourne, with options for adding small, beautiful props to accentuate costume selection, or go the full kit-andkaboodle with packages such as The Addams Family, Les Misérables, Wizard of Oz and Beauty and The Beast

The range of sizes, quality and scope of costumes is extensive. Stage School Australia has Disney and animated classics including Beauty and The Beast, Shrek, Aladdin and Madagascar, as well as Broadway favourites such as Les Misérables and Singin’ In the Rain

The company also has an extensive selection of vintage and period costuming for plays and films, from medieval costuming for

VCE Shakespeare to 1920s jazz-age costumes for Chicago, plus contemporary shows including Bring It On and Legally Blonde.

Managed by a small but passionate team, many of the company’s staff have worked professionally in the performing arts industry, from large scale commercial musicals to The Australian Ballet.

Costumes are mostly hired by schools, but they also hire to film &

Stage School Australia’s Costume Department and Staging Department teams run two large warehouses side-by-side with props, staging and more than 10,000 costumes and accessories for hire. Get in touch with Stage School Australia’s friendly team today to discuss your options on (03) 8199 8344. stagingdept.com.au

TV productions, independent theatre and corporate events. Clients include The Wiggles, Channel 10 and Theatre Works.

One of the company’s most popular sets of props and costumes is from The Addams Family production staged professionally as a Broadway replica in Australia. The attention to details in the spooky historical ancestors and the eccentric Addams Family members is incredible!

Comfy Bums On Seats

How recently have you wriggled your way through a theatrical performance? Roger Pratt from Hadley Australia explains how that can become a thing of the past.

“Seating technology has changed tremendously over the last 10 to 15 years,” says Roger Pratt.

“A theatre chair is now designed ergonomically to support you. It’s not like a cinema chair, where you’ve got lots of wriggle room. The theatre chair has to hold you so that you don’t wriggle, and you don’t fall asleep.

“We specialise in manufacturing and installing high quality theatre chairs for the major theatres and performing arts centres around the country. We also have the ability to custom design and make for a theatre that requires a certain look such as Edwardian or Art Deco.”

Recently Hadley re-seated Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide.

“We did the installation there four years ago, then recently they decided to add another gallery. We had to take out all the chairs while they did the complete interior re-build, then put the old chairs back into the high gallery and provided new chairs for the stalls and part of the dress circle, and they all had to match.”

Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide.

That was a fairly straightforward installation. “They wanted to have a red upholstery - a garnet upholsteryand a stained timber component to match other timberwork within the theatre.”

But Hadley also customises seating to match the ambience of the theatre, and the specific performance needs of the venue.

“Every job is a little bit different. We work with the architects, the interior designers and the acoustic consultants.

“For Her Majesty’s Theatre at Ballarat we designed the arm of the chair and the aisle panel of the chair to suit the period of the theatre, so that design theme went through the whole venue.

“For the Palais at St Kilda, which is on hold at the moment because of Covid, they wanted to retain the lovely, sculpted aisle and chair stanchions. In the old days they were done in cast iron. For that theatre we’re going to replicate those in

aluminium. So, we put modern seats and backs into the theatre between replicated support stanchions.”

The seating may look classic, but the seats themselves will be modern and designed for comfort.

“With old theatre chairs they used to have just foam seat cushions, but with our chairs we have what we call Elastomeric Suspension - more like a Pirelli webbing - which gives you extra comfort.

“We also specialise in air conditioned chairs, where air is delivered through the pedestal of the chair, so all you are doing is air conditioning the area around the person rather than having to air condition the whole of the void. That’s called displacement air pedestals. The cost of air conditioning a theatre is much less using that system.”

The type of chair will also vary based on the acoustics required.

“If you’re working in a Concert Hall they want to have reverberation, so we use timber on the backs of the seats and the outer seat shell, but for spoken word, they want absorption, so we don’t have exposed timber.”

Popular Perfect Props

Veteran set and prop builder Bob Peet describes some treasures, and trash that he’s converted to treasures, for community theatre stages.

During my years running the hire department at Sydney’s Miranda Musical Society, we had special props which were in high demand. The most requested was an antique looking French style telephone that was used for Daddy Warbucks’ mansion in Annie, and a lot of other classy looking shows.

Another was the magic rose from Beauty and the Beast. Our first rose was operated with fishing line attached to the petals, but this meant threading the fishing line for each use. Later we changed the operation to electromagnets attached to the petals. Press a button and the petal falls.

I have always been very particular about correct chairs for the stage. Often productions are spoiled by an ordinary chair looking so wrong. Recently in Adelaide I saw a production of a classic operetta. The

beautiful period piece was ruined by the odd bentwood chair and a lounge from someone’s home, all meaning to portray the dressing of a wealthy merchant’s mansion.

Over the years I assembled a collection of chairs for all types of

settings. A set of rustic timber chairs for a rough tavern scene has been used often. I picked up a set of 16 bentwood chairs in fibreglass resin from IKEA, which has become an instant café on many occasions. I made a big investment in a suite of reproduction Louis furniture. I found a supplier of reproduction furniture frames, and then I made them strong and suitable for the wear and tear of the stage. These pieces live in special road-cases and are still in excellent condition, having been used on many occasions.

It must be said, however, that the most used props, used in so many shows, are the dreaded picnic baskets. How many of the older musicals have a picnic, a market scene, or a street scene with shoppers?

Good props will continue to be used over and over again, and can make an enormous difference to a show.

I have always been a collector of roadside “treasures “, finding unwanted pieces which can be rejuvenated for a new life on stage.

I have to admit that in my recent move to South Australia, I still look for and find stuff. I needed a nice bedside table for The Hypochondriac. Then one evening after rehearsal I spotted a suitable table in a pile waiting to be taken to the tip. A bit of paint, a new shelf and wheels, and $30 later I had a faux period table.

Words alone don’t do the results justice; the pictures tell the story.

Before.

After.

Setting The Scene

A show-stopping backdrop is a great way to set the scene in a stage production.

Backdrops Fantastic supports theatres and schools staging a play, musical or a dance recital. The company has hundreds of unique and exclusively themed backdrop designs for hire, including popular musicals and drapery.

The available stock is displayed on the company’s website backdrop gallery with new musical and theatre backdrop designs launched in September.

Their latest series of scenic hand-painted backdrops are inspired by scenes from Aladdin, Shrek, Frozen, Mary Poppins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Grease, South Pacific and The Nutcracker

The musical and theatre series allows the option of hiring one scenic backdrop or multiple scenes from the story line, that can be interchanged by production crews between scenes.

Backdrops Fantastic Australia specialises in transforming venues large and small into fully immersive themed environments. They proudly deliver their unique backdrops across Australia and New Zealand.

Give the team a call on (07) 5520 2311, email sales@backdrops.com.au or visit backdrops.com.au

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

Shrek.

Aladdin.

Mary Poppins.

Roadside Rubbish Becomes Stage Treasures

Veteran theatre creatives Bob and Col Peet featured in a recent episode of Stage Whispers TV on mastering prop and set building.

The brothers, now based in Adelaide and Sydney, warned that it is very dangerous driving behind them on council clean-up days.

One of their favourite habits is picking up some roadside trash to save it for a time when they can make it into a stage prop.

“We have made pot stands into a buffet, and very ordinary chairs into glamorous pieces,” said Col.

Bob described how he found beautiful chairs in a clean -up.

“I stopped and picked one up. I then got an email from someone who wanted four chairs. The next morning I went back. There were the other three chairs under the rubbish. I was able to rebirth them with black upholstery. Later we turned one into the wheelchair in Wicked. It all comes apart.”

Another time Bob found a gold couch on Facebook Marketplace at the home of a drag queen.

“So, it was appropriate that it became purple, which I got from a bedspread. That ended up being a lovely piece for The Producers,” he said.

The brothers are big fans of giving community theatre casts a look at set model boxes early in the rehearsal process.

In the video they showed off their latest masterpieces.

“I do a model box at a ratio of 1: 25. When we build it, the cast say the set looks just like the model,” said Col.

The Stage Whispers TV Live Broadcast is sponsored by the Association of Community Theatre, which partners with Marsh Insurance to offer non-professional companies public liability insurance policies.

For more information visit communitytheatre.com.au

Stage Whispers TV

Watch Bob and Col Peet’s full interview with David Spicer. Scan or visit youtu.be/amsozdVVq1s

stagewhispers.com.au/training

Spectacular School Sets

Adam Lindberg has designed and built sets for over 150 school productions since he graduated from the NIDA design course in 1996. He explains why he enjoys working in the education sector.

My first gigs were with regional theatre companies and designing for conferences and dinners.

Whilst I got a creative kick out of corporate events, the pressure was immense. I remember one huge corporate event staged over two days at the then Telstra Dome in Melbourne. The venue notified us that all the elements had to be rated for exterior wind loading, even though the roof was to be closed. Suddenly my construction cost blew out by $150,000.

I took a punt, showed my portfolio to a few private schools and got a job staging a season of Two Weeks with the Queen at Shore School in Sydney.

The studio theatre where we mounted the show was a brilliant space. Shore’s Creative Arts department was vibrant and motivated to stage professional level productions. I realised there was a market in education for a good designer who could also construct sets. With Christopher Reynolds and

production of West Side Story, featuring a dynamic six metre metal see-saw. The whole production was staged around the set piece as it rotated 360 degrees and tilted up and down, at times with actors riding it as

working in the industry, but they have decided to work in schools.

In 2007 I committed to drama in education and accepted the role as Production Manager at Cranbrook School in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

it moved. The production was also fortunate enough to feature a sweeping and almost filmic lighting design by renowned artist John Rayment.

Maintaining creative relationships within education has been the

I work full time as a Production Manager on their Creative Arts program, managing venues, logistics and a student production crew, as well as designing and realising lighting, sets and other technical aspects of the productions. In my holidays I design and construct sets for other clients. I am always looking for new challenges within the education sector.

A current challenge is the increase in cost for materials. The base materials such as plywood and pine cost 200% more than last year, and up to 300% if supply shortages force you to use a higher grade than you need.

For details please visit adamlindbergdesign.com.au

his successor David MacSwan we did some fantastic productions and made some brave decisions.

You can give concepts a try within schools that would not be attempted in the professional world. One of my favourite designs was our 2002

foundation that has kept my company, Adam Lindberg Design, going for almost 30 years.

I have been fortunate to create productions with passionate and committed drama educators who could easily be professional directors

In response to increasing costs, and to inspire teachers to continue to provide their students with amazing sets to perform on, I am promoting a staging product called Multi Set. The package is a modular product that can be assembled in multiple configurations and is suitable for a range of projects. I conceived and constructed Multi Set in response to my most frequently received request over the last 20 years … “Can I have levels?”

Into The Woods.

Daughters Of Venice.

Theatre Ticketing Made Easy

“It’s time to start selling tickets online! Get rid of the admin and paperwork from manually booking and printing tickets, not to mention chasing up on payments before the show,” said TryBooking’s Managing Director

Jeff McAlister

“Simply create a customisable event page for your show and have patrons conveniently book tickets online or add our Box Office via an EFTPOS terminal to manage in-person ticket sales. Use the check-in app to scan in ticket buyers as they arrive, monitor sales and check-ins in real time,” he said.

TryBooking recognises that theatres exist through the support of their communities and offers fundraising pages. It provides an option for venues or performers to

run registrations, create fundraising campaigns or just take donations. They’re still free for free events.

Fees remain at 2.5% and a $0.50 fee per ticket. There is no tiered pricing or subscriptions. The option exists to pass all these fees on to patrons or to ‘absorb’ them all within the ticket price.

TryBooking is trusted by 1,500+ local theatres and performers. It supports theatres across Australia and New Zealand like Forge Theatre, La Mama, Signet Theatre, MC Showroom, Camden Civic Centre and the Theatre Guild.

The events page at TryBooking.com receives a significant volume of potential ticket buyers looking for theatre events. Having a theatre event appear on the “Events Near Me” section helps drive additional sales.

One venue which switched to TryBooking is the Ararat Performing Arts Centre in Victoria. The Assistant Director Russel Potter said theatre goers love the convenience of the service.

“With our online seating plans they tend to purchase earlier to choose the best seats. We have a link on our website, so as soon as a show is listed, people can click the link and book their tickets,” he said.

“TryBooking has provided exceptional service and support and a first-rate product that improves both our ticketing process and our customer communication.”

Jeff McAlister says with 15+ years’ experience working with local theatre groups, performers, and venues “we have the knowledge and expertise to assist your business and take your operations to the next level.”

Head to TryBooking today and sign-up to try out the system.

Australian based ticketing platform TryBooking is growing in popularity within the theatre industry and has expanded its services to allow event organisers to sell tickets in-person at their Box Office, to complement their online platform.

Anthony Phillips Costume Exhibition

Launceston’s Encore Theatre Company hit the jackpot when acclaimed costume maker Anthony Phillips retired to their town.

Highlights of his 40-year career in Sydney included making costumes for The Phantom of the Opera over several decades and for Star Wars movies.

The company leapt at the opportunity to have him create sets of costumes for their musical theatre productions.

An exhibition of some of his recent creations for Les Misérables, Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You and The Sound of Music was on display during the Australian Musical Theatre Festival and was the subject of an episode of Stage Whispers TV.

Encore have several sets and key set pieces from their past productions available for sale or hire, along with an ever-growing wardrobe of costumes and a vast array of props.

Online extras!

Stage Whispers TV visits the Anthony Phillips costume exhibition. Scan or visit youtu.be/VubNpM4_iDs

Digital Scenery For

All

Scenic projections are becoming more affordable for community and school theatre, bridging the gap between cinema and live performance.

Working with a tight budget? Has your rehearsal and production time been significantly reduced due to COVID-19 shutdowns? Music Theatre International, Australasia (MTIA) and Broadway Media are offering digital scenery for MTI’s top titles in Australasia.

Scenic ProjectionsTM are full-show digital scenery packages that can be projected onto a screen or surface behind onstage performers as a backdrop.

The product follows the official licensed script. Harnessing the growing utilization of projection design as a core element of theatrical design, Scenic ProjectionsTM is projected digital art and animation that moves seamlessly with - and enhances - the action onstage.

A popular title is The Little Mermaid Junior. Product manager

Brianna Spicer describes the style as “cartoonised realism”.

“We show visible paint strokes with simplified shapes and softened background elements, garnering inspiration from various concept art pieces of underwater scenes and ships.

“The Little Mermaid JR package helps make the musical more immersive. The ocean surface changes from calm to stormy depending on what is happening. In the palace hall scene, the sunset and colour change help to indicate that Ariel has run out of time. Any opportunity to help make the story clearer is taken advantage of.”

Broadway Media combine their projection cueing software with beautiful artwork that includes all the scenes, settings and special effects in the script. Scenic Projections will be available in animated or still image

For more information about Scenic Projection Show Packages, visit broadwaymedia.com/shows/music-theatre-international-australasia

For additional information on MTI and licensing, please visit mtishows.com.au

variants for MTIA’s most popular fulllength and Broadway JuniorTM titles.

“Scenic Projections is the tool you need to elevate your production values, all from the touch of a button and at an affordable price. We are excited to keep offering you new resources to bring the magic of theatre to your school or community,” says Stuart Hendricks, Managing Director of MTI Australasia.

Broadway Media says there is no steep learning curve to use its digital scenery as the product is supported by free how-to resources and customer support.

“We are a mission-driven company, serving a global theatre community. Our decision-making centres around one simple question, ‘does it make participation in the performing arts more accessible?’” says Quentin Sanford, President, Broadway Media. “Through our products, our partnerships and advocacy, Broadway Media is dedicated to the universal access to the joy of theatre-making, regardless of space, place, or budget.”

Easily project scenic backgrounds like these from your laptop.

Scenery Magic For Local Productions

Australia’s largest commercial set building facility has been acquired by Theatre Safe Australia (TSA) and is open for business for theatre companies and schools of all sizes.

Since the Scenery Workshop’s launch in Adelaide in 1979, the facility has been the set manufacturing powerhouse behind a massive range of productions, from The Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Matilda to Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

TSA took over management from the Adelaide Festival Centre in August of the facilities, described as a hub for the fine art of scenic building, painting, construction and electrics.

The company is offering its services for major touring productions and smaller companies on a budget. In a recent project, the workshop team created a visually stunning set which they hired to Pelican Productions for their stage show Chicago - High School Edition.

Pelican Productions’ Chicago - High School Edition

Pelican Productions is a vital part of the performing arts community in South Australia, with a dedicated team of professional vocal tutors and choreographers who foster young up-and-coming talent in musical theatre.

The set is also being adapted for their latest production, School of Rock, which is financially beneficial for the company, enabling it to spread the hire cost across different shows.

Kylie Green, Director of Pelican Productions said, “The visual effects of the scenic elements that were added to the stage helped to bring our production to life. Our budding young performers were immersed in the magic of theatre, along with the vibrant and enthusiastic audience.”

Now part of TSA, Duncan Barton, Workshop Production Development Officer, explains how it’s opened the workshop to new channels to reach local schools and community theatre.

“Our passion for creating magnificent scenery does not stop in the workshop. We want to assist creating pathways for young people and aim to inspire the future of performing arts in Australia. Our skilled team work closely with schools, colleges and universities to build and maintain stage sets that bring local productions to life.”

Under one roof the TSA Workshop offers carpentry, engineering, sculpture and props, scenic painting, set electrics, rigging and automation, theatre maintenance, drapes, scenery hire, workshop tours and educators’ professional learning events. For the schools and local community theatre, the workshop can now offer set building and hire, rigging and automation and maintenance programmes.

Rosco Celebrates 30 Years

Creative Film and Theatre Solutions is the exclusive agent for Rosco Products in Australia and New Zealand - supplying to the performing arts and entertainment industries for 30 years.

The company has kept its business ticking over under trying circumstances in 2020 but is excited about the year ahead.

Rosco Laboratories - a lighting equipment, live entertainment, film and broadcast equipment supplier - is committed to being a one stop shop for producers.

Products include paint for scenery and props, and digital compositing paint for blue and green screens - formulated with the assistance of video technicians.

The company has what they describe as world's largest catalogue of gobo templates, created by lighting designers.

They also have LED Effects Projectors capable of throws of up to 33-ft (10m) engineered to create “stunning” illumination effects. Other products include a full range of flooring. A popular line is Rosco's Chroma Floor, which solves the long-standing problem of repainting a studio floor for every shoot.

Creative Film and Theatre Solutions ship to all areas via their Sydney warehouse and have dealers in most capital cities.

Check out the product range at au.rosco.com/en, or get in touch with them on (02) 9906 6262 or by emailing sales@cfats.com.au.

Walking through the aisles of CLOC Musical Theatre’s Costume Centre ‘The Nancy’ is a stroll through centuries of style, fashion, colours, history and memories. This mammoth collection has well over 12,000 items from more than 110 productions over 55 years.

Right now, however, it’s like walking through a ghostly parade of the most bejewelled, bedazzled, and brilliant costumes sewn for Priscilla Queen of the Desert waiting to take life when the COVID-19 crisis is over.

The amazing CLOC Sewing Team began sewing Priscilla last October and had 90% of the production

completed when scissors and sequins were put away after their last sewing bee on Saturday March 14. Everything that could be completed at home has been done and CLOC, like the entire theatre industry, is awaiting ‘the vaccine’ and the easing of social distancing.

But when that happens, CLOC will be ready! Ready to assist theatre companies and schools hire at very reasonable rates from individual costumes to entire costume sets for shows like Kinky Boots, Strictly Ballroom, Les Misérables, A Chorus Line, Mary Poppins, 42nd Street and The Phantom of the Opera.

CLOC’s Costume Centre ‘The Nancy’ is located next to CLOCworks, on the corner of Old Dandenong & Kingston Roads in Heatherton, Victoria. Visits by appointment only.

CLOC Musical Theatre’s Strictly Ballroom

Photo: Ben Fon.

CLOC Musical Theatre’s 42nd Street

What is the theme of the costume?

The theme of the costume is invisible poisons in textiles with a specific focus on the tragic story of the 1920s “Radium Girls” who painted watch dials, with radium paint, for the Radium Dial Company.

Why did it interest you?

The topic of poisons in fabric throughout history and the health effects on the people who wore them fascinated me. Examples of this include arsenic used to dye dresses in the Victorian era and mercury used to stiffen hats leading to the term the “mad hatter”.

It was when I was listening to the podcast “My Favourite Murder”, which covered the story of the 1920s Radium Girls who painted watch dials with poisonous radium paint, that I decided to create a costume to draw attention to their tragic story.

In summary, the girls who were employed to paint watches in the 1920s were being poisoned. The watches, used by soldiers in dark trenches, were painted by the girls using radium paint for its night-time glow. They were instructed to use a technique called “lip pointing”, which required the painter to place the tip of their brush in their mouth before dipping the brush in the paint, to produce a finer brush stroke. After their shifts working at the factory, the girls’ clothes would glow in the dark when they were walking home, due to the radium paint particles coming in to contact with their clothing. They became known as “the ghost girls”. Essentially, the girls were slowly poisoned by the radium in the paint, became ill and eventually died.

What is the dress made of?

The under layer is made up of a black linen, cupro and tencal blend. The outer layer is made from 100% polyester taffeta, which has newspaper articles from that period of time printed on it and which glows in the dark. I chose this fabric as it was commonly used in the 1920s for the robe de style and it is also suitable to run through the

sublimation printer which heat sets the newspaper articles onto the fabric.

The dress is finished with UV paint (non-poisonous) to create the glowing effects of the radium.

print from a special paper onto textiles. To ensure that the underdress aligned with the overdress and to also fasten the cape, I used magnets, which I covered with fabric to fasten them in the perfect position.

When painting the fabric with the UV paint, I used the lighting studio. NIDA Technical Theatre students assisted me by rigging UV lights so that I could see the paint I was applying. How long did it take to make it?

I spent approximately 67 hours on

For information on courses at NIDA call (02) 9697 7600 or visit nida.edu.au

Any unusual processes to create it?

To create my newspaper fabric, I had to produce my pattern to fit the newspaper articles into the exact shape of the garment. I then used Photoshop to edit and adapt the articles I found in the archives of the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune to ensure their best position on my pattern pieces.

The newspaper articles need to be warped slightly in order to create a visually straight line on a 3-dimensional body. I created my very own newspaper fabric by using the process of heat setting, which transfers the sublimation

my project. This included 40 hours on pattern making, cutting, fitting and construction, 24 hours creating my newspaper print using Photoshop, and three hours spent in the lighting studio painting.

How do you look after glow in the dark costumes?

Glow in the dark costumes created with UV paint need to be heat set at 160 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes to lock the paint into the fabric permanently. I would choose to hand wash the costume delicately and let it dry naturally.

NIDA 3rd year costume student Avril Bradbury-Hoath dedicated her research project to women who lost their lives making watches and costumes.

Buttons To Dye For

Buttons can make or break a costume. Did you know how easy it is to dye buttons?

The process is simple: in fact, it is easier than dying fabric.

Start with plain white buttons or translucent buttons.

Dying synthetics involves a different process to dying natural products. Sublimation dying incorporates the dye right into the structure of the fibres/plastic, meaning that the colours last longer, and remain stable - we all know that a cotton garment will fade when laundered - synthetics and their colours last much longer.

Sublimation dying generally requires heat, pressure and duration to set the colour, so when printing a synthetic t-shirt, the dye is printed onto transfer paper in reverse, and pressed onto the t-shirt with heat and pressure, for a set period of time.

Dying fabric usually involves putting the garment into a container or pot and heating over a stove, in a microwave or on a hot washing machine setting. The washing machine on a very long hot cycle gives a great result, usually with an even finish.

Buttons use very little dye and can be dyed in a coffee cup.

Simply mix equal quantities of liquid dye, vinegar and water in a cup (10 -15 ml of each would suffice) add the buttons, place in a microwave for thirty seconds then wait 30 seconds.

Lift one button out with a fork or spoon and check for the intensity of colour.

If it isn’t dark enough, heat and wait another couple of times (I find about 3 X 30 seconds gives a good rich colour). If it still isn’t dark enough add some more dye to the cup and repeat the heating and standing until the colour is attained.

Once the correct colour has been reached, lift the button/s out of the liquid and rinse under water. Dry with a towel.

If it is too dark, you cannot go back, so it is strongly recommended that you start with a weaker solution and gradually add more dye. In theory, from start to finish it can take less than 5 minutes.

The dye bath in a cup may be used for multiple buttons in one go - remembering to stir well between heating, or batches one after another. The dye colour will gradually become weaker, so add more dye concentrate if necessary. Don’t forget, different proportions of dye, vinegar and water may change the colour slightly so batch colours will vary (quite a bit of the water evaporates as part of the microwave process).

Tracey Nuthall from Costumes Without Drama pins down the secret to gorgeous fasteners.

Sound & Light

There is no doubting the importance of “visual” content in our daily lives, be it in the form of social media presence, releases of streaming and cinema content, hard copy or online product presentations, product sales and business promotions.

Our link to the “visual and media” world via the progress of technology has resulted in a broad spectrum of options as to how we deliver information to the public.

Career opportunities in the field of Media have increased so much so that training and mentoring in the discipline has become more dynamic, be it in theatre production, still photography, sales and marketing, or production of promotional content.

Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is now used as a primary tool for media content production that combines the individual disciplines of Technology and Art.

So how do we prepare the next generation of photographers, video

and movie producers, marketing gurus, and content creators, so that they are empowered to express their creativity?

One answer may be that future directors, photographic artists, marketing executives etc. become confident to tap into the “tools of the trade” to further nurture their creativity.

There has been a noted increase in number of installations being used to deliver course content in CGI, video, theatre and marketing etc. that is now being provided by training and educational institutions such as universities, colleges, secondary and primary schools.

CycPro has for a number of years delivered what is termed in the industry as “Infinity Walls, White Walls, and Green Walls”, for photographic and video production, theatre production and marketing entities throughout Australia.

CycPro’s design and construct service enables access to flexible, affordable and packaged “ready to use” installations. With the application of CycPro’s patented modular and prefabricated system of coved floor/wall and wall/wall treatment, CycPro is able to deliver installations of seamless transition within the often tight time frames that scholastic term breaks provide.

In addition to the larger “fixed format” cyclorama installations, CycPro also has an affordable range of “table top”, mobile or demountable infinity wall solutions to cater for backdrops used in the training process for still photography for the production of commercials and marketing purposes.

CycPro prides itself in committing to the Media and Visual Arts educational and training domain’s needs for today and into the future, and would welcome any obligation free enquiries regarding the potential of installing a Cyclorama Infinity wall in your school, training rooms or existing facility.

Green room installation.

Photo courtesy: Wyndham Tech School.

Lighting Up The Stage

For over 30 years, the Stage Light crew have been supporting Performing Arts in schools & colleges. Brian Walsh, Senior Production Designer, explains how his company is helping young people shine.

Involvement in performing arts promotes self-confidence, communication, creativity and team skills, as well as emotional wellbeing. Student participation is linked to positive academic, social and emotional outcomes later in life.

So, the job of creating wonderful stage experiences is one that’s taken very seriously. Igniting a love of performance in young people is something they care deeply about. The devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performing arts sector, and on the mental health of individuals, makes it more important than ever to get it right, now we are returning to live performances.

To give back to the community, each year the Stage Light crew collect, assess and repair used stage lighting & audio equipment, before donating them to low SES schools and fire/ flood effected venues throughout NSW. If your performance space has lost, damaged, unsafe or no lighting

and sound equipment, reach out to Stage Light.

The Stage Light crew also undertake annual volunteering at the REELise Film Festival an initiative to support youth mental health. So, what are the key ingredients to getting it right and supporting a great show?

Production design can support the story and evolving moods of the performance. Stage Light provides lighting, audio and staging design, technical drawing and 3D concepts.

Once the design is finalised, Stage Light can help with equipment hire. They can supply lighting, audio, projection, LED walls, media servers, special effects machines, lasers, communications, rigging, ground support, scaffold, staging and inflatable decor.

Additionally, their crew provide on -site training for staff and students in most aspects of technical production. Student participation in show production at all levels, where

practicable, is encouraged. Professional crew work with staff and students to bump-in, focus, program and operate the equipment, providing on-site training and supporting “guide to” documents.

The crew ensure your venue is safe and compliant. Student crew members complete an online safety induction.

Stage Light believes that staging a great show can make a positive difference in the lives of the students involved as well as their audience.

Stage Light provides a full range of technical production services to schools for performances of all kinds at generously discounted rates, and currently services more than 300 Schools in New South Wales.

For more information email info@stagelight.com.au, call (02) 9533 5152 or visit stagelight.com.au

Multi-award-winning Nick Schlieper talks to Martin Portus about the rigour and magic of lighting our landmark operas, plays and dance works for four decades.

STC’s Saint Joan (2018)

Photo: Brett Boardman.

Nineteen-year-old Nick Schlieper first plugged into his craft alone backstage at Doris Fitton’s old Independent Theatre in North Sydney in 1977.

It was a time in Australian theatre when the lighting guy was usually one of the mechs. Nick was the Independent’s resident stage manager; restless, he began experimenting every night during the show by shifting around the lights. Actors learnt to just work around it.

Schlieper has been playing with light ever since, earning - and demanding - a respect for the precision, invention and storytelling role of his craft, and his very distinctive signature in lights.

It’s no surprise that painters are his first inspiration - think Turner and Edward Hopper and Nick’s own late brother. Michael Schlieper, Nick’s senior by 11 years, would work on his canvases through the night at the family home in Chatswood. Every morning, getting ready for school, Nick would observe the added layers, the depths appearing from new light and colours.

“I think I learnt most about lighting design and light from that exposure, watching him painting and then, growing up, talking to him about it, and watching his style change radically over a few decades,” says Nick.

“He started out as a wildly abstract painter, went through a very figurative, so-called Teutonic, social commentary period and then ended up painting landscapes but with a great facility for technique, which I learnt from him.”

Nick’s start in stage management also added a practical insight into the logistics of theatre - and the required diplomacy. He was soon responsible for casts and crews far older than he, calling shows, later operas, with the big companies in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. Finally as a production manager, young Schlieper always had work …until, that is, he put out his shingle as a freelance lighting designer.

The jobs were few but, somehow, he scored the lighting gig on the STC’s Summer of the Seventh Doll and

Away, both of which went to New York in 1988. He remembers Roger Kemp’s three model houses signifying the three families intersecting in Away.

“It was played in tight areas and was the first time I had to create a naturalistic pool of light in an abstracted stylised space yet evoking a sense of place. And I approached it from an incredibly simple point of view - of standing under a light bulb, but expanded.”

German director Harald Clemen commissioned Nick to light a show at the prestigious Schillertheater/ Berlin just before the Wall came down,

angles, very cold light, all things very unfashionable then.”

Home he may be, but Nick was also staggered at the absence in Germany of expressive techniques in lighting design. Images of German theatre may look stunning, but the lighting was fixed.

The idea of leading the audience’s eye, lighting the actor and expanding on the emotion was becoming essential to Nick’s story-telling toolkit back in Australia but, then at least, it was foreign in Germany.

“Germans called it dramaturgical lighting, and actors even said to me that they resented me doing their job

which was, he says, like “dancing on a volcano “ with the arts integral to everyone’s fervent conversation, and part of the arsenal between East and West.

“And at the theatres I suddenly understood where my aesthetic had come from - it was like coming home,” says Nick, whose family immigrated from Germany.

“In Australia I was jokingly criticised for my work being very Teutonic, very stark, without much colour. I spent a lot of time making people look right, not nice - which is not the same thing. I do use very steep

for them. It was best to do it under fluoros and with the house lights on! It was a Brechtian hangover.”

Times have changed. Nick went on to work regularly across Germany, and notably at the Salzburg Festival: he’s just returned from there, lighting a brilliantly urbane contemporary version of Médée. For more than a decade he’s taught lighting design in Munich and he went on to see WAAPA in Perth establish Australia’s one major lighting course.

But ‘dramaturgical’ remains his best descriptor. He rejects all jobs

(Continued on page 75)

Bangarra’s Bennelong (2017)

Photo: Daniel Boud.

unless he’s included from the start in that first collaborative planning with the director and other designers. He reads the script or score over and over again and, he says, he eschews tricks and focuses his lights only on advancing the meaning of the work.

“We start with that simple question - why are we doing this work? It’s all the more vital a question when it’s a classic. I’ve done five productions of Macbeth; if you don’t ask why you’re doing it here at this time and place, then they’d all look the same. And once you answer that question, you find the environment in which you’ll do it.”

All this was well tested when Nick and his frequent collaborators, director Elke Neidhardt, and set and costume designers Michael Scott Mitchell and Stephen Curtis, started planning what was Australia’s first full production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. It was premiered by the modest sized State Opera Company of SA in 2004, but years earlier Nick was getting his head around a score lasting 16 and a half hours.

And it was all the harder, given his block about Wagner, one he suggests is common in many Germans.

“It just makes me very uncomfortable, to the base of my spine, since it’s so laden with his vile thoughts…. so learning what I find fairly repugnant music was a challenge.”

Still, five years out, he joined the creative team, all of them leaving behind their phones and locking themselves away in a Blue Mountains retreat.

“But at the end of that week at “Camp Wagner”, we’d only got as far as the first five minutes of the first opera, and most of that was the prelude!

“Still, all that time we were addressing the whole framework with the same question - why are we doing this work yet again and why in Adelaide?”

This landmark Ring had massive, strikingly lit set pieces, but here again for the lighting designer the priority was story-telling, of not losing sight of the human stories over time.

“We always made sure that after fabulous visuals we came back to a permeable box with no scenery in it, just lots of light and that light in those interludes, even more than usual, with a focus all about the singers.”

With a set that filled 38 shipping containers (an average opera may fill three) and a lighting rig with a thousand lamps, this was the biggest theatre show ever staged in the country. Oddly for the celebrated designers, the job offers then dried up.

“You’re so easily pigeon-holed by this industry. I think we were branded as, they only do huge now!”

Nick however did join another trusted collaborator, director Simon Phillips, in 2006 to create the stage version of the film hit, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

“I’m not drawn to musicals but I was keen to get over my prejudice that they’re all flash and giggle and not much craft.”

With a colour palette beginning with hot pink, he was also repainting his reputation as a master of stark white light. Nick’s starting point with Priscilla was that every scene have the sparkle, the heightened colours, as though viewed through the lens of a drag show - just like back then at the famed Imperial Hotel in Newtown, Sydney. He admits that the lighting took a leap elsewhere, especially with the introduction of Brian Thomson’s magically inventive bus and a huge

(Continued from page 74)

Nick Schlieper at the lighting desk for Love Never Dies (2012).

Photo: Jeff Busby.

Médée (2019)

Photo: Thomas Aurin.

tech budget. And Nick finished up with a lighting plot of 2,500 cues.

The arc of Nick Schlieper’s career has seen an ever-growing respectfrom audiences, critics and industry colleagues - for the craft of a lighting designer, and an astonishing shift in the technology at their fingertips.

“I’ve seen manually operated desks replaced by computer boards; football -sized globes replaced by ones golfball -sized; and colour temperature and heat emissions have changed so much we can have an expanded palette of colour gels. And importantly we can now have a whiter, less yellow light.

“At first with computers doing a lighting fade we missed the skill of a good operator, but now these have a control which is incredibly sensitive. You can virtually move a host of lights throughout a show without the audience being aware of what you’re doing.”

A negative for Nick is LED technology. He argues it reduces the colour ring spectrum to just 70%; with the missing 30% so critical because that’s the light most sympathetic to

skin tones, to lighting the actors and telling the story.

It didn’t stop him, however, employing a huge back wall of white light in the STC’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The lighting bank initially simmered and then blasted direct into the audience, suggesting the fireworks - and raw emotions - that climaxed at the end of the play.

Nick has the perfect collaborator in STC artistic director Kip Williams, whose own stage signature often strips everything to an empty space, often with a revolve, defined with little set or clutter, and so often dramatised by cross lighting. Their recent credits also include

(Continued on page 77)

MTC’s North By Northwest (2016).

Photo: Jeff Busby.

Chinamerica, with its complex storytelling across countries and decades; the epic dramatisation of Ruth Park’s Harp in the South; Brecht’s Arturo Uri with Hugo Weaving; White’s ghoulishly vaudevillian A Cheery Soul; and Shaw’s St Joan. He just finished lighting Simon Phillips’ STC production of Stoppard’s The Real Thing

He remains a big fan of white light and cross-lighting, and his reasoning, of course, comes back to what’s true to the performers.

“It solves the age-old problem of people standing next to each other talking as we do in real life, by lighting along the axis they’re speaking to each other.

“And it gives such a sculptural impact to dancers. It makes bodies look fantastic and faces so much more interesting and more present.”

Nick has lit six notable shows by Bangarra. With Patyegarang and the most recent, Bennelong, he’s lit Stephen Page’s significant shift to a dance theatre storytelling involving

points of view both indigenous and colonial.

“In terms of the practical, it’s about being very careful about colour and choosing the optimum angle for dancers … but with the episodic story of Bennelong I also had to be wary about leaving the audience with a clear dramatic structure.”

He’s getting over being what he describes as “the whitest thing possible in that context, yes Aryan even!

“It’s a very useful reminder - as if it’s needed - of how strongly you can feel being the ‘other’, and useful to have the boot on the other foot.”

Nick Schlieper spoke to Martin Portus for a State Library of NSW oral history project on leaders in the performing arts; the full interview is now available on amplify.gov.au

Video Wizardry

The Sydney Theatre Company’s production of The Picture of Dorian Gray has won rave reviews for technical wizardry and acting.

Eryn Jean Norvill played all 26 roles in the Oscar Wilde classic. On multiple screens, she interacted with her own pre -recorded performances as different characters.

One of the highlights was a dinner party where live Eryn sits at the end of a table and has a razor-sharp repartee with a smorgasbord of eccentric characters.

Read David Spicer’s full review bit.ly/36PrlyL

Rosco Celebrates

30 Years

Creative Film and Theatre Solutions is the exclusive agent for Rosco Products in Australia and New Zealand - supplying to the performing arts and entertainment industries for 30 years.

The company kept its business ticking over under trying circumstances in 2020 but is excited about the year ahead.

Rosco Laboratories - a lighting equipment, live entertainment, film and broadcast equipment supplier - is committed to being a one stop shop for producers.

Products include paint for scenery and props, and digital compositing paint for blue and green screens - formulated with the assistance of video technicians.

The company has what they describe as world's largest catalogue of gobo templates, created by lighting designers.

They also have LED Effects Projectors capable of throws of up to 33-ft (10m) engineered to create “stunning” illumination effects.

Other products include a full range of flooring. A popular line is Rosco's Chroma Floor, which solves the long-standing problem of repainting a studio floor for every shoot.

Creative Film and Theatre Solutions ship to all areas via their Sydney warehouse and have dealers in most capital cities.

Check out the product range at au.rosco.com/en, or get in touch with them on (02) 9906 6262 or by emailing sales@cfats.com.au.

Photo: Daniel Boud.

Keeping Mics Hidden

An incredible amount of research, design and engineering goes into producing every microphone you can see (and those you can’t see) in use on the stage and in studios around the world.

This won’t guarantee perfect performance every time. There are steps you can take to improve performance - or at the very least, prevent audible interference or physical problems that arise from misuse.

Shrinking Graduation

In Primary School performances, lead roles often pass a handheld wireless microphone to each other when there is a line to deliver or a song to sing, while many Secondary School productions will feature headset microphones.

More sophisticated productions will ‘feature’ microphones totally hidden from the audience, but what is the best way to do this?

Invisible, Not Impossible

Moving to miniature microphones, often called lavalier microphones, is a step in the invisibility direction, but this usually comes at a cost. A highperformance microphone capsule smaller than your pinky fingernail is not only often priced higher than the other options, but there is no guarantee the

sound will be great, unless some careful steps are followed

Securing a miniature lavalier microphone right at the hairline, at the top of the actor’s forehead, is a great place to hide the microphone. It also picks up a very natural sound from the singer, without overloading the capsule via a ‘proximity effect’ (the more pronounced bottom end sound which you may get from a handheld mic when it is closest to the source).

Other places include elsewhere around the hairline, such as above the ear. Underneath clothing is an option for some actors and costumes, but the horrible sound of clothing rustle on a microphone capsule (which can sound like wireless microphone interference) may then arise.

Tale Of The Tape

Essential in the theatre audio toolkit is tape, and lots of it. Gaffer Tape (the 510-matte variety), Hypoallergenic surgical tape, Lav tape, and specially prepared Undercovers and Stickies are all useful in making sure the capsule stays put, and the actor is comfortable. Should a microphone need placing under clothing, the UNDERCOVER range of adhesives makes sure that the apparel does not rub against the capsule. In an emergency, try the

triangle-tape technique, to secure and surround a lavalier capsule.

Stashing The Pack

For each mini microphone, a wireless transmitter (bodypack) will be required. It’s easy to imagine simply popping it under some clothing, but steps need to be taken to ensure both the integrity of the wireless signal, and also the longevity of the wireless transmitter.

Sweat from an actor’s skin is the number one enemy of sensitive electronics, so care must be taken to avoid direct skin contact. A protective neoprene pouch is often used to safely strap a pack to the waist area. Sometimes an extra layer of protection via a latex sheath is used if the actor is “a sweater”. Moisture seeping into the electronics of a bodypack will decrease the functional lifetime and affect the wireless integrity.

Antennas must be clear of any metals to avoid ‘detuning’ the wireless signal and ensure they are allowed to sit in their ‘straight’ position, without an unnatural bend.

Before Moving To Miniatures

Both the “Primary” and “Secondary” microphones listed above are not without their charm and benefits. While a handheld microphone has the obvious drawback of taking a performer’s arm away, it does offer the most flexibility for a powerful singer. We can all visualise the action of a singer being able to control how far away from their mouth the microphone capsule sits, depending on how hard they’re belting out a note.

The headset solution turns fixed distance into a feature, by ensuring the microphone capsule is in exactly the same place for the entire performance. In effect, the microphone moves with a performer’s mouth, so every time they turn their head for a stage direction or choreography, the microphone capsule is right there ready to capture the sound without missing a beat.

As always, if wireless microphones are causing more headaches than you can handle, get in touch with an RF specialist to make sure you get looked after.

Artie Jones from Factory Sound shares his tips for schools and amateur theatre companies on discreet and crackle free use of microphones.

Lighting Up Stages For 50 Years

From a small company established in Wellington, Theatrelight NZ has moved with the times to supply LED lights to the world. Phillip Dexter turns the spotlight onto Theatrelight NZ.

In 1972, Rex Gilfillan established Theatrelight NZ with his first commission to supply stage lighting control, dimmers and sound mixers to the (then under construction) Hannah Playhouse, also to be known as ‘Downstage’ in Wellington. Opening night in 1973 was a huge success, with considerable interest shown in these innovative, high quality locally made products.

In 1977, as demand outstripped the company’s Wellington factory capacity, Theatrelight moved to larger premises in Auckland.

Theatrelight has gone on to provide dimmers and control boards to most of New Zealand’s iconic performance venues from concert halls, theatres and Television New Zealand and TV3 studios, through to amateur theatres, school halls and drama rooms.

In the 1980s Theatrelight began its first exports to Australia and quickly opened up markets throughout South East Asia and beyond.

Today, Theatrelight equipment is sold around the world, and although this success has required ongoing expansion in manufacturing internationally, no compromise has been made to the quality and value of the products.

Theatrelight wireless and wired DMX 512 and Ethernet distribution nodes and splitters have also become firm favorites with the film industry. Most major international and local films employ TL DMX distribution within New Zealand’s outstanding film industry.

In 2015 Theatrelight designers turned their expertise to the evolving revolution of stage lighting through the application of LED light technology. The current range of single and multi-colour stage Fresnel and Profile spotlights are cleverly designed with high end optic control, while being affordable to all from drama rooms to large scale theatres. These luminaires have also become favorites in TV studios, from TV3’s The Project to the recent season of Lego Masters.

These lanterns are designed for ‘lighting not landfill’, so have replaceable LED light engines for when the expected

20,000 hours are exceeded. Like all Theatrelight products, the lights are designed to be serviceable with spare parts locally available if ever needed.

Due to their competitive pricing and high output, these lanterns have proved very popular in theatres and schools. To arrange a demo, talk to your local Theatrelight agent in New Zealand or Show Technology in Australia.

In the field of dimmers, Theatrelight’s new RackPackSwitch 12 channel dimmer pack helps theatres make the transition from tungsten stage lighting to LED over time. Each dimming channel has an associate switch to lock out the dimmer and provide mains power. Because the switching of the dimmer channel from dim to mains power is carried out at the rack rather than at the lighting board, there is no chance of accidentally setting a mains power channel to dim and damaging expensive equipment via the control board.

Recent major installs included 40 units in the Theatre Royal, Christchurch and 20 units to the Life Church Auckland. RackPack-Switch has proved one our most popular dimmers ever made, with sales outstripping all other models currently available.

There will be very few technical users who have not encountered Theatrelight dimmers, control boards or lights and we thank you for your support over the past 50 years. Here’s to the next 50!

Phillip Dexter is a lighting designer, and a member of the sales team at Theatrelight NZ.

For all sales and service enquiries please contact theatrelight.co.nz

It Keeps On DASHin’

Ross Hopkins from Creative Film and TV highly recommends a new hand held LED light, the Rosco DMG DASH.

Don’t let its size fool you, the battery-operated DMG DASH can produce up to an incredible 500 lumens of output - all from a fixture that’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

DMG DASH features Rosco’s patented six-chip MIX® Technologyenabling it to produce the same colour-quality and True Rosco Color™ gel matches that other MIX lights do!

Each DMG DASH Kit ships with a set of beam-shaping accessories, including a flat diffuser panel, dome diffuser, eggcrate, and a gel holder for adding any Rosco gel or diffusion material desired

DMG DASH is controlled from its on-board 1.3” OLED user interface, via the free myMIX® mobile app, or through optional wireless DMX by LumenRadio to provide CRMX and W -DMX control. It charges using a standard USB type-C connector and lasts three hours at 100% intensity.

The DMG DASH Quad Kit includes four fixtures and four sets of accessories. The kit also includes a DMG DASH LINK that can connect all four lights together into one unit!

DMG DASH is constructed from a lightweight aluminium alloy with an IP54 rating to provide a shockresistant and weatherproof housing. It takes a thrashin’ and keeps on DASHin’!

Gobo Light Magic

For 25 years Gobotech has remained the only Australian manufacturer supplying a full range of custom gobos.

At their Gold Coast factory, the company employs a mix of time-proven methods of photo lithographic production, as well as world-leading laser technology, to produce gobos which can transform the stage. Uses range from setting the scene in a play or musical to projecting a school crest in vivid colour.

At Gobotech you can speak directly with technicians and graphic designers to turn your ideas into reality and achieve a fast turnaround.

In theatre, gobos can be used to instantly and cheaply change a backdrop. A production could switch from a busy streetscape to a walk in the woods or change the mood of the stage with dappled light. All changes can be done with the flick of a switch using a gobo in a theatrical lantern.

The COVID-19 disaster has decimated the arts and events industries. To help companies get back on their feet Gobotech is offering a $99 arts package to Stage Whispers readers to help school and small venue productions incorporate gobos.

The company wishes everyone in the industry a brighter end to 2021 and an awesome 2022.

Staging A Musical Or Play

Choosing A Show

Rights holders give their tips about new and classic musicals for schools.

Music Theatre International Australasia

mtishows.com.au

Finding Nemo JR

Disney’s Finding Nemo JR. is a 60 -minute musical adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo, with new music by award-winning song writing team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. bit.ly/3ScX7vD

Alice By Heart

From the Tony winning team of Spring Awakening and the book writer of Waitress, Alice by Heart is refreshing spin on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

In the rubble of the London Blitz of World War II, Alice Spencer’s budding teen life is turned upside down, when she and her dear friend Alfred are forced to take shelter in an underground tube station. When the ailing Alfred is quarantined, Alice encourages him to escape with her into their cherished book and journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. Available for a limited release in early Spring 2023. bit.ly/3IiSVpr

The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940

By John Bishop

A fast-paced play, set in a mansion with numerous secret doors and passageways. A comedy with a cast of five men and five women.

“An ingenious and wildly comic romp which enjoyed a long and critically hailed run both on and Off-Broadway. Poking antic fun at the more ridiculous aspects of “show biz” and the corny thrillers of Hollywood’s heyday, the play is a nonstop barrage of laughter as those assembled (or at least those who aren’t killed off) untangle the mystery of the ‘Stage Door Slasher.’” - NY Times.

Origin Theatrical origintheatrical.com.au

Shakespeare In Love (High School Edition)

NEW! Now available to licence! Based on the Academy Awardwinning movie, this romantic stage play reimagines William Shakespeare’s creative process and explores his inspiration as he writes Romeo and Juliet

There are two versions of this play available to perform: the full-length play and the full-length High School Edition.

bit.ly/3EpPWup

Monty Python’s Edukational Show

The only authorised collection of Monty Python sketches and songs available for performance. This brandnew show is the genius of Monty Python in a hilarious 80 minute musical revue, written for performance by young actors, grades 8 through college. Primary schools, high schools and universities can license this show.

bit.ly/3Ihq0lM

Head Over Heels (High School Edition)

The bold new musical comedy from the team that created Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Avenue Q and Spring Awakening

This laugh-out-loud love story is set to the music of the iconic 1980’s allfemale rock band The Go-Go’s, including the hit songs “We Got the Beat”, “Our Lips Are Sealed”, “Vacation”, Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven is a Place on Earth” and “Mad About You”.

There are two versions available to perform: the full-length musical and the full-length High School Edition. bit.ly/3XViIdi

CATS (Young Actors Edition)

This is a new one-hour adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical, specially tailored for young actors. The materials have been prepared to help your school or organisation mount the best possible production and to give your young cast and crew an exciting and rewarding experience.

bit.ly/3IjZurF

Rocktopus

When a band of squishy invertebrates try to make it big in the undersea music business, they find that fame, fortune and stardom ain’t all they’re cut out to be. A starry eyed octopus rocker yearns to make it in “Shell City”, the number one city in the underwater music scene. With Turtles, Stingrays and Sharks, and a fun 50s rock’n’roll score!

bit.ly/3YLn6wl

An Egyptian Whodunnit

Perfect for 8 to 15 year olds, An Egyptian Whodunnit is a comedy mystery musical that takes the audience back in time to discover the real reason behind Tutankhamun’s untimely death. There are wonderful opportunities for dance, colour, and humour to flourish as well as a narrative that sticks closely to the history books. bit.ly/3KpPQqq

Man Of Steel

An actionpacked parody of the most famous comic book superhero and a spectacular show of heroically super proportions! A comic musical that centres on the entertaining battle of our superhero (and his heroine) triumphing over the evil Countess Olga and her motley henchmen. If only he could get it right occasionally...why are tights so hard to wear?

bit.ly/3kc96gn

Binary

Tonight is Brynn’s first night out, as herself. For years they have questioned their thoughts and feelings, knowing that they are different, but unable to identify why. Not knowing if they were a he or a she, a him or a her, a son or a daughter. What pronoun does one use when they are born male but identify as female? bit.ly/3XONLHA

David Spicer Productions davidspicer.com.au

DSP’s most popular school musicals remain the jukebox classics Back to the 80’s, Popstars the 90’s musical, The Great Australian Rock Musical and Disco Inferno bit.ly/3EkCOGz

Back To The 80s

The Australian written musical by Neil Gooding, set in in the graduating year of William Ocean High, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary production and has had more than 500 seasons in Australia and N.Z. bit.ly/3YNUrae

Australian Junior Musicals Collection

DSP has recently released the Australian Junior Musicals collection comprising musicals for high schools and primary schools which have superb CD backing tracks. bit.ly/3IFNX7B

Norman Lindsay’s The Magic Pudding

Written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay, in 1918 The Magic Pudding quickly became one of Australia’s most loved children’s

Choosing A Show

books. In 2010 playwright Andrew James and award-winning composer Sarah de Jong were commissioned by the Marian Street Theatre for Young People to create this large cast adaptation. bit.ly/3xCq3U7

Price Check! The Supermarket Musical Music and Lyrics by Sean Weatherly. Book and lyrics by Cerise De Gelder. The world’s first post-COVID-19 musical, set in a supermarket the year after the pandemic. A colourful cast of quirky characters fight to keep the independent business afloat against a major chain store. They all do their best to make meaningful connections in a world full of differences, whilst suffering the pressures of their own lives. bit.ly/3behXW5

Simon Denver is represented by Maverick Musicals. This year the company, founded by Simon’s family, was proudly taken over by new owners Rachel Fentiman and Howard Tamplin. Between them they have over 50 years of theatrical experience.

“We believe we have the best job in the industry: helping you, your school or theatre group discover the best play for your needs,” they told Stage Whispers.

“It’s our privilege to guide teachers, directors, producers and everyone in-between, all over the globe, to find that perfect play. We will help you narrow down plays that have the right cast size, theme, genre and whatever else you’re looking for to make your play a roaring success.”

For samples and online rights applications visit maverickmusicals.com

The Benefits Of Youth Theatre

Years ago, I read the results of an international survey on fear. The greatest fear facing an individual was not Thermo-Global Nuclear War. Neither was it cancer, terminal illness or extinction-level events such as asteroids, volcanoes, tsunamis or climate change. The eventual winner left them all in its wake. Divorce, losing your job and the aforementioned fears were all in the shadow of the undisputed number one: the fear of public speaking. No wonder the rest of society looks upon performers in a strange way. It's not that we don't have this fear - it's because we have learned to rise above it. And how? Here is a recap of what belonging to a youth theatre, or being in a school musical or play, should teach you.

Trust

All theatre is a huge trust exercise. And just as you are trusting everyone will get their bits right, they trust that you will get your bit right. When working to a deadline you don't have time to develop your "relationship" with everyone; certain shortcuts must

be taken. You have to learn to trust your co-workers from the get-go. You forge an effective working relationship with people, whether you like them or not. You must learn to trust early and completely.

Teamwork

The more disciplined and rehearsed any theatre team or ensemble is, the better the result. Getting something right is never easy. If it was easy then everyone would always get everything right. It sounds strange but the more disciplined the rehearsals, the more the team has fun and finds solidarity. It's never a case of learning your place in the team, it's about realising that the team actually needs you and it isn't quite the same without you, and vice versa.

Camaraderie

The friendships you make in youth theatre stay with you for life. Why? Because you share that special time that "outsiders" just don’t understand. You were part of a highly emotionally charged project which had what

seemed like an impossible journey over a frighteningly short time frame.

Pride

You soon learn to take a pride in your work. No matter whether you are chorus, lead or backstage you should take pride in your work and strive to constantly be better. A chain is only as good as its weakest link. Your pride in yourself and your project should make sure that this is not you.

Confidence

Any show is a monumental achievement in its own right. This achievement gives you confidence in yourself. I recently went to a youth theatre reunion. Dozens turned up. One of the common topics discussed over a few refreshing ales was confidence. Many claimed youth theatre had given them skill sets, led by confidence, to guarantee they'd never fail a job interview.

Adaptability

A great skill set to hone. The more theatre you do, especially improvisation, the more you learn to think laterally. Theatre tends to present us with almost inconceivable problems that need us to come up with some incredible solutions. It teaches us how to explore a situation from more than one viewpoint. In short - it keeps you on your toes.

Simon Denver, the writer of Man of Steel, shares his trade secrets.

Let’s Put On A School Musical

Ten top tips from Maverick Musicals and Plays for your next school musical.

Rope others in!

Rule One - do not try to do it alone. Beg, plead, cajole or blackmail others to be involved.

Your ideal production team should consist of a producer to pull your team together, director, musical director, set designers, sound/lights tech team, set builder, costume person and advertising/media whiz.

Apply for the rights early

Aim to have approval from the representatives of the musical six months prior to your first rehearsal. Carefully note the legal obligations in the contract. All contracts will have rules about respecting the author’s intentions (sticking to the script), how you can promote the work both online and in print, videography and use of production materials.

Selecting the right school musical

Don’t pick a musical solely because you like it. Make sure it can be done well by your students.

Commonly five or six girls for each boy will be the audition ratio, so choose material that will give girls something worthwhile to do.

Auditioning

Select relevant scenes that will give an indication of the student’s ability.

Avoid choosing students who have other commitments that will prevent them from attending

rehearsals - no matter how good they are.

Rehearsals

Give cast your rehearsal/ performance schedule before starting rehearsals.

Send the schedule home to parents as soon as you can, with a note asking for their co-operation. Design the rehearsal schedule so that only those required attend specific rehearsals.

It is a good strategy to call the chorus first and work on the music. Always make rehearsals fun for chorus and give them plenty to do.

Costume

Supply forms (with the rehearsal schedules) that require the character/s measurements asap and pass on to your costume department as soon as rehearsals begin.

Parents are more inclined to help make the costumes if you send material home that is cut out ready for sewing.

Sets and props

Make sure that the cast know the positioning of each set and give them an improvised stage set so they are used to moving around it. Get actors used to using any handprops in the show. Improvise if they not yet constructed.

Advertising

Create an ‘event’ on social media and encourage the cast and crew to like and share - upload fun rehearsal shots, but not too many!

Encourage cast blogs.

Flood the area with posters and try for coverage on local radio.

Constantly remind the school of the forthcoming production via your social media pages, websites and newsletters.

Offer a prize to the student who sells the most tickets.

Performance

Always have a ‘preview’ afternoon which is, in fact, another valuable dress rehearsal; this time with an audience. Primary schools are usually happy to see your High School production.

Post performance

No matter how amiable you are feeling towards the cast, never attend a cast party if held at the home of a student! What you may see there, you may later be required to explain.

Have a thank-you meeting for the cast and everyone involved, including front-of-house and back-stage workers. This can be a special lunch. Have a short break, then start looking for a suitable show for next year.

Putting on the school musical is a bit like child-birth, and when you get it right, you forget the pain and recall only the joy - and find yourself doing it all over again.

Origin Theatrical recommends the highly entertaining podcast Afternoon Tea With Miss Patrice misspatrice.podbean.com

Classic musicals with glorious scores but problematic story lines or histories are under threat in a new order, as the world slowly returns to the stage. Some musicals have been withdrawn, others are being reinvented and strict new rules are being applied to the authenticity of casting.

Just over a decade ago a Broadway revival of Finian’s Rainbow was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The New York Times’ critic at the time lauded the “comforting pleasures of infectious song, exuberant dancing, jokes both lovably corny and unexpectedly fresh.”

In Finian’s Rainbow a spell is cast on a racist politician, turning him into a black man, so that he can experience life from the other side. What was accepted as satire only a few years ago is now considered offensive.

The issue was the hot topic across the Australian Musical Theatre Festival held in Launceston in May. Finian’s Rainbow is not the only musical now considered problematic. Another is Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. How you ask?

Well, it is all about the song “Zip-A -Dee-Doo-Dah”, sung by a caterpillar to lift the spirits of Alice. Influenced by the 1830s folk song “Zip Coon”, “ZipA-Dee-Doo-Dah” was originally composed for the Disney movie Song of the South. Released in 1946, that movie is considered racist for evoking stereotypes of African Americans. One of the characters in the movie even describes how he missed being a slave.

Also on the sidelines is Disney’s Peter Pan, for its depiction of Native Americans as Redskins. (Disney+ also recently quietly removed several movies from its children’s channels, including Dumbo and Aristocats, for similar reasons.)

Tyran Parke - head of Music Theatre at the VCA - tackled the issue of how to save creaky old shows with wonderful scores with a campaigner’s zeal at the festival. In one seminar he described how his job changed after COVID-19.

“I used to think my job was to stage a show. Now I need a position on text to make sure it is not racist, homophobic, or sexist,” he said. The problem, as he described it, is that music theatre has largely been the domain of white middle class men. He has been challenged by his students to give them work to perform and study from a more ‘diverse’ group of writers (Tyran prefers the term inclusive rather than diverse, to include all backgrounds).

“It is not good enough just to put on stage what we have seen before. I am fighting the nostalgia of what I loved at the age of nine. I would show up to the VCA and 60 people would see the world differently from what I saw before. The students got ahead of me in respect to social change.”

Tyran now believes that if a musical makes someone from a minority group uncomfortable then it needs to be withdrawn or reinvented.

As an example, he cited a season of Thoroughly Modern Millie staged by The Production Company in 2019. The

musical has a lead character posing as an Asian woman with two Asian sidekicks. A white woman in yellowface sings ‘Mammy’ in Cantonese.

“An actor of colour in the audience was upset. If any person of colour finds it offensive, then it is offensive. Whilst the production was incredibly successful ten years ago, The Production Company did not read the room,” (in terms of how it reacted to the criticism) he said.

Tyran said that the musical is now being re-written, while he also claimed that the furore contributed to the decision to close The Production Company.

Sentiment at the seminar was divided. Some called for outdated musicals to be dropped.

“Nostalgia for what?” was one comment.

“I have always shied away from old musicals. Maybe we can revisit them and make them relevant,” said another participant.

With that in mind, Tyran described how two directors recently approached one of the classic musicals - which has what he describes as a problematic ending.

The musical was My Fair Lady.

“One (recent production) was offensive. The other was remarkable. Not a word was different.”

In the original play Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw has Eliza walking out on Professor Higgins to marry Freddie in the last scene. However, when it was made into a musical, the ending was changed to

Black Lives Matter and #MeToo have changed the game for musical theatre. David Spicer reports on the new rules for the stage.

have Eliza return to Higginssubserviently.

As the text is written in the musical, Professor Higgins says in the last line, “Where the devil are my slippers?” He slumps in his chair, with his hat slipping down his face before the music swells. The revival, directed by Dame Julie Andrews for Opera Australia, took the traditional approach as it was a faithful revival of the original Broadway production.

This approach left Tyran unimpressed.

“What do young women make of that?”

A different staging took place in the recent revival on Broadway. Tyran said the director made the last scene a moment of empowerment for Eliza. She went to find his slippers, then stopped and walked out on himthrough the audience. Professor Higgins then rose to give her a standing ovation as she leaves him.

“Eliza had become bigger than he made her. This staging goes some of the way to solving it,” he said.

Another case study was a concert version of Chess, which Tyran directed

this year. He described some of the lines in the songs as “scary”. ‘One Night in Bangkok’ is traditionally staged in a bar with scantily clad Asian women.

“When done eight years ago, it had white people dressed as Asian people for this scene. The tricky thing is that it was a hit in the original show. What was I to do with this piece?”

“I decided to change it to a company number. Everyone sang a part of it.”

Tyran also wanted the lines “You’ll find a God in every golden cloister, and if you’re lucky then the God’s a she” removed from the song. The lyric alludes to the hope that a lady picked up in a Thai bar is female. In this case he wrote to the lyricist Tim Rice and was given permission to change the words to “If you are lucky they will set you free.”

The musical Tyran described as the most “problematic” that he has directed is Barnum. It was staged in a season in Melbourne starring Todd McKenney.

“Barnum is deeply offensive. So how did we do it? We decided that Barnum was Donald Trump. We made every male character a cartoon and the Ringmaster Kirby Burgess played all these men. It worked enough so that is was not so offensive, but it may not have entirely solved it. At the end we made Todd come out as a clown. In the original it ends with a triumph, but we had a different ending. Todd was speaking to an empty circus.”

(Continued on page 95)

A workshop at AMTF 2021.

Photo: Melanie Kate.

Tyran’s view is that it is still acceptable to portray racism or sexism on stage, so long as there are consequences for the behaviour.

Callum Francis, the Helpmann winning lead of Kinky Boots, tackled the issue at another seminar, pushing back at cancel culture.

“If there is a troubled story which might make people uncomfortable, (we must consider that) it was written in a time from another era. Just because it is on, doesn’t mean we believe it now. I don’t believe in the cancellation of shows. It is still art,” he said.

However, Callum endorsed moves for greater authenticity in casting. There have been high profile controversies in recent times in community theatres in Brisbane and Melbourne. Companies came under strident attack on social media for casting In the Heights (with nonLatinos) and Kinky Boots (featuring a white Lola).

Stricter casting requirements have now come into place. The new rule of thumb is that if a writer stipulates that ethnicity is critical to a character, then those wishes must be adhered to, or the rights may be withdrawn. On the flip side, if there is no ethnicity stipulated by the writer, then it should not be assumed that the actors must all be white.

A few years ago, theatrical devices were allowed to portray race. Schools were given permission to stage the musical Hairspray with the African American characters portrayed by their costumes. The seminar was told this is no longer acceptable.

Callum Francis said he is very uncomfortable at casting being portrayed by clothing.

“Absolutely not. Hairspray without the race part is just a fun, amusing musical.”

As for the character of Lola in the musical Kinky Boots, Callum agreed that this should be cast with a person of colour, as the lyrics of the songs refer to this, and a critical scene is written to it.

Having access to a high calibre of artists from diverse backgrounds is not always straightforward. It can be especially problematic in regional community theatre or schools with smaller pools of talent.

Across the board, community theatres are coming to terms with the new rules. In Priscilla Queen of the Desert, an indigenous artist must be engaged for the indigenous character in the musical. When Melbourne’s CLOC Musical Theatre could not find a male indigenous artist, they were allowed to cast a female indigenous artist.

Some musicals won’t be staged as often. The new rules are expected to affect classics such as The King and I, which is set in Thailand. Opera Australia got away with Teddy Tahu Rhodes in the lead a few years back. Could that happen again? Companies will have to work harder to widen their pool of participants at auditions.

Indigenous artist Naarah Shaye Barnes told the Diversity seminar that she would love to stage The Colour Purple in Hobart. She noted there was an audible groan from the audience at how difficult this might be to cast.

“The Hobart theatre scene is not very diverse. We have to change the communities we are talking to. I know

so many (POC) families in Hobart who sing in church. Those people don’t know they could be in theatre. Staging The Colour Purple in Tasmania is 100 percent possible.”

Issues of racism and attitudes to women came to a head in Sydney this year when the Notable Theatre Company advertised auditions for Miss Saigon.

On social media, a writer called for a boycott charging that the musical is “famously racist and misogynistic and enforces a narrative about a southeast Asia politically and sexually subservient to white supremacy.”

Others countered that showing ‘uncomfortable truths’ is a pathway to further learning and further acceptance.

Indigenous artist Brittanie Shipway told the seminar that if Miss Saigon “is not put on, then all the Asian women in that community will miss out on an opportunity.”

The Notable Theatre Company attracted a large pool of quality audition candidates. Many in the cast have family connections to the Vietnam War. The company further resolved to “engage with representatives of the Vietnamese community to seek input to the staging of the production in a culturally-sensitive way.”

Callum Francis noted that when Miss Saigon opened in London, white British actor Jonathan Pryce wore prosthetics to alter the shape of his eyes, and make-up to alter the colour of his skin, to play the part of the scheming pimp called The Engineer. His reaction to this had one syllable “Eek!”

Acts like this have been consigned to history.

(Continued from page 94)

My Fair Lady (2016)

Photo: Jeff Busby. Chess (2021)

Photo: Jeff Busby.

KEEPING THEATRE GOING

Congratulations to every company and school which managed to keep theatre going in very difficult times, and commiserations to those who had to cancel.

The Centre Stage Event Company in Albury had to postpone twice to navigate COVID-19, then had to navigate rules from two different states, to get its production of We Will Rock You to the stage.

A high school in the COVID-19 free bubble of The Northern Territory miraculously got a production of The Great Australian Rock Musical up at the peak of the crisis.

Chookas to companies resuming disrupted seasons and wishing everyone a safe return to the theatre.

Albury.

The Great Australian Rock Musical.

Study Resources

Playbuilding

Funny how when you type ‘playbuilding’ many computers still don’t recognise it or want to convert it to two words - yet we’ve been using the term in Drama for years. Along with improvisation, playbuilding is the core of many Drama syllabuses. The process of playbuilding requires students to work in a group to devise an original script and performance. In doing so, they call on their practical skills, their knowledge and experience and their ability to work collaboratively.

Every improvised task, every style, form or practitioner of theatre studied informs students’ knowledge of drama and theatre. Every workshop broadens their acting skills and their understanding of the wide variety of dramatic and theatrical techniques and devices. From every play they read or perform in, every play or musical they see, they learn more about dramatic structure and theatrical techniques.

All of this informs the playbuilding process, beginning with sharing, improvising and researching ideas to finding the best way to structure them into a performance - then putting that together formally as a performance and a published script. Thus, playbuilding involves everything a playwright does...with the added task of performing the work.

So if, as a director, you see young people typing or drawing madly on their iPads or taking photos of sets or costumes or props, this is their way of

adding to their knowledge and experience - and eventually their playbuilding expertise. It’s the reason they might ask to sit in and observe you at work, or ply you with questions about your ‘vision’ or your decisions about where you’ve set the production, your design ideas or the actors you’ve chosen.

In NSW, students from Years 9 to 12 are given progressively more demanding playbuilding tasks. The stimuli they are offered vary: words, phrases, headlines, extracts from novels, historical events or personalities. The process varies littlebut becomes more informed and prescriptive as the students progress in their studies - and every stage is recorded. Logbooks are as important a part of drama as the Visual Diary is to Art. Students are encouraged to record all their drama experiences in their logbook, and this can include classwork, evaluations of their own work and the work of others, research, character studies, photos, theatre programs, reviews, script extracts...

Playbuilding usually begins with brainstorming - discussing, recording, checking and researching words or ideas. This could involve each member of the group taking on a specific task, recording the results in their own logbook, copying it or sharing it with the group, and often collecting or summarising all the results in a group logbook.

The next step usually involves improvising some of the ideas and developing the characters. This process is fundamental in establishing a working scenario - but it can take a long time and change vastly as ideas develop, or further research broadens the theme. For instance, the stimulus “outlaws” could begin with improvisations of an American western, then evolve to a gold rush hold up or a biographical study of Ned Kelly or covert hackers invading a government department...or something totally different to the normal meaning of the word...like a family living ‘off the grid’ and evading laws and taxes. It is amazing just where brainstorming and impro can take an imaginative, thoughtful group of actors.

As ideas are tried, changed and developed, formats and styles are discussed. It may be that the final idea will be best performed as a comedy, or as theatre of the absurd, or as a didactic Brechtian piece, or as street theatre using masks, puppets and banners. Senior students will have studied a variety of forms and styles, different theatre practitioners and a range of plays and scripts. Their study will have involved class workshops on all of these, group devised work based on their study, individual research and observations, and as many theatre visits as can be arranged, either as a class group or as individuals.

Students will also need to work further on their characters, developing their personalities, their relationships with each other, establishing their background, and specific research if they are based on a real person or come from a period in the past. Acting skills are taught from as early as Year 7 in some schools and students develop and further their skills in voice, movement, character development, focus, tension and mood throughout their studies.

The next stage is crucial. This is where structuring the performance begins. It’s important that, whatever the style, the piece has a clear beginning, middle and end, distinct scenes, realistic characters, a clear message, a defined style. To achieve this, students are encouraged all along

Drama teacher and author Carol Wimmer shares her tips on helping drama students navigate their journey through group devised drama.

the way to keep their audience in mind. Is the piece easy to follow? Is the meaning clear? Are their ideas rational? Will the audience go away convinced rather than confused?

It’s at this stage that the group must begin to look at their work critically. To do this, they may film their work and self-evaluate. They may perform for another group and their teacher and use their evaluations to inform further decision-making. This process can be extremely rewardingor very painful. They might find something that is very clear to them, because they are so close to the piece, is completely confusing to an audience.

Students, nevertheless, usually take any evaluation on board - especially as their work is to be assessed. At this stage it is still a work-in-progress. If it isn’t working, it needs to be restructured. Sometimes they change the style completely. Disheartening as

that may seem, it often leads to a richer, more meaningful performance. Next comes the difficult work of editing: paring down scenes if they seem too long, paring down the whole piece if it is not within the time length designated in the task (the time of the Group Performance for the HSC is only 7-12 minutes!). Often this involves having to ‘lose’ a whole scene or changing a character. It might involve clarifying the opening or restructuring the ending. It will involve many rehearsals and reevaluations before the group is satisfied enough to begin finalising costumes, props, sound effects - and perhaps a lighting plan, dependent on the school’s facilities. With the ‘building’ part completed, the piece is ‘committed’ to paper as a finished script, including title, character list, setting and stage directions; and the polished performance, whether for assessment, other drama students, an invited

audience - or a panel of visiting HSC markers.

As well as writing and acting, playbuilding teaches cooperation, creative collaboration, sharing, listening, watching, appreciating, evaluating, accepting, letting go...all the things that are important in any production - at school, in community theatre or on the professional stage. Drama students come to the theatre with this background. They have had their egos both boosted and batteredand come back for more! Playbuilding is a very effective preparation for the exacting world of the theatre.

Carol Wimmer is the author of Acting in Person and in Style in Australia.

The Art & History Of Puppetry

Are puppets all child’s play? Not according to Susan Mills. The archivist for the S,B&W Foundation says that puppetry is a universal, ancient art form which is for everyone.

A Puppet History

Historians believe puppetry developed spontaneously from religious rites and rituals in societies where objects represented gods and deities. From there, the entertainment and storytelling art of puppetry was born.

Clay and ivory puppets have been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. The Ancient Greek philosopher Xenophon wrote about an entertainer from Syracuse present at a banquet with his ‘neurospasta’. This roughly meant ‘to pull threads’ of ‘marionette puppets’.

Indian legends tell of the divine creation of puppets when the God Shiva and his wife Parvati inhabit two wooden dolls, making them dance beautifully. The artisan who made the dolls is said to have been inspired to invent a system of strings so he could make them dance himself.

In Japan, a style of puppetry called Bunraku evolved in Osaka. The large puppets are operated by three visible puppeteers with their hands and rods, accompanied by chanting narration and shamisen string instruments. A performance of Bunraku can last for hours. This style can be seen The Lion King character of Timon.

Puppets range from simple finger puppets to Jim Henson’s fantastical world of Muppets and films such as Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. There are shadow puppets, rod puppets, and string puppets.

Marionettes, or ‘string puppets’, allow lifelike movement of heads, fingers and knees. Further head mechanisms move the jaw, eyes and eyelashes.

‘Marionette’ means ‘little Mary’ in French, a reference to biblical puppetry of the Middle Ages. Usually, marionettes have around 10 strings. The Salzburger Marionettentheater use up to eighty!

In Australia, puppetry after European settlement was influenced by British traditions of ‘Punch and Judy’. Amateur hand puppet and marionette productions became popular from the 1940s.

The Marionette Theatre Of Australia

In 1965 the Marionette Theatre of Australia was founded by Peter Scriven and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust. Previously, in 1956, the pioneering puppeteer had staged his ground-breaking puppet musical The Tintookies - the ‘little people’ from the sandhills. It was the first large-scale puppet show in Australia with unique local themes.

For more than 20 years, they entertained Australian families, and toured Europe and Asia. By 1983, the company had its own theatre in The Rocks, until closing in 1988.

Left: ‘Albert the Magic Pudding’ puppets from various Marionette Theatre of Australia productions of The Magic Pudding

Terracotta Ancient Greek dolls, exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Photo: Giovanni Dall’Orto.

Right: The Magical Tintookies Return in 1975.

All puppets pictured are from the S,B&W Foundation collection. sbwfoundation.com

Stage

Deep in the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation archives collection in Sydney, safe and sound in their custom-made calico ‘sleeping bags’, are many of the company’s surviving puppets.

A warehouse fire in 1969 destroyed 350 of their early puppets. There are 150 surviving puppets in the collection. They include The Explorers, The Magic Pudding, The Water Babies, Tales from Noonameena, The Magical Tintookies Return, The Mysterious Potamus and Sydney Coves

The Magic Pudding, first performed in 1960, is based on the 1918 children’s book - written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay, who also drew the characters for the puppet designs. Bunyip Bluegum (a koala), Bill Barnacle (an ex-sailor), and Sam Sawnoff (a penguin) are favourites.

The little people made a triumphant comeback in the 1975 revival The Magical Tintookies Return, featuring new puppets based on the 1956 originals that were destroyed in the warehouse fire.

The Mysterious Potamus (1979) puppets were designed by Norman Hetherington, the creator of the popular Australian television puppet Mr Squiggle, and made by

Ross Hill, who later worked as a designer and builder at the famed Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

Puppetry Now And In The Future

Puppetry is an overlooked art form. Puppets are an important part of the human tradition of storytelling. Recent examples include The Lion King, War Horse and the King Kong musical. In Australia, Bluey’s Big Play featuring Bunraku-style puppets has been a recent hit!

In 2019, the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation and the Horizon Theatre Company held puppet shows for the North Sydney Children’s Festival in our library and events space. The children were delighted to use music to help wake up the puppets from the Foundation’s collection! Many grown-ups were also entranced, recalling the popular puppets from their own youth.

Preserving the specialised art of puppetry for the public, as well as researchers, honours the vision of Dr Rodney Seaborn in preserving all aspects of Australia’s unique performing arts heritage.

Sydney’s First Play

On 4 June 1789, a little over a year after the First Fleet arrived in Sydney Cove, a “party of convicts” presented the lively comedy The Recruiting Officer to celebrate the birthday of King George III.

The play, a favourite of the time, was performed in “a convict-built hut” and honoured by the presence of His Excellency the Governor, Captain Arthur Phillip and an audience of 60 officers and their wives.

The only way we know about this significant event is due to the writing of Colonel David Collins, who stated: “The aims of this first company of players were modest. They professed

no higher aim than humbly to excite a smile, and their efforts to please were not unattended with applause.”

The Recruiting Officer was written by the Irish playwright George Farquhar in 1706, and follows the social and sexual exploits of two officers on a recruiting drive in the town of Shrewsbury. The play enjoyed great popularity throughout the 18th century and was performed everywhere from London playhouses

to provincial towns, and country fairs, as well as colonial Australia. Governor Arthur Phillip makes no mention of the performance in his official report, perhaps fearing the response from the authorities in England. Convicts weren’t to be enjoying themselves, were they?

Author Thomas Keneally based his novel The Playmaker on the performance, which was later adapted into a play, Our Country’s Good.

Cultural historian, Dr Heather Clarke explores the history, and the dance and music associated with the play at bit.ly/3vS7wQo

Check the website for other stories of convicts, sailors, and settlers, all examined through music and dance.

Harry The Hippopotamus, a rabbit, and Leo the Lion from the production of The Mysterious Potamus in 1979.

How do you create a world premiere during a global crisis and ensure that the production is the jewel in the crown of a much-anticipated Brisbane Festival?

To find out, Beth Keehn spoke to the creative team Queensland Theatre enlisted to take best-selling novel Boy Swallows Universe from page to stage.

We will never know how, after the plague had decimated London’s theatres in 1593, Shakespeare pulled his next play together. But we do know that he didn’t rehearse his players remotely by Zoom while quarantining in Stratford. When the Elizabethan theatres did reopen, the playbill advertised The Comedy of Errors, a sweeping exotic tale based on a Roman play by Plautus called The Two Brothers. More than 400 years later, an eagerly awaited Australian production is another tale of two brothers - Eli and August Bell - not set in the exotic Greek city of Ephesus, but in the Brisbane suburbs during the mid-1980s.

Trent Dalton’s gritty dreamlike Boy Swallows Universe is set in an explosion of colour, with a cacophony of characters, moving at a blur in a unique coming-of-age tale. Dalton mines his own dysfunctional upbringing - a mother with a heroin addiction, a step-father who deals drugs, an ex-crook as baby-sitter and best friend, connections to the suburban criminal underworld - and a determination to escape on an epic scale, navigating the violence and trauma with humour. In Eli’s case, it’s words that come to his rescue - he writes letters and stories and aspires to work on the local newspaper. His brother, August, refuses to speak and only writes in the air with a scrawling finger. But at the heart of the darkness is an unconditional love of family.

Weathering the storm of the global pandemic and the series of onagain, off-again lockdowns has taken a lot of time, talent, tenacity, and sheer will. With a year-long delay, it has demanded dedication, passion and patience to bring the play to life. When I spoke to the creative team, rather than pressure and stress, the two words I kept hearing were ‘gift’ and ‘generosity’.

The Director is Sam Strong.

Beth Keehn (BK): Sam, what’s it like working on a brand-new theatre piece - is it more stressful or is it liberating?

Sam: I think working on a world premiere is always more exciting because the degree of difficulty is greater. And I think the other key difference here is that Boy Swallows Universe is such a cherished property and story - so many Australians have loved this book - that naturally informs the process, but for us that’s a gift rather than a source of pressure.

As a creative team, we saw our job as channelling the spirit of the novel into the theatre, and the spirit of the novel has found its way into the rehearsal room - so that sort of ultimate optimism in the face of adversity that is the story of the novel has been the story of the making of the show as well - and that’s pretty heartening.

We talk about all the disciplines working collaboratively, but underlying that you’ve got the best

(Continued on page 108)

Boy Swallows Universe.

All photos: David Kelly

Boy Swallows Universe

Photo: David Kelly

creative artists in the country in all of their disciplines. Whether that’s adapting, set and costume design, audio-visual design, lighting design, movement direction, or composition and sound design. The ambition of the story requires an ambition and audacity from each of the artists and in each of their disciplines. And to see all of that come together in a way that ultimately will be quite seamless is pretty wonderful. What’s most exciting is that the story gives all of those great artists the chance to just kind of let rip!

Transferring The Novel To The Stage Tim McGarry

This play has been three years in the making for playwright Tim McGarry, who has been working with novelist Trent Dalton and director Sam Strong to adapt the best-selling novel for the stage.

BK: How did you start to shape the script?

Tim: When we did the first read-through it was a six-hour play! Or at least twice as long as it is now (at around 2.5 hours). It’s been a threeyear process of slowly whittling it down, but when the creative team came on board, so many of the elements that they created on the work meant you don’t need so many words. The music, visuals, costumes and set, and the lights all create sound and atmosphere, and the movement tells story beautifully. And of course, the actors, through emotion and through their talent tell the story - so it’s gone down from around 170 to 95 pages.

BK: And you’ve enjoyed the rehearsal process?

Tim: What’s been extraordinary is watching the collaborative process, and to see it all unfold just blows my mind! We were in a meeting and

Craig Wilkinson (our video designer) said ‘Have a look at this’ and gave me a little sneak peek. I nearly fell off my chair! If this is like 30 seconds of what I’m going to see, I’m going to be in the theatre with my jaw dropped. Watching everybody’s element come together in rehearsals has been an absolute delight - it’s beyond delight. Delight doesn’t even cut it.

Video Design

Craig Wilkinson

In his top five reasons why he wrote Boy Swallows Universe, Trent Dalton noted:

Australian suburbia is a dark and brutal place.

Australian suburbia is a beautiful and magical place.

BK: What do you hope audiences will take away from the stage adaptation?

Tim: I hope that audiences will see the work from a completely new perspective - because theatre is a very different medium to reading a bookand there is nothing like sitting in a theatre with people around you experiencing a work for the first time. From a social justice point of view, I hope that audiences will rediscover an empathy for the family of Eli Bellbecause one of the story’s big themes is ‘what is good and bad?’ We all have good and bad in us, and this family has experienced life in a very difficult way.

On the stage, that dichotomy is writ large in exploding visuals, changing locations - interiors and exteriors, night and day - through videography by Craig Wilkinson. This allows us to travel across Brisbane to Bich Dang’s Vietnamese restaurant at Darra, to Boggo Road Jail, to the clocktower at Brisbane’s City Hall. The element of the novel that allows it to work on an imaginative level (and not descend to a harsh underbelly of ‘true crime’) is its magic realism and dream-like atmosphere. Director Sam Strong insisted that the unique stage craft elements -

(Continued on page 109)

Cast rehearsals.

Photo: David Kelly

Sam Strong.

movement, lighting, sound, music, videography, and multimedia - serve the story rather than detract from it. He and video designer Craig Wilkinson have used technology to underline the story’s positive themes - as Eli Bell’s flights of imaginative fancy in the novel help him through the tougher times, stage devices and techniques were used to underline this theme of ‘transcending trauma’.

BK: Craig - this is a very visual story - where did you start and where did you finish?

Craig: It starts with lots of research, pulling up images and videos. It’s not just about location, it’s also about how we emotionally feel that space. We don’t necessarily dive completely in and decide to have 40 scenic spaces that we need to be in. The basis for us is seeing the world through Eli’s eyes - finding his journey, and how far he might dive into a certain moment. Whether it is reality; whether it is a moment of trauma; whether it is the ‘moon pool’ dream - our foundation is always seeing it through Eli’s eyes. Some moments we go ‘full floral’ - in the realisation of a certain place or space. We don’t go full on throughout the whole thing - it’s about finding light and shade.

I hope the play is an emotional rollercoaster for the audience and we grip them from the beginning right to the end.

Costumes & Set Design

Renée Mulder

Renée Mulder’s set is a blank concrete canvas that allows the suburban streets, multiple settings and dreamscapes to come to life. Her costumes are a laundry basket of 80’s classic pieces, spun dry with op-shop honesty.

BK: Renée, Trent Dalton has said that your set is “like his head come to life.”

Renée: Wow! It’s very generous of Trent to say that. Personally, I grew up

in Brisbane in the 1980s, so the era is close to home. I don’t have to look far - I just talk to Mum and Dad. And Trent’s world has lent itself to being such an imaginative space - we’re in Eli’s imaginative world. We have over 40 scenes and it travels at lightning speed at times - so it has to serve everything.

BK: Is it true you have searched every op shop in Brisbane?

Renée: Absolutely! We were able to track down key pieces from the 1980s, and we were lucky enough to make a few things from scratch as well.

BK: What do you hope people will take away from this production?

Renée: We come together, and we watch this story - ultimately to be entertained, and also to be movedthat’s the biggest, sweeping thing for me and that’s what people will remember.

Music Composition & Sound Design

Steve Francis

Music and pop culture play a significant role in Boy Swallows Universe - and the 1980s setting has inspired several Spotify playlists! Composer and sound designer Steve Francis has cleverly chosen pop songs that don’t just evoke the era, but emotionally resonate the times too. His original music adds the tension and tenderness so crucial to the story.

Steve has worked with director Sam Strong for many years. After last year’s delayed opening due to the lockdown, Steve had continued to stay in touch with Sam, swapping music files to begin to get a sense of the feel of the play. Steve was anticipating “some very bold storytelling with video and sound design” and was looking forward to setting up his studio in a friend’s garage for the six-week rehearsal period. But then the latest wave of the pandemic hit and Steve found himself stuck in Sydney in lockdown.

BK: Steve, how have you been connecting with the team?

Steve: It’s been tricky, but I’ve Zoomed in to all the rehearsals - even when Nerida (Matthaei) is doing a movement class, I’m able to watch all

that - in fact I joked with Renée recently that I might never go to rehearsal again - because I can watch what’s going on. It has been a gift being able to work on a show. Tim and Sam have allowed Nerida to work on some movement pieces with mewhich you wouldn’t normally see in the context of a show like this, and I’m pleased with how that is working musically. All of my colleagues are pretty desperate - you know, every day there’s another show cancelled and it’s awful. So, this show has been medicine for me.

This is such a beautiful book - and musically, with the score, I’ve tried not to shy away from sentiment without being sentimental - I think there’s a beauty in that. So, I’ve been able to make some music I’m proud of. In some shows, you don’t have the

opportunity to flex your muscles - for this one Sam encouraged me to go the full Hans Zimmer (Academy award winning film composer) when necessary! Craig goes the ‘full floral’; I go the ‘full Hans Zimmer!’

BK: Steve, there are various music pieces and pop songs in the storyhow do you choose specific tracks? And how did your composing progress?

Steve: I’m an instinctive creator - I can’t plan much - I just sort of faff around until I find something that resonates with me for the story. When you pick songs, different people have

qpac.com.au

different associations with them. Sam and I work on things and Tim’s been great too - we’ve used some of the tracks that are mentioned in the script - I think we’ve got a really good collection.

Movement Direction

Nerida Matthaei

Eli Bell and his best mate, Slim Halliday, toy with time - slowing time down or speeding it up to cope with reality, to control and connect in life or a dreamlike state. This aspect of the novel could not exist on the stage without Nerida Matthaei’s work on movement with the performers, adding just the right balletic or animated feel to vital scenes.

BK: Nerida, tell us about the work you’ve been doing.

Nerida: It’s a multidisciplinary piece, so everything is kind of woven together. I’ve been working closely with the team - we’ve embedded a movement language across the entire piece. Then we find ways to tell the story through very specific movement pieces that speak to Eli’s story on a psychological level and the situation that he’s in.

Steve and I have created beautiful movement pieces. For something that’s considered more of a drama (rather than a movement) piece, I’ve been involved more than you normally expect movement to be. We’ve been able to weave our styles together.

BK: What has been a highlight of the process for you?

Nerida: Something I’ve enjoyed the most is the generosity of the performers. We’ve been setting up a training session in the morning where we improvise. We’ve created this language together as a group, and everybody trusts each other - it’s

based in instinct, and everybody starts the day with creative play that they then take through the entire day. So, for me it’s about the energy that we’ve created in the space while we are building the show.

Lighting Design

Ben Hughes

Ben Hughes has designed a lighting palette that works in synch with all the other elements on stage to caress the story out of the shadows, but let it linger there when needed.

BK: Have there been any surprise moments?

Ben: Something unexpected is just how incredible some of the movement sequences are. I also do a lot of work with contemporary dance companies, and it’s quite different to see how people move across the genres. Often when you do movement with actors in a drama, it doesn’t work because they are not necessarily trained to do that - but I think that Sam and Nerida have managed to get that movement happening in a way that feels seamless. And it can change some of how I think about lighting the piece. Because you’re pulling in from the dance world and other genres, I can use some of the techniques that come from that world too.

BK: Ben, is there a key aspect of the work for you?

Ben: For me it’s about the overall show. But the big thing is getting the audience to come on the journey with us. It’s such a big show and potentially has such an array of styles and forms that people might not have seen before. For a play of this scale, with so much going on, part of my role is being functional and making sure we keep the play flowing, keep the speed up - and guide an audience through the journey.

The Boy Swallows Universe season in QPAC’s Playhouse began with previews on August 30 and runs throughout Brisbane Festival until October 3.

Boy Swallows Universe

Photo: Brett Boardman.

Training

111 Stage Whispers SPARK 2023

NIDA Creative Schools Programs

The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) offers performing arts educational activities to support learning for both school students and school teachers.

Reflective of NIDA’s worldrenowned approach to education and training, developed over 60 years, the schools programs are carefully designed to provide dynamic and engaging skills development to enhance the early childhood, primary and secondary syllabuses.

It reflects NIDA’s practice-based conservatoire training model and emphasises the importance of collaboration and communication.

The schools programs include specialist training, access to industry

professionals, guest artists, teacher resources and workshops.

NIDA’s customised workshops are available for preschool, primary and secondary school students. The workshops integrate creativity into student learning, and are based on a collaborative approach that recognises the expertise of teachers in creating programs that best meet the needs of their school community.

Customised courses can take place at NIDA (in Sydney or Melbourne) or onsite at a school. Learning

For more information or to discuss creative learning programs for school students, go to nida.edu.au/schools-and-teachers or call 1300 450 417.

opportunities can range in length from a one hour visit to artist in residence programs lasting up to a year.

Working in collaboration with classroom teachers, NIDA customises the workshops to address state curriculums. The program is ideal for schools looking to access specialist skills in performance styles, rehearse scenes from a prescribed text, develop practical skills in devised performance or use drama as pedagogy to enhance literacy outcomes.

NIDA’s teaching resources include notes on acting, creative voice, and movement as well as a suggested reading list for students. Their online program NIDA Devised: Group Performance, which follows professional actors as they brainstorm, develop and showcase work is now free to all Australian secondary school teachers.

Online extras!

See what NIDA’s student improvisation and playbuilding workshops entail youtu.be/hmLYV2q4wD4

Western Australian senior drama students attend a NIDA workshop.

113 Stage Whispers SPARK 2023

Lucy Durack.

‘Never work with children or animals’ goes the saying. A desperate Debora Krizak, locked down in a COVID-19 hotspot, seeks help from a professional doggie stage trainer Peta Clarke and music theatre star Lucy Durack.

Please know, today was a good day, even though I don’t know what day it is anymore. It doesn’t matter apparently. Not until we reach 80%. It’s almost 11am and a flutter of excitement comes over me as I switch on the telly in anticipation of the daily press conference. For a split second, it feels like opening night nerves but then my mind catches up and I realise I’m still in my PJ’s, slurping unapologetically on my cup of instant coffee.

I’ve been thinking long and hard about my ‘Behind the Scenes’ feature this month but it seems somewhat futile to spotlight the fabulous work being done by my peers when, let’s face it - the lights are off and everybody’s home. So, I’m coming to you live from my locked down LGA in Sydney where Gladys has finally closed Bunnings and every parent in lockdown grapples with the reality that home schooling is like being trapped in an episode of Survivor

It’s time for P.E. and the twins have been instructed to do something “physical”. They both look pale and unengaged so when they plead with me to do the latest Gladys workout posted on Tik Tok, who am I to say no? I can’t sugar coat this whole fiasco any longer. If they want to attempt a burpee every time Gladys repeats herself, they can knock themselves out. While they’re at it, they can knock me out too and wake me up when we’re at 70% - just so I

have enough time to primp and preen myself before we reach that magic 80% and are released back into the wild.

In the meantime, I’ve been lured into the online world of puppy scams. The kids thought we should utilise our time in lockdown to get a puppy. Feeling sorry for them, I start browsing the net. This proves to be a welcome distraction from arguments with anti-vaxxers on Facebook who claim that Ivermectin is the cure for coronavirus. Lockdown brings out the worst in us all - especially the scammers - but like all the antivaxxers, they underestimate the power of proven research. I digress...

We welcome our new puppy “LuLu” into home detention, and I suddenly remember what it is like to be locked up with a destructive toddler. Nothing is off limits and I have unwittingly become the sole carer of a weeing, pooing, chewing ball of brown chocolate fluff. Luckily, I have nothing else to do - thanks Gladys. The cuteness factor lasted an entire day for the kids until LuLu decided that bedspreads and pillows were the ideal place to do a number two.

It was time for some serious puppy training. But where do I start? Time to call in the big guns, which leads me to my next artist in spotlight - animal trainer Peta Clarke from “We Do Animals”.

Peta has been training animals in film, TV and theatre for years. Some of her credits include professional stage productions of Legally Blonde, Annie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and feature films such as The Invisible Man, Top End Wedding and the soon to be released My Life Is Murder. She knows that picking up poo is par for the course. Likening her profession to “running away and joining the circus”, Peta initially studied for a degree in child psychology, but it was animal behaviour that piqued her interest. I asked her what traits an animal trainer needed in the entertainment industry.

“You need to have good problemsolving skills as well as the ability and patience to observe animal behaviour. You also need to have the backbone to say no when a job is not in the best interest of the animal. You are the animal’s voice and need to ask all the questions for them.”

I ask Peta what she thinks about the saying ‘never work with children or animals’. Her response - “You’ve never worked with us!”

Her passion and love for animals clearly outweighs the challenges. A workday for Peta can be anything from working with writers, to producers and directors, actors and animal owners, as well as making sure her animals are trained to the script.

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“At script development stage, we offer insights into the natural behavioural repertoire of the species in question, creating believable animal action on screen. We liken ourselves to puppeteers and love creating behaviours and actions that evoke an emotional response from our audience, which helps to establish the animals as strong characters within each story.”

Perhaps the most important training aspect is to instil a confidence in the animal to feel comfortable and settled in their work setting. The emotional and physical well-being of Peta’s animals is paramount.

“We are consistently thinking about real world exposure. A film or theatre set can be a scary and unusual place for an animal. It’s not for

everyone’s pet. Every day, every interaction, every time they are exposed to something in their environment - we are shaping their response to it.”

So, how is an animal selected for a career in the entertainment industry? Surely, they’re not subjected to hours of unpaid auditions and self-tapes from the doghouse? I recently discovered that LuLu’s father is, in fact, a performing toy poodle. Clearly the universe thought we needed another locked down performer in our house. When it comes to choosing the right animal for the job, Peta considers the overly confident and enthusiastic character traits perfect opportunities to cast the right animal. Sometimes the best trained dog isn’t the best performer because they are ‘over trained’.

“Like actors, we have to audition our animals. It’s all about confidence and bounce back. They need to be able to take anything the ‘make believe’ world can throw at them.”

This is beginning to resonate with me. All actors are experts at bouncing back and we’ve all worked with overconfident types. Perhaps there is a career in this for my LuLu after all. She seems to bounce back effortlessly when I pull her off my brand new, white duvet.

Whilst some animals may impress with their ‘audition’ skills, performing the task consistently, night after night, requires specialised attention to detail. Some of that training includes scent work, where an animal relies on their sense of smell in locating objects and is rewarded with a treat at the other end. On movie sets, where a trainer may not be able to reward the animal immediately, a clicker is used and the animal instantly recognises that the treat is coming. Stick training is also used for specific sightlines on set, but the main tool used by most animal trainers is repetition.

Peta was the animal trainer responsible for the roles of Bruiser and Rufus in the 2013 musical Legally Blonde, starring Lucy Durack as Elle Woods. I asked Peta what it is like for animals to work with actors’ eight show-a-week schedule.

“The dogs know the difference between a rehearsal and an actual show. It’s as obvious to them as it is to us. We make sure all the training work gets done before and during rehearsals so that we can maintain consistency on stage. Things can fall apart very easily. The repetition of the same thing can be a massive help, but if things do go wrong, or something changes, it can be a huge hindrance. One of the funniest things that happened was when my little Chihuahua, who played Bruiser in Legally Blonde, had a cameo at the end of a scene and had to walk on set and cock his leg on a tin can and walk out. He was listed in the credits as the Pissing Dog.”

As actors, it can be both a challenging and rewarding experience to work alongside animals on stage.

Debora Krizak and LuLu.

But how do they develop a rapport with their human co-stars while learning to navigate uncharted territory? I spoke with Elle Woods herself, Lucy Durack, about how this impacted her show preparation and rehearsals.

“I felt very lucky. Each morning I would have at least an hour to get to know and play with all the dogslearning how they worked while playing and rehearsing. Only those of us who worked with the dogs on stage were allowed to play with them, so it felt like a great privilege!”

How do the cast on stage adapt their performance when things go awry? I remember seeing a preview performance of The Wizard of Oz when Toto proceeded to lick the lead actress for an entire song. It made for wonderful viewing but I’m sure the sentiment of the song was completely lost on the audience.

Lucy recalls the time when one of the understudy dogs had to have knee surgery and a new little dog was brought in to start the bonding process with the actors. Lucy said that one of the perks was being able to take the dog home for the night in order to fast-track the training. Being familiar and comfortable with a lead actor is a necessity when it comes to delivering scenes together. But just like human actors, the dogs all bring their own personalities to the role and respond to varying types of positive reinforcement.

“The Chihuahuas would always perform for food and the bulldogs would perform for hugs! They all had such interesting and different personalities. Quinn was lovely and a bit more reserved, Audrey was a bit of a princess and Sparrow was legitimately a star - reincarnated from Hollywood!” says Lucy.

Star power aside, having witnessed the antics of my very own puppy over the course of a week, I think animal trainers themselves deserve a Helpmann. Whether it’s treats or hugs that motivate these cute and complex creatures, I’m still a long way off getting this ‘Ugg boot obsessed’ puppy of mine to “Pissing Dog” credit status.

It’s A Dog’s Life

Most memorable job description?

Peta Clarke: Rat Trainer. I trained 100 rats for Mel Gibson’s movie Hacksaw Ridge!

Stage or Film?

Peta Clarke: Theatre is one of my favourite places to work. I love the sense of family and camaraderie amongst the cast. The actors often come into the dressing room to spend time with the dogs every day. There’s a consistency with theatre that the dogs respond to well.”

Biggest “fur” pas

Peta Clarke: Not warming up one of the Chihuahua’s voices before a show and he couldn’t bark on cue!

Lucy Durack as Elle Woods with Bruiser in Legally Blonde (2012) Photo: Eva Rinaldi.

Top Drama Comes Home

Television streaming services are coming at us from every corner: Foxtel, Netflix, Disney, Paramount, Apple, Stan, etc. You don’t have to travel one step beyond your TV set to experience every available filmed or videotaped happening.

And live theatres are getting in on the act, too. Broadway titles and Britain’s National Theatre are available in your home.

Now Australian theatres (and music and acrobatics) are joining in. Australian Theatre Live, from a small building in Sydney’s Rozelle, has launched its own subscription platform.

Forget ticket prices, or hearing difficulties, or physical disabilities, or

COVID-19. Regardless of geographical or economic barriers you can now see these shows as they were originally produced without leaving your living room.

Grant Dodwell, the Creative Director of Australian Theatre Live says, “People often have this perception that recorded theatre is not as enjoyable as the live thing. However, due to the beautiful camera angles and crisp sound quality, our films offer a level of intimacy beyond that of the usual audience member’s experience. Watching an Australian Theatre Live film is like watching a play from on the stage.”

For $7.99 per month (and a first week free) you can gain access to titles from the Sydney Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre Company, Sydney Festival, Kings Cross Theatre, the Old Fitz and more.

For instance:

This Much is True by Louis Nowra, at The Old Fitzroy Theatre, 2017. A writer (Lewis Septimus) comes to The Rising Sun, a rundown Sydney pub, and finds a group of Sydneysiders waiting to be discovered, including drag queen Venus (Justin Stewart Cotta). Enthralling. Director Toby Schmitz gets full value from a fabulous script.

The Gospel According to Paul by (and featuring) Jonathan Biggins, at the Playhouse Theatre, Sydney Opera House, 2019, directed by Aarne Neeme. Biggins rises to the challenge of presenting Paul Keating in all his

Frank Hatherley has sampled the newest streaming service Australian Theatre Live On Demand which now offers a wide variety of locally staged plays, revue, music acrobatics and opera.

Orontea.

Photo: Brett Boardman.

incendiary brilliance. Singing as Tom Jones, affectionate and irreverent, he emerges as a 3-dimensional bloke. ‘Right,’ he concludes, ‘now you can all bugger off!’

Norm and Ahmed by Alex Buzo, at the Riverside Theatre, Parramatta, 2021. A 55-year-old Australian study in racism, this brilliant play shows us what happens when an older Aussie bloke meets a bright Pakistani Arts student late at night. It all boils down to the final two words.

Diving for Pearls by Katherine Thomson, at the Griffin Theatre, Sydney, 2017. Directed by Darren Yap, this is an excellent production of a play that highlights the death of mining activity in Wollongong. Great performances all round, especially from Steve Rodgers and Ursula Yovich.

Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, from Queensland Theatre, directed by Damien Ryan in 2021. Rousing, all-action version of this play, directed in Ryan’s Sport for Jove manner.

Away by Michael Gow at Sydney Opera House, 2017. Directed by Matthew Lutton, it opens with a school play version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that sets the scene for what follows. Brilliant performance from Heather Mitchell, ‘henpecking at a million miles an hour’.

Online extras!

Australian Theatre Live On Demand

To get your subscription, go to stream.australiantheatre.live

The Dapto Chaser by Mary Rachel Brown, at the Griffin Theatre, 2015. Directed by Glynn Nicholas, about a family of greyhound lovers at their home in Dapto, south of Sydney. Winner of Most Outstanding Independent Production of its year, with perfect performances from Danny Adcock and company.

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity by Geoffrey Atherden, at the Ensemble Theatre, 2013, with just a few in the audience. Caroline Brazier stands out

in this excellent 3-hander, directed by Shannon Murphy. What happens when you’re asked to answer a ‘few simple questions’?

Emerald City by David Williamson, at the Griffin Theatre, Sydney, 2014. Directed by Lee Lewis, this production of Williamson’s 1987 play is fresh, bright and cutting, with wonderful Sydney sets by Ken Done. Plus two versions of The Wharf Revue, from 2015 and 2021, with full original Sydney casts. And acrobatics and music combine in The Pulse. 26 black-clad female singers warble away while 22 acrobats fling themselves about playing ‘stacks on the mill’, at the Roslyn Packer Theatre for the Sydney Festival, 2022.

Or there’s Italian Baroque with Circa, also from Sydney Festival 2022, mixing music from the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and acrobatics from a richly versatile mob of gymnasts.

Not to mention Platée, an opera by Jan Philippe Rameau, directed by Neil Armfield, performed by Pinchgut Opera in December 2021 for only 5 performances. Luckily they taped it and now it’s available to us all!

Away.

Photo: Pia Johnson.

Taming Of The Shrew.

Photo: Brett Boardman.

Study Musical Theatre In England

Australian students are being invited to study Musical Theatre in England, in an accelerated course developed by the International College of Musical Theatre (ICMT) and Coventry University.

The two-year degree has been designed to help get students on stage sooner, to cut the cost of their education and allow more people to enter the profession with a degree.

Principal and ICMT co-founder Kenneth Avery-Clark says, “during our research, we found that 95% of students (who took a three-year degree course) said they would have preferred to do their training in two years.”

The BA (Hons) Musical Theatre Performance degree will be delivered out of the ICMT Campus in Central London.

A faculty of current performers, directors, choreographers, musical directors and singers take students through intensive practical-based

triple-threat training across the disciplines of singing, acting, and dancing.

“It’s completely practical training, which makes us different from traditional university courses. There’s little written work, because, ultimately, you’re going into a practical industry. You don’t learn to be a chef in a classroom, you learn in a kitchen. Equally, if you’re going to be a performer you have to learn to perform.”

Australians can apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme Visa at the website in the details box on the next page.

“This allows them to study in the UK for up to two years. We currently have 24 different nationalities training at our college who want to experience

world-class practical training in the heart of London,” said Avery-Clark.

The course co-founder explains that ICMT has campuses in multiple countries, including the US (New York) and Italy (Rome), and students will be trained to audition for musical theatre projects in Europe, in particular Germany, which has the European Union’s largest musical theatre industry.

“We also offer a One-Year Level 4 Diploma in Musical Theatre, awarded by Trinity College London, which is ideal for a gap year. Practical training such as singing, dancing and acting take place every day of the course. This option is also available through the Youth Mobility Scheme.”

Applications are now open for the course starting in September 2022. To apply or for more information please contact info@theicmt.com theicmt.com/london

BA (Hons) Musical Theatre Performance bit.ly/3p1bcif

Diploma in Musical Theatre Foundation Course bit.ly/3v221BP

Youth Mobility Scheme visa gov.uk/youth-mobility

Judith Mossman, Pro-ViceChancellor for the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Coventry University said the collaboration is another chapter in the university’s proud history of championing the arts.

“During the pandemic we have all missed the unique buzz musical theatre can give. Coventry University has a proud history of championing the arts, thinking internationally, and developing industry ready graduates,” she said.

Online extras!

Discover the two-year BA (Hons) Musical Theatre Performance degree. youtu.be/mAI8F3rZj5Y

ICMT student production of Rent (2021)

Photo: Craig Sugden.

Simon Denver is represented by Maverick Musicals. This year the company, founded by Simon’s family, was proudly taken over by new owners Rachel Fentiman and Howard Tamplin. Between them they have over 50 years of theatrical experience.

“We believe we have the best job in the industry: helping you, your school or theatre group discover the best play for your needs,” they told Stage Whispers. “It’s our privilege to guide teachers, directors, producers and everyone in-between, all over the globe, to find that perfect play. We will help you narrow down plays that have the right cast size, theme, genre and whatever else you’re looking for to make your play a roaring success.”

For samples and online rights applications visit maverickmusicals.com

The Benefits Of Youth Theatre

Years ago, I read the results of an international survey on fear. The greatest fear facing an individual was not Thermo-Global Nuclear War. Neither was it cancer, terminal illness or extinction-level events such as asteroids, volcanoes, tsunamis or climate change. The eventual winner left them all in its wake. Divorce, losing your job and the aforementioned fears were all in the shadow of the undisputed number one: the fear of public speaking. No wonder the rest of society looks upon performers in a strange way. It's not that we don't have this fear - it's because we have learned to rise above it. And how? Here is a recap of what belonging to a youth theatre, or being in a school musical or play, should teach you.

Trust

All theatre is a huge trust exercise. And just as you are trusting everyone will get their bits right, they trust that you will get your bit right. When working to a deadline you don't have time to develop your "relationship" with everyone; certain shortcuts must

be taken. You have to learn to trust your co-workers from the get-go. You forge an effective working relationship with people, whether you like them or not. You must learn to trust early and completely.

Teamwork

The more disciplined and rehearsed any theatre team or ensemble is, the better the result. Getting something right is never easy. If it was easy then everyone would always get everything right. It sounds strange but the more disciplined the rehearsals, the more the team has fun and finds solidarity. It's never a case of learning your place in the team, it's about realising that the team actually needs you and it isn't quite the same without you, and vice versa.

Camaraderie

The friendships you make in youth theatre stay with you for life. Why? Because you share that special time that "outsiders" just don’t understand. You were part of a highly emotionally charged project which had what

seemed like an impossible journey over a frighteningly short time frame.

Pride

You soon learn to take a pride in your work. No matter whether you are chorus, lead or backstage you should take pride in your work and strive to constantly be better. A chain is only as good as its weakest link. Your pride in yourself and your project should make sure that this is not you.

Confidence

Any show is a monumental achievement in its own right. This achievement gives you confidence in yourself. I recently went to a youth theatre reunion. Dozens turned up. One of the common topics discussed over a few refreshing ales was confidence. Many claimed youth theatre had given them skill sets, led by confidence, to guarantee they'd never fail a job interview.

Adaptability

A great skill set to hone. The more theatre you do, especially improvisation, the more you learn to think laterally. Theatre tends to present us with almost inconceivable problems that need us to come up with some incredible solutions. It teaches us how to explore a situation from more than one viewpoint. In short - it keeps you on your toes.

Simon Denver, the writer of Man of Steel, shares his trade secrets.

Smithy