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In this issue
Searching For Heroes ....................................................................... 4 Jean Valjean, Wolverine, Hugh Jackman and the Les Miz movie. Horsing Around In Style................................................................... 8 International hit War Horse commences its Australian tour. Brand New Jerseys ......................................................................... 10 Jersey Boys returns to Melbourne with new Four Seasons.
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Forking Out Millions For A Ticket ................................................... 12 Philanthropy in the Performing Arts. Out Of Time, Out Of Place ............................................................. 14 Theatrical classics go post-modern. Festival Fever Leaves Some Cold ..................................................... 16 Speaking with Directors of the Sydney, Perth and Adelaide Festivals. All Dressed Up............................................................................... 20 Costumes from Broadway to Hollywood.
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The Master And His Apprentice ..................................................... 24 Hugh Jackman and Dean Carey launch The Acting Edge. History Feature .............................................................................. 28 How Mrs J C Williamson ‘Struck Oil’. Community Theatre Seasons 2013 ................................................. 37 The Phantom and much more on our amateur stages. Director’s Diary.............................................................................. 88 Spectacular War of the Worlds in Canberra.
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Stage On Page Broadway & West End Stage On Disc On Stage - What’s On Reviews Schools Technical Script Excerpt Musical Spice
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THE NEXT ISSUE OF STAGE WHISPERS IS FOCUSSING ON FRONT OF HOUSE.
Editorial
Dear theatre-goers and theatre-doers, A little over twenty-one years ago Stage Whispers was born as a Melbourne-based community theatre newspaper. Now, more than two decades later we’re proud of our ‘roots’ and continue that association with our 2013 Community Theatre Seasons feature. Dominating our feature is the release of The Phantom of the Opera, the longest (and still) running musical in Broadway history, for community theatre productions in 2013 across Australia and New Zealand. While just about every West End and Broadway musical has eventually reached the community theatre stage, the grandeur of the Paris Opera House and its chandelier represents a huge challenge. Is it greater than the Miss Saigon helicopter or the Les Miz barricade? We look forward to seeing the creative and inventive Hugh Sheridan and Christie Whelan-Browne check out solutions of our best community Stage Whispers theatre designers. The New Zealand Consortium will, of course, create one magnificent set and costumes to be used across the country. But there’s so many more theatrical highlights unfolding as we dip a toe into 2013. On film, of course, there’s the muchanticipated movie of Les Miz, international festivals across three states and blockbuster international theatrical productions, led off by the opening of War Horse at Arts Centre Melbourne. Wishing all our readers a happy, prosperous and theatrical 2013 from everyone at Stage Whispers. Yours in Theatre,
Neil Litchfield Editor
Cover image: Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean in the motion picture adaptation of Les Misérables. Photo: Universal Pictures. See our article on page 4.
CONNECT PLACE YOUR AD BY FEBRUARY 3 CONTACT (03) 9758 4522 OR stagews@stagewhispers.com.au
PERFORMING ARTS MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013. VOLUME 22, NUMBER 1 ABN 71 129 358 710 ISSN 1321 5965
All correspondence to: The Editor, Stage Whispers, P.O. Box 2274, Rose Bay North 2030, New South Wales. Telephone/Fax: (03) 9758 4522 Advertising: stagews@stagewhispers.com.au Editorial: neil@stagewhispers.com.au PRINTED BY: Spotpress Pty Ltd, 24-26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville, 2204 PUBLISHED BY: Stage Whispers PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION & DESIGN BY: PJTonline Solutions, email: pjtonline@pjtonline.com DISTRIBUTED BY: Gordon & Gotch, 25-37 Huntingdale Road, Burwood, 3125 DEADLINES For inclusion in the next edition, please submit articles, company notes and advertisements to Stage Whispers by Feb 3rd, 2013. SUBSCRIPTION Prices are $39.50 for 6 editions in Australia and $60AUD elsewhere. Overseas Surface Mail (Airmail by special arrangement). Overseas subscribers please send bank draft in Australian currency. Maximum suggested retail is $6.95 including GST. Address of all subscription correspondence to above address. When moving, advise us immediately of your old and new address in order to avoid lost or delayed copies. FREELANCE CONTRIBUTORS Are welcomed by this magazine and all articles should be addressed to Stage Whispers at the above address. The Publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material. Black and white or colour photographs are suitable for production. DISCLAIMER All expressions of opinion in Stage Whispers are published on the basis that they reflect the personal opinion of the authors and as such are not to be taken as expressing the official opinion of The Publishers unless expressly so stated. Stage Whispers accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any opinion or information contained in this magazine. LIMITED BACK COPIES AVAILABLE ADVERTISERS We accept no responsibility for material submitted that does not comply with the Trade Practices Act. CAST & CREW Editor: Neil Litchfield 0438 938 064 Sub-editor: David Spicer Advertising: Angela Thompson 03 9758 4522 Digital production: Phillip Tyson 0414 781 008 Contributors: Merlene Abbott, Sara Bannister, Cathy Bannister, Stephen Carnell, Karen Coombs, Ken Cotterill, Ray Dickson, Ron Dowd, Coral Drouyn, Whitney Fitzsimmons, Graham Ford, Lucy Graham, Frank Hatherley, John P. Harvey, Peter Kemp, Neil Litchfield, Ken Longworth, Rachel McGrath-Kerr, Jay McKee, Roger McKenzie, Peter Pinne, Martin Portus, Leann Richards, Suzanne Sandow, Kimberley Shaw, David Spicer, Aaron Ware and Carol Wimmer. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 3
Searching For Heroes Coral Drouyn ponders why the need for heroes makes Les MisÊrables a must see, even for those, like herself, who aren’t fans of the musical.
Online extras!
Discover how the Les Mis team created new music for the movie. Scan or visit http://youtu.be/FenjTgqaQ6Q 4 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
Russell Crowe as Jav
les.
ert in Les Misérab
We all need heroes in our lives …real or imaginary. We want to believe that there is something greater than what life offers us, whether it’s superpowers, or just the essential goodness of man. When you see Hugh Jackman as Valjean, all long hair, thick whiskers and piercing eyes, you can’t help but think that Wolverine’s claws will pop out at any moment and rip Russell Crowe’s Javert to pieces. Fortunately that image lasts only a few seconds in your mind. And yet there is more than one similarity between Valjean and Wolverine, and it isn’t because the same actor plays both. Both are anti-heroes at first; both are angry and bent on revenge; both are outsiders and loners; both have a distrust of authority figures and both have acted as mentors or father figures to young women, whilst finding deep love elusive. (Would Valjean have married Fantine if she had lived? We’ll never know – but we can dream.) If Hugh Jackman seems born to play both these heroes, it may be because there is a sense of honour and nobility coupled with the overt masculinity of his persona as both man and actor. Hugh plays the “noble brute with gentle heart” better than anyone. But Jean Valjean surely wins over Wolverine with one “Superhero” trait the clawed Canadian doesn’t have. Valjean SINGS. (It’s probably just as well that Wolverine doesn’t give us his version of “Who Am I?”) Of course everybody sings in Tom Hooper’s new (destined to be) classic film Les Misérables, and for those who don’t know the show, where have you been hiding for the past 25 years? There aren’t enough musicals on film – I’m sure most MTTs (Music Theatre Tragics) will agree with me on that one. It’s not surprising then that this is the most longawaited film in many years. We all held our
This image and opposit e page: Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean in Les Mis érables.
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 5
Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables.
6 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
breath waiting to see who would be cast…only to release it in a sigh of relief when Jackman’s name was touted. “Our Hugh” knows Music Theatre, he could play Valjean on film, on stage, or even at the MCG or The Gabba, and win us completely. We writers talk all the time of “The Hero’s Journey” – still I can’t help but wonder if Victor Hugo knew, back in 1862 when he wrote the novel, that he was creating one of the greatest heroes of all time. At its heart, this hero’s journey is moving and satisfying. Jean Valjean is imprisoned for stealing bread for a child, and then brutalised when he rebels against captivity. Ready to wreak revenge on the world he finds, instead, kindness, forgiveness and a road to redemption, a triumph over adversity. He is a good man who lives his life serving others and God. We don’t often find such idealistic heroes in modern literature, or indeed on stage or screen. Yes there are subplots, and an antagonist in Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe “Our Rusty” is impressive, though he trips up on some of the music, but I wish it were our own Phil Quast in the role. He certainly would have sung it better, though I’d much prefer Russell to jump off a bridge). But it’s the journey we take with Valjean, the world we encounter through his eyes, that makes us weep. In any form Les Misérables is a classic. Now, I have a shocking confession to make. I don’t like “Les Mis” as a
Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables.
musical (Get your Nana some smelling salts!). It doesn’t make my top 20 list of musicals, though it comes in marginally ahead of anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Why? Well let’s just say it’s not the story! And it’s not because of my age. I think Spring Awakenings and Next to Normal have phenomenal scores. Please, don’t send hate mail telling me how “I Dreamed a Dream” is the greatest song ever written and Susan Boyle proves it! I just don’t like the score, but I actually cried several times during the preview screening. I’d go so far as to say if you DON’T cry at Anne Hathaway’s heartbreaking rendition of that song, you have ice-water in your veins. It touches something deep inside us. A lot has been written about the fact that everyone sang “Live” on set. Well Duh! Everyone in music theatre sings live every night and generally for two matinees a week as well. It’s what performers do. It seems Hollywood doesn’t understand this, which only points out again the schism between stage and screen. But film gives us one thing the stage cannot…The “Close-up”, and so we see the anguish and the tears at close range. They’re disarming and confronting at the same time, and very real. That’s why everybody who loves the show will see the movie….and even those who don’t love the show
have to see it, to remind them of the human frailties and noble acts of which we are all capable. I still don’t like the show, but I understand why it is special. Eddie Redmayne (as Marius, fresh from My Week with Marilyn) will simply amaze you. I can’t believe he isn’t being touted as an Oscar contender, and what a voice he has. Sacha Baron-Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter do their shtick as the comedy relief (wince) and will make you feel like you’ve time-travelled into a screening of Sweeney Todd; and the cinematography is gobsmackingly good, along with the sets and locations. But the flaws in the show, the holes in the plot and the timeframes, the awkward “coincidences” are still all there on the screen, only twenty times larger. Is it the best film ever made? Well….no, but you’ll race out to see it and find out for yourselves. It is, however, a good film nonetheless and does have one of the best stories ever made… And if you’re looking for heroes, don’t stop at Valjean. There’s Gavroche, and Marius, and The Bishop, and Eponine…. “X Men” eat your hearts out! Read Coral Drouyn’s review of Les Miz online at http://bit.ly/Z9rPsa www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 7
Horsing Around In Style
It’s a play but the prices match a big touring musical — tickets up to $134.90, plus a transaction fee, and programs at $25. The Australian and New Zealand production of the War Horse franchise relies heavily on some astonishing horse puppets. Frank Hatherley, who once played the back legs of a donkey at the Sheffield Playhouse, marvelled at the twitching tail and swaying neck on display at the War Horse media presentation.
And there are lists of ‘rules’ for puppeteers. One, I note, says ‘Never allow the intensity of your commitment as a puppeteer to overwhelm the intensity of your puppet’s performance’. Wise words for all actors. The room is packed with over 36 actors, creatives and stage staff, so we invited media are crammed into a corner to see and record two scenes from the play, both (of course) featuring the truly remarkable, life-sized horse ‘puppets’. Now, it so happens that I’m a bit of an expert when it Broadway and West End hit musicals often spawn comes to theatrically animating animals. I was the back legs franchises. Exact recreations under the firm control of the of Jack’s mother’s cow in a memorable production of Jack original creative team are licenced to tour sections of the and the Beanstalk at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury; and world. Given enough Fly Buy points, you could have seen the very same production of Chicago — move for move — for many weeks I was the back legs of The Gingerbread Donkey at the Sheffield Playhouse: yes, the title role! in Bangkok, Baltimore, Berlin and Birmingham. Such a worldwide franchise had never happened to a Entirely untutored, I carried off these roles with grim determination and an often ricked back. Will today’s ‘horse play before the National Theatre 2007 London staging of War Horse, an epic drama by Nick Stafford, adapted from a puppeteers’ display such dedication? Up very close and with no stage lighting in the ABC 1982 children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo. rehearsal room there are no puppeteering secrets: the two Now, following successful Broadway, Toronto and US ‘star’ horses, brown Joey and black Topthorn, are each Tour productions, the franchise has reached Australia and brought to amazing life by a 3-person team working back New Zealand, and the core War Horse team are spending legs, front legs and head, here referred to as ‘hind’, ‘heart’ two months rehearsing in Sydney before opening at the and ‘head’. State Theatre, Melbourne. The sophistication and dedication of their work is clear. The company has hired rehearsal space at the ABC’s Sydney headquarters and I’m impressed by the walls-full of Every part of the horse is coordinated, fluid — the everWorld War 1 cuttings and photographic images, plus varied moving ears, the twitching tail, the swaying neck. I salute their brilliance. It is they and their ‘trainers’ who have lifted studies of horses in action. There’s much evidence of this production into franchise heaven. careful, scientific study. Horse ‘attitudes’ include angry, Drew Barr, director of the Australian production, accepts bored, content, curious, expectant, submissive and fearful. that the play is, in many ways, being treated like a musical. There are ‘Nine Levels of Fear’ that run from ‘relaxed’ to ‘petrified’. 8 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
“We are so invested in seeing the story through the unknowing and completely vulnerable eyes of this animal,” he says, “that it resonates and taps into people’s imaginations the way a musical does. It uplifts and thrills in the same way. “And there are lots of movement and authentic folk songs, worked on by a folk song collector called John Tams.” In fact, as with every successful musical, an original Broadway cast album with 23 tracks was released last January. “But though it’s franchised like a musical,” says Drew, “everything starts with finding the local puppet teams, then building on the work that they do. So we always have to start from scratch. You can’t just say [as in a franchise] ‘okay, now you cross down left and do that’, because the horse behaviour is always changing and everybody in the play must revolve around that.” Essential to the visiting team and officially credited for ‘Movement and Horse Choreography’ is Toby Sedgwick, who has been with the production, he says proudly, “from Day One”. “I came in before we had a script,” he says, “before we had horses. I live in the country and I took a lot of video footage of the horses outside my window. Then I analysed them with Adrian and Basil, the puppeteers.” Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones had founded the Handspring Puppet Company in Cape Town, South Africa. It’s their lightweight bamboo and aluminium equine structures that allow for such astonishingly real articulations. But it’s Toby’s concentrated study that clinched the theatrical magic. “I come out to turn the puppets into horses. If they move and act exactly like horses then the audience doesn’t look at the puppeteers. It’s only when the gait goes wrong that you suddenly see the puppeteers. “The puppets don’t weigh that much, but a horse is very heavy, so I spend the first couple of weeks getting the horses to have weight, so you can see the muscles stretch.” Toby is also an actor. He played Ted, the misguided father who sells Joey to the Army (boo!), in the first production. Movement is his speciality: he trained at the movement-orientated Jacques Lecoq Theatre School in Paris. “They analyse movement,” he says, “to understand what every gesture means.” He has been with every production of War Horse. “We take a lot of effort to uphold the quality of the show, to make sure the knowledge gets passed on in the right way so the quality of the puppeteering and choreography don’t change. “The director, costume designer, designer and sound guy are all here. The composer flew out here yesterday. It’s extraordinary; we all thought it would be just a one-off at the National and that would be that. It’s such a big thing!” After the Melbourne season comes 19 weeks at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from February 16 and 4 weeks at the Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, from July 6. War Horse then gallops across the Tasman for a season at the ASB Theatre in Auckland from August 20.
Cody Fern (playing Albert Narracott) and Joey.
Online extras!
Be spell-bound by the magic of War Horse. Simply scan the QR code or visit http://youtu.be/xFZ4SwwKuhQ
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 9
Brand New Jerseys Those Jersey Boys are back in Melbourne for 14 weeks at the Princess Theatre from January 10. Coral Drouyn speaks with the new young cast members and takes a trip down memory lane.
For fifty years now, generation after generation has come to know and love the sound that Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli created between them. Just as the Beatles defined the British sound, The Four Seasons defined the East Coast of America. The songs were tight, perfect pop songs. Biting lyrics, the falsetto of Frankie Valli, the hand In 1962 I was in my teens and I kept hearing this song called ‘Sherry’, but I never heard who it was by. This was a clapping, the rhythm all made a recipe for success which eventually became musical immortality. time when top forty plays were limited on the radio, and there were no video clips on television, no internet, no MP3 As a musical, Jersey Boys opened in Melbourne in 2009, players, no (gasp, shock, horror) YouTube. If you were lucky after being a Broadway smash hit and winning four Tony you owned a portable record player where you could stack Awards in 2006. It seems impossible that three and a half TEN 45 singles. I was lucky…AND it was pink. Double years later it’s coming back (well it’s never really been whammy! ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ was the first single I actually away), but such is the power of the music. There can’t be bought, followed by ‘Walk Like A Man’, and finally I caught anyone in the whole of Australia that doesn’t know at least up with ‘Sherry’, by buying the first album. At one stage I ONE Four Seasons song. How many of us have walked around singing ‘Oh What A Night (Late December 1963)’ even owned the incredibly rare double album ‘The Beatles versus The Four Seasons’ – now a collector’s item. The without ever realising that Bob Gaudio wrote it about losing his virginity when he was just 17? music has been with me all my life….it’s even fantastic to With this return production comes a new cast to exercise to (Exercise! The season following Christmas dinner). Melbourne. They weren’t around when the Four Seasons
Online extras!
For a preview of the 2013 production of Jersey Boys, scan the QR code or visit http://youtu.be/QBeo7Qo5sUM 10 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
first created their magic, but they’re true Jersey Boys now. Declan Egan is making his stage debut as Bob Gaudio. It took three months of extensive auditions, culminating in Bob Gaudio and the Broadway producers giving the thumbs up to his audition tapes before the young NIDA graduate became part of the cast halfway through the Sydney run. He was astounded at the music when he first saw the show. “I remember when I first saw Jersey Boys I was surprised because hit after hit, I recognised all the songs and was left saying over and over “Oh they wrote that too,” he tells me. The amazing Graham Foote plays Frankie Valli. As Musical Director and Producer for the platinum recording group The Ten Tenors, Graham has already made his mark. Frankie Valli is the icing on the cake. I asked him how old he was when he first heard a Four Seasons song. “I was quite young. My mum had a 60’s Hits compilation record that had ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ on it. But my favourite is ‘Can’t Take My Eyes off of You’.” I’ve followed Glaston Toft’s career since he was a WAAPA student and I lived in Perth. His musical versatility is perfect for the role of Nick Massi. “I first heard a Four Seasons song when I was a kid. It was ‘Walk Like A Man’ and it was in a Robert
Graham Foote and
Downey Jnr Film – Heart and Souls. Great pop songs are timeless and the Four Seasons have had hits in the 60s, 70s, and 80s and their music is still being covered today.” And, as Tommy de Vito…the ultimate ‘Joisey Boy’ who could have brought the whole dream crashing down, Anthony Harkin brings all of his musical theatre experience (Rock of Ages, Avenue Q) to the role and was given the seal of approval from Frankie Valli himself. He loves the music. “The simplicity of these songs is what makes them perfect pop songs, then memorable melodic hooks and the classic vocal arrangements. Also these guys were singing about what they knew. They were rooted in reality and that stuff never gets old. That’s why they stand the test of time.” Jersey Boys has already shown it stands the test of time. With a great book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe, Tony Award winning director Des McAnuff has given us an instant classic. Too often a musical fails because the book isn’t up to the standard of the music, or vice versa, but there’s no such danger with this show. Some things really do get better with age. e: Declan Egan, This image and opposite pag Glaston Toft and te Foo Anthony Harkin, Graham
Declan Egan
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 11
Forking Out Millions For A Ticket If you think tickets are expensive, imagine underwriting an entire production. Some patrons are doing just that – paying millions to bring whole shows to the stage. David Spicer looks at the state of philanthropy in Australia and the surprising donors behind the Ring Cycle being staged in Melbourne and The Secret River, the epic play which leads the Sydney and Perth Festivals.
, : Nathaniel Dean, Trevor Jamieson The cast of The Secret River (L-R) and ell Taps nda Mira Moody, Anita Hegh, Ursula Yovich, Colin . Jeremy Sims. Photo: Ellis Parrinder
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Maureen Wheeler
Maureen Wheeler is world famous amongst backpackers. Together with husband Mark she founded the Lonely Planet publishing empire. They began by publishing the yellow bible South East Asia on a Shoestring. Eventually Lonely Planet was sold to the BBC for 250 million dollars. What’s not so well known is that Maureen Wheeler is passionate about opera. As a child she grew up in a public housing estate in Belfast. Despite this modest upbringing she became hooked on opera after her mother took her to The Merry Widow. These days she can indulge her passion and has seen the Ring Cycle ten times. “I didn’t go to see the Ring in Adelaide and really regretted it. A few months later, I thought to myself that I’d like to see the Ring in Melbourne, where I could enjoy it without feeling jet-lagged, which is how I see most things!” she told Opera Australia. Early media reports speculated that Maureen Wheeler was prepared to stump up ten million dollars to bring it to Melbourne. Instead she went to lunch with Opera Australia bigwigs and got what she wanted for ‘half price’.. pledging five million dollars to subsidise the production. There surely must be cheaper ways of getting over jetlag. But no matter how much she has shelled out, it does not guarantee that her husband will enjoy sitting through it. “Tony does not share my obsession and cannot sit still for five minutes, let alone five hours. He’s going to see his first Ring in New York to prepare, but I know he’s nervous and that makes me nervous! He’d much rather be going off to Afghanistan or the Congo instead. But even if he can’t go the distance, I’ve got eight friends coming over from the UK and US specially to see this.” Some philanthropists like to see their name in lights. Japanese businessman Dr Haruhisa Handa donated $3 million to Opera Australia for three grand open air operas on Sydney Harbour. La Traviata was the spectacle in 2012. Carmen takes to the water in 2013. Sydney businessman and chairman of the Sydney Theatre Company David Gonski is not quite in the same league but his act of philanthropy is probably doing more good by financing a new work. He’s now well known as the author of the Gonski report into education funding in Australia.
Less well known is the donation he made with his wife He’s even invested in a show once when asked. Orli Wargon and friends Simon and Catriona Mordant to “Many years ago I heard Simon Gallaher was thinking of bankroll one of the STC’s most ambitious productions to putting on his version of Gilbert and Sullivan. So I agreed to date. become the major financial backer of that and I actually got Premiering in January is an adaptation Kate Grenville’s my money back, which is incredible.” award winning novel The Secret River. David Gonski says Australia is building its tradition of “Cate (Blanchett) and Andrew (Upton) came up with a vision to turn this into a play. This is not something a philanthropy in the Arts company can afford on its own, as there are great costs in “We are behind the Americans. What we get comes creating new work, and risk,” he told Stage Whispers. from a smaller group of people,” he said. “The book is a wonderful read so we backed it. We Australia also lacks the deep pockets of charitable don’t think it could have happened without private foundations which exist in the United States. sponsorship. I’m pleased to see Neil Armfield agreed to be But it is changing slowly. Helping has been a growth in the director and Andrew Bovell agreed to be playwright,” private ancillary funds, which are registered trusts that people can donate to and receive a tax deduction. he said. The World Premiere will be in Sydney as part of the “In total there is two and a half billion dollars (in these Sydney Festival before it tours to Canberra and headlines funds) and they give 160 million dollars a year to charities.” the Perth Some are geared David Gonski Dr Rodney Seaborn International Arts entirely towards Festival. the Arts. It has not been One is the revealed what the Robert Salzer Foundation in donation was but David Gonski says it’s Melbourne. Mr “nowhere near the Salzer was a five million” Jewish Viennese Maureen Wheeler refugee who coughed up. fled Nazism, If the play goes settling in on to Broadway Australia where he established a David Gonski will get no financial return successful on the investment. building “We would love it business. to (become a hit) but it is not designed to get a return He set up the fund in 1987 with a gift of $500,000. It other than the joy of sitting there, enjoying what has been was topped up with another $500,000 by his wife Betty done and adding a great play to the Australian library.” when he died in 1995. Philanthropy and the Arts has a long tradition. They were passionate about their local opera scene and this year one of the projects being funded is the World “Most of the great composers were appointed to a House of Royalty. To be blunt, some of the backers are Premiere of The Magic Pudding, the opera staged by The more remembered for backing a great artist than what they Victorian Opera. did during their lifetime,” he said. Sydney has its own patron saint of the Arts. When Sydney businessman Dick Smith has long campaigned Rodney Seaborn died in 2008 at the age of 96 he was to have the wealthy donate more to a range of good described by the Sydney Morning Herald as a latter-day, causes. Amongst those he includes the Arts. antipodean Medici. “Back in the 1950’s when I was a kid just about every He was a doctor who set up his own psychiatric wealthy person was also known as a philanthropist. It was hospital, but theatre was his passion. almost a responsibility. Now it is quite different,” he told In 1987 he saved the Stables Theatre in Kings Cross and Stage Whispers. his foundation continues to rent it to the Griffin Theatre “Some wealthy people are generous with the Arts, but Company gratis. there are a hell of a lot of people that aren’t. They basically The trust’s regular endeavours include a generous give nothing away at all.” playwrighting award and housing an outstanding “Over the years we’ve helped the Australian Ballet and performing arts collection. especially students travelling overseas and in training.” Not all the trusts have such a bias towards the Arts. But how do the Arts stack up against other worthy “The Arts does have to compete for donations against causes? many good causes but the Arts is getting its fair share,” “We would give 80% of our money to social causes, said David Gonski. people who are less well off. We allocate about 20% to the So with a bit more luck we’ll be seeing Australian Arts.” premieres in the years to come. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 13
Out of Time, Out of Place
Colin Friels in Death of a Salesman. Photo: Heidrun Lohr
2013 is set to be a crazily busy year for fearless director/writer Simon Stone. He has productions of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Miss Julie and Hamlet (no less!) at Sydney’s Belvoir, and The Cherry Orchard at the MTC. This will be great news for many patrons. But other lovers of classic texts should be warned: this director walks his own postmodern path. Our critic Frank Hatherley reports.
14 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
Recently I’ve complained a lot about Simon Stone. Not that it will have bothered the dashing 28-year-old tyro who seemed to be everywhere — directing, writing, even acting (in the excellent movie Being Venice). His work is regularly striking, often brilliant. But he has this thing about the revival of famous plays: he insists that such classics be removed from the time and the place in which they were originally set; that they be played Here, in Australia, and Right Now. Sometimes he keeps the text sort of intact, as in Death of a Salesman, where there are contractual obligations to be observed. Sometimes he fesses up to major surgery — cuts, reorganisation, whole new scenes — so much so that 2011’s The Wild Duck was ‘by Simon Stone after Henrik Ibsen’ and 2012’s Strange Interlude was ‘by Simon Stone after Eugene O’Neill‘. Each of these revivals has been successful. Audience appreciation has been obvious, whether measured by
applause or bookings, and Stone himself eloquently justifies his methods in various program notes. In the Strange Interlude ‘Writer & Director’s Note’ he was definite. ‘There is no such thing as an accurate revival of a classic,’ he wrote. ‘There are just varying degrees of reinterpretation... an audience will never see [classic] authors’ work the way they intended it ever again. This is both the curse and the blessing of theatre.’ ‘The natural state’ of theatre, he continued, is ‘the removal of a classic story from its original context, to exist outside time, to be seen as a reflection both of our enduring human identity and our particular contemporary struggle.’ Of course we are used to Shakespeare & Co getting a contemporary going-over. Last January the British Cheek by Jowl company toured with their version of Ford’s 1630 ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore. It was superb and, despite its modern setting
and costumes, nothing seemed out of place. But mid-20th century classics are clearly more difficult for some (me, for instance) to swallow. Arthur Miller’s great ‘Noo Yoik’ dialogue in Salesman was delivered at the Belvoir in contemporary Aussie accents, but with all the 1949 references left intact — Jack Benny on the radio, contemporary football teams, driving Studebaker cars, wages of $28 a week, etc. Meanwhile the characters are using iPads and smartphones. Interesting. But I couldn’t help wishing I was seeing the masterpiece that had slayed me when I first saw it as a teenager at the Independent Theatre or as played by Dustin Hoffman in the 80’s made-for-TV film — you know, with the correct period costuming, the New York City slum backyard. Maybe Simon Stone would say “get over it, that was YOUR Salesman, mine is for Here and Now”. In his program note he wrote: ‘I think location and time are always of incidental importance in the great plays... There will be a point in time where Death of a Salesman becomes [a timeless classic] like King Lear. [Right now] it’s too full of references we still understand. But in 50 years or 100 years time it will be like King Lear and The Cherry Orchard put together. It’s about a man giving away his empire and his terrible fear that he won’t have a legacy.’ I had really wanted to see a production of O’Neill’s rarely staged
Zahra Newman & Toby Schmitz in Private Lives. Photo: Heidrun Lohr
Strange Interlude that won the 1928 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, but Stone’s Here/Now version has probably blocked that happening for another decade. His influence is spreading. In Jocelyn Moorhouse’s otherwise fine recent production of the Chicago-set Sex With Strangers at the STC, no attempt at all was made at American accents. The characters were, inexplicably, Aussies. And in the Belvoir revival of Noel Coward’s Private Lives, as staged by current Artistic Director Ralph Myers, a setting of posh 1930 hotel balconies overlooking the harbour at Deauville was rendered as a contemporary hotel corridor where four very modern
characters parried Coward’s brittle, upper-class dialogue (‘What utter, utter fools!’) and considered sending an urgent message to Paris ‘by telegraph’. The reception of Death of a Salesman, with its terrific central performance by Colin Friels, prompted a ‘by popular demand’ return season at the Theatre Royal, for which Belvoir was forced by the play’s powerful New York agent to reinstate the whole final graveside epilogue. Any further ‘by Simon Stone after Arthur Miller’ version must now wait until the copyright officially lapses in 2055 when Stone will be a not-soenfant-terrible 70.
Emily Barclay, Mitchell Butel & Toby Truslove in Strange Interlude. Photo: Heidrun Lohr.
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It’s becoming a growth industry. No longer is one festival a year enough for Australia’s major cities. Now Cabaret, Fringe, Comedy and even festivals of light are cramming the diary. Is the feast for audiences good for local artists? David Spicer speaks with the Directors of the Sydney, Perth and Adelaide Festivals. It was a hot topic on a recent Arts Hub forum. In one corner was the profestival lobby. Esther Anatolitis the Director of Regional Arts Victoria, gushed about getting her hands on the ‘treasure’ in a festival program. “Every time you pick up a festival guide you are holding a critically timely interpretation of artistic thought, experimentation and craft,” she wrote. “For artists, festivals offer the opportunity to locate their practice and present their work within a cultural moment. Audiences too love the opportunity of immersing into all that inspiration.” Mary Lou Jelbart, the Artistic Director of the Melbourne venue fortyfivedownstairs, begged to differ. She says there are so many festivals in Melbourne she almost needs to close down for half the year. “Try getting media coverage for a production during the Comedy Festival (sponsored by Fairfax). Try getting an audience during the Melbourne Festival (with virtually no hope of print media coverage or perhaps a grudging review from an overloaded critic). “While festivals make politicians feel good (all those free tickets) they tend to depress those of us who don’t quite fit the festival mode, who just want to present good theatre and build up loyal audiences. “There are limited discretionary dollars to go around and a huge amount of them are going to the festival imports, at the expense of the local independent scene.” A new breed of artistic director is now running the Perth, Sydney and Adelaide Festivals. All are from Europe and quick to trumpet their support of local artists. Lieven Bertels is leading the Sydney Festival for the first time in 2013. Sydney’s calendar is filling up too. The Sydney Festival in January has now been joined by Vivid in winter, a festival of light and ideas. 16 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
Festival Fever Leaves Some Cold
Semele Walk
From Belgium, Lieven Bertels was the artistic coordinator of the worldrenowned Holland Festival, which he says ran on a different model. “A lot of what we presented at the Holland Festival resulted from money flowing through to local theatre companies to put a show on,” he said. He’s tried to do the same in Sydney where possible. “One that excites me personally is a beautiful new work called Symphony by the Legs on the Wall company.” The work combines dance, multimedia and a guitar performance of Beethoven developed by the company in northern NSW.
“It shows you can develop an international standard work in a regional arts centre and make it ready for the stage of an international arts festival. I signed it sight unseen but it is good to take a risk.” The highest profile local production is the World Premiere adaptation of The Secret River by the Sydney Theatre Company, directed by Neil Armfield. “It has success written all of over it. It’s very hard to cook a bad meal with wonderful produce.” But Lieven Bertels is passionate about the international aspect of the Festival. “Many people can’t travel to London and New York. It’s good to recalibrate the benchmarks and create a festival
buzz. It worked beautifully in Holland with local and international artists in one room – suddenly a new project is born.” For audiences there is also the opportunity to see extraordinary productions. He nominates Semele Walk, a Handel opera staged by a German theatre company which incorporates a fashion show of 20th century punk. Also remarkably a Swiss theatre company has a hit play which is named after an Aboriginal word - Eraritjaritjaka. It means full of desire for something that has been lost. “A character walks off the stage, is followed by a video camera, gets into a taxi and arrives at an apartment. He delivers the rest of the play from there. He fries an omelette and the audience smells it in the theatre. It’s mind bogglingly brilliant.” The Perth International Arts Festival – founded in 1953 - is the longest running festival in the southern hemisphere. It towers over the local arts scene, attracting an audience of 800,000 people to the plethora of free events and sells four to five million dollars’ worth of tickets. At the helm is the Director Johnathan Holloway. He came to Western Australia after a successful stint at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Even though it’s called the Perth International Arts Festival he works very hard to foster local connections. “We work closely with Perth theatre companies. A vital part is commissioning new work.”
The Barking Gecko Theatre Company is using the Festival as a launching pad for a new work for children called Death, Duck and the Tulip. The 50 minute piece has a cast of two and an orchestra of four – all locals. International works are also often staged and re-interpreted by local artists. Murder
Johnathan Holloway is particularly excited about 3G (Trois Générations) from French choreographer Jean-Claude Gallotta. “It has three generations of dancers, under 12, 20’s and 50’s. Each dances a piece about their generation, however it has been remodelled by a local company and local dancers.” And when the cast or performers are imported a local workshop is obligatory.
He says the best festivals offer works that showcase both international and regional productions. “If you took the Edinburgh Festival out of Edinburgh it wouldn’t be the same. “It heightens local artists and gives them new inspiration.” Completing the trilogy of Europeans running Australia’s arts festivals is David Sefton from Adelaide in South Australia, which has a slogan for being the festival state. He came to the role after spending a decade running the UCLA’s live performance division in Los Angeles and prior to that working at Southbank in London. Sefton acknowledges that festivals are growing like topsy in Australia. “Perhaps they could set up a committee to decide who uses it. Three mates with a cello say it is a cello festival,” he noted wryly. Adding to the traffic is the fact that from 2013 the Adelaide Festival is becoming an annual event. But David Sefton says help is on the way. “I have also got double the funding; that is the major battle. A biennial festival is much harder. Many companies don’t know what they are doing two years in advance.” Like his UK colleagues he’s keen to trumpet local involvement, particularly the state’s elite dance companies and symphony orchestras which regularly fill the program. (Continued on page 18)
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(Continued from page 17)
“Whilst there are lots of companies which don’t make it into festivals we have a very healthy relationship with the State Theatre Company of South Australia. Their production of Kreutzer Sonata starring Barry Otto is the perfect example of a play in a conventional space, put on with festival audiences in mind.” There is one new production he is particularly proud of. Brink Productions has joined forces with English Touring Theatre, one of the UK’s leading production companies, to stage Thursday. It takes reference from the remarkable story of Adelaide woman Gill Hicks, who lost her legs in the 2005 London bombings. “Gill Hicks was the last person pulled out of London Tube bombing alive. It has been co-commissioned by a local and a UK company and will later go on tour.” The Adelaide Festival also has a reputation of pulling something out of the hat which is on the edge of public taste. “Our audience is pretty unshockable.” But for those who might like to be shocked, he recommends an adult puppet show called Murder, inspired by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' Murder Ballads. It’s billed as a performance which lusts for a sinister life that conjures up a dark world of love, sex and death. Sounds like a good use for taxpayers’ money! The Sydney Festival runs from January 5 - 27, 2013. The Perth Festival is from February 8 until March 2. The Adelaide Festival is from March 1 - 17.
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Stage on Page By Peter Pinne
The Two Frank Thrings by Peter Fitzpatrick (Monash University Publishing $49.95). Theatregoers who only know Frank Thring from his toga-clad cameos in 1950s/60s Hollywood blockbusters, or as a stalwart of the Melbourne Theatre Company during the 70s and 80s, will be surprised to learn his father, also named Frank Thring, was equally important in the history of Australian showbusiness. Starting life as an Adelaide bootmaker, Frank Senior started his career as a sideshow conjuror and elocutionist in Zeehan, Tasmania, in 1909, which led to his foray into film exhibition. He later ran Hoyts distribution, built the ornate Regent cinemas in the Eastern states and created Australia’s first film production company, Efftee Films. He was also responsible for producing Australia’s first successful Australian musical comedy, Colitts’ Inn with Gladys Moncrieff in 1933. Married twice, it was his second marriage that produced Frank Junior who began his career with a couple of walkons in his father’s films, before becoming a legitimate actor in the 1940s. The flamboyant and openly gay Frank Junior was successful in London during the 50s, acting with the Royal Shakespeare Company and with theatre greats Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Anthony Quayle, before finding international fame as Pontius Pilate in the MGM movie Ben Hur. Frank Junior was only nine when his father died so both men really never knew each other. Peter Fitzpatrick tries to paint warts-and-all pictures of these two driven and highly successful men, who were both secretive and left very few personal papers, and in the main succeeds, but there is still a lot of supposition and second guessing in the book. Still Fitzpatrick has achieved much. Who knew that Frank Senior imported French actress Alice Delysia to star in her West End hit, Mother of Pearl, or that Frank Junior’s first adult stage role was in the professional production of Summer Locke Eliot’s post-war hit, Rusty Bugles. It’s all there plus many other interesting anecdotes and facts. The book comes with a comprehensive listing of films made by Efftee, complied by Chris Long, but frustratingly does not list any of Efftee’s theatre productions or any of Frank Junior’s stage and film credits.
Knit Your Way to Hollywood by Lois Ramsay ($20.00). Like The Two Frank Thrings, Lois Ramsay’s memoir also begins in Adelaide. Ramsay, a fixture of Adelaide revues during the 1960s with the Flinders Street Revue Company, found national fame on television with The Mavis Bramston Show, The Box and Prisoner, before bringing her brand of larrikin humor to film with Crackerjack (2002) and innumerable stage productions of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll in the 90s, in which she played Emma. But it’s Ramsay’s off-stage life, growing up with her family of eccentric but lovable battlers, which gives this book its heart. From depression-era Adelaide, to wartime Sydney and after, Ramsay remembers life in those turbulent times with humor and affection. A Million Miles From Broadway by Mel Atkey (Friendlysong Books U.S.$30.00). Canadian Mel Atkey’s new book discusses, as the title infers, indigenous musical theatre outside of London and New York. It’s a vast canvas but Atkey negotiates the terrain with skill. Apart from the obvious cities like Vienna and Paris, which Atkey claims gave birth to the form, there are also chapters on Italy, Germany, Japan, Asia, South Africa, South America and Canada. Australia rates a 25 page chapter which gives a good overview of the history of the form as it applies to this country, and the practitioners working in it today. Atkey’s designation of what constitutes musical theatre is wide, encompassing, as it does, cabaret and revue, and sometimes his discussion of a country’s work is only discussed in
terms of the musicals they exported to London or New York (i.e. South Africa), but his research is monumental. Occasionally he strays from his subject, discussing new works and composers in the West End and Broadway, but there is no denying this is an important book on a previously undocumented area of musical theatre. There is a substantial index plus photographs from various productions. (Full disclosure – I helped with research for the Australian and South American chapters.) A Ship Without A Sail by Gary Marmostein (Simon & Schuster U.S.$30.00). A Ship Without A Sail is a new biography of lyricist Lorenz Hart, who wrote some of the American Songbook’s most famous songs including “The Lady Is a Tramp”, “Bewitched”, “Where Or When”, “Isn’t It Romantic” and “Blue Moon”. Working with composer Richard Rodgers, his career lasted from 1925 until his early death in 1943, and resulted in thirty Broadway musicals which included On Your Toes, Babes In Arms, The Boys From Syracuse and Pal Joey, and dozens of songs for Hollywood films. Hart, who was homosexual, was notoriously closeted about his personal life, and Marmostein has uncovered little that is new, except the fact that Hart’s family did not participate in any of his royalties following his death. Apart from numerous examples of Hart’s legendary lyrical wit, the book also documents Hart’s errant working methods, and his addiction to alcohol.
Stage Whispers Books Visit our on-line book shop for back issues and stage craft books
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All Dressed Up Costumes from Broadway to Hollywood
Nicholas Inglis and some of his costume collection
20 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of The Desert
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
Peter Pinne gets ‘all dressed up’ to talk to Brisbane-based collector Nicholas Inglis, whose costume collection is being showcased at QPACs Tony Gould Gallery. Nicholas Inglis always gets a thrill when he sees one of his costumes on film and can say, “I own that!” He has been collecting original screen and stage costumes for the past 15 years. What started as an interest when he came across an old catalogue in the 1990s that featured items to be auctioned has now become an obsession. A factor that drew Inglis to this hobby was the workmanship, design and skill that went into making these costumes. Keeping them in shape is a challenge, Inglis says, “natural fibres deteriorate, and due to poor storage, not much has survived from the early days of film production.” The oldest costume on display is by Australian-born designer Orry-Kelly for the “All Is Fair In Love and War” number in Gold Diggers of 1937. On display are thirty costumes and accessories worn by such stars as Judy Garland, Sammy Davis Jnr., Bette Midler, Julie Andrews, Ray Bolger, Liza Minnelli, Ethel Merman, Carol Channing, Nathan Lane, Peter Allen, Eddie Murphy and Barbra Streisand.
The Broadway collection includes two glamorous red dresses, designed by Theoni V. Aldredge and worn by Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli in The Rink (1984), Ethel Merman’s original Lucinda Ballard ‘Annie Oakley’ costume for Annie Get You Gun (recreated for a 1955 Shower of Stars TV special), and Peter Allen’s sequined suit from Legs Diamond (1989).
Hollywood memorabilia includes Samantha Eggar and Anthony Newley’s costumes from Doctor Doolittle (1967), Julie Andrews’ chorus girl outfit from Star! (1969) and dresses from the movie of Annie (1982). Inglis’ personal favourite on show is an Edith Head creation for Rhonda Fleming in 1949’s A Connecticut Yankee. Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner’s Oscar winning drag costumes from
Priscilla Queen of the Desert, as worn by Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and Terence Stamp, are featured. A lawyer by day, Inglis still works front-of-house one day per week at QPAC, a position he began when he was a student. He runs a blog (http:// vintagefilmpropsandcostumes.blogspot .com.au) on vintage film costume and the site gives him a chance to display some of his treasures. Inglis has turned into a bit of a historian when it comes to collecting film ephemera and today assists major auction houses around the world with identifying and cataloguing costumes for sales. The exhibition is accompanied by a video loop of clips that show the costumes being worn in performance. The collection even extends out into the boxes in the foyer of the Cremorne Theatre which house a ladies marabou feather hat from the Ascot Scene in My Fair Lady (film 1964), Eddie Murphy’s costume from Dreamgirls (film 2006), dancer’s hat from Can-Can (film 1960), Finale top hat worn by Zach in the original Broadway production of A Chorus Line (1975) and the Simba mask from The Lion King (1997). The free exhibition is on display at the Tony Gould Gallery, QPAC, Cultural Centre, South Bank, Brisbane, until April 2013. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 21
B
roadway uzz
Jenn Harris as Clarice Starling and David Garrison as Hannibal Lecter in Silence! The Musical.
By Peter Pinne
The stage version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1957 TV musical Cinderella starts previews on 24 January at the Broadway Theatre and officially opens on 24 February. The show stars Laura Osnes in the title role, Santino Fontana as Prince Toper, Victoria Clark as the Fairy Godmother, Harriet Harris as Madame, and Ann Harada and Marla Mindelle as the stepsisters. Douglas Carter Beane has written the new book, with Mark Brokaw handling direction, Josh Rhodes as choreographer, William Ivey Long supplying costumes and Andy Einhorn as musical director. It’s not the first time the TV version has been seen on stage. London saw it as a Christmas Panto in 1958 and New York City Opera mounted the first New York production in 1993. The original television show starred Julie Andrews and was seen by 65 million viewers, a record at the time. Currently in previews at the Richard Rodgers Theatre is Tennessee Williams’ Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, which is due to open 17 January. The high-profile revival cast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama stars Scarlett Johansson as Maggie, Benjamin Walker as Brick, Ciarán Hinds as Big Daddy and Debra Monk as Big Mama. Johansson and Monk are previous Tony Award winners, with Johansson carrying it off for A View From the Bridge and Monk for Curtains. Tony and Emmy Award winner Rob Ashford directs. December 30th 2012 saw the final performance of the Off-Broadway hit Silence! The Musical after playing 447 performances and 8 previews. With a book by Hunter Bell and music and lyrics by Jon and Al Kaplan, Silence! was an unauthorized musical parody of the 1991 Academy Awardwinning thriller Silence of the Lambs. The show started life as a parody on the Internet where the irreverent and tasteless songs generated a cult audience. It made its stage premiere at the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival
22 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
where it won “Best Musical”, before beginning its OffBroadway run at Theatre 80 on 9th July 2011. The original cast featured Brent Barrett and Jenn Harris, with direction and choreography by Christopher Gattelli. The World Premiere of Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of Liz Flahive’s The Madrid begins previewing 5 February at the New York City Center - Stage 1, and opens 26 February with a cast headed by Edie Falco (The House of Blue Leaves, The Sopranos), Frances Sternhagen (The Heiress, The Closer), John Ellison Conlee, Heidi Schreck, Christopher Evan Welch and Phoebe Strole. The play is about a kindergarten teacher who walks out on her life and family, leaving her daughter to pick up the pieces. Tom Kitt (Next to Normal) is writing original music for the piece. Flashdance – The Musical starts its national tour January 1st at Heinz Hall, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Top starred are Emily Padgett as Alex, Matthew Hydzik as Nick and Rachelle Rak as Tess. The musical, to be directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, is based on the 1983 movie about a young Pittsburg steel mill worker who dreams of becoming a professional performer as she moonlights as a bar dancer. It will feature a new score by Robbie Roth and Robert Cary but will also include the movie’s iconic hits “Maniac” and “Flashdance – What a Feeling”, which won an Academy Award. The production is aiming to bow on Broadway in August 2013. More than 200 of the hottest male and female dancers in New York City will take part in the annual Broadway Bares/Equity Fights AIDS performance June 23, 2013, at the Roseland Ballroom, executive producer Jerry Mitchell has announced. It will be the 23rd year that the event, which combines the razzle-dazzle of Broadway with the raunchiness of burlesque, has been held. The Broadway Bares season will officially kick-off on 27th January at XL Nightclub, West 42nd Street, with 25 of Broadway Bares’ sexiest dancers in a sizzling collection of striptease called Broadway Bares: Winter Burlesque. The bio-musical Chaplin, which is playing at the Barrymore Theatre, will begin a national tour starting autumn 2014, with the possibility of an international tour to follow. Casting has not been announced. The musical about the rise and fall of legendary silent film actor/director Charlie Chaplin features music and lyrics by Christopher Curtis with a book by Thomas Meehan (Annie) and Curtis. It currently stars Rob McClure as Chaplin.
London Calling By Peter Pinne Mike Walsh and Tim Lawson are amongst the producers of the revival of the Tony Award Winning musical A Chorus Line which begins previews at the Palladium on 5 February and opens on the 19 February. Principal cast includes John Partridge (Zach), Scarlett Strallen (Cassie), Leigh Zimmerman (Sheila) and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Diana). Partidge, best -known for his role of Christian Clarke in Eastenders, has a host of musical theatre credits including Miss Saigon, Cats, Grease, Rent and The Drowsy Chaperone. Strallen has recently been starring as Kathy in the West End revival of Singin’ In the Rain, while Zimmerman has appeared in Chicago and The Producers, and Hamilton-Barritt in Flashdance. The London Evening Standard Theatre Awards gave the Best Musical gong to the Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd which starred Michael Ball as the murdering barber and Imelda Staunton as his grisly accomplice, Mrs. Lovett. Best Play went to the Royal Court’s production of Nick Payne’s metaphysical love story Constellations, based on the scientific premise that we might actually be living in one of many universes which coexist simultaneously. Although critics thought the play worked better in the small space of the Court upstairs where it premiered in January 2012, there was still much lauding of the two stars, Sally Hawkins and Rafe Spall, of the West End transfer; “bewitching” claimed Lyn Gardiner Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton in Sweeney Todd
Online extras!
Watch Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton singing In Sweeney Todd. Scan or click http://youtu.be/ryF2rt0hQiM
in the Guardian, while Henry Hitchings in the Evening Standard said it “manages to dazzle, delight and dismay.” The London production of the Broadway smash The Book Of Mormon opens at the Prince of Wales Theatre, 21st March, following previews from 25th February. American performers Gavin Creel and Jared Gertner will play Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, the same roles they played in the Los Angeles production. Creel has West End credits in Hair (Claude) and Mary Poppins (Bert), but it will be Gertner’s West End debut. His credits include the original Broadway production of Spelling Bee at the Circle in the Square Theatre. Book, music and lyrics are by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, with Avenue Q composer Robert Lopez. As he did with the Broadway production, Casey Nicholaw will choreograph and direct the piece with Parker as co-director. Suranne Jones, best-known as Karen McDonald in Coronation Street, is to star as Jamie’s mother, Sandra, in a revival of Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing which begins previews 13th April at the Arts Theatre, and opens on 17th April, running until 25th May. The play, set on an inner city housing estate, is about two working-class adolescent boys, Jamie and Ste, who become sexually and romantically involved, and is to be directed by Nikolai Foster, designed by Colin Richmond, and produced by Tom O’Connell for QNG Ltd. The play was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London in 1993 and played the West End at the Duke of York’s Theatre the following year. In 1996 it was made into a Channel 4 telemovie, with a screenplay by the author. It was acclaimed and subsequently received a cinema release. Following the Arts Theatre run the production will tour to Liverpool, Leeds and Brighton. Prior to Beautiful Thing’s season at the Arts, the theatre will present The Tailor-Made Man, a new musical by Claudio Macor (Book), Amy Rosenthal (Musical Adaptation), Duncan Walsh Atkins and Adam Meggido (music) and Adam Meggido (lyrics). It plays from February 13, runs until April 6th and stars Faye Tozer and Dylan Turner. The musical tells the true story of William ‘Billy’ Haines, the silent screen star who was fired by MGM’s Louis B. Mayer because he was gay and refused to marry and give up his lifelong partner Jimmy Shields. Instead of closing in March as it had previously been announced, Yes Prime Minister will end its Trafalgar Studios Theatre 1 season on January 12th, its original closing date. The current cast features Robert Daws as Jim Hacker and Michael Simkins as Sir Humphrey Appleby. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 23
The Master And His Apprentice Sydney acting guru Dean Carey knows how to teach and how to launch a book. Former student Hugh Jackman was on hand to help unveil his new training resource called The Acting Edge. It’s now available world-wide on the web. Stage Whispers TV devoted a special episode to the launch. Hugh Jackman recounted his experience as a student of Dean’s at Actors Centre Australia in Sydney. “I was a very skinny kid and I was a terrible actor. I snuck into this place after being rejected in the first round. I did a Vaclav Havel monologue from Memorandum – not a good choice. In my call back, in the repechage, it was Dean who took me aside and said …don’t worry about the Havel, let’s try some improvisation.” “This is a place of possibility and of acceptance. He doesn’t judge, he doesn’t see negativity. From day one you are encouraged to say yes.
It is easy say no, or I don’t like that part, it’s the wrong type. Forget it, just say yes have a go. Some of the craziest things I’ve done in my life are things I remember the most.” “There is enough technique (in the book) thank God because I didn’t take one note. But it’s also about heart and passion and being yourself; that it’s OK to be an idealist; theatre can transform; that theatre can connect. It’s easy to be cynical but from time immemorial the role of an actor is to melt the heart of the audience and that’s what Dean has taught me.” Dean Carey recounts what inspired him to become an actor. After being schooled in a strict and conservative environment where I mostly felt disconnected from all around me, I have to admit I never really understood the purpose of being at school. We sat in long, tight rows, and stepping out of line or getting something wrong often resulted in some form of shaming or punishment. I
remember numbing myself so as to disappear or trying so hard to fit in that it twisted my energy inside out, leaving me exhausted. Very soon, though, all this was to be short-circuited. Enter the ‘pattern interrupt’: the Headmaster called a school assembly and announced something new for the school: we were going to be offered ‘an elective’ for a period each week. We could either choose (drum roll) sport, or (wait for it) drama. A low rumble of sniggers echoed amongst the 900 boys assembled, as 99.9% of them knew there was no choice to be made – it was the muddy field of green for them. For the first time in my life I was thrilled to count myself lucky enough to be amongst the .1% minority. ‘Drama’ here I come. A new beginning… It was such a welcome surprise to walk into a room void of desks, a blackboard, and rows and rows of
Hugh Jackman and Dean Carey launching The Acting Edge
24 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
conformity and obligation. We were then welcomed by a genuinely warm-hearted and vibrant woman who asked us to call her by her first name (very radical for my school in 1975). This was my first introduction to a ‘drama room’ – essentially a simple, empty space, poised and ready for action. She gathered us around her: ‘Boys – I am delighted to work with you and I’m so looking forward to getting to know you all. And while we’re at it, let’s have some fun along the way…’ I had certainly never equated the idea of fun and learning before. My shoulders dropped significantly and I felt strangely at home, as well as secretly excited. We started in a circle – not in our ordered rows of desks, not taking down dictation, not reciting from books – but in a circle, looking at each other dead in the eyes and sharing ideas. A lifetime of working in the Arts began in that exact moment. I suddenly gave myself permission to become a little more visible and entertained an entirely new idea for me: that I may matter somehow and that I may even belong. Soon I was able to entertain the idea that I might even have a contribution to make and be of some value. My concept of myself at 15 years of age was being shaken. I had never seen a staff member actually sit on the floor before. Maureen was her name, she beckoned us to join her, and once we were all down on the same level, the conversation – stilted and self-conscious at first – began to flow. I learnt new and important things about myself in those classes that I would never have encountered if it weren’t for this life-changing opportunity. But more importantly, I learnt new things
about the people around me and I suddenly discovered that no matter how different we all thought we were, we actually were all just the same - frightened, separate, searching. Maureen created a safe space, a welcoming space, and an adventurous space, where we could all breathe, relate and connect. This coming together with a shared likemindedness to explore life, people, choices and consequences of actions, was an immensely riveting experience for me. I soon realised that audiences come to the theatre for the exact same reason. The aim of theatre For me, theatre is a transformational tool and an agent of change. It can humanise us and fell us in a heartbeat. It can appal and inspire. It can show us the best and worst of ourselves. It can hold the mirror up to nature (our nature), and make us take a good, long, hard look at ourselves. Why? So we can remain alert, so we can be reminded of our humanity, and also be reminded that we are all visitors on this planet; we are – in essence – one tribe. Any ideas that connect us rather than divide us are essential if we are to develop as a species and get better at this life thing. Theatre can transcend all boundaries and transport us into new worlds and new ways of being. Hopefully when we return from this fictional world, we can take steps to make our real one a little better. Enter the teacher, the director, and the actor - all with a part to play and all completely influential in the quality of the creative outcome. Excerpt from Chapter 2 of Dean Carey’s newest work, The Acting Edge, available from theactingedgeonline.com
Online extras!
Watch a clip from Dean Carey’s launch of The Acting Edge, featuring Hugh Jackman. Simply scan the QR code using your smartphone or visit http://bit.ly/YSZche www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 25
Stage On Disc By Peter Pinne
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Jule Styne/Leo Robin) (Masterworks Broadway 88725 44451 2). With Megan Hilty as Lorelei Lee and Rachel York as Dorothy Shaw, this 1949 Jule Styne and Leo Robin score about two gold-diggers on a transatlantic cruise could not be in better hands. York is terrific on “I Love What I’m Doing” and Hilty (Ivy in Smash) really belts “A Little Girl from Little Rock” and the classic “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend”, which includes two encores. Produced in May 2012, the Encores! New York production is the most complete version available on disc and features two songs, “Coquette” and “Button Up With Esmond”, not found on the original Broadway Cast album plus the Act 1 Finale and various dance sequences. It’s not only a joy to hear Styne’s brassy music and Robin’s clever lyrics again, but to hear Hugh Martin’s original imaginative vocal arrangements in their entirety is reason enough to buy this CD alone.
successful British songwriters of the 60s with innumerable hits. This collection includes them all, from Shirley Bassey’s “As Long As He Needs Me” and Max Bygraves “Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be”, to Cliff Richard’s “Living Doll” and Tommy Steele’s “Little White Bull”. It’s a wonderful walk down the 1960s memory lane. Up in Central Park (Sigmund Romberg/ Dorothy Fields) (Sepia 1203). Sepia have also put together a compilation which couples the rare soundtrack of this 1945 movie, which starred Deanna Durbin and Dick Haymes, and was based on the original Broadway musical, with a studio cast recording of the score with Jeanette McDonald and Robert Merrill. The show, about crooked politics in New York City in the 1870s, was Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Fields’ only score together and has some nice things in it, particularly the lilting “Carousel In The Park” and “It Doesn’t Cost You Anything To Dream”, but it’s the two ballads, “April Snow” and “Close As Pages In A Book”, which are the gems here.
Marina Prior – Both Sides Now (Fanfare Records 080). For some reason musical theatre divas always want to break away Pipe Dream (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein) Ghostlight Records 8-4463). from what they do best midway through their careers. Barbara Cook did it in the 70s This new recording of Pipe Dream also comes via Encores! Recorded ‘live’ in March with an ill-advised foray into pop before she rediscovered her musical theatre roots, 2012, the revival starred Leslie Uggams and Barbra Streisand likewise had a brush (Fauna), Will Chase (Doc), Tom Wopat (Mac) and Laura Osnes (Suzy). The show is with pop in the same period. Now it’s Marina Prior’s turn. Both Sides Now is a collection of pop songs she sang when not top tier Rodgers and Hammerstein but it is she was starting out as a busker and folk singer in pleasant. Based on the John Steinbeck novels Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, about whores and drifters in Monterey, Melbourne. Songs by Leon Russell (“Superstar”), The Beatles California, Hammerstein’s bucolic lyrics don’t sit comfortably (“In My Life”/”Here Comes The Sun”), Freddie Mercury in this milieu. But this recording gives a much better feeling (“Killer Queen”), Abba (“SOS”) and Joni Mitchell (“Both Sides Now”) are featured, plus Michel Legrand’s movie theme of the show than the Original Broadway Cast album which “Windmills Of You Mind”. Prior is in fine voice, the was weighed down by opera star Helen Traubal’s stodgy arrangements are good, as is the piano work by David portrayal of Fauna, the madam. Uggams does well in that Cameron, but your enjoyment of the CD will depend on how role here, particularly on the jaunty title song and “Fauna’s Song”, which in this version is longer. Other additional music much you like Prior singing something other than show songs. not heard on CD before are the “Entr’acte” and the orchestral piece “Fractured Fugue”. There’s no doubt it’s the Anthony Costanzo – The EP best recorded version of the score. (anthonycostanzo.com). Talented performer The Genius of Lionel Bart – Stage & Pop Songs, Demos and composer Anthony Costanzo, who created the impressive score for 2009s Life’s & Rarities (Lionel Bart) (Sepia 1201 3CD Set). This new Sepia release of Lionel Bart a Circus, has released a four track EP of material is the most complete overview of original work. Composers always perform the composer’s work on disc. CD1 features their work better than anyone else and that’s a studio cast album of Fings Ain’t Wot They the case here. The songs, not from any show, are intense and theatrical in feel which suits the big-voiced Costanzo. Used T’Be with Joan Heal, Sidney James Best track is the interesting “Without a Price” (Love comes and Alfred Marks, plus tracks from the Original London Cast recordings of Lock Up Your Daughters unwillingly, and it comes without a price). and Oliver! CD2 compiles 31 popular songs by Bart Rating performed by Tommy Steele, Anthony Newley, Cliff Richard, Only for the enthusiast Borderline Marty Wilde and Adam Faith amongst others, while CD3 Worth buying Must have Kill for it includes demo recording from Blitz!, and the unproduced Quasimodo and Gulliver’s Travels. Bart was one of the most 26 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
New Diploma of Musical Theatre Sydney’s acclaimed performing arts school, Brent Street, is kicking off 2013 with a brand new Diploma of Musical Theatre. The Artistic Director of Brent Street, Cameron Mitchell, says the Diploma will give aspiring musical theatre professionals the best possible preparation for a career in this demanding industry. On board to help design the course has been renowned performing artist Caroline O’Connor. The Diploma is a full-time, oneyear professional development program. The course is designed for students either with a background in singing, dancing and acting or who excel in one or two performance areas and wish to refine their skill sets in the others and extend their musical theatre performance skills to a professional level. It is appropriate for males and females aged approximately 17–24 of diverse backgrounds. A nationally accredited course, it is part of the wider national training package, Live Performance (CUA11).
At Diploma level individuals apply theory and creative skills in a range of simulated and performance situations and are required to display initiative and judgement in planning activities. Trainers include a diverse team of artists. This full-time course runs for 40 weeks for a minimum of 6 hours a day Monday to Friday over four 10 week terms. Brent Street says due to the physical nature of the course and the demands of the performance profession, physical ability and appearance are important considerations. All applicants should have some previous dance or movement training, or be able to display a suitable level of physical coordination, sensory facilities and potential suitability to meet the course requirements. Admission to the course is by audition only. Find out more by calling 1300 013 708 or emailing info@brentstreet.com.au
2012 Senior Musical Theatre students performing ‘Music in the Mirror’ from A Chorus Line.
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 27
How Mrs J C Williamson ‘Struck Oil’ When Maggie Moore (Mrs J C Williamson) left her marriage theatrical production. It became a legend in Australian theatre history. After a tour that was extended from three for a man fifteen years her junior, she took the theatrical couple’s international hit with her. Leann Richards reports. months to six, the Williamsons returned to the United States thousands of dollars richer. Obviously Australia liked JC Williamson and Maggie. In 1894 theatre impresario J C Williamson was a very unhappy man. His estranged wife, the popular Maggie They also enjoyed Australia. Five years later they returned Moore, was touring Australia with the melodrama Struck with the rights to HMS Pinafore. It was the launch pad for the development of a theatrical empire. Williamson Oil. Williamson considered the play his property and resented his former wife profiting from it. In addition, she vigorously defended his rights to the Gilbert and Sullivan had cast her lover in the role Williamson had made famous. piece and was rewarded with the Australasian rights to the rest of the G and S catalogue. This was the foundation of Struck Oil had catapulted J C Williamson into the highest echelons of fame. Before Struck Oil, Williamson was the JC Williamson ‘Firm’. By the 1890s, Williamson was the most famous one of many actors struggling to make a living in the theatrical manager in Australia. He leased venues across the United States. After Struck Oil, he was a successful country, ran the most prestigious theatrical companies on businessman and entrepreneur, respected around the the continent and produced the most popular pieces in the world. biggest cities. In 1891 he triumphantly brought Sarah It had all started in 1872. 27 year old James Cassius Williamson, a leading player at the California Theatre in San Bernhardt to Australia. He was one of the most well known figures in the colony, a man of wealth and high social Francisco had seen a performance by Maggie Sullivan, a star at the nearby Metropolitan. Maggie was a vibrant Irish– standing. So it must have been a shock that just as the divine American 20-year-old who had started her career as a child. Sarah was leaving after her earth shaking tour, another She was a talented and versatile actress and singer and woman was also leaving, his wife, Maggie. James soon proposed marriage. After initial reluctance, A small woman of uneven temperament, Maggie reinforced by her mother’s disapproval, Maggie agreed and Mr and Mrs Williamson became a partnership, on stage and enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. She was good at spending money and JC had provided for her generously. He gave her an off. allowance of 10 pounds a week and her weekly income JC was ambitious and soon persuaded a part time grew to 50 pounds a week when she was working. This playwright to sell him a script. After much tinkering and was an enormous amount of money at the time. tailoring of the main characters to suit the personalities of In 1891, JC started complaining about some promissory both the Williamsons, the script became Struck Oil. notes that Maggie and her brother Jim had signed. The The melodrama featured two major roles, John Stofel, notes were worth thousands of pounds. It was the first the kind and sacrificing father, played by JC and Lizzie, his indication that the marriage was in trouble. Later that year vivacious and tempestuous daughter, performed by it became clear that the pair had separated, although there Maggie. The play was a hit in the US and the Williamsons was no public acknowledgement of the break. were invited by George Coppin to take it to Australia What led to the situation was never fully explained. They arrived in 1874 and caused a sensation. Struck Oil Perhaps Maggie’s character, which had caused some was enthusiastically acclaimed during a slow period in
J C Williamson
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problems in the early years of the marriage, had finally become unmanageable. Perhaps JC exploited his power over the chorus girls too often. It was clear, however, that the marriage was permanently over by late 1891, especially after Maggie ran off with a younger man, New Zealander Harry (H R) Roberts. Roberts was, of course, an actor. He was a tall man with a very impressive voice. He was also young and handsome and 15 years Maggie’s junior. In the early 1890s Harry worked in Sydney and in the city’s close-knit theatrical community it was inevitable that he would meet the wife of the biggest name in the industry. Somehow the meeting turned into a love affair, an affair that was probably well-known in the theatre world, but never revealed to the press. In the late Victorian era, social status was very important, and Williamson was very conscious of his standing as a leading figure in Australian society. It was this desire for respectability that made him reluctant to publicise Maggie’s behaviour. His profits and business relied on a good reputation; he could not risk it by charging Maggie with adultery. In 1892 Maggie toured country areas of Australia with her own company. The next year she took Struck Oil to New Zealand. In this version John Forde played John Stofel and Maggie played Lizzie. However, by the end of 1893 Maggie’s company openly billed H R Roberts as its leading man, and in 1894, Maggie twisted the knife and gave Harry the leading role of John Stofel in Struck Oil. Williamson was incensed. He wrote to his lawyers demanding that they stop Maggie from presenting the play in Melbourne. He was sentimentally attached to the piece and seemed to consider the role of John Stofel as his acting legacy. He condemned Maggie’s conduct as legally and morally inappropriate but was reluctant to expose her desertion publicly. Williamson later decided against pursuing the matter legally. But it was too late, his lawyers were committed. When the matter came to court, the magistrate expressed surprise that Williamson could not control his wife. Under Australian law at the time, all marital property belonged to the husband, so it was impossible for Williamson to win a case against Maggie based on property rights. The play went ahead and Maggie ensured that advertising included the fact that she had won the case. Maggie and Harry played to packed houses and continued to perform Struck Oil for many years. The couple travelled to the US and the UK and had moderate success. In 1899 during a tour of New Zealand, Maggie finally sued Williamson for divorce. Her suit was based on the fact
Stage Heritage
that he was living with a former member of the ballet chorus, Mary Weir. Williamson, ever mindful of public opinion, did not contest the action and Maggie was awarded a decree. Maggie and Harry returned to the US and married in 1902. Williamson and Mary also married and had two daughters. Maggie outlived both Williamson and Harry. She continued appearing on stage well into her 70s. In 1925, a huge benefit performance was held to celebrate her 50 years on the Australian stage. Shortly afterwards she returned to San Francisco where she lived with her sister. In 1926, Maggie died in San Francisco. Maggie, the small fiery Irish woman, was perhaps the only person in history to exploit J C Williamson. In an era where women had little power, she astutely used her husband’s desire for social respectability against him. Whilst Williamson is acknowledged as a leading figure in Australian theatrical history, few people acknowledge Maggie’s role. Her outstanding stage partnership with him helped lay the foundation for the Australian theatrical industry. She deserves a place in that history as illustrious as that of her former husband.
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Dressing The Stage
Pink swags in Dusty (2005) Set Design: Roger Kirk.
30 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
Just like people need clothes to look beautiful, so do stages. PRG Showdrapes has just launched a website showcasing the most spectacular curtains they’ve made in recent years: from thick velvet front grand drape with a bullion fringe in a town hall, to pink swags in Dusty, to blue boile curtains in the MTC production of Sapphires. Stage drapery impacts the general look and feel of a show, as it impacts technical aspects such as masking, sight lines and even acoustics. Black masking cloths, painted canvas backdrops, projection screens and special effects cloths such as gauzes and cycloramas etc are all often utilized. The transition from planning to ’bump in’ may involve many months or even years of meticulous planning and testing. Typically, the evolution of the stage cloth production will start with the set designer who will specify the fabrics required for the creation of the set, or indicate what ’look’ is needed. Scale drawings and set models are produced, and meetings between the show’s technical producers and the PRG Showdrapes team determines fabrics, finishes, budget and timeframe. For many complicated cloths, such as large swags or drapes with a mechanised action, a scaled mockup of
Velvet front grand drape with bullion fringe at Eaglehawk Townhall (1998).
Online extras!
Check out PRG’s exciting new product range by scanning the QR code or visiting http://bit.ly/TRznb6 the proposed drape (often in calico) is produced. Test hanging by PRG at its workroom ensures that the drapes are manufactured exactly as required. Each drape is labeled, according to building code requirements, and includes information on size, date of manufacture, material composition and information on flame retardancy including test results (when applicable). The majority of theatre drapery is produced from specialized fabrics which are not manufactured locally. PRG Showdrapes carries a huge selection of these fabrics to ensure
local availability of curtains and backdrops at short notice. The company has been awarded many prestigious contracts, including the recent refurbishment of the stage curtains in the four main theatres at the Sydney Opera House, the ‘Intimate Mode’ drapery project at Etihad stadium and supply of velvet masking drapes for the refurbished Hamer Hall.
Blue boile curtains in MTC’s Sapphires (2004). Design: Richard Roberts
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 31
received a Best Lighting nomination at the forthcoming Lyrebird Awards. Nova Music Theatre is one of many regular clients of Clear Systems. Others include Hit Productions, schools, churches, Local Government and major events such as The Australian International Air Show. One client is the spectacular magician known as Cosentino. Appearing before a combined audience of 60,000 people, technical support from Clear Systems included Martin Auras, Coolux Media Server, Martin M1 Console and Shure UR Radio Mics. Cosentino has recently received the internationally prestigious Merlin Award (like an of NOVA Music Theatre's 42nd Street Oscar) for most original magician in 2012. at the Whitehorse Centre. Clear systems has a huge range of Using the Martin Aura LED fixture Stage Lighting, Professional Audio, was effective as the lights are easily integrated into a conventional theatre Comms and Audio Visual Equipment available for short and long term hire rig because they are very compact, or production. have a wide range zoom, flat field New items for hire and sales are Fresnel and accurate colours. carefully evaluated and compared The lighting was so spectacular with current favourites for value, that the Clear System designers reliability and application. Michael Zagarn and Branden Butler
In the Spotlight
NOVA Music Theatre’s 42nd Street
Clear Systems of Melbourne was excited to test out several of the latest LED moving fixtures on the market in big musical productions in late 2012. The company found them to be better than traditional discharge lamps with faster, quieter and brighter qualities. Clear Systems completed the run
NOVA Music Theatre’s 42nd Street
32 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
South Pacific’s Underbelly Underbelly star Gyton Grantley joins South Pacific for its Brisbane run. Peter Pinne reports. Gyton Grantley, who played Carl Williams in Channel 9s Underbelly series, will play the role of Luther Billis in the Brisbane season of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, his first appearance in a musical. While Grantley studied acting at QUT in a course that encompassed music and dance, this will be the first time he has sung professionally. He knew the South Pacific songs, “everyone knows them,” but had never seen the show on stage or film until he sat in on seven performances at the end of the Melbourne run. Grantley, who follows Eddie Perfect in the role, believes he’ll be able to bring something “unique” to the part that it will be “awesome and good and entertaining.” Billis, the ‘comic relief’ in the musical drama, is a gift of a role which the 32 year-old actor should eat up. Musically he gets to lead the men’s chorus in “There Is Nothing Like a Dame”, sings a section of “Bali Hai”, and does a chorus of “Honey Bun” in grass skirt and coconuts. Gyton Grantley was last seen in Brisbane as the title character in Rueben Guthrie at La Boite Theatre in 2011. One of his favorite stage roles was that of Sam in Vincent In Brixton for the Ensemble Theatre, and on television he loved doing the Foxtel series about the advertising industry, 30 Seconds. However, it was his Underbelly role that brought him the greatest acclaim, winning an AFI Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Series and a Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actor. Grantley may be a musical theatre virgin but he comes from a musical family. His father sings in an R&B band called Still Standing, which also plays soul, rock ‘n’ roll and a bit of the Blues Brothers. Who knows, following his South Pacific experience Grantley may join his father for a Blues Brothers reunion.
Gyton Grantley
South Pacific stars Teddy Tahu Rhodes as plantation owner Emile de Becque, and Lisa McCune as nurse Nellie Forbush. The production was directed by Bartlett Sher, who directed the original Lincoln Center Production which won a 2008 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award.
Other South Pacific replacements for the Brisbane season include Christine Anu who takes over the role of Bloody Mary. The musical previewed at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC, from December 27th, 2012, opening on January 2nd and playing until January 27th, 2013. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 33
Community Theatre Awards 2012 Music Theatre Guild rd man and Danny Forwa Awards Victoria Andrew McawCal ion) ard for Musical Direct
Tyler Hess (Wardrob
e)
d the
(Tie In most years there is an expectation that CLOC Musical Theatre, with its incredible set building team, will win or go close to taking out production of the year. But of late CLOC has missed out, often to bright sparks from Ballarat. The company discouraged reviews for All Shook Up, which made Stage Whispers think that this was a show CLOC was doing for fun rather than critical acclaim. Maybe the fun element is the secret ingredient in winning Online extras! awards. The cast from All Shook d Sandra Get full Music Theatre Guild Grant Alley an Up dazzled the audience at the OC's Best CL ith w s Davie Awards results. Scan or visit e Award Bruce Awards with its ‘sheer uc Br n Productio http://bit.ly/XovETR energy’ as Coral Drouyn reported. All Shook Up was production of the year, taking out Victorian Drama League Awards four awards. Williamstown Little Theatre’s production of Doubt; A CLOC’s production of Sunset Boulevard also took out Parable by John Patrick Shanley, was the big winner at the two awards. It goes to show that a wonderful cast will 2012 Victorian Drama League Awards. It took out eight always top a wonderful set. awards including Best Drama Production. Other multiple award winners were Williamstown VDL critic Nicky McFarlane described the production as Musical Theatre Company’s Next to Normal, Footlight brilliant. Productions’ Cats, Wonthaggi Theatrical Group’s Anything “Marianne Collopy as Sister Aloysius was spectacular; Goes, Horsham Arts Council’s Godspell and PLOS Musical her glaring gaze, the ugly words spilling out of her twisted Productions’ Hairspray, with two awards each. mouth, terrifying There were 56 Open Section and 40 Junior Section WLT’s Doubt; A Parable great productions in 2012. performance.” “David Dare’s set design was beautiful and practical. A tall window of painted glass stage right, looking onto the office at the school, a big desk, chairs, holy pictures on the walls, and a door which could be slammed without jogging the set. At centre stage an alcove housing the pulpit. On stage right, the arched walls of the church in perspective, a
Online extras!
For a full list of results from the Victoria Drama League Awards, scan or visit http://bit.ly/XowaRC 34 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
large crucifix on the back wall. Down stage, an open space and a garden bench. Perfect!” Eltham Little Theatre’s production of Moonlight and Magnolias by Ron Hutchinson took out the Best Comedy Production gong, one of four awards for the production.
Online extras!
Get the full list of winners from the Golden Palm Awards. Scan or visit http://bit.ly/UYIqdT
City of Newcastle Drama Awards (CONDAS) Carl Young, the artistic director of Stooged Theatre, a company he co-founded while a high school student a decade ago, won the 2012 Newcastle City Council Award for Outstanding Achievement in Newcastle Theatre. Stooged Theatre’s niche is modernising Shakespeare for young audiences YPTs Twelfth Night and producing new work. The company picked up two CONDAS and 22 nominations in the professional categories. The awards are held at the glorious Civic Theatre and are a joint celebration of amateur and professional theatre, which works perfectly as many artists in Newcastle have a foot in both camps. The night’s biggest winner was the Young People’s Theatre production of the William Shakespeare comedy Twelfth Night. It received the best non-professional dramatic production award and three other trophies. Metropolitan Players’ production of the musical Oliver! received the best non-professional musical award.
Kate Peters with Platinum Palm winners Warwick Binney and Di Ennew
CAT Awards They are getting their frocks spruced up for the ActewAGL Cat awards in Canberra on February 16. There are some fascinating nominations for the magic moment in theatre award. They include:ANU Med Revue: ‘Sperm Lake’ in X-Med Canberra Repertory Society: The dunny on the revolve in The Venetian Twins Canberra Youth Theatre: The child-eating bed in Insomniac Attack. Stage Whispers can’t wait! For more info, visit www.catawards.com.au
Online extras!
Get a full roundup of the 2012 CONDAS by scanning the QR code or visiting http://bit.ly/XoxsfB
Gold Coast Golden Palm Awards
It was another night of glitz and glamour for the 4th Annual Golden Palm Awards. Eight judges saw 60 productions from 14 theatre companies and 7 schools. Ballina Players won the coveted Platinum Palm Award for Outstanding Service to the Theatre Community and Spotlight Theatre received the Golden Palm for Hairspray as the most nominated production. Spotlight also took out the award for the Outstanding Community Theatre Production for Forever Plaid. Three Entertainment Luminaries, Val Lehman, Ian Stenlake and Jack Webster, presented awards and gave a master class. Roger McKenzie reports the trio generously shared their experiences and “tips of the trade” with the cream of the Gold Coast Community Theatre family. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 35
Theatre Company Insurance News The Association of Community Theatre Inc. and AON Risk Services are proud to offer community theatres and choirs top value insurance for public liability and volunteer workers personal accident cover. Almost 300 theatres use the policy, which has been in operation for the last fifteen years. “For the 4th consecutive year there has been no increase in the premium for Public Liability policy thanks to the work done by Anthony Mahon and the team at Aon,” said the CEO of A.C.T. Martin Mitchell. “There has however been a small increase in the premium for Voluntary Workers Personal Accident cover and Money cover - the first increase for 3 years,” he said. The cover cost for Public Liability stayed the same at $850.00 for $20M liability cover. VWPA is S450.00 (an
36 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
increase of $20.00) and money cover is $140.00 (an increase of $15.00). AON also provides ‘Entertainment Equipment Insurance’ which covers Sound and Lighting equipment, AudioVisual equipment and Props, Sets and Décor. Phone Anthony Mahon at AON (02) 8623 4218 for a quote on this cover. ACT Inc. uses the proceeds of the insurance scheme to assist theatres by holding a conference every two years at NIDA in Sydney, and publishing and distributing 20,000 copies of a comprehensive What’s On brochure every year, compiled by Stage Whispers Editor Neil Litchfield. For a free copy of What’s On (NSW) email your postal address to martin@showline.com.au
CLOC Musical Theatre’s All Shook Up
Community Theatre 2013
Theatre Society and drama oriented Geelong Repertory Theatre Company. They will be swinging from the chandeliers in 2013 as The Williamstown Little Theatre will present the Australian Phantom of the Opera dominates the community / amateur Premiere of 33 Variations by Moises Kaufman. Strathmore Theatre Arts Group presents the World theatre circuit. The World Amateur Premiere season of the Lloyd Webber hit at Melbourne’s CLOC, and subsequent Premiere of the play The Merry Widows by Cenarth Fox in productions across Australia and New Zealand, promise May. Sherbrooke Theatre Company presents an all-Australian amongst the biggest and most complex productions ever staged by community theatres. Elsewhere the Calendar Girls season of three plays: Female of the Species, Agatha Crispie juggernaut rolls on, while old favourites are being revived, and Face to Face. sprinkled in with plenty of local play and musical premieres. While so much is new, Gilbert and Sullivan Society Victoria return to 1896, and one of the most successful musical comedies of the era, The Geisha.
Victoria
CLOC Musical Theatre presents the World Amateur Premiere of The Phantom of the Opera at the National Theatre, St Kilda in May. Windmill Theatre Company’s production follows in July, as Melbourne community theatres get in first with two productions ahead of the first NSW productions in August and September. Geelong Lyric Theatre Society’s production follows in October. Co-production is another theme in Victorian musical theatre in 2013. The Victorian Amateur Premiere of [title of show] will be co-produced by Williamstown Musical Theatre and Fab Nobs Theatre. Meanwhile, the Geelong premiere of Stephen Sondheim's Company in July 2013 will be a co-production between two of Geelong’s oldest theatre groups, the music theatre oriented Geelong Lyric
38 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
CLOC: The Phantom of the Opera (May / June) (World Amateur Premiere). Babirra Music Theatre: Annie (May / June) & Carousel (Oct). The Phantom of the Opera follows in May / June, 2014. Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria: The Pirates of Penzance (Ap / May), The Geisha (July - Sep) & Princess Ida (Oct). Williamstown Musical Theatre: Sweet Charity (May) & [title of show] (June) – Victorian Amateur Premiere – joint production with Fab Nobs Theatre Inc. Fab Nobs: Eurobeat – Almost Eurovision (Mar). LaTrobe Theatre Company: Hairspray (May / June). PLOS: The Secret Garden (Jan) & Shout! The Legend of the Wild One (July). Catchment Players of Darebin: 13 The Musical (April). PEP Productions: The Boys (Feb) & bare (August). SPX Waterdale Players: The Witches of Eastwick (Mar).
One of the most crucial and memorable parts of any production of The Phantom of the Opera is the set: the recreation of the famous Paris Opera House - onstage, front of house, backstage and on the rooftop, the subterranean Phantom's lair, the massive staircase, the many visual effects and of course, the famous chandelier. Given the task of designing and living up to everyone's indelible memories of these images for the Australian Amateur Premiere at Melbourne's CLOC Musical Theatre is multi award-winning designer Brenton Staples, who has already completed his design for Phantom, including a miniature version with every facet of the set reproduced in tiny detail (the size of a doll's house), some of which you can see here by way of a sneak peek, being watched over by director Chris Bradtke, who, in his thirteenth show for CLOC as director, is at the helm of this massive undertaking. www.cloc.org.au Windmill Theatre Company: The Phantom of the Opera (June / July). ARC Theatre: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Feb) & Singin’ in the Rain (July). Cardinia Performing Arts Company: Hairspray (Feb / March) and Oliver! (Aug / Sep). NOVA Music Theatre: Sweeney Todd (May). Aspect Theatre Company: Hairspray (July). JYM Theatre Company: The Producers (May). SLAMS: Five Guys Named Moe (Mar).
MDMS: Fiddler on the Roof. Peoples Playhouse: 13 The Musical (April). Altona City Theatre: Jack and the Beanstalk (Mar). Heidelberg Theatre Company: The Dresser (Feb / Mar), August: Osage County (May), Blithe Spirit (July), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Sept) & Steel Magnolias (Nov / Dec). The Mount Players: Stones in his Pocket (Mar), The Threepenny Opera (May). Brighton Theatre Company: The Female of the Species
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Community Theatre 2013
40 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
(Feb / Mar), Picasso at the Lapin Agile (May / June), Echoes (Aug) and Dusk Rings a Bell (Nov). Mordialloc Theatre Company Inc: The Grand Manner (Feb), Lost in Yonkers (Ap/ May), Albert Nobbs (June), Night Must Fall (Sep) & The Dixie Swim Club (Nov). Frankston Theatre Group: Dad’s Army (Ap), Eric’s Homecoming (July / Aug) & Three One Act Comedies – Easy Stages, Brenton vs. Brenton and A Night Out (Nov / Dec). Strathmore Theatre Arts Group: The Merry Wives of Windsor (Mar), The Merry Widows (World Premiere – May), Laying the Ghost (Aug) & Funny Money (Nov). Malvern Theatre Company Inc: Death and the Maiden (Feb / Mar) & The Diary of Anne Frank (Ap / May). Williamstown Little Theatre: Talking Heads (Feb), 33 Variations (Australian Premiere – Ap / May), The Beauty Queen of Leenane (June / July), Morning Departure (Sep) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Nov). Peridot Theatre Inc: Busybody (Feb), Nunsense (May), Season of One Act Plays (June), The Wisdom of Eve (Aug) & Easy Virtue (Nov). Encore Theatre Inc: Dick Whittington and his cat – a pantomime (Jan), Summer of the 17th Doll (Mar), The Club (July) & The Merry Widows (Oct). Lilydale Athaneaum Theatre: Steel Magnolias (Mar), Laughter on the 23rd Floor (May / June), The Light in the Piazza – a musical (Aug / Sep) & Are You Being Served (Nov). Sherbrooke Theatre Company Inc: Female of the Species (Ap), Agatha Crispie by Cenarth Fox (July / Aug) & Face to Face (Nov). The 1812 Theatre: The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery (Feb / Mar), Past Perfect (Ap / May), The Vicar of Dibley (May / June), Sleuth (Aug), God of Carnage (Oct / Nov) and Scarlett O’Hara at the Crimson Parrot (Nov / Dec). Essendon Theatre Company: A story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Beaumaris Theatre Inc: The Odd Couple (Mar). Eltham Little Theatre: Katerina. Hartwell Players: Tiny Thumbelina (Jan). Werribee Theatre Company: Cosi.
Regional Victoria Geelong Lyric Theatre Society: The King and I (May), Company (July in collaboration with Geelong Repertory Theatre) and The Phantom of the Opera (Oct). Geelong Repertory Theatre Company: Arsenic and Old Lace (Feb), Miss Bosnia (Ap), Heroes (June), Company (July), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Sep), Blackadder (Nov / Dec) & Almost, Maine (Feb 2014). CenterStage Geelong: Pageant (Ap) and The Wedding Singer (July / Aug). Footlight Productions (Geelong): Les Misérables (Jan / Feb). BLOC Productions (Ballarat): Xanadu (Feb) & Anything Goes (May). Kyneton Theatre Company: The Gondoliers.
Warragul Theatre Company: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2013, prior to The Phantom of the Opera in 2014. Class Act Productions (Gippsland): Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Aug). The Colac Players: The Story of Aladdin: The Rock Panto (May). FAMDA (Foster Amateur Music and Dramatic Association): The Last Five Years (Ap). Holiday Actors (Warnambool): Hairspray (Jan). Red Cliffs Musical Society (Mildura): Alice in Wonderland (Jan) Wangaratta Players: Guards Guards & Last of the Red Hot Lovers. Torquay Theatre Troupe: Breaker Morant (Ap / May). Wonthaggi Theatrical Group: 13 A Musical (May / June). Bendigo Theatre Company: Cinderella (Jan) & Hairspray (July).
New South Wales
The Phantom of the Opera has its NSW Non-Professional Premiere in Newcastle’s glorious Civic Theatre in August, followed by Miranda Musical Society’s Sydney NonProfessional Premiere in September. More regional productions in Tamworth and Orange follow in October. Meanwhile Neptune Productions in Tweed Heads will stage another Lloyd Webber Australian premiere, Whistle Down the Wind. NUCMS at Normanhurst in Sydney will stage the Australian Premiere of A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Rock Musical by American composer / lyricist George Griggs. Pro-am company Packemin Productions will stage Hairspray in July with Jon English as Edna Turnblad, following in the footsteps of Pirates of Penzance co-star Simon Gallaher, who donned the frock for the Brisbane proam production in 2012. Newcastle Theatre Company will tour the CONDA Award winning new local play, Emma Wood’s Water Child, which they premiered in 2012, to the Adelaide Fringe in March. Miranda Musical Society: Shout: The Legend of the Wild One (Mar), Stepping Out: The Musical (June) & The Phantom of the Opera (Sept). Willoughby Theatre Company: Les Misérables (April), The Magic of the Musicals – Gala Concert (July) & 42nd Street (Nov), ahead of The Phantom of the Opera in 2014. Packemin Productions (Prramatta): The Wizard of Oz (Feb) & Hairspray (July). Strathfield Musical Society: The Wizard of Oz & The Music Man, with The Phantom of the Opera to follow in 2014. Engadine Musical Society: The Wizard of Oz (May) and Peter Pan (Oct). www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 41
Community Theatre 2013
42 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
Shire Music Theatre: Zanna Don’t (Feb), Breast Wishes (May), Dusty The Original Pop Diva (Aug) & Next to Normal (Nov). Bankstown Theatre Company: Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Mar), Fame Jr (July) & Anyone Can Whistle in Concert (Oct). EUCMS (Eastwood): Narnia (May / June) & How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Oct / Nov). Manly Musical Society: RENT (May) & Little Shop of Horrors (Nov). NUCMS: A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Rock Musical (May) & Oklahoma! (Oct). The Regals Musical Society: Disney's Aladdin Junior (Feb) & Urinetown (May). Hornsby Musical Society: Grease (May). Kore Productions: Boy’s Own Mcbeth (May). Blue Mountains Musical Society: Sweeney Todd (May / June). Penrith Musical Comedy Company: Eurobeat: Almöst Eurövision (May) & Avenue Q (Oct). Holroyd Musical and Dramatic Society: Peter Pan Pantomime (Jan), The Pirates of Penzance (May) & Grease (Sept). Rockdale Musical Society / St George Theatre Company: Oliver! (March) & Happy Days (June / July). Chatswood Musical Society: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Waverley Lugar Brae Players: Guys and Dolls (May). Berowra Musical Society: Man of La Mancha. The Savoy Arts Company: Iolanthe (Aug / Sept).
Dural Musical Society Inc: Aladdin – Pantomime (May). Campbelltown Theatre Group: Hairspray (Mar), A Streetcar Named Desire (May), The Full Monty (Aug) and August Osage County (Nov). Castle Hill Players - Shakespeare in Hollywood (Feb), Steaming (Ap), The Servant of Two Masters (May / June), Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen with a world premiere adaption by Jeremy Johnson (June / July), Moonlight and Magnolias (Aug), The Peach Season (Sep / Oct), How the Other Half Loves (Nov / Dec). The Theatre On Chester (Epping): It Just Stopped (Ap / May), Kindertransport (July / Aug) & The Women (Nov). Pymble Players: Influence (Feb / Mar), The Shape of Things (May / June), Away (July / Aug), The Swimming Club (Oct / Nov) and The Little Prince (Dec). Guild Theatre, Rockdale: She Stoops to Conquer (Feb / Mar), Murdered to Death (May / June), Over the river and through the woods (Aug) & Dry Rot (Nov). Hunters Hill Theatre: Picasso at the Lapin Agile (March), Let the Sunshine (May - June ), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Aug) and Busybody (Nov). Arts Theatre, Cronulla: A View from the Bridge (Feb / Mar), Wrong Turn at Lungfish (May / June), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (July / Sep) and Calendar Girls by Tim Firth (Oct / Nov). Sutherland Theatre Company: Enchanted April (Mar), The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (July / Aug) & Delval Divas (Oct / Nov). Epicentre Theatre Company (Chatswood): Calendar Girls (Oct) & Blackrock (Dec).
Packemin Productions’ Oliver! (2012)
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 43
Community Theatre 2013
44 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
Riverside Lyric Ensemble: Educating Rita (Mar) & Shoe-Horn Sonata (May / June). RAPA Inc. (Concord): Pull Up Your Shorts. Funny short plays by local playwrights (May) & Encounter with Murder – An Uncle Bunny Mystery (Oct). Glenbrook Players: Twelve Angry Men (May) & Blithe Spirit (Nov). Henry Lawson Theatre (Werrington): Audrey and the Professor (Jan) & Crimes of the Heart (Mar). Picton Theatre Group: Cat’s Cradle (Nov). NTT Productions: The Taming of the Shrew (Mar - Penrith). Richmond Players: The Mousetrap (May) and Nine (Aug). Elanora Players: The Nightingales (Jan). Lane Cove Theatre Company: The Crucible (May). Cameo Theatre Company: Curtain Up on Murder (Ap).
NSW Central Coast Wyong Musical Theatre: Eurobeat: Almost Eurovision. Gosford Musical Society: Disney’s My Son Gepetto Pinochio’s Tale (Jan), The Sound of Music (Mar), Puss and Boots (July), Hairspray (July / Aug) & A Christmas Carol (Broadway version) (Oct / Nov) Woy Woy Little Theatre: Breaking Legs (Feb / Mar), Dial M For Murder (July / Aug) & Competitive Tenderness (Oct / Nov).
Newcastle and Hunter Region Metropolitan Players: The Phantom of the Opera (Aug / Sept).
Newcastle Theatre Company: Daylight Saving (Jan / Feb), The Importance of Being Earnest (Mar), All My Sons (Ap / May), Next to Normal (May), Private Lives (June / July), When the Rain Stops Falling (Aug), I Am a Camera (Oct), Calendar Girls (Nov / Dec) & Grimm Tales (Dec). Maitland Repertory Theatre Inc: Our Town (Feb), An Ideal Husband (Ap), Deathtrap (Jun), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Sep / Oct) & The Hound of the Baskervilles (Nov / Dec). Hunter Region Drama School: Newcastle shows: Bugsy Malone (July), The BFG (Sep), 1984 & Romeo and Juliet. Cessnock show: Seussical (Sep). Maitland Gilbert and Sullivan and Musical Society: HMS Pinafore (May). Tantrum Theatre (Newcastle): Silent Disco (Aug) & Romeo and Juliet at the Shakespeare on Avon Festival, Gloucester (Mar). Theatre on Brunker, Newcastle: The 39 Steps (Mar), Money Honey (May-June, staged by Novocastrian Players), Caravan (Aug / Sep) & Footrot Flats: the musical (Nov / Dec). Young People's Theatre, Newcastle: The Tempest (Feb), The Wizard of Oz (Ap /May), Charlotte's Web (July-Aug). The Paper Cut Collective (Newcastle): The Past is a Foreign Country (April). Pantseat Productions (Newcastle): [title of show] (Ap), Xanadu (Sep) & Mix Tape: By Request (Nov). Opera Hunter (Newcastle): Gianni Schicchi - Johnny Trendy (May). DAPA Theatre (Newcastle): The Sensuous Senator (Feb), Burger Brain (July), Go Back for Murder (Aug) & A Streetcar Named Desire (Oct).
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 45
Community Theatre 2013
Shout! (Feb / Mar), The Importance of Being Ernest (Mar / Ap), Gypsy (May), The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe Stooged Theatre (Newcastle): Love Song (March), Reuben (July), Don’s Party (Aug), Don’t Dress for Dinner (Oct) and Guthrie (August), Bloodbank (Oct) & The Removalists (Nov). Side by Side by Sondheim (Nov / Dec). Valley Artists (Laguna): The Golden Ass. Phoenix Theatre Co., Coniston: Hamlet - A History (Feb) Educating Rita (Mar), Cats (April), Heloise (May / June), The Immigrant (June), Windy Gully (Jul/Aug), Speaking in NSW North Coast Tongues (Aug), Wuthering Heights (Oct) and Stepping Out Neptune Productions: Whistle Down the Wind (Aug). (Nov). SUPA North (Ballina): A Chorus Line (Mar) and Smokey Arcadians Theatre Group (Corrimal, Wollongong): Carousel Joe’s Café (Aug). (Mar), Leader of the Pack (June) and Tommy (Nov). Ballina Players: You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Jan), th Summer of the 17 Doll (Mar), The Sound of Music (June / Regional NSW July), Calendar Girls (Sep) & Eurobeat (Nov / Dec). Coffs Harbour Musical Comedy Company: Young Lieder Theatre, Goulburn: Calendar Girls (Feb), Miles Frankenstein (Ap / May) & The Secret Garden (Nov / Dec). Franklin – A Brilliant Career (Mar), Comin’ Home Soon (Ap / Murwillumbah Theatre Company: The Shoe-horn Sonata by May). John Misto. Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society: Downtown The Mod Players Theatre, Port Macquarie: The Butler Did It (Feb / Musical (Jan), Nunsense (May) and The Sound of Music (Sep). Mar), Essgee’s Mikado (Ap / May), One Act Play Festival Orange Theatre Company: The Wizard of Oz (May), Boeing, (June), Nunsense II (July), Gaslight (Sep) & Chicago (Nov/ Dec). Boeing (June) & The Phantom of the Opera (Oct / Nov) Singleton Theatrical Society: Seussical The Musical (June). Carillon Theatrical Society (Bathurst): The Wizard of Oz NSW South Coast (May). Nowra Players: The Hallelujah Girls (Mar), Cinderella Tamworth Musical Society: The Sound of Music (May) & Pantomime (June) & A Midsummer Nights Dream (Aug / The Phantom of the Opera (Oct /Nov). Sep). Albatross Musical Theatre Company: Disney’s Beauty and Lithgow Musical Society: The Producers. the Beast (Jun / July). Albury Wodonga Theatre Company: The Sound of Music Roo Theatre Co (Shellharbour): The Wizard of Oz (Jan), (Ap).
46 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
ACT
Queensland
Free-Rain Theatre Company: The Phantom of the Opera (Aug) Queanbeyan Players: Return to the Forbidden Planet and Annie Get Your Gun. Canberra Rep: Calendar Girls (Feb / Mar), Under Milk Wood (Ap), Jazz Garters: 4 (June / July), Don Parties On (Aug), The Book of Everything (Sep), The Fox on the Fairway (Nov / Dec) and Steel Magnolias (Feb 2014). Canberra Philharmonic: Les Misérables (Feb / Mar) & Little Shop of Horrors (Oct). SUPA Productions: Eurobeat (Ap) and Footloose (Sep). Child Players: Peter Pan – The Musical (Jan) and The Marvelous Land of Oz (July) Phoenix Players: Annie (Oct). Tempo Theatre: The Hollow (May) and ‘Allo ‘Allo (Aug / Sep).
Savoyards Musical Comedy Society Inc: The Phantom of the Opera (May / June) & The Pirates of Penzance (Sep / Oct). Redcliffe Musical Theatre Inc: A Night of the Poms (Mar), Little Shop of Horrors (July) & The Phantom of the Opera (Dec). Ignatians Musical Society: The Boy From Oz (Ap / May) and a festival of semi-staged musicals in October – Little Women, The Scarlet Pimpernel & Into the Woods. Harvest Rain: Ink & the Unknowns (combining the choreography of Callum Mansfield with an original score by Maitlohn Drew), Tell Me on a Sunday, Oklahoma! (April), Closer Than Ever (June), Blood Brothers (Aug) and All Shook Up (Nov). Queensland Musical Theatre: Brigadoon (June) & West Side Story (Nov).
Free-Rain Theatre Company’s Canberra Premiere of The Phantom of the Opera will be a pro-am production, starring Michael Cormick as The Phantom, with Julie Lea Goodwin as Christine. Michael played the part of Raoul in London for 3 years, also touring with the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber singing the Phantom’s songs, while Julie Lea toured for two years in the recent Australian revival of The Phantom of the Opera, playing 200 performances in the role.
Like elsewhere in Australia, The Phantom of the Opera is the big news in Queensland, with the Queensland Amateur Premiere at Savoyards in May, followed by Spotlight Theatre Company on the Gold Coast in October / November and Redcliffe Musical Theatre in December. Coolum Theatre Players on the Sunshine Coast celebrate 25 years in 2013, beginning with a tribute to company stalwart, stage manager / playwright Patricia Harris, Memories of One Act Plays. Ignatians Musical Society celebrates 40 years in 2013.
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 47
Community Theatre 2013
48 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
The cast of Centenary Theatre Group's 2012 production of Breaker Morant with the author, Ken Ross.
Villanova Players: Kid Stakes (Mar), Anne of Green Gables (May / June), The Good Doctor (Aug / Sep) and Alone it Stands (Nov / Dec). Centenary Theatre: Quartet (Mar), Pack of Lies (May), Kitchen of Witches (Jul/Aug), When the Rain Stops Falling (Sep) and Gaslight (Nov). Nash Theatre: The War of the Worlds (Feb / Mar), A Streetcar Named Desire (May / June), Bell, Book and Candle (July), Romeo and Juliet (Aug / Sep), Rehearsal for Murder (Nov) & Snow White and the Seven Pirates (Oct). Brisbane Arts Theatre: Casablanca - A Radio Play (Jan / Feb), Picnic at Hanging Rock (Feb / Mar), Trivia (Mar / Ap), Delicacy (May / June), Seussical The Musical (June / July), A New Way to Pay Old Debts (July / Aug), Strange Attractor (Sep / Oct) & Little Shop of Horrors (Nov / Dec). Children’s season: Aladdin & His Wonderful, Magical Lamp (Feb / Mar), Rumplestiltskin is My Name (Mar – June), Sleeping Beauty & The Beast (June / Aug), Pocahontas (Sept - Nov) & What’s New Pussycat (Nov / Dec).
Mar), Macbeth (Apr / May), Corpse (June / July), One Act Play Season (July), The Glass Menagerie (Sep) & Don’t Just Lie There – Say Something (Nov / Dec). Javeenbah Theatre Co. (Nerang): There’s a Burglar in my Bed (Jan / Feb), The Anniversary (Mar / Apr), Our Man in Havana (May / June), RENT (July / Aug), The Burlesque Effect (Sept / Oct) & Albert Nobbs (Nov / Dec). Tweed Theatre Company: Secret Bridesmaids Business (Apr) & Sleeping Beauty The Musical (Sept). Beenleigh Theatre Group: Eurobeat: Almost Euovision (Mar), Billy Buckett: New Original British Rock’n’Roll Musical (Ap / May), Oliver! (June / July) & Fame (Nov). BATS Theatre Co (Buderim): Beauty and the Beast Pantomime (Jan) & Crown Matrimonial (Mar). The Independent Theatre at Eumundi: Peter Pan (Jan) Noosa Arts Theatre: Trouble in Nursery Rhyme Land (Jan), Strange Attractor (Jan / Feb), Travels With My Aunt (Mar), One-Act Play Festival (May / June), God of Carnage (July), West Side Story (Sept), Queen’s Cabaret (Oct), Steven Tandy Reads Henry Lawson (Oct) & The Rise and Fall of Mr. Scrooge (Nov / Dec). Regional Queensland Spotlight Theatre Company: Red Riding Hood (Jan), You’re Lind Lane Theatre (Nambour): Red Riding Hood and Jaberwocky (Jan) & Veronica’s Room (Mar). A Good Man Charlie Brown (Feb / Mar), Hats The Musical Townsville Little Theatre: Terry Pratchett’s Fifth Elephant (April), The Drowsy Chaperone (May / June), Snow White (Feb / Mar). and the Seven Dwarfs (June / July), Hair (Aug), On Air! On Air! (Sept / Oct), The Phantom of the Opera (Oct / Nov) and North Queensland Opera & Music Theatre: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Mar). [title of show] (Dec). Cairns Little Theatre: Lend Me a Tenor, Beyond Therapy, Top Hat Productions (Benowa): Hats, The Musical & Snow Therese Raquin, Strictly Murder & Caught in the Net. White and the Seven Dwarfs (Sept). Empire Theatre Towoomba: Hairspray (April). Phoenix Ensemble: Songs for a New World (Feb), Reefer Madness (May / June), Twelve Angry Men (July / Aug) & It’s Malanda Theatre Company (Atherton Tableland): FNQ One Act Play Festival (Ap) & The Herbal Bed (Aug / Sep). A Wonderful Life (Dec). Gold Coast Little Theatre (Southport): Into the Woods (Feb / MATES Theatre Society: Caravan. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 49
Community Theatre 2013
50 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
Western Australia
2013 is Harbour Theatre’s 50th anniversary. Fremantle’s only and original community theatre will celebrate this milestone with a Dinner/Dance at the Swan Yacht Club on February 16. On this evening they will be launching their book “Treading the Boards – 50 years of Harbour Theatre” and a new logo, representative of the past 50 years but also looking forward to the next 50. The Phantom of the Opera has its WA community theatre Premiere at Albany Light Opera and Theatre Company in October with Wanneroo Repertory Club following in December. Bunbury Musical Comedy Group will stage the WA Premiere of Next to Normal in May. Darlington Theatre Players: Key for Two (Jan), Sex Toys (April), The Shifting Heart (July), Trilogy (Aug), Hills Festival of Theatre (Sep) & Cinderella - Panto (Dec). Old Mill Theatre: Secret Bridesmaids' Business (Feb), No Bed of Roses (April), Born Yesterday (June), The Conversations (Aug), Season of One Act Plays (Sept - Oct) & Snow White and The Seven Dwarves (Nov / Dec). Wanneroo Repertory Club: The Late Edwina Black (Feb), The Matchgirls (Apr), Hairspray (Jun), Calendar Girls (Aug), Lost in Yonkers (Sep) and The Phantom of the Opera (Nov). Playlovers: American Buffalo (Mar), Nevermore (May), The Producers (Jul) & Curtains (Sep). Garrick Theatre: A Lady Mislaid (Feb / Mar), Cranford (Apr / May), The Real Macbeth (Jun / Jul), God of Carnage (Aug / Sep) & Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (Nov / Dec). Roleystone Theatre: Three Wishes (Jul), One Act Season (Sep), Story Time in the Hills (Oct) and Peter Pan (Nov / Dec) Stirling Players: The Secret Garden (Feb / Mar), A Country Retreat (May), 2 Weeks With the Queen (Jul), The Pajama Game (Sep) & Old Mother Hubbard (Nov / Dec). Koorliny Arts Centre and Kwinana Industries Council 2013 Performance Season: The Sound of Music (Jan), Eurobeat – Almost Eurovision (Mar), The Wizard of Oz (Ap / May), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (June) & Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Aug). KADS: The 39 Steps (Feb / Mar), Oleanna (Ap / May), And Evermore Shall Be So (July / Aug), One Act Season (Aug / Sep) & Marry My Son (Nov / Dec). Melville Theatre Company: Double Bill - Hands Across The Sea and Someone Called Rob (Feb), Rabbit Hole (Ap), Twelfth Night (June), Colder Than Here (Aug / Sep) & Audience with Murder (Nov). Marloo Theatre: Key for Two (Feb), Sex Toys (Ap / May), The Shifting Heart (July), Trilogy – One Act Plays (Aug / Sep) & Cinderella (Panto – Nov / Dec). Murray Music & Drama: Sheerluck Holmes (May), Carnival of Life ~ The Sensational 60’s (Aug), Stars of Tomorrow (Aug) & Hello, Dolly (Nov). Irish Theatre Players: The Patriot Game (April). Harbour Theatre, Fremantle: A Night in Provence (Mar), On Golden Pond (May), The Season at Sarsaparilla (July / Aug),
Tales of Manhattan (Sep / Oct), Beauty and the Beast (Nov / Dec). Bunbury Musical Comedy Group: Jack and the Beanstalk (Jan), Female Transport (Mar), Next to Normal (May) & The Sound of Music (Oct). Kalamunda Dramatic Society (KADS): The 39 Steps (Mar / Ap) Primadonna Productions (Mandurah): Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Feb). The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Western Australia: I’ve Got a Little List (May).
South Australia
Matt Byrne Media will present the South Australian Amateur Premiere of The Phantom of the Opera in July, with seasons at Adelaide's Arts Theatre and Elizabeth's Shedley Theatre. The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of SA: The Secret Garden (Feb) & Oliver! (July). The Metropolitan Musical Theatre Company of SA (aka “The Met”): Brigadoon (May) The Murray Bridge Players & Singers Inc: High School Musical (May / June). SALOS: White Horse Inn (May). Henley Drama Group: The Sound of Music (Feb / Mar). Adelaide Repertory Theatre: Dinner (April). Tea Tree Players: Anyone For Breakfast (Feb). The Stirling Players: God of Carnage (Feb / Mar). Therry Dramatic Society: Breath of Spring (Mar / Ap) & Little Women The Musical (June). South Coast Choral and Arts Society (SCCAS): Annie Get Your Gun (May). Hills Musical Company: The Producers (Ap / May). Balaklava Community Arts: The Music Man (May). Marie Clark Musical Theatre Company: How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (May / June). Noarlunga Theatre Company: House Guest (May). Galleon Theatre Group: Accomodations (Mar) & The Club (Oct / Nov). Northern Light Theatre Company: Little Shop of Horrors (Apr).
Tasmania
Craig Wellington Productions will stage the Tasmanian Premiere of The Phantom of the Opera at Hobart's historic Theatre Royal in August, followed by The Boy From Oz in December. Old Nick Theatre Summer School: The Drowsy Chaperone (Feb). Hobart Repertory Theatre Society: Fiddler on the Roof (Feb / Mar), Peter Pan (Ap / May), Private Lives (May / June), The Taming of the Shrew (Jul / Aug) and The Hollow (Oct / Nov). Launceston Players: Emerald City (Feb). Encore Theatre Company: Grease (Mar). Huon Valley Theatre Company: Scrooge (June / July for Christmas in Winter) www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 51
Community Theatre 2013
52 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
Auckland Music Theatre’s Chess (2012) Photo: Gordon Rushton
New Zealand
The first production of NZ Musical Theatre Consortium of The Phantom of the Opera, produced by Wellington Musical Theatre, will haunt the St James Theatre from June 13. Previous consortium productions, for which companies across the country have pooled resources to produce sets and costumes, include Miss Saigon and Hairspray. Wellington Musical Theatre: The Phantom of the Opera (June). Centrestage Theatre Company (Orewa): Chicago (Mar), Tarantara Tarantara (June), An Inspector Calls (Sept) & Fiddler on the Roof (Nov). Manakau Performing Arts: Fame (April). Whangarei Theatre Company: Mum’s Choir (Ap / May), The Boyfriend (Aug / Sep) & Maskerade (Nov / Dec). Harlequin Musical Theatre: Calendar Girls (Ap / May) & Grease (Nov). Tauranga Musical Theatre Inc: Electric Dreams The 80’s Musical (Jan) & Grease (Sep). Showbiz Queenstown: Chicago (May). Rotorua Musical Theatre: Chicago (Ap) and Dancin’ in the Street, Musikmakers, Hamilton: Essgee’s HMS Pinafore (May) Abbey Musical Theatre: Hairspray. www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 53
Community Theatre 2013 Napier Operatic: Hairspray (Ap / May) & The Phantom of the Opera. Blenheim Musical Theatre: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (May). Butterfly Creek Theatre Troupe: What You WILL (aka Twelfth Night) (Feb / Mar), Detour Theatre, Tauranga: My In-laws are Outlaws (April), The Vicar of Dibley (June / July) , The Taming of the Shrew (Sept) & Blackadder - more cunning plans (Nov – Dec). Ellerslie Theatrical Society: Present Laughter (Mar). Elmwood Players: The Near-Sighted Knight and the FarSighted Dragon (Jan), Cosi (Ap), Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (June), Shorts – a season of short plays (Aug) and Well Hung (Oct). Fine Thyme Theatre Company (Cromwell): Death and Taxes (July)
Hawera Repertory Society: Harrisment – three one-act plays by Richard Harris (Mar) and The Wizard of Oz (June / July). Howick Little Theatre: A Shortcut to Happiness (Mar), Steel Magnolias (May), The Cat’s Meow (July), Looking (Sept) & Kiwifruits (Nov). Hutt Repertory Theatre: A Slice of Saturday Night (Mar). Papakura Theatre Company: Blackadder Goes Forth (Feb / Mar), Romeo and Juliet (Jul), A Trip Across the Universe (Sep) & Four Flat Whites in Italy (Nov). Stagecraft (Wellington): Cosi (Mar), The God Boy (May / June), Pride and Prejudice (July), celebrating the novel’s 200th anniversary, Proof (Sept) & Anne Boleyn (Nov). Tauranga Repertory Society: The Cat’s Meow (Mar), Bullshot Crummond (May / June), Calendar Girls (Aug), Wyrd Sisters (Sept) and Are You Being Served (Nov / Dec). Theatre Whakatane: Peter Pan The Musical and Chicago. Titirangi Theatre: Sweeney Todd by Austin Rosser (Mar), On Golden Pond (June) & Who Wants to be 100 (Nov). Wellington Repertory Theatre: Calendar Girls (April).
From Community Theatre to Adelaide Fringe Water Child, a 2012 award winning new Australian play, is in rehearsal with a group of talented Newcastle based actors, led by local director Adelle Richards, to play at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in March 2013. First produced in early 2012 by the Newcastle Theatre Company, Water Child enjoyed such critical and audience acclaim that playwright Emma Wood was inspired to gather a cast and director to tour the play to the Adelaide Fringe. The play lends itself to a simple set, with the director and cast focussing on letting the play speak for itself, relying on the intimacy and honesty of the actors to present this moving, modern family drama about how the choices we make can change the course of our own lives, and those around us, in profound ways. In preparation for Adelaide, the production plays 5 performances in Newcastle and Cessnock. After safely touching down in Adelaide (stage props, set dressings, and costumes in “checked-in” luggage), the play will be performed at the Nexus Multicultural Arts Centre from 14 March 2013. None of the cast have toured before, however they are all up for the challenge of performing at such a prestigious festival as the Adelaide Fringe – it is guaranteed to be both exhilarating and possibly terrifying at the same time. Richards says that strong planning and organisation is needed to support the touring show, and the production team have already sourced great support, advice and wisdom from their fellow thespians that have trodden this path before them. The other keys are to stay focused on keeping the staging simple and ensuring that all members of the company work as team, implicitly trusting each other. The intended result will be a stripped back, honest, ‘acoustic’ style performance that will have the ability to resonate with audiences irrespective of the venue. Showcasing the talents of multi award winning local actors Lawrence Aitchison, Lynda Rennie, Claire Williams and Emma Wood in the cast, as well as newcomer Rebecca Wall, Water Child promises to be a night of both laughter and tears in Newcastle, Cessnock or Adelaide. 54 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
On Stage
A.C.T. & New South Wales Carriageworks, Everleigh. 1300 668 812 Othello C’est Qui. Sydney Festival. Jan 11 – 14. Carriageworks, Everleigh. 1300 723 038. It’s Dark Outside. Created and performed by Tim Watts, Arielle Gray and Chris Isaacs. Sydney Festival. Jan 11 – 17. Carriageworks, Everleigh. 1300 668 812 Symphony. Legs on the Wall / Sydney Festival. Jan 11 – 15. Carriageworks, Everleigh. 1300 668 812 Kunst Rock. Die Roten Punkte / Sydney Festival. Jan 11 – 15. Carriageworks, Everleigh. 1300 668 812 You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown by Clark Gesner. Ballina Players. Jan 11 – 20. 6686 2440 The Secret River by Kate (bh). Grenville. An adaptation for the Audrey and the Professor by stage by Andrew Bovell. STC / Wayne Guy. Henry Lawson Sydney Festival. Jan 8 – Feb 9. Theatre. Jan 11 – 27. Henry Sydney Theatre. (02) 9250 Lawson Theatre, Werrington. 1777. 4729 1555. In the Eruptive Mode by Downtown! The Mod Musical. Sulayman Al-Bassam. Sydney Parkes Musical & Dramatic Festival. Jan 8 – 11. York Society. Jan 11- 13 (part of the Theatre, Seymour Centre. (02) Parkes Elvis Festival). Parkes 9351 7940 Little Theatre. Rust and Bone by Caleb Lewis Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. from the short stories by Craig Davidson. Griffin Independent. Roo Theatre Co, Shellharbour. Jan 11 – 26. Jan 9 – Feb 2. SBW Stables Charley’s Aunt by Brandon Theatre. (02) 9361 3817. Thomas. Genesian Theatre, Kent Eraritjaritjaka. Sydney Festival. Street, Sydney. Jan 12 - Feb 23. Jan 9 – 13. Theatre Royal, (02) 8019 0276 (10am to 6pm, Sydney. Mon – Fri). Short + Sweet. January 9 to Imogen and the Pirates by March 23. King Street Theatre, Sidetrack Theatre and Seymour Samantha Cordwell and Terry Ryan. Marian Street Theatre for Centre. Young People. Jan 12 – Mar 3. School Dance by Matthew Marian Street Theatre, Killara. Whittet. STC. Jan 10 – Feb 3. 1300 306 776 Wharf 1. (02) 9250 1777. An Evening with Liz Callaway. Peter Pan (pantomime) by James Presented by David Hawkins. Jan Barry. Holroyd Musical and 16 at 8pm. The Basement. (02) Dramatic Society. Jan 11 - 19. 9251 2797. St. Stephens Presbyterian Disney’s My Son Gepetto Church Hall, Cnr. Merrylands and Monitor Roads, Merrylands. Pinochio’s Tale by David I Stern and Stephen Schwartz. Gosford 9632 4011 (bh). Musical Society. Jan 15 – 19. As the Flames Rose We Danced Laycock Street Community to the Sirens, the Sirens. Theatre. (02) 4323 3233. Sleepwalk Collective / Sydney A Masked Ball by Giuseppe Festival. Jan 11 – 15. Verdi. Opera Australia. Jan 16 –
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2013: CARMEN (March / April). Costume designs by Julie Lynch
A.C.T. Winnie the Pooh by A.A Milne, adapted by Glyn Robbins. FreeRain Theatre Company Jan 10 – 20. The Courtyard Studio. (02) 6275 2700. Peter Pan – The Musical. Adapted by B J Anyos and Georgia Pyke. Child Players (ACT). Jan 16 – 19. Theatre 3, Acton. 6257 1950. Giggle and Hoot and Friends. AKA, GGA in Association with ABC. Jan 23 & 24. Canberra Theatre. (02) 6275 2700 Calendar Girls by Tim Firth. Canberra Rep. Feb 14 – Mar 2. Theatre 3. (02) 6257 1950. The Secret River by Kate Grenville, adapted for the stage by Andrew Bovell. Feb 14 – 17. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. (02) 6275 2700. Les Misérables by Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer. Canberra Philharmonic. Feb 21 – Mar 16. Erindale Theatre, Wanniassa. 6257 1950. Henry 4 by William Shakespeare. Bell Shakespeare. Feb 23 – Mar 9. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. (02) 6275 2700.
Lyric Theatre, The Star, Sydney. 1300 795 267 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. Adapted for the stage by Jeremy Sams and Ray Roderick. Based on the MGM Movie. Until Jan 13. Capitol Theatre, Sydney. 1300 723 038. Managing Carmen by David Williamson. Ensemble Theatre. Until Jan 25. (02) 9929 0644. Tinderbox by Alana Valentine. Tredwood Productions. Jan 4 – 27. Theatre 19 (formerly Darlinghurst Theatre). (02) 8356 9987. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. Belvoir. Jan 5 – Feb 10. Upstairs Theatre. (02) 9699 3444. Murder. Erth, inspired by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Murder Ballads. Sydney Festival. Jan 5 19. The Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre. (02) 9351 7940 La bohème by Giacomo Puccini. Jan 5 – Mar 23. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. 9250 7777. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Glen Elston / The Australian Shakespeare New South Wales Company. Jan 6 – 28. The Royal Legally Blonde The Musical by Botanic Garden, Sydney. 1300 Laurence O'Keefe, Nell Benjamin 122 344. and Heather Hach. Until Jan 27.
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Stage Whispers 55
On Stage Feb 12. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. 9250 7777. Daylight Saving by Nick Enright. Newcastle Theatre Company. Jan 19 – Feb 2. (02) 4952 4958 (3-6pm Monday – Friday) Masi. The Conch Theatre / Sydney Festival. Jan 20 - 25. Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre. (02) 9351 7940 The Rape of Lucrece by William Shakespeare. The Royal Shakespeare Company. Sydney Festival. Jan 22 - 25. York Theatre, Seymour Centre. (02) 9351 7940 Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi. Opera Australia. Jan 29 – Mar 5. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. 9250 7777. Shakespeare in Hollywood by Ken Ludwig. Castle Hill Players. Feb 1 – 23. The Pavilion Theatre, Castle Hill Showground. 9634 2929. Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein. Gaiety Theatre. Feb 1 –
56 Stage Whispers
New South Wales
Mar 6. Theatre 19 (formerly Darlinghurst Theatre). (02) 8356 9987. Great Falls by Lee Blessing. Australian Premiere. Ensemble Theatre. From Feb 2. (02) 9929 0644 A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller. Arts Theatre Cronulla. Feb 6 – Mar 23. (02) 9523 2779 Box Office open 9am-12pm Saturdays 18 January and 2 & 9 February or any performance night. Calendar Girls by Tim Firth. Lieder Theatre, Goulburn. Feb 6 – 23. Lieder Theatre. (02) 4821 5066. The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Young People’s Theatre. Feb 6 - 23. Young People’s Theatre, Hamilton (Newcastle). (02) 4961 4895. Our Town by Thornton Wilder. Maitland Repertory Theatre Inc. Feb 6 – 23. 02 4931 2800 (9 to 5, 7 days a week).
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity by Geoffrey Atherden. Ensemble Theatre. World Premiere. From Feb 7. (02) 9929 0644 This Heaven by Nakkiah Lui. Belvoir. Feb 7 – Mar 3. Downstairs Theatre. (02) 9699 3444. Dreams in White by Duncan Graham. Griffin. Feb 8 – Mar 23. SBW Stables Theatre. (02) 9361 3817. The History Boys by Alan Bennett. Peach Theatre Company. Feb 8 to Mar 2. Playhouse, Sydney Opera House. 9250 7777. The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg (Musical). Packemin Productions. Feb 8 - 23. (02) 8839 3399 Zanna Don't! a Musical Fairy Tale. Book, music and lyrics by Tim Acito (Musical). Shire Music Theatre. Feb 8 – 17. Sutherland Memorial School of Arts. 0458 642 553
She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith. Guild Theatre. Feb 8 – Mar 2. Guild Theatre, Walz St, Rockdale. (02)95216358 (95,Mon-Sat). Bookings open three weeks before opening night. Disney's Aladdin Junior. Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Book adapted and additional lyrics by Jim Luigs. The Regals Musical Society. Feb 8 – 16. St George Bank Auditorium. 0449 REGALS Mrs Warren’s Profession by George Bernard Shaw. STC. Feb 14 – Ap 6. Wharf 1. (02) 9250 1777. The Butler Did It by Walter & Peter Marks. Players Theatre Inc Port Macquarie. Feb 15 - Mar 3. Players Theatre, 33a Lord Street Port Macquarie. (02)6581 8888 or www.playerstheatre.org.au Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi. Opera Australia. Feb 15 – Mar 16. Joan Sutherland Theatre,
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On Stage Sydney Opera House. 9250 7777. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams. Belvoir. Feb 16 – Ap 7. Upstairs Theatre. (02) 9699 3444. Influence by David Williamson. Pymble Players. Feb 20 – Mar 16. Corner of Bromley Ave and Mona Vale Rd, Pymble. 1300 306 776. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by Adam Long,Daniel Singer and Jess Wingfield. The Popular Theatre Company. Feb 20 – Mar 2. Civic Playhouse, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. Breaking Legs by Tom Dulak. Woy Woy Little Theatre. Feb 22 – Mar 10. The Peninsula Theatre, Woy Woy. 43 233 233. The Sensuous Senator by Michael Parker. DAPA Theatre. Feb 22 – Mar 9. DAPA Theatre, Hamilton (Newcastle). (02) 4962 3270. Shout! The Legend of the Wild One. Book by John-Michael
Howson, David Mitchell and Melvyn Morrow. Roo Theatre Co, Shellharbour. Feb 22 – Mar 9. Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach. Libretto by Hector Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy in a new performing version by Jonathan Biggins and Phil Scott. Opera Australia. Feb 28 – Mar 7. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. 9250 7777. Secret Bridesmaids’ Business by Elizabeth Coleman. Theatre on Brunker. Mar 1 - 23. Theatre on Brunker, Adamstown (Newcastle). (02) 4956 1263. Animal Farm by George Orwell, adapted and created by Shake & Stir Theatre Co. Mar 1, Cessnock Performing Arts Centre, (02) 4990 7134 & Mar 9 – 11, Civic Theatre, Newcastle, (02) 4929 1977. Queensland The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie. Michael Coppel, Louise Withers and Linda Berwick. Until
New South Wales & Queensland Jan 23. Playhouse, QPAC. 136 246 South Pacific by Rodgers & Hammerstein. Opera Australia and John Frost. Jan 2 – Feb 3. Lyric Theatre, QPAC. 136 246 Peter Pan. Patomime. The Independent Theatre at Eumundi. Jan 5 – 20. 5472 8200. Trouble in Nursery Rhyme Land. Pantomime. Noosa Arts Theatre. Jan 5 – 20. 5449 9343. Out Damn Snot. Based on Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shake and Stir & La Boite. Jan 8-19. Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane. 3007 8600 Hairy Maclary and Friends by Lynley Dodd. Nonsense Room. Jan 9 – 23. Cremorne Theatre, QPAC. 136 246 Red Riding Hood and the Great Cosmic Caper. Spotlight Theatre, Benowa. Jan 11 – 19. 5539 4255.
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Beauty and the Beast. Pantomime. BATS Theatre Co Inc., Buderim. Jan 11 – 20. Red Riding Hood and Jaberwocky. Pantomime Double Bill. Lind Lane Theatre, Nambour. Jan 12 - 20. 54411814. There’s a Burglar in my Bed by Michael Parker. Javeenbah Theatre Company. Jan 18 – Feb 2. 5595 0300. Peter Pan. Ballet based on J. M. Barrie’s story. Ballet Theatre of Queensland. Jan 23-26. Playhouse, QPAC. 136 246. Strange Attractor by Sue Smith. Noosa Arts Theatre / Suncoast Repertory Theatre. Jan 24 – Feb 2. 5449 9343. Casablanca - A Radio Play. Brisbane Arts Theatre. Jan 25 – Feb 14. 3369 2344 The Pitch and the China by Peter Houghton. QTC. Feb 2 – Mar 9. Cremorne Theatre, QPAC. 1800 355 528 Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine.
Stage Whispers 57
On Stage Gold Coast Little Theatre. Feb 2 – Mar 2. 5532 2096. Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry. Gordon Frost. Feb 4 – 25. Playhouse, QPAC. 136 246 When the Cat’s Away by Johhnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke. Tugun Theatre Company. Feb 7 – 23. Tugun Community Centre. 5522 4740. Holding the Man by Tommy Murphy. La Boite. Feb 16 – Mar 9. Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane. 3007 8600 Picnic at Hanging Rock by Laura Annawyn Shamus. Brisbane Arts Theatre. Feb 22 – Mar 16. 3369 2344 You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown by Clark Gesner. Spotight Theatre, Benowa. Feb 22 – Mar 16. 5539 4255. War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. Nash Theatre. Feb 23 – Mar 16. Merthyr Road Uniting Church, New Farm, Brisbane. 3379 4775 Ink and the Unknowns by Callum Mansfield & Maitlohn Drew. Harvest Rain. From Feb 27. Mina Parade Warehouse, Brisbane. 3103 7438
Queensland & Victoria
Rob Mills as Warner and Lucy Durack as Elle in Legally Blonde. Legally Blonde will now play at the Lyric Theatre, Brisbane from March 14 and the Princess Theatre, Melbourne from May 9, following the Sydney season. Photo: Jeff Busby.
Until Mar 3. Arts Centre Melbourne. 1300 182 183 Alice in Wonderland. The Australian Shakespeare Company. Jan 2 – 26. Rippon Lea House and Gardens. (03) 8676 7511. Songs for Nobodies by Joanna Victoria Murray-Smith. Jan 2 – 13. Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre, A Funny Thing Happened on Melbourne. 1300 182 183 the Way to the Forum by Bert Shevelove, Larry Gelbart and Carribean Pirates at Polly Stephen Sondheim. Gordon Woodside. The Australian Frost Organisation. Until Jan 6. Shakespeare Company. Jan 8 – Her Majesty’s Theatre, 26. Polly Woodside, 2a Melbourne. 1300 795 012. Clarendon Street, South Wharf. (03) 8676 7511. The Secret Garden by Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon. PLOS Here & After by Steven Dawson. Musical Productions. Frankston Midsumma. Jan 9 – Feb 9. Arts Centre. Until Jan 5. 9788 Mechanics Institute Performing 1060. Arts Centre. (03) 9415 9819. The Wind in the Willows. The Jersey Boys - The Story of Australian Shakespeare Frankie Valli & The Four Company. Until Jan 26. Royal Seasons. From January 10. Botanic Gardens Melbourne. Princess Theatre, Melbourne. (03) 8676 7511. 1300 111 011. Romeo and Juliet by William Dick Whittington and His Cat – Shakespeare. The Australian a pantomime by Geoff Bamber. Shakespeare Company. Until Encore Theatre Inc. Jan 10 - 19. Mar 9. Royal Botanic Gardens Clayton Community Centre. Melbourne. (03) 8676 7511. 1300 739 099. War Horse by Nick Stafford, Psycho Beach Party by Charles from Michael Morpurgo’s book. Busch. Midsumma. Jan 11 – 19. The National Theatre of Great Theatre Works. (03) 9534 3388. Britain and Global Creatures. Hairspray. Music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott 58 Stage Whispers
Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Holiday Actors (Warnambool). Jan 16 – 19. Lighthouse Theatre. (03) 5559 4999. Fag Boy & The Married Guy by Wayne Tunks. Midsumma. Jan 16 – 27. La Mama Theatre. Act A Lady by Jordon Harrison. Midsumma / By the Scruff. Jan 16 – 27. La Mama Courthouse. Kitsch In Synch by Pollyfilla. Midsumma. Jan 16 – 20. Chapel Off Chapel. OVO. Cirque du Soleil. From Jan 17. Under the Blue and Yellow Big Top tent at Melbourne Docklands. Vieux Carré by Tennessee Williams. ITCH Productions. Midumma. Jan 17 – Feb 3. fortyfivedownstairs. The Prince's Quest - Adult Performance. Midsumma. Jan 18 – 26. Northcote Town Hall. (03) 9415 9819. Mademoiselle by Michael Dalley. Midsumma. Jan 19 – Feb 16. The Order of Melbourne. (03) 9415 9819. Tiny Thumbelina. Book by Vera Morris, music & Lyrics by Bill Francoeur. Hartwell Players. Jan 19 – 26. Ashwood College
Performing Arts Centre. 9513 9581. Here Lies Henry by Daniel MacIvor. TurnAround Productions/ Midsumma. Jan 22 – 27. Theatre Works. (03) 9534 3388. Les Misérables by Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer. Footlight Productions. Jan 25 – Feb 9. Geelong Performing Arts Centre. (03) 5225 1200. The Other Place by Sharr White. MTC. Jan 26 – Mar 2. Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse. (03) 8688 0800. The Dead Ones by Margie Fischer. Vitalstatistix / Midsumma. Jan 29 – Feb 3. Theatre Works. (03) 9534 3388. Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes of Fame by Noel Anderson. Midsumma. Jan 30 – Feb 10. La Mama Courthouse. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Music and lyrics by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman, adapted for the stage by Jeremy Sams and Ray Broderick. Tim Lawson. From Jan 30. Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne. 1300 795 012. ‘8’ The Play by Dustin Lance Black. Stephen J & Michelle R Barber, in conjunction with
Just $40 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.
On Stage Jamieson Caldwell and Madeleine Field in Romeo and Juliet at Royal Botanical Gardens Melbourne
Victoria & South Australia Fabulous Nobodys Theatre Co / Midsumma. Jan 31 – Feb 2. Chapel Off Chapel. Finucane & Smith's Caravan Burlesque. City of Darebin / Midsumma. Jan 31 – Feb 9. Northcote Town Hall. (03) 9415 9819. Hair: The Rock Musical by James Rado, Gerome Ragni and Galt MacDermot. Midsumma / StageArt. Jan 31 – Feb 17. Chapel off Chapel. (03) 8290 7000. Not a Very Good Story by May Jasper. Jan 30 – May 10. La Mama. (03) 9347 6142. The Grand Manner by A.R. Gurney. Mordialloc Theatre Company Inc. Feb 1 – 16. (03) 9587 5141. Arsenic And Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring. Geelong Repertory Theatre. Feb 1 – 16. Woodbin Theatre, Geelong West. 5225 1200 Xanadu by Douglas Carter Beane, Jeff Lynne and John Farrar. BLOC Productions (Ballarat). Feb 7 - 10. Helen McPherson Smith Theatre. Constellations by Nick Payne. MTC. Feb 8 - Mar 23. Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio. (03) 8688 0800. 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog. Red Stitch Actors Theatre. Feb 8 – Mar 9. Rear, 2 Chapel Street, St Kilda. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. ARC Theatre. Feb 8 – 16. Banyule Theatre. Busybody by Jack Popplewell. Peridot Theatre Inc. Feb 8 - 23. Unicorn Theatre, Mount Waverley Secondary College 1300 138 645 (Toll Free for landlines) or (03) 9898 9090 (if using a mobile). The Boys by Gordon Graham. PEP Productions. Feb 15 – 23. Doncaster Playhouse. Talking Heads by Alan Bennett. Williamstown Little Theatre. Feb 17 - 23. (03) 9885 9678.
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The Female of the Species by Joanna Murray-Smith. Brighton Theatre Company. Feb 21 – Mar 9. Brighton Theatre Company, Corner Wilson and Carpenter Streets, Brighton. 1300 752 126. The Dresser by Ronald Harwood. Heidelberg Theatre Company. Feb 21 – Mar 9. (03) 9457 4117. Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman. Malvern Theatre Company Inc. Feb 22 - Mar 9. 1300 131 552. Hairspray. Music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Cardinia Performing Arts Company. Feb 23 – Mar 8. Cardinia Cultural Centre, Pakenham. The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin Jr. The 1812 Theatre. Feb 28 – Mar 23. South Australia OZ by Tim Kelly. Hills Youth Theatre. Jan 15 – 20. Stirling Community Theatre. 8339 3931. Eat Pray Laugh! Barry Humphries’ Farewell Tour. Dainty Group and Adelaide Festival Centre. Jan 18 – 27. Her Majesty’s Theatre. 131 246. Footloose The Musical by Dean Pitchford. Southern Theatrical Artistic Youth Group 25. Jan 18 & 19, Hopgood Theatre, Noarlunga, 8207 3975, & Jan 24 & 25, Shedley Theatre, Elizabeth, 131 246. Giggle and Hoot and Friends Live on Stage. Andrew Kay, GGA in association with ABC. Jan 21 & 22. Festival Theatre. 131 246. The Secret Garden by Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman. Gilbert and Sullivan Society of SA. Feb 1 – 10. The Arts Theatre. 8447 7239. Songs for Nobodies by Joanna Murray-Smith. Duet in Association with Adelaide Stage Whispers 59
On Stage
South Australia, Tasmania & Western Australia
Koorliny Arts Centre. 9467 7118. Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones. Jan 29-30. Wordless shadow puppet comedy from Montreal. Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. 9550 3900. Secret Bridesmaid’s Business by Elizabeth Coleman. Old Mill Theatre. Feb 1-16. Australian comedy. Old Mill Theatre, South Perth. 9367 8719. Key For Two by Dave Freeman. Darlington Theatre Players. Feb 1-23. English farce. Marloo Theatre, Greenmount. 9255 1783. Eat, Pray, Laugh. Barry Humphries Farewell Tour. Dainty Group. Feb 1-10. Crown Theatre, Perth. Ticketek. The Late Edwina Black by William Dinnie and William Murum.Wanneroo Repertory Club. Feb 7-23. Murder mystery set in the Victorian era. Limelight Theatre, Wanneroo. Festival Centre. Feb 14 – 24. Tasmania Western Australia 9571 8591. Dunstan Playhouse. 131 246. Treasure Island by Robert Louis- The Independent Theatre Joseph and His Amazing 50 Years of Doctor Who: Stevenson, adapted by Les Association of WA, Robert Technicolour Dreamcoat by Preachrs Podcast Live by Winspear. Big Monkey Inc. Jan 2 Finley Awards. Western Time Rice and Andrew Lloyd Benjamin Maio Mackay. Feb 15 – 27. The Royal Botanical Australian community theatre Webber. Primadonna awards evening. Koorliny Arts & 16. Adelaide Box Factory Gardens, Hobart. (03) 6233 Productions. Feb 8-9. Pinjarra Community Centre. 2299 Centre. 9467 7118. Adelaide Fringe Festival. Feb 15 Freckleface Strawberry The The Velveteen Rabbit. Based on Town Hall. 0401 588 962. Duck, Death and the Tulip by – Mar 17. Musical. Exit Left Pty Ltd. Jan 25 the book by Margery Williams. Spare Parts Puppet Theatre. Jan Wolf Erbuch. Barking Gecko www.adelaidefringe.com.au & 26. Theatre Royal, Hobart. Theatre Company. Feb 8-16. A 7-25. Story of a boy’s most Raton Laveur by Amos Crawley, (03) 6233 2299 duck strikes up a friendship with cherished toy. Spare Parts David Patrick Fleming and As You Like It by William Death. Subiaco Arts Centre. Puppet Theatre, Fremantle. Caitlin Stewart. Fairly Lucid Shakespeare. Shakespeare in the Ticketek. 9335 5044. Productions & Veronica Bolzon. Gardens. Feb 8 – Mar 2. The The Threepenny Opera by Hare Brain. Spare Parts Puppet Feb 18 – Mar 16. The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Bakehouse Theatre, Adelaide. Gardens. (03) 6234 5998. Theatre. Jan 9-19. Based on the Bertolt Brecht, music by Kurt 1300 621 255 tale of the tortoise and the hare. Weill. Berliner Ensemble and Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Perth International Arts Festival. I Am My Own Wife by Doug Stein, Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Mandurah Performing Arts Feb 8-11. His Majesty’s Theatre, Centre. 9550 3900. Wright. Blue Lane Productions. Bock. Hobart Repertory Theatre Perth. Ticketek. Feb 19 – Mar 2. The Bakehouse Society. Feb 22 – Mar 9. The The Motherf**cker With A Hat Theatre. 1300 621 255 Playhouse Theatre. (03) 6234 by Stephen Adley Guirgis. Black The Man From Muckinupin by Dorothy Hewett. GRADS. Feb 8Swan State Theatre 5998. Altar Ego by James Lyon. 23. Set in rural WA. New Company. Jan 17-Feb 3. Sitcom Unseen Theatre Company. Feb Emerald City by David Fortune Theatre, University of meets Hispanic telenova and Williamson. Launceston Players. 21 – Mar 2. The Bakehouse Western Australia. Ticketek. crime documentary. State Feb 15 – 23. Earl Arts Centre. Theatre. 1300 621 255. Theatre Centre of WA, Double Bill – Hands Across the (03) 6323 3666. God of Carnage by Yasmina Sea and Someone Called Rob by Reza. The Stirling Players. Feb The Drowsy Chaperone. Book by Northbridge. Ticketek Noel Coward and Martin The Sound of Music by Richard 22 – Mar 9. The Arts Theatre. Don Martin and Don Kellar. Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein, Lindsay. Melville Theatre 8447 7239. Company. Feb 8-16. Two book by Howard Lindsay and and Greg Morrison. Old Nick A Circus Affair. Circosis / contrasting plays. Roy Edinger Russel Crouse. Koorliny Arts Hobart Theatre Summer School. Adelaide Fringe. Feb 25 – Mar Theatre, Melville. 9330 4565. Centre and Kwinana Industries 2. The Bakehouse Theatre. 1300 Feb 22 – 28. Mt Nelson Theatre, Council. Jan 18 – Feb 2. Hobart. (03) 6234 5998. 621 255. The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht, music by Kurt Weill. Berliner Ensemble and Perth International Arts Festival.
60 Stage Whispers
Just $40 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.
On Stage
Western Australia & New Zealand
A Lady Mislaid by Kenneth Horne. Garrick Theatre Club. Feb 8-Mar 3. Garrick Theatre, Guildford. 9378 1990. La Cucina Dell’Arte by David and Danny Ronaldo. Circus Ronaldo and Perth International Arts Festival. Feb 9-24. Played in a big top tent, Russell Square, Perth. Ticketek. The Strange Undoing of Prudentia Hart by David Greig. National Theatre of Scotland. Feb 12-24. Playing in pubs, Little Creatures Brewery and the Melbourne Hotel, Perth. Ticketek. Watt by Samuel Beckett adapted by Barry McGovern. Perth International Arts Festival. Feb 13-17. Direct from Edinburgh Festival. State Theatre Centre of WA, Northbridge. Ticketek. A History of Everything by Alexander Devriendt and Joeri Smet. Ontroerend and Sydney Theatre Company. Feb 14 – 22. 14 billion years in 90 mins. Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA, Northbridge. Clouds by Enrique Cabrera. Aracaladanza and Perth International Arts Festival. Feb 14-17. Clouds transform. Regal Theatre, Subiaco. Ticketek.
Shakespeare in the Park, Auckland. Jan 19 – Feb 15. The PumpHouse Theatre, Killarney Park, Auckland. 489 8360. Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare in the Park, Auckland. Jan 22 – Feb 16. The PumpHouse Theatre, Killarney Park, Auckland. 489 8360 Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Top Dog Theatre (Christchurch). Feb 7 – 17. The Mound Lawn, Mona Vale, Christchurch. 963 0870. Hitch by Kerr Inkson. Cutting Edge Drama Community Theatre. World Premiere comedy. Feb 13 – 17. The Rose Centre, School Road, Auckland. (09) 445 9900. Trouser-Wearing Characters. Auckland Fringe Festival and Tomboi Productions. Feb 15 – 18. TAPAC. (09) 845 0295. Black Faggot by Victor Rodger. Auckland Fringe Festival. Feb 16 – 20. The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland. (09) 361 1000 The Uncertainty Principle by Mike Borgfeldt. Feb 19 – 23. Ponsonby Baptist Church, Auckland. Home by Freya Desmarais. Hungry Mile Theatre. Feb 20 – 23. BATS Theatre, Wellington. (04) 802 4175
The Secret Garden. Based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett adapted by Neil Duffield. Stirling Players. Feb 22Mar 3. Stirling Theatre, Innaloo. Bookings Morris News 9440 1040. The 39 Steps. Adapted by Patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan. KADS. Feb 22Mar 16. Town Square Theatre, Kalamunda. Bookings O’Hara’s Pharmacy 9293 1412, 1pm –4pm. Mission Drift by The TEAM in collaboration with Heather Christian and Sarah Gancher. Perth International Arts Festival. Feb 22 – Mar 2. Musical. State Theatre Centre of WA, Northbridge. Ticketek. The Secret River by Kate Grenville, adapted by Andrew Bovell. Perth International Arts Festival. Feb 25 – Mar 2. Two families divided by culture and land. His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth. Ticketek. Invisible Atom by Anthony Black.Perth International Arts Festival. Feb 28-Mar 2. Epic tale on a tiny stage. Denmark Civic Centre and Albany Town Hall. Ticketek. New Zealand The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare.
Bus Stop by Samuel Christopher, Anoushka Klaus & Jess Sayer. Dark Horse Productions. Feb 20 – 24. TAPAC, Auckland. Dolly Mixture by Yvette Parsons and Thomas Sainsbury. Auckland Fringe Festival. Feb 21 – 23. The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland. (09) 361 1000. Celery Stories. Celery Productions & The Basement. Feb 22 & 23. Myers Park, Auckland. (09) 361 1000. High School Hangover by Kate Vox. Catalyst Theatre Company. Feb 25 – Mar 1. The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland. (09) 309 7433. For Your Future Guidance. Binge Culture. Feb 26 – Mar 1. Co Space, Auckland. (09) 361 1000 One by One. LAB Theatre. Feb 26 – Mar 2. Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland. (09) 3573355. Mrs Van Gogh by Geoff Allen. Galatea Theatre. Feb 27 – Mar 2. Musgrove Studio, Maidment Theatre Complex, Auckland. (09) 308 2383. Just Above the Clouds by Ben Anderson. The People Who Play with Theatre. Feb 28 – Mar 9. Q Auckland. (09) 309 9771.
Auditions Queensland Brigadoon by Lerner and Loewe. Queensland Musical Theatre. Feb 9 & 10. 3814 4115. http:// queenslandmusicaltheatre.com Victoria The Threepenny Opera. Music by Kurt Weill, book and lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, English Adaptation by Marc Blitzstein. The Mount Players. Jan 19 & 20. 0439 554 237. http://www.themountplayers.com Disney's The Jungle Book. KIDZ ACT. Jan 15 – 17. 0415 418 551. http:// www.kidzact.com.au/the_jungle_book
The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown. Foster Amateur Music & Drama Association FAMDA. Jan 13. 5682 2421 Cosi by Louis Nowra. Kew Court House Arts Association. Jan 20 & 21. admin@kewcourthousearts.com.au New South Wales Whistle Down the Wind by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinam. May 5 & 6. (07) 55362446 http://www.neptuneprods.com
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Stage Whispers 61
Reviews: Premieres
Online extras!
Catch all the opening night glamour by scanning the QR code or visiting http://youtu.be/RAP29eOKKPs
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Photo: Kurt Sneddon
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Music and Lyrics by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman. Adapated for the stage by Jeremy Sams and Ray Roderick. Producer: Tim Lawson. Director: Roger Hodgman. Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Nov 17, 2012 – Jan 13, 2012. Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne from Jan 30 & Festival Theatre, Adelaide from Apr 30. THE audience was determined to have a good time, clapping along to the familiar title tune even during the overture. The star of the night was of course the million-dollar car. She (or is it a he?) flew like a wizard, shone, surfed and sparkled against the stars. There were some gremlins on opening night. Chitty Chitty travelled smoothly but audio gremlins and a lack of intensity in the first act on opening night slowed the pace. No doubt as the production flies around Australia, these will be ironed out and Chitty will be purring like a well-oiled Jaguar. David Hobson as Caractacus Potts was solid, but he could have been a little more on the eccentric side. The minor roles, though, sparkled. As a child I had many nightmares after watching Sir Robert Helpmann’s portrayal of the child catcher. I felt the chills return when Tyler Coppin stepped onto the stage in this role. 62 Stage Whispers
Peter Carroll hit just the right notes as the eccentric Grandpa Potts. Alan Brough as Baron Bomburst and especially Jennifer Vuletic as Baroness Bombust were every bit as funny as the actors in the original movie. Likewise Philip Gould as the Toymaker was channeling the charming original performance of Benny Hill. My nine year old loved the entire show and this grand pantomime is a treat for parents with young children. David Spicer Stage Whispers editor Neil Litchfield adds: Well-loved 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has captivated generations of children, and now, happily, the stage adaptation returns classic musical comedy to the stage, spreading the joy for kids and families, and a nostalgic glow for the inner child in audience members of most ages. Musical comedy demands a vivacious, engaging leading lady, and Rachel Beck, one of our real musical theatre stars, exudes those qualities in abundance. The role of Truly Scrumptious provides lots of room for plucky character, but restricted solo vocal chances, however Rachel utterly charms with two big second act opportunities. The warmth and tenderness of David Hobson’s relationship with the kids was a special delight, nowhere
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more touching than in the gentle, beautifully sung lullaby Hushabye Mountain. On the comedy front I’ll add a special mention to the hijinx of Vulgarian spies Goran and Boris. George Kapiniaris and Todd Goddard delight with their broad pantomime / vaudeville style. Famously the car flies, providing the evening’s sheer theatrical magic, but sometimes technology takes the back seat to some nice bits of old fashioned shtick. There’s a dance craze, an assorted pack of loveable dogs and a mob of urchin children. For lovers of musical comedy, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is an escapist treat with a gentle moral. Like David’s nine-yearold, my inner child loved the whole show, despite any glitches. Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert Book and lyrics by Doug MacLeod. Music by Yuri Worontschak. Directed by Bryce Ives and Nathan Gilkes. Theatreworks (Vic). Nov 21 – Dec 1, 2012. THE entrée was as kitsch as a pumpkin scone at a nouvelle cuisine bistro:- the cast handing out Anzac biscuits and plastic Australian flags as the audience took their seats, whilst the very excellent band and back-up singers repeated energetically a song called 1988. It’s Bi-Centennial year and we’re discovering who we really are. My heart sank…so it
was to be one of THOSE shows….self consciously Ozzie… complete with oys?! Wrong! Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert is a banquet of entertainment; a triumph of tantalising tastes beautifully cooked by directors Bryce Ives and Nathan Gilkes from a recipe by Master Chef Doug MacLeod, with a sauce by Yuri Worontschak, and served by a fabulous cast full of energy and commitment for their work. Every course tastes so delicious, I don’t need to know how it’s cooked. Doug MacLeod’s script is the right combination of familiar gags and original witticisms. His lyrics are sometimes cheesy, but they work. “Margaret” sings of her recipe for life …”Have a good time – misbehave; Don’t put eggs in the microwave.” There’s a fabulous homage to life in the Rocks “La Vie Boheme”, a marvellous ensemble number called “We All Like Jam” and a great number called “The Margaret Fulton Book” as well as some touching ballads. The five main ingredients for this sumptuous meal are as fine as you can get. Amy Lehpamer is a delicious Margaret, a feisty woman who knows where’s she going and controls her own destiny, except in affairs of the heart. With a fabulous voice and charismatic stage presence we believe every word she says. Josh Price is a terrific character actor who is an asset to any production. He brings great individuality to each of the characters he plays and is
Zoy Frangos, Amy Lehpamer, Laura Burzacott and Josh Price in Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert. Photo: Gerard Assi
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Amy Lepahmer and the cast rehearse the show. Scan the QR code or visit http://bit.ly/SW3NM1 to watch. Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
Stage Whispers 63
Online extras!
Check out a trailer for Signs Of Life by scanning the QR code or visiting http://youtu.be/hnOAZpsQWhg
Aaron Pedersen and Heather Mitchell in Signs of Life. Photo: Lisa Tomasetti
excellent vocally throughout. Zoy Frangos is a terrific all rounder with the visual appeal of a high calorie dessert, and touches the audience as Michael, who truly loves Margaret to the point of stalking her! Zoe McDonald is both poignant and commanding as Margaret’s departed mother, who keeps her centred. But it’s Laura Burzacott who adds a little extra sauce, and after dinner mints, and just steals the show as Bea, Margaret’s friend who starts as a “Lady of the Night” before becoming a respectable air hostess in one of the funniest sequences of the entire show. Extra cherries on the cake are the terrific kitchen set by Andrew Bellchambers, the excellent sound design by Marcello Lo Ricco and the tasty lighting by Scott Allan. Theatre is first and always about entertainment. It doesn’t need millions of dollars thrown at it – and the proof of this pudding is in the eating. Go hungry – and leave full and satisfied. Coral Drouyn Signs of Life By Tim Winton. Sydney Theatre Company and Black Swan Theatre Company. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. November 7 - December 22, 2012 WE were spoiled by Cloudstreet, an epic novel filled with wonderful characters that was also a sensation as a stage play. Tim Winton’s novel Dirt Music has a similar epic and broad brushed landscape. It concludes with a plane crash. If you are expecting an exhilarating night of action in this style you might be a little underwhelmed by the scope and pace of Signs of Life. 64 Stage Whispers
Tim Winton picks the story up after Dirt Music is finished. Georgie Jutland (Heather Mitchell) is experiencing intense loneliness. It was beautifully illustrated by the set and soundscape. You could feel the baked Western Australian outback. Georgie comes to terms with having strangers arrive at her doorstep late at night. They are Bender (Aaron Pedersen) and Mona (Pauline Whyman), an indigenous brother and sister emerging from the night with arguing voices, car doors slamming and weeping. Looking on was George Shevtsov as the ghost of Luther Fox. This is a character that the late Heath Ledger was lining up to play in a movie adaptation of Dirt Music which Russell Crowe has also been linked to in recent times. In the play Luther Fox didn’t have much to do. There was unease as to where the story was heading. Was this a thriller where strangers enter a house and cause harm? It pulled back from that path with some lashings of humour as we warm to the characters as they fight their demons. David Spicer NORMIE The Musical Book and Original Lyrics by Graeme Johnstone. Original Music by Peter Sullivan. Directed by Simon Eales. OSMaD – Geoffrey McComas Theatre, Scotch College. November 23 December 1. NORMIE The Musical has three spectacular things going for it. Normie Rowe, who proves himself the consummate professional throughout in the role of Harold Holt; the
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fabulous songs of the sixties – if you ever doubted that pop music was better then, you have only to listen to this score; and the amazing young Musical Director and Orchestrator David Wisken - a “wunderkind” who leads his orchestra through his own terrific orchestrations with great style and skill. These three assets are a huge plus when workshopping a new show, eventually destined for the commercial stage. Old Scotch Music and Drama Club has been brave taking on a musical in development. It’s an ambitious task and the producer reminds us that, apart from Normie, this is a cast of “amateurs”. Unfortunately the spectacular trio has three things that don’t work to balance them. These are the script, the script, and the script. I understand that Graeme Johnstone is a journalist and that may possibly account for the lack of any depth or insight, or indeed any dramatic dynamics. The characters are drawn as two dimensional cut-outs. Instead of making the show a snapshot of Australia in the 60s, with a deeper theme of a young hero’s triumph over adversity, we are regaled with humourless references to long forgotten singers and incidents. Theatre isn’t a documentary – it’s about involving an audience in a hero’s journey, about making them feel what he feels. The cast works well with what they’re given, and Julian Campobosso shows great promise vocally. What a pity he wears a nylon blonde wig throughout the first half. Young Nathan Hotchkin–van-Neuren is engaging as the young Normie and handles the vocals well. Marcie Jones (Emma Newman) is so under-drawn as a character that it’s hard to relate, or to see what Normie saw in her (in real life I remember her as an effervescent teenager, full of life), but Emma does have one number that she does proud. Stephanie Phillips is a stand-out in the small role of Marjorie and adds her obvious professional expertise to the ensemble, but really the show needs more proper dancers and better choreography. Drew Collet is impressive as Johnny Young and other characters. Gail Bradley (Zara Holt) and David Maclean (Sir Robert Menzies) deserve more than the director’s vision of (respectively) a hard-edged bitch and a Gilbert and Sullivan buffoon. In spite of the shortcomings, with a new book and a couple of purpose written Musical Theatre songs (“How do I Sell a War?” is almost there) and a skilled director, we could well be paying top dollar for a seat at Her Majesty’s. Thank you OSMaD for letting us be part of the process. Coral Drouyn
home life with his fine ear for truthful characters and realistic, yet poetic, The Addams Family dialogue. Zappa proves that writers can indeed successfully direct their own work (and design it!). Grace is artfully steered through time shifts before and after Derrick’s death, Jane’s awkward visits – and an horrific home invasion which, rather inexplicably, prompts Grace into environmental activism. Only occasionally is Grace left stranded delivering too much exposition. Zappa is lucky to have a perfect performance from veteran Maggie Blinco as Grace. And a strong supporting cast in Don Reid as the grumpy Derrick, Wendy Strehlow as Jane and, especially, Nigel Turner Carroll in the well-drawn character of Tim, the affectionate grandson who introduces Grace to green politics. Here though Zappa wears his environmental heart too prominently and Grace’s evolution into green granny is not ultimately convincing. Although nicely suggested in the design, the environmental threats of the outside world do not crash through into Zappa’s beautifully rendered domesticity of Grace. She and the family however are certainly worth meeting. Martin Portus
More Sex Please – We’re Seniors By John-Michael Howson. Director: Pip Mushin. The Comedy Theatre, Melbourne. From Oct 31. THE title is misleading. There’s no sex – and very little mention of it. But there are lots of fart jokes, an audience participation song about prostate exams to the tune of The Hokey Pokey (Oh the Prod and Pokey) with hand gestures to match, and 17 mentions of Dr Phil to raise a few chuckles PLUS an entire parody song about him (Phil, thrill, pill, till, kill:- the possibilities are endless – unfortunately). The cast is stellar, in a non-stellar production - Jane Clifton, Tracy Harvey, Michael Veitch, Mark Mitchell and Matt Quartermaine. They’re all experienced performers who know what they’re doing – or should do! The script is not rocket science, just old fashioned well-worn (or worn-out) comedy, yet it seems to confuse them as well as the audience. There are age anomalies everywhere in “script” and performance and director Pip Mushin must take responsibility for failing to create a cohesive vision on stage, and clearly indicate the chronology even if that means some serious discussion with his author. His job is to see that the characters are credible, that there is a truth we can relate to (yes, even in sketch comedy) and that actors don’t mug or The Greening of Grace become caricatures. And just when you lock into the idea By William Zappa. Wildie Creative. Theatre 19 (formerly The that – despite appearances – these characters are in fact in Darlinghurst Theatre). Nov 16 – Dec 9. their 70s, the closing number has them holding placards WELL-KNOWN actor William Zappa again shows his which tell us “Life Begins at 60” – and indeed it does…..but skills as playwright, this time putting a grandmother centre no-one I know in their 60s or 70s resembles any of these stage. Grace is a knitting, cardy-clad granny who is fondly characters. If you’re 60, the music of your youth comes eye-rolling about her class warrior husband and his battles from The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan – and you never give a thought to June Allyson! with their only child, Jane; she’s found new life with a banker and the brittle certainties of Christian capitalism. Some of the parodies work better than others, but when Zappa instantly engages us in Grace and Derrick’s modest the classic “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” becomes “When Myra’s Eyes are Smiling”, there were visible groans and cries Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
Stage Whispers 65
of “Oh No”. Oh, and let’s not forget the musical offering about incontinence pads, because we seniors don’t have intelligence or anything of worth, like real issues, to sing about. Finally, I left the theatre feeling sad and depressed. Whether you like him or not, John-Michael Howson has made a significant contribution to the Australian entertainment industry over the past 50 years. It would be a great pity if he were to be remembered for this latest offering. Coral Drouyn
Zenzenzo physical theatre eschews realistic sets and props (even Frederick, the cat that plays a focal part, is established by convincing mime), depends on costumes to establish period, but locale and mood with minimal set (Josh McIntosh) and soundscape (Phil Slade) both acknowledge the style. Louise Brehmer (the conniving Mme Raquin) anchors the action securely, despite the fact our sympathies are with Thérèse (Lizzie Ballinger, whose emotional anguish is pitiful). They receive totally committed support from Luke Townson (Laurent), Julien Faddoul (Camille), Luisa Prosser (Suzanne), Eugene Gilfedder (Michaud) and Tony Brockman Michael James Manaia (Grivet). By John Broughton. Taki Rua Productions. 45 Downstairs in I found Act 2 in this new translation tended to drag: so association with Melbourne Festival.. Directed by Nathaniel much action in Act 1, so little in Act 2, apart from Lees. Oct 12 – 28. prolonged agonies. MICHAEL James Manaia is a spirited work of This is no laid-back evening’s entertainment. I suspect compassionate humanity exquisitely presented in a real tour Gen X-ers and Y-ers will enjoy it more, as will theatre de force performance by actor Te Kohe Tuhaka. historians. This flawless, strikingly lit (Lisa Maule) work on a simple, Jay McKee practical and evocative set (Daniel Williams), places the actor in an environment where he can uncomplicatedly We’re Gonna Die recount the early and maturing years of a pretty normal Written and performed by Young Jean Lee. Original Music by Young Jean Lee, Tim Simmonds, Mike Hanf, Nick Maori bloke. With graphics of Vietnam and particularly the famous Jenkins, and Ben Kupstas. Choreography by Faye Driscoll. photo of the naked girl running in the street, as backdrop Directed by Paul Lazar. Jean Lee’s Theatre Company/ prior to the commencement, there can be no doubt from Melbourne Festival. Arts Centre Melbourne. Oct 24 – 27. the onset what is to be expected. This work is a strong, YOUNG Jean Lee is certainly a courageous, sharp and perceptive theatre maker; she knows how to get to the bare elucidating worthwhile addition to our understanding of the mostly hidden experience of the Vietnam Vets. bones of universal experience that can be satisfyingly shared This is a very forthright experience; there is no irony of with an audience. Her approach to creating work by specifically propelling herself out of her comfort zone is hindsight clouding the information or ambiguity teasing the audience. The actor, in action, has obviously been inspiring. cocooned in character by the way the work is written and We’re Gonna Die is a series of true-life anecdotes told the direction. Te Kohe Tuhaka does not specifically address quite entrancingly with an almost monotonously dry the audience or seek pity or understanding. He commences delivery with a naïve youthful edge. Her material comes the whole with a prayer and concludes the experience with from her own life experience and the resulting retelling is a spiritual cleansing with water to dispel any demonic disarming in its sincerity. Songs and music by Future Wife, influences from the evoked horrors of war. completely intrinsic to the whole, are reminiscent of the Suzanne Sandow songs of the band Rilo Kiley. Under the matter-of-fact delivery, which brings Seinfeld Thérèse Raquin to mind, one sometimes glimpses Lee’s expressive strengths as a performer. She is particularly animated when she sings By Emile Zola, adapted by Helen Howard and Michael Futcher. ZenZenZo. Old Museum Building, Brisbane. Nov 22 a song as her mother, giving rather chillingly pessimistic – Dec 8. advice. It is a novel experience singing ‘we’re gonna die’, in IT’S exciting when a new play comes on the scene. Community theatres seem to be swamped by shows newly celebration of our mortality, as an audience at the end of released for amateur production, so I was looking forward Young Jean Lee’s sensitive and moving show. Suzanne Sandow to this professional company’s new translation of Thérèse Raquin. I knew most of the nineteenth century French classics Up The Ladder By Roger Bennett. The Aboriginal Centre for the Performing were racy but I’d forgotten how dark they were. Zola’s book (1867) and play (1873), considered ‘early naturalism’, Arts (ACPA) and Queensland Performing Arts Centre embrace lust, murder, psychological torture and madness, (QPAC). Cremorne Theatre. Oct 24-27. BEAT that Drum! Ring the Bell! This is a boisterous, but thankfully, without gore. These are elements of the later horror-based Grand Guignol style, yet director Helen adrenaline-charged collage of drama, music, song, and dance performed by a huge all-indigenous cast. Inescapably Howard drew unexpected comedy from her actors to lighten this piece. infectious entertainment! 66 Stage Whispers
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established actors (including Rachael Maza and Jane Phegan), some are Palm Islanders whose volume and articulation can be a problem beyond the first couple of rows. There’s a lot of re-animated improvised chat covering the early history of the island, the embedded racism, the sanctioned white supremacy. The excellent Paul Dwyer recites — at top speed — a long list of absurd official 1930s punishments (including “Seven days jail for waving to your wife”). Theatrical focus comes when poor Doomadgee gets his ribs broken and his liver ruptured. Verbatim reports from a variety of statements and trials are cleverly combined to expose the shifting police testimony, and there’s a brilliant recreation of the storming of the police station based on Capturing the 40s and 50s side-show-alley boxing tent increasingly desperate radio conversations. era, Bennett’s simple plot traces the rise and rise of a young Too soon the devisors return our attention to Palm indigenous Australian boxer determined to exploit his talent Island today and the dramatic grip dissolves. On stage and to national status. Inspirational role models are depicted in on the screens locals offer their hopes for a return to a the huge tent banner portraits. That he achieves his goal is simple, happy communal life. The evening drifts into a miracle, given all the laws of the day controlling platitudes. indigenous Australians, their lifestyles, employment Frank Hatherley opportunities and income. The show’s pace and atmosphere depend heavily on A Wet and Windy Night music and song. Credit there goes to the handful of By Declan Cleary. Director: Amanda Minutillo. Marloo talented composers of original songs, and the beautiful Theatre, Greenmount (WA). Nov 23 – Dec 8. harmonies achieved by the soloists, vocal groups and ONE night in the middle of its run, A Wet and Windy backing singers. Despite style variations from the 40s to Night became the victim of a wet and windy night which rap, this show rocks! Credit there must go to musical took out its power. director Laine-Loxley Danam, and to choreographer Penny Luckily I was able to secure seats to a matinee, where Mullen for the dancing. the full house thoroughly enjoyed the Australian Premiere Josh McIntosh’s inspired design embraces the whole of this recently written British farce. venue; show touts and shady personalities engage patrons Unfortunately a few aspects of this show disappointed in the foyer, and become the vocal crowd inside. Jason me. The (albeit very realistic) rain effects early in the show Glenwright’s lights capture the action from side-show alley obscured much of the establishing dialogue, which, (audience space), to the upper spruiking level where combined with accents and a complex plot, made it potential combatants were invited to come on ‘up the difficult to follow at first. ladder’, and the stage area. There are some flaws in Declan Cleary's first full length This ensemble gives best value for your buck in Brisbane. script, which is a shame, but this was intensified by the Jay McKee director's decision to set the play in the 1970s. Though the decade does suit the style of the show, the decision created Beautiful One Day at least two glaring and distracting anachronisms. Devised and produced by Belvoir, ILBIJERRI Theatre The cast was working hard, but casting was sometimes Company and version 1.0. Belvoir St. Theatre, Sydney. Nov a little odd in terms of age and type. 17 – Dec 23. I particularly enjoyed the performance of Nathanial THE nine co-devisors of this heartfelt theatre Watts as both Phil and Bob Masterson, although I documentary about Palm Island proudly tell us in a wondered why one English twin would have an American program note that “there has been no writer or director... accent, no matter how long he had spent stateside, which, the work has been led at different times by each member of given the actor's age could not be long. the company”. It’s a fine social process, maybe, but rarely The multi-door set was lovely, functional and beautifully the begetter of focussed, passionate art. As challenging as finished and was obviously but not overbearingly 1970s. it is, Beautiful One Day could have done with a good Costumes were generally gorgeous, especially the wedding writer’s vision, a good director’s single-mindedness. outfits worn by Taylor Bartels (Samantha Fox) and Tracey Three theatre companies collaborated over many Parker (Terri Masterton). months to examine the current feelings of Palm Islanders Despite my reservations, the capacity audience delighted after the tragic events of 2004 when local man Cameron in this campy comedy and I am sure that Darlington Theatre Doomadgee died a violent death in police custody. Backed Players had a successful season. by a four-screen video installation, six of the devisors Kimberley Shaw appear on the simple setting. Of these, some are Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
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The Hotel Hibiscus By Robert Cockburn. Epicentre Theatre Company. Zenith Theatre, Chatswood. Oct 18 – 27. ON an imaginary island off the coast of New Guinea, this play tells the story of the Australian-backed Papua New Guinea Defence Force’s dirty war for Rio Tinto Zinc on Bougainville Island in the 1990s – and the 15 year wall of silence that ensued. Written by journalist Robert Cockburn, the play is hardhitting and controversial. It pulls no punches – about Australia’s complicity in the cover up of the alleged war crimes, or the genocide that was caused by the operation of the mine itself and the way it was closed. It is a story that needs to be told, but not one that is usually told in a community theatre. Local soldier Major Ramara (Sopa Enari) and Australian soldier, now turned diplomat, Colonel Baulkham (Dominic McDonald) are about to sign a ‘cease fire’ at the Hotel Hibiscus, run by Dr Patty Carmichael (Amanda Jermyn). Baulkham is corrupt. Under his orders, Ramara has captured and killed, amongst others, a local priest and some of his congregation, and blown up the village pharmacy and all the medical supplies. The mortuary is filled with bodies. Once the cease-fire is signed, Baulkham will leave (with Patty) and there will be a total blockade of the island. Heavy stuff! The dialogue is just as heavy, but relatively economical considering the many messages it conveys. Director Greg Friend and his cast have done well to reach and sustain the pace and energy necessary for such a hard hitting political drama. Sopa Enari, Billy McPherson and recent high school graduate, Sudanese-born Mandela Mathia give empathetic performances as the local Hibiscus Islanders, and as the young Australian journalist Liz McBride, Charlotte Hazzard becomes fiery and zealous. Carol Wimmer Wittenberg By David Davalos. Director: Jane Montgomery Griffiths. Red Stitch Actors Theatre (Vic). Oct 5 – Nov 3. THE premise is fresh enough. Suppose the fictitious Dr Faustus and the very real Martin Luther were both professors at Wittenberg University, rivals for the mind/soul of young Prince Hamlet, an under-graduate who procrastinates between philosophy and theology…who would win? Once you put aside the obvious…that two are fictitious characters, they all “lived” in different time frames, …the stage is set for a great discourse on Philosophy and Religion, exploring the comic value of both. It requires a Tom Stoppard to make such a play cohesive and satisfying – and David Davalos is no Tom Stoppard. There are flashes of dazzling wit, thought provoking hypotheses, delicious intellectual arguments: but all that potential falls in a heap in an underdeveloped second act which disintegrates; and a resolution which seems borne of desperation; a karaoke version of Que Sera, Sera (Faustus has a nightly gig at a local tavern). 68 Stage Whispers
On the plus side Ezra Bix as Faustus and Josh Price as Martin Luther are outstanding. Their comic business is a credit to Director Jane Montgomery Griffiths. They give the play a legitimacy it perhaps doesn’t deserve. Brett Ludeman has a thankless role as the under-written Hamlet but nevertheless seems miscast and Olga Makeeva, an interesting actress, is totally wasted as The Eternal Feminine. This is still worth a look, but, because the potential is there for it to be so much more, ultimately it disappoints. Coral Drouyn Red Wharf: Beyond the Rings of Satire By Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott. Wharf Theatre. Nov 27 - Dec 23. THOSE clever writers from the Wharf Review are in fine form. First there was a spoon full of sugar for Julia. “With my negotiating skills I passed an awful lot of bills in a parliament that teeters on the edge, but no-one ever mentioned those. They just ridicule my nose, my voice, my hair, my girlish derriere.” Earlier Tony Abbott came on to sing a famous pop anthem for feminists. “Once I was a monk, I was sanctified. Then testosterone kicked in I let my calling slide. And I fought so many fights. Yes Boxing made me strong. Yet all along, I never thought I could be wrong…. I will survive.” Missing on stage was Jonathan Biggins – who had a sabbatical this year – but he still, appeared by video in a froth and bubble Paul Keating style. Original writer and performer Drew Forsythe was also in fine form. Top marks for Bob Carr’s rendition of Camelot which became I read a lot….and Malcolm Turnbull as the charming Luke Skywalker who is always the nicest guest on Q and A even though “endless riches I am blessed.” It wasn’t always cheesy. Asylum seekers from Afghanistan were also a target singing, “Sit down we’re rockin the boat.” Amanda Bishop made our jaws drop with her singing and Josh Quong Tart making his Wharf Review debut was full of beans. It was a very slick night. David Spicer I, Animal World Premiere. The Border Project. Zoos Victoria. Melbourne Zoo. Directors: Sam Haren and Daniel Koerner. From Nov 23, 2012. DON’T bring the children to this adults-only experience at Melbourne Zoo. I, Animal is an irresistible piece of interactive performance art, utilising patrons and zoo creatures as cast, and the environs of Melbourne Zoo as stage and set. Following the success of I Am Not An Animal (Ruby Award for Innovation 2012), Adelaide company The Border Project were commissioned by Zoos Victoria to create what is a unique interactive experience. Here’s how it works. On arrival patrons are armed with a personal device, the ‘Zoe’ designed by Arts Processors, the
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team behind the ‘O’ device at the MONA Gallery in Hobart. After a series of introductory questions outside the main entrance, you are divided into four groups and led on separate themed experiences. I was allocated to the group exploring notions of life, death, survival and extinction. Its confrontation is surprising, warm and sensitive, and I was told later that it is the most affecting of the groups, particularly for those who’ve recently experienced the death of a loved one. Even so, there are laughs. Zoe is pivotal to the experience. Patrons interact verbally and physically with the device throughout the hour-long journey. Zoe not only provides direction, but tells stories including dark tales from the zoo’s history. We are wizened by statistics and facts, displayed images and footage, made privy to the lost sounds of extinct species, and asked to reflect personally on life’s biggest questions. I, Animal is particularly aimed at young adults in their 20s and 30s, typically the demographic missing from zoo visitors. However the questions we were asked to contemplate are not exclusively of interest to this age group. Indeed, they are perennial and universal themes. This is a special treat for Melbournians, and highly recommended for those 16 years and older - much older. Whatever you do, don’t miss it. Lucy Graham Dumb Blonde – The Genius of Dolly Parton Devised and performed by Allison Farrow. Accompanied by Lincoln Le Fevre. Director: Sara Pensalfini. Tasmanian Theatre Company Cascade Indie Program. Theatre Royal Backspace. Dec 5 – 9. TASMANIAN singer and actor Allison Farrow returned to the stage with her third one-woman show, this time paying tribute to the song writing talent of a childhood favourite: the incomparable Dolly Parton. The show was a 90-minute chat with the audience, singing the Parton songs most meaningful to Allison. Classically trained Farrow “found” her childhood hero again in recent years, devising the show to revisit the music and honour Parton, who she thinks of as a “genius” with a five-decade legacy to music. Farrow performed as "herself” rather than playing a character. Fortunately, Allison didn’t attempt to physically imitate the American country singer’s looks and style. Tall, slender, evenly-proportioned Allison, with her long flowing darkblonde locks, looks nothing like the miniscule, tiny-waisted, large-breasted, big-haired Parton. The connection and the reason for her show lies in the music. Farrow entered from the audience singing the title song, “Dumb Blonde”, Parton’s first hit. She proved that genre is not important, but musicality and love of music is. Audience favourites were: “Coat of Many Colours”, “I Will Always Love You”, “Jolene”, and my favourite, “Love is Like a Butterfly”. As Lincoln le Fevre accompanied on guitar, banjo and harmonica, the songs and congeniality flowed. Director Sara Pensalfini maintained the feel of “a chat with a friend’ on a simple set of stool, dais, and some girly pink butterfly touches. Rather than go the obvious “ditzy” showgirl look, attention was given to the music and the “guest of
Dumb Blonde – The Genius of Dolly Parton
honour”, Dolly Parton. Allison Farrow’s “Dumb Blonde” was a charming, laid back, but controlled performance with lovely singing. I think Dolly Parton would have approved. No dumb blondes here, just solid entertainment. Merlene Abbott The Last Prom: An Apocalypse in One Act By Nick Delatovic and Joel Barcham. Music and lyrics by Nick Delatovic and Julia Johnson. Directed by Joel Barcham. Ainslie Arts Centre, Canberra. Nov 10. IN this rock opera set on the eve of the Apocalypse, the Antichrist, who might be the son of the beast but underneath is really just a lonely teenager, has as his sole desire to go to a 1950s-style graduation prom and fall in love. And if Lady Gaga can swathe herself in smallgoods, why the heck not? This show is the brainchild of Canberra songwriter Nick Delatovic of The Missing Lincolns. This latest concert is the final in a series of one night shows based on the concept of the Antichrist and his four horsemen being a pop-band. Nick Delatovic played The Antichrist, narrating with selfeffacing, ironic humour (and a touch of Max Quordlepleen as he describes the universe exploding outside the bubble of the Prom). He’s got a versatile rock voice and great energy on stage. Keyboardist Julia Johnson enthusiastically
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backed him as his love interest, whom he believes to be a mortal woman but who it transpires is Death in disguise. The music itself was a cross between bands like Cake and 1980s Australian pub rock, INXS, Cold Chisel or Jimmy and the Boys at their most crazy. It was a lot of fun and very danceable, once you got over the uneasy feeling that the whole thing was a black mass. This labour of love was fantastic fun and the music was pretty spectacular. Nick Delatovic is a talented musician and songwriter and we enjoyed the show a lot more than we had expected. Probably not one to attend if you’re at all superstitious or religious. Cathy Bannister
poignantly and tellingly, deliver three reflections of its two variously suffering and alienated occupant characters. This is the story of a seemingly irretrievable communication breakdown in the twenty-year-old marriage. She (Jane Montgomery Griffiths) is a scientist and deeply passionate about her work. And he (Humphrey Bower) perhaps, one wonders, to be supportive of her endeavours, is a tertiary teacher of poetry who has grown desperately and bitterly weary of his students. As these two grow disenchanted with each other she is being swept off her feet by a young lover and he is discovered to be ill with cancer. As her passion grows outward his life fades and folds in on itself. We witness it as a real and organic human juxtaposition, set on a contrastingly shiny polished surface seemly representative of how we live our busy modern lives. The Hunger Suite Clockfire Theatre Company. Devisors: Emily Ayoub, Mine Sound by Jethro Woodward is subtle and so effective. It Cerci, Alicia Gonzales. Producer: Kate Worsley. Outside Eye: creeps in quietly and manipulates and enhances the mood. Gareth Rickards. Old 505 Theatre, Surry Hills. November 21 Lighting by Paul Jackson cleverly works the mirrors to the - December 2. best effect. HAPPY Days is here again! All-in-all I was left with the pervading sense that even Clockfire presents the dilemma of the creative artist when we don’t feel love we can still actually be, unfeelingly, confronted by the volumes of distraction that are ever loving those with whom we have an intimate bond. That present around us and can be fatal to the development of even through the really difficult times there can be a thread new work. Their highly creative work-in-progress puts the of a deep connection - an almost un-severable tie. audience in the artist’s seat then assaults us with a Therefore best to be kind and nurturing if at all possible, especially when facing death. cacophony of ‘musical’ noises from the ‘maestro’, generated by whacking various tins and cans and running a This is extremely well constructed theatre, moving, saw over the rim of a metal drum, plus a veritable tsunami thoughtful, and beautifully melded and managed by of verbal instructions and abuse from two clowns. Director Marion Potts. We feel like we’re losing our heads. Then she does! One Suzanne Sandow of the two actors assailing us (us being the audience as artist), has her head locked in a cage. Her brain is trapped. Mariage Blanc Then her head is detached, so we join her in an out of body By Tadeusz Róžewicz, adapted by Melissa Bubnic. Sydney experience as her head rests on a pile of hay. This scene is Theatre Company. Dec 1 – 16. reminiscent of Winnie buried in the mound in Beckett’s THIS latest offering from the Sydney Theatre Company is Happy Days. In fact, even though this work is loosely based an absurdist adventure into the subject of marriage, upon a Kafka short story, it has heavy overtones of Beckett. traversing all the issues and neurosis that such a step can A confusion of words tumble forth from the two clown-like unleash. figures confronting us. They are the sirens of sloth, who While on the surface this production is quite challenge us, tempt us, attempt to feed us, confuse us, and entertaining and interesting due to some gimmickry such as then abandon us for their own headless abandon. nude suits, latex penises and animal masks. These strange Stephen Carnell albeit humorous choices tend to overshadow rather than highlight the play's more subtle points. Wild Surmise It's a bit disappointing given there is potential for more Based on the verse novel by Dorothy Porter. Devised by Jane to resonate out of this production as most of the major production points such as cast and design are very strong. Montogomery Griffiths. Director: Marion Potts. Set and Costume Design: Anna Tregloan. Composition and Sound But the choices by director Sarah Giles don't go far enough Design: Jethro Woodward. Lighting Design: Paul Jackson. and therefore the story doesn't tend to resonate at a deeper Malthouse Beckett Theatre. Nov 9 – Dec 2. level. WILD Surmise is a testament to how poetry and Mariage Blanc is essentially an unconsummated union heightened poetic images and metaphors can encompass, and while at times this show is very funny, like it's namesake there is something missing. and when delivered with insight, express emotions with a visceral impact. Jane Montgomery Griffiths has the power Whitney Fitzsimmons and mastery, as an actor, to deliver deeply felt longing and yearning that is capable of truly touching an audience, as does Humphrey Bower. This adaption of Dorothy Porter’s work is exquisitely staged. Anna Tregloan has created a mirrored set that can,
CONNECT
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Mitchell Butel, Gerry Connolly, Shane Bourne and Geoffrey Rush in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Forum. Photo: Jeff Busby
Reviews: Musicals A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Director: Simon Phillips. Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne. From Oct 27, 2012 to Jan 6, 2013. YES, the show is dated and the gags were old when I was a child. Yes, the score is average with only one song for people to leave the theatre singing (which is still infinitely preferable to those musicals where you leave humming the set!) Yes Geoffrey Rush seemed to be suffering from first night nerves. Yes, there were more fluffs and gaffs than I would think acceptable on an opening night. In the greater scheme of things, none of it matters. It’s not a show for serious criticism, it’s a big, bawdy adult Pantomime. The set and costume design by Gabriela Tylesova is an absolute triumph. Mathew Frank as MD and Guy Simpson as music supervisor have done a fabulous job with the orchestra. Sound and lighting were both excellent. Geoffrey Rush gives us a more intelligent Pseudolus than we’re used to. Whilst indulging in the usual shtick, the pratfalls, the obscene gestures, the general irreverence of it all, this Pseudolus seems to be constantly thinking one step ahead rather than being driven by instinct, with thought processes that flip on the turn of a sestertius. Nevertheless there were enough moments of magic – like the wonderfully comedic soothsayer - to make me salivate at the thought of seeing the performance again.
Online extras!
Sing along with the cast of Forum by scanning the QR code or visiting http://youtu.be/QC1JC1EBtrs Magda Szubanski (Domina) has some delightful moments but frankly I found her musical number “That Dirty Old Man” embarrassing, played only for the fat jokes. It’s a missed opportunity to show Domina as a truly sexy BIG hetero female (we do exist) who wants to bonk her husband (funny enough in itself). Shane Bourne brings his delightful warmth and appeal to Senex but, again, seems too tentative in some lines. This is Vaudeville…the bigger the better; it’s not about subtlety. Nevertheless, his duet with Pseudolus “Everybody Ought To Have A Maid” is one of the highlights of the show. Hugh Sheridan (Hero) is so much more than a pretty face. With a great voice and natural stage presence he and the lovely Christie WhelanBrowne make the paper thin characters of Hero and Philia into real star-crossed lovers. Bob Hornery’s geriatric Erronius is delicious; bewildered, happily demented and defiantly on a quest, his exquisite timing was rewarded with applause at every entrance. Adam Murphy (Miles Gloriosus) was wonderfully OTT and in great voice, and the Proteans, Rohan Browne, Brent Hill and Troy Sussman, are an absolute hoot. Bravo! And then there’s the incomparable Mitchell Butel (Hysterium), who owns the stage. He primps, he preens, he camps it up, he finds the moments for pathos and he sings the guts out of his hysterical number “I’m Calm”. Despite any shortcomings, this is still the most fun you’ll have sitting down. Coral Drouyn
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My Private Parts By Deborah Thomson. The Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre (Sydney). Oct 31 – Nov 17. A WOMAN so desperate for babies that she embarks on a long voyage through IVF – and then writes a play about her failures – doesn’t suggest a lot of laughs. Writer/ performer Deborah Thomson and sidekick Lucy Miller, however, present this tale with just the right mix of tender truth, comic hyperbole and quick theatrical inventiveness. Thomson’s inspiration was to set this very modern marriage of birth and science back in the certainties of the 1950’s, employing a sunny retro design and an ironic use of upbeat songs. A three-piece band and a huge image of a Hollywood film goddess, with a microwave embedded in place of her private parts, helps set us smiling. Miller plays all the other characters on Thomson’s journey – the confidante supporting her through dud boyfriends; then the loving husband delivering procreation by the clock and later by the test-tube; and an army of cheery IVF advisers, officious nurses and doctors with bad news on the phone. It’s baudy and wittily observed but also somehow innocent and life-affirming, with the pain close to the surface but the narrative skipping through Thomson’s heroic endeavour. My Private Parts: An inside view of fertilisation is restaged by co-directors Brendon McDonall and James
Michele Lansdown as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Photo: Grant Leslie, Perfect Images.
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Check out video of WTC’s Sunset Boulevard. Scan the QR code or visit http://youtu.be/yOb0fV61HBc 72 Stage Whispers
Beach after a successful premiere at the Sydney Fringe two years ago. Sydney’s Seymour Centre plays an important role in giving such gems another life. Martin Portus Sasha Regan’s Pirates of Penzance By WS Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Sydney Theatre Company presents a Regan De Winter Production. Director: Sasha Regan. Sydney Theatre. Nov 10 – 24. PIRATES is a show normally dominated by boys. There is the swashbuckling Pirate King, made famous in recent times by Anthony Warlow and Jon English, the verbal virtuosity of the Major General and even the leading tenor Frederick has jokes to add to his sweet arias. Girls are sweet but play second fiddle. In Sasha Regan’s gorgeous production everything is turned on its head. Starting with Joseph Houston as Ruth. The jokes about ‘her’ pretending to be attractive to the innocent Frederick had extra resonance. His rich Scottish brogue and dancing were a delight to listen to and watch. We waited with breathless anticipation for the maidens to arrive on stage. They were stunning. The expressions, the movements, the poise added an extra layer of humour to an operetta I have seen so many times that I’ve lost count but became fresh again. Alan Richardson as Mabel used his falsetto voice with power and grace. Reaching all but the very top notes with resonance. The only slight drawback was that he was not as pretty as Matthew Gent as Frederic and perhaps one kiss would have been sufficient instead of three. The show-stopping moment was ‘Hail Poetry’, when all the voices were together. It was smoking hot. One of the reasons is that the accompaniment was provided by one pianist – Michael England. As brilliant as he was it sounded a little thin at times, but this a capella moment allowed the cast to shine on a level playing field with any other ensemble. The set was also minimalist. It didn’t matter as the joyous singing, acting and choreography had us entranced.’ David Spicer Sunset Boulevard Book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Willoughby Theatre Company. Directors: Simon Greer and Andrew Castle. Musical Director: Greg Jones. Choreographer: Rebekka Osborne. The Concourse, Chatswood (NSW). Nov 16 – 24. RECLUSIVE silent movie star Norma Desmond has retreated to the faded glory of her gloomy mansion, planning her big screen return. From cinema-style titles and credits, a black and white multi-media motif extends splendidly through filmed car sequences to encompass the whole look, down to minute detail, of Norma’s world, in designer / co-director Simon Greer’s splendidly conceptualized atmospheric, stylised design. Michele Lansdown triumphs as Norma Desmond in a finely balanced portrayal mixing faded glamour, pathos, fragility and her ultimate descent into madness, with memorable interpretations of Norma’s big numbers.
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As played by Morgan Cleary, Joe Gillis is appropriately and convincingly unsympathetic. Patricio Alloa carries off the role of Max, Norma’s Butler and Chauffeur with the requisite bearing, dignity and repressed emotion. Elizabeth Garrett’s Betty Schaeffer is buoyantly naive and enthusiastic. Among strong work in supporting roles, Tony Byrne’s cameo as Cecil B De Mille is a particular stand-out. Ensemble members attack their work with great vitality, though most of their scenes are peripheral. For the men, the level of high-camp fun in ‘The Lady’s Paying’ was just perfect. Similarly for the women ‘A Little Suffering’ was deliciously silly fun. Like the great moment of Norma’s return to Paramount Studios, these scenes revolve directly around Norma and the central plot. The excellent orchestra, under Greg Jones, accompanied this virtually through-sung show impressively. Willoughby Theatre Company has mounted the NSW Premiere of this grand musical theatre diva vehicle in great style. Neil Litchfield The Music Man By Meredith Willson. Beenleigh Theatre Group. 26 Oct -10 Nov 2012 THIS show contained some of the finest work I have seen from this group in recent years. That is to say, it had many magic moments when everything fell together. Credit for this lay mostly with Sally Daly’s astute casting and thorough rehearsal, and Christopher King’s effective choreography. Alex Dundas-Taylor ingratiated himself with the audience as the charismatic, smooth-talking swindler Harold Hill. He was matched by Lauren Lee Innis’s Marian Paroo – what glamour, what presence, and what a beautiful voice! David Morris created a likeable, nimble, comic Marcellus Washburn; and Tiffany Harvey and Samuel Gregory charmed us as young lovers, Zaneeta and Tommy. Who couldn’t love Phillipa Bowe’s enthusiastic, Irish Mrs Paroo; or young Jayden McGinlay’s Winthrop; and Brenna Corben (as Gracie) and Laura Seiler (as Amaryllis)? There was great group work from the Pick-a-Little Ladies and the Gossipers led by Sally Daly. Beautifully articulated
rhythm-speaking by the men’s opening chorus in Rock Island redeemed our confidence after a very scrappy overture. In fact this cast was at its best when there was little or no orchestral accompaniment. The Music Man is a complex and demanding show to mount, for both cast and musicians. In this case it would have proved more successful to settle for keyboards and percussion (augmented by a few very competent instrumentalists if available). Jay McKee Oliver! By Lionel Bart. PRIMA (Pine Rivers Musical Association Inc. Holy Spirit Auditorium, Bray Park, Qld. Director: Melanie Evans. Music Director: Terry Million. Choreographer: Shelley Marshall. Oct 19 – 27. CHARLES Dickens’ Oliver Twist is one of the great British novels and Lionel Bart’s musical adaptation of it is one of the great British musicals. PRIMA’s production ticked all the right boxes with Bart’s score the strength of the performance. Michael Forman was a very impressive Fagin, bringing out the Jewishness of the character, dancing impishly, and singing the role with conviction. His “Pick a Pocket or Two” and “Reviewing the Situation” delighted. Chantelle Hill was a lusty, busty Nancye who delivered the show’s most-famous ballad and its reprise, “As Long As He Needs Me”, in true diva style. One couldn’t ask for a better Mr. Bumble than that created by Colin Simpson who undoubtedly had the best voice in the show. Clayton Ellis as Oliver looked appropriately angelic and sang in a reedy-thin boy-soprano like every other Oliver I’ve ever seen. The chorus also sang well (“Consider Yourself” was particularly good) but this London Town seemed to be inhabited by mostly serving wenches and young girls with a notable absence of men and boys. This was the first community theatre production I had seen where every performer in the cast, including the kids, had their own microphone. It meant there was no trouble in hearing everything, but unfortunately the audio mix was frequently muffled and muddy, and at times in the fight
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scenes, distorted. Terry Million’s musical direction was pacy, and Shelley Marshall’s dance routines perfunctory. Still, despite the flaws, it was Bart’s classic songs that carried the day and sent the audience out smiling. Peter Pinne
ones….for comfort. He includes us, the audience, as confidantes and shares with us his favourite little-known show, the 1928 musical “The Drowsy Chaperone”. As he does, the musical comes to life in his tiny apartment. Director Karl McNamara, with the amazing Nick Kong, has designed (and built) an amazing set which includes a real fridge with side by side doors (and the doors are full of milk Sweet Charity By Neil Simon, Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields. Queensland and other foods) which also serves as an exit and entrance. Musical Theatre. Schonell Theatre (UQ). Oct 31 – Nov 4. Hilarious. THERE were many facets of this show to love. Success of Angelo DeCata, as the man in the chair, is the first Sweet Charity rests on the triple-threat talents of the delight. He creates his own “Man”….endearing, and with a character in the title. Cait McGregor pulled it off in spades. naïve sense of wonderment at the musical world he feels Her dance buddies at the Fandango Ballroom (played by safe in. We can’t help but feel for him and want to hug him, Kathleen Simmonds and Danika Saal) brought pizzazz to the such is his childlike innocence – and yet the character is beautifully layered, and the self effacing melancholy is big musical numbers, while male leads Tony Campbell (Oscar), Livio Regano (Vittorio) and James Whiting (Daddy palpable. Brubeck) made the most of their scenes. All supported Cait Nicholas Kong and Lizzie Matjacic (two Fab Nobs stalwarts) are dazzling in their intentionally OTT roles of McGregor valiantly in the best scenes of the show. Sweet Charity has more big production numbers than Aldolfo and The Chaperone respectively. They provided the any musical I know. This version hit its straps around the bulk of the laughs and nail every entrance. Amy Larson, another multiple award winner, is the consummate middle of Act 1, and from there to the end captured the zing I’d expect from numbers like ‘If They Could See Me soubrette (Janet) and an impressive triple threat. Christian Cavallo (Robert – The Hero) and Damien Calvert (George, his Now’, ‘There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This’, ‘Rhythm of Life’, ‘Big Spender (Reprise)’, ‘I’m a Brass Band’, best man) understand the period and milk it beautifully. The and the finale. remaining cast and band are all excellent. Technically the show is a triumph. Sadly, it all started too tentatively. Sweet Charity must Far from drowsy, I was wide awake and enthralled jump-start ─ up tempo, with a confident big show-band sound. throughout. Coral Drouyn I’m confident the conductor and orchestra will get their act together as the show settles in, and the artists will overcome the lighting and set limitations. The Rink By John Knder and Fred Ebb. Director: Alida Chaney. Hackett Jay McKee Hall, Floreat (WA). The Drowsy Chaperone PLAYLOVERS’ first production of The Rink west of the Book by Don Martin and Don Kellar. Music and lyrics by Lisa Nullabor was a nicely constructed piece of theatre. Alida Chaney in just her second stint as director Lambert and Greg Morrison. Director: Karl McNamara. Fab Nobs, Bayswater (Vic). Nov 9 – 24. successfully rose to this challenging musical. Alida was ably assisted by Skating Choreographer Ian Cross, a former IT’S Fabulous! There you go, my shortest review ever. Oh, you want details? Well if you insist. This is the slightly Starlight Express performer, and Amy Glendenning in her goofy story of a shy agoraphobic man – The Man in the choreographic debut. Mary-Jo Bell, the Music Director led a thirteen-piece band hidden behind curtaining, which played Chair - who rarely goes out of his run-down apartment, instead playing his Broadway show records….yes, vinyl well and was nicely balanced. The Drowsy Chaperone
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Susan Flood and Mirella Renel beautifully portrayed mother and daughter leading roles Anna and Angel, creating a believable relationship and showing excellent voices. The ensemble was very strong, all playing multiple roles and playing the comedy extremely well. I particularly enjoyed Alan Shaw’s Dino, David Nelson’s Lenny and Mrs Jackson, David Young as Dino’s father and Brad Beckett as Sister Philomena. Special mention must be made of Ian Griffin, badly injured while in a mascot costume at Perth’s telethon that day, who performed and skated flawlessly on a badly injured knee. The little girl, which is actually two roles, was nicely played by McKinley Severson, who shared the role with Kate Sisley. It was a superb debut and lovely skating. The set was one of the standouts this year. Wonderfully evocative of a broken down skating rink, it had beautiful ring of truth detail in the dressing. Wayne Herring, set designer, made a welcome return after a long absence from community theatre. Costumes, uncredited in the program, were thoughtfully chosen, both in terms of showing the passing of years and being true to character. This solid production was sadly under patronized, albeit in Perth’s busy November season, and deserved better audiences. Kimberley Shaw
Hairspray By Mark O’Donnell, Thomas Meehan, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Spotlight Theatrical Co. Benowa, Gold Coast. Director/Choreographer: Kim Reynolds. Nov 2 – 24. HAIRSPRAY was a blockbuster, playing to sell-out houses including two additional performances. This all singing, all dancing show was pure entertainment from Tracy’s (Jaquelyn Pointing) rendition of ‘Good Morning Baltimore’ to ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’ of the curtain calls. Kim Reynolds’ choreography was a workout to test any aerobics devotee and the entire cast carried it off beautifully. This production had pace, colour, humour and sight gags, and the talented cast created a very high standard in community theatre. Spotlight’s “man of many talents” Tony Alcock stole the show with a beautifully crafted portrayal of Edna Turnblad. What a joy to see this generous performer on stage. Musical direction was in the capable hands of Matt Pearson. Set construction and lighting was provided by Cert IV Live Production and Events students at GCIT Coomera Campus. Poor diction marred the opening night but improved as the season progressed. Hairspray – so good, I saw it twice! Roger McKenzie
The Venetian Twins By Nick Enright and Terence Clarke. New Theatre, Newtown (NSW). Director: Mackenzie Steele. Musical Director: Mark Chamberlain. Nov 13 – Dec 15. THERE’S a zippy band, strong voices, good harmony! There are zany characters, white faces, quirky choreography, a bit of slapstick, a few pratfalls and fast scene changes. In fact, there are all the components of a good musical and good commedia. Jay James-Moody plays both twins, country bumpkin Zanetto and suave, sophisticated Tonio. Each is clear and artfully sustained. As the villain, Pancrazio, Dean Vince is elegantly sleazy. Tall, lithe, light on his feet, he oozes through Hiss the Villain, with sinister sneers and graceful posturing . In true, comic, zanni style, Stephen Anderson plays Florindo. His strong, clear voice, physicality and command of the stage are assets to the production. Marissa-Clare Berzins is the much-sought-after Beatrice. Wrapped at first in green satin, then in green mini skirt, she moves from contrived elegance to crazed jealousy. Andy Jonston is a sadly comic Lelio and as the servants, Zac Jardine and Debra Bryan are funny and expressive, contrasting well with the prancing, pontificating Judge played by Peter Flett, and the whining, petulant character that Meagan Caretti creates as his daughter Rosina. There is a real sense of ensemble in this production. Everyone, including the audience, is having fun. But this doesn’t happen without strong direction, meticulous rehearsal and a talented and experienced cast. Carol Wimmer
The Mikado By Gilbert and Sulivan. Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria. Director: Diana Burleigh. Alexander Theatre. Oct 20 – 27. DIANA Burleigh’s production opened with an energetic and expert Taiko Japanese drumming performance by the Wadaiko Rindo ensemble, an interesting and original way to establish the Japanese atmosphere for The Mikado. While Japan is now well known, as the director explained in her opening talk, when The Mikado was written little was known about the country. Gentlemen of Japan dressed as Ninjas, some armed with bamboo poles, with others doing Ninja exercises, peopled the opening scene, delivering the unchanged lyrics with well -balanced voice control. Brett O’Meara (Nanki Poo) with fine stage presence and good clear voice, shared a positive rapport with Kate Amos (Yum Yum), who combined just the right comic touch with a lovely voice. Jessica Heard and Bethany McAleer added fine performances as the two remaining little maids, PittiSing and Peep-Bo. Capturing the essence of Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner, David Millar also worked particularly well in scenes with the imposingly made up Stefanie McAleer, a great audience-pleaser as Katisha. Snobbish expressions were a highlight of Renn Wortley’s superb Poo-Bah, Lord High Everything. In another good performance, Andrew McGrail’s noble lord Pish-Tush was dressed in Japanese clothes with a turban, reminiscent of an English Bobby.
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Stage Whispers 75
Bye Bye Birdie
Online extras!
Meet the cast of Bye Bye Birdie during rehearsals. Scan the QR code or visit http://youtu.be/zFnv1Gw91_o The set featured three Japanese arches, decreasing in size toward stage rear, with sets to each side and the rear made of paper (like Japanese houses), imported from Japan. Costuming was excellent, with Yum Yum’s wedding kimono and Katisha’s robe both the genuine article. Peter Kemp
Bye Bye Birdie Music: Charles Strouse. Lyrics: Lee Adams. Book: Michael Stewart. Harvest Rain Production. Director: Tim O’Connor. Choreographer: Callum Mansfield. Powerhouse, Brisbane. Nov 29 – Dec 8. BYE Bye Birdie by Harvest Rain’s first and second year interns was a funny and enjoyable production of the classic Songs & Stories of Peter Allen Broadway musical. Callan Warner was a likeable Starring Todd MckKenney. State Theatre, Sydney. Nov 23, songwriting-manager Albert, with Casey McCollow a 2012. Touring Nationally. believable ‘Spanish Spitfire” Rose. Warner’s ”Put On a TODD McKenney’s motto is to be yourself as everyone Happy Face” was infectious, while McCollow’s “An English else is taken. It’s the theme for a sparkling concert which Teacher” set the scene well. Cameron Rollo as the father allows him to recount his connection to Peter Allen and was a hoot, as was Erika Naddei as Albert’s mother Mae. backstage stories of playing him in The Boy From Oz. Danny Lazar made a good pelvis-swivelling Conrad Birdie, From seeing a Peter Allen concert as a child in Perth, to Lauren Heidecker hit the right notes as Sweet Apple, Ohio, meeting the great man himself at a BBQ in Bondi, to playing teenager Kim, but it was Morgan Kempster as the highthe role in the World Premiere in 1998, the lives of the two pitched screaming Ursula who won the applause. Tim men intertwine. O’Connor’s direction was fast and pacy, with Callum In this concert, despite a head cold, Todd McKenney Mansfield’s choreography effective in its approximation of powered through the night displaying his triple treat talents 60s dance styles. O’Connor made good use of his chorus of singing Peter Allen classics and some other unexpected over 30 people which brought a fresh adolescent lift to treats. “The Telephone Hour”, “Honestly Sincere” and “A Lot Of A classy band on stage, three backup singers, and the Livin’ To Do”. appearance of a young Peter Allen gave the flavour of a Peter Pinne bigger production. We learnt a little about the relationship between a Avenue Q performer and the audience. He calls them the 2000 headed Roleystone Theatre, WA. Director: Lorna Mackie. Nov 16monster. Sometimes they can behave badly. We learnt which musical he’s known of members of the Dec1. I WAS somewhat concerned that Avenue Q would audience to have had sex in the back row. In other cases shock Roleystone Theatre's traditionally conservative little death was replaced with an actual death. audience off their chairs. It seems however, that they were The only dangerous aspect of this night for the audience sufficiently warned or that this show attracted a new were two giant beach balls which Todd flung around in the audience for this hills theatre, as there were no walkouts, stalls. This audience was filled with friends and fans of Todd despite the swearing, adult content and puppet nudity. McKenney, determined to enjoy his performance, who came out well satisfied. David Spicer 76 Stage Whispers
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Certainly nobody would walk out due to standard. This was a well-managed ship, with a good set, gorgeous puppets and quality performers. Standout performers were the leading puppets, Simon Brett’s Princeton and Shoreina Perreira as Kate. I cannot recall seeing either actor before and it was a pleasure to see two new committed actors, with lovely voices, who understood their characters intimately (excuse the pun). Both were excellent and natural puppeteers. Working well together were Gareth Welsh as Rod and Jonathon Best as Nicky. They played off each other well and the puppets made believable roommates. Jonathon Best created a very different character with his portrayal of Trekkie Monster, another standout. The ensemble worked nicely together. Costuming of both puppets and people was well selected and the set well constructed. Music was nicely balanced and Stephanie LewendonLowe’s musical direction was solid. The seven-piece band played well and it was lovely to see their interesting, wellpacked biographies in the programme. This WA community theatre first was a fun and different production to end Roleystone’s year. Kimberley Shaw
Caiaphas; director Clements gives a credible portrayal of Pontius Pilate, while Bob Chard is more King Neptune than King Herod surrounded by a flipper-flapping dance-line of snorkelers. Surprisingly, Rajah Selvarajahas’s Judas is physically and emotionally restrained, while his vocals lack the role’s usual driving rock sound. Particularly effective ensemble work includes ‘Hosanna’, with attractive use of wave cloths, and the scene where beggars and cripples confront Jesus. The temple scene, however, needed more dramatic choreography. Attractive costuming gives the production a distinctly hippy 1960s feel. Despite restrictive stage facilities, a more inventive staging of the hanging of Judas should have been possible. The crucifixion, using part of the scaffolding, is, by contrast, quite striking. Alan Steadman’s orchestra effectively recaptures the score’s familiar instrumentals. Neil Litchfield
Dusty The Original Pop Diva Songs recorded by Dusty Springfield, book by John-Michael Howson, David Mitchell and Melvyn Morrow. Chatswood Musical Society. Zenith Theatre, Chatswood (NSW). Nov 2 – Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story 11. By Alan Janes. Ballina Players. Director / Musical Director: DUSTY is utterly defined by the portrayal of pop diva Paul Belsham. Nov 16 - Dec 8. and with Linda Hale the title role is in safe hands. Musical FOR those too young to remember, Buddy was one of Director David Lang, the off-stage orchestra and back-up the early rockers and a legend in American Music history. singers create an effective, slightly theatricalised pop sound. He died in 1959 at the age of 22. Hale’s energy in the songs and sympathetic playing of Featuring over 40 hits of the ‘50’s, Paul Belsham’s scenes, overcoming sometimes two-dimensional writing, is production of Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story used the the full deal. stage to advantage. Scene changes were slick and the use As Dusty’s alter-ego, young Mary O’Brien, Gabriella of the ‘on stage’ gave him the opportunity to play drums in Glenn is a sheer delight. Her scenes with Hale are truthful his own production. and touching, while she also shines brightly in vocals. In the title role, Jordan Stotter donned the horn-rimmed More strong vocals come from Miriam Ramsay as glasses and became Buddy Holly and together with Jerry Dusty’s lover Reno, who also finds warm supportive subtext (Warwick Binney) and Joe (Dylan Wheeler) picked up their in their scenes. guitars, formed The Crickets and set out to change the Katherine Wall is bright and brassy as Peg, nailing her music scene; giving us a whole list of catchy tunes – which restricted singing opportunities. brought back memories for many of the audience. Carl Of the male roles, Dusty’s high camp hairdresser Rodney Moore played Buddy’s mentor/manager with flair. is the strongest, and Raymond Cullen finds fun and Roger McKenzie sympathy without going too far OTT. Dusty’s parents are pretty stereotypical, though Derek Ebbs and Bernadette Baran find sympathetic moments Jesus Christ Superstar By Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Ashfield Musical amidst the comedy. Baran’s Irish accent needs modification; Society. Concord RSL. Nov 2 – 11. ironically, Ebbs’ genuine Irish accent is easier to understand. The energy of the ensemble and back-up singers never DID you first experience Jesus Christ Superstar as a concept album or a large-scale, spectacular rock opera? It flags, and costuming, particularly some fabulous 60s outfits, is a scene-setting treat. also works as a relatively intimate piece. The design concept, using six revolving panels, was a Director Dennis Clements’ simple set, using gleaming tubular scaffolding, creates effective levels and entrances on great solution for a tight stage, though its potential wasn’t always equalled by execution. a compact stage. Cameron Anderson’s Jesus anchors the show capably, When the supporting players and back-up singers get with his moving Gethsemane a highlight; Whitney Erickson their individual shot in the mega-mix finale, you realise the (Mary) has a rich voice, delivering the show’s main pop hit depth of vocal talent assembled. ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ impressively; James Neil Litchfield Jonathon utterly nails the basso-profundo notes of Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
Stage Whispers 77
Reviews: Plays
Matthew Zeremes and Catherine Moore in Becky Shaw. Photo: Steve Lunam
Online extras!
Director Anna Crawford discusses Becky Shaw. Simply scan the QR code or visit http://youtu.be/kL9HaM1CTpw Becky Shaw By Gina Gionfriddo. Ensemble Theatre, Sydney. Director: Anna Crawford. Oct 25 – Dec 1. THE chief attraction of this 2008 American drama is playwright Gina Gionfriddo’s bruising, skidding dialogue. Apart from her theatre work, she’s written for such popular television series as Law & Order and Cold Case. The fullyloaded, rapid-fire exchanges between her five restlessly unsympathetic characters keep your head spinning. Up close (as everyone is at the Ensemble) the actors are having a ball with this juicy material and their American accents are fine. Act One is all setup. In an NYC hotel, student psychologist Susannah (Catherine Moore) is mourning her months-dead father. “You’re infatuated with your grief”, scoffs her fearsome mother Susan (Sandy Gore), already off with a dodgy new boyfriend. Cuckoo in this dysfunctional family nest is cynical Max (Rupert Reid), adopted as a youngster and now lusting after his ‘sister’. Escaping, Susannah marries would-be poet Andrew (Matthew Zeremes), who arranges a blind date between Max and apparently fragile Becky Shaw (Anna Lise Phillips), who is “in a transitional life space”. Their predictably disastrous date launches a far more fluid Act Two. Under Anna Crawford’s direction the acting is terrific — with standouts from Reid as Max and Phillips as the doggedly determined Becky. There’s little help from 78 Stage Whispers
Steven Butler’s setting, which gets the opening 3-star hotel room right enough, but adds nothing much to the following 8 differentiated scenes. Frank Hatherley Elling Adapted by Simon Bent from Nicholas Norris’ translation of a play by Axel Hellstenius in collaboration with Peter Naess. Director: Pamela Rabe. MTC. Nov 1 – Dec 8. WHEN I first saw the film of Elling, I saw more than the “ordinary mysteries” of “what is friendship?” that director Petter Naess describes. Those are objective questions for sound minds. Elling, super-smart and eloquent, and his only friend Kjell Bjearne, super horny and ape-like, can’t ask or explore sound mind questions; they have psychiatric illnesses, and are perpetually “in the world but not of it.” Released from a mental hospital they are given a two bedroom flat in the city and told to lead normal lives. It’s a paradox since they have no concept of normal. Darren Gilshenan is impressive as Elling. His fixation on his dead mother is touching; his anguish and loneliness, when he thinks he has lost Kjell to a real woman, is heartbreaking. Hayden Spencer, bum crack constantly on display, makes an endearing comedic feast of his lascivious innocence. Bert LaBonte (Frank) is rock solid. Ronald Falk brings his great stage presence to Alfons and Emily Goddard still needs to find her feet.
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This should be an exquisitely subtle and touching comedic piece in delicate shades, but it is now a much broader palette full of dazzling colours and strong physicality. For me, the multi-coloured style makes mental illness too black and white. I prefer the paler shades of truth in the original film. Coral Drouyn
McDonagh adeptly blends dark comedy with the whodunit element and occasional physical violence and includes several of Katurian’s stories to add to the intrigue. Director Mat Lee and the actors gave the engaging tale the intensity needed to keep audience members on the edge of their seats. Two stories by Katurian that were wordlessly acted out by parent figures (Angela McKeown and Joseph Issa) and children (Toby Morgan and Alexandra McKeown), seemed to offer clues to events in the lives of the two brothers. But do they? That question had those watching in suspense. Ken Longworth
The Laramie Project By Moises Kaufman. Director: Chris Baldock. Mockingbird Theatre. Chapel off Chapel (Vic). Oct 26 - Nov 11. GREAT theatre is rarely about expensive sets, or state theatres, or marquee names in lead roles. Great theatre is about truth, and emotional connection, passion and Soulmates spiritual elevation and it can (and should) be a life-changing By David Williamson. Hobart Repertory Theatre Society. event. Last night Great Theatre was about a sky backcloth, Playhouse Theatre, Hobart. Director: Meredith McQueen. eight wooden chairs, some creative lighting (Douglas Oct 26 – Nov 10. Montgomery), and an ensemble cast of eight superlative REVENGE is a dish best served funny. Hobart Repertory actors sharing the vision of a gifted director to honour the Theatre took on the David Williamson play Soulmates and text of a truly important and relevant play. imbued it with humour but possibly less spite than the Playwright Moises Kaufman and the fellow members Andrew Beale and of Kelvinoriginal Harman version in 2002. Writing post 9/11, Williamson his Tectonic Theatre project went to Laramie, Wyoming, applied his unforgiving humour to the business of where a young gay man, Matthew Shepard, had been literature, books, authors, and the readers who love them brutally beaten and left strung on a wire fence to die. It both, in this still-relevant play. Central character Katie was the worst kind of homophobic brutality and an entire (Katherine Noonan) is a popular, and therefore successful community was left to question what its real values were, and rich, writer, who has incensed snobby, pretentious and what they stood for, and who they wanted to be. bitter reviewer Danny (Peter Miller). A feud begins with When an ensemble cast, devoid of costumes, make-up, Noonan outpacing Miller, who didn’t quite have the venom and props, takes your breath away with their sheer required to make the ensuing plot feasible. After a slow-ish conviction and respect for the text, it would be wrong not start, smart line after biting joke kept the audience howling. to name them all. They are Maggie Chretien, Tamara Director Meredith McQueen relied on the inherent clichés in Donnellan, Debra Low, Sarah Reuben, Christian Heath, Luke the story and the almost-caricature personalities to drag McKenzie, Scott Middleton and Adam Ward. Between them every laugh out of the play. Literary genius Max (Steven they play more than 40 characters, each with its own body Jones) sleazily exploited the emotions of gullible Heather language, inflections, thought process and agenda. The (Melanie Brown) leaving the audience laughing and almost audience simply drowns emotionally in the simplicity and hissing. Leigh Faulkner gave a good performance as Greg. staggering honesty of the work, brilliantly directed by Chris Set in Melbourne and New York, this tale of revenge is Baldock. played in several different locations, with almost seamless If you care about the world we live in, and if you believe scene changes. Another excellent ensemble piece, all cast in the quest to pursue excellence, and you can only see one members were in sync and obviously enjoyed the play. If play in the next twelve months…..Make it this one. the meter was on, I’m sure it would have hit about 9½ on Coral Drouyn the laughter scale. Well done. Merlene Abbott The Pillowman By Martin McDonagh. Stooged Theatre. Civic Playhouse, The 39 Steps Newcastle. Oct 10 – 20. By Patrick Barlow. Director: Doug Bennett. 1812 Theatre THIS gripping play examines the nature of storytelling (Vic). Nov 15 – Dec 8. through the story of a writer arrested in a totalitarian WHAT a delightful Christmas treat the 1812 has on offer country after children have been found murdered by means in Patrick Barlow’s comedy spoof on John Buchan’s novel similar to those in his bizarre stories. and Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic 1935 movie. There are spies, The writer, Katurian (played by Carl Young), initially Nazis, murders, beautiful women, and a hapless rake of a dismisses the nature of the deaths as coincidental when he hero on the run in Richard Hannay. is subjected to rigorous questioning by unsmiling “good Doug Bennett has done a superlative job as director, not cop” Tupolski (Carl Caulfield) and physical torture by just with the cast of four, but in his overall approach to the younger “bad cop” Ariel (Glen Waterhouse). Katurian is comedy. There is comedy business in this production I have distraught when he learns that his mentally handicapped never seen before. With an ingenious set…or what passes brother Michal (Daniel Stoddart) is also being interrogated. for one….and the actors themselves, through body movement, conveying being in a train or a car. It’s all Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
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hilariously convincing. The soundscape is excellent throughout, adding nuances and authenticity. Geoff Arnold is a perfect Richard Hannay – with slight overtones of both Leslie Howard and Rex Harrison. Rhiannon Leach is both attractive and competent in her three female roles – particularly as Annabella. But the production stands or falls on the quality of the Clowns. And what clowns they are! With so many costume and accent changes, and so many props to handle, it’s a fine line between hilarity and chaos. Keith Hutton and Barry Lockett never put a foot wrong. It’s a joyous thing to see a community theatre which works on every level and offers pure entertainment for two hours. See it if you can. Coral Drouyn
The acting, though, carried the work well, and the lighting, sound, and almost all the props contributed perfectly. (But could nobody have removed the chair left to obstruct for almost the entire performance the projected moving images?) Without troubling to convey coherent motives or characters, Bare Witness conveys an impression—possibly accurate, possibly inventional—of the randomness, the disconnectedness, and the constant threat in which Great Expectations. Photo: Ross Langley. photojournalists in war zones live and work. The uncomfortable staging is finally worth enduring for the acting that conveys that with reasonable conviction. John P. Harvey
Great Expectations By Charles Dickens. Adapted by Nick Ormerod and Declan Donnellan. atyp Under The Wharf season, bAKEHOUSE Theatre Company. atyp Studio 1, The Wharf, Walsh Bay. Nov 2 – 17. THIS adaptation maintains Dickens’ use of the first person and transforms the novel into a piece of true epic theatre. This sits well in the hands of director John Harrison who is deft at managing large casts and has approached the production with a Brechtian-style vision. In misty smoke haze, a rush of black and white clad Bare Witness actors carrying suitcases stride around a timber rake where By Mari Lourey. Bare Witness Company. Director Nadja young Pip sits on a raised dais. Through a cunningly Kostich. The Street Theatre, Canberra, and touring the concealed trapdoor he ushers his older self and Estella to eastern states. the stage. Past and future are interconnected and the cast LESS a play than a sequence of sketches in reverse begin their story telling. chronological order, Bare Witness portrays impressions of Suitcases become headstones. The storytellers freeze photojournalism in a war zone: the daily confrontation with and watch as young Pip muses by his parents’ graves. In a killing, maiming, and dying; the characters inhabiting these mighty rush of chains Magwitch rolls and stumbles down regions for a photograph; and its effects on them. the rake to land at Pip’s feet. When Miss Havisham appears, The central character's loss of close colleagues and her she is trapped under a symbolic tulle canopy through which increasing focus on war photojournalism at the expense of she watches the action constantly. time at home underscore war's destructive effect on Harrison has used the techniques of epic theatre well to perspective. bring this clever adaptation to the stage. He keeps the pace Whilst most dramatic performances attempt to create constant yet direction is intricate. Cast members change continuity between scenes, Bare Witness emphasises scene smoothly from character to storyteller, at the same time discontinuity. Bursts of rather pointless frenetic activity moving quickly in carefully directed paths to set situations reposition actors for the next (preceding) sketch, relatively or re-establish scenes. The ensemble work is impressive, the natural dialogue being broken up by highly unnatural energy and enthusiasm almost palpable. Yet this does not action. The more violent stage effects seemed designed appear to tire them – or the audience. merely to upset audience digestion. I was barely able to Carol Wimmer tolerate the first quarter of an hour. 80 Stage Whispers
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The Lonesome West By Martin McDonagh, Directed by Grant Lepan-Walker. Bakery @ 1812 Theatre. Oct 11 – Nov 3. BRITISH born Irish playwright Martin McDonagh is best known for his three trilogies set in Galway Ireland. The Lonesome West is the third play in his first trilogy. The cast of four and director Grant Lepan-Walker have made a feast of the action, centred around the small town of Leenane where despair leads people to kill each other or commit suicide, and the Catholic priest is an alcoholic. Coleman Connor has blown his father’s head off with a shotgun, because he didn’t like his haircut. What follows is two acts which, in spite of having little plot, move at a sizzling pace and provide far more laughs than gasps. The cast is exceptional. Stephen Barber, as the hapless Father Welsh, is both pathetic and poignant. Karen Bannon, as the lovesick Girleen is endearing throughout. Gabriel Bergmoser (Coleman) is a real talent, despite having no formal training. He makes Coleman despicable and yet attractive. The real revelation is Wayne Stewart, making his first ever appearance in theatre. He’s funny, sweet, simple minded, manipulative, and despairing. It’s a great night out and - to the people who left last night after the first act because they were offended by the subject – the loss was all yours. Coral Drouyn The Philadelphia Story By Philip Barry. DAPA Theatre, Hamilton (Newcastle). Oct 19 - Nov 3. PHILIP Barry’s comedy was written more than 70 years ago but the timelessness of its story and characters was shown by the constant laughter of the audience. The play is set in the country home of the Lords, a wealthy family living outside Philadelphia. Elder daughter Tracy (Nicolette Black) is about to marry for the second time. Tracy’s first husband, Dexter (Dean Blackford), is mischievously invited to the pre-wedding party by Tracy’s teenage sister Dinah (Tashana Hardy) who doesn’t like selfmade groom-to-be George (Rohan Harvey); a left-wing reporter (Danny Folpp) and a photographer (Natalya Andrews-Hay) arrive to cover the wedding as a trade-off for an editor agreeing not to publish a story about the philandering of the Lord girls’ father Seth (Alan Bodenham) who is separated from mother Margaret (Cathy Maughan); and the ruse of having Uncle Willy (Malcolm Young) pretend to be Seth is revealed when the man himself turns up. Director Julie Black and the actors brought out the comedy of the situations, as one deception leads to another and the alcohol consumed at a wedding-eve party amusingly puts a most unlikely pair in a compromising position. And while the set and costumes had a 1940s elegance, those watching could certainly envisage the complications that arise from the characters’ behaviour recurring in similar circumstances today. Ken Longworth
A Man For All Seasons By Robert Bolt. Cairns Little Theatre. Directed by John Hughes. Sep 7 - 15. THIS classic drama, well acted by the Cairns Little Theatre cast, is set during the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII as Henry seeks to divorce his wife and break with the established church in order to marry his mistress, Anne Boleyn. Objecting to this is a close friend of the king, Sir Thomas More, brilliantly played by Ralph Cotterill. Calling on all his years of experience, Cotterill dominates the play and every scene in which he is involved. Equally strong is Tony Walsh as the Common Man and narrator, his engaging presence and personality giving light to a dour tale. The female actors were also strong. Heather Sinclair as Lady Alice, More’s wife, and Francesca McCarthy as Lady Margaret, More’s daughter, gave excellent performances. Both Sinclair and McCarthy had superb voice projection. Equally talented were John Lipscomb as the scheming Thomas Cromwell and Mike Carrette as a corpulent Cardinal Wolsey. Both actors gave powerful character portrayals. Terry Grant as the Duke of Norfolk, Dudley Powell as Richard Rich and Peter Merrill as Henry VIII were also outstanding in their respective roles. The costumes for this period piece were well designed and appropriate for the drama, especially the female dresses. Director John Hughes and his hard-working cast must be congratulated. Ken Cotterill Murdered to Death By Peter Gordon. Director: Dawn Ridsdale. Frankston Theatre Group. Nov 16 – Dec 2. FRANKSTON Theatre Group’s latest production is sure to please. Presented in cabaret style, it allowed audience members to bring wine and nibbles and get into the mood of the play, the very funny Murdered to Death – a Whodunnit which tips its hat to Agatha Christie. Dawn Ridsdale stepped in at the last minute to replace a director who was ill, and she’s done a fine job. Despite the usual first night nerves the play was a comedy delight. The two senior members of the company, Dan Ellis (Bunting the Butler) and Dave Wearne (Charles) were particularly good, with Wearne covering his fluffs with great aplomb. The “juvenile leads” were terrifically cast. Naomi Woodward (Elizabeth) handled both accents well and was suitably coquettish. As her other half, Mark Moore (Pierre) was dashing and again handled both accents well. Their energy helped the overall pace of the production. The remaining cast were good, but honours to Braiden Barnard as Constable Thomkins. He was delightful. Then there is Michael Laity as Inspector/sergeant Pratt...a classic comic performance. The set (designed by Dave Wearne) was stunning – the expensive drawing room of a great country house. The plot is fairly nonsensical, but who cares? It’s all about enjoying yourselves, both on-stage and off. Coral Drouyn
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Fully Committed By Becky Mode. Castle Hill Players. Director: Paul Sztelma. Pavilion Theatre, Castle Hill. Oct 31 – Nov 10. THE setting is the cluttered basement switchboard of a trendy Upper East Side Manhattan restaurant, booked out months in advance … unless you’re famous, terribly wealthy, notorious, or know the chef! Christmas is approaching, everyone wants a table, and the phone is running super hot! Sam, an aspiring actor, is on his own coping with the switchboard as well as the intercom to the restaurant – and the dreaded ‘red phone’ to the chef. As well as Sam, the actor is required to ‘play’ the 40 different voices/characters that bombard him over a plethora of calls. It’s a mighty feat – and there are few in community theatre who could do it as well as Peter Rhodes. Calling on an unbounded energy and a wealth of experience, Rhodes establishes each of the characters with singular clarity and a totally different demeanour. As his accent changes for each, so do his facial expressions and attitude. The bruising, aggressive chef; the progressively angry Carolann Rosenstein-Fishburn; the busy Maitre d’ Jean Claude; and Sam’s gentle, patient recently-widowed father. All are clear and totally believable, despite the fact that things become quite frenetic. Pace is paramount in this production. Director Paul Sztelma is a dab hand at directing farce, and Rhodes has the experience and energy to match his demanding and creative direction of this clever script. Carol Wimmer
Charles Dickens Performs A Christmas Carol. Written by Charles Dickens. Directed by James Adler for Eagle’s Nest Theatre. Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne. Dec 9 - 15. WE live in a world where we’ve forgotten what a marvellous evocative storyteller Charles Dickens was. We’ve also forgotten the true meaning of Christmas and giving, of self-exploration and change. How wonderful, then, that actor Phil Zachariah and director James Adler have once again combined to bring us this marvellous offering, which is not so much a play as an intimate soiree with Dickens himself round the fire in his drawing room. Put simply, Phil Zachariah IS Charles Dickens – as well as the twenty or so characters from his story A Christmas Carol. Never at any time do you think you are watching an actor plying his craft, so beautifully drawn is his portrayal of Dickens. And of course we’re actually watching Dickens himself portray his characters; Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Marley’s Ghost and the three Christmas ghosts and even Tiny Tim are all seen through Dickens’ eyes, not Zachariah’s. It’s a masterful performance and Adler has directed it superbly. Every move, every gesture, has a reason behind it; small wonder that the show is now touring the world with great success. We all need a little Christmas, regardless of the season. Coral Drouyn
The Chalk Circle Malanda Theatre Company. Director: Luke Vanni. Nov 30 – Dec 9. MTC’s production of Bertolt Brecht’s The Chalk Circle Candles In the Rain (an adaptation of The Caucasian Chalk Circle) is an Written and Directed by Noel O'Neill. The Town Square ensemble production set on an almost empty stage. The Theatre, Kalamunda (WA). Nov 9 - Dec 1. backdrop to the story is a war-ravaged land as we follow THIS play had a former life as a One Act play. Author the fortunes of a woman and a baby as they stay one step Noel O'Neill, who also directed and starred in this ahead of danger. This is an unusual production for the MTC incarnation, has extended the play to build on the but a good one. Storyteller Jocelyn Goodwin keeps the relationship between the two main characters, homeless action moving with her clear narration. Gabriella men who care for each other. Normington as the woman saving the baby gives a strong Veteran actor Kim Taylor joined Noel as the other and believable performance as Grusha, a woman fleeing homeless character. They worked beautifully together and the horrors of war. Other notable performances come from had a genuine rapport. Their performances were sensitive Grace Chapman as a flamboyant judge, Flora Torrens as a and well-measured. Both characters have interesting and lawyer, Briony Benefield as the lord’s wife, Jake Plant as a sad back-stories which were carefully and believably farmer, Jack Fisher as a soldier and Mark Kerwin in a variety revealed. of villainous roles. One exception to the stark set is a rope In the second act we meet Leonard. Nick Hunter made a bridge that features at the close of act one. This is an very promising acting debut, in a confident performance as intricate and workable construction by Carl Grandelis and this thuggish but also sad, brutish young man. Using a the stage crew. Acted under subdued lighting The Chalk natural Northhampton accent he held his own with two Circle is compelling, thoughtful theatre well directed by very experienced performers, Mareeba State High School drama teacher Luke Vanni. The set (designed by Noel O'Neill and well constructed Ken Cotterill by Lindsay Goodwin and Bill Weighell) nicely recreated an abandoned ballroom, while lighting and sound were well Improbable Fiction managed by Aaron Stirk, Tim Edwards and Lindsay By Alan Ayckbourn. Canberra Repertory. Director: Corille Goodwin. Fraser. Theatre 3, Acton, Canberra, 23 November to 8 At a time of year when feel-good romps dominate our December 2012. stages it was good to see the thoughtful and thought THIS lighthearted romp will appeal to anybody who provoking Candles in the Rain. enjoys books, words, or a comic twist, and offers Kimberley Shaw something very special to writers and budding writers. 82 Stage Whispers
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The lively meeting of a writers' group, in introducing us to the quirks of its members— authors and would-be authors all—provides the setup for a hilarious farcical melange of barely compatible writing genres that simply begs for the creative staging that we've come to expect of Rep. And said romp is flawless. Not since, as a small boy, I watched an entire set in Noddy and the Magic Faraway Tree dissolve before my eyes into another set have I seen set changes quite as wonderful as these; and they are matched by costume and character changes at a pace difficult to credit. How any of the L-R: Jasan Savage, Kate Blackhurst, Euan Bowen, Christa de Jager, players managed to keep a and Heather Spong, in Improbable Fiction. Photo: Cliff Spong. straight face, I can't imagine. Working on the play must have provided many a characters are real people beneath the silliness of their laugh. actions and that rarely came through in this staging. The technical and artistic perfection with which Rep has The actors, though, largely compensated for that omission. imbued the production is a wonder to behold. Lighting, scenery, and sound were marvellous. Costuming was Rebecca Cuttance’s Lucienne was certainly a wife imaginative. And the set—at first merely a remarkably determined to keep her marriage on the straight-andcredible work of sound construction—assumed a character narrow, Kel White as her husband was clearly enamoured of its own, once called to life. of his wife and made nervous by the arrival of a married This is the most fun you'll have before bedtime. See it, woman with whom he once had an affair, and Lewis and retire with a grin on your face. Dixon’s Redillon was indeed a stylish young bachelor. As for John P. Harvey Carl Gregory’s Pontagnac, the title certainly summed him up. Ken Longworth An Absolute Turkey By Georges Feydeau. Newcastle Theatre Company. NTC Theatre, Lambton. Nov 17 - Dec 1. The Polyphonic Bard: Music and Shakespeare in Our Time Presented by The Pocket Score Company and Canberra FRENCH playwright Georges Feydeau was a master of what is now known as bedroom farce and this comedy, Academy of Dramatic Arts. The Street Theatre, Canberra. Nov 30 – 2 Dec 2. amusingly translated by Peter Hall and Nicki Frei, is one of his funniest. HOOKED on Shakespeare? Part of The Street’s Made in It centres on a happily married woman, Lucienne, who is Canberra series which fosters developing local talent, The lusted after by bumbling Pontagnac and elegant young Polyphonic Bard is an opportunity for Canberra to listen to man around town, Redillon. Infidelity repeatedly comes to gorgeous late Medieval and early Renaissance music and the fore when these and many other people converge on a get to see some upcoming young actors. The Pocket Score hotel room in the middle act with the behaviour of the Company all-male ensemble is superb, and has particular changing occupants generating chaos and hearty audience strengths at the bottom (bass Ian Blake) and top, with laughter. countertenor and harpist David Yardley’s beautiful clear Director John McFadden and an excellent large cast voice providing perfect balance to the rich harmonies. certainly kept the laughs coming, though McFadden’s In between the madrigals, we were treated to an decision to set the story in the 1920s occasionally produced energetic playing of Shakespeare’s greatest hits by the too much mugging of the type found in some silent films CADA students. Benedick’s enthusiastic defence of of that decade. Feydeau’s comedies are classics because his bachelorhood from Much Ado About Nothing was very nicely played, and I have to say I personally appreciated the Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
Stage Whispers 83
diminutive Kate giving Petruchio a good slapping, including not just a good headbutt but also a knee to the balls. There was some evidence of nerves manifesting in rushed lines and enunciation, not as clear as it could have been, but this was made up for with sheer energy. One sonnet was delivered with such verve it was a joy to watch, even if we couldn’t understand a word that was being said! These young players have a bit to learn, but plenty to offer and I hope to see more of them in years to come. Cathy Bannister
to how contemporary its themes are. Set at the end of the Tzarist rule, a young man of no particular means but his wit and writing ability (‘the Scoundrel’), inveigles his way into Moscow society by stroking the egos of the rich and keeping a secret diary of his true thoughts of these hypocritical people. Inevitably the diary falls into the wrong hands, which causes embarrassment for all. Lines about someone being a ‘liberal’ or a ‘free-thinker’ and working for the ‘State’ generated plenty of laughs. As ‘the scoundrel’ Yegor Dimitrich Gloumov, Cameron Gaffney had audience empathy throughout and made an amoral character The Importance of Being Earnest likeable. The women in his life, Kleopatra and Mashenka, By Oscar Wilde. Nash Theatre (Qld). Nov 16 – Dec 1. were fetchingly played by Fiona Kennedy and Leanne IT’S not surprising The Importance of Being Earnest is Sheeshear, whilst Jenny Brunner was an amusing Madame doing the theatre rounds again. This is Wilde at the peak of Tourosina. Maria Thompson got the most out of the largerhis talent as a wordsmith. After a raft of great ‘issue’ plays than-life clairvoyant Madame Maniefce, but it was David came Importance, essentially about nothing except middle- Jones as the Uncle, Mamaev, who impressed - a nice fullyrounded performance. Brian Cannon kept the piece class manners at the turn of the nineteenth century. The buoyant with a sure and light directorial touch. Nash company are doing a slick job of this entertaining satirical farce. Peter Pinne Director Nigel Munro-Wallis cast his actors shrewdly and they threw themselves into their parts with gusto. Eamonn Midsummer Clohesy (Algernon) and Henry Young (Jack), along with By David Greig. Music by Gordon McIntyre. Red Stitch (VIC). Red Stitch Actors Theatre. Director: John Kachoyan. Nov 16 their romantic counterparts, Jacqueline Kerr (Gwendolyn) and Samantha Colwell (Cecily), anchor the action with deft – Dec 15. characterisations and great timing. LIFE can be like a poker game in the world of Midsummer. Turn the card over and you may be lucky and Brenda Keith-Walker avoids Edith Evans’ cliché by creating a worldly, quietly dominant and dignified Lady win; or turn it over and you may not get what you hoped Bracknell. John Ashton almost steals the limelight with his for. distinctly different butlers, Lane and Merriman. Two thirty-somethings, Helena (Ella Caldwell) and Bob Brenda White is a slightly addled Miss Prism and (Ben Prendergast), the unlikely couple in David Greig’s Stephen O’Grady’s Doctor Chasuble achieves yet another romantic comedy, play the game of yes, no or maybe, effective Wildean satirical swipe, this time at the church. leaving destiny hanging. Designer Peter Cress utilises the limited space very well. Losers in the own minds, they meet in a classy wine bar, or more likely Helena, after a bad day at the office and in Only purists could carp that Act 2 should be in different locales: his arrangement provides a smooth transition of the the doldrums, plucks up the courage to approach Bob for a action without the hiccup of a scene change. drink, albeit with the agenda for more. Although the ensuing, lacklustre rendezvous is meant to be a one-nightJay McKee stand, the couple eventually wind-up having the time of Diary of a Scoundrel their lives on a hasty weekend away courtesy of a major stack of cash accrued via Bob’s involvement in shoddy petty By Alexander Ostrovsky, adapted by Rodney Ackland. Villanova Players. Seven Hills Campus of TAFE, Brisbane. crime. What happens next you will have to come and see but the play cleverly ranges from the affecting to the Director: Brian Cannon. Nov 23 – Dec 8. hilarious and you will find yourself wishing for this pair to RUSSIA is not noted for its comedies so this 150-year old work is a more than happy discovery and a surprise as get together. Caldwell and Prendergast are believable as the reckless Scottish couple and they perform Gordon McIntyre’s music and lyrics with genuine heart. Their comic timing is near perfect and the opening night crowd loved it. Edinburgh’s magical summer solstice is the poetic touch to Midsummer. Karen Coombs
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84 Stage Whispers
A Christmas Carol Adapted by David Holman from Charles Dickens’ novella. Hunter Region Drama School. Civic Playhouse, Newcastle. Dec 5 to 9. CHARLES Dickens’s story about a miserable skinflint who learns how to be convivial and generous when visited by
Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at www.stagewhispers.com.au
ghostly figures on the night before Christmas was superbly staged in this production, with director Victor Emeljanow, a large cast of adult and young actors, and the staging team making this an audience Christmas present to cherish. Emeljanow made excellent use of a simple set using stairs and white sheets, plus Theresa Sawert’s evocative lighting design and Jennifer Ellicott’s period-perfect costumes, to create locations in Victorian England from a lonely schoolyard to a jolly Christmas party. The costumes of the three ghosts – coldly white for the Past, jollily green for the Present and deathly black for the Future – and the chain-and-money-tin-covered dark garb of Marley were particularly effective. Tim Blundell’s Scrooge took the audience on an emotional journey that ended with smiles, with excellent use made of choristers who sang Christmas carols at appropriate moments and of a narrator (Iain Aitchison) who smoothed the transitions in time and place. Ken Longworth Calendar Girls By Tim Firth. Productions by Garrick Theatre (WA), Brisbane Arts Theatre, Cairns Little Theatre, Gold Coast Little Theatre (Qld) & Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre (Vic). FIVE of our reviewers have recently seen community theatre productions of Tim Firth’s Calendar Girls, based on the true story of a group of mature women, members of the Women’s Institute, who decide to pose nude for a fundraising calendar after the husband of one of their members dies of cancer. Of the Garrick (WA) production, Kimberley Shaw said: “Director Dale James handled the episodic difficulties well, with swift transitions and some impressively quick changes. … Kylie Isaia as Chris and Kristine Lockwood as Annie were believable best friends, while their Women’s Institute compatriots were beautifully characterised by Michelle Acott, Veronica Fourie, Elizabeth Rogers and Gail Lusted. These six ladies handled the nude scenes with confidence and pizazz. … Dale James' set design was an almost exact reproduction of a church hall I have visited in North Yorkshire …” Of the Brisbane Arts Theatre production, Jay McKee said: “This Calendar Girls is family-friendly and focuses on the comedy of how to keep photos of mature nude women posing for a calendar decent and artistic. … (The cast) work as a tight ensemble, a joyous, inspired group of friends, yet each with her own reservation when it comes to revealing all for the camera and public exposure. With amusement we recognise ourselves in similar situations. … This was a triumph for director Lynne Wright and her efficient technical staff. Ken Cotterill said of the Cairns Little Theatre production: “This was an emotional and funny production. Outstanding was Gill Birch as Annie, the wife whose husband is terminally ill. Gill played the role within the dimensions of her character and never once was tempted into playing to
the audience. … Cath Willacy, as Chris, injected energy into the production, as did Meg Fielding as Cora and Carey Leahy as a nervous Ruth … the play moved smoothly under Lynn Cropp’s strong direction. The ending was highly emotional with many in the large audience reaching for handkerchiefs.” Of the Gold Coast Little Theatre, Roger McKenzie said: “Calendar Girls was quirky, poignant and hilarious. Under Helen Maden’s direction, this show captured the audience from the start with its simple but effective sets and a cast who were so well suited to their roles. The show had pace and the balance between humour and pathos was beautifully handled. Copies of the revealing calendars were on sale with the proceeds going to the Leukaemia Foundation.” Peter Kemp said of the Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre production: “Although all but two of the female cast were nude for the calendar photo it was so cleverly done that it was quite tasteful. Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre did a wonderful job with great direction, good sets and a highly professional cast of three men and nine ladies.” Sylvia By A.R. Gurney. Theatre on Brunker. Theatre on Brunker, Adamstown (Newcastle). Nov 9 - Dec 1. THE title character in A.R. Gurney’s perceptive and charming comedy is a stray dog that an unhappy middleaged man brings home, incurring the wrath of his wife who wants their inner-city apartment to be a pet-free zone. Gurney, who has clearly noted the behaviour of dogs and the people around them, has Sylvia played by an actress. She has to use the mannerisms of dogs, and, in a clever plot element, the thoughts running through Sylvia’s head and those of married couple Greg and Kate are voiced in conversations between them. Director Isobel Denholm and her actors – Alison Cox as Sylvia, Lindsay Carr as Greg, Cheryl Sovechles as Kate, and Philip McGrath in three roles as people the pair encounter as they argue about the dog’s fate – made this an engaging story. Cox was a delight, whether attempting to sit on a lounge, rubbing her head against a newspaper-reading Greg’s leg to get his attention, or returning from a tryst in a park with an unseen male dog with a broad and satisfied smile on her face. The sometimes heated discussions between Carr’s Greg and Sovechles’s Kate revealed much about them. Carr movingly brought out the growing ill-ease that has Greg turning to Sylvia for companionship while Kate works long hours. Sovechles likewise sympathetically made clear the wife’s reasons for not wanting to be lumbered with a pet. McGrath was engaging as an amusing and observant male dog owner Greg meets regularly on walks with Sylvia, a snobbish female friend of Kate, and a quirkish marriage counsellor. Ken Longworth
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Hart Theatre Company Wins Major Guild Awards The Hart Theatre Company, auspiced by St Leonard’s College in Brighton East, Melbourne, won two of the major awards in the Junior Category of the 2012 Musical Theatre Guild Awards. The prestigious award ceremony at Costa Hall is Victoria’s equivalent of the Tony Awards. The theatre production of Barnum was performed under a Big Top in the grounds of St Leonard’s College in August. Students performed a number from the show and then accepted
awards for Best Junior Musical and Best Direction. Director of Barnum and Head of Theatre Performance at St Leonard’s College, Kim Anderson said: “It is a remarkable achievement to be acknowledged for theatre excellence at this level. “Over 40 schools around Victoria compete in the Guild Awards fostering and encouraging performers at the amateur and semi-professional level. “One of the main aims of the Hart Barnum
Prize winning director Kim Anderson surrounded by her cast.
86 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
Theatre company is to allow performers to be amongst the next tier of professionals and see a career progression in Theatre.” St Leonard’s College alumni include Noni Hazelhurst, Kerry Armstrong, Kaarin Fairfax and Hamish Blake. Many attribute their love of the theatre to the first Drama and Voice teacher at St Leonard's College, the late Roma Hart. Roma's passion and versatility was inspirational. To honour her, the Hart Theatre Company was formed this year. St Leonard’s College mounts five full productions per year. The 2013 Hart Theatre Company brochure is now available. Contact St Leonard’s College on 9909 9300 to receive a copy.
Projectors Lighting up Community Theatre
Technical
Eye-popping projections, common in multi-million dollar professional productions, are now making their mark in community theatre.
In one a bed is depicted vertically with some of the artwork projected onto the sheet which was stripped away. In the other, the level of detail in the scene set in a A production of Hairspray the Musical staged by one of shop is extraordinary. Victoria’s largest non-professional musical theatre For the technically minded here are some details of the companies, PLOS, provided Melbourne based production equipment used. The setup for the show consisted of three Arkaos company BAAC Light the ideal opportunity to show off its latest product offering for school and community theatre MediaMaster Servers outputting to four high powered projectors. For the first time, the BAAC Light team used productions. The BAAC Light team have embraced the convergence the software's new Video Mapping functionality to individually map each projection surface - over 90 in total. of lighting and projection and seamlessly drawn the two As the software was still in beta, the first two servers were mediums together. For Hairspray, large moveable set pieces constructed a pair of main and backup machines which provided coverage for all the stage elements to be mapped from white polystyrene called for a projection and media outputting to two projectors. server solution capable of individually mapping over 90 The third media server was used for the remaining two different projection surfaces, as the set pieces were moved projectors which covered the abovementioned TV set into numerous configurations for each scene. pieces on either side of stage. Given the large number of projection surfaces to be BAAC Light's lighting console was then used to control mapped and the large amount of artwork involved, the both the lighting and projection. All projection cues were majority of the surface mapping and media server programming was completed in BAAC Light’s preintegrated into the lighting cues which allowed for a single operator to press the GO button for each cue and production studio. Two large TV set pieces positioned on either side of the control both mediums. Illustrations for the production were drawn by Heath stage had live camera feeds from on-stage projected onto McKenzie and some scenes had animated elements them during the numerous “TV Studio” scenes as well as pre-show TV commercials from the Hairspray era. incorporated prepared by Paul Congdon. BAAC Light co-founders Brad Alcock (lighting designer) and Andrei Chlebnikowski (projection designer) said the For more information on how to incorporate projected results achieved on a community theatre budget were sets into your next school or community theatre impressive and were overwhelmed by the response from production, just visit the BAAC Light website the sell out audiences. www.baaclight.com.au for more information. Two of the most impressive scenes are pictured here. Hairspray the Musical
Hairspray the Musical
www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 87
Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds Supa Productions, Canberra
injured poses soon meant that the chorus would be relegated to the dressing room for all of Act 2. That became a thought of "do we need a chorus at all" given we have a similar representation on multimedia for Act 1? The answer of course was “no”. So over six months of planning, we came full circle to a small cast as per the original production, but our cast would provide a significant amount of “theatricality” to each song.
Director Ron Dowd had the whole future of an amateur theatre company at stake when he staged a sound, light and video extravaganza in Canberra in October 2012. It had Technology / Challenges everything from CGI cinema, to lights resembling killer heat The 2006 concert contained a continuous CGI movie running rays, to sub woofers under the seats. Were the world and Supa at the back of the stage on a giant screen though both acts Productions saved from extinction? and we felt to do the same would be essential in recreating the “look and feel” of the Jeff Wayne experience. So with about 9 Intro and Synopsis months before the production, we set about speaking to local Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds is written around the and interstate CGI animators. Everything was going smoothly H.G. Wells science fiction novel of the same name (1895-1897). It and they felt it could be done and rendered in time until we is narrated by a journalist who lived through a late 1890s discussed the “Thunderchild” sequence and the requirement for imagined invasion of earth by the planet Mars. It has all the a water based scene. much-loved songs such as "Thunderchild", "Spirit of Man", The requirement for that amount of water to be rendered "Brave New World" and the world-wide multi-million selling apparently meant they basically thought we were crazy single for Justin Hayward, "Forever Autumn". trying to do what we were going to do in the timeframe Presented with a 28-piece on-stage rock band and allotted and sadly declined to be part of our experience. This set orchestra and original multimedia direct from the UK, Supa -back so close to the production didn’t stop us, but it meant Productions promised to deliver the biggest musical theatre approaching the Jeff Wayne Music Group again for the rights spectacular on stage in Canberra for many years. to use the CGI that they had developed (updated for his 2010 A chance remark at a party two years ago started the tour). This was no problem at all for them. It came at a ball rolling on the most technologically advanced and most significant cost to the production but I felt that the inclusion of expensive production I have ever been a part of. My production the CGI was essential. However this meant the production team manager came up to me at an after-show party and then had to go back to Supa and adjust the budget again. This suggested “Let’s do Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds”. To meant taking this production into territory where a failure of which I casually answered, “Sure, if you can find him, and the production to be successful could possibly bring about the contact him, and find out how much the royalties are, and get end of the company. the rights, I will direct the show... chuckle chortle chuckle,” and to my surprise within two days he located an address for Rehearsals/ Production Week Jeff Wayne, emailed his management team, established the From day one of production planning, it was decided that royalty costs and obtained the rights to do the show. this production would run to a computerised time code. A computer would run and fire off signals to things at given Vision / Style times (like start a click track) and that time code would The original production was presented as a concert with govern the production. This meant a lot of pre-production work established recording artists (Justin Hayward, Chris Thompson, for the technical teams. However the end result was that if etc.) and they would just stand and sing with very little on the the cast, band and orchestra all rehearsed to a given time acting side. An early decision was to add a chorus. This would reference, that by show time we could synchronise singing, add to the cast members’ vocals (harmonies) and provide an music, sound effects and the CGI screen. The precision in which on stage visual singing and dancing chorus as London is this would happen was so close that our technicians informed attacked and the masses flee the city. The issue soon became what to do with them in Act 2? Online extras! While a multimedia cast can “appear from no-where” to be ABC’s ‘7:30 Report’ interviews War Of dead or injured in every shot of “Dead London”, the reality of The World’s cast & creative. Scan or visit getting a large chorus to run on stage and lay down in dead/ http://bit.ly/XelNjf to watch the video. 88 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
Director’s Diary me we were at most about 3 frames out of synch. Given there are some 15 frames per second in the animated CGI, that’s pretty impressive in any circle. This concept then required us having more than one Sitz Probe, but this work during the latter stages of rehearsals meant that by production week we had enough time to allow the lighting and sound team 2 days in the theatre to install the massive sound and lighting rig, do a sound check, and still manage to get in three dress rehearsals. Sound Design / Lighting Design The lighting and sound design (and CGI) were to be such an integral part of this production, as there would be long stretches of musical interludes where nothing was happening on the stage in terms of the cast acting or singing. The lighting in itself became a “cast member” of the show and reached unheard of levels of production value in an amateur show. The sound design is the most intricate and elaborate sound design ever used in Canberra. As well as the surround sound, the designer incorporated extra sub woofers under the seats which allowed the seats to rumble at specific stages of the show. This, along with using stadium lighting concepts so that during the initial Martian invasion the audience saw the battle taking place on the CGI and as the “Heat Ray” zapped into the audience from the lighting rig, meant they could feel the auditorium shaking as the Martians walked past in their fighting Machines. The effect was to provide the audience with a sensory experience beyond just sound and lights; they became a part of the battle. Audience Reaction Put simply, this appears to be one of, if not Supa’s biggest success ever. The final week of the production was all but sold out (a trend that was started the week before). As a director, I could not have been happier with the outcome both artistically for the production team, the cast, the musicians, the crew and myself and financially for Supa. Director: Ron Dowd Musical Director: Sharon Tree Choreographer: Kathryn Jones Production Manager: Joseph McGrail-Bateup Stage Manager: Peter Corbett Lighting Designer and Operation: Chris Neal Sound Design and Synchronisation: James McPherson Audio Engineer / System Designer: Chris "Doc" Shackleton, Costume Designer: Suzan Cooper Makeup: Josie Mitchell
What Stage Whispers’ reviewer Cathy Bannister said. “Consensus in this household (including from the 15-year-old cynic) is that the lighting, music and staging were “awesome”. It’s a fabulous opportunity, not just for aging boomers and Gen Xers to revisit their youth, but also for anyone of any age who didn’t get to experience one of these epic prog rock conceptual concerts the first time around.” www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 89
care that I look “jolly” in a Hawaiianshirt. I don’t care if my wife’s run off with her Pilates instructor. He can have her. I like being me: Fat happy Daryl. SHONA: Daryl, we’ve told you for weeks. We don’t believe your wife has done this to you and run off with her By Dorian Mode Pilates instructor. No one does that. That’s using Feedem Fighters in a really Script excerpt by permission of ORiGiN Scene: Temptation Room shitty way. No one is really that Theatrical www.origintheatrical.com.au Blackout. [In the darkness we hear vindictive. Lionel Bart’s ‘Food Glorious Food’ KEVIN: Besides, you’ve lied about Dorian Mode’s inaugural play from the musical Oliver! as the set is everything. You told Shona you had a canvasses the dichotomy with our modified by stage hands] degree in English Literature. You told obsession with ‘food porn’ television Lights are raised and we find the stage me you have a degree in Eastern such as MasterChef and My Kitchen covered in food scraps. Daryl has Philosophy. You told Gary you were in Rules and extreme weight loss shows stuffed his face with almost every piece the armyDARYL (slyly, eating the remaining like The Biggest Loser or Extreme of junk food left to tempt him. It’s food) -I said I studied Eastern Makeover all within a befuddled hour orgiastic. of prime time. Have we gone mad? Or Shona and Kevin return, shocked. Philosophy - which I did before switching to English Lit. I told Gary I have we reached the nadir of western SHONA: What on earth...? You were affluence? supposed to eat one thing and one was in the cadets. And it’s the truth Daryl Lucas is a fat, happily married thing only! How could you eat so when I say my wife has done this to set me up. Why won’t you believe me?? soft-drink salesman living on the NSW much food in ten minutes? Central Coast until the day he walks in DARYL: (yelling) I’m from the Central SHONA: Well, who’d blame her, on his cheating cougar wife and her Coast. These are the ways of my frankly. We’ve had you here for eight people. weeks and frankly, we are sick to death young Pilates instructor. While he plots to divorce her, she SHONA: (yelling) Well, “your people” of you. DARYL: (eating) Not true. Deep down arranges for Daryl to be kidnapped by must be morbidly obese. a group of disparate lunatics calling DARYL: The ancient Darkinjung people you like me, Shona. Don’t deny it. themselves Feedem Fighters. - the original people of the Central Shona rolls her eyes. Coast - have a totem: it’s the whale. I KEVIN: Well, you make me frustrated, I think they knew a little something don’t mind telling you. about the tribe following them. DARYL: (eating) Then let me go. Easy KEVIN: (to Shona) And I thought we as. were getting somewhere with the SHONA: Daryl, no matter how many mediation techniques. He’s beyond times we tell you. You don’t seem to hopeless! What is the point?? get it. We have two signed contracts. SHONA: (throwing food at Daryl) I You have five lousy kilos to go - ten don’t get you, Daryl. It’s like you are happy being fat! DARYL: (claps) At last! Give the lady a cigar. I am happy being fat. I don’t
Philip Walker, Dorian Mode and Kim Ransley at the ORiGiN Theatrical office
90 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
now you’ve had an orgy in the temptation room - so why don’t you just work really hard for a week and lose the ten kilos and do us all a favour and PISS OFF? DARYL: (surprised) Is that all I have to lose? Five kilos? You’re kidding? SHONA: Before today, well...yes. DARYL: (putting down donut) Are you telling me I’ve lost the entire goal weight? SHONA: Well...almost, yes. DARYL: (to Kevin) You know...I bet she thought I’d never do it. KEVIN: Shona? DARYL: No. Bernice. I bet she thought, “I’ll sign the early release clause, sure. Why not? The fat prick has no willpower. He’ll never do it.” Hey, I know! Maybe I’ll fly to Bali and surprise them both. Lounge around the pool in the lolly-bags. KEVIN: That’s the spirit! DARYL: I’ve just got to find some willpower. Daryl punches his chest, salutes Black Panther style, shouting “WILLPOWER” KEVIN: At last! That’s what I’m trying to teach you. Self discipline, Daryl. Willpower!
Script Excerpt
Cast of the 2011 production at Chatswood's Zenith Theatre.
DARYL: Okay. I’ve just got to get tough with myself. I want you to put a longneck of beer in front of me. I’ll prove it to you. Go on! Kevin enthusiastically returns with the bottle of beer, beaming. DARYL: Go on. Open it and leave it on the table. Shona opens it and leaves it on the table. They stand back and watch. Daryl grabs the bottle and starts sculling it.
SHONA: Kevin! Kevin!! Grab that bottle off him! It’s a bloody trick! If he puts on more weight, we’ll never be rid of him!! Kevin chases Daryl around the stage as he tries to drink it as Daryl shouts “willpower, willpower” Blackout. Performing rights available through ORiGiN Theatrical. Contact: Kim Ransley - kim@originmusic.com.au Cast of the 2011 production at Chatswood's Zenith Theatre.
Online extras!
Haven’t seen Feedem Fighters? Scan the QR code or follow the link for more http://youtu.be/cvGrqSybbaM www.stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 91
Musical Spice
Hugh And Me I have a lot in common with Hugh Jackman. Now stop laughing. If you are less than charitable you might point out that Hugh is a six foot something global movie star, singer and dancer with chiseled good looks and an all-round nice Hugh at Bondi. See David Spicer’s guy who could charm the muscles on page 98. pants of anyone. Whereas I am five foot something, a tiny bit overweight, ever so slightly balding, occasionally grumpy with two left feet etc., etc. The similarities between Hugh Jackman and I are deceptive. For starters we both have ten fingers, ten toes and one …. Can I do better than that you ask? Well yes. As it turns out I recently discovered that I went to ‘college’ with our Hugh. In the late 1980’s he enrolled in the BA Communications course at the University of Technology in Sydney. This was around the same time that I was there. Unfortunately I did not know that he was Hugh Jackman at the time. For starters he was quite skinny and had a beard. Apparently he was majoring in Public Relation subjects whereas I was focused on journalism. Also he was not in my year. But in the tradition of the song I’ve danced with a man, who’s danced with a girl who’s danced with the Prince of Wales, a good friend of mine used to talk to him. Hugh got the acting bug at UTS when he enrolled by accident in a drama subject. The Vice Chancellor of UTS told me that Hugh tried very hard to drop out of drama but a bureaucrat refused to let him change because he missed the deadline to swap. When he turned up in class all the student names were written on a board and parts in a class play were handed out at random. He got the lead role but didn’t want it and protested quote vociferously. Hugh told a UTS function recently that being forced to play the lead was instrumental in him catching the acting bug. So you still think my connection with Hugh is pretty 92 Stage Whispers January - February 2013
What Hugh looked like when we almost met at Uni
flimsy? We didn’t even talk you might say. Well let’s keep going. Both Hugh and I are both straight and have sung in musicals. (Yes it happens). For a while his children attended the same school as my nephew. Mothers would crane their necks when he picked up the kiddies from school. “Please, please may his son invite my son to his son’s birthday party,” they would gush. Then there is The Boy From Oz connection. Hugh played Peter Allen on Broadway and in an arena tour around Australia. Whereas I am the agent for The Boy From Oz. Goodness doesn’t this make us almost genetic twins? I would think so. And yes I have met Hugh Jackman. Recently Stage Whispers covered his appearance at The Actors Centre in Sydney. He enrolled in that course after UTS. I stood on the red carpet waiting for my interview. Do you know who I am Hugh? I have a lot in common with you. Isn’t it obvious? Can’t you see the resemblance? He gave a one on one interview to Channel 10 and Channel 7. Then when he came past me a pushy PR person turned up her nose. “He doesn’t have time to answer even one question from you.” I got one question in anyway, brandishing my Boy From Oz program, and he gave me a brief answer, but I can’t quite remember what he said. Never mind, any minute now the phone will ring… “Hey David it’s your old buddy Hugh here, Deb and I are having a BBQ. Are you free?” The next minute I’ll feel a sharp jab in the ribs. “Wake up David…you have fallen asleep again.” David Spicer
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Rockin’ Robin Visit www.davidspicer.com.au to read scripts, listen to music and see show videos. Order catalogue email david@davidspicer.com Phone/Fax 02 9371 8458. Write to PO Box 2280 Rose Bay North NSW 2030
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