The New Garrick Gazette June 2020

The New Garrick Gazette Issue 576 June 2020

Garrick Theatre Club (Inc) www.garricktheatre.asn.au 16 Meadow Street, Guildford PO Box 122, Guildford WA 6935 Editor: Douglas Sutherland-Bruce In this issue:

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Another View

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Editorial

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Meet the Member

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Phase 3

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The Committee

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D E N O P T S

The New Garrick Gazette Published by: Printed by: ISSN (Print edition): ISSN (Online edition)

The Garrick Theatre Club (Inc) Docuprint 2652-4678 2652-4686 Copyright 2020 1

The actor has to develop his body. The actor has to work on his voice.

But the most important thing the actor has to work on is his mind.

- Stella Adler

EDITORIAL AS JUNE DAWNS IT brings new hope that we may be able to re-open the theatre in a limited sort of way - certainly we can make plans to think about re-opening. As always the safety of cast, crew and audience is the first priority of the President and Executive Committee.

The guidelines issued by the State Government taking effect from the 6th June allow us to host an audience of up to a hundred providing always that each non-family group has a 1.5 metre gap between them and the next family group. This means in fact that we need to allow an entire empty row between each occupied row. As our rows are four or five wide this drops the permissible audience by 50% plus a one seat gap between family groups.

This being the case effectively our maximum audience can only be some 35%-40% of capacity - which is tricky, but doable and safe. As the restrictions apply also to the foyer, we may have to restrict access or make extensive use of the outdoor area.

But the major difficulty is in the safety of the cast. A large cast will scarcely be possible in our very limited dressing room and Green Room space and maintaining a safe distance on stage during performance may be untenable.

The Club have made a commitment that the next full-scale production will be The Hound of the Baskervilles, which we are hoping can now go back into rehearsal pending further relaxing of the rules, which may well follow within a month or so. The cast have been keeping in touch and line rehearsing via Zoom, organised by the directors Rod Palmer-Stickles and Gail Lusted.

Costumes have continued to be made and in particular, props - I have seen some touches of the Hound, and I have to say it’s pretty impressive.

We in Western Australia can be rightly proud of what we have achieved. Our stats don’t look great after this past week, but while only a week ago we had but two active cases, we now have twenty-five active cases, all arising from persons already held in quarantine, either returned from overseas or arriving on the stock ship Al Kuwait, but quickly identified, contained and being treated.

Now, this may signal the end of the First Wave, or it may mean that we have been spared the First Wave; it may be that we also escape a Second Wave, or that a Second Wave such as we have seen elsewhere will rise and devastate us - we simply do not know. Nor can anyone else enlighten us. The best medical minds coupled with intense research cannot help us as the virus is mutating at an unprecedented rate and in unexpected ways - what was true last week may not be true now, and what is true this week may not be so tomorrow.

As Sir Winston Churchill famously put it:

‘Now this is not the end, nor even the beginning of the end, but it may, perhaps, be the end of the beginning.’

Until we next see each other on the green ...

Douglas Sutherland-Bruce, Editor.

Any views expressed in this editorial are those of Dr Sutherland-Bruce alone and may not reflect those of the President and Executive Committee

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MESSAGE FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT PHASE 3 THE HON MARK MCGOWAN MLA

- Gyms, health clubs, indoor sports centres will be able to offer the normal range of activities, including use of all gym equipment. However, Gyms will need to be staffed at all times and undertake regular cleaning.

- Full contact sport and training will now be permitted in Western Australia. This will mean from next weekend, people of all ages will be able to start competitive contact sports.

- Parents and guardians will be able to enter school grounds to drop off or pick up their children as part of Phase 3.

- TABs are permitted to reopen. The Chief Health Officer will separately work with Crown Casino on how the gaming floor could reopen in the future.

These are all major steps forward for Western Australia. Phase 3 will be a big leap – but it’s one we can make under the watchful eye of our expert health advisors.

The four square metre rule was introduced in line with health advice. I know it’s a rule that is hurting businesses.

I’ve been out for dinner in Rockingham and seen tables and chairs stacked up, because the four square metre rule is limiting the number of people that can be in some venues.

As was always going to be the case in Phase 2, the four square metre rule prevented a large number of businesses from opening.

As we now increase the limit on gatherings to 100, I wanted to make sure we closely assess this rule.

Our Chief Health Officer has now advised, that due to WA’s hard border with the east remaining in place, Western Australia is now in a position to move ahead of the national advice.

As part of Phase 3, Western Australia will be the first State in the nation to remove the rule and instead implement a two square metre per person capacity rule for venues.

This will replace the four square metre rule, which is the current national position.

This is an important and substantial move forward our State, and I hope it means many more businesses will be able to open and

WE’VE JUST ANNOUNCED THE details of Phase 3 of our roadmap for the easing of restrictions, with significant changes coming into effect on Saturday 6 June.

As part of our carefully planned roadmap, Western Australia is now ready to take the next step.

This next step will be significant, and it will be challenging.

Before I detail the changes, I will say this - WA’s success allows us to move ahead and take significant steps, BUT we all must continue to act responsibly, that means good physical distancing where possible and good personal hygiene.

Because if we have an uncontrolled outbreak, I don’t want to have to place restrictions back on. We cannot afford to undo all our good work.

Phase 3 will be introduced from next Saturday, thanks to the success in limiting community transmission in WA during Phase 2, and on the advice of our Chief Health Officer and State Emergency Coordinator.

As part of Phase 3, the follow changes will occur: - Non-work indoor and outdoor gatherings of up to 100 people will be allowed, a five-fold increase from the current 20-person limit.

- Up to 300 people will be allowed in some settings, including for indoor or outdoor venues with multiple, divided spaces, with up to 100 people in each space.

- All food businesses and licensed premises can now operate with seated service only, and alcohol may now be served without a meal at licensed premises.

- All beauty therapy and personal care services can reopen, including saunas and wellness centres.

- Galleries, museums, theatres, auditoriums, cinemas and concert venues can reopen – with the 100/300 rule followed.

- Perth Zoo will open, as can wildlife parks, amusement parks, arcades and indoor play centres.

- Playgrounds, skate parks and outdoor gym equipment can reopen.

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employ more Western Australians. I know it’s still not perfect, but we are now able to move ahead of the rest of the nation.

In addition, as part of Phase 3, Rottnest Island will reopen to the WA general public.

Rottnest has served us well as our own quarantine island during this crisis.

We can only make these changes because of the hard work of everyone across our State. But in particular – our hard border controls give us the flexibility to progress further along on roadmap.

Once again, WA has led the way, and I hope our performance can continue to lay the path forward for the other States.

Now is the time for Western Australians to wander our great State and support local businesses.

Just like Phase 2, we will carefully monitor the introduction of Phase 3 and its impact in our community.

Together, as part of a rigorous consultation process involving the Chief Health Officer and Police Commissioner, we will closely assess Phase 3.

We will then work towards further restrictions being eased as part of Phase 4 in coming weeks.

This will predominantly be focused on even larger gatherings, the new two square metre rule and some of the other existing restrictions.

A time for Phase 4 introduction will be determined in the future, but it will follow the approach we have taken between earlier phases.

MEET THE MEMBER DOUGLAS SUTHERLAND-BRUCE We begin this month with a brief portrait of one of our members, and we hope to continue the series - some of our members have done extraordinary things and deserve to have them memorialised. This month we begin with a newish member (less than twenty years - but one the editor knows well - so it was easy.)

Next month we should have someone more interesting.

FROM AN EARLY AGE Douglas had a passion for the stage and all matters theatrical somewhat to the bemusement and amusement of his parents, whose contribution was limited to taking him to lots of shows and encouraging and allowing what talent he had.

His first role was that of the littlest Siamese child in a professional production of The King and I mounted by his Godfather, Des Morley, in 1960, when he was nine. Des risked his own money and so cast wherever possible from friends and family to keep the costs down.

The King was played by David Horner, a renowned actor and teacher who later taught Douglas ‘Speech and Drama’ at university.

Douglas was in every school production that would take him and any amateur (as they were called in those days) shows going.

He studied theatre and worked for the Natal Performing Arts Council in a range of roles from spear carrier in Shakespeare to light comedy from Noel Coward and Ben Travers.

One of the things actors comfort themselves with is the thought that they usually know the script better than the audience. At a schools’ matinee of Hamlet he and the actor playing Bernardo came out on stage to find almost the entire audience holding and following the play from their official little blue copies of the play - they never even looked up.

In 1974 he and wife Angela migrated to Australia and in 1975 he directed his first three act play - Ring For Jeeves for the Royal Amateur Theatrical Society (RATS).

Taking a break from the stage he began a career as critic and theatre writer, becoming editor of ArtsWest magazine as well a columnist for first the Wanneroo Times, then The Echo, the Hills Gazette, 5

the Albany Weekender and the Sheridan Whiteside in The Skywest airlines in-flight magazine Man Who Came to Dinner).

Destinations, finally ending with the At the same time and Swan Magazine, which he founded interspersed with acting he in 2001. directed - dramas (Romeo

He worked as food writer, and Juliet), musicals (My restaurant reviewer, theatre and Fair Lady), classics (The book critic and jobbing hack Importance of Being Earnest), as well as producing and onlight comedy (Lloyd George air announcing for Radio 6UVS Knew my Father) and (now RTR) the University of WA’s pantomime (Puss in Boots). community radio.

Over the years he’s

In 1988 he was lured/ garnered awards for acting, volunteered back onto stage by directing and writing, but feels Terry Richie Hackett of Kads into his greatest achievement was performing Freddie in Deep Blue the Shakespeare Birthday Sea and since then he has seldom Festival in 2014 where the strayed from his spiritual home three Hills clubs each put on the green at Kads, Walliston on a Shakespearean play, DSB Headshot 1970 Pantomimers, Marloo and Garrick hosted by Darlington Theatre as well as independent and Players on a standard Globe professional productions such as Potchnagoola stage. As well as overall Festival Director he for the KSP Writers’ Centre and Desert War for directed Marloo’s offering of Macbeth. Garrick ABCTV in which he played Winston Churchill. presented A Midsummer Night’s Dream and

This was a role he performed several Kads Othello. times previously, in an award-winning one act

Douglas was trained at a time when play he wrote himself (The Last Lion). stagecraft and diction was highly prized and

Over the years he has acted in drama while is views seem a little old-fashioned these (Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and days, he firmly believes in the value of knowing George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe); all the rules before breaking them. musicals (Com’d Harbison in South Pacific, Sir

As a director he adopts a collegiate view, Edward in King and I) as well as light comedy welcoming any and all suggestions that will (Capt Brabazon-Biggar in Ring for Jeeves and improve the show, while not allowing rehearsals to be held up with endless discussion.

He has very little time for method acting, quoting Noel Coward ‘Turn up on time, know your lines and don’t bump into the furniture.’

A feature of his productions is that they are always good-humoured and fun, drama limited to the stage and helpfulness and ‘company spirit’ always encouraged.

As an actor, he has always been a character actor - never the romantic lead, always the cranky drunk in the corner.

Douglas will be remembered for the highly successful Puss in Boots panto of 2019 at Garrick and will be directing The Importance of Being Earnest for Garrick at some future date .... watch this space.

Someone better next month ...

DSB as Churchill in Desert War (Photo courtesy ABC) 6

The Executive Committee President

Dale James

0407 426 957

Dalejames911@iinet.net

Vice President

Rodney Palmer

0478 410 330

Rodpickels@gmail.com

TAG liaison

Rodney Palmer

0478 410 330

Rodpickels@gmail.com

Treasurer

Terry Brown

Secretary Kerry Goode kerrygoode@iinet.net.au Production Manager Rodney Palmer

Production Kerry Goode

0478 410 330

Rodpickels@gmail.com

Siobhan Vincent

Douglas Sutherland-Bruce

Ray Egan

Jordan D’Arcy

Gail Lusted

Archivist

Tom Goode

kerrygoode@iinet.net.au

Bookings

Elaine Gilberthorpe 9378 1990

Bookings@garricktheatre.asn.au

Minute Secretary

Barbara Brown

9275 5281

Bar Manager

Rodney Palmer

0478 410 330

Rodpickels@gmail.com

Wardrobe

Colleen Bradford

0414 579 752

Colleenbradford@iinet.net.au

Technical

Caileb Hombergen-Crute

Front of House

Yvonne Starr

Set Supervisor

James Nailen

Shed Supervisor

Alan Shaw

Publicity

Douglas Sutherland-Bruce 0418 934 850 Publicity@GarrickTheatre.asn.au

Editor

Douglas Sutherland-Bruce 0418 934 850 Publicity@GarrickTheatre.asn.au

Social Convenor

2020 Adjudicators Dee Howells

David Young

Christopher Churchouse

Yvette Wall

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The New Garrick Gazette Garrick Theatre Club (Inc) P O Box 122, Guildford Western Australia 6935 Print Post Approved 100002309

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