The Witches

The Witches

19 June – 5 July

Malthouse Theatre presents a Griffin Theatre Company production

The Witches

By / Roald Dahl Adapted for the stage by / David Wood Re-imagined by / Lucas Jervies Director / Lucas Jervies Designer / Hugh O’Connor Dramaturg / Chris Summers Lighting Designer / Christopher Page Sound Designer/Engineer / Nate Edmondson Stage Manager / Caitlin Byrne Cast / Guy Edmonds

Beckett Theatre 19 June – 5 July The Witches was originally produced at NIDA in 2012 and co-designed by Becky-Dee Trevenen and Hugh O’Connor.

Photography / Brett Boardman, Andrew Curtis, NIDA

www.roalddahl.com

A note from Malthouse Theatre’s Artistic Director

A simple magic.

Lucas Jervies was one of the exceptionally talented NIDA directing students of 2012. Interestingly, the production he chose to present for his graduation was Roald Dahl’s The Witches – an early incarnation of the show you are now seeing in the Beckett Theatre. This said a lot about Lucas as a director and his priorities as a theatre-maker: the pursuit of a kind of theatre that is joyous and celebratory, that makes the old feel young and the young squeal with delight.

This was what he chose to showcase.

In this there is a big-hearted and broad, democratic approach to theatre – an underlying belief that theatre is for everyone. Adults and children are one and the same for the duration of this show. The age gap collapses and they are both an audience in the moment.

There are other impressive qualities that have been strengthened through subsequent drafts and through more than a year of Lucas’ professional practice with Griffin Theatre Company.

One is the astonishing physicality of Guy Edmonds – a truly ‘embodied’ performance that asks everything of every muscle, and which he answers with the skill and grace of a genuine theatre animal.

The absence of embellishment in this show and its ability to conjure character, place, and story by imaginative suggestion alone is a simple magic that reminds us of those unique features that distinguish theatre from every other medium.

Marion Potts / Malthouse Theatre Artistic Director

A note from the Director

A man becomes Boy. The Witches is one of my favourite Roald Dahl stories. Since I was a child I’ve loved how the confronting themes of transformation, temptation and retribution are magically woven into a colourful and imaginative tale that both scares and delights.

When people approach me about this production, often the first question is: why a one-man show? The young protagonist’s journey is courageous and his challenges are not dissimilar to the difficulties Dahl himself endured at boarding school, vividly documented in his autobiography, Boy. The parallels between fiction and non-fictional events were obvious and dominated the conceptual discussions of the creative team. In The Witches, the main character, also named Boy, narrates his story for the reader. So, for this adaptation, I believed creating a one-man show was the best way to celebrate the spirit of the original.

I made this work with a clear objective: to remind adults what it feels like to be a child.

I can’t think of a better reason to make theatre.

Lucas Jervies / Director

‘ I am not, of course, telling you for one second that your teacher is actually a witch. All I am saying is that she might be one.’

— Roald Dahl

Stage Manager / Caitlin Byrne Caitlin graduated from Charles Sturt University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Theatre Media. Her recent theatre credits include Night on Bald Mountain, The Dragon, Pompeii, L.A., Happy Days, Tame and Happiness (Malthouse Theatre); The Government Inspector (Malthouse Theatre/Belvoir); Half-Real (Malthouse Theatre/ The Border Project); and Thyestes (Malthouse Theatre/The Hayloft Project). Other credits include The Nest (The Hayloft Project); Life’s A Circus (Magnormos Productions); and Melburnalia No. 2 (White Whale Theatre); List of Invisible Things (Scratch Theatre); Yummy (Susan-Ann Walker and Sally Bourne Cabaret); As You Like It (Winterfall Theatre); The Pyramid (3 to a Room Productions/Midsumma Festival); and Once We Lived Here (Bryant & Frank Productions).

‘Boy’ / Guy Edmonds As a screen actor, Guy Edmonds’ television work includes: Wonderland, Camp, The Moodys, A Moody Christmas, Underbelly: Razor, At Home With Julia, Double Take, Cupid, House Husbands, Home and Away, Kangaroo Gang, Tough Nuts 2, All Saints and Hammer Bay. His film work includes: Unified, Drone, Bedlam, Tumblegum and Rapid Fear. His theatre credits include: The Cold Child and Holding the Man in Australia and London (Griffin Theatre Company); Rupert in Australia and the USA (Melbourne Theatre Company); Toy Symphony (Belvoir); The Lover and Fortune and Men’s Eyes (NIDA); Orestes 2.0 (Cry Havoc); and pool (no water) (Square the Circle). As a director, producer, writer and editor his films have played at over forty festivals around the world, been translated into a dozen languages and won many awards. His feature film directing debut Super Awesome! is set for release this year. He is co-director of Boomshaka Film, a production company that produces film, television, TVCs and corporate videos.

Sound Engineer / Nate Edmondson Nate Edmondson’s composition and sound design credits include: Music, Jump for Jordan, The Floating World (Assistant Sound Designer), Rust and Bone and This Year’s Ashes (Griffin Theatre Company); Romeo and Juliet (Sydney Theatre Company); Never Did Me Any Harm (Assistant Sound Designer) (Force Majeure/Sydney Theatre Company); Angels in America: Part 1 & 2 (Assistant Sound Designer) and This Heaven (Belvoir); Macbeth and The Winter’s Tale (Bell Shakespeare); All My Sons, Torch Song Trilogy, The Greening of Grace, The Seafarer, The Paris Letter, The Coming World (Darlinghurst Theatre); Fireface and The Hiding Place (Australian Theatre for Young People); The Temperamentals and Julius Caesar (New Theatre); Every Single Saturday (Glen Street Theatre/Les Currie Presentations); Lenny Bruce: 13 Daze Un-Dug in Sydney, Fallout, Wrecking, The Highway Crossing, Lyrebird, Pictures of Bright Lights and Flightfall (Tamarama Rock Surfers); Lord of the Flies (US-A-UM/ Malthouse Theatre Helium); The Light Box (We Do Not Unhappen/Fat Boy Dancing); Salomé (Little Ones Theatre/Malthouse Theatre Helium); Psycho Beach Party and Two By Two (Little Ones Theatre); Today We’re Alive (Wildie Creative Enterprises); Scenes from an Execution (Tooth and Sinew); Fefu and Her Friends (Red Rabbit Theatre); Hell Hath No Fury (AIM); Living with Lady Macbeth and If Only the Lonely Were Home (Kambala School); Alice In Wonderland (NIDA Open Program); Much Ado About Nothing and the 2010 and 2012 NIDA Gala (NIDA). Nate’s short film work includes: Disturbing Bodies, The Light Box, Pretty, Gibney’s Island, Kaleidoscope. He is a graduate of the NIDA production course.

Director / Lucas Jervies Lucas Jervies studied dance at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and the Australian Ballet School where he graduated with honours in 1998. He then danced professionally in both classical and contemporary dance companies including The Australian Ballet, Dance Works Rotterdam and Scapino Ballet Rotterdam. Lucas retired from dance in 2010 and co-founded JACK Productions in Melbourne, which presented three ballet-theatre productions over two years. In 2012 Lucas was one of six artists accepted into the National Institute of Dramatic Art to undertake a Postgraduate Diploma of Dramatic Art (Directing). Following his graduation, Lucas was invited to become an Affiliate Director with Griffin Theatre Company and later he was appointed Artistic Director of Buzz Dance Theatre to create a final season for the company. Lucas has created dance and theatre works for Griffin Theatre Company, Buzz Dance Theatre, West Australian Ballet, Queensland Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Sydney Dance Company Pre-Professional Year, Expressions Dance Company, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, JACK Productions, Korzo Theatre Den Haag, Milwaukee Ballet, Noverre Society Stuttgart Ballet, CoDarts Rotterdam University for the Arts and The Australian Ballet School.

Designer / Hugh O’Connor Hugh O’Connor started in theatre as an actor and director for Lismore-based youth theatre company Theatre-Theatre, working for the company from 1998 and 2008. He graduated from NIDA’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (Design for Performance) in 2013 where his production credits include: The Witches, Cosi directed by David Berthold, and the Tom Waits musical Woyzeck directed by Imara Savage and co-designed with Elizabeth Gadsby. In 2014 he has collaborated once more with David Berthold and reimagined Cosi for La Boîte Theatre, and designed A Doll’s House for Sport For Jove in Sydney with director Adam Cook.

Lighting Designer / Christopher Page Christopher Page is a Sydney-based lighting designer disciplined in drama, musical, dance and festival design, whose work has been seen in Australia and internationally. Most recently Chris has designed a new production of Do You Hear the People Sing, based on the collected works by Boublil & Schonberg, which is currently touring Asia. Chris’ other design credits include: Chi Udaka (TaikOZ/Sydney Festival); Nightbook (Cerebral Palsy Alliance); Great Expectations and His Mother’s Voice (Bakehouse Theatre); Tell It Like It Isn’t, Rainbow’s Ending and Max Remy (Australian Theatre for Young People); The Tender Age (Version 1.0); The Dark Room, Windmill Baby and As You Like It (Belvoir); Truck Stop (Q Theatre); Boxing Day, Ruby Moon, The Importance of Being Earnest Dragons and Trouble (Tamarama Rock Surfers); The Yellow Star (The Reginald); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (BOB Presents); Judith and Dangerous Lenses (The Impending Room); Side by Side by Sondheim (Enda Markey Presents); In the Air Tonight, The Luck Child and A Kids’ Show (A-List Entertainment); Two Rooms and The Pursuit (Tap Gallery); Parramasala Festival 2012 (Parramatta City Council); and I Met You in a City That Isn’t on a Map (We Do Not Unhappen/Underbelly Arts Festival). As an associate artist, Chris has worked with a diverse range of companies including Griffin Theatre Company, Version 1.0, Belvoir and Sydney Theatre Company, touring and relighting existing works both nationally and internationally.

In 2011 he was nominated for Best Lighting Design at the Sydney Theatre Awards for The Dark Room and he is the 2013 recipient of the Rory Dempster Internship for lighting designers.

Dramaturg / Chris Summers Chris Summers graduated from NIDA in 2012 with a Graduate Diploma in Dramatic Arts (Playwriting). In 2013 he was Affiliate Writer with Griffin Theatre Company and part of Red Stitch Actors Theatre Writers Program. Chris has won the Sydney Theatre Company Patrick White Playwright’s Award, Sydney Theatre Company Young Playwright’s Award, St Martins National Playwriting Award, the Union House Theatre Script Development Award and been highly commended for the Max Afford Playwright’s Award. Commissioned plays include No Place Like (Union House Theatre); Crossed (La Mama/Playwriting Australia’s National Play Festival); Burnt (Australian Theatre for Young People). His play Rat, developed through a JUMP Mentorship with Tom Holloway, had a sell-out season at La Mama and Sandstone, and a workshop at Sydney Theatre Company in 2012. In 2013 Chris participated in Canberra’s You Are Here Festival with a self-performed piece, Not About You; wrote a monologue, Dessert, performed as part of Tamarama Rock Surfers Bondi Feast; and created a short work, Paper Trails, for Manchester’s 24/7 Festival. Chris also holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours)/Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne, and is currently working towards admission as a solicitor at the HIV/ AIDS Legal Centre (HALC).

Note on the Author

Roald Dahl You can find out about Roald Dahl’s real-life experiences and how they found their way into his stories at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire (the author’s home village). The Museum is a charity which aims to inspire excitement about reading, writing and creativity. There are three fun and fact-packed galleries, with lots to make, do and see (including Roald Dahl’s writing hut). Aimed at 6 to 12 year-olds, the Museum is open to the public and to school groups throughout the year. www.roalddahlmuseum.org Roald Dahl is famous for his stories and rhymes, but much less well known is how often he went out of his way to help seriously ill children. Today Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity helps children with the severest conditions and the greatest needs.

The charity believes every child can have a more marvellous life, no matter how ill they are, or how short their life may be.

Why not find out more at: www.roalddahlcharity.org

Our Supporters Thank you, Malthouse Muses, for supporting our artistic vision and helping us to create a unique and dynamic environment for artists and audiences.

URANIA—Muse of The Stars—$25,000+ Annamila Pty Ltd, Craig Reeves, The Dara Foundation, The Danielle and Daniel Besen Foundation, Maureen & Tony Wheeler CLIO—Muse of History—$10,000+ Betty Amsden OAM, John & Lorraine Bates, Michele Levine, The Pratt Foundation, Anonymous (1) THALIA—Muse of Comedy—$5,000+ Frankie Airey & Stephen Solly, Eva Besen AO & Marc Besen AO, Debbie Dadon, Roger Donazzan & Margaret Jackson AC, Val Johnstone, Neilma Gantner, Colin Golvan SC, Richard Leonard & Gerlinde Scholz, Berry Liberman & Danny Almagor, Mary-Ruth & Peter McLennan, Judith Maitland-Parr, Elisabeth & John Schiller, Carol & Alan Schwartz AM, Jon Webster, Anonymous (2) MELPOMENE—Muse of Tragedy—$2,500+ Chryssa Anagnostou & Jim Tsaltas, Rosemary Forbes & Ian Hocking, Michael Kingston, Sue Kirkham, Naomi Milgrom AO, Janine Tai EUTERPE—Muse of Music—$1,000+ Ingrid Ashford, John & Sally Bourne, Beth Brown & Tom Bruce AM, Sally Browne, Diana Burleigh, Ingrid & Per Carlsen, Min Li Chong, Marilyn and Andrew Cookes, Sieglind D’Arcy, Georgina Damm, Mark & Jo Davey, Maria Sola & Malcolm Douglas, Dominic & Natalie Dirupo, Rev Fr Michael Elligate, William J. Forrest AM, Kerry Gardner & Andy Inc Foundation, John and Helen Gibbins, D.L & G.S Gjergja, Marco Gjergja, Irene Kearsey, Alan Kenworthy, Virginia Lovett, Pamela McLure, Gael & Ian McRae, Rotru Investments Pty. Ltd., Jenny Schwarz, Gina & Paul Stuart, Leonard Vary & Matt Collins, Jason Waple, Jenny Werbeloff, Anonymous (3)

TERPSICHORE—Muse of Dance—$500+ Rowland Ball, Sandra Beanham, Taleen Gaidzkar, Paul & Genevieve Gardner, Charles Gillies & Penelope Allen, Carolyn Floyd, Brian Goddard, Scott Herron, Leonie Hollingworth, Brad Hooper, Susan Humphries, Irene Irvine, Ann Kemeny & Graham Johnson, Sir Gustav AC CBE & Lady Nossal, Robert Peters, Right Lane Consulting, Neil & Barbara Smart, Fiona Sweet & Paul Newcombe, Katherine Sampson, Morry & Anna Schwartz, Thea & Hayden Snow, John Thomas, Kerri Turner & Andrew White, Richard P. Watson, Jan Williams, Phil & Heather Wilson, Dr Roger Woock & Fiona Clyne, Angelika & Pete Zangmeister, Anonymous (3) ERATO—Muse of Love—$250+ Simon Abrahams, Stephen & Diane Alley, Graham & Anita Anderson, John & Alexandra Busselmaier, Douglas Butler, John Carruthers, Ros Casey, Tim & Rachel Cecil, Ros & Bill Chandler, Diane Clark, Chris Clough, Patricia Coutts, Mary Crean AM, Chree Kearney, Tania de Jong AM, Orla & Rachel, Paula Hansky OAM & Jack Hansky AM, Peggy Hayton, Roberta Holmes, Vas Katos, Patricia Keith, Ruth Krawat, Liquorice Studio, Kim Lowndes, William Lye, Brad Martin, John Millard, Dr Kersti Nogeste, Linda Notley, Tony Oliver, Wendy Poulton, Gerard Powell, John & Margot Rogers, Rae Rothfield, Ernie Schwartz, Jill Sewell, Lisl Singer, Janice Taylor, Rosemary Walls, Jan Watson, Joanne Whyte, Henry Winters, Barbara Yuncken, Anonymous (6) CATALYST SYNDICATE Warwick & Lida Bray, John Carruthers & Rosie Purcell, Charles Gillies & Penelope Allen, Nick Glenning & Jenny Proimos, Sarah Morgan, Corrie Perkin & Peter Loder, Maria Prendergast OAM, Robert Sessions & Christina Fitzgerald, Simon Westcott & Dr Ben Keith

You too can make a difference on our stages and behind the scenes.

Please call 03 9685 5162 or visit our website and inspire us with your donation.

Our Partners Government Partners

Venue Partners

Education Partners

Media Partners

Accommodation Partners

Regional Education Program

Company in Residence

Trusts and Foundations

The Danielle and Daniel Besen Foundation

Australian Communities Foundation Copyright Agency Slome-Topol Family Charitable Trust The Ian Potter Foundation The R E Ross Trust The Robert Salzer Foundation Vera Moore Foundation

Corporate Partners

Corporate Associates

Company Supporters

Program Partners The Suitcase Series

Artist Program

New Australian Commissions

Indigenous Theatre Program

TOM KANTOR FUND

Directors Exchange Project

Regional Performance Project

International Program

Female Director in Residence

MAUREEN & TONY WHEELER

CRAIGMEL INVESTMENT PTY LTD

Our Staff BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michele Levine (Chair), John Daley (Deputy Chair), Frankie Airey, Ian McRae AO, Sarah Morgan, Nick Schleiper, Thea Snow, Sigrid Thornton, Kerri Turner, Leonard Vary Artistic Director Marion Potts Executive Producer Sarah Neal Associate Artist (Composition) David Chisholm Associate Artist (Writing) Lally Katz Associate Artist (Direction) Matthew Lutton

Finance Manager Mario Agostinoni

Production Manager David Miller

Finance Administrator Liz White

Technical Manager Baird McKenna

Marketing & Communications Manager Lisa Scicluna

Operations Manager Dexter Varley

Media Manager Maria O’Dwyer Digital Strategy & Marketing Coordinator Alice Gage Communications Coordinator Emily Fiori

Head Mechanist Andy Moore Theatre Technician Nathanael Bristow Head of Wardrobe Delia Spicer Workshop Supervisor David Craig

Graphic Designer Jane Roberts

Steel Fabricator Goffredo Mameli

Philanthropy Manager Nicole Punte

Workshop Staff Mitch O’Sullivan, Elizabeth Whitten

Dramaturg Mark Pritchard

Development Manager Rachel Petchesky

Female Director in Residence Clare Watson

Development Coordinator Kim Brockett

Indigenous Engagement Jason Tamiru

Building Manager Peter Mandersloot

Associate Producer Josh Wright

Head of Lighting Stephen Hawker

Ticketing Manager Emma Quinn

Administrator Narda Shanley

Assistant Ticketing Manager Lauren White

Company Manager Alice Muhling

Executive Assistant Nicole Benson

Front of House Managers Sean Ladhams, Anita Posterino Bar Manager Cherry Rivers Box Office Staff Abbey Barnes, Paul Buckley, Mark Byrne, Kate Gregory, Suzie Hardgrave, Michelle Hines, Ian Michael, Jade Thomson, Liz White, Fiona Wiseman, Benjamin Woolley

What did you think of the show?

Tell us on Facebook: facebook.com/MalthouseTheatre Tweet us on Twitter: @MalthouseMelb Snap us on Instagram: @MalthouseTheatre malthousetheatre.com.au

Front of House/ Bar Staff Leeor Adar, Matt Adair, Thomas Banks, Jacqui Brown, Ben Carollo, Nadine Dimitrievitch, Alice Dixon, Graham Downey, Tanja George, Christian Grant, Kate Gregory, Mark Hoffman, Kathryn Joy, Evona Lee, Ian Michael, Anna Nalpantidis, Daniel Newell, Ruby Nolan, Syrie Payne, Claire Richardson, Sanne Rodenstein, Dominic Simonelli, Phoebe Taylor, Jade Thomson, Lee Threadgold, Noel Turner, Matilda Woodroofe Malthouse Theatre would like to acknowledge the people of the Kulin nation on whose land this work is being presented.

Malthouse Theatre would also like to acknowledge the ongoing support of its volunteers.

ABOUT GRIFFIN THEATRE COMPANY Griffin Theatre Company is Australia’s new writing theatre.

We develop and stage the best Australian stories, for the widest possible audience.

For more than 30 years, the Griffin mission has been to bring our audiences the highest standards of theatrical craft. We also have a passion for developing Australian talent, with many of our nation’s most celebrated artists starting their professional careers with us.

Griffin produces an annual subscription season of four to five Main Season shows

by Australian playwrights, and co-presents a season of new work with leading independent artists. We also support artists through professional development opportunities, including artist residencies and masterclasses.

GRIFFIN THEATRE COMPANY 13 CRAIGEND ST KINGS CROSS NSW 2011 PHONE 02 9332 1052 FAX 02 9331 1524 INFO@GRIFFINTHEATRE.COM.AU WWW.GRIFFINTHEATRE.COM.AU

Our home is the historic SBW Stables Theatre, a thriving cultural hub and Sydney’s most intimate and persuasive space for actors and audiences to meet.

We hope to see you here soon.

SBW STABLES THEATRE 10 NIMROD ST KINGS CROSS NSW 2011 BOOKINGS GRIFFINTHEATRE.COM.AU 02 9361 3817

Government Partners

A SHARED CREATIVE VISION Victoria University is proud to be Malthouse Theatre’s official Education Partner.

We share a vision and commitment to excellence, opportunity, community and individual empowerment.

Together we help future teachers make the arts accessible and engaging for students, provide theatre work placements for our students, and offer individuals from diverse backgrounds opportunities to experience live theatre.

Our collaboration in research and contemporary creative arts practice means that Victoria University graduates are empowered to reach their goals by acquiring exceptional skills, knowledge and experiences.

Find out how you can be part of this creative partnership through further study or engagement with us.

Visit our website or call 1300 VIC UNI.

vu.edu.au CRICOS Provider No. 00124K