MOTHER & SON Digital Production Program

BY MATTHEW RYAN 11 April – 3 May

4 July– 8 August

18 July – 15 August

29 August – 26 September

17 October – 8 November

14 November – 6 December

SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW ON SALE

Call 1800 355 528 or visit queenslandtheatre.com.au to find out about all of our 2015 productions

Queensland Theatre Company presents a Joint Ventures/ Lascorp Entertainment / Fractured Limb production

by Geoffrey Atherden Robyn Arthur

Monica

Rachael Beck

Anita

Noeline Brown

Maggie Beare

18 February – 15 March 2015

Rob Carlton

Robert Beare

Sharon Davis

Karen

Playhouse, QPAC

Darren Gilshenan

Arthur Beare

Nicki Wendt

Liz Beare

Roger Hodgman

Director

Shaun Gurton

Set Designer

Nigel Levings

Lighting Designer

Esther Marie Hayes

Costume Designer

Ash Gibson Greig

Composer

Kelvin Gedye

Sound Designer

Pip Mushin

Resident Director

Nicole Robinson

Stage Manager

Emma Wenlock

Assistant Stage Manager

Cast

Mother & Son will run for approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes plus a 20-minute interval.

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

Produced by Spencer McLaren, Dean Murphy and Joseph Thomsen in conjunction with Lascorp Entertainment and Fractured Limb productions.

Follow this play facebook.com/qldtheatreco #qtcmotherandson

twitter.com/qldtheatreco

Recycle this program Support Greening QTC and recycle this program after the performance in the recycling bins provided in the foyer. Read the program before the show at queenslandtheatre.com.au 1

L-R: Darren Gilshenan, Noeline Brown

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Welcome Wesley Enoch, Artistic Director

Dear Patron, Supporter and Friends, 2015 is a huge year for theatre in Queensland.

While you’re sitting here at the Playhouse, Queensland Theatre Company has Boston Marriage touring the state, Black Diggers performing at the Perth and Adelaide Festivals, and Kelly about to head out on the road. We are always working to deliver the highest quality stories that reflect the lives of Queenslanders.

Thank you for being part of our family in 2015.

Our next show is Brisbane

by Matthew Ryan; a beautiful, heartaching love letter to our city and its transformation during World War II. Do you remember

the fish markets of South Brisbane? Cloudland?

The Trocadero? Lennons Hotel? Do you remember stories of a Brisbane overrun with American soldiers and the infamous Battle of Brisbane? Come and witness this amazing homegrown classic as it comes to life on stage here at the Playhouse, 11 April to 3 May. Mother & Son is a television classic. We all grew up watching the forgetful adventures of Maggie and Arthur. I remember watching these characters and feeling it was hilarious and could never be real. As I have gotten older I have realised that this show is more documentary than fiction.

It’s wonderful to welcome the amazing Noeline Brown to our stage. She is an incredible actor with a long history in our profession.

With local lad Darren Gilshenan, the duo breathe new life into these wellloved characters.

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Theatre is a wonderful way to share memories and experiences with people you love. Think about upgrading your ticket to a 3 Play Package and enjoy the night out, the conversation and the shared experience. There are amazing savings and deals to help make your night out memorable.

Thank you for your ongoing support and care for QTC and Queensland theatre. I hope we can welcome you back to the theatre soon.

Love,

Wesley

L-R: Rob Carlton, Darren Gilshenan

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Producer's Welcome Spencer McLaren

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Playhouse tonight to see Geoffrey Atherden’s new stage play Mother & Son. It is 30 years this year since the ABC TV series first hit our screens and introduced us to the unforgettable characters of Maggie and Arthur played so beautifully

by Ruth Cracknell and Garry McDonald. Tonight we are once again blessed to have a wonderful cast bringing this show to life. The pedigree of Mother & Son has been a magnet to the talent you see assembled for this production, drawing to it a selection of Australia’s finest comic artists.

When we first discussed the idea of bringing Mother & Son to the stage, Geoffrey Atherden was immediately keen and almost instantly delivered the first draft of the play. What we were initially presented with is, in essence, what you see here tonight. His skill as a writer handling characters he knows so well meant he was

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able to revisit their world with such ease and produce something entirely fresh yet comfortingly familiar.

Watching rehearsals I was struck by the craftsmanship and care the cast and creative team were taking with this work and I was reminded how rare it is to see new Australian works presented on the commercial stage. We are thrilled and honoured to be able to present this show to you.

Tonight will be a new experience for us all. I hope you enjoy the ride.

robert brownhall

House on the hill 2014 oil on linen

E X H I B I T I O N : 3 M A RCH – 2 8 M A RCH 2 015

2 ARTHUR STREET, FORTITUDE VALLEY, BRISBANE 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM TUESDAY TO SATURDAY TEL: 07 3358 3555 FAX: 07 3254 1412 EMAIL: ART ENQUIRIES @ PHILIPBACONGALLERIES.COM.AU

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Message from the Sponsor

Philip Bacon Galleries is delighted to be able to sponsor QTC’s production of Mother & Son. The very thought of those two beloved characters of Maggie and Arthur brings a smile to your face; it will be wonderful to see them brought to life again in this play.

Just like QTC we have a great programme in 2015, with exhibitions scheduled

by Robert Brownhall, Peter Churcher, Tim Storrier, John Olsen, John Young and June Tupicoff amongst others.

In June, we will be holding our biennial exhibition of Important Australian Paintings which will include paintings, sculpture and works on paper by major Australian artists.

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I am extremely proud of my ongoing relationship with QTC, an institution that continues to bring the best of the best theatrical experiences to the people of our state.

I wish you a great night at the theatre.

Philip Bacon Director Philip Bacon Galleries

L-R: Geoffrey Atherden, Garry McDonald

The Story Behind Mother & Son Geoffrey Atherden

Back in the early 1980s, when I was developing the concept for Mother & Son, no one guessed that it would go on to become one of the most successful Australian television comedies. It was a ratings hit, broadcast in not only Australia but more than 50 countries around the world, dubbed into French, German, Spanish and Mandarin and also remade in eight other countries.

At the beginning it was going to be a simple little comedy about the other end of family life; not the bringing up the children bit, the bit where your parents are the ones you’re worried about. At the heart of the series was the question: what do you do when someone you love is driving you up the wall?

The idea for Mother & Son came from within my family.

When my father-in-law died, we realised that my motherin-law was more than just forgetful. Although she never did come and live with us, I did spend some time wondering what life would have been like if she had.

I noticed something important about my motherin-law. Even though she was losing it in many ways, she didn’t ever lose her sense of humour and she certainly didn’t lose her dignity. I also noticed that people around her started to feel sorry for her and began to treat her differently, as a patient or even as a child, and she hated it. As far as she was concerned, she was the same person she’d always been.

She never did feel sorry for herself and that became the beginning of my character.

But Maggie is not my mother-in-law. If anything, she’s probably closer to my grandmother, and there are other bits and pieces I’ve borrowed from various other older women I’ve known. And quite a lot is purely my own imagination.

From the beginning, I wanted to say something positive about older people maintaining a strong sense of themselves, even as they’re starting to lose some of their strengths and abilities. This is the reason that Maggie wins in most of the episodes. If

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she’d lost most of the time, the comedy would have slumped into tragedy. The fact that Maggie needed to win almost all of the time gave me a problem. I didn’t want Arthur to be a loser.

I didn’t want him to be weak. I wanted to show him trapped between his love for his mother and the need to live his own life. As the series progressed, sometimes Arthur won and other times, they both did.

I wrote a first episode and through a producer friend of mine, showed it to Ruth Cracknell. She liked it. With a good script and Ruth as part of the package, I thought I could walk into any of the commercial television networks and they’d throw money at me and get it into production ASAP. I was completely wrong. All three commercial networks turned it down. Fortunately, I had been talking to the ABC about the project and they had expressed some interest.

When I finally took Mother & Son to the ABC, it turned out to be just at the right time.

L-R: Ruth Cracknell, Henri Szeps

Not only did they like the first script and immediately commission some more, but they decided to make a pilot.

The other broadcasters would have not supported the series in the way the ABC did. That first episode took

many, many drafts to get right.

The pilot was made with Ruth as Maggie but without Garry McDonald as Arthur.

There was a problem with the then Head of Light Entertainment who argued 10

that Garry, then famous for being Norman Gunston, was wrong for Arthur because an audience would either love Norman and tune in to Mother & Son and be disappointed, or hate Norman and never tune in.

Then a stroke of luck: the Head of Light Entertainment left and the new Head of Comedy agreed to remake the pilot, this time with Garry.

The pilot worked and the first series was commissioned.

That opening episode also introduced Robert (Henri Szeps), the dentist brother.

When I talked to people about the concept for the series, I was surprised by the number of people who said that either in their family or in a family they knew, there was one person who carried all the responsibility for an ageing parent and who got little other than criticism in return, and a brother or sister who only visited occasionally who was treated as the golden-haired child.

Over a 10-year period we made six series with a total of 42 episodes. Since then, the series has been seen around the world and fresh productions have been made from the scripts in: • Chile – Madré Y HIho, • Quebec – Maman Cherie, • the UK – Keeping Mum, • Sweden – Glöem Inte Mama, • Denmark – Pas På Mor • Turkey – Yente Anne,

There were also productions in Greece and Lithuania.

When people give me praise for Mother & Son, I always say that I was lucky to have been blessed with such a good cast. We had the best matched cast who loved working with each other and who respected each other.

There was no single star who thought he or she was more important than anyone else.

And we didn’t try to push the comedy.

Ruth Cracknell

And now, for the stage version, I’ve been blessed again.

It was late last year when I was approached by one of the producers, Dean Murphy, who asked me if I would be interested in writing a Mother & Son play. I said I’d think about it because I didn’t want to say yes and then find that I’d used up all my ideas in the television series and that I didn’t have anything fresh to bring to a new production.

Henri Szeps

The first thing I realised was how much the world has changed since I started writing Mother & Son. Back in the early 80s there were no mobile phones, no internet, Ruth Cracknell

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no Skype, none of the bits of technology that we take for granted but which can be confusing for someone who is already confused. More attention has been given to the role of the carers and it’s now more possible for the person who does the caring to get a break through some sort of respite care. Thinking about all this led to the story in this play.

The big question was who would play Maggie, Arthur, Robert and Liz? Sadly, Ruth has passed away, but even if

she’d been alive, she’d have been 89. Not too old, I’m sure she’d have said. I wanted the ages of the family to stay about the same as they were so that Arthur and Robert were men in their 40s and Maggie still at an age which is not old, but where her problems are starting to become apparent. Noeline Brown is the perfect choice, an actress with exceptional comic instincts and a lovely sense of mischief. Darren Gilshenan as Arthur has all the right mix of vulnerability

L-R: Ruth Cracknell, Garry McDonald

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and cleverness. Rob Carlton can play the self-obsessed Robert with the sort of charm that makes you like him. And Nicki Wendt is the warm, caring, protective snob of a wife and mother.

I’ve loved all the time I’ve spent with this family, more than with any other set of characters I’ve created. Being invited to spend more time with them is a gift I couldn’t refuse.

Will your grandchildren be sharing live theatre with their grandchildren?

If you love live theatre and the joy of sharing it with future generations, you may like to consider leaving a gift to Queensland Theatre Company in your will.

Your gift can help us do so much. It will give us the solid ďŹ nancial foundation we need to continue expanding our inspiring Indigenous and community programs, especially those involving regional Queenslanders and young people.

Access to arts can transform a child’s life and we want to build on this vital work for years to come.

The decision to make a bequest is personal. However, if you wish to talk to us about your gift or your particular theatre interests, please contact our Philanthropy Manager, Amanda Jolly on 07 3010 7621.

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AN AUSTRALIAN LEGEND HITS THE ROAD

By Matthew Ryan Touring Nationally 10 March – 22 July One of the highlights of our 2012 Mainstage program Kelly, written by Queensland playwright Matthew Ryan, received critical acclaim during its world premiere season.

Steven Rooke

In 2015, QTC is taking Kelly on a 19-week tour to 39 venues across Australia, in the largest single tour the Company has ever undertaken.

Ned Kelly’s final night in prison is interrupted by the arrival of his brother Dan, disguised as a priest. Supposedly killed at the siege of Glenrowan, Dan is intent on moving north to Queensland and forgetting his past. To do so, he needs Ned’s blessing and forgiveness. But the last time they saw each other, Dan tried to shoot Ned dead. So begins a brutal confrontation between two titans of Australian history.

This quickfire story of the relationship between the Kelly brothers will be performed throughout regional Queensland before travelling to South Australia and Victoria, the home of the famous outlaw. The production will then continue to Tasmania and New South Wales, with the final performance staged in Ipswich, a fitting end as it is the supposed resting place of Dan Kelly.

The cast and creatives will cover more than 9,500 kilometres while performing 66 shows and will also lead masterclasses and education workshops.

Kelly on Tour is part of a landmark year for QTC in 2015, with five Queenslandproduced shows touring the country and featuring on stages around Australia.

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QTC’s touring production of Kelly has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. And is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts.

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Dash Kruck

In 1942, Brisbane changed forever Between 1942 and 1945, Queensland became a support base for the war effort in the South West Pacific with many American troops coming to the area. Although the direct horror of World War II did not reach as far as Brisbane, there were major advances from Japanese forces close to home and the subsequent bombing of Darwin and Townsville on home soil. As a result, the people of Brisbane and its stationed troops, including those from America, were pressured to prepare for the worst. This pressure was inevitably felt more so by those most vulnerable, the children, with many undoubtedly enduring a premature coming of age.

Queensland Theatre Company’s world premiere of Brisbane explores this and the relationship between the Australian and American troops through the eyes of one 14-year-old-boy, Danny Fisher.

“During 1942 the Australian and the American troops didn’t get along very well at all. There was a lot of resentment from both sides. The Australian soldiers were made to feel like second-best in their own country and the Americans felt unappreciated for defending our country,” says Brisbane writer Matthew Ryan.

“That tension built to a very ugly event in the middle of the city they were all supposed to be defending.”

“1942 was a coming-of-age for our city. What better way to explore that than through the eyes of a 14-year-old kid?” he says.

Drawing on true stories from the leafy streets of Brisbane in the middle of wartime, Brisbane is a life-affirming coming-of-age tale, with moments of sublime comedy amid a heartfelt tale of a family fragmented by tragedy. A living, breathing picture postcard from a time that could have been the making or breaking of a city.

Featuring an all-star cast including Matthew Backer, Conrad Coleby, Lucy Goleby, Dash Kruck, Daniel Murphy, Hugh Parker, Hayden Spencer and Melanie Zanetti.

Brisbane is at the Playhouse, QPAC from 11 April to 3 May. Tickets 136 246 or queenslandtheatre.com.au

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

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L-R: Rob Carlton, Darren Gilshenan, Noeline Brown

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Queensland Theatre Company and Queensland Performing Arts Centre present

4 Jul–8 Aug Call 136 246 queenslandtheatre.com.au 20 PRODUCTION SPONSOR Michael Tuahine

Country Song

by Reg Cribb | Original concept by Michael Tuahine

knew – his band, old disc jockeys, his family – anyone who could help tell Jimmy’s story. I read old newspaper articles, anything I get my hands on to get the full picture.”

As Sydney Opera House throws open its doors in 1973 with an extravagant gala concert, another Australian icon is having a backstage crisis. Indigenous singing superstar Jimmy Little is to croon for Queen Elizabeth II, but the words won’t come.

The script is built on facts that aren’t widely known. Jimmy’s biggest hit, Royal Telephone was a No.1 song in Australia in 1963. He topped the charts ahead of The Beatles and Elvis, yet he couldn’t perform in many clubs and pubs because he was Indigenous. Jimmy Little challenged what people thought of Indigenous performers with his sheer talent and charisma.

In Country Song, Jimmy is whisked on a road trip to his past as his story weaves into those of his contemporaries. Inspired by true life experiences of singers like Wilma Reading, Auriel Andrew, Bobby McLeod, Vic Simms, Roger Knox and Lionel Rose.

Michael Tuahine, who came up with the original concept and will play Jimmy Little, had a close relationship with the man himself.

They met when Michael hosted the Deadly Awards in 2001 and during the show, Jimmy approached Michael.

“In my culture, you become the custodian of a story and you tell it to the best of your ability.

That’s what Reg, the writer, and I are trying to do. We want to celebrate and capture the integrity and wonderment of who Jimmy was.

We want to share his life, his incredible music and his impact on other musicians.”

“Jimmy said to me, ‘Boy, you are doing a good job.’ It was like a blessing from an elder,” said Michael, a passionate country music fan.

Country Song is a beautiful, musical, witty and warming journey that celebrates the healing power of music. It will take you on a heartfelt journey with toe-tapping tunes and larger-than-life characters.

After that Jimmy and Michael became mates.

They would talk on the phone and even toured together. One day over lunch, Michael said to Jimmy that he would love to play him one day, sing his songs and tell his story.

Jimmy liked the idea.

The world premiere season is on at the Playhouse from 4 July-8 August. Tickets are on sale now at queenslandtheatre.com.au or by calling 136 246.

In 2012, Jimmy passed away and it triggered a conversation between QTC’s Artistic Director, Wesley Enoch and Michael.

“About the time Jimmy passed away, I spoke to Wesley about the idea for Country Song.

He said to me, do your research. I pulled out a pile of about three foot of material!”

“I’m not a writer. I had started to bring the story together by talking to everyone Jimmy 21

Biographies Geoffrey Atherden WRITER

Geoffrey is best known for his television comedy series Mother & Son for which he received many awards in Australia and an international award from the Writers’ Guild of America West, Foundation.

Mother & Son has been dubbed into French, German, Spanish and Mandarin and shown in more than fifty countries as well as being remade in Chile, Quebec, the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Greece, Turkey and Lithuania.

Other television work includes, Grass Roots, which received seven AFI awards including two for Best Screenplay; Eggshells and One Day Miller, both award winning situation comedy series and BabaKiueria, which received a United Nations Media Peace Award. Stepfather of the Bride, a telemovie, was awarded a Silver Plaque in the 2007 HUGO Awards in Chicago.

His play WARNING: EXPLICIT MATERIAL was part of the Ensemble Theatre’s 2011 season and Liberty Equality Fraternity played to sellout audiences in the 2013 Ensemble season.

In 2009, Geoffrey was made a Member of the Order of Australia.

Roger Hodgman

Roger has directed well over a hundred plays, musicals and operas in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and England as well as many hours of television drama.

DIRECTOR

He was Artistic Director of Melbourne Theatre Company for twelve years until 1999 (Green Room Awards for Best Director for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and A Little Night Music). Before that he was Dean of Drama at the Victorian College of the Arts and Artistic Director of the Vancouver Playhouse, where he collaborated with Tennessee Williams on premieres of two plays.

Highlights of his busy freelance career since leaving Melbourne Theatre Company include many episodes of A Secret Life of Us (AFI Best Director nomination) and Stepfather of the Bride (telemovie by Geoffrey Atherden, Chicago Film Festival Award for Best Telemovie). In the last three years he has directed Grey Gardens (Helpmann Award for Best Director), several 22

episodes of Packed to the Rafters, the first episode of A Place To Call Home, Don Pasquale (Opera Australia, Tokyo, Sydney) Rigoletto (Opera Australia, Sydney, Melbourne), the National tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Nixon in China (Victorian Opera, Green Room award for Best Production), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Sydney Critics Award for Best Musical) and As You Like It for Black Swan State Theatre Company.

Shaun Gurton

Shaun has designed nationally and internationally since 1973.

From 1990-1994 he was Associate Director/Designer for the State Theatre Company of South Australia.

SET DESIGNER

Recent designs include the highly acclaimed productions of The Mountaintop, The Other Place, Red, Hamlet and Richard III for the Melbourne Theatre Company.

Other recent designs include The Heretic, Apologia, Moonlight and Magnolias, Scarlett O’Hara at the Crimson Parrot, King Lear and Inheritance for Melbourne Theatre Company.

Shaun received Green Room Awards for Steaming, Masterclass, Rivers of China, Festen and Richard III. In 2004 he was presented with the John Truscott award for excellence in design. He was nominated for the Helpmann Award in Design for Inheritance 2004 and King Lear 2005.

Nigel Levings LIGHTING DESIGNER

Nigel Levings has lit over 470 productions including 167 operas and 27 musicals. He has lit opera in St Petersburg, Paris, Washington, London, Cardiff, Berlin, Baden Baden, Innsbruck, Bregenz, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society. His awards for lighting design include a Helpmann Award, a Green Room Award, an Ovation, a Dora Mava Moore, 2 Outer Circle Critics Awards, a Drama Desk and a Tony.

Recent work includes: The Other Place (Melbourne Theatre Company), Die Tote Stadt, Of Mice and Men and Bliss (Opera Australia), Maria De Buenos Aires (Victorian Opera), Noises Off (Sydney Theatre Company), St Matthew Passion (Opera Queensland), and The Book of Everything (The New Victory Theatre, NY).

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Esther Marie Hayes COSTUME DESIGNER

Esther Marie Hayes’ recent costume designs include The Beast and Other Desert Cities for Melbourne Theatre Company (2013). Other designs for Melbourne Theatre Company include The Heretic (2012), Hamlet (2011), All About My Mother (2010), Richard III (2010) and Rockabye (2009). For the Victorian Opera she has designed costumes for Nixon in China (2013), Midnight Son (2012) and The Baroque Triple Bill (2011).

Esther is also one third of The Sisters Hayes, a sibling artist group working across theatre and the visual arts. In 2012 they designed set and costumes for Blood Wedding for the Malthouse, where they also designed Walking into the Bigness (2014).

Kelvin Gedye SOUND DESIGNER

Kelvin is responsible for the Australasian production sound for Wicked and has designed, supervised or operated numerous musicals over the last 25 years, including Cats, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Show Boat and Fiddler on the Roof. He has also been one of the sound design team on The Production Company versions of Mame, Mack & Mabel, The Music Man, Bye Bye Birdie, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, The Producers, Chess, and soon Showboat. Kelvin’s sound design for the recent tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was nominated for a Green Room Award.

System Sound teams have engineered many productions throughout Australasia including Les Misérables, Cats, The Phantom of The Opera, Mamma Mia!, Spamalot, The Producers, We Will Rock You, Guys and Dolls, Mary Poppins, Billy Elliot, Rock of Ages, A Chorus Line, Love Never Dies, Jersey Boys, War Horse, Legally Blonde, The Addams Family and King Kong.

They are currently sounding the touring productions of Wicked, Les Misérables, Strictly Ballroom and Phantom of the Opera in Asia.

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Pip Mushin RESIDENT DIRECTOR

A graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and the Victorian College of the Arts (Film and Television) Pip has accumulated a wealth of experience as a director and actor in the Australian theatre, film and television industries. His stage directing credits include Arafat in Therapy, Prick The Musical, Avenue Q (VMTG nomination – Best Production, Best Director), Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Crossing Delancy, Falsettos (VMTG nomination – Best Production, Best Director) Big Al, Yentl, La Serva Pedrona, From Phantom to Figaro and Biloxi Blues. Pip’s first feature film Josh Jarman, which he wrote and directed, enjoyed a national release and was selected for seven international film festivals.

As an actor Pip is well known for his roles in Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom and the award-winning TV series Frontline as well as featuring in Peter Jackson’s King Kong. On stage, Pip has acted for many leading theatre companies including the Melbourne Theatre Company and Playbox Theatre.

Robyn Arthur MONICA

In a comprehensive career that spans nearly 40 years, Robyn has had many highlights. Last year she toured Australia with Henri Szeps in Elizabeth Coleman’s It’s My Party and I’ll Die if I Want To. Robyn was nominated for a Helpmann Award for her performance as Bev in Sideshow Alley, played Mrs Potts in the stage production of Beauty and the Beast with Hugh Jackman, appeared in the original and most recent productions of The Boy from Oz, and starred in the original Australian cast of Les Misérables as Madame Thénardier (Green Room Award). Particular favourites at Sydney Theatre Company include Michael Gow’s Away and the Australian Premiere of Sondheim’s Company directed by the late Richard Wherrett and for Malthouse, Terence O’Connell’s Minefields and Miniskirts.

She has appeared recently on the ABC’s Woodley, Laid and The Librarians. Robyn has been a proud member of Actors Equity since 1975.

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Rachael Beck

One of Australia’s leading performers, Rachael Beck is a multifaceted, award-winning powerhouse whose talents span across stage and screen, as both an acclaimed vocal artist and actress.

ANITA

Off the back of starring as Truly Scrumptious in TML Enterprises national production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and touring alongside David Hobson in their show Both Sides, Rachael released her debut CD This Girl in 2014.

Rachael’s theatre credits include Eureka for Essgee Entertainment, directed by Gale Edwards; ‘Sally Bowles’ in IMG’s Cabaret, directed by Sam Mendes; ‘Kathy Selden’ in Singing in the Rain directed by David Atkins, earning her a Mo Award nomination and ‘Maria’ in The Gordon/Frost Organization/SEL production of The Sound of Music.

Rachael is widely remembered for her award-winning role as Belle opposite Hugh Jackman in Beauty and the Beast, which won the 1996 ARIA Award for the Best Australian Soundtrack/ Cast/Show Release. Her outstanding credits include her Green Room Award nominated performance as ‘Fantine’ in Les Misérables and ‘Rumpleteaser’ in Cats, both produced by Cameron Mackintosh. Rachael’s theatre credits for Sydney Theatre Company include ‘Peg Hartigan’ in Summer Rain directed by Robyn Nevin, Secret Bridesmaid’s Business, as ‘Fredrika’ in A Little Night Music, ‘Lady Mortimer’ in Henry IV and Me and My Girl - which toured Australia and New Zealand for the Adelaide Festival; and for The Production Company include The Pajama Game, Call Me Madam and Big Hair in America, which premiered at the Hot House Theatre.

Rachael’s screen credits include City Homicide, Stingers, Mercury, The Feds, This Man This Woman, GP, Flying Doctors, Home & Away and Hey Dad.

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Noeline Brown MAGGIE BEARE

Noeline’s extensive career spans more than 50 years. Starting on stage in revue and music hall Noeline enjoyed early success on television in The Mavis Bramston Show, and the hit comedy series My Name’s McGooley, What’s Yours? Noeline also starred in The Naked Vicar Show on radio, stage and television where she met her husband, writer and producer Tony Sattler. A Logie Award winner, Noeline has appeared in many TV programs including Would You Believe?, Daily at Dawn, Blankety Blanks with Graham Kennedy, Beauty and the Beast and most recently the popular Dancing with the Stars, where she made it all the way to the semi-finals!

Noeline’s great love has always been the theatre and she is well known for her work in comedy and musicals. From 2003 to 2006 she toured in Peta Murray’s Wallflowering, performing in 85 towns and cities around Australia. In 2006 Noeline appeared in the film Razzle Dazzle. In 2008 Noeline won the Norman Kessell award for her portrayal of Florence Foster Jenkins in Glorious at the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney followed by Duets with Barry Creyton.

Noeline is a regular on Richard Glover’s Thank God It’s Friday program on ABC radio and on many comedy programs on TV including Talkin’ ‘bout Your Generation, Spicks & Specks and Tractor Monkeys.

In April 2008, Noeline was appointed Australia’s first Ambassador for Ageing by the Federal Government and is still enjoying that role. She has also been an Australia Day Ambassador for the past 13 years.

Her autobiography, Noeline – Longterm Memoir was published in 2005 by Allen & Unwin, making the bestseller list.

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Rob Carlton ROBERT BEARE

One of Australia’s most outstanding actors, Rob Carlton has starred in a long list of Australian television series including Mabo, Underbelly III – The Golden Mile, Chandon Pictures, The Hollowmen, All Saints, Blue Heelers, Water Rats, Roar, A Country Practice and E Street. His portrayal of Kerry Packer in Paper Giants – The Birth of Cleo and Magazine Wars, has been heralded by critics and audiences alike. Rob won the 2012 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor for Paper Giants.

With feature film credits including Mental, Any Questions for Ben? Strange Bedfellows, You Can’t Stop The Murders, Muggers, and The Year My Voice Broke, Rob commenced his acting career at the age of 14.

Rob is also a producer, director and writer.

Rob’s production company, Shadowfax TV, produced two series of the award winning comedy, Chandon Pictures, seen on both Movie Extra and ABC TV. Rob co-directed and took creator, writer and acting credits in the series. Both Chandon Pictures and Rob have been nominated for numerous awards for the show, (Logies, AFIs, Writers Guild and Directors Guild awards), with Rob winning an Australian Writers Guild Award for Best Narrative Comedy in 2008. Chandon Pictures has been sold to over 15 territories around the world, including the UK and the USA. Rob’s play A-Framed was first produced by his production company in 1998 to critical and box office success. A-Framed has since been produced in Sydney and Melbourne by different theatre companies.

Rob is also a Tropfest winner. In 2006 Carmichael and Shane, a short film Rob wrote, starred in, co-directed and co-produced, took out top honours. Rob won Best Actor at the festival that year.

A graduate of Sydney University in English and Australian Literature, Rob has a strong background in debating and Theatresports.

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Sharon Davis KAREN

Sharon Davis developed a passion for theatre while studying a BA at Newcastle University. This led to working for Newcastle’s Freewheels Theatre Company before training at the Victorian College of the Arts. Since graduating in 2006, Sharon has worked with many of Melbourne’s leading professional and independent theatre companies and appeared in award-winning short films and acclaimed television series.

Sharon’s varied stage credits include Mummy Ubu in Ubu Roi, Poppy in Noises Off, Debbie in It’s My Party (and I’ll Die if I want to), Rosalind in As You Like It, and co-lead in the critically acclaimed musical Urban Display Suite at the Lawler Theatre.

Sharon’s most recent television role was in Peter Helliar’s It’s a Date; other roles include Beatrix Barbarich on Neighbours and Janine in the highly praised TV1 series Killing Time.

Sharon has been a proud member of Equity since 2002.

Darren Gilshenan ARTHUR BEARE

Darren’s diversity as an artist is his strength and has allowed him an extensive body of work. After graduating from The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1988 he began his career in musicals before spending 10 years with The Bell Shakespeare Company. Sketch comedy followed with three years on Full Frontal followed by some great TV series; Dossa and Joe (BBC/Granada), AFI nominated Chandon Pictures and Logie nominated Derrick which he wrote and starred in.

Darren returned to the theatre for seven productions with Sydney Theatre Company and then to the small screen again; Moody Christmas and The Moodys, as Uncle Terry, Top of the Lake created by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife Fighting, Rake 3, Janet King, The Killing Field directed by Samantha Lang for Network 7, Old School and Devils Playground.

Darren has just finished filming Maximum Choppage for the ABC and will play Orry Kelly in Gillian Armstrong’s documentary drama on the man himself. Film credits include: Women He’s Undressed, Save your Legs, The Outlaw Michael Howe and AACTA nominated Liebermans in the Sky. Darren also featured as Piggsy, in a festival version of Monkey -

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Journey to the West and Absent Friends by Alan Ayckbourn at the Ensemble Theatre.

He has won a Best Actor Helpmann Award for The Servant of Two Masters and been nominated for Green Room, Sydney Critics and Glugg Awards.

Nicki Wendt LIZ BEARE

Nicki’s theatre credits are extensive, having appeared in dozens of productions Australia-wide. Some of Nicki’s memorable performances for Melbourne Theatre Company include Rockabye, The Memory of Water, Three Days of Rain, Company, Measure For Measure, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, I Hate Hamlet, House Of Blue Leaves, See How They Run, Our Country’s Good, The Recruiting Officer, The Cherry Orchard, Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Private Lives.

For The Production Company she has featured in Gypsy, Mame, 42nd Street, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Annie Get Your Gun. Nicki has also worked with Playbox, Sydney Theatre Company and Black Swan State Theatre Company.

She has regularly graced the small screen in telemovies and series; City Homicide, Rush, Society Murders, MDA, The Ponderosa, Halifax FP, Seachange, Acropolis Now, The Crash Zone and Neighbours.

Nicki has directed works for Victorian Opera including the hugely successful Midnight Son, for which she won the 2013 Green Room Award for Best Direction in Opera. She also works as a teacher and director with the Developing Artists Program with the Opera and the University of Melbourne.

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Nicole Robinson

Nicole trained at NIDA in 2001.

Since then she has work on numerous productions including Billy Elliot the Musical, Mamma Mia 10th Anniversary Australian Tour, Hairspray the Musical, Moonshadow, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, The Wharf Revue (2013 & 2014) and Holding The Man.

STAGE MANAGER

She has worked for Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Company B, Pork Chop Productions, Griffin Theatre Company, ATYP, Sydney Opera House.

Emma Wenlock ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

Emma has previously worked with Queensland Theatre Company on productions of The Mountaintop and Trollop.

She has been the Stage Manager on a variety of productions and events including Asian Football Cup Opening Ceremony, Harvest Rain Theatre Company’s Footloose, Brisbane Festival’s SOAP and the Brisbane Writers Festival in 2013 and 2014. As Assistant Stage Manager, Emma was involved with Opera Queensland’s G20: Face of Brisbane, La bohème (Brisbane and regional tour) and Otello. She was also Assistant Stage Manager at Queensland Music Festival 2013’s World’s Biggest Orchestra and New Theatricals’s Jersey Boys: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Emma has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Technical Production) from Queensland University of Technology.

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PATRON His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC Governor of Queensland MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Richard Fotheringham (Chair) Julieanne Alroe (Deputy Chair) Kirstin Ferguson Erin Feros Simon Gallaher Peter Hudson Elizabeth Jameson Nathan Jarro ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Wesley Enoch EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sue Donnelly Executive Assistant: Tammy Sleeth Resident Dramaturg: Louise Gough Resident Directors: Jason Klarwein and Andrea Moor Programming Manager/ Senior Producer: Katherine Hoepper Producer (New Work and Development): Shari Irwin Artistic Coordinator: Samantha French Touring and Regional Program Coordinator: Christine Johnstone Touring Production Coordinator: Dan Sinclair Producer (Education and Youth Programs): Heidi Irvine Programming Project Officer: Laurel Collins Chief Financial Officer: Michael Cullinan Assistant Accountant: Sena Du Bois Finance Officer: Robin Koski

Marketing Manager: Yvonne Whittington Marketing Coordinator: Amanda Solomons Marketing Officer: Phoebe Owen Marketing Assistant: Yuverina Shewpersad Digital Marketing Officer: David D’Arcy Database Trainer and Supervisor: Dale Ric-Hansen Publicist: Kath Rose and Associates Season Ticketing Supervisor: Roxane Eden Ticketing Coordinator: Maggie Holmes Ticketing Officer: Maneka Singh Season 2015 Customer Service Team Members: Tanya Leadbetter Sarah Maunsell Receptionist and Ticketing Officer: Donna Fields-Brown Philanthropy Manager: Amanda Jolly Corporate Partnerships Manager: Nikki Porter Development Coordinator: Dee Morris Researcher and Grant Writer: Danielle Bentley Production Manager: Toni Glynn Technical Coordinator: Daniel Maddison Production Coordinator: Scott Klupfel

Head of Workshop: Peter Sands Company Carpenter/ Head Mechanist: John Pierce Carpenter: Jamie Bowman Head of Wardrobe: Vicki Martin Costume Supervisor: Natalie Ryner Associate Artists: Rod Ainsworth Candy Bowers Carol Burns Katherine Lyall-Watson David Morton Gayle MacGregor Paula Nazarski Ngoc Phan Lucas Stibbard

Mother & Son Production Staff Production Manager: Keith Tucker Head Mechanist: Allan Maguire Sound Operator: David Brown – System Sound Wardrobe Maintenance/Dresser: Ray Milner

QPAC Production Staff Lighting Operator: Felicity Hoare Head Mechanist: Heath Reid

FOUNDING DIRECTOR Alan Edwards, AM, MBE (1925 – 2003)

Queensland Theatre Company is a member of Live Performance Australia.

Front of House and Events Supervisor: Deirdree Wallace Venue and Operations Supervisor: Julian Messer

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Acknowledgements Producer/General Manager: Spencer McLaren

PO Box 3567, South Bank, Queensland 4101

Producer: Dean Murphy

Tel: (07) 3840 7444 www.qpac.com.au

Producer: Joseph Thomsen Company Manager: Dwan Attwood Production Manager: Keith Tucker Head of Sound: Kelvin Gedye Wardrobe Supervisor: Amanda Carr Scenic Build and Painting: Show Works Sound Design and Equipment: System Sound Lighting Equipment: Resolution X Production

Chair Chris Freeman AM Deputy Chair Rhonda White AO Trustees Kylie Blucher Simon Gallaher Sophie Mitchell Mick Power AM Executive Staff Chief Executive: John Kotzas Director – Presenter Services: Ross Cunningham Director – Marketing: Roxanne Hopkins Director – Corporate Services: Kieron Roost Director – Patron Services: Jackie Branch ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Queensland Performing Arts Trust is a Statutory body of the State of Queensland and is partially funded by the Queensland Government

Accounting: SY Group Marketing: AKA Australia, Kendra Reid, James Robertson Publicity: Linda Freedman Partnerships/ Promotions: Megan Ellis Production Management: Megafun Production Photography: Rob Maccoll Promotional Photography: Lachlan Moore

To ensure that patrons enjoy the performance, management asks you to note: • Cameras, tape recorders and paging devices should not be used inside the auditorium.

• Switch off alarms and mobile phones prior to the performance.

• A single cough measures approximately 65 decibels of sound. The use of a handkerchief helps greatly to soften the sound.

The management reserves the right to refuse admission, also to make any alterations to the cast which may be rendered necessary by illness or other unavoidable causes.

Patrons are advised that the Performing Arts Centre has EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURES, a FIRE ALARM system and EXIT passageways. In case of an alert, patrons should remain calm, look for the closest EXIT sign in GREEN, listen to and comply with directions given by the inhouse trained attendants and move in an orderly fashion to the open spaces outside the Centre.

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Australia’s most awarded venue Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre Perfect for your next event o Stunning, sophisticated and exciting selection of unique function spaces o Brisbane’s finest function room – Sky Room & Terrace o World class cuisine – voted Australia’s best on three occasions o Events catered from 10 guests and more

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Thank You To Our Current Donors We thank all our generous donors for their contribution to our work.

Your assistance makes it possible for us to enrich the cultural life of our community.

$10,000+

$5,000-$9,999

1 Anonymous Patricia Byrne Pamela M Marx Bruce & Sue Shepherd

John & Gabrielle Hull Cathryn Mittelheuser AM Karl & Louise Morris Tim & Kym Reid

$2,000-$4,999

$1,000-$1,999

John H Casey John & Lynnly Chalk Sue Donnelly Wesley Enoch Kirstin & Glen Ferguson Richard Fotheringham & Roslyn Atkinson Alan Galwey Bruce & Alexandra Grove E M Jameson & A L Anderson Trevor Love & Vivienne Johnson Jenny Moynihan Cecily Stevenson

5 Anonymous Anne & Peter Allen Julieanne Alroe William Ash & Margi Brown Ash Lisa & William Bruce Mathieu & Anastasia Ellerby Erin Feros William & Claire Glasson David & Katrina King

Creative Partnerships Australia The Siganto Foundation Tim Fairfax Family Foundation

Noela & Colin Kratzing Joan M. Lawrence AM Directors Australia Jim & Jill Nicklin Donal & Una O’Sullivan Prior Family Marianna Serghi R & M Williams

$500-$999 8 Anonymous Melissa Agnew Stephen & Jennifer Boyd Ian Bunzli Rita Carter-Brown Bob Cleland Graham Dunlop & Elizabeth Ardill Jan & Michael Evans Kirstin & Glen Ferguson Merrilyn Goos Pamela Greet & Nicholas Beaton Gough Medical Geoffrey Hirst & Sally Wilde David Hardidge Hudson Family

LEGAL CHAPTER Michael & Anne Back Jennifer Batts Sarah Bradley Peter Bridgman Sheryl Cornack Leone Costigan & Greg Mann Peter & Gwen Eardley Ralph & Frances Devlin Scott Falvey H G Fryberg Elizabeth Gaffney John & Lois Griffin Kevin & Joanne Holyoak Asif Khan

TRUST & FOUNDATIONS

Fleur Kingham John & Janice Logan Sarah Ludwig Stephen & Hana Mackie Debra & Patrick Mullins Brian Noble James & Anne Noble Tina Previtera Jeff Rolls & Barbara Houlihan Walter Sofronoff Peter & Nerida van de Graaff Greg & Sally Vickery Keith Wilson

Marc James Amanda Jolly Tempe Keune Ross & Sophia Lamont Susan Learmonth & Bernard Curran Fred & Margaret Leditschke Andrew & Kate Lister B Lloyd Brad Mammino Ian & Rhyl McLeod Rob & Barbara Murray Denise O'Boyle Greg & Wendy O’Meara Diane & Robert Parcell

Blayne & Helen Pitts Bruce Richardson & Taninnuch Stone John Richardson & Kirsty Taylor Geoffrey Rush Gary Sawyer Phoebe Stephens Flowers Sandy Vigar & Martin Pearson Margaret & Norman Wicks Gillian Wilton Ian Yeo & Sylvia Alexander Sharon York & Mark Smith

$250-$499 15 Anonymous Leanne Austin Phil Barker Melissa Bennett Emma Benson Ethna Brown Betty Byrne Henderson AM Margaret Byrne Michael & Margaret Clancy

John Colwell Christine Comans Anthony Costantini June Craw OAM Michael Cullinan Eve Dyer Judi Ewings William & Lenore Ferguson Kate Foy

Peter & Gay Gibson Anita Green David Hardidge Albert & Carmen Hili Katherine Hoepper Olwyn M Kerr Tammy S Linde Sandra McCullagh Carolyn McIlvenny Hon. Tom McVeigh

Sandra McVeigh Elizabeth Mellish Dee Morris & Reny Philip & Fran Morrison Darryl Nisbet Pacstars Allan Pidgeon Catherine Quinn People Resourcing

Donald Robertson Lyn & Joanne Scott Bronwyn Springer VERTEC RAIL Amy Walduck D & J Woodward

Donations over $250 are acknowledged for 12 months from the date of donation.

We appreciate and honour all contributions to our work. Visit queenslandtheatre.com.au or phone our Philanthropy Manager on 07 3010 7621 to find out how you can support our work.

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Thanks to our Sponsors Government Partners

Presenting Sponsors

Production Sponsors

Program Sponsors

Season Sponsors

Season Supporters

Media Supporters

Queensland Theatre Company presents a Joint Ventures / Lascorp Entertainment / Fractured Limb production 78 Montague Rd, South Brisbane PO Box 3310 South Brisbane BC QLD 4101 Tel 07 3010 7600 Fax 07 3010 7699 Ticketing 1800 355 528 queenslandtheatre.com.au mail@queenslandtheatre.com.au

by Geoffrey Atherden

facebook.com/qldtheatreco twitter.com/qldtheatreco

Š The State of Queensland (Queensland Theatre Company) 2015 Disclaimer: Every endeavour has been made to ensure that the contents of this brochure are correct at the time of printing.

However, things can change. Queensland Theatre Company reserves the right to vary advertised programs and to add, withdraw or substitute artists as necessary.

Support Greening QTC and recycle this program after the performance in the recycling bins provided in the foyer.

Read the program before the show at queenslandtheatre.com.au or by scanning the below QR code.