Stage Whispers October/November 2020 edition

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6 In this issue

Magic To Come ........................................................................................ 6 Stephen Schwartz talks to Stage Whispers as Pippin returns to Sydney Stage Lights Up ...................................................................................... 10 How our theatres are gradually re-opening A Zoom With A View .............................................................................. 18 Celebrating digital theatre created in response to COVID-19

15

20

Life Without Theatre ............................................................................... 22 Maintaining morale during the creative void More Stage Superstitions ........................................................................ 28 Part two of our series - from ‘Upstaging’ to ‘The Scottish Play’ WAAPA On The Move ............................................................................. 36 Edith Cowan University’s new campus in Perth’s CBD Let’s Put On A Show ............................................................................... 39 Resources for staging your next production

22

Outdoor Theatre ..................................................................................... 40 Is al fresco theatre the COVID-safe solution?

36

43

57

47

Regular Features Stage On Page

30

Stage On Disc

32

Broadway & West End Update

37

Choosing A Show

44

What’s On

53

Reviews

56

Musical Spice

60

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4 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

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Editorial Dear theatre-goers and theatre-doers, Like so many other performers and fans of live musical theatre, the last six months have been tough for me.

Not that there haven’t been some amazing rewards available too.

Abundant streamed film versions of theatre productions have filled many an evening, including the screening of Broadway’s greatest pre-pandemic hit, Hamilton.

I’ve dug deep into my collection of cast recordings over the last few months to enjoy some of my favourite scores, plus music from more obscure shows that I’d almost forgotten, as I read a little backlog of showbiz books which had been mounting up.

If you’re looking for a new book or script, we’ve been busy upgrading Stage Whispers Books - stagewhispers.com.au/books - during the last few months, and now have hundreds of new publications for you to choose from.

Classic Hollywood DVDs including Singin’ in the Rain, 42nd Street, The Bandwagon and The Sound of Music have also brightened my evenings.

Still, I’m thrilled that I will soon be able to enjoy a couple of big professional musicals on our main stages in Sydney.

Thankfully safely distanced theatre is emerging across most of Australia, finding ways to co-exist with the ongoing threat which COVID-19 poses.

Only in Victoria, following its devastating second wave of the pandemic, do all stages remain empty for now.

We can only hope that when we return to normal in the theatre, it will be a new, better and more inclusive normal. The controversy surrounding the selection of this year’s Rob Guest Endowment semi-finalists, and the competition’s subsequent cancellation, as covered on page 38 of this edition by David Spicer, make it clear we still have quite some way to go when it comes to diversity on our stages.

Speaking personally, as a community musical theatre performer for some fifty years now, not being able to rehearse or perform for the last six months has been hard. Like many other performers, I have felt the void left by the loss of that creative camaraderie.

Sometimes I’ve found myself railing at the apparently different rules applied to body contact community team sports and people gathering to rehearse and perform community theatre here in NSW. We all want to see an end to the COVID19 threat, but I question whether the sometimes apparently contradictory responses to our respective pastimes are actually about threat levels, or perhaps how vociferous our lobbyists are.

Yours in Theatre,

Neil Litchfield Editor

CONNECT

Cover image: The cast of the 2015 Pippin tour of Japan.

Read Coral Drouyn’s interview with it’s creator Stephen Schwartz on page 6, in the lead -up to the show’s Australian premiere.

Photo: Shinobu Ikazaki. stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 5

The cast of the 2015 Pippin tour of Japan.

Photo: Shinobu Ikazaki.

Online extras!

Check out the high-flying, deathdefying Pippin. Scan or visit youtu.be/LWbDvgft0F0 6 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

Cover Story Coral Drouyn is excited by the return of Pippin to our shores, talking to its creator Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell) about the musical almost 50 years after its creation.

Have you been missing the magic?

You know - that magic that live theatre represents to all of us avid theatregoers and performers. It’s been a bleak, bland world for the past six months without any live theatre to speak of. Thankfully we have had internet performances to keep us on life support, but nothing compares to being in the stalls, or dress circle, with slightly tacky carpet underfoot and the smell of musical theatre history all around you.

Well fear not, the magic is almost upon us again. At the Sydney Lyric from November 24, the Leading Player will again invoke us to “join us...come and spend an hour or two” and draw us into the world of “Magic To Do”, when the Tony winning Broadway revival production of Pippin opens.

Pippin is not just any musical. It’s the musical that launched Ben Vereen as a star, cemented Bob Fosse as the undisputed director/ choreographer of his time, and established Stephen Schwartz as one of the top composer/ lyricists ever seen on Broadway. It is wildly theatrical, a phantasmagorical, not to be missed experience, and arguably one of the top ten musicals of the entire 20th century.

If you think that’s hyperbole, then you haven’t seen Pippin - and that’s probably the bulk of Australians since it is so seldom performed.

It opened in Australia at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne on February 24th, 1974 and created history. Starring Australia’s reigning King and Queen of Pop - John Farnham and Colleen Hewett - it had star power plus and drew audiences who had never been to a live theatre.

They came just to see their pop idols, but many stayed, becoming avid musical theatre supporters over the following 45 years. It was the first full musical I took my children to see, and they have been fans ever since.

It was remarkable that there wasn’t a single ‘import’ in the cast the great Ronne Arnold had already been an Australian resident for more than a decade, and was perfect for the Leading Player, while the ‘supporting’ cast included the splendid Nancye Hayes, the wonderful Music Hall star Jenny Howard, Tony Bart and David Ravenswood.

The unlikely story of the Emperor Charlemagne’s son rebelling against his father and experiencing the seedy side of life through a group of travelling players brought us songs like “Corner of the Sky”, “Magic To Do”, “Glory” - and a style of music that Schwartz has perfected in more recent shows like Wicked. In fact, without Pippin it’s safe to say that there wouldn’t have been a Wicked at all, and there may not even have been a Stephen Schwartz as we know him.

Schwartz’s remarkable career started when he was only twenty, at college where he was studying theatre directing. Schwartz had studied music all his life, taking the train into New York to study at Julliard on Saturdays, but he often skipped class and took in a matinee on Broadway. Though he went to college (Carnegie Mellon) to study fine arts (with theatre directing as a major) it wasn’t long before he found himself involved with the theatre club - “Scotch’n’Soda” - and suddenly he found himself writing musicals.

“I love the drama, the theatricality of musicals, but I was also influenced by pop music,” Stephen tells me. “The Beatles were huge during my teen years, and I loved them lyrically - I think I got my love of rhyming from them. I always thought I’d be a composer, rather than a lyricist, but I loved playing with rhymes something Bob Fosse used to tease me quite brutally about.”

It’s been well documented that Fosse was a bully and that he and Schwartz butted heads frequently over the tone of Pippin, which Fosse saw as far darker and lewder than (Continued on page 8) stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 7

Stephen Schwartz meets Susie Mathers and Jemma Rix from the Australian cast of Wicked.

show before it even hit Broadway.

Stephen takes up the story again.

“So Bob (Fosse) had seen Ben Vereen as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar a year or so earlier and really wanted him in the show. I knew he was a great talent, but I couldn’t see where he would fit in, so I wasn’t thrilled. But nothing was going to stop Bob having his way,” Stephen explains. “Roger Hirson (librettist) combined a couple of small characters in the second act to make him the leading player of a travelling theatre group, but Ben was wasted. Then we had problems with the first act not working the way we needed it to - it was a slow burn. So we tried ‘Magic to Do’ as an opening number - and it was the rocket we needed. It changed the entire show.”

settled for less. I was not the easiest person to work with in those days.”

He pauses for a second.

“You have to remember that from the beginning of the seventies all young people were rebelling - against authority, against government, against the Vietnam War, and just against not being taken seriously - so I rebelled, as does Pippin. And that rite of passage/rebellion combination still drives young people today. Look what’s happening in the US right now. Young people are frustrated and sometimes their reactions go too far, but they have a right to their mistakes. I think the greatest lesson in Pippin is learning to take responsibility for your own life, including the mistakes. We all ask ‘What’s the point? What am I supposed to do with my life?’ That really hasn’t changed at all in almost half a century.”

Some things don’t change, but others become so different as to be unrecognisable - so it was with the

I point out (stating the obvious) that changing the opening number changed the entire dynamic and narrative direction of the show. Now we’re with a travelling troupe right from the time the curtain goes up. Is the troupe putting on a show, telling a story or simply relating history? The title character becomes an object for the Leading Player (now the star) to manipulate.

“Exactly!” Stephen exclaims, “and suddenly there are no boundaries restricting the theatricality of the show; nothing is too outrageous, and there is tremendous freedom in that, even if it means that everything you thought you had got right was still not reaching its potential.”

Pippin was a smash hit, with arguably the best opening number in Broadway history. It earned a slew of Tony nominations, with Vereen and Fosse winning even though Stephen missed out. Nevertheless, it made him Broadway’s Golden Boy and, with the opening of The Magic Show the

Cover Story

(Continued from page 7)

Schwartz was initially hoping for.

Eventually Fosse had the composer banned from the rehearsal room.

“With hindsight, I can see that many of Bob’s ideas added to the richness of the themes and gave us a far more adult show. But I was 23 and full of myself. What did I know? I think I learned more from Fosse than anyone. I just didn’t know it at the time,” Stephen tells me.

Of course many of us have heard the story of Stephen writing Pippin at college in 1967 when he was just 19 an astonishing feat. But is it true?

Stephen chuckles when I ask him.

“Well...yes...and no,” he says.

“Ron Strauss found this story about an uprising by Charlemagne’s son Pepin, and that became the basis for a short musical we called Pippin, Pippin. It was full of gags, catchy oneliners, and some pop songs. But is it the Pippin that made it to Broadway?

Heck no! It’s safe to say there wasn’t a single line, a single song, from the college production that made it to Broadway. And again, nor should there be. It took 5½ years of development to get it to where it became a complete show. I’m glad I was pushed, or I probably would have 8 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

following year, and with Godspell still running, he had three shows running on Broadway at the age of 25.

And then he crashed.

“I had to walk away,” he says ruefully. “I had lost my way and I had to re-evaluate why I was doing this at all. Some people said I was finished but I never stopped writing, I just stopped being a part of it all. I often say the three years I spent in deep depression were the happiest years of my life.”

Stephen withdrew and got to spend long months really enjoying time with his children and wife. “But always I would be jotting down melodies - couplets of lyrics. It wasn’t Broadway, but it also wasn’t pressure.”

Stephen didn’t have another Broadway show until 2003, when Wicked opened, some 30 years after Pippin. In between he wrote a slew of musicals like Children of Eden (his favourite) and The Baker’s Wife, and some of the best Disney movie musicals. By then Pippin was little

more than a magic memory for those who had been there in the seventies.

But then comes 2013, and the American Repertory Theatre takes Pippin back to Broadway, some 41 years after it was first a smash hit. The troupe of players has become a travelling circus and the Leading Player has become a female. Though hats are tipped to Fosse’s original work, Director Dianne Paulus has created a vision that is new and fresh, and Lord knows (even though it’s seven years down the track) we need that after the horrendous year of 2020. The revival picked up a host of Tony awards, and it’s the only time (with Ben Vereen and Patina Miller) that opposite genders have won Best Actor awards for the same role - 40 years apart.

Stephen is excited. “I just so want to be there for the opening night, but they won’t let me in (because of COVID-19). I love this production so much. When I saw it on Broadway it wasn’t like a revival for me. It was like this was the way it should always

have been. It’s all my dreams rolled into one and I am so thankful it hasn’t just ended up as a credit on my CV.” Auditions for the production included a request for circus skills.

Triple threats needed to be quadruple threats.

And Stephen is working on his next project - still creating at seventy.

“This production gave me so many new ideas. It really is an inspiration.”

I ask him one last question - is he still the incurable romantic who fought for a happy ending in Pippin when Fosse wanted the dark death by fire ending?

Stephen laughs.

“Through the years I would have liked people to think I was cool and detached, and maybe just a little bit cynical. It sounds so sophisticated,” he tells me. “But yes, you’re right, I am still an incurable romantic. I love a happy ending.”

And that’s why there is always magic to come...in theatre and life.

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 9

Theatres across the country are slowly reopening their doors. As ‘ghost lights’ have dimmed and stage lights switched on, Stage Whispers correspondents Beth Keehn (QLD), Kimberley Shaw (WA) and Mark Wickett (SA) have been out enjoying live theatre again, mostly staged by fleet footed smaller theatre companies. There is a clear message to theatre communities and audiences: be brave, be safe, and get back to support your entertainment venues.

State Theatres Across The Country

It’s not surprising that the states with the most theatre action are those with the fewest COVID-19 cases.

Queensland Theatre will reopen with an extended season of The Holidays in November, while their world premiere adaptation of Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe has been postponed to the Brisbane Festival 2021.

QPAC reopened its doors in late August with QPAC Unlocked - which saw sold-out shows as (albeit smaller) audiences returned to a varied programme in some smaller venues.

The Sydney Theatre Company (STC) returned in September with a new Australian play, Angus Cerini’s Wonnangatta, and an updated 2020 schedule. With socially distanced seating, the show immediately sold out. Belvoir also re-opened its doors at one-third capacity with the play A Room of One’s Own. The State Theatre SA presented 1930s thriller Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton in early September, and are planning their end-of-year comedy, Ripcord by David Lindsay-Abaire, from 13 November to 5 December.

In Western Australia, the Black Swan State Theatre Company will reopen on 28 November for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

Sadly, Victoria is the hardest hit.

The Melbourne Theatre Company announced that 11 of its 12 productions in 2020 have been cancelled as a result of the stage 4 restrictions.

The Tasmanian Theatre Company has also postponed its 2020 season.

10 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

Communities Calling

While the state theatres are considering what business looks like in a post-lockdown world, our smaller theatre troupes have bravely jumped in to test the waters first - fleet of foot, quick to adapt to seating regulations and deal with smaller audiences, changing venues, and flexing season offerings to suit changing audience needs.

Insight NSW: Racy Play A Hit in Kings Cross In Sydney, an independent production broke the lockdown barrier. The Credeaux Canvas by Keith Bunin opened at El Rocco Café in Kings Cross in July, ran to sold-out shows and has extended several times.

Originally designed as an immersive audience experience, this racy, off-Broadway show set in a small New York apartment had to pivot to accommodate COVID19 restrictions. The seating was limited to 24 people and all members of the audience underwent temperature checks.

Producer and Director Les Solomon said, “We’ve gone to extraordinary lengths to keep

people safe - and proved it can be done.

“This production was well rehearsed via Zoom and we were even able to explore the play by speaking to the playwright in America. The only ‘negative’ aspect has been that some audiences seemed a little inhibited by the small space and closeness to the actors.”

The two-hour piece centres on an art fraud and features an ‘unusual’ nude scene for both its young leads.

Its cast have received great reviews and the two leading actors, Samson Alston and Rachel Marley, are now getting busy with other offers.

“Next year I hope to tour Australia with the play. It’s been a very positive experience - a bright light in a dark tunnel.”

Les’s message to audiences: “Come out and do it - come and join the party! After all, as the Sydney Morning Herald said of our production: ‘It’s safer than the supermarket’.”

Insight NSW: Mapping The Route Back To Touring Leading the way in touring Australia in a post-COVID-19 world is CDP Theatre Producers. The independent and self-funded company specialises in touring, especially to regional Australia. CDP Kids broke their lockdown with a new Australian adaptation of Alison Lester’s The Magic Beach by awardwinning writer Finegan Kruckemeyer.

The tour commenced in NSW and is continuing across the country to WA, NT and Queensland until December pausing for quarantine where required. One branch of the company self-isolated in SA before their tour of The 91-Storey Treehouse from late September to early October. The company says school groups and families are loving the shows and the audience energy is alive and well.

Company Stage Manager Sharna Galvin told us, “CDP wants to be pioneers in getting back into theatres.

Fortunately our shows are small (Continued on page 12)

 State Theatre SA’s Ripcord.  Queensland Theatre’s The Holidays.  STC’s Wonnangatta.

Photo: Prudence Upton.

Online extras!

Artistic Director Kip Williams discusses STC’s return to the stage. Scan or visit youtu.be/M7_BBuWRgzw stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 11

Belvoir’s A Room Of One’s Own. Photo: Brett Boardman.

Online extras!

Discover what a COVID-safe theatre experience is like at Belvoir. Scan or visit youtu.be/CjnymqycvMw Insight QLD: Community Theatre Roars At Growl production-wise and don’t need huge Brisbane Community Theatre audiences to be enjoyed. The group Growl Theatre presented company is extremely proactive and Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee CDP’s producers are on top of the Williams, which was a ‘sold out’ latest COVID-safe requirements.” production in August.

Sharna points out that the theatre The show’s Director Brendan is leagues ahead of other industries James said, “At first, our COVID-19 when it comes to hygiene and safety plan felt quite restrictive, but once we for workers and audiences. opened, the spaced-out seating “Theatre is at the forefront of a created an amazingly intimate space. good safety culture - theatre people It was about performing for members are really compliant and have been for of the community who were starved decades. It is a self-regulated industry for good-quality performing - we - no one wants their show to be owed it to them.” closed. And while actors do need to How did the restrictions affect be performing, the old ‘show must go actors? Bianca Butler Reynolds, who on’ is no longer a strong issue. That played Catherine Holly, told us, attitude has been broken down “Despite the reduced seating capacity, through efforts to promote good the hall felt full every night. Receiving mental health - so generally standing ovations after some of our performers who are feeling unwell performances was the icing on the stay at home.” cake. It reinforced how much theatre Sharna’s message to audiences: serves the community, makers and “We are on our way back! Don’t be viewers alike.” afraid. Professional theatre has a strong and deeply entrenched safety culture, and public safety is everything to us.”

(Continued from page 11)

12 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

Insight QLD: Getting Pro-Am Back In Business Brisbane Arts Theatre reopened in September with a sold out opening night for Feet of Clay, the group’s latest instalment of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Artistic Director John Boyce told Stage Whispers that the independent group has had to find a way to make the new COVID-19 normal as viable as possible.

“The theatre usually holds 110 people; with social distancing, a full house is now about 42 seats. We reopened in July with little ‘guerrilla’ shows to test the waters. But Feet of Clay is the first show that is indicative of a regular season. We will learn to live alongside the virus - there’s no reason we can’t continue to diversify and tell stories.

“People are wanting what we have to offer. It will be difficult to get back to where we were two years ago we’ve had to adjust and make difficult staffing and programming choices.

One solution we will try in 2021 will free us up to be flexible. Instead of a (Continued on page 14)

Insight QLD: Brisbane Festival - Bursting The COVID-19 Cloud This year’s Brisbane Festival was a deliberately disruptive programme that hit town like a ray of sunshine.

Festival Artistic Director Louise Bezzina told us that her mission was to provide moments of surprise and delight for audiences, no matter the format or the location. Knowing that venues may be closed, she put together a programme of pop-up events, suburban street serenades and online bedtime stories.

A flock of giant Gouldian Finches by artist Florentijn Hofman flew in wearing their party hats and perched on venues across the inner-city. The border restrictions meant that the festival drew on Queensland’s wealth of local talent. Online lockdown favourites such as the Isolate Late Show went live to an audience for the first time. Cabaret and comedy could finally rub shoulders with musicians and singers, storytellers and art makers. Many shows were sold out and audiences eagerly took to the many free performances on offer.

Louise said, “We’ve taken art out to people when they’ve needed it most and we reached audiences in 190 Brisbane suburbs. When restrictions lifted and venues reopened, the team quickly huddled together and put together several mini-festivals, using fabulous venues like QPAC, the Tivoli, Powerhouse, La Boite and the new Metro Arts theatre.”

“I’ve never before received so many positive messages from audience members - proving that people want hope and joy. For that reason, I think audiences have been more than happy to comply with the COVID-19 regulations.”

Louise’s message to audiences: “Thank you! You are amazing! Come out and continue to enjoy yourselves.”

Brisbane Festival.

Photo: Atmosphere Photography.

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 13

Magic Beach.

Photo: James D Morgan.

(Continued from page 12)

full annual programme, we will be launching a series of mini-seasons.”

John’s message to audiences: “Trust us - we are doing everything in our powers to make the experience safe and happy. We are taking good care of our people and our audiences.

There’s only so much on-demand film and TV you can take! Come out and engage with us - in full 3D!” John Grey, who performed in Feet of Clay, told us, “The only noticeable difference from a ‘normal’ night is that the front couple of rows have to be empty, and that the audience have their intermission drinks delivered to their seats, Gold Class style. If you like live theatre, and you want it to survive, I urge you to get a group together and book a night out.”

Waiting For The Cue In SA

The Credeaux Canvas.

Read our review: bit.ly/32VHUqF

14 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

Insight SA: Opening Night At The New Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide With a freshly refurbished, historical venue to unveil, the opening night of Gaslight at the new Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide was well -publicised and highly anticipated.

Mark Wickett was there, recording the reality of COVID-19 restrictions for audiences.

“There was a bit of a buzz just turning up outside the new Her Majesty’s. We queued up outside the theatre, in a socially distanced line, and were allowed in gradually so as not to fill the foyer. The bars and water-fountains were closed, so the atmosphere in the public areas was subdued. There was plenty of hand sanitiser everywhere plus notices about not proceeding if you were feeling unwell or exhibiting any of the COVID-19 symptoms. Audiences need to remember that, in the current environment, everyone is extremely sensitive to any coughing - it is always a distraction, but even more so now.

“Our tickets were checked, and we were directed to our seats. Her Majesty’s is now a 1,500-seat theatre on three levels, which probably helped with the socially distanced seating plan. Every other seat was stickered

Online extras!

Gaslight played to sold out audiences at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide. facebook.com/watch/?v=356269458752592

State Theatre SA’s Gaslight at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide.

Read our review: bit.ly/3cpUeCt

‘don’t sit here’ and, even if we had arrived together, we had to sit apart to preserve the checkerboard of the rows in front and behind.

“While the atmosphere of this huge auditorium was more subdued than I’ve experienced before the pandemic, the positive buzz of being out at the theatre again was still dominant - even the pre-show announcement got a round of applause! Overall, the fact that we were back sharing live performance was a far bigger experience than any inconvenience of distancing. If this is the new norm, it’s perfectly manageable for an audience.”

Check the Stage Whispers website for all the action at small theatres in your state. stagewhispers.com.au/community-theatre

have one close call, when one lead actor, who was in isolation, was still awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test on the day before dress rehearsal.

He had to deliver his lines via Zoom!

Fortunately, the lag did not detract from the pace and rhythm of the performance!

“Where the restrictions have hit harder is in audience numbers - in one performance space, numbers were limited to 60; another larger school theatre could seat more than 100 with every other row left empty and two seats between each family Insight SA: The School Bubble group. The smaller audiences made Mark Wickett also worked on just as much noise in applause and three school productions. appreciation as a full theatre, and the “Each production is handling gathering of the audience before the COVID-19 restrictions differently in show created a bit of a buzz preterms of seating and crowd show. Overall, it has been a positive management. Their challenges are the experience.” same as the smaller theatres, around seating capacity, access to facilities, WA’s Hive Of Activity bar purchases, and so on. COVID-19 With no community-transmitted restrictions haven’t impacted the COVID-19, WA is all abuzz with shows themselves - although we did theatrical productions - our

correspondent Kimberley Shaw has reviewed 16 post-lockdown productions. She has also represented community theatre in meetings with the Minister for the Arts to realitycheck the latest COVID-safe regulations for their implementation in a live theatre setting.

Insight WA: Australian Premiere At A Profit-Share, Pub Venue Sarah Christiner is the Director/ Producer of the Australian premiere of Not About Nightingales, the ‘lost’ play

by Tennessee Williams, staged at the brewery, Last Drop Canning Vale.

Sarah told us that ‘distanced’ audiences were not a problem for this venue.

“We are not spacing our seats differently than usual, but we do have reduced capacity. Initially we were planning on an audience of 70, but the reduction to 50 was actually a blessing in disguise! For a start, the (Continued on page 16) stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 15

(Continued from page 15)

performance rights were cheaper. It also reduced issues with audience sightlines having fewer people in the room. My message to audiences would be to just be sensible. If you’re crook, stay home. We have no community transmission of COVID-19 in WA because we have been sensible.

Keep up the good work and don’t let unnecessary fears stop you from going out and enjoying life.”

Growl Theatre’s Suddenly Last Summer.

Photo: Aaron Hatton.

Read our review: bit.ly/2RSyJRC Brisbane Arts Theatre’s Feet Of Clay.

Photo: Nick O’Sullivan.

Melville Theatre’s Next To Normal.

Read our review: bit.ly/3hX8AeV

Insight WA: Musical At The Melville Director Craig Griffen presented the Pulitzer Prize winning musical Next to Normal at Melville Theatre in late August/early September. Despite its hard-hitting theme of mental illness, the musical was very warmly received, with some audience members moved to tears. The staging allowed for a six-piece ensemble to perform beneath the stage.

Actor Elethea Sartorelli, who played the leading role of Diana said, “As a performer, the distancing was a concern to begin with. However, the management of the seating arrangements and promotion by cast and production company to encourage group bookings assisted greatly. During performances, the distancing did not seem to matter.

The response to the show was very positive and our production resonated strongly with those who attended.

“I’m also a Production Manager at a school that runs a performing arts group. Social distancing has impacted our performances significantly and has meant that we were only able to promote the school show, with limits on bookings, to cast families and not to the wider community. However, the audience responses have meant that the cast didn’t seem to feel impacted by the reduced numbers.”

Insight WA: Performing Arts Schools: The WAAPA Show Goes On With capacity limits and social distancing restrictions, the economies of scale prevent many companies mounting a production under the current circumstances. However, as a Performing Arts conservatoire,

16 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) must continue to put on performances so the teachers can properly assess students’ creative output and abilities.

WAAPA told us, “The 50 percent capacity limit is being strictly adhered to by Edith Cowan University. So, by the time you take into account the cast, crew and front-of-house staff, you are left with maybe 20, 30, or 50 seats - which isn’t enough for internal stakeholders (such as students or staff) let alone the general public.

“To work around the restrictions, where the works are original or in the public domain, we have been filming for broadcast. We plan on filming Nicole Stinton’s adaptation of Orpheus In The Underworld, which we are staging at The Rechabite, and we will host a week-long broadcast season on our YouTube channel in October.”

Canberra REP’s What The Butler Saw. Read our review: bit.ly/2RPaqnF

ACT: All Quiet In The Capital Things have been quiet in Australia’s capital territory. However, Queanbeyan Players announced their musical theatre line-up for 2021: The Sound of Music in March, Kiss Me Kate in June and Oklahoma! in October. The group’s President Alison Newhouse said, “Queanbeyan Players enjoys a supportive and engaged community and, like everyone, we are all looking forward to reconnecting and getting back into rehearsals and production as soon as health guidelines allow.”

And the lights were back on at Canberra REP in September, with a production of Joe Orton’s What the Butler Saw. As New Zealand’s Prime Minister, and self-confessed amateur theatre enthusiast, Jacinda Ardern said recently, “These are the times that we need the Arts.”

But, as we slowly move out of lockdown conditions, these are the times when the Arts need us too!

Lochie Beh, President of the Lane Cove Theatre Company summed it up well: “When we’re on the other side of this, please volunteer, donate or simply come and see our shows.” stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 17

Craig Alexander in The Street Theatre’s St Nicholas.

Photo: Creswick Collective.

Read our review: bit.ly/3kFtBMT

Live performance has not disappeared in 2020. Instead, innovative theatre practitioners have stretched new boundaries online.

Patricia Di Risio celebrates some of the best digital theatre productions created this year.

In April 2020, at the beginning of Europe’s first catastrophic wave of COVID-19, Forced Entertainment produced an online performance parodying a Zoom meeting called End Meeting For All. The avant-garde theatre company based in Sheffield, UK produced a three-part comedy described by The Guardian as a strange entertainment that saw participants talk over each other, manage poor connections and ugly angles, wander off screen to pick up a delivery and drink too much alcohol.

Digital productions seem totally antithetical to the core purpose of the theatre, which is essentially about the thrill of live performance in a shared physical space. This unexpected and unwelcome challenge has also been successfully taken up by Australian performers and the Zoom meeting 18 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

has proved to be one of the most popular forums for this swift pivot to online productions. End Meeting For All#1 is very jaded in its view of the promise of streaming theatre, indulging in the despair and crudeness of online spheres.

However, several Australian experiments with digital technology and live theatre have shown that the notion of live performance is changing rapidly and radically in the era of COVID-19.

One of the more successful examples of this is the musical Who’s Your Baghdaddy? Or How I Started The Iraq War, directed by Neil Gooding and produced by Curveball Creative. Plans to bring the successful US musical to a Sydney stage were curtailed by COVID-19. As suggested by reviewers David Spicer and Coral

Drouyn, it turned a pandemic disaster into a triumph and delivered a finely executed live performance that involved a carefully curated and synchronised livestream. The producer, Keith Muir, also believes that it was an opportunity to create an experience that could be described as superior to a traditional stage performance.

This production orchestrated nine individuals, each working in a separate room in the same house. It was all streamed via Zoom to a command centre which coordinated the broadcast to viewers. The rehearsals included some very finely tuned coordination of movement and performance to the camera and to fellow actors, executing some incredible precision timing. Muir felt that the production was fortunate, as

the script and concept of the original show did lend itself to digital adaptation. The story of the musical surrounds nine people who are part of a therapy group dealing with the trauma of their involvement in the Iraq war. As virtual meetings are increasingly relying on Zoom during COVID-19, the transformation to a digital platform made perfect sense.

The two-hour show was livestreamed each night for five nights in June and nothing was pre-recorded or edited, virtually replicating all the demands and thrills of watching a live theatre performance.

In the same month, Melbourne based theatre company La Mama also ventured into this virtual space with its children’s production of The Wholesome Hour by PO PO MO CO. The premise of this show involves a group of comedy performers who are trapped in a warehouse, possibly due to quarantine. The room is filled with props and costumes and they are unable to resist the temptation to create a performance which appears to be spontaneously improvised. Here the camera is as animated as the performers. The camera zooms in and out or jolts along with the kinetics of the performers, displaying an acute awareness of how to successfully combine film and live theatre. The performance was streamed on the La Mama Facebook page during August with great success.

In June, Adelaide Repertory Theatre also explored ways of continuing to work under COVID-19 and livestreamed their production of Rattling the Keys, a play by Zoe Muller. The recording of this hardhitting show about the lives of five young adults living in poverty in remote Coober Pedy was then made available to view online. The online platform not only proved successful but was also clearly no obstacle to producing strong and moving performances.

Another successful example of using online livestream was The Street Theatre in Canberra for their performance of a one-man show called St Nicholas by Conor McPherson. The clever use of tight

Who’s Your Baghdaddy? Or How I Started The Iraq War. Read our review: bit.ly/3kHgJWu

Who’s Your Baghdaddy?

Go behind the scenes with Curveball Creative and discover the technical magic of Australia’s first live-streamed musical. facebook.com/watch/?v=3573962145964392 The Wholesome Hour.

Read our review: bit.ly/360FZD2

The Wholesome Hour

PO PO MO CO present a wild and raucous sketch comedy show for kids aged 5-10 full of songs, puppetry, mischief and fart jokes. youtu.be/CqwRh6YTC6c close-ups and a camera that closely followed the performer, Craig Alexander, produced a new level of intimacy and proximity for the audience. Reviewer Beth Keehn noted that the way the staging techniques were adopted to accommodate the camera helped to create a very intense and palpable performance.

State Theatre Company South Australia in conjunction with ActNow Theatre began work on their show Decameron 2.0. This is a series of

recorded monologues inspired by the 14th century masterpiece by Bocaccio.

The atmospheric shots, the raw lighting and locations including the use of backstage theatre spaces brings these performances to the forefront while clearly demarcating the virtual sphere as a theatrical one.

In August NIDA staged a digital theatre festival which involved six productions with different scheduled (Continued on page 20) stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 19

Online extras!

All episodes of Decameron 2.0 are available to stream. Scan or visit bit.ly/decameron-2-0

State Theatre Company SA’s Decameron 2.0.

Read our review: bit.ly/303eJzY

NIDA’s Lockdown: Love and Death in the Age of COVID. Photo: Patrick Boland.

Read our review: bit.ly/2ZYzRHS The tech room behind NIDA’s A Pox On Both Your Houses.

Photo: Bella Thomson.

Read our review: bit.ly/2ZYzRHS

20 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

(Continued from page 19)

performances across seven days. As with other examples, NIDA’s experiments show that the digital platforms can successfully recreate the thrill of live theatre. The productions incorporated a variety of platforms including livestreaming on YouTube as well as Zoom broadcasts. While less technically equipped than a large-scale production such as Who’s Your Baghdaddy? the inventive ways the technology was woven into the productions made it clear that live performance could be just as stimulating and gripping in a digital sphere.

One of the productions was a livestreamed Zoom meeting between five fictitious acting students called Lockdown: Love and Death in the Age of COVID. The show, devised by the cast and company, was an amazing example of the way in which theatre can be written for this platform. The digital platform wasn’t just accommodating the drama and intrigue; it actually facilitated it. The rawness of the approach and the variety of ways in which the actors employed Zoom from different devices, including mobile phones while roving the streets, gave the performance an authenticity and relevance that is unique to the COVID19 era.

A Pox On Both Your Houses was a three part show loosely based on the star-crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet.

This was also performed over Zoom and although it appeared simple, the show actually involved over 250 video cues, 100 sound cues and operators viewing up to six screens at a time.

Virtual backgrounds, chat rooms, and emoji reactions were fully incorporated into the event to emphasise not only its live nature but also to give it an interactive element. The audience was invited to contribute sound effects and even replicate the menu that the characters had prepared for a virtual dinner date. One of the most inventive uses of the platform was placing the virtual audience into breakout rooms to have a post-show chat. This

ingenious tactic made the event live, interactive and incredibly social.

These examples are evidence of the enormous creative, technological and safety demands and challenges that must be met in order to transition the theatrical experience to online platforms. All of these shows also had to factor in social distancing and hygiene protocols imposed by COVID19 restrictions. The key to the success was to look beyond the stage or simply recording performances which could be viewed on a digital platform. Instead, these productions demonstrated the need to think beyond the traditional theatre venue, to embrace digital technology and to exploit different digital spheres. This ingenuity enabled them to establish new COVID-19 safe pathways and opportunities to effectively continue producing engaging and exciting theatre.

Adelaide Repertory Theatre’s Rattling The Keys.

Read our review: bit.ly/3kG89av

Dr Patricia Di Risio PhD (Screen Studies) is a Lecturer in Media & Culture, Film Studies and Journalism at Monash College.

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 21

Life Without Theatre With theatres closed for months on end, artists and audience members alike have been left with a creative void in their lives. Despite the disappointments of 2020, Simon Parris has been inspired by the way theatre practitioners have maintained their morale.

Prolific Geelong theatre company CentreStage was set to open an ambitious new production of West Side Story, its run of 11 performances already 90% sold out, when the COVID-19 lockdown hit.

“We were due to bump into the theatre on March 17,” said CentreStage Managing Director David Greenwood.

“On March 13 we cancelled the show amid health concerns for our cast and creatives. Our final rehearsal was our Sitzprobe - a perfect way to farewell the cast and crew for a postponed production.

“We quickly worked behind the scenes to secure new dates. To keep our cast engaged, our choreographer ran weekly dance classes and fitness (gym) sessions via Facebook Live / Zoom for cast to maintain their mental health and fitness.

“Our team worked hard behind the scenes. Our motto was ‘all in or no show’ - i.e. if we didn’t have the same creative team, we wouldn’t go ahead as it should be presented in its original format or as close as possible.”

CentreStage’s motto is “family always first”, so when several individuals dropped out of the postponed production for family health reasons the very difficult and expensive decision was made to cancel West Side Story.

The financial impact was huge. All creative staff contracts were paid in full as their work had been completed. The set and costume bill was $70,000.

Additionally, staffing expenses and refund fees took the investment to more than $150,000.

On top of this, CentreStage had to delay a July production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, for which key sets and costumes had already been purchased from the professional tour in New Zealand.

22 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

Online extras!

The cast of West Side Story perform ‘Somewhere’. Scan the QR code or visit facebook.com/watch/?v=233693268038595 CentreStage’s West Side Story.

Photo: Tanja Rankin.

David described the company’s efforts to maintain morale.

“We are very lucky we have a strong Mental Health Policy and a dedicated staff member (Marnie Parkinson) who was very active in guiding our key decisions and the mental health of all our team. Throughout the lockdown, we were able to stream rehearsal footage inside our private Facebook group to keep the cast encouraged and their spirits lifted. In addition, we ran numerous competitions. Our website then launched a Health and Wellbeing portal for Geelong performers.”

Elsewhere, seasons were in full swing when the COVID-19 lockdown struck.

Fiona Choi was enjoying her role in Melbourne Theatre Company’s sold out season of Torch the Place when fellow cast member Diana Lin heard news from friends in China about the rising health crisis. The cast started to notice some empty seats, and took the pre-emptive step of changing some blocking to reduce physical contact.

Benjamin Law’s Torch the Place was the second Australian premiere play to arise from MTC’s NEXT STAGE program, following Anchuli Felicia King’s Golden Shield (2019). Fiona performed in both of these plays by Asian writers. “I don’t know if it was purposeful that NEXT STAGE chose Asian writers or whether it just happened,” said Fiona. “I think it’s something like 35% of faces [in Australia] are Asian, so it’s inevitable that there would be a rise in Asian voices wanting to tell stories and a cry from the community to see themselves on stage.

“Torch the Place was an Australian story about family relationships. We found a lot of humour in Asian references, as Benjamin Law always does, and it really added some layers and nuance to it. They could have been any family, because it was about holding onto the past, how trauma is passed on from one generation to the next and trying to unpack that for your family.”

The play had ten days to run when the season was cancelled. Fiona was then set to go on to play her dream role of Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods with prolific Sondheim specialist company (Continued on page 24) stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 23

CLOC Musical Theatre’s Priscilla costumes.

Photo: Sandra Davies.

saying, “It’s probably the biggest thing I’ve done in terms of the size of the show, in terms of audience reach and Watch This, now rescheduled for next the job itself.” year.

Having been on stage several times Fiona noted that artists were quick in each role, Ash was fortunate to create online avenues of support enough to have a run as Kevin J and opportunity. She took part in before closing. “The last two weeks actor/writer James Millar’s project were an extension, and the wonderful HOPE: New Work Development Nick Brown had other commitments, Initiative. Fiona was also invited to be so I got to step up into the role for one of 50 artists who filmed two weeks, which was fantastic.” monologues by Australian writers for Ash described the show’s closing, Playwriting Australia’s Dear Australia - saying, “I feel like it’s one of those Postcards to the Nation, a project that days I’ll never forget: the 15th of March, when the first lockdown can be viewed online.

Further activities online included happened. We only had a week left of the run. They called us together for a vocal coaching and participating in meeting before the show. It was us, acting workshops with friends.

“Particularly in the first lockdown, the Harry Potter, Billy Elliot and Shrek, which was across the road; we all had chance to work on craft without a specific goal in mind was freeing and to close.” enjoyable,” enthused Fiona.

While the China tour and Sydney seasons of Come from Away were Fiona has enjoyed time with her family during lockdown, noting, cancelled, a Melbourne return and “Lucky for me, my boys enjoy being at Sydney season are planned for 2021.

Ash is staying in touch with the home and they enjoy each other’s company, so it hasn’t been too material. “I’ll run through it, even just difficult. Although we do all have in my head, singing through it cabin fever!” occasionally and just maintaining it in Actor Ash Roussety was onstage the body as much as I possibly can. when the pandemic hit, enjoying the Realistically, when we start again biggest role in his career since there’ll presumably be another graduating from WAAPA in 2016. rehearsal period. It’ll just be like mounting a brand-new show.”

Working as Dance Captain and a standby covering five roles, Ash was Ash listed other activities that have thrilled to be in Come from Away, filled his time. “I’ve got a lot of friends teaching online classes, all of my (Continued from page 23)

24 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

singing teaching has moved online, and I’m doing a lot of yoga through friends - just keeping that connection because it is really difficult in Melbourne at the moment.”

Ash was philosophical about the break in his career.

“The wonderful thing about stopping and taking stock is just the time for reflection. I think that’s been valuable to a lot of performers. Going in, we all knew it was going to be a challenging industry to be a part of, but I also think it comes down to the individual - about being strong and also having a really, really strong support network. I have some of the closest friends here in Melbourne, which is very lucky.”

The pandemic has affected Tyran Parke on two fronts, requiring fundamental changes to teaching at Victorian College of the Arts, where he is Head of Music Theatre, and delaying the birth of his own theatre production company, Clovelly Fox. Tyran packed in plenty of theatre at the start of the year.

“I went to New York then London with the third year students. I worked on The Prince of Egypt in London and then taught in Canada.”

Teaching subjects such as singing and ballet online does not sound very practical.

(Continued on page 26)

MTC’s Torch The Place.

Photo: Jeff Busby.

Online extras!

A pre-COVID-19 Benjamin Law discusses Torch The Place. Scan or visit youtu.be/fz-JyQAyUtw

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 25

Ash Roussety.

(Continued from page 24)

“It’s been much, much better than imagined, thankfully - not without its problems but it’s given us new ways of doing things.”

The change of conditions brought new opportunities.

“We got funding about a week into lockdown to do a piece called The Roots, The Rep. That was to get all people of colour teaching culturally specific styles that have gone into musical theatre - hip hop and gospel and rap and the plays of August Wilson and the Latin American tango.

“We had an American Songbook competition and Michael Feinstein judged it for us. Nobody would have ever thought this was possible in the past. We did an audition class for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Steven Lutvak, who wrote it, did the class.”

The annual VCA musicals have been delayed by COVID-19. Jason Langley was to direct The Mystery of Edwin Drood and then Tyran was to direct Our House. The annual ThirdYear Showcase for agents has also been pushed back, but in the meantime Tyran found another way to share the students’ talents.

“I also got funding for a piece called Ghost Light. It’s a piece where the students pick a song they want to sing; let’s say ‘If My Friends Could See Me Now’. I hook up a zoom call with Nancye Hayes or Kelley Abbey or both and they record a twenty-minute

Whangarei Theatre Company’s Ladies In Black.

Photo: Ian Page.

26 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

conversation about the experience of Sweet Charity. Then the student takes the song and we film it on the stage of the Regent Theatre by the ghost light.”

Tyran sees the nature of theatre practitioners as a strength at this time.

“We, as artistic people, are always being asked to respond to high stakes situations with difficult parameters and respond with empathy and communication and courage. We’re always sitting in some kind of unknown. So, it doesn’t surprise me in a way that we go, OK, you’ve taken that away from us. How are we going to make up something else?”

Tyran was about to launch his production company Clovelly Fox with When the Rain Stops Falling, which was to be followed by One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

“I will probably do another show over summer. This is a new piece that I envisaged for outside anyway and it can work socially distanced because we’re outside.”

Winner of three Music Theatre Guild of Victoria awards for Best Costumes, Victoria Horne looked at designing CLOC Musical Theatre’s Priscilla Queen of the Desert as one of the most exciting projects yet.

“We were probably only three weeks away from finishing; we were doing that well. We had all the Gumbys done. I had all the floral headpieces done. We did a mini photoshoot with just the three leads because we were only allowed to have ten people because of distancing. That was when the show was going to be in October - now it’s May 2021.”

With a team of 25 costume makers, a decision was made to stagger people working in teams of five. “But within two weeks it just all shut down and basically that was it.

The ladies and men [of the cast] are all at a point now where they need fittings, but we can’t get hold of anybody.”

Victoria described some of her costumes for Priscilla. “I based the funeral scene on the Emerald City scene from Wicked, so every item is something unique and specialised and original. We’re working with headpieces that are out of this world and flowers and Gumby feet.

The cupcakes are finished, and they are rubber and hoops and all that sort of thing. It’s been a real challenge, but we were just thriving on the excitement.

“We just want to get this show on - I mean it’s so big. The set is monumental. We have to do it justice and we can’t do it on a socially distanced audience; it has to have the full impact.”

Victoria also lost personal corporate work that she usually does for employers such as Crown Casino and the Australian Open, as well as sewing she does for celebrity clients.

She would have moved on to CLOC’s Jersey Boys by this time, but this production has also been postponed.

After reorganising her sewing room, Victoria has recently moved on to an interim project. “I’ve been doing what every other costume designer in Melbourne has been doing: I’ve been making masks. I make crystal masks I’ve made hundreds!”

Across the Tasman, theatre companies in New Zealand have also been affected by the closure of theatres. Whangarei Theatre Company was unlucky enough to have the same production postponed twice, both times at very short notice.

With 14 years of varied experience on and off stage with the company,

Barbara Trimmer has been President since 2018. She outlined the setbacks to the company’s production of Ladies in Black, originally planned for March/ April.

“New Zealand went into lockdown Level 4. We had done the final dress rehearsal and then had to stop. We left everything ready to go and the cast promised to keep up with their lines etc.

Barbara said, “We were well into organisation with the Production Team all set to go, and audition dates set.”

There is some better news on the horizon as the company is now working on their November/December season of Shrek the Musical.

“Shrek is in rehearsal and all the production team are working on their areas.”

“With Level 1, we were able to have shows, so the season was moved to August. Going back into Level 2 meant we had to cancel again.”

Looking ahead, it would seem somewhat risky to lock in new dates for Ladies in Black.

“We are going to wait and see what will happen. For every theatre group it is really difficult as our crystal balls don’t seem to be working too well!”

The company also had to cancel their June 2020 season of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

The company’s speech and drama academy Making a Scene was also impacted.

“Making a Scene did not continue during lockdown and returned when we were back in Level 1. They spent some time during the school holidays in July working on the set they will be using for their competition piece at the end of this month.”

With so much work to do for the company, Barbara described her life as basically continuing as normal. “As a full-time primary school teacher my life is pretty busy!”

JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/stage_whispers Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/stagewhispers stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 27

More Stage Superstitions

In part two of this series, Coral Drouyn explores more of the myths and superstitions that have shaped the history of theatre If all the world’s a stage, it stands to reason that there will be as many superstitions in theatre as there are in real life. Well, not quite. There’s a fine line between etiquette, superstition and tradition in theatre, and sometimes the lines blur. For example, one piece of etiquette could just as easily be superstition, which gave way to tradition in the years between the 15th and 19th centuries.

Upstaging

We all think we know what the expression means. But do we know where it came from?

It is considered very bad manners to upstage another performer. You take one or more steps upstage and that forces the other actors to turn their backs to the audience to address you. Up-stagers are looked on with disdain but there is actually a legitimate reason why upstaging came into being.

From the Elizabethan age (when female roles were played by male actors) through to Victorian times, female characters wore large crinoline dresses. The Elizabethan version was like a sideboard and incredibly wide; the Victorian version might have been made for social distancing since it was

difficult to get closer than 1.5 metres to a lady.

Now, it is lovely to make a sweeping entrance or exit (unless you’re carrying a broom and cleaning the stage) but these voluminous costumes caused problems. Stage lighting, especially footlights, were candles, or later, burning sulphur or lime. In any case, the footlights were an open flame. You can guess what happened. One brush of a crinoline against an open flame and it could be disastrous and even fatal for the actress. Actresses started moving upstage (still facing the audience), and taking steps backwards before exiting, ensuring they missed the open flames.

To counter this, male actors refused to turn away from the audience and started delivering their lines directly to the audience. (Don’t forget also that in those days there were no microphones and lines were declaimed loudly so the audience could hear. Any lines which were delivered to the upstage area were muffled and often missed by the audience.)

Did the ladies’ costumes so infuriate male actors of yore that they coined the still popular, but now

gender-neutral, backstage epithet ‘upstaging bitch’? Today it’s a curse muttered in wings and dressing rooms without discrimination at spotlight-seekers - male, female or drag queen.

During the 19th century, Melodrama was a favourite form of theatre, which developed its own formula of having the hero or villain deliberately step downstage to deliver lines, while the females moved upstage - and exits were made sideways! You may laugh, but it’s actually a safety issue.

Best Foot Forward

It is a logical saying which we use in everyday life, but it has been the basis for a backstage superstition for many generations. You NEVER enter your dressing room with your right foot, only your left. Since most people are right-handed, there was a belief that you should always step onstage with your right foot, since that’s where your core strength was. In other words, put your best foot forward. If you used up your strength in the dressing room, you wouldn’t have enough for the performance. If you did by accident enter your dressing room on your right foot, you had to exit, spin around three times, swear, and re-enter - by which time you were probably so dizzy that you didn’t know what foot you were on.

Peacock Feathers And Other Props Onstage

While we’re happy to accept that certain things are bad luck, the rationale is quite reasonable. The end of a peacock feather (Ocelli) was said to resemble the evil eye of the demon Lilith (Adam’s first wife), and would bring death or disaster to a production We know that broken mirrors can cut you badly, hence the bad luck, but even whole mirrors are a no-no on 28 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

stage. Why? Because they can reflect the stage lighting and ‘flare’, making it difficult for actors to see. And real jewellery onstage is bad luck. The obvious reason is because it’s likely to get nicked from the prop table.

Royal Shakespeare Company’s Macbeth (1952).

Photo: Angus McBean. © Royal Shakespeare Company.

Stage Heritage

Never Use New Make-up On Opening Night

This one was tricky to track down.

It seems logical that you would stay with what you know, to dispel too much stress, but there is a more sinister reason. Hundreds of years ago, in Shakespeare’s time, the white face or ‘masque’ was favoured onstage. Unfortunately, the makeup was made by mixing white lead with vinegar. The mixture could be - at best - a skin irritant which saw you break out in nasty rashes, or, at worst, be so toxic as to kill you by absorption. So, once you found a mixture your skin could tolerate you stuck with it, and you NEVER took the chance of keeling over from lead poisoning before your big scene.

Break A Leg Instead Of Good Luck Well we all know several versions of this one, and the most common seems to be that it means to appear through the side curtains (the legs) in a time when you didn’t get paid if you didn’t perform - so “break a leg” meant that you got paid. However, the saying goes back to Shakespeare’s time, and there were no “legs” (side curtains on the Globe stage). So, it seems more likely that it meant to bend your knee - break a leg - when curtsying or bowing like a courtier.

And since we are on the subject of Shakespeare, let’s take a look at the most infamous play for superstition

The Scottish Play

It is unbelievably bad luck to say the word Macbeth (I may be cursed for writing it) when you are performing this Shakespearean play, except in rehearsals or on stage. If you do, you must leave the theatre immediately, turn around three times, spit over your shoulder, utter some very rude epithet, and wait to be invited back in. How exactly that

breaks the curse no-one seems to know, but it must have provided a chuckle or two.

We do know when the curse/ superstition itself started - and it was before the play even opened in 1606.

The play was already contentious because Shakespeare had based it on the History of Scottish Kings rather than English. Elizabeth I was gone and King James I (James VI of Scotland) was on the throne. The first performance was for the King at Hampton Court in 1606 and history tells us that The Bard was nervous about pleasing the new monarch, having enjoyed Elizabeth’s patronage for so long.

First there was resistance to actually speaking the old hags’ lines around the cauldron, for fear they were a real curse and would doom the play. Then, the young boy actor playing Lady Macbeth, the beautiful Hal Berridge, fell ill suddenly on the opening night. The only other actor to know the entire text was Shakespeare himself and he was forced to take the role. Somehow Shakespeare - who was neither pretty nor effeminate got through the night and the king was reportedly pleased. But Berridge never got to play the queen.

Shakespeare was shocked when he heard of the boy’s sudden death. No wonder he thought it was cursed.

That might have been forgotten except that, a few years later, at the play’s first production overseas in

Amsterdam, the actor playing Duncan was accidentally killed when somehow a real dagger replaced the prop one.

It seemed that every time the play was produced, even in small companies, disaster beset the production. In 1937, Laurence Olivier as Macbeth was almost hit by a counter-weight falling from the flies and missing him by inches; actor Harold Norman was killed by a sword thrust on stage at the Coliseum Theatre, Oldham. He had refused to perform the cleansing ritual after he said the name of the play out loud, so some put it down to the curse when, in a swordfight, Harold, as Macbeth, took a sword-thrust to the chest and later died of peritonitis. His ghost refused to leave the theatre, and management brought in paranormal investigators some 50 years later, when backstage employees claimed the ghost was harassing them.

Of course some actors like long death scenes and never know when to stop milking it. It’s impossible to say if these incidents occurred because of the curse, or whether they were coincidences responsible for creating a myth. Suffice to say, as an actor, you’re probably safer in a Neil Simon play - and you won’t have to wear a kilt.

Hopefully we’ll have time soon to create a whole new range of theatre superstitions. Do let me know if you have any. stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 29

Stage on Page

By Peter Pinne

Cheer Up! British Musical Films 1929-1945 - Adrian Wright (Boydell Press A$70.60) Adrian Wright’s latest book looks at the British film industry, in particular musical films, from the beginning of sound until the end of the Second World War. Hollywood musicals have been endlessly dissected and discussed in countless tomes but this is the first time we’ve had a book that talks critically and affectionately about British musical films.

The period (1929-1945) was a bleak one indeed for Britons, struggling through the Great Depression and Blitz, and sometimes the only light at the end of the tunnel was what was showing at the local cinema.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail was the first British talkie in 1929, but Wright identifies Auld Lang Syne, produced in the same year, as being the first film musical. It was made at Cricklewood Studios, George Pearson directed it, and it starred Scots music hall entertainer Harry Lauder. It became the template for many musical films with non-diegetic scores, featuring stars from the halls and variety houses.

The outdated art of concert party turned up on screen in The CoOptimists, a popular pierrot troupe of

the time, whilst Splinters, built around the true story of a concert party begun by serving soldiers at the Western Front in France in 1916, highlighted the company of female impersonators.

(The Australian equivalent was Pat Hanna’s Diggers, and later The Kiwis).

It was directed by Herbert Wilcox, who became a sort of ‘éminence grise’ of the medium, introducing Anna Neagle in the operetta Goodnight Vienna, and eventually marrying her. Their movies together included Noël Coward’s Bitter Sweet, Victoria the Great, The Queen’s Affair, and the late forties duo of hits, Spring In Park Lane and Maytime in Mayfair, with Neagle playing opposite Michael Wilding.

European émigré directors were flooding the studios, escaping Nazi Germany, and in a talent-hungry industry were welcomed with open arms. Bi-linguals and tri-linguals were the order of the day, with some productions shot in German, French and English. Many continental stars headed projects, including Richard Tauber and Gitta Alpár, whose face graces the cover of this book.

Stage and radio hits were plundered, with backstage stories a popular genre, as were stories built around big-bands. When the Manchester Guardian praised Gracie

Stage Whispers Books Visit our online book shop for back issues and stage craft books

stagewhispers.com.au/books 30 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

“Cheer Up!” can be purchased from Amazon amzn.to/2FTGfJ8 or Dymocks bit.ly/32RMc2s Fields as ‘rough, abrupt, and real’ in Sally In Our Alley in 1931, it started a spectacular movie career for the Lancashire-born actress and singer that lasted for a decade, and saw her introduce two of the era’s most famous hit songs, ‘Sing As We Go’ and ‘Wish Me Luck’, both written by Happy Parr-Davies.

Her rival in popularity was the elfin Jessie Matthews, whose biggest success was the movie version of Evergreen, in which she danced (the squeaking of her shoes clearly heard as she pirouettes) to Rodgers and Hart’s ‘Dancing On the Ceiling’.

A working-class environment was the forté of George Formby, another bankable star whose career (despite an insanely jealous wife) usually had him playing ‘ordinary Joes’ and singing catchy songs accompanied by his ukulele.

Ivor Novello’s Drury Lane hit Glamorous Night, Maid of the Mountains (with Australian Nancy Brown as Teresa) and the West End marathon-runner Chu Chin Chow all became movies (not very good ones), but three Jack Waller and Joseph Tunbridge stage musicals, For the Love of Mike, Yes, Madam? and Please Teacher, with their original West End

“In The Name Of Theatre” is available through the author at PO Box 215, Black Rock, Victoria, Australia, 3193. thrdgld@optusnet.com.au star Bobby Howes, managed a successful transition to celluloid.

1940 sees the book introduce Arthur Lucan’s great comic creation Old Mother Riley in Old Mother Riley in Society. The character, based on Lucan’s music hall double-act with his wife Kitty McShane, was the first and arguably the most influential drag act on stage and screen. He made 16 movies between 1937 and 1952, all on a miniscule budget, but all highly profitable. Mrs. Brown’s Boys owes its comic-lineage Old Mother Riley.

During the war Bud Flanagan and Chesney Allen turned up in We’ll Smile Again, with a plot line that involved Nazis, and We’ll Meet Again exploited Vera Lynn’s popularity in a story set around the Blitz, with a bucket of songs that included ‘Be Like the Kettle and Sing’ and the title tune.

And what are the gems? Wright believes Stanley Lupino’s Cheer Up!, with a title tune by Noel Gay and Desmond Carter, had ‘one of the nicest scores of the period’, the Violet Lorraine vehicle Britannia of Billingsgate has a ‘thrilling finale’ and Champagne Charlie with Tommy Trinder and Stanley Holloway is ‘unequivocally a masterpiece’.

Wright’s layout is in chronological order, following a film’s first release,

similar in style to his ‘Must Close Saturday’ (2017), with creative personnel, composers, and directors listed for every entry. It’s a great read and comes with B&W sheet music covers, and an index.

The thing with a book like this is that it makes you want to view the movies discussed. A few years ago the British Film Institute (screenonline.co.uk) released boxed sets of all the Gracie Fields and George Formby films, and clips and some whole movies can now be found on YouTube, but the best place to view these vintage titles is ‘Talking Pictures’ (talkingpicturestv.co.uk), a website that specializes in old British movies.

someone has looked at the genre as a whole.

The book is the reduction of an award-winning PhD thesis in two parts. The first looks at the background of theatre from convict days, through the nineteenth century, World Wars 1 and 2, and the 21st Century. It also includes some snapshots of theatre-makers. The second part features the culture and voices of 147 current amateur musical and non-musical theatre companies in urban and regional Victoria. It’s a vast landscape and Threadgold does a wonderful job of welding all of the disparate elements together.

From Gregan McMahon’s groundbreaking work with the Melbourne Repertory Company in the In the Name of Theatre - The thirties; the Pioneer Players; Louis History, Culture and Voices of Esson; Maie Hoban; Brett Randall and Hal Percy and their Little Theatre Amateur Theatre in Victoria - Cheryl Threadgold ($49.50) Movement; to Gertrude Johnson’s In April 1932 when Geelong National Theatre in the forties; the Repertory Theatre Company presented Victorian Drama League under Colin George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, Badger; Middle Park’s Arrow Theatre; little did they realize that 88 years later Cid Ellwood’s musicals; the APG and La Mama, they’re all there. the theatre would still be going strong. In fact it’s the oldest amateur Part Two, with its profiles and histories of the theatre companies, is a theatre company in Victoria. This is monumental documentation of the just one of the fascinating facts that emerge from Cheryl Threadgold’s diversity and breadth of amateur assiduously researched In the Name of theatre in Victoria.

Colour and B&W photos Theatre.

We’ve had books on professional accompany the text, which is an easy read. It comes with a listing of past theatre before, and some amateur known amateur theatrical companies, companies have written their own histories, but this is the first time that thankyous and a general index.

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 31

Stage On Disc

By Peter Pinne

Zip Goes A Million/Happy Holiday (George Posford/Eric Maschwitz) (Stage Door STAGE 9074).

This latest release from Stage Door couples two 1950s British musicals by George Posford and Eric Maschwitz.

Zip Goes a Million, written for comic George Formby, opened in October 1951 at the Palace Theatre, running for 544 performances, a substantial run at the time. The show was based on the play Brewster’s Millions, about a man who has inherited one million dollars but has to travel to America’s ‘Wild West’ to inherit it.

HMV released three 78RPM original cast recordings containing seven numbers from the score and these are included on this new release, which also contains cover recordings, and seven songs from Henry Hall’s Guest Night BBC radio program with the original cast. The radio selections include the previously unheard original cast recording of ‘Thing About You’ sung by Warde Donovan and Barbara Perry. Reg Dixon, who replaced Formby when he became seriously ill, sings ‘Ordinary People’, which is also sung live by Formby and Petula Clark, taken from Val Parnell’s Saturday Spectacular - The George Formby Show in June 1957.

Revisiting the Zip score is a delight. The Formby songs instantly capture his style, especially ‘Saving Up For Sally’, whilst ‘Nothing Breaks But the Heart’, with its insistent beguine beat, and ‘It Takes No Time To Fall In Love’ are memorable. The song ‘Pleasure Cruise’ was originally written by Harry Clifford and Fred Cliffe for a 1936 Formby film but cut. Its inclusion in Zip is not credited to either of them on the recordings or theatre program.

Happy Holiday, based on Arnold Ridley’s 1925 play The Ghost Train, starred Reg Dixon, and opened at the Palace Theatre December 1954, closing after a dismal 31 performances. But the songs are pleasant, as two 78RPMs released at the time reveal. ‘Sew a Silver Button on the Moon’ is particularly charming, likewise ‘Surprisingly’, a lilting ballad that received three cover versions. 

Online extras!

Purchase Zip Goes A Million/Happy Holiday from Stage Door Records. bit.ly/2ZZIxgX

Free As Air (2014)/Free As Air (1957) (Julian Slade/ Dorothy Reynolds) (Jay Records CDJAY 1439).

This recording of Free As Air couples the 2014 Finborough Theatre revival cast (first release) with a reissue of the Original London Cast from 1957. The Finborough production was one of their ‘Celebrating British Music Theatre’ series of neglected musicals, and the first time the show had been seen in over fifty years.

Written by Julian Slade and Dorothy Reynolds, the musical ran a respectable 417 performances - not as long as their record-breaker Salad Days, but long enough to turn a profit and become a hit.

Slade and Reynolds’ musicals deal in bucolic charm, whimsy, and a village atmosphere, with scores that are steeped in the English choral tradition, with an occasional nod to revue. Free As Air is no exception. Set in the Channel Islands, the plot mixes the arrival of a beautiful stranger to the remote island, a love-struck racing car enthusiast, a reporter, and the Crowning of the May Queen in their Independence Day celebrations.

Delightfully old-fashioned, the score is brought to life by a cast with excellent vocals and beautifully sung chorus harmony. Stewart Nicholls’ direction of the choral work is a highlight, especially ‘I’m Up Early’, ‘The Boat’s In’ and ‘Free To Sing’. Ruth Betteridge’s clear-as-a-bell soprano is perfect for Molly, whilst you couldn’t ask for more of Josh Little’s creamy tenor as love-interest Jack on ‘I’ve Got My Feet On the Ground’. ‘Daily Echo’, a song about the local newspaper, is a first-time recording, but the best song in the show, as it was in the original, is Miss Catamole (Joanna Monro) and Potter’s (Ted Merwood) ‘We’re Holding Hands’, a late-blooming romance gem.

The piano only accompaniment by Ben Stock is vigorous and crisp, allowing Slade’s melodies to enchant unadorned. Of course one misses the orchestra and orchestrations of the original, which is probably the better recording, but this new Free As Air is as fresh as newly cut grass. 

Online extras!

Get the two-CD Free As Air pack from Jay Records. Scan the QR code or visit bit.ly/32R4Yab

Salad Days (1976)/Salad Days (1954) (Julian Slade/ Dorothy Reynolds) (Jay Records CDJAY 1460).

Jay Records have also reissued the Original London Rating Cast recording of Salad Days, coupling it with the 1976  Only for the enthusiast  Borderline  Worth buying  Must have  Kill for it London Cast. The 1976 version is notable for Elizabeth 32 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

Seal playing Jane’s Mother, Julian Slade playing one of the pit pianos, and it being the only Salad Days cast recording in stereo. Seal duets on ‘We Don’t Understand Our Children’ (not on the Original 1954 Cast album) with Sheila Steafel, who also does a funny version of ‘Sand In My Eyes’ as Asphynxia. It’s a joyous recording of the wellknown score that includes ‘I Sit In the Sun’, ‘It’s Easy To Sing’ and ‘Oh, Look At Me’. Salad Days opened in 1954 and swept the West End away for a phenomenal 2,283 performances. The Original Cast Recording, though dated, has its charms, amongst them Eleanor Drew’s ‘The Time Of My Life’ and John Warner and Drew’s ‘We Said We Wouldn’t Look Back’. Well worth a revisit. 

Affair’. A revised version later played Broadway with Keel and Darrieux but also failed again to win approval, closing after 29 performances. 

Caroline (Peter Pinne/Don Battye) (footlight.com) Footlight Records have included my own 1971 musical Caroline in their current new releases. It’s taken from the 1997 Dress Circle, London reissue. Peter Wyllie Johnston’s album review follows: “Caroline contains a strong performance by Leila Blake in the title role, beautifully supported by Geraldene Morrow as Ann Shepherd, with Geoff Hiscock as Caroline’s husband Archibald. The musical portrays a nascent feminist reformer, unafraid of social opprobrium. Pinne’s melodic music and polished lyrics (Pinne and Battye) have withstood the test of time remarkably well. Their incisive ability to critique aspects of contemporary Australian society is apparent in the irony of ‘A Woman’s Place Is In The Home’ and in the prescient lyrics of ‘She’s The One To Blame’ and ‘Bushrangers, Bunyips and Blacks’. Caroline was the first Australian musical to deal with a woman dedicated to achieving social justice for women. Innovation Online extras! is evident in the score, Jay Records has the two disc set of especially in the Salad Days available for purchase now. sophisticated 7/8 time bit.ly/3hSV7EI signature of ‘On the Road’ - sung as the Ambassador (Don Gohman/Hal Hackady) (Stage Door intrepid Caroline leads a STAGE 9066). party searching for work Stage Door Records have also reissued Ambassador for for girls. A reissue to be the first time on CD. The show first saw the light of day in treasured!”  London in 1971, as a tryout for Broadway. Based on Henry James’ 1903 novel The Ambassadors, and despite Online extras! strong MGM star-power (Howard Keel and Danielle Darrieux), it failed to impress the critics, running a mere Pick up a copy of Caroline from 86 performances before winding up. The score is very Footlight Records. Scan or visit pleasant and redolent of the era in which it was written. bit.ly/3hTo97s Keel brings gravitas to his role of New England lawyer Lambert Strether, and excels vocally on ‘A Man You Can Set Your Watch By’, ‘All of My Life’ and in a duet with Darrieux (Marie de Vionnet), ‘Charming’, which is indeed charming.

Margaret Courtenay as Amelia Newsome impresses on ‘It’s a Woman’ and ‘This Utterly Ridiculous

Stage Whispers Directory premium listing: $20

Online extras!

Pick up your copy of Ambassador from Stage Door Records. Scan or visit bit.ly/3hSm3Vt

Get noticed on the Stage Whispers website with a premium listing at a great price stagewhispers.com.au/directory-central

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 33

Streaming Transforms Acting Anthony Kierann joined Actors Centre Australia in Sydney this year after a successful career as the General Manager of Film Festivals, Programs and Australian Cinema at Event Cinemas. ACA has a series of Masterclass courses now available on-line Australia-wide, to cater for a world where streaming platforms have increased the demand for talented and well-trained performing artists.

Stage Whispers: What is integral to the mission of ACA, particularly during what has been the most difficult year yet for the arts and entertainment industry?

Anthony Kierann: ACA’s mission, as stated by founder Dean Carey, will always be “To enliven the soul of society through the power of performing arts”.

2020 has thrown a host of challenges at the arts industry. COVID-19 decimated the communal heartbeat that brings communities together to share in film, dance, theatre and all the stories that drive our imaginations and spirit.

Our teaching staff pursued new online concepts to ensure the learning and imaginative play with the students were engaging.

With restrictions and safety measures in place, we have been back putting on shows and have had the cohorts back to face-to-face teaching in redefined classes since June.

The inescapable truth within us all is the desire we, as a community, have always had in our DNA to listen to and tell stories around the campfires of theatres, auditoriums and cinemas.

Zoom, metaphorically, has become the proscenium arch of theatre 2020.

SW: What is your vision for ACA over the next six months?

AK: I am an advocate for opportunities for creatives to workshop and develop ideas, scripts and stories that will permeate into the theatre and film scene.

We recently produced an ‘In Conversation’ series with leading industry professionals that focused on the students’ development. It was broadcast live and featured David Wenham, Hugh Jackman, Damon Herriman, Susan Prior, Kriv Stenders, David Collins and others to discuss the creative process for the actor.

34 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

We began a ‘Writers Room’ where producers, writers and creatives can write, and content create.

We have a number of film festival screenings coming up. ACA is developing working relationships with several film makers - with the Winda Indigenous Film Festival on film script workshops, student workshops with Heretic Pictures and partnerships with Bus Stop Films’ inclusive filmmaking.

Our heartbeat will always be our bachelor degree and the foundation training programs. We aim to extend the breadth and depth of that training with industry connect.

Studying as an actor is a very exciting place to be at the moment as there is so

much content creation happening across the world, with the accelerated world of streaming platforms only increasing the demand for talented and well-trained performing artists equipped for the industry.

SW: Tell us about ACA’s accredited Bachelor of Performing Arts Degree (Stage and Screen) and how to apply?

AK: Our degree training program develops industry leaders in the performing arts. It is an extraordinary explorative and well-disciplined course.

The teaching staff foster an environment where the actor can discover, explore, fail and rise to make the absolute best of their creative drive, married with an instrument that positions the students

as learning masters of their craft that can work anywhere in the industry.

Being back on site the last few months in classes and cohort performances, when possible, has been a testament to the ensemble commitment of the students and staff to adjust to the new norms, while still inspiring a robust and highly focused course with an awareness of the world and community around them.

Applications are open until October 31, with the week of auditions from November 9. We do take interstate auditions online. We keep the cohorts in the degree program small in numbers, allowing a maximised environment that gives every student all the individual teaching and care they require to develop their fullest potential.

SW: How would you describe ACA’s new suite of Online Masterclasses?

AK: The series brings together industry leaders and inspiring creatives to teach various Masterclass topics.

The ‘Acting for Camera’ series features 8x2 hour classes over eight weeks. The line-up of teachers features working directors skilled at developing actors on camera. Alex Proyas, Shannon

Applications are now open for the 2021 intake of ACA’s Bachelor of Performing Arts (Stage and Screen). For details visit actorscentreaustralia.com.au/degree-program Murphy, Kriv Stenders, Samantha Lang, Monica Zanetti, Megan Riakos, Aaron Fa’aoso, Damon Herriman and Tara Morice champion this program.

Learn stand-up and define your online stand-up routine with Lyn Pierse and leading stand-up comedians Nikki Britton and Brent Thorpe.

Joanna Murray-Smith - one of our most prolific and successful writers internationally - will open the door to the fundamentals of writing.

ACA founder Dean Carey is doing two classes, a short 4 week ‘Acting 101 - The Foundations’, and the one every aspiring drama school applicant should do with the author of The Audition Manual, an eight-week course on the art of the drama school audition.

SW: Tell us more about ACA’s teaching staff and any future programs that are in the works.

AK: The teaching staff is led by Adam Cook, who has directed for most major theatre companies across

Australia and was Artistic Director of the State Theatre Company South Australia, alongside Associate Director Johann Walraven, Head of International Programs Troy Harrison, and founder Dean Carey.

With some of the most highly regarded teachers in the country, they create and deliver a highly respected degree program accredited by Torrens University - Bachelor of Performing Arts (Stage and Screen). A foundation program and short courses create a great map for all those interested in the performing arts.

We will be looking to increase courses, focusing on acting for camera and the power of content creation, as the industry and our emerging graduates and students develop the skill set to innovate and create new and exciting works in the entertainment business as performing artists. The only limitation is our imaginations. At ACA we open the door!

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 35

WAAPA On The Move Edith Cowan University will create a $695 million Creative Industries, Business and Technology Campus in the centre of Perth, bringing more than 9,000 students and staff to the heart of the CBD by 2025.

ECU Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Chapman said the Federal and State governments had recognised the role of a city university in reinvigorating Perth, creating jobs and supporting a changing economy.

“We are thrilled that our vision for WA’s first comprehensive city campus will be a reality,” Professor Chapman said. “This is the future of university education - urban, connected, integrated with business and community - part of a thriving city.

“It will be home to ECU’s internationally recognised Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), which will add more than 300 public performances to Perth’s arts calendar every year, attracting thousands of city spectators.”

WAAPA will move from its Mount Lawley campus and make available a number of new theatre spaces to Perth’s key festivals when students are on holidays.

Workers in the central business district will be able to drop in for lunch-time recitals.

“ECU City Campus will naturally be a drawcard for students and academics, but it will also provide enormous opportunities for industry Under the deal, ECU will develop a integration, including areas like cyber vertical campus at the central Perth security, ensuring the development of City Link, next to Yagan Square, a future-fit workforce,” he said. offering programs in technology, “This campus will deliver the business, creative and performing innovative educational experience that arts. is critical to the development of world The site adjoins Perth Railway -ready graduates and a digital-ready Station, the major train hub for the economy.” city and Perth’s major bus hub, on the newly developed link between the ECU City Campus will feature CBD and the entertainment district of schools, programs and Northbridge. It is a five-minute walk initiatives including: to the city’s cultural precinct including  Western Australian the State Theatre Centre, Perth Academy of Performing Cultural Centre, Art Gallery of WA and Arts (WAAPA) the new WA Museum.  Founding Pianos ECU will contribute $300 million  Arts, Design and to the project, while the Federal Government will contribute $245 Communications million as part of the Perth City Deal.  WA Screen Academy The State Government is providing in Broadcasting kind support through the provision of  Kurongkurl Katitjin, land.

Centre for Indigenous Professor Chapman said the Australian Education and campus would be designed to provide Research leading, digitally connected facilities  Business and Law for contemporary teaching, including adaptable spaces for immersive and  Technology and Cyber experiential industry learning.

Security

citycampus.ecu.edu.au

ECU City Campus artist impression.

36 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

Broadway & West End Update The American Theatre Wing’s 74th Annual Tony Awards will take place virtually this year, with a date, time and platform to be announced. Unlike live Tony Award audiences in New York, we’re so used to watching the awards on TV that this year’s digital presentations won’t be such a leap.

Park Open Air Theatre during August and September, while a new musical adaptation of Sleepless in Seattle has also been playing at London’s Troubadour Wembley Park theatre.

Plans to get Everybody’s Talking With Broadway in COVID-19 in the U.S., has cancelled its entire About Jamie and The Play That Goes lockdown well before the usual close 2020-2021 season. It won’t re-open Wrong back on stage have also been of nominations, the new eligibility until next September. The New York announced. date became February 19, with just Times described the decision as Several regional theatres are also four musicals competing for the Best sending “a chilling signal that cultural beginning to re-open, but producers Musical award - The Lightning Thief, life in the U.S is still far from of larger commercial musical hits Moulin Rouge, Tina: The Tina Turner resuming.” have made it clear that it will not be Musical and Jagged Little Pill.

With COVID-19 infections back on viable to re-open until social the rise in the UK, and a real risk of Numerous musicals which were distancing is relaxed. scheduled to open in the last six social distancing regulations being Cameron Mackintosh described a weeks of the season did not make it tightened, the schedule of trial of social distancing in indoor announced openings is in doubt. to opening night. theatre as “Alice in Wonderland in its In some other Tony categories, the Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap ridiculousness” and “new heights of eligible parties are even thinner. With was the first play to announce a absurdity”. He also publicly disagreed only two actors eligible for Best Male socially distanced West End with Andrew Lloyd Webber about Actor in a Musical, there is reopening, from October 23 at the St whether The Phantom of the Opera speculation that this particular award Martins Theatre. on the West End was permanently may not even need to go to a vote.

Tudor Queen girl group musical closed or not.

Broadway, of course, is closed for Six is set to be the first socially Lloyd Webber says he will do all of 2020, though Hugh Jackman distanced musical to open in the anything to get live theatre up again and Sutton Foster’s names emblazon West End on November 14, playing and has his own limbs on the line by a new marquee for The Music Man at at the Lyric Theatre for 11 weeks, registering as a volunteer in the trial the Wintergarden Theatre, previewing with another staging opening in of the Oxford vaccine. He told Good from April 2021, ahead of a May 20 Salford on November 26 for a six Morning Britain, “they said they opening. week run. wanted older people to sign onto the An open-air production of Jesus The Metropolitan Opera, the vaccine trial and here I am. I have had largest performance arts organization Christ Superstar played at Regents no ill effects at all.”

The trial was paused for two days Andrew Lloyd Webber and Carrie Hope during September while an adverse Fletcher in virtual rehearsals for Cinderella. reaction was investigated in a participant, but it was later confirmed to be unrelated to the trial. When it resumed Lloyd Webber visited the vaccine headquarters and reported that “the atmosphere was electric. It was like being at an opening night!”

Speaking of Lloyd Webber opening nights, his Cinderella is scheduled to open in the West End, at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in Drury Lane, in April 2021.

Online extras!

Watch the premiere performance of ‘Far Too Late’ from Cinderella. vimeo.com/457419363 stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 37

Endowment Nominations Meet Storm Of Protest David Spicer reports on the fallout from the controversial cancellation of the 2020 Rob Guest Endowment Awards.

by the Endowment, or any others, that the competition had to be cancelled in order to protect us from When the picture of the 30 semi- competitions to include a quota of bullying and/or intimidation. finalists’ faces for the 2020 Rob Guest BIPoC judges and finalists.

“We have no interest in Endowment Award arrived in our Finally, the bombshell perpetuating this harmful antiquated inbox in August, it was striking that announcement came just a few days narrative, which serves only to the headshots were all white. later that this year’s awards would be deplatform and erase First Nations So began a struggle behind the cancelled altogether. and POC peoples and their voices.” scenes to reform the competition, In this final press release, the A further statement was issued by ensuring that a more diverse field of organisers of RGE stated that, “semi- the Equity Diversity Committee of the candidates would reach the final finalists have been targeted and union, which had been negotiating stages in the future. intimidated from a number of sources with the Awards organisers behind Each time the organisers of the and as a result have experienced the scenes, and had issued RGE with musical theatre competition issued a significant anxiety over recent weeks. a log of claims on behalf of 100 statement, it prompted a new “Bullying and intimidation have no stakeholders. controversy on social media. place in a competition that has only The EDC stated that, “it is First, the award organisers stated ever sought to bring joy and hope to disappointing that the time, lived that the semi-finalists were selected talented young performers in the experiences, and wealth of on merit and the results reflected a commercial musical theatre sector.” knowledge and skills that were lack of participation from black, In response, the Media, volunteered by the EDC, our members indigenous and people of colour Entertainment and Arts Alliance and our wider industry has been (BIPoC) communities. issued a statement from the semimislabelled as ‘bullying’ and Then in September, organisers finalists in which they, “categorically ‘intimidation’. announced changes for future refute any claim or insinuation made “It’s concerning to see the Endowment rob the semi-finalists of the commendable agency we’ve witnessed over the past month, to silence their voices and co-opt them in a narrative they were not part, let alone aware of. This work should not be discounted or invalidated, but engaged with.“ Stage Whispers asked organisers of the RGE for a further comment, but was told that they are not withdrawing their statement.

The $60,000 in prizemoney will stay in the kitty for a more diverse competition that will resume in 2022.

The issue sparked a huge response on Stage Whispers’ social media. This comment from Robert Clark summed up the sorry situation: “There are no winners anywhere. Everybody loses judges, the RGE, the public and all the applicants! In this global environment where the arts and entertainment industry is on its knees, Read all the statements on our website: bit.ly/32UAIv2 this situation is in every way BIPoC artists perform “I Need You To See Me”: youtu.be/99WPIneNxG0 disappointing!”

38 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

Sport For Jove’s Romeo and Juliet.

Photo: Seiya Taguchi.

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 39

Outdoor Theatre Whilst sporting codes have been able to sell thousands of tickets to outdoor games during COVID-19, arts organisations in Australia have been slow off the mark to move productions outside, where more people are permitted to congregate. In the United States, theatre companies are staying active by creating new improvised outdoor performance spaces. David Spicer reports.

Last year I headed to Bella Vista Farm in Sydney’s north-west for a performance of Romeo and Juliet, set in front of a double story homestead built in the middle of the 19th century.

The heritage building’s balcony, separate adjoining farmhouse with steep stairs, courtyard and garden made it a delicious setting for the classic.

On cue, the birds started shrieking at 8pm, just as the drama commenced, adding to the challenge of hearing the actors but also adding to the excitement.

The performance was by the Sport for Jove Theatre Company, founded 12 years ago as the Outdoor Shakespeare Festival.

Artistic Director Damien Ryan says Shakespeare’s plays were written for the outdoors.

“The open sky of the Globe and the playhouses that preceded it for Shakespeare’s company is something that is regularly referenced. The plays are replete with very spontaneous references to the natural world and playing outdoors makes this so inevitable and effortless,” he said.

“It is also deeply inclusive for an audience. It is an event, not just a play.

It is about community, about sitting together in common light and sharing the pre-show and post-show environment with actors.

“In terms of set, I think the best work is when the environment of the space itself is fused with or made integral to the drama, as if it is emerging from that landscape somehow.”

In the United States the high rates of COVID-19 have forced companies to improvise outdoor performance spaces. Theatres shared their stories on a webinar hosted by the American Association of Community Theatre.

40 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

In Florida, The Ocala Civic Theatre has presented a concert series called Broadway Under The Stars.

Artistic Director Katrina Ploof said, “We are on 32 acres...our outdoor space is beautifully forested. We have a meadow that we call backstage.”

The biggest challenge has been noise.

“We had a challenge from cicadas as we are in the woods.”

The company constructed a stage and members of the audience are seated in clusters of tables in a space attractively decorated by suspended lights.

“We have had great success with six performances of a cabaret which pretty much sold out.”

The company used a three-piece band. “The (band members) decided to move in and became a bubble. I did tell the audience. They would have reacted if we did not tell them.”

The Circle Theatre in Grand Rapids Michigan was allowed 70 people inside their 400-seat theatre under local restrictions, which prompted the company to move outdoors.

Artistic Director Lynne Brown Tepper said, “We are doing two concert series on the lawn of our performing arts centre, using our veranda as the stage.

“We have a higher end concert series, a pop-up concert almost acoustic with a single artist or a duo.

We partnered with a restaurant to offer picnic baskets. So far two concerts have sold out.

“We are doing everything small.

The band is way behind the singers and for the most part they are not singing at the same time. Soloists and duets are separated.

“Where the audience is sitting on the lawn, we have markers. We had to section off areas - people with blankets

at the front, beach chairs in the middle and taller chairs at the back and sides.”

Before COVID-19, the Lincoln Playhouse in Nebraska hosted a busy season of musicals, cabaret and radio plays. Artistic Director Morrie Enders described how the company set up an outdoor venue in a car park.

“Parking lot plays was butt ugly, quick and fast. We did little mini cabaret concerts, a radio show and a melodrama written by a local playwright. We average $340 a night in donations. Our peak was $1000 for Mamma Mia! ladies reunited in the parking lot,” he told the webinar.

Let’s Put On A Show

Markethouse Theatre in Kentucky.

Online extras!

Watch the cast sing ‘Waving Through a Window’ from Dear Evan Hansen. facebook.com/watch/?v=235364151143120 Broadway Under The Stars at The Ocala Civic Theatre in Florida.

The company strictly enforced social distancing in the carpark.

Patrons booked on-line and were called to plan for larger vehicles to be placed at the back of the carpark.

“They enter one way and exit another. All volunteer (ushers) were in construction vests with flags. It was all very careful. People could get out of their car but had to sit next to it.

“You also might not think where the sun is, but we had it set up and had to redo it after we walked out into theatre.”

Social distancing was also strictly enforced amongst the actors.

(Continued on page 43) stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 41

An Outdoor Producer’s Perspective Katrina Patient from Platinum Entertainment in Perth describes the joy and perils of staging theatre outdoors.

What have you staged outdoors and what was the venue?

We staged the musicals We Will Rock You, Jesus Christ Superstar, CATS and The Pirates of Penzance at the Quarry Amphitheatre, City Beach in Perth. (The Quarry was an early 20th century working limestone quarry that was converted into an amphitheatre in 1986 with a stage and tiered grass seating.)

What challenges are there in staging a musical outside?

Sound: A top sound designer and technician are essential. Show budgets should reflect the importance of this. All dialogue, band and singing are mic’d. We like to add in a choir too. Again, the choir is mic’d up and part of the overall mix.

Rehearsals: Daytime bump ins and outs are difficult with the sun/heat etc. We put up gazebos and access air -conditioned dressing rooms for regular breaks and re-hydration.

Daytime rehearsals are also difficult. Light plotting can only happen in the evenings.

Rain: We cover all equipment each night. Portable instruments are stored in dressing rooms.

Wind and SFX: This can make sound design tricky as the wind changes, causing extra noises if not

Platinum Entertainment’s We Will Rock You.

42 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

mixed correctly. The use of haze and smoke is tricky. Sometimes the smoke gets blown away before the light beams are showcased.

Set: Durability is a must. Our sets have always been modular designs out of F34 Truss and Mega Deck.

These materials are used in most outdoor events and gigs. We limit the use of drapes and curtains.

Props: Heavy or made heavy (paper cups for example should be weighted with something).

Costumes: Lightweight costumes should be avoided to suit the comfort of outdoor performers.

How did COVID-19 affect your last production?

In March we cancelled The Pirates of Penzance mid-season. We legally could have continued under the ‘less than 500’ rule at that stage but for health concerns we were shut down by our local council. The production had already broken even despite poor ticket sales, as the COVID-19 crisis unfolded.

How did the weather affect your last production?

Our largest night of sales was cancelled due to rain. We were watching the radar closely and felt it was OK to continue. However, rain

came in 15 minutes prior to ‘curtain up’. All tickets were refunded.

What is your next production?

We Will Rock You at Crown Theatre, Perth.

Are you relieved it is indoors?

Yes! At the same time, the outdoor atmosphere is magical. In the four productions we have staged outdoors (2-week seasons) only one performance was rained off, and at another (Superstar) we made an announcement that interval would be shorter as rain was coming in. The only piece of equipment that was not wrapped up by the time rain hit was my laptop (running vision). Luckily, our props were weighed down by rice, so into the bag of rice went my laptop and it was saved!

In Cats when Grizabella sang the part of ‘Memory’ with ‘moonlight’, the moon appeared from behind the clouds! Magnificent!

The Quarry allows patrons to BYO picnics and drinks - a wonderful way to watch a show and cosy up with a blanket on the ‘chillier’ nights!

We love the indoor venues and outdoor venues. With flexible, innovative creativity the outdoors provides such a wonderful atmosphere that only adds to the magic you are already making!

feet of artificial turf to put on the asphalt parking space and four “They used an extension arm for rectangular sun sail shades,” he told passing a tissue, and a kiss which Stage Whispers. landed on a mask.”

Michael said he found it difficult to Theatres in urban areas are also cast shows during the pandemic. moving outdoors. Michael Cochrane “I did The Last Five Years with a from the Markethouse Theatre in very talented couple. Another show Kentucky built a stage in an alley had a couple and a friend who was in behind their venue. their pod. They wore masks during “We used borrowed scaffolding rehearsals but not when they were and purchased a roll of 15 feet by 120 outside and distanced.”

(Continued from page 41)

Sport For Jove’s Twelfth Night.

Online extras!

Watch a highlight reel of Sport For Jove’s decade of outdoor theatre. youtu.be/AJ9VGnKtkeY

Let’s Put On A Show Neighbours were asked to help too.

“We are in a downtown area, so we asked them to keep their dogs in.”

The new venue is going well for the company, staging small cast musicals, a children’s work, and a Christmas play.

Mary Doveton, the Executive Director of Theatre Lawrence in Kansas, has supervised 14 weeks of outdoor shows.

The big attraction was creating a drive-in for projecting public domain movies against the side of a building.

They have also produced kerbside cabaret, a melodrama and opera.

“It has been an adventure. One of the biggest challenges is parking cars around trees to leave sightlines.”

Not everyone is open for outside business.

The production described as America’s greatest outdoor drama was shut this year. The Scioto Society in Ohio has 85 actors in an outdoor drama called Tecumseh, which is a huge local attraction.

The local Native American community deemed it too risky to proceed.

In Australia Damien Ryan is not sure whether Sport for Jove will be back in action in 2021.

“We hope to perform heading into next year, reaching out to students and public audiences, but yes, a lot of it will come down to understanding what the restrictions are going to be like, which necessarily, at the moment remains largely guesswork.

“Outdoors may have some, potentially only slight, advantages, yes.”

Should more theatres move their productions outside?

“I know many are thinking about such options, but again, it is still a tough financial situation where audience numbers are restricted as the costs of production do not change.

“Every theatre will be crunching their own unique numbers and options in this regard. What’s most important to Sport for Jove is that audiences can see the best quality shows, while still being absolutely safe. But we will be back!” stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 43

Let’s Put On A Show

Opera Australia’s West Side Story.

Photo: Prudence Upton.

Musicals And Plays For Outdoors Rights holders recommend shows from their catalogues that are most suited for outdoor performance.

Stuart Hendricks from Music Theatre International Australia says, “many of our shows can be done outdoors. In Australia West Side Story was staged on Sydney Harbour by Opera Australia, while Children of Eden (2005) and Into the Woods (2004) were presented in Sydney’s Cumberland State Forest by Music Theatre on Location.

“We also had Disney’s Beauty and the Beast staged at the Melbourne Zoo, in a production which starred David Harris, Patrice Tipoki and Anne Wood.”

Other MTIA titles that have been performed outdoors include Little Shop of Horrors, Mary Poppins, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Singin’ in the Rain, Disney’s Tarzan and The Who’s Tommy.

Bankstown Theatre Company’s The Secret Garden.

Beach Blanket Tempest.

Classic outdoor theatre recommendations from ORiGiN Theatrical include The Wind in the Willows, The Secret Garden, Oh! What A Lovely War, Agatha Christie’s Toward Zero and Oklahoma!

New releases suited to outdoor performance include Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play by Anne Washburn - after the collapse of civilization, a group of survivors share a campfire and begin to piece together the plot of The Simpsons episode Cape Feare entirely from memory.

Hands On A Hard Body by Doug Wright, Amanda Green & Trey Anastasio sees 10 hard-luck Texans under a scorching sun for days on end, armed with nothing but hope, humour and ambition, fight to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it.

David Spicer Productions recommends Beach Blanket Tempest - a surf rock musical inspired by Shakespeare - as an excellent production for outdoors.

It is set on a desert island where Tony Prospero, the former king of rock’n’roll, has been banished with his daughter and a genie who wants to ride the wild surf and be free.

Jungle Book the Musical by Markus Weber and Michael Simms would also be spectacular in a natural setting.

44 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie the Musical - based on the children’s classic by May Gibbs, with music and lyrics by Peter Combe - would be a delight if staged outdoors in an Australian bushland context.

Judith Prior recommends The True Blue Aussie Review - a medley of music, monologues, skits and short scenes - as “a great revenue raiser to be rehearsed and staged outdoors, with or without a BBQ meal.

“The action is loosely set at the time of the local agricultural exhibition and rodeo or show in any large city of Australia. You may like to set it at the local golf club, or race meet.

“Invite audience and guests to wear jeans, country shirts etc. Half the fun of doing something like this is the dressing up, so be sure to go absolutely over the top with the costumes and props.”

Rachel Fentiman from Maverick Musicals asks what better way to sit back and enjoy mother nature’s fruits than in the setting of outdoor theatre? She recommends the following choices: His Majesty’s Pleasure by Ian Dorricott and Mary McMahon, a comedy musical based on a true story and set on the shores of Sydney. This merry yet turbulent tale set in the late 1780’s is about a rag-tag assortment of rogues as they wilfully discover their ability to survive in the harsh environment of Australia.

Garbage by Helen Wyngard is a 30-minute one act play, with moments of comedy and sorrow, about three homeless drifters who find an alley that offers a little shelter and seclusion.

A Rock in the Water by Simon Denver is a one act drama set in Ancient Greece, based on Sophocles’ tale of Antigone. It poses the challenge about what to do when you believe your stance to be right, even when the government, your peer group and your family tell you that you are wrong.

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 45

CLOC’s Costume Hire Ready And Waiting!

CLOC Musical Theatre’s Strictly Ballroom.

Photo: Ben Fon.

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

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

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

But when that happens, CLOC will be ready! Ready to assist theatre companies and schools hire at very reasonable rates from individual costumes to entire costume sets for completed when scissors and sequins shows like Kinky Boots, Strictly were put away after their last sewing Ballroom, Les Misérables, A Chorus bee on Saturday March 14. Everything Line, Mary Poppins, 42nd Street and that could be completed at home has The Phantom of the Opera. been done and CLOC, like the entire CLOC’s Costume Centre ‘The theatre industry, is awaiting ‘the Nancy’ is located next to CLOCworks, vaccine’ and the easing of social on the corner of Old Dandenong & distancing.

Kingston Roads in Heatherton, Victoria. Visits by appointment only.

Contact CLOC’s Wardrobe Manager Patsi Boddison for advice and service on 1300 826 788 or by email costumes@cloc.org.au CLOC Musical Theatre’s 42nd Street.

46 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

Stiches In Time

Let’s Put On A Show

to the brim and the racks packed to overflowing.

If you are looking for something, don’t be surprised if we have it. We don’t have enough space to list everything here but a quick look on Founded as ‘The Bankstown Opera costume supplier was no longer our website at our ‘Past Productions’ Company’, our theatre went quiet available and the logistics of sourcing would give you a fair indication of our during World War Two. Soon after decent, affordable costumes raised its current stock. the ‘troupes’ came home it was ugly head. Pauline Paull, a long-time Our costumes are available at very resurrected as Bankstown Theatrical member, took a deep breath and reasonable prices and we are often Society. It was a time when actors volunteered to set up our own told that we are the best value for were responsible for supplying their wardrobe. The rest is history. money in town. own costumes, so they would beg, Nearly fifty years later Pauline’s Bankstown Theatre Company also borrow and steal to dress the legacy lives on. The sewing machines has a great range of furniture and productions, with varying results. are kept busy, the storage bins are full small props for hire which would be Over the next few decades things suitable for many shows. changed. Some individuals revealed their skills and talents for creating Visit bankstowntheatrecompany.com for information on costumes costumes and, inevitably, formed and props. They’d be happy to assist you in any way they can. small costume businesses. One of these skilled individuals was Tony Stevens. Tony had been a professional Bankstown Theatre Company’s My Fair Lady. adagio dancer and later became the company’s president. These were simpler times. You chose a show, booked the hall with the council, booked the scenery from Jim Peet, booked the costumes from Tony, and you used what you were given. If another company chose to do the same show you knew that the scenery and costumes would be old friends.

Sometimes even the principals would be the same! Ah, the good old days.

In 1976 Bankstown decided to produce My Fair Lady. The regular

Diane Crease from Sydney’s Bankstown Theatre Company reflects on how making costumes has changed over the decades.

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 47

School Musical In Pandemic In June one of the only places in Australia where theatre was able to take place was in the Northern Territory. Students at Taminmin College in Humpty Doo (40 kilometres from Darwin) were lucky enough to get their musical to the stage.

The annual school musical at Taminmin College is a highlight of the yearly calendar in Humpty Doo that brings in past students, staff and wider community members. At the start of 2020, 85 year 10 and 11 students were enrolled into the timetabled musical course and auditioned for roles within The Great Australian Rock Musical. The students were placed into four class groups: Drama (actors), Music (band), Dance and the Technical Crew (lights,

48 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

costuming and props). They were excited in anticipation of being on stage.

Taminmin College is one of the largest composite high schools in the Northern Territory, with 90% of the students based in the rural area.

Director Taryna Deslandes said, “initially I was dubious about putting on The Great Australian Rock Musical, but as we are a rural school, I found that our students could relate to the

‘true blue Aussie’ characters that the story followed.”

Actor Mitchell Scott commented, “I found the role of Mick Peed to be a role you could really explore and develop as both a person and an actor.” Similarly, music director Joscelyn Markerink reflects, “They all grew up with their parents playing Aussie rock, so it was great to see them appreciate it as well as they began to play the songs.”

“Everything was running smoothly,” says Taryna, “and then bam, global pandemic.”

In the throes of the uncertainty of COVID-19, despite the school remaining open, attendance was dropping off rapidly due to family choices. “Having an understudy is normal, but having 12 is beyond ridiculous,” Taryna remembers. “This is when we were under pressure to make a decision.”

When discussing alternatives to a live performance, there were ideas for postponing, staging online, or creating a filmed version; still, this brought up issues of timetable clashes, staffing commitments, and all without any confirmation of whether the situation would change.

As the school is in a rural area, internet access is limited at best, so it made a live show the school’s only option.

Year 11 band members Charlie Clarke and Shannon Hellet told teachers they were upset “because it was our last opportunity to be in the musical,” and the fact that “we couldn’t perform it in front of an audience was heartbreaking.”

So then came the question: How does one put on a musical for a socially distanced live audience and cast? Siobhan Niland, choreographer, said that “choreographing and staging for Aussie pub belters was a challenge from the beginning, let alone with the possibility of incorporating social distancing.”

At this point, the team had to make the final call; were they going to put on the show or was their hard

Let’s Put On A Show

work going to disappear down the proverbial drain? After facing this soul -crushing dilemma, there was relief when the Department of Education declared during the school break that it was business as usual as of week one term 2 due to no community transfers. “Unlike our interstate counterparts, we had it easy from that point,” said Taryna.

On returning to normal from the whirlwind that was COVID-19 in term 1, a fire was lit under the entire cast and crew to work harder than ever to ensure that the show could go on.

When reflecting on her experience, Taryna commented: “It was hectic in the sense that we did not know whether it was going to happen at first. There was a rollercoaster of emotions, but the kids were the ones who really pushed it and made sure that it could happen because they were so determined to perform.”

 The cast perform Rick Springfield’s ‘Jessie’s Girl’.  The cast perform Divinyl’s ‘All The Boys In Town’.

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 49

Let’s Put On A Show

Calling All Writers Entries are now being accepted for The Noosa Arts Theatre National One-Act Playwriting Competition, which attracts entries from playwrights across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, USA, and other countries.

2021 will mark its 44th year of providing a unique opportunity for the three finalist playwrights to see their new work performed on stage at the Noosa Arts Theatre One-Act Play Festival.

Scripts are judged anonymously by a local panel to prepare a shortlist; the shortlisted scripts are sent to a professional panel of 3 industry experts, who will also judge the scripts anonymously, give written assessments which are sent to the playwrights, and decide the 3 finalists.

During the festival, the audience is asked at each performance to vote for the Nancy Cato Audience Choice Award. Presentations of Awards take place after the final performance.

This exciting playwriting competition offers a total prize pool of $8,000 cash. The winner of The Eleanor Nimmo Prize for Best Play will take home $5,000, the runner-up will receive $2,000, and the 3rd place-getter will win $1,000. The winner of the Nancy Cato Audience Choice Award wins a cash prize donated by the family of the late Nancy Cato.

Noosa’s rainforested headlands, bleached sand bays and winding river are the setting for the Noosa Arts Theatre, whose patron is David Williamson, the most produced playwright in the history of Australian theatre.

The theatre usually stages five productions each year with a mix of drama, comedy and musicals as well as the Noosa Arts One Act Play Festival.

How to apply Entries close on October 31.

The competition is open to residents of all countries, not just Australia.

Download the rules and entry form from noosaartstheatre.org.au and like them at facebook.com/noosaartstheatre 50 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

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

What is the theme of the costume?

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

Why did it interest you?

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

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

In summary, the girls who were employed to paint watches in the 1920s were being poisoned. The watches, used by soldiers in dark trenches, were painted by the girls using radium paint for its night-time glow. They were instructed to use a technique called “lip pointing”, which required the painter to place the tip of their brush in their mouth before dipping the brush in the paint, to produce a finer brush stroke.

After their shifts working at the factory, the girls’ clothes would glow in the dark when they were walking home, due to the radium paint particles coming in to contact with their clothing. They became known as “the ghost girls”.

Essentially, the girls were slowly poisoned by the radium in the paint, became ill and eventually died.

What is the dress made of?

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

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

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

print from a special paper onto textiles.

To ensure that the underdress aligned with the overdress and to also fasten the cape, I used magnets, which I covered with fabric to fasten them in the perfect position.

When painting the fabric with the UV paint, I used the lighting studio.

NIDA Technical Theatre students assisted me by rigging UV lights so that I could see the paint I was applying.

How long did it take to make it?

I spent approximately 67 hours on

Applications to study at NIDA in 2021 close on October 31 apply.nida.edu.au Any unusual processes to create it?

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

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

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

How do you look after glow in the dark costumes?

Glow in the dark costumes created with UV paint need to be heat set at 160 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes to lock the paint into the fabric permanently. I would choose to hand wash the costume delicately and let it dry naturally. stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 51

Let’s Put On A Show

Making A Scene

Scenic Studios was born from the JC Williamson Theatres company and is proud to hold a collection of 10 historical scene books from the period when ‘The Firm’ dominated Australian and New Zealand theatre.

The collection comprises thousands of images of JCW sets, backdrops and scenic details stretching back to the end of the nineteenth century. Recently Scenic Studios has been approached to include them in an upcoming nomination for the Australian Memory of the World register by UNESCO. Scenic Studios specialises in theatrical painting of scenic backdrops and theatre scenery. It offers the highest level of craftsmanship in all fields of scenic art, passed on from scenic artists over generations. The company also

manufactures scenic paints and hires scenic backdrops and drapes for school, community theatre, film and TV productions.

In the scenic hire range there are over 200 hire backdrops, which are professionally painted in their studios.

The backdrops give depth to the scene and allow for lighting tricks, creating the atmosphere desired for a performance.

The company has standardised the size (12m wide x 6m drop), fitting most theatres and school auditoriums. So many different themes are available from traditional productions such as Beauty and the

If you are painting a backdrop or scenery, give the company a call on (03) 9484 3422. Paints are shipped Australia-wide.

Follow Scenic Studios on Instagram #scenicstudios_australia

Beast, Nutcracker and Aladdin to ballrooms, forests & skies. All can be found at scenicstudios.com.au under backdrop hire.

The company also has sequin drapes, slash curtains, lame curtains and crush velvet drapes to give your production that something extra.

The company’s Scenic Paints are designed to paint theatre backdrops and scenery. Over the COVID-19 lockdown Scenic Studios has created a new website for their paint products scenicpaints.com.au.

Singapore Dance Theatre’s Nutcracker backdrop painted by Scenic Studios Australia.

52 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

On Stage A.C.T. Return to Escape from Woomera. Applespiel. Oct 15 & 16. The Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre. canberratheatrecentre.com.au (02) 6275 2700.

Normal by Katie Pollock.

Canberra Youth Theatre. Oct 22 - 24. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. canberratheatrecentre.com.au (02) 6275 2700.

Circa’s Peepshow. Circa. Nov 4 - 6. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. canberratheatrecentre.com.au (02) 6275 2700.

A.C.T., New South Wales & Queensland

The Fix. Dark new comedy by Newcastle’s Dez Robertson.

Two troubled men meet on a rooftop. Black Sheep Theatre.

Oct 7 - 17. NTC Theatre, Lambton (Newcastle). (02) 4952 4958. newcastletheatrecompany.com.au

Playhouse, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. civictheatrenewcastle.com.au

Almost, Maine by John Cariani.

Hunter Drama’s The Actor’s Company. Oct 15 - 17. Civic Playhouse, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. civictheatrenewcastle.com.au

Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977. civictheatrenewcastle.com.au

Present Laughter by Noël Coward. Newcastle Theatre Company. Nov 20 - Dec 12.

NTC Theatre, Lambton (Newcastle). (02) 4952 4958.

Animal Farm by George Orwell, newcastletheatrecompany.com.au adapted by Saro LustyNewcastle Comedy Festival Cavallari. New Theatre. Oct 13 Gala. Newcastle Comedy Club.

- Nov 7. newtheatre.org.au Nov 21 & 22. Civic Theatre,

Sweet Charity by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields. Hunter Drama’s Senior Musical Theatre Ensemble. Oct 21 - 24. Civic Playhouse, Newcastle. (02) 4929 1977.

Absurd Person Singular by Alan civictheatrenewcastle.com.au Ayckbourn. Canberra Rep. Nov Cursed by Kodie Bedford.

19 - Dec 5. Theatre 3, Acton. canberrarep.org.au. (02) 6257 Belvoir. Oct 24 - Nov 15. belvoir.com.au 1950.

Wolfgang’s Magical Musical Circus. Circa. Nov 6 & 7. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. (02) 6275 2700. canberratheatrecentre.com.au

New South Wales Superheroes by Mark Rogers.

Griffin Theatre Company. Until Oct 31. Seymour Centre. griffintheatre.com.au A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf, adapted for the Stage by Carissa Licciardello & Tom Wright. Belvoir. Until Oct 18. belvoir.com.au

(02) 4929 1977. ticketek.com.au

The Things I Could Never Tell Steven by Jye Bryant.

Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta. Nov 5 - 14.

Riverside Theatres, Parramatta. riversideparramatta.com.au

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, adapted and directed by Kip Williams.

Sydney Theatre Company. Nov 24 - Dec 19. Roslyn Packer Theatre. sydneytheatre.com.au Pippin. Book by Roger O. Hirson and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. John Frost and Suzanne Jones along with Foundation Theatres and The Star. From Nov 24. Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star. 136 100. pippinthemusical.com.au Being Sellers. Carl Caulfield’s one-man Peter Sellers show.

Stray Dogs Theatre. Nov 25 28. Civic Playhouse, Newcastle.

(02) 4929 1977. civictheatrenewcastle.com.au

Queensland Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett.

Brisbane Arts. Until Oct 17. artstheatre.com.au. (07) 3369 2344.

Blackrock by Nick Enright.

Morton Bay Theatre Co. Neverland Theatre, North Lakes. Oct 2 - 11. mbtc.com.au Agro Up Late! with Jamie Dunn. Puppetry & Comedy.

Brisbane Powerhouse. Oct 6 11. brisbanepowerhouse.org (07) 3358 8600.

The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

Children’s Theatre. Empire Theatre, Toowoomba. Oct 20 & 21. empiretheatre.com.au 1300 655 299.

A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler.

Ipswich Musical Theatre. Old Court House, Ipswich. Oct 23 Nov 1. (07) 3910 6100.

Footloose by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford. Spotlight Theatre Co. Benowa, Gold Coast. Oct 23 - Nov 14. spotlighttheatre.com.au. (07) 5539 4255.

Miss Burlesque Queensland Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan State Final. Brisbane Lindsay, adapted by Tom Powerhouse. Oct 24. (07) 3358 Wright. New Theatre. Nov/Dec 8600. brisbanepowerhouse.org season. newtheatre.org.au Dodger by Terry Pratchett.

My Brilliant Career by Miles Wonnangatta by Angus Cerini.

Brisbane Arts. Oct 24 - Nov 14.

The Silver Tunnel by Warwick Franklin, adapted by Kendall (07) 3369 2344.

Sydney Theatre Company. Until Moss. Presented by the Rev Bill Feaver. Belvoir. Nov/Dec artstheatre.com.au Oct 31. Roslyn Packer Theatre.

Crews Foundation. Nov 9 - 14. season. belvoir.com.au sydneytheatre.com.au The Addams Family by Andrew Ashfield Uniting Church. Free. Disney’s Frozen. Music and Lippa, Marshall Brickman and Van Gogh Alive. M Agency / thesilvertunnel.com lyrics by Kristen AndersonRick Elice. Mousetrap Theatre, Grande Exhibitions. Until Nov FreshWorksFEMME. Old 505 Lopez and Robert Lopez, and Redcliffe. Oct 31 - Nov 8. (07) 22. Royal Hall of Industries, Theatre. Nov 10 - 29. book by Jennifer Lee, based on Entertainment Quarter, Moore 3888 3493. old505theatre.com the 2013 film. Disney Theatrical trybooking.com/652999 Park. vangoghalive.com.au Productions. From Dec 1.

Speaking in Tongues by Magic Beach. Children’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang JR. Capitol Theatre, Sydney.

Andrew Bovell. Dark Matters Musical by the Sherman Theatre from the book by Theatre Co. Nov 13 - 22. Darlo frozenthemusical.com.au Alison Lester. Brisbane Brothers. Young People’s Drama Studio Theatre, Level 1, Friends! The Musical Parody.

Powerhouse. Nov 7 - 8. (07) Theatre, Newcastle. Until Oct 16-18 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. Dec 17 - 19. Riverside Theatres, 10. Young People’s Theatre, 3358 8600. trybooking.com/656366 Parramatta. brisbanepowerhouse.org Hamilton (Newcastle). (02) riversideparramatta.com.au Mystery Musical, Volume 2.

4961 4895. ypt.org.au The Lion in Winter by James Audience members won’t find Ross Noble - Humournoid. A Goldman. Villanova Players.

Trevor Ashley’s Showqueen. out until the show begins what List Entertainment. Dec 17 Ron Hurley Theatre, Seven Hills.

TAE and Archery Productions. it is. The Very Popular Theatre 18. Civic Theatre, Newcastle.

Nov 7 - 22. (07) 3395 5168.

Oct 4, 11 & 25. Paddo RSL Company. Nov 13 - 21. Civic trybooking.com/639277 Showroom. showqueen.com.au Wicked Sisters by Alma De Groen. Griffin Theatre Company. Nov 6 - Dec 12.

Seymour Centre. griffintheatre.com.au

stagewhispers.com.au Stage Whispers 53

On Stage Keeping Up Appearances by Roy Clarke. Sandgate Theatre.

Nov 13 - 22. Hawks Sporting Club, Taigum. 0492 916 005. trybooking.com/643477 The Holidays by David Megarrity. Queensland Theatre.

Nov 14 - Dec 12. Bille Brown Theatre. 1800 355 528. queenslandtheatre.com.au Music of the Night Showtunes. Redcliffe Musical Theatre. Redcliffe Entertainment Centre. Nov 18.

(07) 3213 0400.

Queensland, Tasmania, S.A. & W.A.

The Addams Family. Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, score by Andrew Lippa.

Parks Youth Theatre. Oct 7 - 9.

Parks Theatre. trybooking.com/645084

Emily Havea will play the role of Curly in Black Swan State Theatre Company’s Oklahoma! at Heath Ledger Theatre from November 28.

Read more: bit.ly/364wPW6

Back 2 Back Short Show Festival. SA’s purely local performers & producers’ theatre festival. Oct 22 - Nov 1.

Star Theatre. startheatres.com.au A Promenade of Shorts: A Mini Festival of Tiny Plays. Red Phoenix Theatres and Holden Street Theatres. Oct 22 - 31. holdenstreettheatres.com

The Ladykillers by Graham Linehan. Black Comedy.

Brisbane Arts. Nov 21 - Dec 19. The Odd Couple by Neil Simon.

Matt Byrne Media. Nov 4 - 28.

(07) 3369 2344. artstheatre.com.au Holden Street Theatres. holdenstreettheatres.com Good Morning Vietnam Songs from the Era. Empire Theatre, Toowoomba. Nov 28.

1300 655 299. empiretheatre.com.au Jimeoin - Stand-Up. Brisbane Powerhouse. Dec 10 - 13. (07) 3358 8600. brisbanepowerhouse.org Spirit of Christmas - Concert.

Concert Hall, QPAC. Dec 18 19. 136 246. qpac.com.au Tasmania Sophocles’ Oedipus + Antigonê. Translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald.

Adapted and directed by Kelly Wilson. Adaptivity Theatre Company. Set in 2040. Oct 28 - 31. Earl Arts Centre, Launceston. (03) 6331 0052. theatrenorth.com.au 7 Deadly Sins. Graeme Murphy & Judith Wright - MADE. Nov 16 & 17. Princess Theatre, Launceston. (03) 6331 0052. theatrenorth.com.au

Ripcord by David LindsayAbaire. State Theatre Company SA. Nov 13 - Dec 5. Dunstan Playhouse. 131 246. statetheatrecompany.com.au Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. Chamber opera based on Ray Lawler’s classic Australian play. Composed by Richard Mills with libretto by Peter Goldsworthy. State Opera South Australia. Nov 14 - 20.

Her Majesty’s Theatre. 131 246. bass.net.au

Friends! The Musical Parody.

SK Entertainment. New musical that lovingly lampoons the sitcom. Dec 4. Her Majesty’s Theatre. bass.net.au. 131 246.

Western Australia Seussical the Musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.

Laughing Horse Productions.

Oct 2 - 10. Based on the books of Dr Seuss. Don Russell Performing Arts Centre. (08) 9498 9414. laughinghorse.asn.au

Brian, the Bitch and the Bathrobe. Bawdy Pantos. Nov 25 - 28. Theatre Royal, Hobart. The 91-Storey Treehouse by Richard Tulloch. CDP Kids. Oct (03) 6146 3300.

6 - 11. State Theatre Centre of theatreroyal.com.au WA. ptt.wa.gov.au. SOLD OUT. South Australia Magic Beach by Finegan Grug. Based on the picture Kruckemeyer. CDP Kids. Oct 7 book character created by Ted 11. Based on the book by Prior. Windmill Theatre. Oct 6 Alison Lester. State Theatre 18. Dunstan Playhouse. bass.net.au 54 Stage Whispers

Centre of WA. ptt.wa.gov.au / (08) 6212 9292.

Behind the Wheel by Travis Koch. Hayman Theatre Company. Oct 7 - 9. Free lunchtime theatre - World Premiere. Hayman Theatre, Curtin University, Bentley.

High School Musical by David Simpatico. HAMA Productions.

Oct 8 - 11. Regal Theatre, Subiaco. ticketek.com.au Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Stray Cats Theatre. Oct 9 - 11. Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. manpac.com.au FIFO. Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company / Goolarri Media Enterprises. Oct 13 - 24. Jono is trapped in a soul-destroying lifestyle. Subiaco Arts Centre. ptt.wa.gov.au / (08) 6212 9292.

Five Beers For A Six-Pack by Nelson Fannon. Hayman Theatre Company. Oct 14 - 16.

Free lunchtime theatre - World Premiere. Hayman Theatre, Curtin University, Bentley.

Professional Premises by Andrew O’Connell. Oct 15 25. Company O. New

Australian play about theatremaking. Paper Mountain, Northbridge. trybooking.com/650171 Cocky’s Crossing by Max Harvey. Beverley Amateur Dramatics. Oct 16 - 24.

Australian musical comedy.

Beverley Station Arts Platform Theatre. taztix.com.au or (08) 9255 3336.

Cinderella by Tony Nicholls.

Wembley Theatre Company.

Oct 16 - Nov 1. Pantomime.

Wembley Community Centre. trybooking.com/657075 Money for Something by Matthew Arnold. Hayman Theatre Company. Oct 21 - 23.

Original jukebox musical featuring songs by Dire Straits.

Hayman Theatre, Curtin University, Bentley. curtin.edu/haymanboxoffice A View from the Park by Noel O’Neil. Maverick Theatre Productions. Oct 23 - 31. 6 new short plays set on a park bench. Old Mill Theatre, South Perth. trybooking.com/BLLMM Cosi Fan Tutti by Mozart. WA Opera. Oct 24 - 31. New

Just $50 a month to reach thousands of theatre goers. Contact Stage Whispers for details.

On Stage production. His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth. SOLD OUT.

Motherhood - The Musical by Sue Fabisch. Murray Music and When the Rain Stops Falling by Drama Club. Nov 13 - 28.

Pinjarra Civic Centre. 0458 046 Andrew Bovell. PAANDA 414. mmdc.com.au (Performing Arts at Notre Dame). Oct 27 - Nov 7. Award winning Australian play.

University of Notre Dame, Fremantle. fremantlepaanda.com Lead Me Astray by Keiran Trembath. Hayman Theatre Company. Oct 28 - 30. World Premiere. Hayman Theatre, Curtin University, Bentley. curtin.edu/haymanboxoffice A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Susie Conte.

Tempest Theatre. Oct 29 - 31 Feminist adaptation of the classic play. Subiaco Arts Centre. ptt.wa.gov.au / (08) 6212 9292.

We Will Rock You by Ben Elton and Queen. Platinum Entertainment. Oct 30 - Nov 15. Rock musical. Crown Theatre, Perth. ticketmaster.com.au Bambert’s Book of Lost Stories

by Reinhard Jung, adapted for stage by Dan Giovannoni and Luke Kerridge. Barking Gecko Theatre. Oct 31 - Nov 21. A small man with a love for writing. State Theatre Centre of WA. ptt.wa.gov.au / (08) 6212 9292.

The Boys in the Band by Mart Crowley. Graduate Dramatic Society. Nov 4 - 14. Groundbreaking play directed by Barry Park. Dolphin Theatre, University of WA. ticketswa.com PUFFS: or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic by Matt Cox. AIM - Art in Motion.

Nov 12 - 15. Don Russell Performing Arts Centre. (08) 9498 9414. trybooking.com/657386 Wife After Death by Eric Chappell. Darlington Theatre Players. Nov 13 - 28. Comedy.

Marloo Theatre, Greenmount. marlootheatre.com.au

Yes, Prime Minister by Anthony Jay and Johnathon Lynn. KADS. Nov 20 - Dec 12. Comedy based on the TV series. KADS Town Hall Theatre, Kalamunda. kadstheatre.com.au Full Circle by Janet Shaw.

Stirling Players. Nov 20 - Dec 5.

Stirling Theatre, Innaloo. trybooking.com/590393

Western Australia & New Zealand Theatre. Dec 5 - 12. Based on the Terry Pratchett book.

Roleystone Community Hall. roleystonetheatre.com.au A Christmas Wish by Noel O’Neil. Irish Theatre Players.

Dec 10 - 20. Christmas pantomime. Townshend Theatre, Irish Club, Subiaco. irishtheatreplayers.com.au New Zealand Te Moana Glow Show! The Glow Show Company. Touring until December. glowshow.co.nz

Old Love by Norm Foster.

Nelson Arts Festival. Ngā Toi Melville Theatre, Palmyra. Nov Huatau - The Seasonal Arts.

20 - Dec 5. Romance spanning Oct 1 - 31. nelsonartsfestival.nz three decades. meltheco.org.au Whangārei Fringe. Theatre, art, The Nutcracker. WA Ballet. Nov circus, digital technology, 21 - Dec 13. His Majesty’s music, drag & more. Oct 10 Theatre, Perth. ptt.wa.gov.au 26. whangareifringe.co.nz The Importance of Being Olive Copperbottom: A Earnest by Oscar Wilde. Garrick Dickensian Tale of Love, Gin & Theatre. Nov 26 - Dec 12. the Pox by Peggy Ashton. Oct Classic comedy. Garrick 10, Theatre Royal, Nelson, 03 Theatre, Guildford. (08) 9378 548 3840 & Oct 15 & 16, ASB 1990. garricktheatre.asn.au Theatre, Marlborough, 0800 Peter Pan by James Barrie.

Wanneroo Repertory. Nov 26 Dec 12. Limelight Theatre, Wanneroo. limelighttheatre.com.au

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Ken Ludwig.

Harbour Theatre. Nov 27 - Dec 13. Camelot Theatre, Mosman Park. (08) 9255 3336. harbourtheatre.org.au Lake Disappointment by Lachlan Philpott and Luke Mullins. Turquoise Theatre.

Nov 27 - 28. Witty look at painful side of contemporary culture. Subiaco Arts Centre. ptt.wa.gov.au

842 538.

Greedy Cat by Joy Cowley, adapted by Tim Bray, with music by Christine White. Tim Bray Theatre Company. Oct 13 - 16. Māngere Arts Centre, Auckland. eventfinda.co.nz #UsTwo: Six Decades of Sisterhood. Sarah and Catherine Delahunty. BATS Theatre, Wellington. Oct 13 17. (04) 802 4175.

Scandal at the Speakeasy. The Fine Thyme Theatre Company.

Oct 14 - 17. Cromwell Bowling Club. (03) 9012 3460.

Everything Between Us by David Ireland. Oct 16 - 18.

Oklahoma! By Rodgers and Jubilee Building - Parnell Hammerstein. Black Swan State Community Centre, Auckland.

Theatre Company. Nov 28 Di and Viv and Rose by Amelia Dec 20. Intimate version of Bullmore. Fusion Productions. classic musical. Heath Ledger Oct 16 - Nov 7, Circa Theatre, Theatre, State Theatre Centre Wellington & Nov 18 - 22, of WA. ptt.wa.gov.au Mayfair Theatre, Dunedin.

Friends! The Musical Parody. fusionproductions.co.nz Nov 28. Based on the TV show.

Swallow the Fly by Rory Regal Theatre. ticketek.com.au Janssen. Howick Little Theatre, Monstrous Regiment by Pakuranga, Auckland. Oct 21 Stephen Briggs. Roleystone 24. (09) 361 1000.

Advertise your show on the front page of stagewhispers.com.au

Paradise or The Impermanence of Ice Cream by Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis. Indian Ink. Oct 23 - Nov 1. TAPAC, Auckland. (09) 845 0295.

The Witching Hours. BATS Theatre, Wellington. Oct 27 31. (04) 802 4175.

I Know What I’m Doing by Melody Rachel. BATS Theatre, Wellington. Oct 27 - 31. (04) 802 4175.

Girl in the Loft by Katherine Wyeth. BATS Theatre, Wellington. Nov 5 - 14. (04) 802 4175.

Reset 2020: A Festival for Aotearoa. Taranaki. Nov 5 - 15. reset2020.co.nz Routine Magic/Magic Routine

by Frances Steinberg. BATS Theatre, Wellington. Nov 5 14. (04) 802 4175.

Ladies Night by Stephen Sinclair and Anthony McCarten. Centrepoint Theatre, Palmerston North. Nov 7 - Dec 19. (06) 354 5740.

Two by Jim Cartwright. Sahara BreeZe. Nov 13 & 14, Arrowtown Community Centre; Nov 15, Roxborough Grand Tavern; Nov 19, Bannockburn Hall; Nov 20, The Stadium, Alexandra; Nov 22, The Rydges; Nov 27, Glenorchy Camp; Nov 28, Victoria Arms Cromwell and Nov 29, Wanaka Centre. eventfinda.co.nz Peer Gynt. BATS Theatre, Wellington. Nov 17 - 21. (04) 802 4175.

Princess Boy Wonder. BATS Theatre, Wellington. Nov 24 28. (04) 802 4175.

The Slutcracker by Jean Sergent and Salesi Le’ota. BATS Theatre, Wellington. Nov 24 Dec 12. (04) 802 4175.

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler. The PumpHouse Theatre Company, Auckland. Dec 2 - 6.

(09) 489 8360.

Cinderella. Pantomime. GMC Productions. Dec 15 - 20. Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch.

0800 842 538. isaactheatreroyal.co.nz Stage Whispers 55

Reviews

Ksenja Logos and Nathan O’Keefe as Mr and Mrs Manningham in State Theatre Company SA’s Gaslight.

Photo: Chris Herzfeld.

Gaslight

By Patrick Hamilton. State Theatre Company SA. Directed

by Catherine Fitzgerald. Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide.

Sep 4 - 19.

FROM the moment we join the socially distanced queue, we can feel an air of excitement. Not only is it a night out at the theatre, but at a newly rebuilt one. Her Majesty’s Theatre is a splendid reinvention of the original building.

Gaslight tells the story of a woman, uncertain of her memory and perception, being slowly convinced by her manipulative husband that she is going insane. Originally written in 1938, and presented here in its original Victorian setting, it’s a traditional thriller that unwraps slowly through the psychological abuse, sexism and classism exhibited by the husband.

Bella Manningham is given life by Ksenja Logos, her lavish blue gown and perfectly arranged hair contrasting with the insecure, anxious woman beneath them. Initially, she accepts everything she’s told by her husband, Jack (Nathan O’Keefe) - it’s only after the arrival of Eileen Darley’s Inspector Rough that she begins to believe there may be an alternative and more sinister explanation.

Yet the suspense is neither sufficiently built nor released, and the audience’s tension is too often punctured by a laugh. The production’s flirtation with farce digs at the foundations of its message.

Emotional cruelty is no less damaging than physical violence and it takes the ever-present strength of Darley’s Inspector and the growing confidence of Logos’ Bella to 56 Stage Whispers

take back control. Revenge is taken and justice served, but there is no triumph.

Maybe that’s why we aren’t cheering. We come to remind ourselves of the joy and inspiration that theatre can bring, yet instead we see a reflection of our reality largely unchanged since this theatre was first built. In these times, we need to share more joy.

Mark Wickett Hamilton Book, Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Directed

by Thomas Kail. Filmed at Richard Rodgers Theatre NYC. Streaming on Disney+.

IT would be foolish to dismiss Hamilton as a “rap” or “hip-hop” musical. Spoken songs were around long before rap and hip-hop in musical theatre; Noël Coward and Rex Harrison built careers on them. Miranda marries contemporary music styles, including rap and hip-hop, jazz and blues, but at the core there is a strong melodic line. Put simply, Lyn-Manuel Miranda writes wonderful music and lyrics - only the presentation is different. It’s new, and yet somehow accessible in our psyche Miranda himself plays Hamilton, but he is not the strongest voice on the stage, nor even the most charismatic performer. It’s a credit to his integrity that he makes no attempt to steal the show. Leslie Odom Jnr is nothing less than sensational as Aaron Burr, the man who ultimately kills Hamilton. Daveed Diggs is charismatic and owns the stage as both Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, and his second act song “What’d I Miss?” is a show-

Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at stagewhispers.com.au

stopper, as is Odom’s “The Room Where It Happens”.

Christopher Jackson’s Washington has great command and a thrilling voice - and the ensemble is full of amazing triple threats. Phillipa Soo is perfect as Hamilton’s wife Eliza, while Renee Elise Goldsberry is a force unto herself as Anjelica. As for Jonathan Groff as King George III, every moment he is on stage is sheer comic delight.

Both the show and the filming were directed impeccably by Thomas Kail and the choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler is simply fabulous. It’s impossible to praise Howard Binkley’s lighting or David Korins wonderfully innovative set and revolve too much. This is a triumph in all respects and secures Miranda’s place in the Musical Theatre Hall of Fame, even if he never wrote another word.

Coral Drouyn

articles, Williams based his work on the torture and deaths of prisoners at Holmesburg Prison. Rejected by theatre companies in the thirties, the play remained unperformed until actress Vanessa Redgrave tracked it down.

Performed against brick walls and barred windows in Canning Vale’s Last Drop Brewery, the unconventional, intimate setting makes a striking and appropriate venue for this show, with atmospheric lighting from John Woolwrych and strong sound design from Sarah Christiner.

Eva Crane takes a job as a stenographer in the prison office. In a sensitive performance with great depth by Nicole Miller, Eva forms a friendship with prisoner “Canary” Jim Alison, very well portrayed by Chris Kennedy.

Prison warden Whalen is expertly played by Chris Thomas, unnervingly convincing as this cruel and unlikeable individual.

Next To Normal

By Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. Directed by Craig Griffen.

Leader of the prisoners Butch O’Fallon is given Melville Theatre, WA. Aug 21 - Sep 5. strength and layers by Phil Barnett in a particularly memorable performance, but all of the men are given NEXT To Normal was very warmly received, and appreciated, with its hard hitting and poignant subject distinct personalities, with strong ensemble work and characterisations throughout. Petrina Harley makes a brief matter bringing many audience members to tears. but poignant appearance as the mother of a vulnerable Craig Griffen’s minimalist set, placed upon several tonnes of dirt, was striking and thought-provoking. prisoner, while Lliam Gregory nicely inhabits two very Creating interesting debates about its symbolism, a draw- different roles as guard Schultz and the Chaplain. back was that it sent a fair bit of dust into the air This lost gem was a highly dramatic, intimate causing difficulties for some patrons. production that was well paced, well acted and well Musically this show was very strong, with outstanding worth watching. vocal performances and strong instrumental support, Kimberley Shaw under the musical direction of Grace Johnson and Tara An Evening With Amy Lehpamer Oorjitham.

Some stellar acting performances emerged from a Piano: Brendan Murtagh. Lyrebird Restaurant, QPAC. Sep 4 - 5. tight, united ensemble. Central character Diana, whose mental illness and delusion is the catalyst for action, was WE knew she was good, but we didn’t know she was played with gorgeous voice and great depth and that good! Amy Lehpamer has been visiting Brisbane for sensitivity by Elethea Sartorelli. She was very well the past few years as a leading lady in The Sound of supported by Daniel Burton as husband Dan, delivering a Music, Beautiful and The School of Rock, but it was the very layered, beautifully sung performance. breadth of her talent that was on display at QPAC’s Lincoln Tapping shone as Gabe - creating this “perfect Lyrebird Restaurant. son” with great charm and spark. Georgia McGivern won QPAC’s second show in their QPAC Unlocked series audience hearts as overlooked daughter Natalie, showing was an elegant mix of fine food and musical theatre, with a lovely character journey.

Lehpamer accompanied on grand piano by Brendan Oliver Clare was strong as Natalie’s love interest Henry, Murtagh, essaying a career run-down of songs from while Mitch Lawrence completed the cast, playing two shows she has appeared in. Opening with ‘Here I Am’, a doctors, his most serious role to date showing that he has jazzy-Latin riff from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and strength as a dramatic actor. following with Maria’s ‘I Have Confidence’ from The An expertly performed version of a very moving Sound of Music, she immediately won the audience. musical.

‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’ from Beautiful kept the Kimberley Shaw sixties vibe going, but it was her version of ‘The Fiddler’, where she played violin off-mike and sang ‘If I Were A Not About Nightingales Rich Man’, that showed her incredible versatility.

By Tennessee Williams. Life on Hold Productions. Directed The second half had more of the same - ‘I Wanna

by Sarah Christiner. Last Drop Brewery, Canning Vale, WA. Know What Love Is’ (Rock of Ages), ‘Natural Sep 11-26.

Woman’ (Beautiful) and the arresting ‘Falling NOT About Nightingales was the first play written Slowly’ (Once), which she performed with her partner under Tennessee Williams’ famous pen name. Written as Tom Cooney on guitar. a college assignment to write a play based on newspaper Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at stagewhispers.com.au

Stage Whispers 57

defrost this dreadful “social distancing”, looks here another victim of it.

Louise Fischer’s large cast take off when the play returns to the drama and pain of Ana’s wartime childhood, but transitions drag on the pace. Tighter theatrical punctuation, and the required quick shifts in place and filmic focus, would be well served by greater lighting resources.

When Ana finally accepts the friendship offered by a persistent Serb matron (Susan Jordan), the play delivers moving rewards.

Martin Portus

Canberra REP’s What The Butler Saw.

Best and most effective song of the night was ‘What About That’, Simone Warne’s heartfelt emotional cry from Eddie Perfect’s Shane Warne - The Musical. It had pathos and honesty.

Murtagh’s ivory tickling had colour and his occasional forays into backing vocals added even more to the ambience.

An exciting night, with superb food and wine, it’s not surprising that both performances sold out. With the venue restricted to 54 people, and tables sociallydistanced, it was excellent high-end theatre restaurant.

Peter Pinne Neighbourhood Watch

By Lally Katz. New Theatre, Newtown, NSW. Sep 8 - Oct 3.

THIS revival of Lally Katz’ 2011 hit was snatched from the New Theatre stage by COVID-19 just before opening in March. Now the plucky theatre - with strict protocols and distancing - has thankfully reopened its doors, and this play, with a different director, designer and some cast changes.

Neighbourhood Watch is a deceptively difficult darkish comedy, telling in cinematically short scenes and flashes, an Australian neighbourhood story of inter-generational friendship, as historic griefs are re-forged into new hopes.

Centre-stage is Ana, an 80-year-old Hungarian scarred by a wartime past which has left her irrepressible but suspicious, lonely and deliciously caustic. Colleen Cook is yet to fully drive up her Hungarian to the rhythms and energy required to best land Ana’s wit. Her friendship with flaky young Catharine (Kelly Robinson), eventually helps both women find new compassion and meaning.

The scenes leap in time and place across Tom Bannerman’s oddly fairground-pastel panorama, also between Catharine and her lost love Martin (Joshua Horwitz) and with her house mate, Ken (Stephen LloydCoombs). But rarely do these relationships strike emotional truths and arouse our empathy or real laughter. An essentially warm-hearted play which should 58 Stage Whispers

What The Butler Saw

By Joe Orton. Canberra Repertory. Directed by Liz Bradley.

Canberra REP Theatre. Sep 10 - 26.

IN What the Butler Saw, a mental asylum’s resident psychiatrist’s attempt to cover his attempted misbehaviour becomes increasingly complicated with impositions by his wife and by his district psychiatric inspector - who is ready to certify all and sundry, including a policeman and his quarry. The underlying concern of this, Orton’s final play script, with the abuses that institutional power over others enables, keeps the play utterly relevant to today’s institutional victims; yet it makes its point comically, chiefly by revealing its characters’ thought processes.

On REP’s set - a large office in an old hospital multiple doors enabled closely timed entrances and exits that contributed to the farce. Such timing was crucial: the characters, well cast, interacted with energy so frenetic that the audience had little time to anticipate or savour the lines. Neither could we seriously suspend disbelief in any character - which may be the director’s intent.

Costumes, integral to the devious plot, well suited the era (and English setting) - and having several fit more than one character must have taken some ingenuity.

Lighting and sound were, as usual in REP productions, faultless. The seating, of course, spaced the audience out, possibly altering the cast’s perception of audience response; but audience enthusiasm was genuine.

John P. Harvey Switzerland

By Joanna Murray-Smith. Villanova Players. Director: Bruce Parr. Ron Hurley Theatre, Seven Hills, QLD. Aug 21 - 23.

IN her advancing years, author Patricia Highsmith has retreated to her hideaway in the Swiss Alps. A notoriously difficult woman who rails at the New York literary establishment and most racists groups and religions, she’s an alcoholic, lesbian, and prone to withering put-downs.

In this play Edward Ridgeway bears the brunt of them.

A seemingly callow and gauche youth, Ridgeway has been sent by Highsmith’s publishers to persuade her to write one more Ripley novel in her series known as The Ripliad.

In a cat-and-mouse game that involves the co-creation of a ‘possible’ new novel, Highsmith eventually agrees to sign a contract but not before Murray-Smith has done a

Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at stagewhispers.com.au

neat twist with the scenario worthy of Highsmith’s own writing.

The conceit of a writer haunted and possessed by her most famous creation is not new, but Murray-Smith engagingly brings freshness to it. Director Bruce Parr has cast two actors as Highsmith, Maria Plumb and Lucy Moxon. To my knowledge it’s the first time that this has happened. Both were convincing as the cynical wordsmith, with Nicholas Sayers as the meek, but gradually emerging self-assured, Ridgeway, handling his part well.

The set was minimal, a lounge and chair, a table and two chairs, with a soundscape that permeated the script when necessary.

At two-hours without a break it was long, but Parr juggled the pieces astutely and it didn’t bog down in existential verbiage. The performance made me want to revisit the books and that’s an admirable reaction.

Peter Pinne Who’s Your Baghdaddy? Or How I Started the Iraq War Music and book by Marshall Paillet. Lyrics and book by A.D. Penedo. Curveball Creative. Director Neil Gooding.

Streamed live from June 24 - 28.

WOW. Just wow. I could leave it there but that wouldn’t do justice to this astonishing production.

In this time of Pandemic, imagine if you will (in best Rod Serling voice) eight superb double/triple threat artists in different rooms in a quarantined house. Imagine the quite amazing Neil Gooding directing them from yet another isolated room, and Musical Director Steven Kreamer and choreographer Leah Howard in yet other rooms, plus an entire production team, isolated under technical director Michael Goodyear, co-ordinating sound and picture quality into an integrated live show.

The show itself is Off-Broadway fare, but of a high calibre, starting with a session in a psychiatrist’s office where all of our characters are dealing with their guilt regarding starting the unwinnable war.

Casting is superb, and Neil Gooding deserves an award for that alone. Doug Hansell, as the tortured weapons analyst who starts the entire war by falsely identifying the WMD, is wonderfully intense throughout. Troy Sussman seems to just keep getting better with age - his vocals and comic timing are superb. Adam Rennie has a voice to swoon to but he also injects real warmth and depth to the nerdy and hesitant Jerry, a Geeky CIA analyst. Laura Murphy adds real humanity to the brittle and ambitious Berry. Philip Lowe uses his considerable charm to make CIA operative Tyler Nelson totally credible. Matthew Predny is wonderful as the junior German interrogator Richart. Blake Erickson is billed as “man” but he is so much more than that. Katrina Retallick, “woman”, plays 14 different characters and makes them all different.

Would it be better, or less powerful on stage? I truly don’t know. But this was a remarkable piece of entertainment when we desperately needed it.

Coral Drouyn

PERFORMING ARTS MAGAZINE

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020. VOLUME 29, NUMBER 5 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.

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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 Layout, design & production: Phillip Tyson 0414 781 008 Contributors: Cathy Bannister, Anne Blythe-Cooper, Mel Bobbermien, Michael Brindley, Rose Cooper, Kerry Cooper, Ken Cotterill, Bill Davies, Coral Drouyn, Jenny Fewster, Graham Ford, Peter Gotting, Frank Hatherley, Jude Hines, John P. Harvey, Barry Hill, Tony Knight, Neil Litchfield, Ken Longworth, Kiesten Mcauley, Rachel McGrath-Kerr, Roger McKenzie, Peter Novakovich, Peter Pinne, Martin Portus, Sally Putnam, Suzanne Sandow, Kimberley Shaw, David Spicer, Anthony Vawser, Carol Wimmer, Mark Wickett and Beth Keehn.

Longer versions of many reviews can now be found at stagewhispers.com.au

Stage Whispers 59

Musical Spice

The Greatest Show On Earth In September I caught the nostalgia bug, prompting me to dust off and open a little yellow kindergarten-like suitcase of mine which holds some treasure. The case was placed under the seat of everyone at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics twenty years ago.

Inside was my ticket, a torch, certificate of appreciation, commemorative medal, pens, an opening ceremony stick pin, wrist band with embedded flashing lights, stamps, that prized media accreditation pass with a beautiful infinity (access almost all events) symbol and also, to my surprise, a copy of Stage Whispers magazine.

The November 2000 edition (Volume 9 number 10) had 22 audition and 32 Community Theatre on stage advertisements - compared to zero in this edition, due to the twin pressure of digital disruption and a pandemic.

The lead story was written by Neil Litchfield about a national tour of Madama Butterfly in the round. On page seven was a feature written by me about my experience as a reporter for the ABC at the Olympics.

I described the “breathtaking visual treat” opening ceremony as “Australia, the all singing all dancing musical extravaganza. It was much better being there, than on TV. You could scan the dizzy heights - the fish, Nicki and other assorted props which

60 Stage Whispers October - November 2020

floated up to 50 metres off the ground - then cast your eyes on the sea of torches being waved by the crowd.

“Yes, an Australian musical can be a world-wide hit - all you need is eleven composers, eleven directors, four orchestra conductors, seven band masters, four production designers, thousands of musicians, lots of wild cattle dogs, a cast of ten thousand and at least 20 million dollars.”

Filing for the 11pm radio news was a challenge. The 200-nation march had made the opening ceremony run very late. Raelene Boyle and Betty Cuthbert had entered the stadium at 10:59. Dawn Fraser was no longer sitting next to the IOC President and Cathy Freeman DID march in the parade - so, who was going to light the cauldron?

Whilst Cathy Freeman did perform at her best when it mattered, sadly the Olympics did not always bring out my best. In 1993 I was assigned to cover the bid announcement at Circular Quay. In a radio live cross at 4am, I sounded drunk due to feedback in my headphones - much like the Governor General did, when he declared the Games open.

In 2000, after the opening ceremony, I had to file a package for AM. “I squeezed back to the International Broadcast Centre shoulder to shoulder with athletes

walking to catch their buses. They were dressed in the most wonderful array of costumes.

“Then, after the pleasure came the pain. The editing software in the ABC office was not properly tested. The hours dragged on and on. At 5am, barely conscious, I almost lost my whole story for AM. Bits of noise kept disappearing from the screen.”

Imagine getting a ticket to the opening ceremony and not filing a story? Finally, at dawn, a scratchy package made it back to the ABC. I slept all day then used my infinity sign, on the media accreditation pass, to slip into the opening night of the swimming finals. With a pool-side seat, I watched Australia win two gold medals.

I was not in the stadium when Cathy won gold, but if you want the next best thing, watch the spinechillingly good documentary about her on ABC iView. Like the opening ceremony, it combines the best celebration of sport and art.

David Spicer

Read scripts, listen to music and order free catalogue at: davidspicer.com.au david@davidspicer.com (02) 9371 8458

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