Each year as this edition of Stage Whispers comes around, I enjoy the chance to drift back to Drama and Performing Arts teaching, which was so central to my life up until about 2005.
During a recent clean-out of my garage, I came across a box coated in 20 years of dust, full of school related documents. Inside were so many reminders of my hectic life as a drama teacher, and the many associated rewards.
Documentation for theatre excursions and incursions, participation in regional festivals and more theatre visits for everything from a small group of students to full year groups organisation either for the short walk to the school hall, or a major operation involving several buses for a performance in the city.
Mostly I’d forgotten the work component over time, remembering my students’ joy and wonderment instead. A vivid memory from Cats at the Theatre Royal stays with me; a student jumping from their seat when a cat suddenly came out of a pipe right in front of them, which proved a special ongoing memory once she got over the initial shock.
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I loved foraging through the paperwork and memorabilia from the 14 school productions I’d staged photos, posters, programs, etc., alongside reminders of the challenges like two years of rehearsing musicals at a brand-new demountable school, and the logistics of getting the whole she-bang to another school’s hall some distance away. The filter of time, again, had long consigned such organisational trivia to the background, driving positive, happy memories to the fore.
Other souvenirs highlighted the various festivals and competitions my students participated in with students from far and wide who shared their passion.
There were publications which I’d edited or contributed to, support documents I’d helped workshop and paperwork from my time on the council of the Educational Drama Association. There were resource kits for theatre productions, on which I collaborated, and submissions for pre-syllabus school-based Drama courses.
When I opened a book of my best Drama lesson ideas, memories sprung out of particularly creative responses to some of them.
Among the photos of school musicals, a chorus image stirred a special memory from my very first school musical, in my second year of teaching, and a comment from an executive member at a staff meeting. Two of the girls in that image had nearly been banned from extra-curricular activities including the musical for smoking. That colleague’s statement, that it was the first time he had ever seen them smile, always stayed with me.
I know that for many of my students, school musicals and drama were their special place, as I’m sure they continue to be for many young people today.
Yours in Theatre,
NeilLitchfield Editor
Cover image: Matilda Casey, Beatrix Alder, Dakota Chanel and Stephanie McNamara with the Sandys from Annie (2025). Read Coral Drouyn’s “interview” with the show’s canine stars on page 8.
Photo: David Hooley.
Javon King and Michael Paynter From Jesus Christ Superstar
With her tongue firmly in her cheek, Coral Drouyn takes a paws in her usual routine to interview the canine stars of Annie.
Matilda Casey, Beatrix Alder, Dakota Chanel and Stephanie McNamara with the Sandys from Annie (2025)
Photo: David Hooley.
Annie is back. The joyous heartfelt musical (based on the Depression comic strip about a little orphan girl and her dog) is ready to prove yet again that, even though ‘It’s a Hard Knock Life’, the sun will ALWAYS come out ‘Tomorrow.’
I love the show, yet strangely, in my fourteen years with Stage Whispers, I haven’t written about it before. Now I get to interview the stars of this newest production. You simply can’t have Annie without Sandy her closest companion, her friend fur all time. Sandy is arguably the most important character in the show…well that’s the Dogma anyway.
So here’s a first…and let me introduce you to the three magnificent performers who will make this show so doggone special…
Sandy, Daisy and Bodhi. Why three? Just as with any other performers there could be injuries or sickness, so Sandy needs his own understudy
Coral Drouyn: Hello, and thanks for agreeing to talk to me. Or should I just say “Woof”.
Bodhi: Let’s not start by patronising and talking down to us please. The others may not know the difference, but I have been in the business for a while you know.
Sandy: You’ve been in Neighbours Bodhi…that’s not the same as theatre.
Bodhi: True…the pay is better.
Daisy: I liked Bouncer in Neighbours
Oops…not a wise thing to say. Bouncer was a major star in his day and Bodhi doesn’t like the comparison. He gives a guttural growl of disdain, clearly unimpressed.
Bodhi: Amateurs!
It appears that Bodhi, who was slated to be the number one pooch, has been relegated to understudy largely because of his other workloads. And he’s not thrilled about it. Bodhi is a star in his own mind. A dog-star!
Coral: So…I had a chance to talk to your trainer…Luke Hura…
(Much growling, yapping and general unease.)
Sandy: Trainer? I wouldn’t say trainer…
Bodhi: More like…um…assistant.
Daisy: Or maybe…bodyguard?
Bodhi: Bodyguard? You’re no Whitney Houston girlie…and that’s putting it ruffly.
But despite the bickering, all three dogs are the product of hours of work and attention from perhaps the bestknown animal trainer in Australia. Luke Hura has worked on countless films, TV shows and stage productions. Whether it’s starring roles as in Red Dog and Oddball or providing Toto for The Wizard of Oz and working on the previous productions of Annie, the chances are that if there is an animal, especially a dog, in any production, Luke is the man behind the scenes. In fact he saw Sandy as a potential for Annie even before this new production was
announced. The dog came before the role, but Luke was certain another Annie production was around the corner. He would agree with the dogs that training is not the right word for how he works with the animals.
“It’s about the connection between you and the animal,” Luke tells me. “I’m lucky enough, always have been, to connect with various animals. I know when that connection isn’t there, and so, lovely though the animal may be, it’s one I have to bypass. It’s not so much training as working together towards a common goal.”
Luke should know. His animals are not just his work. They’re his life and the dogs sleep in his house and are truly part of the family. There’s no suggestion that he is the master and the animals must somehow obey. They’re all equals.
Even so, isn’t it just a question of repetition and reward, I query.
“A lot of people think so,” Luke replies, “but the truth is, if an animal doesn’t connect with you, if you’re not communicating, then there’s no way it’s going to do anything for you. It’s pretty much like human connections and relationships. The commands for “Sandy” on stage aren’t difficult walking to heel, stopping on command, reacting normally and ignoring the audience. Once they have that it’s a matter of getting to know the actors and the stage. They WANT to be part of that connection. And when there’s a real connection, you’re both excited about every result and a hug and a pat is a shared reward. Anything else is just the cherry on the cake.”
(Daisy pipes in.)
Daisy: But always take the pips out first. They’re dangerous.
(Bodhi and Sandy looked at her as if she is barking mad.)
Bodhi: Perhaps you should let the fellers do the talking. You really shouldn’t even be an understudy. Sandy is clearly a boy.
Daisy: Well of course I am.
Bodhi: In the show! I mean, what happens if she rolls over and the front
(Continued on page 11)
Don’t Put Your Doggy On The Stage Miss Hannigan
“Of course, Miss Hannigan has her own ideas on how to train dogs especially puppies so Daisy especially had better watch out.
In 2021 Stage Whispers’ occasional columnist Debora Krizak (now Miss Hannigan in Annie) wrote a feature on training dogs for performance and reported on the arrival at her home of a toy poodle.
“The kids thought we should utilise our time in lockdown to get a puppy. Feeling sorry for them, I started browsing the net.
“We welcomed our new puppy ‘LuLu’ into home detention, and I suddenly remembered what it is like to be locked up with a destructive toddler. Nothing was off limits, and I unwittingly became the sole carer of a weeing, pooing, chewing ball of brown chocolate fluff. The cuteness factor lasted an entire day for the kids until LuLu decided that bedspreads and pillows were the ideal place to do a number 2.”
Although Lulu’s father was a famous show dog, Debora is adamant her pet will never go near the stage.
“Lulu is three and half. She is still a nightmare. She doesn’t like any other dogs. She has no friends. We can’t take her anywhere as she wants to dominate everyone and everything.
“She gets up on her hind legs and pushes visitors with her paws out the door. She only wants my husband. Every time I go to sit up on the couch she leaps into the spot where I am going to sit to keep me away from her boyfriend.”
Debora says the only theatrical aspect about Lulu is that she can “howl in pitch with me.”
Even so there is no prospect of Lulu joining her in Annie even for a rehearsal.
“She would chase all of those dogs off the stage in a dash. She would be running rehearsals.”
(Continued from page 9) Cover Story
row stalls see she’s got bits missing?!?
Daisy: Well, you’ve got bits missing too!
Bodhi: Oooh…vicious. Your bark is definitely worse than your bite.
Sandy: She didn’t mean it. She’s just a little bitch!
(Daisy wags her tail.)
Daisy: I am…I am… I decide a change of subject is in order.
Coral: So, you three are joining an astonishing cast of talented performers. Debora Krizak is one of our most unique music theatre talents. Perfect casting as Miss Hannigan.
Daisy: She is FABULOUS. I saw her in A Chorus Line. I wish I had her legs.
Bodhi: I wish you did too.
Sandy: There are four girls playing Annie in different performances, so we spend most of our time onstage with them. Right now we are all getting to know each other, But it’s not a game. We all have to be very professional.
Daisy: This is my first time as a professional.
I swear Bodhi rolled his eyes in disdain
Coral: And Mackenzie Dunn as Lily St. Regis…and Keanu Gonzalez from Hamilton as Rooster
Sandy: And now there’s a Wiggle…Greg Page is going to be President Roosevelt. He’s the Yellow Wiggle.
Daisy: President Roosevelt was a Wiggle? I didn’t know that.
Bodhi: I hate yellow. Yellow makes me see red.
Sandy: No…that’s a different Wiggle!
Unsure whom he’s talking to I drop the ultimate name…a name that has become synonymous with Annie and the role of Daddy Warbucks… Anthony Warlow.
(All three dogs pant and whimper excitedly.)
Daisy: Superstar.
Bodhi: Bet he’s never been on Neighbours
Daisy: My Mum had such a crush on him since before I was born. I just had to roll over for him at rehearsals
Sandy: I was so excited to actually meet him.
Bodhi: Tell them what you did…
Sandy: It’s not relevant.
Bodhi: Tell them.
Uhoh. There’s a lot of growling.
Sandy: I was excited…
Bodhi: You humped his leg and peed on his shoe…
(Sandy is mortified and Daisy, still a puppy, rushes to his defense and confronts.)
Daisy: Well at least he didn’t try to sniff his bu…
But it’s time to end the interview and for the three canine celebrities to get back to rehearsals.
We only have to wait a few more weeks before we get to enjoy this delicious musical adventure but it’s hard to believe that it’s nearly 50 years old and the children who played the orphans in the first production are now mostly grandparents.
So take your kids…or your grandkids to this very special production and who knows…you may even get Sandy’s autograph.
Bodhi: I have fancards…with my pawprint.
It is, after all, a dog-eat-dog world!
The Sandys from Annie (2025) Photo: David Hooley.
In response to the resounding success of The Mousetrap, Robyn Nevin returns to direct another thrilling Agatha Christie mystery, And Then There Were None. Patricia Di Risio spoke to Nevin and her partner Nicholas Hammond, who plays General MacKenzie.
Prior to working on The Mousetrap Robyn Nevin and Nicholas Hammond admit that they were not big Christie fans. Nevin points out, “I was a bit snobbish…and I realise now I have missed out on a great deal, and I am making up for lost time.”
However, both were delighted to have the opportunity to discover the intricate nature of her work. Nevin especially recognises Christie’s prolific talent and her ability to construct intriguing stories. “I am a huge admirer of her enormous output, but also her skills in plotting and in creating characters that one might very easily and all too quickly describe as clichés…they’re not at all. They’re deep and profoundly complicated because they carry secrets that have created a burden for them and have made their inner lives very complex.”
Hammond describes how the psychological perspective of Christie’s characters makes playing her roles fascinating. Unravelling their secrets reveals the damage and even trauma that many of the characters harbour.
Hammond especially admires Christie’s bravery in addressing issues that were rarely talked about openly in her time.
Despite a long and very distinguished acting career, this is Hammond’s first time playing a Christie character. He acknowledges that there is an important Christie legacy to live up to. “It carries the responsibility of reaching the standard her audience expects of her.”
Nevin has carefully assembled a stellar cast for this production. The selection involved a long and extensive auditioning process and Nevin observed that, “Interestingly, it is quite difficult to attract some actors to stage tours…because actors are keen for film work and they’re less enthusiastic now about touring stage plays than in the past.”
Nonetheless, Nevin has attracted some big-name Australian talent, including Hammond, who has featured in legendary film and television productions (Lord of the Flies, The Sound of Music, Spider-
Man, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).
This production brings together an impressive range of performers who are highly regarded across Australian stage and screen (Jack Bannister, Eden Falk, Jennifer Flowers, Mia Morrissey, Peter O’Brien, Christen O’Leary, Chris Parker, Anthony Phelan, Grant Piro, and Tom Stokes). Nevin is especially pleased with the high calibre of performers that she has been able to bring to this production.
As a hugely successful novel, And Then There Were None was adapted into a play by Christie. However, she altered the ending of the book for the stage as it was perceived as too grim for a postwar theatrical audience. There are several film versions of the story and a spine-chilling 2015 BBC television series which all attest to the incredible popularity of Christie’s work (regardless of the ending that is favoured).
Nevin has preferred not to be influenced by the numerous iterations or interpretations of the book and has avoided viewing much of this content. “When I knew I was going to direct it, I deliberately didn’t watch anything. I didn’t want to be affected by seeing other people’s versions.”
And Then There Were None (2025)
Photo: Jeff Busby.
Instead, in this production Nevin is determined to preserve the authenticity of Christie’s voice and to remain faithful to the book, including the ending that Christie devised first. Hammond added, “It was Agatha Christie’s original ending…it was her choice for the way to end it until she felt compelled to change it. I think its truer to her writer’s instinct.”
And Then There We None is set on Soldier Island, where ten strangers, all from very different worlds, are summoned together in a very unusual circumstance. Trapped in the remote location, the intrigue unfolds, and the truth unravels about each of them.
The book was written in 1939 and was adapted into a play by Christie in 1943. The text strongly reflects much of the culture of the time and Nevin sees it as portraying prevailing opinions, not of Christie, but of the period. “They’re not her attitudes; they are attitudes of characters…but they do reflect aspects of that era, to which we are being faithful and of which we are critical.” (Original references to ‘African Natives’ have been removed.)
When I asked Nevin how the play might appeal to a contemporary audience, she immediately pointed to the strength of the narrative. “I think
it is a completely gripping plot… there’s mounting tension…it’s a mystery, it’s a thriller and so people are held by the developing tension and revelation of a thriller.”
Nevin also points to the strength of the way the author has delineated her characters. “They are very distinct. They are all very well drawn, comprehensively thought through, and fleshed out people. They are all extremely different from each other… and you get involved with the different characters and their
particular stories. It’s just a very wellmade play.”
Hammond agrees and highlights how Christie has cross generational appeal allowing people of all ages to appreciate and love her work. “She is still very, very popular with a contemporary audience.”
Nevin and Hammond first met when they worked on Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind, performed at the Sydney Opera House
(Continued on page 14)
And Then There Were None (2025)
Photo: Jeff Busby.
(Continued from page 13)
in 1987. They worked together again as actors when Nevin starred in the 2012 MTC production, Queen Lear However, this is the first time they have worked together as director and actor. This is a relatively new experience for them as they have rarely had the opportunity to work on the same project.
Their work has often meant that they have been called away on different productions in different places. Nevin has been Artistic Director and CEO of two state theatre companies; she led the Queensland Theatre Company for three years
(1996 to 1999) and then the Sydney Theatre Company for nine years (1999 to 2007).
As an actor she is renowned for important roles on stage (A Streetcar Named Desire, Women Of Troy, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll), film (The Castle, Careful He Might Hear You, The Eye of the Storm, Emerald City, The Chant Of Jimmy Blacksmith and the 2003 Matrix movies) and television (Water Under The Bridge, Top Of The Lake, Upper Middle Bogan).
Nevin describes how the transition into directing was extremely fortuitous and came about when she was invited to direct a female led production (i.e. woman director, playwright, and set designer) for the Sydney Theatre Company as part of International Women’s Year. Nevin asserts that being able to share her skill and craft as performer is undoubtedly one her greatest strengths as a director.
“Certainly, I know how to act and that puts me way ahead of an awful
lot of directors who don’t know anything about acting. They have other skills which I don’t have. My greatest skill is knowing how to bring a text to life, inhabiting a character on stage in an imaginary world…I am very confident about helping actors to work technically, to have control over the emotional mess or the mess of emotion that has to be structured in a way that shows you the real person.”
For Nevin, allowing the clarity of a narrative to flourish is an important aspect of her directorial approach.
Nevin and Hammond have both had many highlights in their amazing and fascinating careers and their work in this Christie play is fast shaping up to becoming one of those highlights. Nevin also expressed a great deal of enthusiasm for the possibility of working on more Christie texts in the future.
And Then There Were None promises to be an important chapter in a phenomenal revival of Christie’s work driven by eminent Australian talent for an eminently deserving Australian audience.
And Then There Were None Produced by John Frost for Crossroads Live. Written by Agatha Christie. Comedy Theatre, Melbourne - Until Mar 23. Theatre Royal Sydney - From May.
His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth - From Jun. Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide - From Aug. andthentherewerenone.com.au
And Then There Were None (2025)
Photo: Jeff Busby.
With the musical dedicated to the King of Pop opening in Sydney, ‘fangirl’ Nicole Smith reflects on Michael Jackson’s legacy as an entertainer, and reports on the excitement of a young actor who has scored the role of a lifetime.
On June 25, 2009, the world was shaken by the sudden, unexpected death of Michael Jackson, the unparalleled King of Pop. Fans across the globe felt an immense wave of disbelief and sorrow.
For those who grew up emulating his iconic dance moves or cherishing his music as the soundtrack of their lives, the loss was nothing short of devastating. I was one of them.
I remember the shock and sitting by the TV watching tributes for days with friends and feeling lucky that I had seen him.
When he took to the stage of Parramatta stadium for his Bad Tour in 1987, I didn’t quite make it. We sat outside absorbing the atmosphere, but a few years down the track in 1996 I finally managed to see him at the SCG for the History tour. The spectacle was next level; he was one of the pioneers of a generation. The fans were manic for him. I have a very vivid memory of him with a jetpack blasting off into the sky. At the time I didn’t realise this was indeed history and the last time Jackson would appear in Australia.
At the time of his passing, Jackson was preparing for his highly anticipated This Is It tour. It was to be a series of 50 comeback concerts commencing at London’s O2 Arena.
For fans who had waited years to see him perform live again, the tour was not just another concert; it was a reunion, a celebration of an unparalleled career that spanned 10 studio albums, three soundtrack albums, one live album, 39 compilation albums, 10 video albums and eight remix albums.
When Michael Jackson passed away, the world felt an overwhelming sense of loss. Fans, fellow musicians, and world leaders all expressed their admiration and grief.
Sydney’s My88 radio Breakfast DJ Wayne Tunks reflects, “One of Michael’s greatest skills was collaboration. He knew the right people to work with, as
producers and writers. Together they created timeless music, especially his 80s and early 90s work. These are the songs that are still played and still loved. The lavish music videos got people tuning in, but the catchy pop tunes kept everyone coming back. Good pop is timeless.”
Social media platforms were flooded with heartfelt messages from fans who shared personal stories of how Jackson’s music had touched their lives. Tunks remembers how powerful his music was. “When ‘Man in the Mirror’ came out I was in early high school struggling with self-identity and body issues. The song is an anthem for self-love and acceptance”.
Vigils were held worldwide, where admirers gathered to honour his memory, often singing his songs and performing his iconic dance moves. Iconic artists like Madonna and Beyoncé shared stories and performed his songs in tribute. Stevie Wonder performed a poignant rendition of one of Jackson’s classics, reflecting the sorrow of the music community. In cities like Los Angeles and London, spontaneous gatherings became impromptu celebrations of his legacy.
“The controversy surrounding him will never go away, but neither will the love of his music. They will continue to radio staples and continue to be played at every wedding, birthday and celebration. These are legacy tracks that represent a generation of music,” Tunks said.
Major TV networks aired special programs featuring Jackson’s music videos, concerts, and interviews. Radio stations dedicated entire days to playing his music, allowing fans to relive his incredible contribution to the music world.
World leaders also acknowledged Jackson’s influence. President Obama remarked on his legacy, while Nelson Mandela sent a personal note reflecting their friendship.
These tributes underscored Michael Jackson’s status as a global icon.
“Jackson is just one of three artists who have sold over 500 million albums. The Thriller album is one of the most successful and famous albums of all time. And people still love and listen to the songs to this day. Ask any kid, they know his biggest hits, and the moonwalk,” Tunks said. “Every generation there are artists who don’t follow trends, they create them. There was Elvis and the Beatles, now there’s Taylor and Beyonce. In the 80s, artists like MJ and Madonna set the rules. They created the work, and then everyone else followed. Innovation and a keen eye for what is coming is a true skill that MJ had.”
In 2022, not long after theatres worldwide went dark during COVID-19, MJ The Musical premiered. It did what theatre does best: it connected people and got them to their feet in celebration, once more dancing and cheering for the King of Pop.
MJ The Musical sweeps the audience into the 1992 Dangerous World Tour as an imagined MTV journalist steps backstage and explores the life of an icon (this was the year before Jackson was the subject of any sexual abuse allegations which is ignored in the production).
The musical follows his early life as a child star through the ups and downs, humanising his struggles and successes with all the music, choreography, and costumes fans knew and loved.
The musical has an impressive song list, including favourites such as ‘ABC’, ‘Bad’, ‘Beat It’, ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Black Or White’, ‘Can You Feel It’, ‘I’ll Be There’, ‘Man in the Mirror’, ‘Smooth Criminal’, and, of course, his biggest hit ‘Thriller’, from the album of the same name which still holds the record as the highest selling ever.
MJ The Musical went on to be nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning four, including Best Choreography for
MJ The Musical Sydney Lyric Theatre - Until May. mjthemusical.com.au
the show’s creator, Christopher Wheeldon.
Playing Michael Jackson ‘senior’ for the Sydney opening is Roman Banks, who played the same role on the US national tour. Fans embraced Banks as he embodied the charisma and style of Michael Jackson.
The Denver Post wrote that, “What Banks does on stage as MJ is nothing short of miraculous.”
Banks himself said that “Starring in the first national tour of MJ The Musical across the United States was a dream come true. The creative team has created a vehicle to celebrate the artistry and inspiration of one of the most significant black performers the world will ever see.”
20-year-old newcomer Liam Damons plays ‘middle’ Michael, from the end of The Jackson 5 era.
Damons was studying to be a journalist, and had a few movie roles under his belt but no theatre experience outside of school, when he sent off an audition tape. He had forgotten about it when an email came through asking him to attend a face to face three-day audition workshop with the original creatives who put him through an MJ bootcamp.
“I loved dancing but nothing I was trained in. I loved dancing in a club,” he told Nathanial Cooper on The Front Row Podcast.
The song they practised was ‘Blame it on the Boogie’.
“Every person in the audition room was so talented. I was so scared after the first day, (but) you have to fake it until you make it.”
When news came through that he was to play the role, the South African born teenager was ecstatic.
“It’s my professional theatre debut, and stepping into a role like Michael Jackson, it’s wow, wow!”
“If you had told me a year ago that I’d be playing Michael Jackson in the Australian production of MJ The
Musical, I would have probably thought you were on some type of drug.
“Since getting the role I’ve been put through a lot of dance classes. I’ve been doing hip hop, jazz, ballet, and it’s a whole world of its own.”
Damons also got a trip to Broadway to see the show to help prepare for the role and met the performer playing middle Michael on stage at the time. The character quick changes impressed him.
“The big ‘Thriller’ number was incredible. I was watching the audience reaction to it as well.”
But his favourite part of the show is ‘Can You Feel It’.
“And I’ve been practising that song, the dance,” he laughed.
“Obviously, I’m incredibly nervous. You must have some nerves to be successful. MJ has such a big fan base and such dedicated fans. And like I said before, it’s such a huge privilege to be able to play him.”
And what big shoes to fill. Michael Jackson wasn’t just an artist he was a phenomenon. His influence transcended music, touching dance, fashion, and global culture. Fans mourned not just the loss of a musician but the end of a legacy that spanned generations.
Roman Banks as Michael Jackson. Photo: Matthew Murphy.
fb.watch/xN18CJjOTn
Australia’s Best Theatre
Professional, Independent and Community Theatre productions have been celebrated during Australia’s annual awards season. Many awards had record numbers of participants. David Spicer looks at the trends across the country.
New South Wales Sydney Theatre Awards
Zombies, intense drama and one of Australia’s most commercially successful directors dominated the 2024 Sydney Theatre Awards.
The Hayes Theatre’s production of Zombie! The Musical took out Best Musical and Best Director of a Musical for Darren Yap.
In a sweet moment, it was also revealed at the ceremony that Yap saved the life of his partner Max Lambert last year, by donating to him his perfectly matched kidney.
Belvoir St Theatre’s scintillating production of August: Osage County was voted as the Best Mainstage Production of the Year, winning in a total of three categories.
An even longer intense drama, Sugary Rum Productions’ season of The Inheritance, took out best Independent Theatre Production
The Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to veteran theatre and opera director Jim Sharman. Marcia Hines sang a rendition of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” to pay tribute to his pioneering direction of Jesus Christ Superstar
Lyricist Sir Tim Rice sent a message which said, “Without (Sharman’s) superb contribution to the staging of Jesus Christ Superstar in April 1972, the theatrical presentation of what had originally been a best-selling album might never have taken root around the world.
“When we saw this Sydney production, we knew that here was a young, innovative director who had matched
Sydney Theatre Awards’ Best Production Of A Musical winner Zombie! The Musical (Hayes Theatre Company).
Photo: David Hooley.
Sydney Theatre Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Jim Sharman.
Photo: David Hooley.
Watch a musical tribute to Jim Sharman from the 2024 Sydney Theatre Awards
the album’s sound-only success with true dramatic vision and had taken the entire project to a new level, where it has remained ever since.”
Some of the original Australian cast of The Rocky Horror Show (which Sharman also directed) also took to the stage to dust off their Time Warp cobwebs.
But the performance of the night came from Ryan González, who previewed the Hayes Theatre production of Phar Lap The Electro Swing Musical. The singer whipped himself and the audience into a frenzy.
CONDA Awards
Theatre lovers from across the Hunter region came together to celebrate the 46th annual City of Newcastle Drama Awards (CONDAs) in December at a glamorous gala at the Newcastle Town Hall.
CONDA President Jody Miller said, “The outstanding quality of work produced throughout the region resulted in a record 205 nominations.”
The Very Popular Theatre Company emerged as a big winner on the night, with its spectacular production of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins garnering six awards, including Best Musical Production.
HER Productions also shone, taking home three awards for Romeo & Juliet: A Reimagining
In the 18 & Under categories, Hunter School of the Performing Arts triumphed with Moana Jr., which was awarded both Best Production and Best Ensemble.
The CONDAs have an innovative year-round campaign to boost ticket sales for their member companies. In 2025
they have launched a Show Up For Local Theatre campaign, which is a calendar of events staged by 40 theatre companies. conda.com.au/event-calendar
Victoria
Music Theatre Guild Of Victoria’s 37th Bruce Awards
Music Theatre in Victoria is busier than ever. Judges from the Guild attended a record 70 shows from 46 community companies in 2024 across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. The panel attending high schools and junior theatres were almost as busy, seeing 66 productions.
The most performed musical of the year for community theatre was Into the Woods, while in high schools it was The Addams Family
The annual awards night, which saw companies perform fully staged production numbers with an 18piece orchestra, was hosted by the La Trobe Theatre company in Traralgon.
Open Production of the Year went to Lightbox Productions for their season of Young Frankenstein This was an impressive effort by a company only launched in 2019 in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
Best Junior Theatre Production was Little Shop of Horrors, staged by Adamson Theatre Company (Wesley College), which picked up a total of seven awards. (Continued on page 20)
CONDA Awards’ Best Musical Production winner Mary Poppins (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh).
Photo: Jamie Gilmour.
(Continued from page 19)
Victorian Drama League Awards
The VDL hosts an elegant awards night dinner which toasts the best community theatre drama companies in the state.
Adjudicator Alan Burrows reports that “In the comedy section we were treated to an array of well-produced and directed productions. The highlights included a wonderfully functional set for Noises Off by Windmill Theatre Company, and outrageous and cleverly designed puppets for Strathmore Arts Group’s production of Hand To God, which won the Comedy Production of the Year. Performances were of a particularly high standard from our female actors.”
Adjudicator LB Bradley lauded “the sheer number of excellent drama productions. It was great to see so many plays that I’d never seen done before and good to see companies take some risks.”
Drama of the Year went to the Geelong Repertory Theatre for their season of Misery
Capital Capers
Canberra has so much brilliant theatre that it has three separate awards. The Canberra Critics Circle hands out certificates for outstanding achievement in the arts and has highlighted the achievements of a recently opened hub for independent theatre (see below).
The Ovations is a Canberra only community theatre award which this year lauded the Free-Rain Theatre. It won 13 awards including Musical of the Year for its production of The Boy From Oz. Free-Rain’s founder Anne Somes received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Canberra Repertory Theatre won eight awards including Outstanding Production of a Play for Dead Man Walking
The CAT Awards, founded in Canberra, but which also cover regional NSW, showed that it has more than nine lives celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Best Musical went to The Queanbeyan Players for Nice Work If You Can Get It, while its director Dave Smith took out the Gold Cat Award.
A gorgeous feature of the CAT Awards is their Magic Moment in Theatre Award. This year’s magic included “Appearance of girls from bathtub”, “Aunty Mary’s wheelchair entrance” and “The vomiting”.
South Australia
Adelaide Critics
For over a quarter of a century, The Adelaide Critics Circle has been honouring performing artists in the city of churches with their annual awards.
The biggest news for critics during 2024 was that the city’s only metropolitan print newspaper, The Advertiser, stopped running regular arts reviews and sacked it’s longserving theatre, music, and opera critics.
The founding chair of the Adelaide Critics Circle, Samela Harris, said that this decision constituted “a severe body blow to the arts in South Australia”.
“The Advertiser has been the main publisher of arts and culture criticism in this state for almost 200 years and well-known, knowledgeable critics play an important part in the cultural and economic life of South Australia,” she said.
“For a city hosting internationally celebrated arts festivals, the loss of professional reviews in the print media may be seen as an embarrassment.”
Critics still active were pleased to present awards at the Goodwood Theatre & Studios.
The group award for Professional Theatre went to the Windmill Theatre Co for their season of Moss Piglet.
Victorian Drama League’s Best Actress in a Drama winner Angela Glennie.
Photo: Dave Swann.
Music Theatre Guild Of Victoria’s Best Junior Theatre Production winner Little Shop of Horrors (Wesley College).
ACT Hub: A Hub Of Theatre
A historic hall in Canberra has become a thriving venue for three independent theatre companies, which have won many of the ACT’s theatre awards. Karen Vickery, Artistic Director of Chaika Theatre, reports.
ACT Hub is a collective of three award-winning theatre companies which, since 2022, have resided in the heritage listed Causeway Hall on the Parliament House side of Canberra, near the Kingston Foreshore.
This charming structure, almost a century old, was erected by the original builders of Canberra for their local community to host entertainment and community events including boxing bouts, pantomimes and musical evenings, dances and films.
ACT Hub is now home to Everyman Theatre, Chaika Theatre and Free-Rain Theatre Company.
Since 2022, companies in the ACT Hub have picked up multiple Canberra Critics Circle and Ovations Awards. Our programming is creative and diverse, reflecting our wish to challenge and entertain our audiences.
We present plays from Australia and around the world, telling great stories, with Canberra’s best theatre practitioners.
In 2025, the companies and ACT Hub will present 10 plays, including: Mojo, The House of Bernarda Alba, Present Laughter, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Julius Caesar, Every Lovely Terrible Thing, Lend Me a Tenor, Musical of Musicals - The Musical!, Equus and Hand to God
The ACT Hub also offers masterclasses and supports emerging artists to produce new work.
We use a flexible lighting rig, sound rig and blacks. The space and seating changes with each production. The emphasis is firmly on storytelling and acting.
As there are many skilful theatre practitioners in Canberra, but very few opportunities for professional work, we established ACT Hub to fill that gap.
Meet Adelaide’s Mr Theatre
The Adelaide Critics Circle gave its award for an individual in community theatre to Lindsay Prodea. The triple threat actor/singer/dancer played three incredibly demanding lead roles in 2024.
David Spicer: Can you describe your three major roles?
Lindsay Prodea: I started the year as Joe Pitt in Tony Kushner’s two-part epic Angels in America (May) for the University of Adelaide Theatre Guild, which amounted to seven hours of intense emotional drama.
I followed that up with the falsetto heights of Frankie Valli in the Therry Theatre production of Jersey Boys in August. Then I donned some sequins and maracas to play Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz in October, produced by the Metropolitan Musical Theatre Company of SA. I’d often leave one rehearsal and head straight to another.
DS: How do you manage this with your day job?
LP: It’s challenging to balance a day job and my intense passion for the theatre. Until 2024, I was working in orthopaedic medical sales, which often meant last minute travel and after-hours work in operating theatres. Picture me in scrubs, standing in the corner, quietly running lines waiting for surgeries to start.
Being on-call made rehearsals tough, so I decided to make a big life change. In my new role at a medical skincare company, I have more flexibility to follow my theatrical passions.
DS: What were the different demands that the roles put on you?
LP: Joe Pitt tested my emotional range and stamina. The ups and downs of Kushner’s script was a marathon. There’s also a particularly vulnerable moment in Perestroika that left me quite exposed, literally. Let me assure your readers though it was a very cold theatre.
(Continued on page 22)
Lindsay Prodea in The Boy From Oz Photo: Daniel Salmond.
Frankie Valli took me into new vocal territory. Singing those falsetto hits night after night was daunting.
Then came the gorgeous Peter Allen, the most physically demanding role I’ve ever taken on. Dancing on a moving piano, 13 quick costume changes (some onstage!), a tap number and kick line with the Rockettes. Embodying Peter’s boundless energy required every ounce of stamina I had. I barely stopped moving from the opening number, “Not the Boy Next Door” to “Rio”.
DS: Which role was the most satisfying?
LP: I’d have to say Peter Allen was a dream come true. Playing such an iconic Australian carried a huge sense of responsibility. I dived into interviews, concert footage, and even his mannerisms to channel his unique flair, rather than trying to replicate past interpretations by legends Hugh Jackman and Todd McKenney.
DS: Was 2024 good training for your Fringe gig in 2025?
LP: Absolutely! I’ve been doing theatre for over 20 years, but 2024 taught me you can never over-prepare. These past few shows have been my foundation for the daunting task of holding an audience for my own solo cabaret.
The most important thing for me as an actor has always been telling a genuine, honest story, but Peter Allen, in particular, showed me that being an amplified version of yourself on stage is so important.
DS: Tell us a little about your Fringe show and why you are passionate about it.
LP: My partner (and producer!) Matthew and I have created a show called A Friend of Dorothy: Anthems of Pride which tells the many stories of queer icons and anthems across the years. The show is filled with amazing music, along with stories of advocacy and resilience. I
DS: Are you ever able to use your entertainment skills at your job as a medical representative?
LP: Like most singers, I hate being put on the spot and asked to sing, but once, in my orthopaedic life, a surgeon dared me to sing mid-surgery. I was horrified but before I knew it, I was serenading the operating team with “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”. I was masked up, so no risk of anything unsanitary happening, but imagine what the patient would have thought, mid knee replacement! And here I was, thinking I’d take that story to the grave…
A Friend Of Dorothy: Anthems Of Pride Feb 22 to Mar 16 at the Adelaide Fringe. adelaidefringe.com.au
cover icons like Judy Garland, Elton John, Dolly Parton and Freddie Mercury and some musical theatre.
(Continued from page 21)
The multi-award-winning Lucas family.
Independent Theatre Association Best Play winner Dracula (Koorliny Arts Centre).
TASA Awards
The Theatre Association of South Australia held its annual community theatre awards in February.
The Best Musical award went to the Northern Light Theatre Company for its production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Best Comedy went to the Tea Tree Players season of Nobody’s Perfect
Western Australia Finley Awards
The Independent Theatre Association had a record 113 entries for the 2024 Robert Finley Awards that culminated in a gala ceremony in Perth in January.
The awards night featured live performances and the presentation of very quirky looking trophies.
Judges noted there were an unusually high number of musicals in last year’s awards (50) which they said showed that “community theatre in Perth is very strong and is consistently developing new talent.”
A theatre venue in the Perth suburb of Kwinana, the Koorliny Arts Centre, which has its own in-house community theatre production team, took out ten awards.
The venue scored both Best Musical for its production of Come From Away and also Best Play for Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.
There were also bragging rights in one family which took out three awards for three different shows. Aaron Lucas won Best Set in a Musical for Young Frankenstein (Darlington Theatre Players), Breanne Lucas won Best Choreography for Evil Dead the Musical (Wanneroo Repertory Club), and Ethan Lucas received a certificate for comedy duo work in Once Upon a Pantomime (Darlington Theatre Players).
Queensland
Gold Palm Theatre Awards
Gold Coast performers made good, Courtney and Emily Monsma, were the star hosts at the Gold Palm Theatre Awards held in Surfers Paradise.
The sisters, who performed in the Australian season of Wicked playing and understudying Glinda, sang, danced and presented at the awards which are now in their 17th year.
Convenor Kate Peters says the awards “are growing bigger every year. Our catchment area now stretches from Lismore in northern NSW, up to Ipswich in Queensland, covering all points in between on the Gold Coast and Brisbane.”
A company in their first year, Swich Up Productions from Ipswich, took out four awards for their debut season of The Drowsy Chaperone.
Theatre lovers in the regional town had great theatre to attend. The Ipswich Musical Theatre Company took out five awards including the Gold Palm Award for Outstanding Community Theatre for their season of Guys and Dolls.
Matilda Awards
The 37th Matilda Awards took place in late February (after our print deadline) honouring Brisbane’s professional and independent sectors. The Queensland Theatre received 14 nominations for its seasons of Medea, 37 and Round the Twist
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre was venue partner for 17 of the nominees including the sell-out Brisbane Festival production of Troy Dalton’s Love Stories Visit stagewhispers.com.au for a full round-up of the Matilda Awards.
Courtney and Emily Monsma at Gold Palm Theatre Awards. Photo: MJ McQuirkin.
Damien Ryan And His Player Kings
Australia’s most innovative and rigorous interpreter of Shakespeare is opening his most ambitious adaptation yet. Martin Portus profiles Sport for Jove’s Damien Ryan, who became hooked on Shakespeare whilst working at a service station.
Old Will is positively streaming this century, with devotees especially keen on abridged epics forging together his eight most famous history plays.
The fabulous BBC TV seasons of The Hollow Crown swept through a hundred fraught years of English kings and was studded with British theatre royalty; the Sydney Theatre Company hit gold earlier with its own eight-hour epic, The War of the Roses, bookended by the unworldly Richard II, played by Cate Blanchett, and Pamela Rabe as the murderous Richard III.
Now Damien Ryan, is unveiling his Player Kings. He’s directing his new adaptation of the eight plays to be staged by his company Sport for Jove in two lengthy parts in Sydney’s York Theatre. Ryan’s cast of 17 includes company regulars like Katrina Retallick, Sean O’Shea and Christopher Stollery, but now with others too, like veteran actors John Gaden and Peter Carroll.
Ryan has already had a pretty good go at this. The company marked its 10th anniversary in 2018 with his first time edit of the eight history plays. He stripped out 21 hours, creating the now usual two parts, which 25 actors staged outdoors at Bella Vista Farm in Sydney’s Hills district, watched by a rusted-on audience and the usual cockatoos and noisy piper birds. He called them Rose Riots, a droll reference to the War of the Roses, which he often spruiked as the inspiration for Game of Thrones. And he’s always extolling the virtues of taking Shakespeare outdoors.
“We can see his plays as purely a piece of naturalism, and psychologically-based writing, absolutely, and yet it’s also a poem, a song, a symphony of sonic experiences for an audience,” says Ryan.
“And when you’re outdoors, there’s one thing an actor notices: get on with it, get behind the language. The interior work has been done in
rehearsals, you understand what’s motivating you, but your job now is to communicate, to deliver clarity. And I quickly realised, which became anthemic in our company, that your impulse is to speak. You speak in Shakespeare.”
“And the audience are always a character,” he adds. “They can and should always be spoken to. They should always feel involved, with no gauze between. And that’s easier outdoors because it’s immediate. We’ll all in the same lighting state.”
Ryan spoke Shakespeare even as a teenager. He’d work nights at a highway service station in Seven Hills, then sit on the back deck at home putting his photographic memory to work. By 17 he’d already read the Complete Works of Shakespeare, twice.
“I knew about six or seven plays off by heart, Hamlet and others. I’d run the whole play on my own, speaking
(Continued on page 26)
Sport For Jove’s
Cyrano de Bergerac (2017)
Photo: Phil Erbacher.
all the different characters, all of them, and I learnt over 200 soliloquies and speeches. I didn’t care what it was. It was to be inside the language.”
“I remember an older actor had told me the only way is to speak through experience, to say it out loud. You can’t dabble in it. You have to absolutely commit to it. He compared
Online extras!
Damien Ryan discusses the exploration of war in Bell Shakespeare’s Henry V. youtu.be/0RX5YkYdvcI
it to playing violin, it’s just a different sort of instrument.”
Vital to Ryan, and arguably his whole irreverent, non-academic gusto for Shakespeare, is that he remains a western Sydney bloke, one who swears he’s watched his beloved Liverpool Football Club play every game live since the 1980’s. His Mum was an English teacher politically committed to serving in public schools; his Dad an
engineer who could fix anything that ticks or bangs. Ryan started school in Lakemba, then moved to Bidwill in then notorious Mount Druitt (he remembers at age ten watching the violent school riots of 1983), and finished school in Blacktown.
“I’ve always loved sport, the intensity and competitiveness of it. And football, there’s music and beauty in football.”
He played bass guitar in a Rooty Hill garage band called Bubblegum Thrash Punk, while sporting a long golden rock star mane down his back women were always asking him how he kept it so spectacular.
In his first years after school Ryan freelanced around western Sydney teaching poetry in local schools and prisons. He met some tough nuts, and a few who broke into tears when discovering how a sonnet can Xray into their hearts.
“I loved that. I’ve always been electrified by that experience of watching a poem open like a lotus leaf in the eyes of someone, as they realise poets are trying to describe what’s
(Continued from page 24)
Bell Shakespeare’s Henry V (2014)
Photo: Michele Mossop.
indescribable about being a human being.”
Despite being a fluent speaker in Shakespeare, Ryan went on to study and work as a journalist, following the writers and journos from his Mum’s side of the (Lyons) family. She too was passionate about Shakespeare but only as a literary expression. Ryan saw the first and only play of his school years with her Bedroom Farce at the Riverside. Far more significant was in 1989 when young Ryan sat almost alone in Parramatta’s Westfield cinema, stunned by Kenneth Branagh’s film version of Henry V
“It was a seminal moment for me which I now remember as a theatre experience not a cinema one. It was extraordinary. I could not get over that. I could not get over Branagh’s performance. I couldn’t get over Brian Blessed and Judy Dench and Derek Jacobi. Especially Jacobi’s use of language as the chorus. But they were like aliens to me.”
Much later, in his early 20’s, his first audition was for the Castle Hill Players, for the role of Lysander in Midsummer Night’s Dream, a play he
went on to direct more times than any other. Ryan got his first role but his girlfriend, talented and experienced, missed out.
“A real disease in our city is the lack of auditioning, lack of opportunities for people to meet directors,” he says today. “Sometimes I’ll audition 700 or 800 people at a time, and two thirds are women. Two thirds categorically, and there’s so much less roles for them.”
“I saw Fiona Shaw playing Richard II in an extraordinary performance. Why shouldn’t an actor have the opportunity to tackle one of those parts without regard to gender? That’s been important to me. The seeing of something through another gender or another kind of cultural background, it’s just a lens through which you can shine a light in different corners of a well-established character.”
By 2000 Damien Ryan called himself a professional actor and, having never been to a drama school, he auditioned for John Bell. Ryan says he was “totally debilitated by nerves” but Bell, his eyes peeping through his hands, was patient, as Ryan crashed
through no less than seven monologues, “as he waited for me to arrive accidentally on a speck of talent.” Finally, he got it, with a speech from Richard II.
Bell was pursuing that old elusive dream of Australia’s theatre-makers to build a fulltime ensemble of actors, a dedication even more vital to performing Shakespeare an ongoing focus to counter Australia’s usually transient treatment of him. Ryan in turn went on to create his own similar, if informal, group of Shakespearean actors. Nowadays Australian major theatre companies are doing ever fewer plays by Shakespeare and, it must be said, with less and less critical success and audience applause.
But Ryan had found his home, as one of eight actors in the touring Bell Shakespeare Company, as a skilled post-show speaker to audiences, then later as a BSC director. Plus, he met his wife, and long-time collaborator, Bernadette Ryan; together they played the two lovers in the company’s Romeo and Juliet. Touring continued,
(Continued on page 28)
Sport For Jove’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2009)
Photo: Seiya Taguchi.
son Oliver was born and promptly hitched to the wagon, but after 18 months on the road and with a second child on the way, the family’s exhaustion and frugality was too much, and Ryan pulled the plug on his dream, for now.
Naturally he made a splendid drama teacher at Barker College, a private school in Hornsby. The pinnacle was his startling “teenager” version of Midsummer Night’s Dream staged with many Barker graduates, and about kids learning sexuality and freedom in the Forest. As Ryan says, “written by someone with memory of his teenage years, the clumsy helplessness of desire, the humiliation of devotion and the violent unwillingness of parents and children to see into each other’s worlds.”
He left Barker in 2009 to launch Sport for Jove, reworking this Dream into a striking outdoor production staged in the park opposite his house in Baulkham Hills. The actors furiously
painted their bodies leaving marks still there on the walls of what remains Ryan’s family home and waited to cross the road. When they did a huge local crowd was waiting.
“The level of learning in that play is Mozartian,” Ryan enthuses. “I cannot comprehend the level of intelligence behind that work and the drawing upon multiple layers of different global mythologies and metaphysical concepts and genuine understandings of wickedness.”
And so was launched a company creating distinctively inventive and articulate productions of Shakespeare staged outdoors and firstly for western Sydney, in Leura, Parramatta and Bella Vista, later also the Seymour Centre. The repertoire expanded to other classical and modern playwrights, and just a few Australian plays, but Shakespeare is the main game.
Miraculously Sport for Jove has survived on an oily rag but without looking like it. Ryan’s astute fashioning and editing of Shakespeare for school audiences, and an applauded
education program, brings an income. Somehow he manages to pay full equity to his mainstage actors. Local councils are supportive but there’s no ongoing funding from government. What is still shining is their angel of philanthropy, Gordon Staley from Premier Fire, who came to Ryan in his modest first company space after Staley saw an early Romeo and Juliet
“I remember, he said, I make widgets that the world has decided are really useful, and they earn a lot of money for the business, whereas you make this art that the world decides isn’t worth very much and there’s no money in it, and so I’d like to support what you do.”
Damien Ryan has sometimes returned to direct or act with Bell Shakespeare. In 2013 when Bell took on the legendary role of Falstaff as well as directing Henry IV Parts I & II (history plays in the first Part of Player Kings) he wanted Ryan as his assistant director, to keep an eye on his Falstaff. The idea of this sinewy classical actor playing the funny fat guy seems
This article draws on an oral history interview with Damien Ryan by Martin Portus now available online at the State Library of NSW at collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/nX6abV0Y
(Continued from page 27)
Sport For Jove’s I Hate People; Or Timon Of Athens (2024)
Photo: Kathy Luu.
Online extras!
Damien Ryan delves into the inception of Sport For Jove’s Venus & Adonis. youtu.be/RKy__gp4t1U
impossible, and at first Ryan thought so.
“But he captured the prose, the danger of Falstaff,” remembers Ryan. “He was a moral licentious mess and looked great in the fat suit and a great big wig. He was maybe 73 when he did it and had such physical stamina, and it was a long tour. And John listens. He lets me be a bit brutal with him sometimes, if I think he’s too musical or the many times I said to him, it’s almost too well enunciated, let’s make it a bit more human…”
Young Prince Harry abandons his wild mate Falstaff on the death of his father Henry IV. Kingship is serious business: Part II of the Player Kings starts with the succession of Henry V and new wars, first in France and Agincourt, then at home with the civil War of the Roses.
“We forget that war so underpins Shakespeare. From his entire cannon, about 31 of his plays are set in war or triggered by war, even in the silliest of comedies. We forget that all his audience were soldiers. They could be conscripted at any moment into the army, impressed as it was called. War
was a profound reality to him so he wrote about it.”
“He has an ability to both aggrandise and lean into the glorious adventure of war while at the same time, unnecessarily, adding a scene about the horrors of war and the heavy reckoning ahead for the man who leads us to war.”
Throughout all his work, Shakespeare keeps alive dialectical
opposing arguments. Whoever he was, or they were, and even if we speak fluent Shakespeare, we can never really be sure what this Shakespeare truly thinks about anything: he offers us just too many points of view. But that’s surely welcome today in our own age, one so stubborn with opinionated certainties.
Sport For Jove’s Venus & Adonis (2023)
Photo: Kate Williams.
Sport For Jove’s Rose Riot - The Hollow Crown (2018)
Photo: Seiya Taguchi.
No Love Songs
A fresh new musical, No Love Songs which confronts real issues of young parents is touring Australia hot on the heels of rave reviews in Edinburgh, London and New York. Beth Keehn caught up with its two charismatic lead performers.
The title of No Love Songs comes from the realisation that a rock singer has never written a love song for his partner. The autobiographical work by singer/songwriter Kyle Falconer (lead singer of Scottish band, The View) and his partner, Laura Wilde, is based on their own very modern romance. It portrays a young couple new to parenting, forced apart just as one partner’s rock and roll career is taking off. The show premiered at the Edinburgh Festival and has been snapped up by producers Rodney Rigby and Neil Croker for its Australian premiere and tour. Playing the two lead characters (Jessie and Lana) are Keegan Joyce (Rake, Please Like Me, Once) and Lucy Maunder (Chicago, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Fun Home)
Beth: No Love Songs has been described as a ‘gig musical’ a 90-minute piece with 12 songs. Sounds perfect for people who think they don’t like musicals. Tell me why you think audiences will love No Love Songs
Lucy: No Love Songs will really get audiences talking! For a start, it’s very fresh. Often Australia sees shows years and years down the track after an international premiere but this show started in Scotland, and it has only just been performed in London, and Off-Broadway in the US so it’s very new. It’s based on some very earthy, grungy, original rock songs, so it’s very different not your normal style of musical. It also talks about a lot of things that other musicals don’t touch on. It incorporates the challenges of relationships and new parenthood the emotional rollercoaster that many people have been through. When I first read the script, I completely fell in love with it I just thought it was so authentic. It doesn’t sugar-coat any of the issues, but it’s also incredibly funny.
Keegan: The show’s universal themes of love and hope and its rock style soundtrack will resonate with Australian audiences for its authenticity and emotion. A little bit like Once (by John Carney) which I’ve performed in, and which Australian audiences also loved.
Keegan Joyce and Lucy Maunder.
Photo: Phil Erbacher.
No Love Songs
Sydney Lyric (Australian premiere) - Mar 7 to Apr 13. The national tour includes Parramatta, Adelaide, Brisbane, Wyong, Newcastle, Melbourne, Canberra, Wollongong and Geelong from May 13 to Aug 31. nolovesongs.com.au
Beth: Premiering at the Edinburgh Festival, No Love Songs has strong Scottish roots how are you translating the story for the Australian premiere?
Lucy: It’s very exciting that the original directors from Dundee Rep in Scotland Tashi Gore and Andrew Panton will be coming over to Australia, and we’ll be rehearsing with them in Sydney. The script is written with a lot of Scottish vernacular and local references, so we’ll be workshopping together to adapt that slightly to suit an Australian audience.
Keegan: Of course, the music won’t change it’s incredible, and I love the Celtic connections.
Beth: You are both musicians, and Keegan, you are a singer-songwriter. Has that helped you to prepare for this musical where it’s just the two of you on stage for the duration?
Keegan: I’ve started getting “show fit” to be in the best position to play guitar, sing, act, and manoeuvre around the stage…every night…with just one other actor! I’ve started practising my guitar warm-up. And it has definitely helped being comfortable singing, playing, and performing. Understanding the process of turning a feeling or a fleeting thought into a hook, and then into an entire song and the catharsis of that process is something I’m hoping to express to audiences so they can experience the songwriting process.
Lucy: Keegan plays all the score’s guitar parts. He pretty much plays all night, on every single song. The only other person on stage is our Musical Director, Mark Chamberlain, on keyboard. My character, Lana, does not play an instrument, so, I’m trying to learn as many songs as possible before we get into the rehearsal room. There’s also a lot of dialogue for us to learn.
Beth: How do you relate to the show’s emotional issues and very personal story?
Keegan: I’m living overseas now, and I’ll be away from my other half for the better part of a year. So, playing Jessie, who has to leave his family to tour when his rock band breaks, there’s definitely a personal element to the show for me. I think every role has a little “character leak”. But for this show especially I want to make “Jessie” my own.
Lucy: The story touches on what it’s like to be a new parent it’s incredibly insightful and will definitely strike a chord with anyone who has been in a relationship, who has been separated from a loved one, or who has had a child! I read the script and went, “Oh yes, that’s exactly how I felt!” I’ve done so many classic musicals in the last few years, it will be really lovely to be creating something so real and naturalistic that tugs at the heartstrings. It will be challenging, because it’s vulnerable everything is all
Online extras!
Keegan Joyce and Lucy Maunder perform duets from No Love Songs. youtu.be/ztOYD-QPjV8
out there for everyone to see but that brings the audience in closer and I think they will really feel like they know us by the end of the show.
Beth: Are you looking forward to the tour?
Lucy: The beauty of this tour is that we have lots of breaks, which means that I’m not away from home for 6 to 12 months like I have been in the past. I get to fly home in between shows to be with my daughter and my family and help my partner in our café in Melbourne!
Keegan: I’m looking forward to seeing family in Oz and being able to share this incredible show with everyone around the country. Also, we will be the first show in the new Foundry Theatre at the Lyric. I grew up in Sydney and my first professional gig was at the Lyric Theatre. So, I’m excited to be back in that space, and to be part of something new for Sydney.
Beth: Had you worked together before?
Keegan: No, we’ve never worked together before now. I’m really ecstatic to be able to share the stage with Lucy. Everyone had told me what a gem she is to work with. And that’s proven true. We had a little time together shooting promotional material before we got to rehearsals. And it was just so collaborative, cooperative, and easy and for a show like this, easy is what you want. We also laugh together and at the end of the day, I wanted to be an actor because it’s fun. And Lucy makes it really fun.
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In The Spotlight
With Les Solomon
Guys & Dolls.
Opera Australia’s Musical Blues
As we start a new year, our premiere opera company Opera Australia is struggling. In the last six months the Artistic Director (Jo Davies) and CEO (Fiona Allan) have resigned, the company has recorded substantial losses, and reportedly required a seven-figure short-term loan (since repaid) from a director to stay afloat. Despite this, OA’s work continues to be excellent as the company balances epic opera productions with musicals in (Guys and Dolls, Candide, Hadestown and Rent.)
I have found it interesting that complaints continue about the number of musicals being staged by an opera company. The reason is quite simple musicals can deliver a packed audience and a strong profit, whereas operas are expensive to produce, and the audiences are limited (in 2023 Miss Saigon sold 145,000 tickets compared to 45,000 for their most successful opera, Madam Butterfly).
In February there was considerable discussion after the Victorian Opera produced an acclaimed production of Follies. This Stephen Sondheim musical is a hard one as it is expensive to produce and is unlikely to appeal (with its dark undertones and stories of past vaudeville glories) to a mainstream commercial audience.
Music theatre fans rushed to see the show.
The argument is there are plenty of productions of musicals about. Why do opera companies, which receive substantial government subsidy, spend so much time and money on them?
Well folks, learn to live with it, as Opera Australia is now going commercial with musicals, co-producing the first Australian production of the hit musical Hadestown in Sydney and Melbourne. I say good on them. Moving into producing the premiere of a new hit musical rather than a revival is new for the company and it’s adventurous.
Hadestown could be called an “artistic musical”, based on the ancient Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice, but it has a good chance of being a money spinner because it has been adapted to appeal to younger audiences. These
are bold moves for a company that has had many political problems within its ranks.
Is this sudden ‘over-embracing’ of musicals the reason for some of the sudden exits from their ranks, or personality clashes? When Jo Davies left, the reason cited for her departure was a “difference of opinion about how Opera Australia should successfully balance artistic, innovation, audience development and commercial imperatives.”
Not all their musicals sell well. OA’s production of Sunset Boulevard with Sarah Brightman and Tim Draxl suffered from poor word of mouth in Melbourne, but this expensive and elaborate production is now touring Asia.
Now we are about to also see the company stage another of their annual Handa Opera on the Harbour productions. For the third time in recent years it is a musical, not an opera.
In my view the choice of Guys and Dolls is questionable. The show is rather dated. Guys and Dolls has had a recent upswing of interest resulting from a large immersive version staged in London, but this is not that version which we will be getting by the harbour.
There is no doubt we will see some changes in Opera Australia when new people take over. Will this mean more musicals or less?
I applaud the opera companies for staging short revivals of classic musicals we may never have seen on a Mainstream stage and also the adventurous step of bringing us Hadestown a musical none of our Mainstream producers have been quick to pick up. Judging by the strong bookings, the show is destined to do well. I saw the local production of Hadestown at one of the final previews, and I think it’s terrific, with spinetingling performances from Noah Gill Mullins, Elenoa Rokobaro, and in fact the whole cast. I felt the show needed to settle and expect it will. It’s disappointing to hear that there was a ten-minute show stop on opening night. How awful for the cast to have to deal with this. We
are used to show stops at different times in a season, but opening night what a shame. Every review mentioned it, with many reviews, while praising the show, saying it still needed to settle in.
The point I am making is that Australian producers still haven’t learned the that shows need to run in. Previews are vital. A LOT of them. We are constantly seeing four or five previews, then on to an opening night in the rush to get reviews and get the press behind the show. It places enormous stress on the cast, who need time to own the show. It isn’t done like this in London or New York we should not do it here. Broadway does a month of previews before the press are invited. London is similar.
Independent Theatre
A word about the strong amount of Independent Theatre productions bouncing around the country now. We have just seen the Sydney Theatre Awards reward and praise the Sydney production of The Inheritance, which I was fortunate enough to see, and I must say it was a better and more complete production than the one I saw in London a few years ago. I say this to illustrate that many Indie productions are of equal excellence, if not even more powerful and illuminating theatre, compared to many presented by subsidised and commercial companies.
The Independent sector battles lack of money, and difficulty with funding, while most independent productions are co-ops, whereby the actors only get paid
Stage Whispers TV joins the cast of Hadestown during rehearsals youtu.be/3CTiZd25rsc Hadestown. Photo: Lisa Tomasetti.
if the production makes a profit. Yet, as I have seen personally, producing many Indie shows and working with clients on others, from these shows can come immense advantages in exposure and critical regard.
Many independent shows get reviewed. It is a world away from community theatre, even though there are many similarities at times problems with rehearsal spaces, limited availabilities of actors, and often producing shows with a limited budget. Yet from this have come opportunities for many young actors. Most notably, Independent theatre gives young performers a chance to be seen in non-musical plays. It is such a battle for all actors to get roles in subsidised theatre company shows, and a rave from a critic in an Independent show can make all the difference. It can be a tough world, but also a very worthwhile and adventurous one.
Out And About
I was thrilled to see some new shows open as the new year kicked off in earnest. Peter and the Starcatcher attracted a lot of good attention in its all too brief Sydney season. The Hayes Theatre’s Ghost Quartet was a challenging night of superb music performance that fitted well into the Sydney Festival. I look forward to a more mainstream year from the Hayes this year, including the first full scale production of Once on this Island and a fiveperson version of The Pirates of Penzance. 2025 is shaping up to be a year of great promise.
Impossible Theatre
Retiring Malthouse Theatre Artistic Director Matthew Lutton is staging wildly ambitious adaptations of The Birds and Troy in his final year with the company, whilst his original production of Picnic at Hanging Rock is being revived in Sydney. At the Drama Victoria conference, he explained why he’s attracted to directing works that appear impossible to stage. David Spicer reports.
Matthew Lutton is leaving the Malthouse Theatre at a time when he believes that every bit of theatre is unstable, and the industry is in crisis.
“People don’t have as much money for tickets, the costs of making the shows are up, the funding to put on the shows is static or going down and a lot of philanthropy has gone. There is (also) a massive good but complicated push to see culturally diverse artists on stage. This means we are seeing artists training on stage. But this is difficult for audiences because they don’t want to see people being trained but at the top of their craft,” he said.
Lutton noted that whilst in the past one of these factors may have been at play, it’s hard to cope with them all at once. In the current environment he says audiences are more choosey and are flocking to well -known subjects.
In 2025 he’s directing an adaptation of The Birds famously filmed by Alfred Hitchcock, based on the story of Daphne du Maurier, and
Troy, an amalgam of tales from The Iliad. At the Sydney Opera House, the production of Picnic at Hanging Rock he originally directed is being revived.
The theme for his lecture at the Drama Victoria conference was harnessing the wildly creative artistry of adaptations. During his nine-year tenure at the Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre, he’s done plenty of them.
“I am attracted to texts that are porous either so large, like the Trojan War, so you have to pick points to focus on so there is room for interpretation, or there is a metaphor at play, such as the rock and how time works, or what do the birds mean?
“If the text is perfect, it is not appropriate for a stage interpretation; if every character and line is necessary, I don’t want to touch it.
“Every adaptation I’ve done contains something in the material that has an impossible theatrical problem. Like the rock in Picnic in Hanging Rock, like the birds in The Birds with thousands and thousands
of birds, and the horse in Trojan War which is such an iconic image. That stimulates a great theatrical conservation about how to work it out.”
For the season at Malthouse, he solved the impossible problem of the rock by leaving it out and leaving it to the audience’s imagination.
“You need to know that audiences have images in their heads, and I don’t need to duplicate that on stage.
“In Hanging Rock people complained there was no rock and they were disappointed. I thought, would they really be satisfied by a ten metre polystyrene replica of a rock?”
In The Birds, adapted by Louise Fox, the creative team plan to simulate the attack by feathered friends through lighting.
The spooky story starts with the weather changing for no reason and the birds behaving strangely. They get into a family’s home and start attacking them. When the house is boarded up, the birds start suicide bombing. The next day the family has survived but their neighbours are dead. Only people have been killed. No other creatures are affected.
And what does Lutton think the birds mean? He said the metaphor at play in the original story was the looming fear of World War 2, the threat from Russia and conspiracy theories about foreigners.
His production will touch (but not too much) on the looming threat of climate change.
“I don’t want to underline that. I am stripping out lines that are too much about climate change. It is also about nihilism and other social structures.”
For the adaptation of Troy, written by Tom Wright, he said the hardest part was knowing where to start the
Malthouse Theatre’s Troy (2025) Photo: Kristian Gehradte.
story. The main parts are The Trojan War being sparked by Helen’s abduction or seduction by the Greek Prince Paris. A ten-year war follows that includes famous duels between Achilles and Hector. Then Troy is sacked, with the Greeks capturing Cassandra, the sole survivor of the city.
All that Lutton would let on about his interpretation is that the audiences will experience a ‘What the (fu…)’ moment when the Trojan Horse arrives, and that the play ends with the death of Cassandra.
“It is not going to be about building a 20-metre horse. But what does the horse mean? Is it a religious symbol or a vehicle for a virus the Greeks use to blow up a city. It would be impossible to do it literally.
“All the most memorable moments are surprises, when the audience leans in, and their adrenaline is going. It might be a form change, dialogue suddenly going into song, or a moment of horror when someone runs in screaming.”
The adaptations which he has directed typically have an 18-month lead time that starts with a blank piece of paper.
Lutton described the practical first steps to begin the writing process. They are the size of the cast, the devices to denote the passing of time and what he called the theatrical grammar of the piece.
“Sometimes it is a practical thing. This show might have five people in the cast because that’s what we can afford. For The Birds one actor is playing every character, so therefore, the world is more psychological, and the birds are like a dream talking through her story.
“In Troy we agreed to have an ensemble of seven with each character having equal weight, telling a different part of the history. This then informs the design.”
Next, he discussed with the writer where the piece will be divided between dialogue, monologues and parts where there is no dialogue filled with a soundscape or imagery.
Picnic At Hanging Rock: Sydney Opera House - Until Apr 5.
The Birds: Malthouse Theatre - May 16 to Jun 7.
Troy: Malthouse Theatre - Sept 4 to 25.
Sometimes he uses an excel spreadsheet to make sure there is variety in the form between scenes.
Having a clear plan for how the play works with time is another priority.
“They are not set in 60 minutes of real time. If people say they are confused by a play it is often because they are confused by time. They might say, I thought this was a day later?”
He described two approaches to make it clear to audiences “jump cut” or to “pass the baton” with a narrator.
In Picnic at Hanging Rock, Wright used the jump cut approach, which allowed him to drop chapters in the book which they considered boring. In that case, boys’ scenes were cut.
“The stage went black and there was a title card (describing the time and place of the next scene). That become a metaphor for going into a black hole of time collapsing.
“In Troy we will never go black. The play has someone who is a guide saying what happened. That informs your design; how to move the stage from location to location.”
Each of the adaptations has what he described as a unique poetic lexicon. In Picnic at Hanging Rock, the various locations/flora/fauna were labelled by their scientific name and if
they had one the indigenous word for the same.
In Troy the linking text is often connected to wind.
This includes “the first gasp of life, the final breath of life, wind flowing through ships and underneath rocks.”
After nine years at the helm of Malthouse the winds of change have arrived, with Lutton announcing his departure from the company.
“It has been a spectacular honour to serve as Artistic Director of Malthouse Theatre. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved.
“My own journey now turns toward pursuing new creative ventures in international theatre and opera.”
The company lauded his commitment to artistic excellence, collaborations with international theatre giants in the UK and the sellout success of his immersive theatre production Because the Night.
Not everything is always a success. Lutton noted ruefully that sometimes artistic directors make mistakes when they don’t communicate properly to audiences what a production is about.
“Someone might be sitting there thinking this is the greatest work I have ever seen whilst the person next to them thinks ‘what is this shit?’.”
Matthew Lutton.
Photo: Simon Schluter.
The Silent Stages
Short+Sweet Theatre Producer Mark Cleary warns of an existential crisis facing Australia’s performing arts sector.
From my position as Artistic Director of Short+Sweet which presents festivals across 15 countries I’ve witnessed first-hand how the postpandemic landscape has reshaped our industry. What I see is deeply concerning: a persistent 30% drop in audience attendance that threatens the very survival of independent theatre companies across the nation.
This isn’t just another opinion piece lamenting the state of the arts. It’s a wake-up call based on concrete data and global observations. As someone who oversees festivals from Manchester to Manila, from Dubai to Delhi, I can attest that while this crisis extends beyond our shores, Australia has a unique opportunity to lead the way in solving it.
The Scale Of The Crisis
Let’s be clear about what we’re facing. Theatre Network Australia’s research reveals a paradox: while 76% of Australians express interest in attending more performing arts events, actual attendance remains stubbornly low. This isn’t merely a post-pandemic hangover it’s a fundamental shift in audience behaviour that demands our immediate attention.
The impact of this shift is most severe on independent and smaller performing arts companies. For these organisations, that missing 30% of ticket sales isn’t just a dip in revenue it represents their entire potential earnings after covering production and operational costs. While our larger, well-funded companies can weather this storm through reserves and government support, independent companies face an immediate existential threat.
International data paints an equally concerning picture. In the United States, the arts and entertainment sector reports 11% fewer ticket sales
compared to 2019 levels, with total losses in the non-profit performing arts industry exceeding $3.2 billion through December 2021. Philanthropic giving has fallen by 5%. The United Kingdom’s theatre sector experienced even more dramatic declines during the pandemic, with ticket sales initially dropping by 93% and many venues still struggling to recover.
Beyond The Balance Sheet
The implications of this crisis extend far beyond financial statements. Independent theatre companies serve as the research and development arm of our industry. They’re the testing grounds for new voices, innovative approaches, and emerging talent. Their loss would create a vacuum in our cultural landscape that no amount of funding to major companies could fill. These smaller companies are often the most agile and diverse voices in our sector. They bring fresh perspectives and new stories to the stage,
frequently achieving remarkable results with minimal resources. They’re also typically more connected to their local communities, making theatre accessible and relevant to audiences who might feel disconnected from larger institutions.
The performing arts contribute billions to Australia’s economy annually not just through ticket sales, but through tourism, hospitality, and community enrichment. The sector’s health has ripple effects throughout our economy and society. When a theatre company closes, we lose not just performances, but jobs, training opportunities, and vital community connections.
The Global Laboratory Through Short+Sweet’s international network, we’ve had the unique opportunity to observe how different cultures and communities are responding to these challenges. From our festivals in the United Kingdom to
Blind Date (2024).
our programs in India, we’ve seen various approaches to audience engagement and development.
In Southeast Asia, for instance, we’ve witnessed innovative hybrid models that blend traditional theatrical experiences with modern technology. Our festivals in the Middle East have successfully engaged younger audiences through short-form performances that respect both tradition and contemporary attention spans. These international experiences offer valuable lessons for the Australian context.
What’s become clear is that traditional models of theatre presentation and audience development may no longer be sufficient. The pandemic didn’t create this crisis it accelerated trends that were already in motion. The way people consume entertainment has fundamentally changed, and our industry needs to adapt without losing its soul.
A Path Forward
Last October, I wrote to Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke about this issue. The response from Minister Burke’s office to my initial outreach was encouragingly swift. While the holiday period naturally slowed progress, the urgency of the situation remains. Through our observations and experiences across multiple markets, we’ve developed a strategic approach
that could help reverse these troubling trends.
This solution isn’t about massive funding injections or radical reinvention. Instead, it focuses on practical, implementable changes that could help rebuild audience engagement across the sector. While the details of this strategy are still being refined, its principles centre on making theatre more accessible and engaging for modern audiences without compromising artistic integrity.
Digital innovation plays a role in this strategy, but not in the way many might expect. The National Endowment for the Arts found that 82% of people engaged with arts activities through digital media between 2021 and 2022. However, our approach isn’t about replacing live performance with digital alternatives it’s about using technology to enhance and complement the irreplaceable experience of live theatre.
The Cost Of Inaction
If we fail to address this crisis, the consequences will be severe and longlasting. The performing arts sector isn’t just about entertainment it’s a crucial part of our national identity and cultural diplomacy. The loss of independent theatre companies would deprive Australia of the next generation of performers, writers, and directors who could contribute not just artistically but to our international cultural presence.
The erosion of our theatrical ecosystem would have far-reaching implications. Every closed theatre company represents lost opportunities for emerging artists, fewer platforms for diverse voices, and a diminished capacity for cultural expression. This isn’t just about preserving institutions it’s about maintaining the vitality and diversity of our cultural landscape.
A Call For Leadership
What’s needed now is not just funding, but leadership and vision. We need a coordinated response that brings together government, arts organisations, and the broader community. The appetite for live performance remains strong our research shows that audiences haven’t lost their desire for theatrical experiences. What’s changed is how they engage with the arts.
From my global vantage point, I can say with certainty that this is a solvable crisis. But it requires immediate action, innovative thinking, and a willingness to evolve while preserving the essential magic of live performance. The audience is out there. The challenge and opportunity lies in bringing them back through our doors.
The curtain hasn’t fallen on Australian theatre. But ensuring it rises again stronger than ever requires us to act now, with purpose and vision. The future of our cultural landscape depends on it.
Mark Cleary is the Founder and Artistic Director of Short+Sweet, the world's largest festival of short-form theatre. Now in its 23rd year, Short+Sweet presents festivals in 15 countries, showcasing thousands of new works annually. The Sydney festival, the largest short play festival in the world, runs until May at Turner Hall, TAFE Ultimo Campus. Beyond theatre, Short+Sweet has expanded to include dance, music, and film programs, reaching audiences across continents and cultures. shortandsweet.org
Dating App Cr-app (2025).
With the 78th Annual Tony Awards nominations set to be announced on Thursday, May 1, March and April is a busy time for Broadway openings ahead of the eligibility cut-off date for the 2024-2025 season, Sunday, April 27. The Tony Awards ceremony will return to Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 8, 2025.
Three new Broadway productions have strong Australian connections. When Boop! The Musical, based on the comic, arrives on Broadway, previewing from March 11, its Aussie connection will be Ainsley Melham (Aladdin, Cinderella, Pippin) in the role of Dwayne. Boop! has music by David Foster, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead and a book by Bob Martin.
Repeating her Olivier Award winning performance, Sarah Snook, the Emmy Award winning Australian star of the TV series Succession will make her Broadway debut playing 26 characters in Kip Williams’ production of The Picture of Dorian Gray, previewing from March 10 at the Music Box Theatre. The production, which originated at the Sydney Theatre Company, is produced by the Michael Cassel Group.
Redwood, starring Idina Menzel, which opened on February 13, is also co-produced by the Michael Cassel Group, but it received mostly mixed to negative reviews from the Broadway critics.
Transferring from the West End to Samuel J. Friedman Theatre from March 25, Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga lead the cast of Stephen Sondheim’s
Old Friends, paying tribute to legendary composer.
Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre will transform into an intimate nightclub from March 28 as Tony Award winner Jonathan Groff stars as Bobby Darin in the immersive new biomusical Just In Time
Real Women Have Curves, the musical adaptation of Josefina López’s play and the film of the same name by Joy Huerta & Benjamin Velez (music & lyrics), and Lisa Loomer with Nell Benjamin (book), has its Broadway premiere right on the Tony deadline, April 27.
Based on the TV series of the same name, and featuring songs from the series, Smash follows the process of mounting Bombshell, a musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe, previewing from March 11. Directed by Susan Stroman, Smash features music & lyrics by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and a book by Rick Elice & Bob Martin.
Pirates! The Penzance Musical, a jazz-infused revival adapted by Rupert Holmes, will see Gilbert & Sullivan’s pirates dock their ship in New Orleans, led by Ramin Karimloo, David Hyde White and Jinkx Monsoon, previewing from April 4.
From the Tony-winning team behind The Band’s Visit, a twisted musical about an ill-fated gunslinger, Dead Outlaw, transfers to the Longacre Theatre from off-Broadway from April 12. The bizarre true story of outlawturned-corpse-turned-celebrity Elmer McCurdy has music & lyrics David
Yazbek & Erik Della Penna, with a book by Itamar Moses.
Buena Vista Social Club, based on the legendary Grammy Award-winning album began Broadway previews on February 21, after premiering at offBroadway’s Atlantic Theater Company. Two musical revivals, though, have taken far longer to make the journey from off-Broadway. Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years and Adam Guettel’s Floyd Collins will have their Broadway debuts, previewing from March 18 and 27 respectively. The Last Five Years played off-Broadway in 2002 and 2013. Floyd Collins played offBroadway in 1996.
After more than two years in the West End, Olivier Award winning musical Operation Mincemeat by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts (SplitLip), about an outrageous secret mission in World War II, began previews at John Golden Theatre on February 15.
George Clooney makes his Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck, an historical drama about 1950s television news, based on his 2005 film of the same name, at the Winter Garden Theatre from March 12 Othello, starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal commenced previews at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on February 24.
Stranger Things star Sadie Sink returns to Broadway in Kimberly Belflower’s new comedy John Proctor is the Villain, which flips the script on American classic The Crucible, from March 20 at the Booth Theatre.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow, the Olivier Award-winning prequel to the Netflix series, arrives at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre after its West End success on March 28.
Inter-generational Black American family drama Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins commenced previews at Helen Hayes Theatre on February 25, following its world premiere at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr lead the Broadway revival of David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning real estate drama Glengarry Glen Ross, previewing from March 10 at the Palace Theatre.
Redwood
Photo: Matthew Murphy / Evan Zimmerman.
Online extras!
Megan Ellis and Annabel Marlow sing “Amazing” from Muriel’s Wedding. youtu.be/NJljAqS6HqQ
London Calling
Leicestershire’s Curve Theatre will stage the UK premiere of Muriel’s Wedding from April 10 to May 10. Helmed by the original Australian creative team, with direction by Simon Phillips and choreography by Andrew Hallsworth, the cast will be led by Megan Ellis as Muriel Heslop, Annabel Marlow as Rhonda Epinstal and Darren Day as Bill Heslop.
In another UK / Australian connection, Cate Blanchett has returned to the stage for the first time in six years in Anton Chekov’s The Seagull at the Barbican, starring alongside Tom Burke.
Inter Alia, a new play by Australian playwright Suzie Miller (Prima Facie), will star Rosamund Pike as a High Court Judge forced to reckon her professional life and role as wife, mother, friend and feminist, at the National Theatre from July 18.
Stephen Sondheim’s final musical Here We Are heads to London’s National Theatre from April 23. Based on two Luis Buñuel films, the musical explores love, connection, and the complexities of modern life.
Stiletto, with music and lyrics by Matthew Wilder (Disney’s Mulan) and a book by Tim Luscombe, is set in 18th century Venice, Europe’s opera capital, and centres on a famous operatic castrato who falls in love with the daughter of an African slave.
Playing at the Charing Cross Theatre from March 24.
Based on the novel, and the Oscarwinning movie, Midnight Cowboy
A New Musical, with a book by Bryony Lavery and a score by Francis “Eg” White, has its world premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant in London from April 4.
Clueless The Musical, adapted from the Paramount Pictures film, with its a modern spin on Jane Austen’s Emma, opened at the Trafalgar Theatre on February 15. The book is by the film’s director / writer Amy Heckerling, with a score by KT Tunstall and lyrics by Glenn Slater.
Direct from Broadway, The Great Gatsby: A New Musical, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, arrives at the London Coliseum on April 11.
Just For One Day The Live Aid Musical heads to the West End’s Shaftesbury Theatre from May 15.
Carrie Hope Fletcher leads a new production of Calamity Jane from May 13 at the New Wimbledon Theatre, Fiddler on the Roof will be revived at the Barbican from May 24, and Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita returns to the West End at the London Palladium from June 14.
The latest offering in The Play That Goes Wrong franchise, The Comedy About Spies, ‘an action-packed comedy thriller’ set in 1960s London,
opens at the Noël Coward Theatre on April 19.
Ewan McGregor returns to the London stage after 17 years in Lila Raicek’s Ibsen inspired My Master Builder at Wyndham’s Theatre from April 17.
Dracula will have two very different stage incarnations this year. Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors “a Bram-new comedy you can really sink your teeth into” and “a 90-minute, gender-bending, quick-changing, laugh-out-loud reimagining of the gothic classic” plays at Menier Chocolate Factory from March 8. Emma Baggott’s new adaptation at Lyric Hammersmith from September 12 promises to shine a spotlight on the female voices at the heart Dracula. John Lithgow plays Roald Dahl in Mark Rosenblatt’s Giant, a fictionalised portrayal of a pivotal afternoon in the life of author Roald Dahl, at Harold Pinter Theatre from April 26. Interestingly, one of Dahl’s classic stories, The Enormous Crocodile The Musical, also hits the stage in August at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
Mother and daughter Imelda Staunton and Bessie Carter will appear onstage together for the first time as Mrs Kitty Warren and Vivie Warren in George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession at the Garrick Theatre from May 10.
Megan Ellis and Annabel Marlow from Curve Theatre’s Muriel’s Wedding
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Meet Newcastle’s Triple Threat Producer
Newcastle’s Daniel Stoddart is making a unique success of school, community and professional theatre. He spoke to David Spicer over an early dinner in Sydney.
Daniel Stoddart has a lot on his plate. At the Ventura restaurant in Walsh Bay, we both had to polish off our Affogato dessert in a hurry, to dash into the Sydney Theatre Company before the doors closed.
The purpose of our pre-show meeting was to discuss the 10th anniversary of the Junior Theatre Festival which takes place in Newcastle in October, preceded by the second festival in Melbourne in August.
The Stoddart Entertainment Group also manages Australia’s largest community theatre company The Very Popular Theatre which fills the Newcastle Civic Theatre for weeks at a
time, and this year he is expanding to professional theatre with a national tour of The Play That Goes Wrong
When I met Daniel, he was fresh back from the United States where he attended the world’s biggest Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta.
“It has thousands and thousands of young people all waving their jazz hands excitedly being a part of that. I got lots of ideas to bring back for the 10th anniversary Junior Theatre Festival Australia,” he said.
The model is similar. “Students present 15-minute cuts of their Broadway Junior shows that they do in their school, and they bring that along and perform that for the
Online extras!
Join Daniel Stoddart for a recap of the 2024 Junior Theatre Festival youtu.be/7Q9xSqBCgtA
industry professionals to get feedback.”
Impressive guests come along to speak to the students. In Atlanta no less than composer Alan Menken was on hand to play some songs from his latest musical.
A highlight of this year’s event in Newcastle will be the New Works Showcase, where attendees will get a preview of new Broadway Junior musicals that are being piloted for the first time.
A recent release was a musical Stoddart had a hand in, Dot and the Kangaroo
The Australian festival began in 2016 with six groups and 250
Junior Theatre Festival participants.
students turning up. These days 1500 fill the Civic Theatre for two days. He’s hoping that the Melbourne festival soon outgrows its Bunjil Place home and moves to the Convention Centre.
“The great thing about it is that the kids who come along realise their passion and love of performing musicals. The kids, families and teachers go home to their communities feeling like they’re part of something much bigger than themselves.”
A part of the success of the festival is that it brings the dynamic of a sporting competition to the arts.
“The whole model is based on promoting excellence through that little bit of edge of competition. Although there’s no winner, everybody goes home with some kind of acknowledgement of their achievements.
“It’s harder to cancel an awardwinning theatre program, if you go back to your school principal saying, we won the award for most outstanding dance at the at the Junior Theatre Festival Australia.”
Stoddart has a whole mantlepiece of awards himself. He won the local CONDA Director’s Award for his company’s production of Mary Poppins
“I was a little embarrassed. We got every award we were nominated for. I could feel the daggers in the room,” he joked.
Next, he is taking the leap into fully professional theatre, producing a national tour of The Play That Goes Wrong
He hopes that only thing that does not go wrong is the box office, but already it is selling quite well.
What is the secret to Daniel’s success?
“Whether you’re making a horrible loss or you’re making a wonderful win, if you are creating an environment of goodwill and enjoyment for all of the people around you, they’ll go along with it. They’ll support you in your hard times, but they’ll also encourage you through the good times.”
Junior Theatre Festival
Civic Theatre, Newcastle - Oct 31 and Nov 1. Bunjil Place, Narre Warren - Aug 2. oztheatrics.com/jtfaustralia
Mamma Mia!
Civic Theatre, Newcastle - Oct 11 to 19. verypopulartheatreco.com.au
The Play That Goes Wrong
New Zealand - Apr 19 to Jun 1. Sydney Opera House - Jun 19, then on tour playgoeswrong.com
The Play That Goes Wrong.
Photo: Alastair Muir.
Daniel Stoddart and David Spicer.
How AI Is Transforming Drama
Amara Jensen explains how the integration of Artificial Intelligence into Australian drama classrooms can save teachers time and improve outcomes for students. At the same time she says care must be taken to protect the integrity of assessments.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising various industries, and education is no exception. As a drama teacher, I’ve seen first-hand how AI can enhance creativity, streamline workflows, and improve student outcomes. The key, I believe, is not to fear this technology but to embrace it as a tool to amplify the magic of theatre in the classroom.
In November I presented a workshop on this topic at the Drama Victoria conference. I demonstrated how tools like ChatGPT, Canva, Copilot, and Suno (and many others) can transform lesson planning, performance analysis, and creative projects. Educators from across the state offered their insights and explored how AI could be integrated into their own teaching practices.
One of the biggest challenges for us as educators is managing time. Let’s face it, juggling lesson planning,
differentiation, performance coordination, and administrative tasks can feel overwhelming. This is where AI has been a game-changer for me. For example, I can generate creative prompts for improvisation exercises or differentiate lesson plans in just seconds. When it comes to assessment, AI has been brilliant for crafting rubrics or writing feedback that’s detailed and constructive. As for those pesky administrative tasks? Drafting emails or setting up meeting agendas is now a breeze. It’s amazing how much extra time I now have to focus on what really matters inspiring my students.
AI has also opened new perspectives for me. Sometimes, when I need fresh ideas, I’ll turn to AI for brainstorming. It can come up with scenarios, characters, and script starters that draw from different
AI generated Set Design image created using ChatGPT.
theatre styles and it’s fascinating to see how this sparks curiosity in my students. It’s like having a creative partner who’s always ready with an interesting take, pushing us to explore beyond familiar genres.
Beyond ChatGPT, other AI platforms have incredible potential in the drama classroom. Suno can generate audio elements for performances or help students explore soundscapes for their productions. Microsoft’s Copilot can support students and teachers in writing scripts or managing production schedules with ease. Sway is a fantastic tool for creating visually engaging presentations, perfect for showcasing set designs or costume concepts. Chalkie offers lesson-planning tools tailored for educators, making it easier to align activities with learning outcomes. Notebook LM, on the other hand, allows teachers to turn written materials into podcasts or interactive learning resources, adding a dynamic layer to reflective writing and dramaturgy tasks.
For students, AI is proving to be an incredible tool for engagement and self-improvement. One of the most exciting aspects is how students can use AI to receive immediate feedback on their analysis before submission. By inputting their work into AI tools, they can identify
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areas for improvement, refine their ideas, and gain clarity on complex concepts.
This process also helps them develop critical skills in crafting effective AI prompts. Knowing how to frame their questions and requests teaches students precision and focus skills that are invaluable in both theatre and life.
Importantly, students aren’t using AI as a crutch but as a platform to showcase their understanding of the topic, theatre style, and use of terminology. For example, they can demonstrate their grasp of Brechtian or Realism styles by refining performance analysis or dramaturgy tasks with AI. Additionally, imagegeneration platforms allow students to explore creative possibilities in make-up and set design. They can visualise character transformations or experiment with set aesthetics, bringing their ideas to life in ways that fuel imagination and innovation.
Of course, the introduction of AI into classrooms raises important questions about its role. As teachers, we need to be at the forefront of this technology, guiding its use responsibly. I’ve found that the best
approach is to show students how AI can complement human creativity rather than replace it. For example, I might use AI to generate a skeletal script and then challenge students to add their own voices and ideas. This way, they see AI as a collaborator rather than a crutch. It’s all about finding that balance and ensuring that students understand how to use AI thoughtfully.
Transparency is essential. I always explain to my students how AI works and encourage them to think critically about its outputs. This opens conversations about creativity, ethics, and originality. However, there are concerns that we, as educators, cannot ignore. One pressing issue is the challenge of authenticating student work. How do we ensure that the scripts, essays, or reflections they produce with AI are genuinely reflective of their learning? Striking this balance is crucial to maintaining integrity in education.
Another worry is the potential “dumbing down” of education. If students rely too heavily on AI for ideas, there’s a risk that they might bypass the critical thinking and creative processes that are so essential in drama. That’s why it’s important to use AI as a starting point rather than an end. By challenging students to critique and build upon AI-generated content, we can safeguard the intellectual rigor of our classrooms.
The environmental impact of AI is also something to consider. AI systems require immense computational power, which contributes to carbon emissions. As educators, we need to be mindful of this and perhaps advocate for more sustainable practices in the tech industry while using these tools judiciously in our classrooms. These discussions can also be a learning opportunity for students, linking technology use to broader ethical considerations.
The integration of AI into Australian drama classrooms is inevitable, and I believe we as teachers have a responsibility to lead the way. By embracing AI, we can create richer, more engaging lessons and inspire creativity in ways we never thought possible. The benefits for students are immense. From developing nuanced characters to engaging in collaborative script work, AI offers tools that enhance both their technical and creative skills. The result is confident, well-rounded performers ready to take on the modern world.
In a landscape where technology is reshaping education, drama teachers have a unique opportunity to harness AI’s power for the benefit of their students. Let’s not shy away from this change. Instead, let’s step boldly into this new era and raise the curtain on an exciting future for drama education.
Amara Jensen has dedicated the last 16 years to teaching Drama and Theatre Studies across Years 7 to VCE in private, Catholic, and public schools. She is currently the Head of Performing Arts at Loreto Mandeville Hall, Toorak.
AI generated image for class performance poster created using Canva.
Melbourne Theatre Company’s Education Hub
The Melbourne Theatre Company Education Hub is an expanding library of digital resources designed to engage, inspire and educate young people about theatre. MTC’s Learning Manager, Nick Tranter, explains.
The Hub champions local artists and stories, removing geographic and economic barriers by offering free access around the world. 200+ resources can be filtered by production role, play title, year level, subject area or topic (e.g. theatre technologies). No other Australian state theatre company offers digital learning on this scale. Resources include:
Virtual tours of Melbourne Theatre Company venues and productions through a self-guided 360-degree immersive tour of sets and stages linked to information tags.
Script Notes video series, where playwrights, actors and directors of MTC productions explain how they use pages of script during rehearsal to perform their roles and collaborate. Accompanying lesson plans help teachers use 5 minute videos in class.
Education Packs (for VCE playlisted productions and other popular school shows) and interactive preand post-show resources for MTC productions.
Short Courses for self-directed learning, including actor training with tutors from the Victorian College of the Arts.
Theatre Glossary a comprehensive visual guide to terminology used in theatre production.
An emphasis on media-rich and interactive resources. Developed with digital agency Made Media, the Education Hub includes the ability for teachers to create bespoke share links, for a seamless classroom experience. The Education Hub provides students and teachers with authentic industry insights in
curriculum-aligned learning resources for Drama, Theatre Studies, English, Literature and the Humanities. Activity ideas and lesson plans support teachers to use the website across years 7 - 12.
Plans for 2025 include a new
Careers section about roles in theatre and the career pathways of MTC staff and artists.
The Hub won the Drama Victoria award for Excellence in the Digital/ Online Delivery of Drama in 2024 and 2023.
Discover more at mtc.com.au/education/education-hub
Virtual set design tour for A Streetcar Named Desire.
Online extras!
Meet performers from Disney’s Dare To Dream JR. at JTF Atlanta 2025 fb.watch/xRhWFQd0bw
Celebrate 100 Years
Of Disney Music
A new release from Music Theatre International Australasia, Disney’s Dare to Dream JR. is a 60-minute musical revue that celebrates a century of Disney music, offering young performers a dynamic platform to showcase their talents.
This new show follows a group of trainees on their first day at a fictional Walt Disney Imagineering Studio, embarking on a journey to discover their dreams.
The revue features a diverse selection of songs from Disney’s repertoire, including classics like “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from Cinderella and “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast. It also introduces songs from newer films such as “Surface Pressure” from Encanto and “When I Am Older” from Frozen II, which are making their stage debut in this production.
Designed specifically for young performers, Dare to Dream JR. offers
many opportunities for ensembles and can accommodate casts of various sizes. The production is structured to be accessible and engaging for performers of all skill levels.
The show premiered at the 2025 Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta, Georgia USA, where it was performed by a cast of 100 actors aged 8 to 18. The performance received enthusiastic acclaim from the audience and was a festival highlight of Travel Gang’s Aussie All-Stars who were in attendance.
The production is now available for licensing through Music Theatre International Australasia (MTI). The ShowKit includes actors’ scripts, a director’s guide, vocal tracks, and choreography videos, facilitating an easy and efficient rehearsal and performance process.
Dare to Dream JR. offers a magical and inspiring theatrical experience, blending Disney’s rich musical heritage with a narrative that encourages young performers to explore their dreams and creativity.
Read the script and listen to teaser tracks at mtishows.com.au/disneys-dare-to-dream-jr
Disney’s Dare To Dream JR.
Photo: Avery Brunkus / Marcus Woollen.
Online extras!
Discover what it’s like to be part of OA’s Regional Children’s Chorus youtu.be/pncZ0b9IbfM
Forward Thinking Opera
Opera Australia’s Nathan Gilkes discusses how modern ways of approaching opera are making it more accessible to younger audiences.
‘What (the heck) can opera teach us in the 21st century?’
Isn’t opera just old, really long, really boring (and in German)? Well…
This year Opera Australia is launching a new Education, Learning and Participation program. We’re on a mission to transform how young people in Australia engage with and think about opera, and revamp its relevance to communities across the country.
Opera as an artform has so much to offer young people. It deals, like lots of young people we know, with BIG emotions: love, conflict, power, betrayal all the primal emotions of our human experience. Seeing these
feelings portrayed on stage helps us understand our own emotional worlds, and in a time when young people find it difficult to express themselves, opera can express those difficult things to say.
In the ELP program participation is key. The program opens opera up to learners of all ages and focusses on three areas: primary and high school students though school workshops and incursion concerts; community engagement through come and sing events and community driven art projects, and youth artists including work experience and youth intensives to build professional skills and industry connections for young people.
In 2025 you’ll see a lot of events happening around the La Boheme regional tour which travels to regional arts centres in every state and territory. Because opera is inherently multidisciplinary, combining music, song, drama, dance, design, history, language and visual art, you can access it in your own way, from your own experience and your own story.
If you’ve never been to the opera, heard any opera or are terrified of opera, this is an invitation to engage with us. Like everything good, it can take a few goes to hear what’s going on. So ‘What (the heck) can opera teach us in the 21st century?’ Lots.
Nathan Gilkes is a leader in arts education, a Helpmann Award winning composer in Theatre for Young People and is the Head of Education, Learning and Participation at Opera Australia. opera.org.au/events/schools-programs
Opera Australia Regional Children’s Chorus tour of La Bohème (2024)
Photo: Jeff Busby.
The Lyrebird’s Voice
The 55-minute opera, sung in English, centres on a trickster lyrebird who goes a step too far and gets in trouble with their friends in the flock.
The story, developed by Peter Rutherford and six youth participants of the New Work Opera Studio, features opera’s most iconic arias and duets, including the ‘Flower Duet’ from Lakmé, ‘Habanera’ from Carmen, ‘Queen of the Night’ from The Magic Flute’.
Elizabeth Hill-Cooper, Victorian Opera’s CEO and Director said, “They chose a lyrebird as the subject because one young girl said she used to imitate the way her friends spoke, so she didn’t sound different to anyone else.”
“When I was a kid, there was an ad on TV with the ‘Flower Duet’ playing in the background. I didn’t realise it was an opera tune until I grew up and went to the opera,” said Elizabeth.
With performances in the outer suburban ring of
Melbourne, audiences will meet beetles, a wombat, a kangaroo, a ringtail possum, a jittery emu, all manner of native birds, and a cunning cat.
“Ishan Vivekanantham’s designs not only enrich the story but also immerse the audience into the wonder of Australian wildlife, making it an unforgettable experience for all ages.”
The production will be performed in venues across metropolitan Melbourne and highlighted in Victorian Opera’s Access All Areas livestream program, teaching students how a production is created behind-the-scenes and brought to the stage.
Victorian Opera will premiere The Lyrebird’s Voice in May, a new family friendly opera staged as part of the company’s annual Education season, which will be available Australia wide via livestream. The Lyrebird’s Voice
The Round Nunawading, Darebin Arts Centre and Frankston Arts Centre - May 8 to 23. victorianopera.com.au
A Musical Town Like Alice
In the outback town of Alice Springs, a husband-and-wife team have just notched up their 25th consecutive year of producing school musicals uninterrupted even by COVID-19. Jill Janson reports.
Steve Kidd produces and directs, and Kristina Kidd designs and makes the costumes, props and sets. For a quarter of a century, they have been passionate about providing a quality performing arts experience for the students of St Phillip’s College Alice Springs.
With the average cast size being around 60 to 80 students, both onstage, in the band and behind the scenes, that’s around 2000 students who have had the exciting experience of being part of a St Philip’s musical production. Steve also mentors a Performing Arts Assistant every year, teaching them the finer details that go into producing theatre on all levels.
A NIDA acting graduate, Steve spent 20 years in the professional theatre industry performing in shows such as the Australian premiere of Assassins for MTC, the national touring stage production of Bran Nue Dae, and the world premiere of Only Heaven Knows
The couple moved to Alice Springs from their hometown of Melbourne in 2000 with their young family when Steve started a new career as a teacher of Drama and Head of Performing Arts at St Philip’s College.
His experience of directing plays and musicals for the community theatre scene in Melbourne and Geelong was put to good use in his first year at the college, mounting a production of Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with over 80 keen students in the cast and crew. Twenty-five years later these productions have become a muchanticipated event for the whole town.
He has made such a huge impact on students that in 2024 Steve was awarded an OAM for his dedication to theatre and education. With his equally talented wife, Kristina (who trained as a dancer and singer and worked in touring music theatre shows during the 1980s) by his side, the two have instilled their passion for theatre and performing arts education into their students, some of whom have gone on to pursue careers both on and off stage.
“We’ve been married 36 years,” says Kristina, “And have always lived,
St Philip’s College’s Annie (2024)
worked and played together basically all things theatre, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. You can imagine the ‘pillow talk’ that has gone on over the years in our bedroom when we are in full theatre production mode!”
So popular is music theatre at the college, that local primary school students are known to beg their parents to be enrolled at St Philips. Steve has created a special Creative Arts-Musical curriculum subject for the senior St Philip’s students in Years 10, 11 and 12, so they can hone the skills needed to prepare for a role, either on or off-stage. Part of their assessment is to pitch shows they would like to see the College present, considering student talent, performance rights, the College venue and if it’s appropriate for local audiences.
“Having the skills of being a ‘triple threat’ is a great starting point. But we also teach the students how best to affect an audience, the etiquette of being a performer on and off stage and the importance of being able to audition successfully,” says Steve. “We also work on the premise that showing commitment and working hard as part of a team can bring them future rewards.”
2024 Year 12 drama student, Matilda Loader, says, “Mr Kidd has played a huge role in my performing arts journey. He has guided me and many others into being their best creative artist, pushing our skills to be far more than where we started. Mr Kidd has been a major inspiration and we’re extremely lucky to have him as a teacher.”
Senior performing arts students have often filled the roles of lighting design, sound operation and stage management, while senior music students can be found in the pit playing for the musical band.
Many are now saying here’s to the next 25, but Steve and Kris say, “We’ve had enough!” and are looking forward to an extended intermission, before they begin the next exciting act in their own personal production.
St Philip’s College’s Mary Poppins (2014)
Kristina with Steve receiving his OAM.
Was And Will Be
A First Nations anthology by Tracey Rigney, Brodie Murray and Tom Molyneux has been published by Currency Press. The monologues, dialogues, choruses and movement sequences are written for performance by Indigenous and non-Indigenous actors. The work, conceived by Haileybury College Drama Teacher Nick Waxman, picked up seven Lyrebird Awards for the World Premiere season.
Yidaki / Didgeridoo
Deep listening. Gulpa Ngawal. Listening to the earth and surroundings.
Hear the Mile. Sounds of the currents and ripples.
Crouching underfoot like a warrior.
Toes sinking into wet earth. Listening to the earth.
The calls of pelicans close down river. The hum of Country all around.
Elders often speak about the sacred practice of deep listening.
When incorporating the sound of the yidaki and closing your eyes.
The sound travels as a vibration. Across the body and across Country.
Remembering those night-time campfires in Balranald on Yanga Lake.
The sounds of birds and wildlife.
I sit, amazed. Watching them play the didgeridoo and listening to music.
Telling us about the sacred sites along the lake.
Yarns passed down from father to fathers.
We hear about Bes Murray. Worked on Yanga station for 58 years. Old ways, survival. Sunsets and sunrise. The sounds of the yidaki are ancient.
Back from the time of the dreaming.
It brings the old people close to us. Smells of the campfire, gum leaves and red-hot coals. Coals burning in the night. While we stared up at the night-time sky above.
Constellations reflected in the ripples of Yanga Lake.
I imagine generations ago when the Ancestors walked along the banks of Yanga Lake.
The Muthi Muthi mob. How pristine clear the lake was.
A plentiful supply of freshwater fish and clams all year around.
The practice of Gulpa Ngawal cleanses our spirit.
Connects us from past to present. To our Ancestors and the spirits from the dreaming. Senses tuned to Country around me.
Deep listening is tuning in to the river, the open planes, the river red gums, the pelican flying on the other side of the river.
It is a part of our spirit if we choose to listen.
Tips For Interpretation
Encourage students to use slow, deliberate movements to mimic the act of deep listening, with gestures that represent connecting with the earth and surroundings. Movements can illustrate the sinking of toes into wet earth, the calls of pelicans and the vibrations of the didgeridoo.
Soundscapes: Incorporate natural sounds such as water ripples, bird calls and didgeridoo music to create an immersive auditory experience using instruments or voices.
Symbolic Prop: Use a didgeridoo as a central prop, allowing students to interact with it, symbolising the connection to their Ancestors and the earth. The prop can be passed among students to represent the sharing of cultural heritage and the continuity of tradition.
Tableau Vivant: Create a series of still images or tableaux that capture key moments, such as sitting around the campfire, listening to the
didgeridoo and reflecting by the lake. Use body language and facial expressions to convey the sense of wonder, reverence and connection to the land and Ancestors.
Choral Reading: Perform a group recitation of the narrative, with students embodying the sounds of the Yidaki, the sounds of nature and the storyteller.
The Marngrook
I close my eyes and tune in to the land around me.
Wamba Wamba Country. The Country around me.
Holding me closely.
Sun sets across Mile; casting distant ripples along the surface.
I hear echoes of the past. Children playing. Men and women laughing.
Scent of gum leaves and roasting kangaroo meat. Taking me back hundreds of generations. Back to the old ways. Old people.
In Victoria, the mobs created the game of AFL, called Marngrook.
Young boys after a hunt. Early afternoon. They buried the possum skin, the Marngrook, in the dirt. Giving it back to Country. Back to the earth.
Then they’d uncover it, bring it up from the ground.
Ready to play the old game of Marngrook again.
Mobs would play it for hours on end. Sometimes even days.
Bodies moving gracefully around the earth. Athletes moving in synchronicity.
Dancing and connected to each other and the Country around them.
Marngrook was and is the beginning of the game we now call AFL. Generations later.
I watch Bobby Hill move with a confidence and grace around the ground.
On the biggest stages of the game. It’s like he has a sixth sense. He just knows where the ball is going. Where it’s been and where it’s going to be.
He’s in tune with the land as well as the players around him.
Takes me back to the great Grand Final against the Lions.
Bobby Hill against an unimaginable amount of pressure proved himself as best on ground to give the Pies the flag!
Bobby celebrates his goals with dance and movement. It is magical experience just to witness his connection to both the game and his culture.
Takes me back to how the young fellas would have played Marngrook in Victoria.
Back in the old times. Along the Mile (Murray River), young boys like Bobby anticipating the possum skin Marngrook. Catching it and spinning.
Tips For Interpretation
Use dance and movement to depict the flow and grace of
Online extras!
Playwright Brodie Murray launches Was And Will Be: A First Nations Anthology. youtu.be/GSdOO67uMRQ
Marngrook players, both past and present. Movements can illustrate the burying and uncovering of the Marngrook, the synchronicity of the players and the celebratory dances of modern players like Bobby Hill.
Soundscapes: Incorporate sounds of nature such as rustling gum leaves, distant laughter and echoes of ancient times to create an immersive auditory experience. Use recordings of traditional Aboriginal music and didgeridoo to enhance the atmosphere and cultural connection.
Symbolic Prop: Use a replica of the Marngrook (possum skin ball) as a central prop, allowing students to interact with it, symbolising the continuity of the game from ancient times to the present. The prop can be passed among students to represent the sharing of cultural heritage and the evolution of the game.
Tableau Vivant: Create a series of still images or tableaux that capture key moments, such as young boys playing Marngrook, the ceremonial aspects of the game and modern AFL players in action. Use body language and facial expressions to convey the joy, pride and connection to the land and culture.
Choral Reading: Perform a group recitation of the narrative, with students embodying the voices of the past and present, narrating the story of Marngrook and its significance. The collective voice, dispersed around the room like a crowd at the football could enhance the sense of continuity and shared heritage, reinforcing the themes of respect and admiration for the game and its players.
Licenced by David Spicer Productions. davidspicer.com.au
Published by Currency Press, purchase your copy at Book Nook. booknook.com.au/product/was-and-will-be
Was And Will Be’s Lyrebird Awards haul.
Musical Theatre Education And Training In The 21st Century
By Jessica O’Bryan and Scott Harrison (Routledge $55.99)
Broadway composer Maury Yeston believes this book will “have a profound effect on the learning curve of theatre programs all over the world,” a sentiment I heartily endorse. In a niche market where there is very little, if any, published documentation, it’s a welcome relief. The authors have interviewed 100 off and on-stage personnel from Australia, Canada, Broadway and West End, and produced a unique document which fills a much-needed void.
Writer Jessica O’Byran, a former opera singer, jazz and pop artist, lectures and tutors in music and education in several universities across Southeast Queensland, whilst her writing partner Scott Harrison, also a former opera singer, is Pro Vice Chancellor of Arts Education and Law
and Assistant Chancellor of Cultural Curation and Community Partnership at Griffith University Australia. They both acknowledge the book was the idea of Paul Sabey, a former Director of the Musical Theatre programme and Associate Principal at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in the UK, prior to his appointment as Head of Musical Theatre at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University for 12 years.
It took five years to research and write.
Times have changed and the curriculum that is taught nowadays is far different to that taught in Broadway’s hey-day.
“Musical theatre performers today are vocal and physical athletes. Everybody sings, dances and acts. The sheer punishment of Elphaba’s ‘No Good Deed’ from Wicked, which
requires racing around the stage and up through a trap, screaming and ranting while metamorphosing into evil incarnate, is a huge physical and emotional challenge for a young singer regardless of talent and skill. To do this eight times a week seems almost impossible.” (LoVetri). Stephen Schwartz’s admiration for Idina Menzel, who created the part, elucidates further. “She worked with a vocal coach basically for a year to be able to sing the score of Wicked eight times a week.
There is now greater recognition amongst producers that some roles require too much of the human voice, and in recent years we are seeing more examples of a job-share arrangement. The Phantom of the Opera has done this throughout its entire run, whereby the alternate Christine will sing two
performances a week, giving the star a rest to save the voice.
In training the voice, John Caird (RSC) thinks “there should be more classes in the art of listening. People tend to copy a lot. The kids go into musical theatre because they’re in love with it, they’ve heard musicals, they fall in love with musicals, they’re musical fans. And they want to copy and sound like other people who have sung things. But they’re not actually listening to the music that they’re singing. They’re in love with a way in which the music is being performed.”
The literature on the teaching of singing is perhaps the most extensive of all, but less about the teaching of musical theatre specifically. Current composers push the boundaries of the voice whilst respecting the traditions of the past, an example being how close some of the Hamilton rap is to Gilbert and Sullivan, and the coloratura work required of Glinda in the opening bars of Wicked, alongside the belt and mix required later in the piece.
Of course, as with singing in musical theatre, the principal foundation of the actors’ craft is storytelling. Story is always key according to UK Producer Paul TaylorMills. He quotes Andrew Lloyd Webber
“You can have brilliant songs and an okay story, and it’s a bit sniffy. But if you’ve got a brilliant story and mediocre songs, you’re fine.”
There’s been a long-held belief that singers are not actors. Stephen
Schwartz gave a pertinent example in which modern performers have adapted. Going back to the forties he cites “Alfred Drake and John Raitt as solid singers but not particularly good actors. Compare that to with Ben Platt from Dear Evan Hanson, just a recent example, that’s light years’ difference in terms of acting ability.”
Trevor Jones (Musical Director) said, “I think text analysis is probably the most important thing in an actor’s training,” with Paul Taylor-Mills suggesting that “for Hamilton a strong training in verse is imperative.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda said that “when they’re casting Hamilton, most of the people they actually see (who they) prefer to play Hamilton have had Royal Shakespeare Company training because they can speak in verse.”
David Shirley (WAAPA) says, “I’ve always kind of deferred to the Stanislavsky principle, sometimes influenced by Uta Hagen, but not overly heavily influenced by The Method, because I think that serves a slightly different purpose. But something in which they (young actors) recreate segments of their own lives in a natural way, without performing, so that they understand the notion of theatre as artifice, as art form, that is artificial, but they know how to invest that with truthfulness.”
The notion of ensembles that sing and dance is a relatively recent phenomenon. Alan Jay Lerner notes it was Oklahoma! in 1943 where there was a total amalgamation of the theatrical arts, although the parts of Laurey and Curley were danced by ballet dancers in the dream ballet. West Side Story took that further in 1957, but still had ballet dancers in the ‘Somewhere’ ballet. It wasn’t until A Chorus Line (1975), and the works of Lin-Manuel Miranda In the Heights (2008) / Hamilton (2015) that dance become fully integrated.
There is a cultural bias in Western countries that relegates the performing arts, and dance in particular, to activities that are too ‘girly’ or sissy for boys to do.
Chris Horsey (Choreographer), whose mother ran a dance school, was constantly prone to bullying and name calling. “It wasn’t an easy time. I have two older brothers who danced as well and they copped it, so I don’t think I copped it as bad as them.”
Julio Agustin (US Artist) said of his experience as an artist, “that dancing, whilst perhaps the hardest route to take, was also the best as there were fewer great dancers than singers. And I got to work with Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon, as well as some great choreographers.”
There’s a chapter on being a good company member and getting on well with others. Paul Sabey calls it the fourth skill after singing, dancing and acting.
Rob Archibald (Urdang) says, “It’s about the job, we make sure they’ve got the discipline. Rehearsal etiquette, rehearsal room etiquette, audition room etiquette. When you move into [the profession], how do you deal with doing the same thing eight times a week for a year?
Lyricist Lynne Ahrens notes that actors “Need to respect their fellow performers onstage and off.
Since Courtney Monsma became a Disney princess she has never been out of a job.
Musical Theatre is an elitist profession. It will cost $230 per week for singing, acting and dance lessons, and at the end of it you may never get a role on stage. That’s why there have to be options. Some of them are ‘side hustles.’ Frequently performers develop a cabaret act something they can pull out of their hat when the work dries up. Others write or produce. But you have to have something because you are going to be out of work a lot.
The book comes with biographies of all the interviewees, a listing of training institutions around the world, and an index.
Reviewed by Peter Pinne.
On Stage
A.C.T.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Canberra Philharmonic Society. Until Mar 15. Erindale Theatre. philo.org.au
Canberra Comedy Festival. Mar 12 - 23. canberracomedyfestival.com.au
The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca, adapted by Karen Vickery with Andrea Garcia. Chaika Theatre. Mar 19 - 29. ACT Hub. acthub.com.au
Room on the Broom - Live On Stage! Mar 28 & 29. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. canberratheatrecentre.com.au
The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. Hayes Theatre Co. Apr 2 - 6. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Henry 5 by William Shakespeare. Bell Shakespeare. Apr 10 - 20. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. canberratheatrecentre.com.au
The Mirror. Gravity & Other Myths Apr 10 - 12. Canberra Theatre.
canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Trash Test Dummies Circus. The Q and Dummies Corp. Apr 1213. The Q - Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. theq.net.au
Ratburger by Maryam Master, based on the book by David Walliams Apr 15 & 16. Canberra Theatre.
canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Madagascar The Musical. Book by Kevin Del Aguila, Music and Lyrics by George Noriega & Joel Someillan Apr 22 & 23.
Canberra Theatre. canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Sweet Charity. Music by Cy Coleman. Lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Book by Neil Simon. Free
A.C.T. & New South Wales
-Rain Theatre Co. Apr 29 - May 18. The Q - Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. freeraintheatre.com
New South Wales
Hadestown by Anaïs Mitchell. Opera Australia and JONES Theatrical Group. Ongoing. Theatre Royal, Sydney. hadestown.com.au
MJ. Book by Lynn Nottage. Lia Vollack, John Branca, John McClain and Michael Cassel. Ongoing. Sydney Lyric Theatre. mjthemusical.com.au
Cinderella by Massenet. Opera Australia. Until Mar 28. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. opera.org.au
La Traviata by Verdi. Opera Australia. Until Mar 27. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. opera.org.au
Aria by David Williamson. Ensemble Theatre. Until Mar 15. ensemble.com.au
4000 Miles by Amy Herzog. Sydney Theatre Company. Until
Mar 23. Wharf 1 Theatre. sydneytheatre.com.au
Song of First Desire by Andrew Bovell. Belvoir. Until Mar 23. belvoir.com.au
Nucleus by Alana Valentine Griffin Theatre in association with Seymour Centre. Until Mar 15. Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre, Chippendale. griffintheatre.com.au
Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler. Arts Theatre Cronulla, 6 Surf Rd, Cronulla. Until Mar 22. artstheatrecronulla.com.au
Picnic At Hanging Rock. A play by Tom Wright, adapted from the novel by Joan Lindsay. Sydney Theatre Company. Until Apr 5. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House sydneytheatre.com.au
Candide. Music by Leonard Bernstein, book by Hugh Wheeler after Voltaire, Lyrics by Richard Wilbur, with additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim,
On Stage New South Wales
For its first production of 2025, Arts Theatre Cronulla is staging Ray Lawler’s Summer of the Seventeenth Doll
Directed by Tom Richards, the show plays until March 22. artstheatrecronulla.com.au
John La Touche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker and Leonard Bernstein. Opera Australia. Until Mar 14. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. opera.org.au
Mary Poppins. Original Music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, with new songs and additional music by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Book by Julian Fellowes. Rehearsal Room Productions. Until Mar 16. Town Hall Theatre, Campbelltown. rehearsalroom.net.au
Legally Blonde. Book by Heather Hach, music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin. Gosford Musical Society. Until Mar 15. Laycock Street Community Theatre, Wyoming. laycockstreettheatre.com
Clue On Stage by Sandy Rustin, Adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn. The Players Theatre, Port Macquarie. Until Mar 16. playerstheatre.org.au
The Great Divide by David Williamson. Maitland Repertory Theatre. Until Mar 16. Repertory Theatre, Maitland. mrt.org.au
The Dictionary of Lost Words. Adapted by Verity Laughton from the novel by Pip Williams. Sydney Theatre Company. Mar 1 - 22. Roslyn Packer Theatre. sydneytheatre.com.au
This is L-O-V-E by Kai Paynter and Allan Staples. The Americas A Theatre Company. Mar 4 - 15. Qtopia SydneyThe Loading Dock Theatre. qtopiasydney.com.au
RBG: Of Many, One by Suzie Miller. Sydney Theatre Company. Mar 6 - 8. Riverside,
Parramatta riversideparramatta.com.au
Sylvia by A. R. Gurney. Hunters Hill Theatre. Mar 7 - 30. Club Ryde Ex. huntershilltheatre.com.au
Iphigenia at Splott by Gary Owen. New Ghosts Theatre Co. Mar 7 - 27. Old Fitz Theatre, Wooloomooloo. oldfitztheatre.com.au
Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Genesian Theatre Company. Mar 7 - Apr 12. St Joseph’s Parish Hall, Rozelle. genesiantheatre.com.au
Love by Patricia Cornelius. New Ghosts Theatre Co. Mar 1121. Old Fitz Theatre, Wooloomooloo. oldfitztheatre.com.au
It’s Only a Play by Terrence McNally. Pymble Players. Mar 14 - 22. Zenith Theatre,
Chatswood. pymbleplayers.com.au
Pass The Butler by Eric Idle. Nowra Players. Mar 14 - 29. Players Theatre, Nowra. nowraplayers.com
The Little Mermaid. Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, book by Doug Wright. PACA Productions. Mar 14 - 30. The Concourse Theatre, Chatswood. paca.sydney
MARVELous - A Risqué Parody. Action Reaction Entertainment. Mar 14 - 22. Riverside Theatre Parramatta. riversideparramatta.com.au
Josephine Wants to Dance. Based on the book by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley, adapted by Eva Di Cesare, Sandie Eldridge and Tim McGarry. Monkey Baa Theatre. Mar 14 - 19, Glen Street
Ophelia Thinks Harder by Jean Betts and William Shakespeare. Fingerless Theatre. Mar 1429. KXT on Broadway. kingsxtheatre.com
Night Must Fall by Emlyn Williams. The Guild Theatre Ltd Rockdale. Mar 15 - Apr 5. guildtheatre.com.au
Two Hearts by Laura Lethlean. Space Jump Theatre Company. Mar 18 - 29. Flight Path Theatre, Marrickville. flightpaththeatre.org
Georgy Girl: The Seekers Musical. Book by Patrick Edgeworth. Music and lyrics by Judith Durham, Athol Guy, Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley. Miranda Musical Theatre Company. Mar 19 - 23. mirandamusicaltheatrecompany.com.au
Saints of Damour by James Elazzi. James Elazzi Productions. Mar 19 - Apr 5.
Qtopia Sydney - The Loading Dock Theatre. qtopiasydney.com.au
If/Then. Libretto by Brian Yorkey and score by Tom Kitt. Lane Cove Theatre Company. Mar 21 - 30. lanecovetheatrecompany.com.au
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Ensemble Theatre. Mar 21 - Apr 26. ensemble.com.au
A Pocketful of Stories - Tales From the Sea by Claire Thomas. Music by Glenda Price and Alex McCann. Mar 22 & 23. Young People’s Theatre Newcastle Inc. ypt.org.au
The Father by Florian Zeller. Newcastle Theatre Company Inc. Mar 22 - Apr 5. newcastletheatrecompany.com.au
Henry IV (Part 1) by William Shakespeare. Sport for Jove. Mar 24 - Apr 2. Seymour Centre, Chippendale. seymourcentre.com
New South Wales
Annie by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin John Frost for Crossroads Live From March 25. Capitol Theatre, Sydney. anniemusical.com.au
The Player Kings Part 1 & Part 2. Shakespeare and Marlowe’s History Cycle. Sport for Jove. Mar 26 - Apr 5. Seymour Centre, Chippendale. seymourcentre.com
The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. Hayes Theatre Co. Mar 26 - 29. IMB Theatre, IPAC. merrigong.com.au
Moulin Scrooge! by Trevor Ashley and Phil Scott. Mar 26Apr 5. Seymour Centre, Chippendale. seymourcentre.com
The Wharf Revue: The End Of The Wharf As We Know It by Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Philip Scott Soft Tread. Mar 26 - Apr 9. Glen Street Theatre. glenstreet.com.au
Love’s Labours Won by Emma Watson. CHATS Productions (Coffs Harbour). Mar 28 - Apr 6. Jetty Memorial Theatre. jettytheatre.com
All Sorts, Short Play Series: Season 4. Mar 28 - Apr 6. Henry Lawson Theatre, Werrington County. hltheatre.com.au
Amber by Nikita Waldron. essential workers. Mar 28 - Apr 11. Old Fitz Theatre, Wooloomooloo. oldfitztheatre.com.au
Bloom. Music by Katie Weston and Lyrics by Tom Gleisner. Book by Tom Gleisner Director Dean Bryant. Sydney Theatre Company. Mar 29May 11. Roslyn Packer Theatre. sydneytheatre.com.au
Deer Elena Sergeevna by Lyudmila Razumovskaya. Last Waltz Productions. Apr 1 - 11. Old Fitz Theatre, Wooloomooloo. oldfitztheatre.com.au
On Stage
Glorious! By Peter Quilter. Castle Hill Players. Apr 4 - 26. Pavilion Theatre, Castle Hill Showground. paviliontheatre.org.au
The Wizard of Oz. North Shore Theatre Company. Apr 4 - 12. Zenith Theatre, Chatswood. northshoretheatrecompany.org
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. Wyong Drama Group. Apr 4 - 12. Red Tree Theatre, Tuggerah. wyongdramagroup.com.au
These Youths by Protesting by Izabella Louk. Blinking Light. Apr 4 - 19. KXT on Broadway. kingsxtheatre.com
Big Girls Don’t Cry by Dalara Williams. Company B. Apr 527. Belvoir Street Theatre. belvoir.com.au
Glass Child. Created by Kayah and Maitreyah Guenther, Kate Harman and Gavin Webber. The Farm. Apr 9 - 16. Seymour Centre, Chippendale. seymourcentre.com
The 91-Storey Treehouse by Richard Tulloch, adapted from the book by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton. CDP Kids. Apr 10 - 13. Seymour Centre, Chippendale. seymourcentre.com
RBG: Of Many, One by Suzie Miller. Sydney Theatre Company. Apr 11 - May 17 Sydney Opera House, Drama Theatre sydneytheatre.com.au
Come From Away. Book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. So Popera. Apr 11 - 19. Illawarra Performing Arts Centre. sopoperaproductions.com
Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Musical. Music and Lyrics by Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler. Book by Kevin Del Aguila. Rockdale Musical Society. Apr 11 - 13. Rockdale Town Hall. rockdalemusicalsociety.com
Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
Jr. Book adapted and additional lyrics by David Simpatico. Music adapted and arranged, and additional music
New South Wales
Sydney’s Miranda Musical Theatre will stage the world community theatre premiere of Georgy Girl: The Seekers Musical from March 20 to 23 at Pavilion Performing Arts Centre, Sutherland. mirandamusicaltheatrecompany.com.au
and lyrics by Bryan Louiselle.
Based on the 1951 Disney film Apr 14 - May 24. Young People’s Theatre Newcastle Inc. ypt.org.au
The Wharf Revue: The End Of The Wharf As We Know It by Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Philip Scott Soft Tread. Apr 15 - 19. Seymour Centre, Chippendale. seymourcentre.com
Dot & the Kangaroo Jr. Daniel Stoddart. Hunter Drama. Apr 17 - 27. Playhouse, Civic Theatre Newcastle. hunterdrama.com.au
Billy Elliot The Musical. Book & Lyrics by Lee Hall. Music by Elton John. Sydney Youth
Musical Theatre. Apr 19 - 27. Glen Street Theatre. glenstreet.com.au
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show by Jonathan Rockefeller, based on Eric Carle’s books. CDP Kids. Apr 19 - 21. Seymour Centre, Chippendale. seymourcentre.com
Ratburger by Maryam Master, based on the book by David Walliams. CDP Kids. Apr 23 & 24. IMB Theatre, IPAC. merrigong.com.au
Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson. The Theatre on Chester. Apr 25 - May 7. theatreonchester.com.au
Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime by Constance Cox, based on a
story by Oscar Wilde. Genesian Theatre Company. Apr 25 - Jun 7. St Joseph’s Parish Hall, Rozelle. genesiantheatre.com.au
IRL by Lewis Treston. The Other Theatre. Apr 25 - May 10. KXT on Broadway. kingsxtheatre.com
Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Sport for Jove. Apr 30 - May 9. Riverside Theatre Parramatta. riversideparramatta.com.au
Henry 5 by William Shakespeare. Bell Shakespeare. Apr 30 - May 3. IMB Theatre, IPAC. merrigong.com.au
Photo: Grant Leslie.
On Stage Queensland & Victoria
Queensland Sister Act. Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner. Presented by John Frost for Crossroads Live, Shake and Stir and Power Arts in association with Jamie Wilson. Until Mar 15. Lyric Theatre, QPAC. qpac.com.au
Gunsmoke. A Triple-Shot of Lux Radio Plays. New Farm Nash Theatre. Until Mar 22. nashtheatre.com
Popcorn by Ben Elton. Ipswich Little Theatre Society. Until Mar 15. ilt.org.au
The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter. Sunnybank Theatre Group. Until Mar 16. sunnybanktheatre.com.au
It’s My Party (And I’ll Die If I Want To) by Elizabeth Coleman Growl Theatre by Elizabeth Coleman Mar 1-15. Windsor School of Arts Hall. growltheatre.org.au
Is That You, Ruthie? By Leah Purcell, based on the books written by Dr Ruth Hegarty. Mar 6 - 15. Cremorne Theatre, QPAC. qpac.com.au
The Narcissist by Lori Stewart. Tweed Theatre Co. Mar 7 - 23. Tweed Heads Civic Centre Auditorium. tweedtheatre.com.au
The Great Gatsby by Simon Levy, from the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Villanova Players. Mar 7 - 16. Ron Hurley Theatre, Seven Hills. villanovaplayers.com
The Wharf Revue: The End Of The Wharf As We Know It by Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Philip Scott Soft Tread. Mar 11 - 16. Playhouse QPAC. qpac.com.au
The Ladies Foursome by Norm Foster. KUCOM (Mackay). Mar 13 - 22. kucom.org.au
Peter and the Starcatcher by Rick Elice. Music by Wayne Barker. Dead Puppet Society,
Glass Half Full Productions, JONES Theatrical Group and Damien Hewitt. Mar 14 - Apr 6. Playhouse, QPAC. qpac.com.au
Come From Away. Book, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Empire Theatre Toowoomba. Mar 14 - 23. empiretheatre.com.au
The Haunted Through Lounge and Recessed Dining Nook at Farndale Castle by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin Jr. St Luke’s Theatrical Society. Mar 14 - 29. stlukestheatre.asn.au
Letters to Lindy by Alana Valentine Javeenbah Theatre. Mar 14 - 16. javeenbah.org.au
Breaking The Castle by Peter Cook. Mar 19 - 22. Cremorne Theatre, QPAC. qpac.com.au
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Book by David Greig. Music by Marc Shaiman. Lyrics by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman. Songs from the motion picture by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. Redcliffe Musical Theatre. Mar 21 - 30
redcliffeentertainmentcentre.com.au
Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet. Queensland Ballet. Mar 21 - 29. Lyric Theatre, QPAC. qpac.com.au
Calamity Jane. Adapted by Ronald Hanmer and Phil Park, from the stage play by Charles K. Freeman after Warner Bros. film written by James O’Hanlon. Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster. Music: Sammy Fain. Queensland Theatre. Mar 22Apr 17. Bille Brown Theatre. queenslandtheatre.com.au
Come From Away. Book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. North Queensland Opera and Music Theatre. Mar 27 - Apr 5. Townsville Civic Theatre. nqomt.com.au
Divorce Party by Michelle Macwhirter. Gold Coast Little Theatre. Mar 28 - Apr 12. gclt.com.au
The Universe Has Your Back. Spotlight Theatrical Company. Mar 28 - Apr 12. spotlighttheatre.com.au
Don’t Dress for Dinner by Marc Camoletti. Adapted by Robert Hawdon Coolum Theatre Players. Mar 29 - Apr 6. coolumtheatre.com.au
Rumours by Neil Simon Noosa Arts Theatre. Apr 3 - 20. noosaartstheatre.org.au
RBG: Of Many, One by Suzie Miller. Sydney Theatre Company. Apr 3 - 5. HOTA, Gold Coast. hota.com.au
A Girl’s Guide to World War by Aleathea Monsour and Katy Forde Apr 8 - 12. Cremorne Theatre, QPAC. qpac.com.au
Brisbane Comedy Festival. Apr 23 - May 25. Brisbane Powerhouse, The Tivoli, Princess Theatre and The Fortitude Music Hall. brisbanecomedyfestival.com
The Dictionary of Lost Words. Adapted by Verity Laughton from Pip Williams’ novel. Apr 26 - May 10. Playhouse QPAC. qpac.com.au
On The Wallaby by Nick Enright. Toowoomba Repertory Theatre. Apr 29 - May 10. toowoombarep.com.au Victoria
Never Have I Ever by Deborah Frances-White. Melbourne Theatre Company. Until Mar 22. Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio. artscentremelbourne.com.au
Honour by Joanna MurraySmith. Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre. Until Mar 16. redstitch.net
Spider’s Web by Agatha Christie. The 1812 Theatre Ltd. Until Mar 15. 1812theatre.com.au
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. John Frost for Crossroads Live. Until Mar 23. Comedy Theatre, Melbourne. andthentherewerenone.com.au
On Stage Victoria
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. The Mount Players. Until Mar 9. themountplayers.com
Kinky Boots. Book by Harvey Fierstein. Music by Cyndi Lauper. Ballarat Lyric Theatre. Until Mar 9. Her Majesty’s Theatre. ballaratlyrictheatre.com.au
Head Over Heels. Songs by the Go-Go’s, adapted by James Magruder. Book by Jeff Whitty. Phoenix Theatre Company. Until Mar 8. phoenixtheatrecompany.org
The Robot Dog by Roshelle Yee Pui Fong and Matthew Ngamurarri Heffernan. Melbourne Theatre Company. Mar 1 - 19. Southbank Theatre, The Lawler. mtc.com.au
It’s a Intervention. Mar 3 - 8. The Butterfly Club. thebutterflyclub.com
The Most of It. Mar 3 - 8. The Butterfly Club. thebutterflyclub.com
Vangelis Unleashed! By Evangelos Arabatzis. Mar 6 - 8. The Butterfly Club. thebutterflyclub.com
Come From Away. Book, music & lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. CentreStage, Geelong. Mar 7 - 22. Playhouse Theatre, Geelong Performing Arts Centre. geelongartscentre.org.au
Ladies in Black. Book by Carolyn Burns and music and lyrics by Tim Finn. Adapted from the book by Madeleine St John. Beaumaris Theatre Group. Mar 7 - 22. beaumaristheatre.com.au
Carmen. Choreographer: Johan Inger. The Australian Ballet. Mar 7 - 18. Regent Theatre, Melbourne. australianballet.com.au
Fledermaus! (or The Bat) by Johan Strauss II. Operetta. Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria. Mar 8 & 9, The Round Studio, Nunawading. gsov.org.au
The Removalists by David Williamson. Melbourne Theatre Company. Mar11 - Apr 17. Southbank Theatre, The Sumner. mtc.com.au
Pain Drunk by Hannah Bird. Mar 11 - 15. The Butterfly Club. thebutterflyclub.com
RBG: Of Many, One by Suzie Miller. Sydney Theatre Company. Mar 12 - 23. Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse. artscentremelbourne.com.au
Dennis and The Dazzling Dentistry Facility. Mar 11 - 15. The Butterfly Club. thebutterflyclub.com
Sex Please, We’re Sixty by Michael Parker and Susan Parker. STAG - Strathmore
Theatrical Arts Group. Mar 1322. stagtheatre.org
Boys on the Verge of Tears by Sam Grabiner. fortyfivedownstairs. Mar 1330. fortyfivedownstairs.com
Chicago. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Music by John Kander. Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. SLAMS Music Theatre Company. Mar 14 - 22. Knox Community Arts Centre. slams.org.au
Jesus Christ Superstar by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. John Frost and David Ian for Crossroads Live and Work Light Productions. From Mar 16. Princess Theatre, Melbourne. jesuschristsuperstarmusical.com.au
The Cadaver Palaver by C.S. Carroll. Mar 17 - 22. The Butterfly Club. thebutterflyclub.com
Beasts. Mar 17 - 22. The Butterfly Club. thebutterflyclub.com
Hell and High Water. Mar 1922. The Butterfly Club. thebutterflyclub.com
Brother Jack by Fergus Mitchell and Unit 13 by Samantha Ackerley. Mar 20 - 22. The Butterfly Club. thebutterflyclub.com
Love, Love Love by Mike Bartlett. Essendon Theatre
Company. Mar 20 - 29. Bradshaw Street Community Hall. essendontheatrecompany.com.au
Come From Away. Book, music & lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Fab Nobs Theatre. Mar 21 - Apr 5. fabnobstheatre.com.au
All Shook Up young@part Edition. By Joe DiPietro, adapted by Mark Tumminelli. Featuring the songs of Elvis Presley. Diamond Valley Singers. Mar 21 - 29. Warrandyte High School Theatre. dvsingers.org
The Music Man. Book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. Nova Music Theatre. Mar 21 - 30. The Round, Nunawading. theround.com.au
Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Mar 26 - Apr 20. comedyfestival.com.au
When The Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs. Warrandyte Theatre Company. Mar 28Apr 12. warrandytearts.org.au
The Thrill of Love by Amanda Whittington. The 1812 Theatre Ltd. Apr 3 - May 3. 1812theatre.com.au
Macbeth by William Shakespeare. CPP Community Theatre. Apr 4 - 12. cppcommunitytheatre.com.au
Noises Off by Michael Frayn. FAMDA (Foster). Apr 4 - 13. Foster War Memorial Arts Centre.
Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. Upstage Theatre Company. Apr 4 - 13. Tony Sheumack Centre for Performing Arts. upstagetheatrecompany.com
80 Years of MLOC Magic. MLOC Productions. Apr 5. St Francis-Xavier Church Hall, Frankston. mloc.org.au
Disney Frozen Jr. Music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-
On Stage
Lopez, Robert Lopez. Book by Jennifer Lee. Players Theatre Company. Apr 5 - 13. playerstheatre.com.au
Seussical Kids by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Gateway Theatre, Seaford. Apr 8 - 13. gateway.asn.au/broadway
An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestly. Frankston Theatre Group. Apr 10 - 13. frankstontheatregroup.org.au
Things I Know To Be True by Andrew Bovell. Williamstown Little Theatre. Apr 23 - May 10. wlt.org.au
Haunted by Eric Chappell. Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre. Apr 24 - May 10. lilydaleatc.com
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Simon Stephens [from the novel by Mark Haddon]. Heidelberg Theatre Company. Apr 25 - May 10. htc.org.au
A Happy and Holy Occasion by John O’Donoghue. Malvern
The Comeuppance by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Red Stitch. Apr 26 - May 25. redstitch.net
The Lord Of The Rings: A Musical Tale. Based on the novels by J R R Tolkien. Book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus and original music by A R Rahman, Värttinä, and Christopher Nightingale. From Apr 26. Comedy Theatre, Melbourne. lotronstage.com
Identity Quest - A Trans Existential Drama by Julie Peters. Apr 28 - May 3. The Butterfly Club. thebutterflyclub.com
De Profundis by Oscar Wilde. fortyfivedownstairs. Apr 30May 4. fortyfivedownstairs.com
Tasmania
Billy Elliot - The Musical. Music by Elton John, Book & Lyrics by Lee Hall. Encore Theatre
Company. Mar 13 - 29.
Princess Theatre Launceston. theatrenorth.com.au
Goldfish by Dan Giovannoni Terrapin and Ten Days on the Island in association with Aichi Prefectural Art Theater. Mar 27 - 29. Studio Theatre, Theatre Royal, Hobart. theatreroyal.com.au
Parton Me Jolene! By Sid Sidebottom. Cradle Coast Theatre. Mar 28 - Apr 12. Devonport Town Hall. paranapleartscentre.com.au
Come From Away by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. The Show Company Tasmania. Apr 2 - 12. Theatre Royal, Hobart. theatreroyal.com.au
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Simon Stephens based on the novel by Mark Haddon. Launceston Players. Apr 4 - 12. Earl Arts Centre, Launceston. theatrenorth.com.au
Stuart Little. Adapted by Stuart Robinette. Hobart Rep. Apr 919. The Playhouse Theatre, Hobart. playhouse.org.au
Ratburger by Maryam Master, based on the bestselling book by David Walliams. CDP. Apr 28 - 29. Theatre Royal, Hobart. theatreroyal.com.au
South Australia
Adelaide Fringe. Until Mar 23. adelaidefringe.com.au
Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett. Adelaide Festival. Until Mar 8. Dunstan Playhouse. adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
Adelaide Festival. Until Mar 16. adelaidefestival.com.au
Innocence by Kaija Saariaho. Adelaide Festival. Until Mar 5. Festival Theatre.
adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
Complete Works: Tabletop Shakespeare. Forced Entertainment / Adelaide Festival. Mar 8 - 16. Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival
Centre. adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
Club Amour by Kaija Saariaho. Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch + Terrain Boris Charmatz. Adelaide Festival. Mar 10 - 16. Festival Theatre. adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
Café Müller by Kaija Saariaho. Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch + Terrain Boris Charmatz. Adelaide Festival. Mar 10 - 16. Festival Theatre. adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
Trent Dalton’s Love Stories. Adapted by Tim McGarry, with additional writing and story by Trent Dalton and Fiona Franzmann. Adelaide Festival. Mar 12 - 16. Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre. adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
Big Name, No Blankets by Andrea James with Anyupa Butcher and Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher. Presented with ILBIJERRI Theatre Company. Mar 14 - 16. Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide. adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
Sister Act. Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner. Presented by John Frost for Crossroads Live, Shake and Stir and Power Arts in association with Jamie Wilson. Mar 22 - Apr 19. Festival Theatre. adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
Billy Elliot. Book & Lyrics: Lee Hall. Music: Elton John. Northern Light Theatre Company. Mar 28 - Apr 12. Shedley Theatre, Elizabeth. northernlight.org.au
Life Without Me by Daniel Keene. The Stirling Players. Mar 28 - Apr 12. Stirling Community Theatre. stirlingplayers.org.au
Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell. Starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte. Apr 1 - 6. Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide. adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
On Stage
Doctor in the House by Richard Gordon and Ted Willis. Tea Tree Players. Apr 2 - 12. teatreeplayers.com
Labour of Love by John Graham. St Jude’s Players. Apr 3 - 12. St Jude’s Hall, Brighton. stjudesplayers.asn.au
The Dictionary of Lost Words. Adapted by Verity Laughton. From the novel by Pip Williams. State Theatre Company South Australia. Apr 3 - 17. Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre. adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
The Other Place by Sharr White. Adelaide Rep. Apr 23May 3. Arts Theatre, Adelaide. adelaiderep.com
Western Australia
Nunsense by Dan Goggin. Primadonna Productions. Mar 7 - 9. Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. manpac.com.au
Endgame by Samuel Beckett. KADS. Mar 7 - 22. KADS Town Hall Theatre, Kalamunda. kadstheatre.com.au
After Dinner by Andrew Bovell. Roxy Lane Theatre. Mar 7 - 23. Roxy Lane Theatre, Maylands. (08) 9255 3336. taztix.com.au
The Lesson and Zoo Story by Eugene Ionesco and Edward Albee. Mar 7 - 22. Theatre 8, Geraldton. trybooking.com/CYKGP
Henry IV by William Shakespeare, Graduate Dramatic Society. Mar 12 - 22. The New Fortune Theatre, University of Western Australia, Nedlands. Bookings ticketswa.com
Lizzie the Musical by Tim Maner, Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer and Alan Stevens Hewitt. Milky Way Productions, Mar 14 - 22. City of Gosnells, Don Russell Performing Arts Centre, Thornlie. drpac.sales.ticketsearch.com
Not a Boring Life and Looking at the Alps by Yvette Wall. Off The Wall Productions in association with Link Theatre.
South Australia & Western Australia
Mar 15. Link Theatre, Northam. trybooking.com/CZHND
Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale. Based on the novels by J R R Tolkien. Book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus and original music by A R Rahman, Värttinä, and Christopher Nightingale. Mar 19 - Apr 4. Musical based on the books by Tolkien. Crown Theatre, Perth. lotronstage.com
Anything Goes by Cole Porter Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse. Perth College. Mar 19 - 22. Judith Cottier Auditorium, Perth College, Mt Lawley. perthcollege.wa.edu.au
Clue on Stage by Sandy Rustin from film script by Johnathan Lynn. Esperance Theatre Guild. Mar 21 - Apr 5. Based on the boardgame Cluedo. Bijou Theatre, Esperance. trybooking.com/1357875
Godspell by Stephen Schwartz, based on the Gospel of Matthew. Midnite Youth Theatre. Mar 25 - 28. Subiaco Arts Centre. artsculturetrust.wa.gov.au
The Addams Family by Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice and Andrew Lippa. Mar 26 - 29. Curtin Theatre, Fremantle. trybooking.com/1355552
Midnight Murder at Hamlington Hall by Mark Kilmurray. Mar 27 - Apr 12. Garrick Theatre. Garrick Theatre, Guildford. (08) 9255 3336. taztix.com.au
Genesis. The West Australian Ballet. Mar 27 - Apr 5. The Western Australian Ballet Centre, Maylands. waballet.com.au
The Addams Family by Andrew Lippa Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, St Mary’s Anglican Girls School. Mar 27 - 29. Lady Wardle Performing Arts Centre, Karrinyup. stmarys.wa.edu.au
Murder on the Nile by Agatha Christie, Rockingham Theatre Company. Mar 28 - Apr 12. The Castle, Rockingham. rtcrockingham.com
The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan, W.A. Opera. Mar 28 - Apr 5. His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth. waopera.asn.au
Playing Beatie Bow. Adapted for the stage by Kate Mulvaney, based on the novel by Ruth Park. Santa Maria College. Apr 3 - 6. The Naval Store, Fremantle. santamaria.wa.edu.au
American Idiot by Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer. Art in Motion. Apr 4 - 12. City of Gosnells, Don Russell Performing Arts Centre, Thornlie. drpac.sales.ticketsearch.com
JETS - One Act Season by various authors. Apr 11 - 13. Playing for Sheep Stations, Jilted Lovers Helpline and A Little Love and Understanding (08) 9255 3336. taztix.com.au
The Watsons by Laura Wade, adapted from Jane Austen’s novel. WAAPA 3rd Year Acting Students. Apr 11 - 16. The Roundhouse Theatre, WAAPA, Edith Cowan University. waapa.ecu.edu.au
Freaky Friday by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. WAAPA 3rd Year Music Theatre Students. Apr 11 - 16. The Roundhouse Theatre, WAAPA, Edith Cowan University. waapa.ecu.edu.au
Gone But Not Forgotten. Tivoli Club of WA. Apr 11 - May 18. (08) 9364 5463. tivoli.org.au
The Diary of Anne Frank by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich. Drew Anthony Creative. Apr 15 - 19. Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA, Perth. artsculturetrust.wa.gov.au
You are a Doughnut. Apr 16. City of Gosnells, Don Russell Performing Arts Centre, Thornlie. drpac.sales.ticketsearch.com
Dot and the Kangaroo Jr by Daniel Mertzglufft, Kate Leonard and Daniel Stoddart, based on the book by Ethel Pedley. Western Theatrics. Apr 19 - 27. WA Premiere
Roleystone Theatre. roleystonetheatre.com.au
The 91-Storey Treehouse by Richard Tulloch, based on book series by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton. CDP Kids. Apr 22 - 27. Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA, Perth. artsculturetrust.wa.gov.au
Room on the Broom by Tall Stories. Based on the popular picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Schleffer. CDP Kids. Apr 22 - 27. Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA, Perth. artsculturetrust.wa.gov.au
A Little Bit of Blue by Little Wing Puppets. Apr 24. City of Gosnells, Don Russell Performing Arts Centre, Thornlie. gosnells.wa.gov.au Hotel Sorrento by Hannie Rayson. Dunsborough Theatre Company, aka Wild Capers. Apr 25 - May 4. Old Dunsborough Hall. trybooking.com/1358509
The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett. Old Mill Theatre. Apr 25 - May 10. Old Mill Theatre, South Perth. oldmilltheatre.com.au
Sister Act by Alan Menken, Glen Slater, Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner. Apr 26May 11. Crown Theatre, Perth. sisteractthemusical.com.au
Disney Newsies Jr by Alan Menken, Jack Feldman and Harvey Fierstein, Stirling Players. Apr 26 - May 10. Stirling Theatre. trybooking.com/1302790
Disney’s High School Musical by David Simpatico. John XXIII College. Apr 29 - May 3. Roccilli Hall, John XXIII College, Claremont.
Footloose by Tom Snow, Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. Apr 30 - May 3. Sacred Heart College. RNDM Performing Arts Centre, Sacred Heart College Sorrento. sacredheart.wa.edu.au
Online extras!
Watch a preview of Sydney Theatre Company’s 4000 Miles youtu.be/2T99em8w0xA
12 - Mar 23.
IN 4000 Miles 91-year-old Vera Joseph (Nancye Hayes) shoots from the hip when her grandson Leo (Shiv Palekar) turns up unannounced to her New York home on his bike, after suffering from an undisclosed trauma during his long road trip.
Playwright Amy Herzog wrote 4000 Miles as a love letter to her own grandmother, who, like the lead in this production was a sharp as a tack old leftie.
It is an entertaining play with bite and wit. Little things such as absent-minded misplacement of household goods are blended nicely with shocking revelations.
In the script Herzog writes in pauses and sometimes long pauses. The absence of dialogue in no way diminished the drama. Nancye Hayes filled these moments with a delicious mix of thoughts and actions.
Her grandson is 21 years old, but Leo’s dialogue has a wisdom beyond these years. They are an odd couple, but spending time together is good for both of their souls.
The funniest scene in the play is when Leo looked like he might get the opportunity for a one-nighter with a charismatic muse played by Shirong Wu.
The performances are aided by a stunning looking set (Jeremy Allen), lighting design (Kelsey Lee) and sumptuous audio (Jessica Dunn).
Exquisite details such as the tiles on the floor, items on the shelves and the tree outside the window were vivid.
The memory of a warm night in the theatre and terrific characters will burn bright.
David Spicer Reviews
Online extras!
Get a taste of the glitz and glamour of Victorian Opera’s Follies youtu.be/eixjxbWtdfY
4000 Miles
By Amy Herzog. Sydney Theatre Company. Directed by Kenneth Moraleda. Wharf 1 Theatre. Feb
Follies
Music & Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim. Book: James Goldman. Victorian Opera. Director: Stuart Maunder. Choreographer: Yvette Lee. Musical Director: Phoebe Briggs. Palais Theatre, Melbourne. Feb 1 - 6.
LUCKY Melbourne theatregoers witnessed the first fully staged professional Australian production of this seldom performed Sondheim masterpiece. Director Stuart Maunder combined compelling narrative with impactful visual experiences. From the very first bars the audience knew they were in for a once in a lifetime experience! Masterpieces of opulence and style, the costume and set designs by Roger Kirk alone were worth the price of admission. The theatre community have lauded Yvette Lee’s choreography as some of the best seen in recent years. MD Phoebe Briggs expertly navigated this challenging score with Orchestra Victoria.
The impeccable casting was a Who’s Who of esteemed Australian theatre legends. Marina Prior, Adam Murphy, Antoinette Halloran and Alexander Lewis are flawless in their demanding lead roles. Sondheim’s timeless standards ‘I’m Still Here’ (Anne Wood), ‘Broadway Baby’ (Geraldine Morrow), ‘Losing My Mind’ (Antoinette Halloran) and possibly the quintessential version of ‘One More Kiss’ (Merlyn Quaife and Nina Korbe) were rewarded accordingly by an ecstatic crowd.
Both enthusiastic fans and newcomers to Sondheim’s work were charmed by this sumptuous display of musical brilliance, opulent staging, exceptional storytelling, and the crème de la crème of Australian theatre!
Jonathan Cox
4000 Miles.
Photo: Daniel Boud.
Follies.
Photo: Jeff Busby.
Jacky
Jacky
By Declan Furber Gillick.
Sydney Festival/Melbourne Theatre Company. Belvoir St Theatre. Jan 16 - Feb 2.
JACKY is a remarkably insightful, hilarious drama about a young Aboriginal man negotiating his way in the big city by becoming a black poster boy for whites.
Premiered last year In Melbourne, writer Declan Furber Gillick uses four characters to unpack multiple layers of contemporary racism, from “kind”, jocular and unintentional to appallingly abusive.
That our handsome hero is a gay sex worker so he can get a mortgage on his small apartment opens up yet more racist doors. When his wild younger brother, Keith, crashes in, Jacky also cops it from his own mob which later climaxes when he crosses crucial Indigenous boundaries.
Guy Simon is outstanding as Jacky, empathic but contained. Danny Howard brings an anarchic, if vocally gabbled, humour to Keith. And Mandy McElhenny is perfect as Linda, the pragmatic manager of a welfare provider seeking to expand its support to Indigenous locals, and so reach the associated funding she desperately needs.
She convinces Jacky to pretend he’s something he’s not to win over donors, a compromise I thought was worth the outcome but not most Indigenous people in the audience.
This moral tug of war between perspectives and within Jacky himself is Gillick’s honest, great achievement, and that he’s made it so funny.
Online extras!
Meet Guy Simon, the actor behind the lead character in Jacky. youtu.be/9Yrc8kLGrDU
Photo: Stephen Wilson Barker.
Greg Stone’s unworldly Glenn raises the temperature when he employs Jacky to give him some “big black cock”. He complains at first that Jacky isn’t black enough, to more audience groans, but is soon declaring love.
Stone is brilliantly inventive, maintaining our laughter and sympathy for the prevaricating Glenn, until a sex game explodes in astonishing racial abuse. Jacky, remember, is an old white nickname for black workers.
Christine Smith’s set works competently and Emily Barrie’s astute costumes are realistic. Director Mark Wilson has been with Jacky since first development, and it shows: it’s a must see.
Martin Portus
An Inspector Calls
By J.B. Priestly. Genesian Theatre Rozelle. Directors Ali Bendall and Mark Bull.
Jan 10 - Feb 22.
THE Genesian Theatre company has moved from the gracious old 19th century building in Kent Street to a new, purpose-built theatre in Rozelle. Over its 90 years of theatre-making, the company has produced many murder mysteries, so it is appropriate that they have chosen J.B. Priestly’s 80-year-old classic mystery An Inspector Calls to launch their new home.
The new stage is perfect for a period drama set in a fire-lit turn-of-the-century dining room with velvet curtains, polished furniture, glittering glassware and spooky lighting and prop effects.
Directors Ali Bendall and Mark Bull have chosen a rich colour palate for the set, which is matched by Susan Carveth’s costumes. Lighting and sound designer Michael Schell provides the atmospheric eerie music and ghostly lighting effects for this, his 170th production for the Genesians.
Bendall and Bull have given this production the thought and time needed to realise the intrigue and social comment in Priestly’s very carefully constructed script. Under their guidance, a talented and experienced cast show the social arrogance of the characters and their underlying frailties. The action is tight, the performances strong, the atmosphere tense.
A perfect opening to new venue and a new season!
Carol Wimmer
Mother And Son
By Geoffrey Atherden. Hunters Hill Theatre. Club Ryde.
Nov 22 - Dec 8, 2024.
MOVING a popular television series like the ABC’s Mother and Son from the screen to the stage is never easy, however, if the adaptation is done by the original writer, who also writes for stage, there’s a chance that the move will work!
Geoffrey Atherden has taken Arthur and Maggie Beare firmly into the twenty-first century, where devices like mobile phones and personal alarm systems cause the confusion that made Maggie’s character so lovable.
The play still follows the story line of the series. Arthur lives with his ‘forgetful’ mother Maggie who favours his
Sydney’s reopened Genesian Theatre in Rozelle receives a bishop’s blessings youtu.be/bXQx1QwlBjs
An Inspector Calls
Photo: Anthony Burns.
dentist brother, Robert, who is very manipulative. Life is easier because of technology, but more complicated. Mobile phones get lost. Scam phone callers try to con the unwary. And wily senior citizens can be very good at tricking dementia assessors!
Technology also drives the play and director Jasper Kyle and his creative team at HHT have collaborated carefully to record the many lighting and sound effects and video recordings necessitated by the script.
The set, cleverly designed by Wayne Chee, allows room for the Beares’ living room to accommodate quick changes of scene to a dentist’s reception area and an aged care facility. Two screens allow Maggie to Skype with her grandchildren and watch TV.
Atherden’s adaptation of Mother and Son is a gentle, thoughtful comedy that transports the lovable Beare family into a twenty-first century setting with contemporary problems.
Carol Wimmer
Wuthering Heights
By Emily Brontë. Adapted and Directed by Emma Rice. National Theatre, Wise Children, Bristol Old Vic & York Theatre Royal Co-production. Kay+McLean Productions. Ros Packer Theatre. Jan 31 - Feb 15.
IT was her concern about the fate of unaccompanied children in refugee camps that sparked adaptor/director Emma Rice’s memories of Wuthering Heights. “Wasn’t Heathcliff an unaccompanied child?” she recalled. Would today’s unaccompanied children face similar cruelty?
“Be careful what you seed,” she wrote and that warning became the theme of an adaptation that exposes the inferences of racial discrimination in Wuthering Heights as well the classism, misogyny, brutality…and dark romance.
If that suggests that the adaptation is didactic, it isn’t! It’s clever, fast moving, physical, and theatrical. It uses action and interaction, control and connection, timing and judgement, movement and music…and humour.
Eleven multi-talented performers and three musicians personify the characters, the complexities of their relationships, the cruelties they inflict upon each other, and the gloomy Yorkshire Moor itself.
Emma Rice personifies The Moors as a Greek chorus, replacing Brontë’s narrator Nellie Dean. Led by the expressive and energetic Nandi Bhebe, The Moors sing, dance and become all the characters who surround Heathcliff (John Leader) and Catherine (Stephanie Hockley).
This production is pure theatre: actor based, skilfully directed and choreographed. The only “multi-media” device is a huge cyc of the restless Yorkshire sky, across which a murder of crows flies each time one of the Earnshaw/Linton dynasty dies.
This production is a fine example of theatrical storytelling, perhaps one of the best pieces of collaborative ensemble work we have seen in Sydney for some time.
Carol Wimmer
Mother And Son
Photo: Kris Egan.
Hadestown.
Reviews
Online extras!
Watch a preview of Opera Australia’s Hadestown at Theatre Royal, Sydney youtu.be/kQ7XZPqlIjI
Hadestown
Music, lyrics and book by Anaïs Mitchell. Opera Australia and Jones Theatrical Group. Theatre Royal, Sydney. Opening Night: Feb 14, Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne from May 8.
THE big juicy soundscape that is Hadestown wondrously filled the Theatre Royal with the musicians on stage. The cracking, sometimes dirty, solos of trombonist James Greening were a highlight.
The score, a mixture of folk, blues, jazz and rock, was expertly performed by the band and cast.
A modern adaptation of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown opened on Valentine’s night to an adoring crowd. Their enthusiasm was not dampened by a technical fault which stopped the show in the first act.
Hermes (Christine Anu), the charismatic narrator of the story, introduced the characters with the ominous song ‘Road to Hell’.
Eurydice (Abigail Adriano) meets the impoverished romantic song-writer Orpheus (Noah Mullins) who almost
instantly proposes. Mullins’ high tenor voice was very sweet.
In this update, poverty leads Eurydice to sign a contract to enter a hellish industrial estate Hadestown.
The job of workers there is to ‘Build The Wall’. Penned by Anaïs Mitchell before Donald Trump’s declared his Presidential ambitions, the inclusion of the song, an anthem for fear of outsiders, nonetheless gives the musical a contemporary edge.
Adrian Tamburini, as Hades, impressed with his booming baritone voice. As his wife Persephone, Elenoa Rokobaro shone with some thrilling solos.
A visual highlight of the shows is the song ‘Wait for Me’, which is beautifully choreographed with swinging lamp lights.
The famous challenge for Orpheus in the original story is that when he leads Eurydice out of the underworld, he is forbidden from turning around to look at her.
This part of the legend is incorporated into Hadestown, giving the musical a thrilling climax.
David Spicer
Photo: Lisa Tomasetti.
Evil Dead: The Musical
By
George Reinblatt, Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla and Melissa Morris. Ghostlight Theatre Co. EvilCorp Horror Maze, Brisbane. Jan 31 - Mar 9.
GHOSTLIGHT Theatre’s Queensland premiere production of Evil Dead: The Musical is a cult hit and has sold out its production run! This musical features some of the funniest mash-up horror movie scenes and loving send-ups of stage musical styles that brings to mind IRocky Horror Show and Little Shop of Horrors
But the parody/homage style requires a superb cast to carry it off. Directors Yasmin Elahi and Benjamin Oxley have found a dream cast of energetic and talented performers. Patrick ‘Az’ James is perfect as the chiselled hero, Ash. Isabel Kraemer makes his girlfriend, Linda, straight out of Central Casting for ‘the perfect American girlfriend’. Their duet on ‘Housewares Employee’ is the first of the superb songs that make this musical so enjoyable.
Zara Lassey as Cheryl and Julianne Clinch as Shelly almost steal Act One with their punchy rendition of ‘Look Who’s Evil Now’ and Adam Goodall as Scott proves his singing is as sharp as his comic timing in the hilarious ‘What the F#%k Was That?’ Oliver Catton’s ‘good old reliable Jake’ has a killer voice.
Act Two picks up the pace with Ariel Franzmann in shining form as the pushy Annie. Her shy boyfriend, Ed (Skye Schultz) introduces an unexpected show-stopper, ‘Bit-Part Demon’, and Skye has a voice to die for. The venue in a small basement of the EvilCorp Horror Maze is safely immersive and you feel as if you are in the cabin too hence the warnings about the ‘splatter zone’. This whole show is a hoot from start to finish!
Beth Keehn
THE Flea brings a welcome, madly inventive young director and designer to Sydney’s New Theatre with Patrick Kennedy.
By British playwright James Fitz, it’s about the London scandal in 1889 of an exclusive homosexual brothel which threatened to bring down its aristocratic gay clientele, including, as rumoured, the grandson and heir of Queen Victoria, Prince Eddy.
Part fictionalised crime thriller and moral pantomime, The Flea reveals the insurmountable homophobia of the age, the vulnerability of all classes of gay men to blackmail, paranoia and exile with the toughest justice falling on the rent boys.
On Kennedy’s colourful, hyper-surreal set of angled walls, doors, ramps and niches, an impressive cast of five play multiple roles in an inexplicable number of quick scenes
Most are ghoulishly face-painted and vividly costumed by Kennedy in a pageantry of ‘80s punk, camp and militaristic excess. We’re torn between enjoying the
The Flea
By James Fitz. New Theatre, Newtown. Mardi Gras. Feb 4 - Mar 8.
Evil Dead: The Musical.
Photo: Christopher Sharman / Alan Burchill.
The Flea. Photo: Chris Lundie.
burlesque and wanting to know and feel more about these queer lives. Fritz’s narrative too often slips off into tangents.
Bringing truth to the buffoonery is Samuel Ireland as the rent boy, Charlie, supporting his widowed mother (Sofie Divall). Both reappear as, respectively, a viciously slandering Bertie, Prince of Wales, and Queen Victoria, who talks endlessly to God.
James Collins and Jack Elliott Mitchell convince as gay aristocrats ultimately coerced or exiled by Bertie. There’s a tragic empathy in their later scenes and Mitchell also sports a droll wit as the Constable to his Detective (Mark Salvestro).
The seeds of confronting, thoughtful drama are not fully grown in this entertainment, as they swirl around in this explosion of competing theatrical styles. But it’s an important contribution to Sydney’s Mardi Gras.
Martin Portus
Bearded
By Sean Donehue & Nick Waxman. Music by Donehue. Theatre Works, St Kilda. Jan 8 - 18.
BEARDED is a gutsy, full-throated roar of a musical, set in the lead up to the referendum on marriage equality. Richard Rawling (Anton Berezin) is the unsmiling face of the ‘family values’ ‘NO’ candidate. No opponent is named; in this show it’s the gay kids vs fear, repression, and authority. Naturally, Richard wants to campaign with his obedient wife Janet (Michelle Fitzmaurice) and
daughters Hailey (Belle Parkinson), an annoying prig, and Bet (Bek Schilling), secretly and trepidatiously in love with Kelly (Charlie Jaz Abbott Higgins).
Meanwhile, Bet’s best friend is shy doofus Ace (playwright and composer Sean Donehue), who lives with his single Dad, working class David (Michael Linder). Ace is pretty sure he’s gay, but he’s yet to do anything about it…as pressure mounts, Ace and Bet agree to be each other’s ‘beards’ even if their gay pals are either dismayed or unconvinced.
The show proceeds almost completely via contemporary music theatre songs and high energy dance numbers. Co-writer Nick Waxman’s direction is slick, efficient, and never lets up on pace (until the dragged-out final scenes). And Aaddhya Wijegoonawardena’s choreography is excellent.
It’s a strange thing to say about a musical, but there may be just too much singing and dancing in Bearded at the expense of story and character. The story is predictable, even perhaps cliché. The gay characters, apart from the leads, seem unreservedly happy in all their scenes, songs, and dances. Resistance to marriage equality comes entirely from uptight ‘Christians.’ Bet and Ace acting as each other’s ‘beards’ is awkward and funny, but too bad that there’s not much tension or pain.
Perhaps because we know the referendum’s triumphant outcome, it’s okay to skate cheerfully over the surface. Bearded opts for uplift, positivity, and endorsement of the gay life and culture, but a little light and shade, and some more complexity might throw the show’s real qualities into sharper relief.
Michael Brindley
Bearded.
Photo: Jacob McCormack.
Honour
By Joanna Murray-Smith. Red Stitch
Actors’
Theatre. Feb 15 - Mar 16.
HONOUR was first performed at the CUB Malthouse in 1995, yet the events Joanna Murray-Smith depicts with such insight could just as well have happened last week. Perhaps a wife with a successful career of her own would not so willingly give it up to nurture and support her now famous husband’s but psychologically the truth of that persists. Whose career takes precedence even today?
George (Peter Houghton), famous journalist, public intellectual, is interviewed by pretty, subtly flirtatious, much younger up-and-coming writer Claudia (Ella Ferris). Absurdly flattered and let’s face it sexually disturbed, George tells his wife of thirty-two years, Honor (Caroline Lee) that he’s leaving her. He offers the sort of slightly incoherent, self-serving rationalisations that men in these situations do. And soon he is living with Claudia and taking her to book launches. ‘Decorum’ is abandoned. Honor and George’s university student daughter, Sophie (Lucinda Smith), is appalled but that’s more because she’s been robbed of one of her life’s certainties…and Claudia is one of those bright young things that Murray-Smith does so well not, in fact, as confident or clever as she might want us to think.
Designer Jacob Battista emphasises the timelessness of the story with his utterly bare, open-on-three sides white platform box, plus two straight back chairs. The cast remain on stage, beside the platform if not in a scene, but always there and eye contact between those on stage and those off acknowledges the range of effects of each character on another character. This intentional but charged simplicity means that the pace never slackens, and transitions are so fluid as to be almost unnoticeable.
The cast is excellent, but one must say it’s Caroline Lee’s night. She charts every changing emotion with piercing accuracy from lulled complacency to inarticulate incredulity, to rage, to resignation, to devastating, bitchy fighting back…to rebuilding and reclaiming herself…and she takes us with her every step.
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Contributors: Cathy Bannister, Anne Blythe-Cooper, Michael Brindley, Kerry Cooper, Rose Cooper, Ken Cotterill, Bill Davies, Coral Drouyn, Jenny Fewster, Kitty Goodall, Peter Gotting, John P. Harvey, Frank Hatherley, Barry Hill, Jude Hines, Beth Keehn, Fiona Kelly, Tony Knight, Debora Krizak, Neil Litchfield, Ken Longworth, Rachel McGrath-Kerr, Mel Newton, Peter Novakovich, Peter Pinne, Martin Portus, Suzanne Sandow, Kimberley Shaw, David Spicer, Mark Wickett, Geoffrey Williams and Carol Wimmer.
Honour.
Photo: James Reiser.
Musical Spice
Disorder In Court
Audience participation is loved by some and loathed by others. During January’s Sydney Festival I had a ‘pick me, pick me’ moment.
It was during the sold-out production of A Model Murder which took place in the Darlinghurst Courthouse, the 19th century sandstone edifice on the city’s famous Oxford Street.
The play, which included tap dancing on desks, singing and razzamatazz lighting, was a reenactment of a notorious court case that took place in 1954. Some of the actual dialogue from the original hearing was used verbatim.
Model Sheila Beiger was on trial for the murder of her boyfriend Arthur Griffin. Beiger told police that her gun went off accidentally outside a ritzy nightclub, when she confronted him about his infidelity.
The murder trial was a media sensation, very reminiscent of the type of cases that inspired the musical Chicago, where celebrity hype helped defendants get away with murder.
Adding to the authenticity of the experience, audience members had to go through airport type security to get into the building, in case someone smuggled in a weapon, and hid it in the courtroom ahead of a real trial resuming.
At the theatrical re-enactment, the audience members seated in the jury
box wore a hat and moustache because all jurors were male at the time. On the other side, audience members put on a headscarf to resemble female court watchers.
I was invited to the final dress rehearsal and secured a premium ticket in the jury box. As luck would have it, a member of the cast tapped me on the shoulder to become the judge. I was taken behind the bench, where I was given a robe and wig to preside over the satirical reenactment.
A few pieces of paper were handed to me to read out during the show (such as asking the jury foreman for the verdict), but apart from that I was left to my own devices.
Taking full advantage of the situation, I went into amateur actor mode. I stood with theatrical effect to deliver pronouncements with a deep judge’s voice. I banged on the gavel when appropriate. “Order in court.”
At one stage the barrister asked me whether the jury should see the grim picture of the dead boyfriend with a bullet in his head. There was nothing in my script to respond and I was half tempted to stand up and ad lib a response.
Having a ring-in go rogue may have caused a bit of chaos, so I just nodded attentively.
A very dangerous moment happened soon after, when actress
Blazey Best approached the bench and wiggled her cleavage in close proximity.
Dangerous because my wife was sitting in the jury box just metres way. Thinking on my feet I gesticulated that I would keep my eyes looking straight ahead and not sideways at her breasts, earning what some considered to be the loudest laugh of the performance.
The whole experience brought back many memories. Thirty years ago, I was in the chorus of Trial by Jury at a Sydney Festival production in a different courtroom.
Also, in my time as a journalist with the ABC I had spent weeks in the same Darlinghurst court used for the play, at the trial of assassin Phuong Ngo.
The MC mentioned that journalists carved their initials in the bench over the years, and I think there is evidence of my initials in the vicinity. Imagine my surprise that a Judge may also have joined this disorderly tradition. I noticed that initials were also carved in the judge’s bench.
The play was a sell out, so if the right court rooms are found to be available, this little production might be seen at a makeshift theatre near you. Immersive theatre in the right space can be very special.
