Sydney Theatre Company 2013 Season

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2013

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SOUL-SEARCHING

DELUSION

HOME

LOVE

HILARITY

POLITICS

PATHOS

EXILE

DRESS-UPS

2 DOOM

THE SEASON

7 The 2013 Season 9 Come and play

THE PLAYS

13 The Secret River 15 School Dance 17 Mrs Warren’s Profession 19 Little Mercy 21 Dance Better at Parties 23 Fury 25 The Maids 27 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead 29 Romeo and Juliet 31 Laser Beak Man 33 Vere (Faith) 35 Waiting for Godot 37 Machinal

THE PRE-SALE OFFERS

41 One Man, Two Guvnors 43 Storm Boy 45 The Wharf Revue 2013

Photography by

THE INFORMATION

49 How to fuel the foundation 51 Suggested show combinations 53 Ticket prices 54 Step by step booking guide 58 Venues, map and accessible performances 60 More than theatre 62 The Bar at the End of the Wharf 64 STC Community 65 Our supporters 66 Contact details

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ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD ~

A MESSAGE FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTORS ~

During our time at Sydney Theatre Company we have sought to put partnerships and collaborations at the heart of our choices. So it’s no surprise that our 2013 season – our last in the job together! – seems to spin around some great partnerships: narratively and creatively.

Theatre is, after all, one of the most collaborative of all art forms, combining performance, sound, vision and text. Plus the ultimate collaborative partnership – between the actors on stage and the audience on the other side of the fourth wall, catalysing all the elements into the experience of theatre, made new each night. Or afternoon, as the case may be.

So how do these partnerships specifically manifest in 2013? Some of the plays represent the great twosomes of all time: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; Vladimir and Estragon, endlessly waiting for Godot; Claire and Solange, the servants from Genet’s The Maids; Romeo and Juliet.

Backstage, some of 2013’s partnerships are affairs of long standing, whereas others we reckon will be the start of beautiful friendships. Richard Roxburgh, Hugo Weaving and director Tamás Ascher – reunited following the great success of Uncle Vanya. Cate collaborating for a third time with director Benedict Andrews. The tight, trusting ensemble of Back to Back Theatre. And stepping out together for the first time, Neil Armfield, one of the country’s greatest directors, and Andrew Bovell, one of the country’s greatest stage writers.

Performers Tim Minchin and Toby Schmitz – look out. We’re incredibly proud of this company’s ongoing relationships with a cross-section of Australia’s most talented and original performers and creatives. As we are of our own relationships to the company, dating back from when we took our first steps as professional artists, up to now, as we sign off on our fifth and final program as Co-Artistic Directors.

In some tangible and rewarding way, all the plays in 2013 investigate, unpick or find themselves entangled in the magnificent and treacherous fluidity of human relationships. Many of which will be raked over, revved up or exploded over a drink in the bar afterwards.

We hope you’ll be there too.

Photography by Lisa Tomasetti

Andrew and Cate Co-Artistic Directors

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THE SECRET RIVER

SCHOOL DANCE

MRS WARREN’S PROFESSION

LITTLE MERCY

DANCE BETTER AT PARTIES

FURY

THE MAIDS

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD

ROMEO AND JULIET

LASER BEAK MAN

VERE (FAITH)

WAITING FOR GODOT

MACHINAL

ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS

STORM BOY

THE WHARF REVUE 2013

IT’S SEASON TICKET SEASON ONCE AGAIN. ~

And what a season.

We conducted a (not particularly scientific) analysis of the 2013 season to identify its primary themes. Heartland concepts like Home, Love and Family are at the centre of many of the new and classic plays next year; and there will be plenty of Hilarity to balance out the Pathos, Politics and Soul-searching. Surprisingly, Delusion and Dress-ups also rated highly. Or maybe not so surprisingly – this is the theatre after all.

This year, you can choose from a range of different performance experiences across all four of our venues – from the biggest blockbuster at Sydney Theatre to the quirkiest moments in Wharf 2.

Spend some time with the season brochure to dream up your perfect mix of shows for your Season Ticket package – or for clues, check out our suggested show combinations on page 50.

Each show page features a key giving an indication of the play’s thematic ingredients. We hope that this will make selecting your shows if not easier, then perhaps a more playful experience.

Theatre being the broad spectrum of experience that it is, this year we decided to have a crack at sorting the plays according to common themes.

We have allocated a colour to each of them to create a sort of rainbow infographic.

With five bumper shows in Sydney Theatre alone, 2013 promises to be a rousing finalé to Cate and Andrew’s programming over their two terms as Co-Artistic Directors.

We look forward to running into you in the foyer.

THE SPECTRUM ~

Soul-searching Delusion Home Love Hilarity Politics Pathos Exile Dress-ups Doom 7

SEASON TICKET HOLDER BENEFITS ~

Choose between six and 13 productions from our 2013 Season and you’ll enjoy the following benefits

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PRIORITY BOOKING WINDOW

THE BEST AVAILABLE SEATS

From 7 Sep – 3 Oct 2012 existing Season Ticket Holders enjoy an exclusive priority booking period.

From 4 Oct 2012 Season Tickets are open to everyone. You can still secure the best available seats before single tickets go on sale to the public on 3 Dec.

BE THE FIRST: PRE-SALE OFFERS

We are offering our Season Ticket Holders an exclusive pre-sale on three great shows for 2013, before we release tickets to the public. Get your hands on the best available seats; enjoy discounts for: The Wharf Revue and One Man, Two Guvnors, and bring your family to see the wonder of Mr Percival the pelican in Storm Boy, while you purchase your 2013 Season Ticket.

DISCOUNTS AND EASY PAYMENT OPTIONS As a Season Ticket Holder you can save up to 20% off the casual ticket price. If you hold a Seniors Card, are a concession holder or are under 30 you’ll save even more. We do not charge a transaction fee for Season Ticket bookings.

FLEXIBILITY Pick and mix the dates and times that suit your diary. You can choose your own mix of previews, matinees, standard evening performances and Saturday evening performances, when building your Season Ticket.

(Preview performances and Saturday evenings are priced at a flat rate with no concessions.)

FREE TICKET EXCHANGE

If you change your mind you can swap your tickets for another performance at a later date, and your first exchange per production is free. (Subsequent exchanges are $8.)

DISCOUNT TICKETS FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS Purchase a Season Ticket and you can pre-book additional seats for friends at discounted prices.

(Except for The Maids. We will offer Season Ticket Holders a pre-sale to this production before single tickets go on sale to the public.)

ALL-PLAY BUYERS If you add all 13 plays to your Season Ticket we will give you a free ticket voucher for a friend to say ‘thank you’.

DISCOUNTED PROGRAMS Our programs are jam-packed with great insights into the world of the production. On sale from our venues at $10, pre-purchase program vouchers with your Season Ticket and get them for only $8!

DEFERRED PAYMENT For maximum flexibility, spread the cost of your Season Ticket by paying 50% now and 50% in Feb 2013.

BACKSTAGE EXPERIENCES

We offer our Season Ticket Holders a number of ways to delve deeper into the world of each production, go behind the scenes and meet the artists.

PRE-SEASON BRIEFINGS

Before each season we have informal sessions at The Wharf with the cast and creative team behind each production. Come along to find out more about the theatremaking process and ask questions about the creation of the show.

AUDI NIGHTS WITH THE ACTORS Post-show Q&A sessions held in the theatre following one performance in each season.

SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY MAGAZINES

Season Ticket Holders receive our regular Back Stage magazine, containing news, interviews, casting updates and more. Our digital magazine is at sydneytheatre.com.au/ magazine and is packed with articles, videos, image galleries and plenty of insights into the world of theatre.

BENEFITS CARD We negotiate discounts and special offers on your behalf at a number of partner organisations.

Just show your Sydney Theatre Company Card and get a whole range of benefits. Full benefits are listed at sydneytheatre.com.au/ benefits.

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The Loading Dock

This is it. This is where it all begins. Ladies and gentlemen: the loading dock at The Wharf. Pretty much everything you will see on stage in 2013, including some of the actors, makes its first entrance here. Raw materials – from the metal, wood and fabric of sets, costumes and props to the beer, wine and hand-cut chips of the post-show post-mortem – are distributed from this point to different departments spread across The Wharf where they are cheerily manipulated into what is known as ‘the magic of theatre’. Spare a moment to salute some of our chippies as you pass through the dock.

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Photo by Ingvar Kenne

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY, SYDNEY FESTIVAL AND ALLENS PRESENT

THE SECRET RIVER

BY KATE GRENVILLE AN ADAPTATION FOR THE STAGE BY ANDREW BOVELL

Director Neil Armfield Artistic Associate Stephen Page Set Designer Stephen Curtis Costume Designer Tess Schofield Lighting Designer Mark Howett Composer Iain Grandage Sound Designer Steve Francis With Iain Grandage Trevor Jamieson Jeremy Sims Bruce Spence

Two of Australia’s most revered artists come together for the first time to adapt Kate Grenville’s Booker Prize-winning novel for the stage.

Directed by Neil Armfield and written by Andrew Bovell (When the Rain Stops Falling), this ambitious new play dramatises the story of two families divided by culture and land.

Convict William Thornhill, exiled from the stinking slums of early 19th century London, discovers that the penal colony offers something that he never dared to hope for before: a place of his own. A stretch of land on the Hawkesbury River is Thornhill’s for the taking. As he and his family seek to establish themselves in this unfamiliar territory, they find that they are not the only ones to lay a claim to the land. The Hawkesbury is already home to a family of Dharug people, who are reluctant to leave on account of these intruders.

As Thornhill’s attachment to the place and the dream deepens, he is driven to make a terrible decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Soul-searching

Delusion

“ Ain’t nothing in this world just for the taking...

A man got to pay a fair price for taking.

Matter of give a little, take a little.”

Thomas Blackwood

Home

Love Hilarity Politics Pathos

Commissioning Patrons David Gonski AC & Orli Wargon OAM, Catriona & Simon Mordant AM

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This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Major Festivals Initiative, managed by the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, Perth International Arts Festival and the Centenary of Canberra.

Exile

Dress-ups Doom

8 JAN – 9 FEB 2013 PRESENTING SPONSOR

SYDNEY THEATRE 2 HRS 30MINS

(INCLUDING INTERVAL)

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY IN ASSOCIATION WITH SYDNEY FESTIVAL PRESENTS A WINDMILL THEATRE PRODUCTION

SCHOOL DANCE

BY MATTHEW WHITTET

Director Rosemary Myers Designer Jonathon Oxlade Original Soundtrack Luke Smiles Motion Laboratories Lighting Designer Richard Vabre Movement Gabrielle Nankivell Animation Chris More With Amber McMahon Jonathon Oxlade Luke Smiles Matthew Whittet

In this new comedy by Windmill Theatre, nerds rule.

A sell-out when it premiered at the Adelaide Festival in 2012, School Dance mashes together some ’80s gold (BMX heroics, Smurfs, power ballads) to create some gloriously goofy and – for those of us with long memories – achingly real comedy.

Set in the special kind of hell that is the school dance, it follows three awkward teens Matthew, Luke and Jonathan, on their hormone-fuelled quest for social acceptability.

Directed by Rosemary Myers, the show stars writer Matthew Whittet, designer Jonathon Oxlade and composer Luke Smiles (who star in the show alongside former STC Actors Company member Amber McMahon). They have drawn inspiration from the 1980s teen angst films of John Hughes to create a nostalgic and boisterous theatrical gem.

This is one for the dorks, the misfits and the wannabe rock gods.

Soul-searching Delusion

“ Windmill has all bases covered.

School Dance is a hit.”

The Australian

Home Love

Hilarity

Politics Pathos Exile Dress-ups

Doom

Photo by Shane Reid

10 JAN – 3 FEB 2013 WHARF 1 THEATRE 75MINS

(NO INTERVAL)

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

MRS WARREN’S PROFESSION

BY GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

Director Sarah Giles Designer Renée Mulder Composer and Sound Designer Max Lyandvert With Eamon Farren Drew Forsythe Lizzie Schebesta Helen Thomson

Vivie Warren is an optimistic young bluestocking working her way towards social independence and a successful career when she makes a discovery that rocks her world: her comfortable upbringing and expensive education were bankrolled by her mother Kitty’s unorthodox profession.

With his verbal mastery and devilish wit, the legendary playwright George Bernard Shaw dissects the precarious and perplexing bond between mother and daughter, as well as the thorny issues of class and privilege and the finer points of moral relativism.

Although written in 1893, Mrs Warren’s Profession was not given a public performance in London until 1925, having been banned for its frank discussion of a taboo topic – but also, one suspects, for its forthright challenge of the Victorian status quo regarding the right of women to pursue social and financial independence.

Sarah Giles (Mariage Blanc and 2011 Richard Wherrett Fellow) directs the much-loved Helen Thomson (The Splinter, Under Milk Wood, In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play) and newcomer Lizzie Schebesta in a play that sparkles with a vitality and wit belying its 120 years.

Soul-searching

Delusion

Home

“ There are no secrets better kept, than the secrets that everybody guesses.”

Love

Sir George Crofts

Hilarity

Politics

Pathos

49

Exile Dress-ups Doom

Photo by Michele Aboud

14 FEB – 6 APR 2013 WHARF 1 THEATRE 2 HRS 15MINS

(INCLUDING INTERVAL)

MATINEE CLUB 27 FEB 1PM

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

LITTLE MERCY

BY SISTERS GRIMM CREATED BY ASH FLANDERS AND DECLAN GREENE

Director Declan Greene Designer David Fleischer Lighting Designer Verity Hampson Sound Designer and Musician Steve Toulmin With Ash Flanders Jill McKay Luke Mullins

Evil just turned 8.

Sisters Grimm are two wickedly subversive theatremakers: Ash Flanders and Declan Greene. This Melbourne-based outfit make ramshackle ‘D.I.Y.’ shows that are outrageously funny, highly anarchic, and more than a little camp.

In Little Mercy, we are introduced to Roger and Virginia Summers – a couple who seem to have it all. He’s a successful theatre director, she’s a successful drunken housewife. But their perfect lives are missing a key ingredient: a child. One stormy night, little Mercy arrives on their doorstep, and their prayers are answered.

A plucky 8-year-old with a taste for ice-cream and lollipops, it soon appears their new daughter also has a hobby of an unfortunate – and altogether darker – nature.

A gory and dragged-out dissection of the ‘evil child’ movie genre, Little Mercy takes Hollywood’s Golden Age to a melodramatic extreme. If you can stomach Sisters Grimm’s warped world’s eye view, you might just have your best night in the theatre of the year.

Soul-searching Delusion

Home Love

“ Flanders and Greene create queer grossout plays that are hilarious, inane, and often vile beyond belief.”

Hilarity

The Age

“ Irresistibly funny nonsense, delivered with brio and flair.”

Politics Pathos Exile Dress-ups

Alison Croggon, Theatre Notes

Doom

Photo by Mark Rogers

7 – 17 MAR 2013 ALL TICKETS $25

WHARF 2 THEATRE 90MINS

(NO INTERVAL)

WARNING! SOME ADULT THEMES AND DIRTY LANGUAGE

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

DANCE BETTER AT PARTIES

BY GIDEON OBARZANEK

Director Gideon Obarzanek Designer Renée Mulder Lighting Designer Benjamin Cisterne Composer and Sound Designer Stefan Gregory Dance Instructor and Co-Choreographer Jessica Prince

He just wanted to dance better at parties. But then she came along and changed everything.

With Elizabeth Nabben Steve Rodgers

Based on a true story, the simply but inventively told Dance Better at Parties reminds us of the importance of touch and physical expression in emotional wellbeing. It might just have you heading to your local dance school.

Dave is a man is steeped in grief, stumbling from one day to the next. On a whim, he signs up at a local dance school and finds himself in the capable arms of Rachel, his lovely instructor.

Over a series of ten classes, Dave begins to thaw – feet first.

We are thrilled to present internationally acclaimed dancemaker Gideon Obarzanek’s first foray into text-based theatre – albeit in a play in which the rumba, the salsa and the paso doble do a lot of the talking.

Soul-searching

“ Obarzanek has an idiosyncratic mind, which trawls through cultures and fashions with irreverent delight.”

The Age

Delusion Home

Love

Hilarity

Politics Pathos

Exile

49

Dress-ups

Doom

Photo by Ellis Parrinder

5 – 27 APR 2013 WHARF 2 THEATRE 70MINS

(NO INTERVAL)

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

FURY

A NEW PLAY BY JOANNA MURRAY-SMITH

Director Andrew Upton Designer David Fleischer Lighting Design Nick Schlieper Chris Twyman Composer and Sound Designer Max Lyandvert With Geraldine Hakewill Robert Menzies Sarah Peirse

Joanna Murray-Smith returns to Sydney Theatre Company with this powerful new work.

Welcome to the charming inner city life of Alice (Sarah Peirse) and Patrick (Robert Menzies), successful professionals who after twenty-odd years of marriage still adore each other. They enjoy their status in the intelligentsia, their home, literary success and, most importantly, bringing up their son Joe together. When Joe is accused of graffitiing a mosque secrets from Alice’s past emerge and suddenly the safe, politically-correct world they’ve built around themselves blows apart.

In this brilliant play of ideas Murray-Smith deftly examines generational differences, wrong versus right, and the difference between protest and terrorism. All this with the lightness of touch and dexterity of dialogue that has made her one of Australia’s most performed playwrights, both at home and overseas.

Fury is a play about the people who live next door to you: their concerns, their ideologies and, most poignantly, their yearning for redemption.

Soul-searching

Delusion

Home

“ The past may not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.”

Love

Mark Twain

Hilarity Politics

Pathos

Exile Dress-ups Doom

Photo by Ingvar Kenne

MEDIA PARTNER

15 APR – 8 JUN 2013 WHARF 1 THEATRE 2 HRS 10MINS

(INCLUDING INTERVAL)

PIER GROUP LUNCH MON 18 MAR 12PM MATINEE CLUB WED 24 APR 1PM

WARNING! COARSE LANGUAGE

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT PRESENT

THE MAIDS

BY JEAN GENET IN A NEW TRANSLATION BY BENEDICT ANDREWS AND ANDREW UPTON Director Benedict Andrews Designer Alice Babidge Lighting Designer Nick Schlieper With Cate Blanchett Isabelle Huppert

Sibling rivalry, class envy and high fashion: a combustible combination in this short, sharp reworking of French bad boy of letters Jean Genet’s 1947 play.

Genet loosely based his tale on the true story of the Papin sisters, maids convicted of killing their employer. His version of the tale depicts a series of sadomasochistic rituals in which housemaids Solange and Claire fantasise about killing their madame while – naturally – dressing up in her outfits.

Who better to realise this uncanny scenario than director Benedict Andrews – recently acclaimed here and in Europe for his lean and insightful production of Gross und Klein (Big and Small).

And as the maids? None other than Cate Blanchett and French screen legend Isabelle Huppert.

With a stellar creative team comprised of designer Alice Babidge and lighting designer Nick Schlieper, The Maids surely promises to be one of the theatre events of the year.

Soul-searching Delusion

“ Naturally, maids are guilty when madames are innocent.”

Home Love

Solange

Hilarity Politics Pathos

Exile Dress-ups

Photography by Michelle Aboud and Kate Barry

Doom

PRESENTING SPONSOR

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR

MEDIA PARTNER

4 JUN – 20 JUL 2013 SYDNEY THEATRE 90MINS

(NO INTERVAL)

PIER GROUP LUNCH MON 13 MAY 12PM

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD

BY TOM STOPPARD

Director Simon Phillips Designer Gabriela Tylesova Lighting Designer Nick Schlieper With Tim Minchin Toby Schmitz

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, pretty much everyone ends up dead – including the courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

In Tom Stoppard’s evergreen comic masterpiece, the hapless pair’s last days are chronicled; days largely spent trying to make sense of their interactions with other characters as the epic Hamlet unspools just off stage. In the hands of director Simon Phillips, the wit and playfulness of Stoppard’s writing will be front and centre.

Simon will direct a truly fabulous cast led in the title roles by superstar comedian/musician Tim Minchin and the irrepressible Toby Schmitz, most recently with us in another Stoppard classic, Travesties, in 2009. To realise this great playwright’s brilliant vision, Phillips will reunite with sensational designer Gabriela Tylesova, with whom he has collaborated many times, including on the visually spectacular musical Love Never Dies.

It’s absurdist, it’s existential, it’s meta-theatrical – but above all, it’s Stoppard, Phillips, Schmitz and Minchin.

Soul-searching

Delusion

“ Ros: What are you playing at?

Guil: Words, words.

They’re all we have to go on.”

Home Love Hilarity

Politics Pathos

Exile

Photography by James Penlidis and Ellis Parrinder

Dress-ups Doom

PRESENTING SPONSOR

6 AUG – 7 SEP 2013 SYDNEY THEATRE 3HRS

(INCLUDING INTERVAL)

PIER GROUP LUNCH MON 1 JUL 12PM

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS THE MOST EXCELLENT AND LAMENTABLE TRAGEDY OF

ROMEO AND JULIET

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Director Kip Williams Designer David Fleischer

The greatest love story of all time? Certainly. But it’s also a prototype for some of culture’s other great narratives: the rebellion against generations past, and the need to escape from a predetermined future.

With Eamon Farren Eryn Jean Norvill Dylan Young

One of the most thrilling things about young love is that often it is forbidden. And that very act of prohibition makes it all the more alluring.

Following his celebrated directorial debut with STC, Under Milk Wood, Kip Williams will bring his deft touch to this most familiar of plays, but one that offers up new insights with every generation.

For today’s privileged young people, love and lust become pastimes to alleviate the boredom. Until it hits for real. Then the confined world of family expectation and adolescent ennui blows wide apart.

Featuring a cast of some of Australian theatre’s most talented rising stars, Romeo and Juliet explores the naïve idealism and hormone-driven chaos of youth with heartbreaking results.

Soul-searching Delusion Home

“ There is no world without Verona walls, but purgatory, torture, hell itself...

Heaven is here, where Juliet lives.”

Romeo – III.3

Love

Hilarity Politics Pathos

Exile

Dress-ups Doom

Photo by Michele Aboud

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR

MEDIA PARTNER

17 SEP – 2 NOV 2013 DRAMA THEATRE, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE 100MINS

(NO INTERVAL)

PIER GROUP LUNCH MON 19 AUG 12PM

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS BACK TO BACK THEATRE, SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND MALTHOUSE THEATRE

LASER BEAK MAN Director and Devisor Bruce Gladwin Lighting Designer Andrew Livingston Inspired by Tim Sharp’s drawings of Laser Beak Man Devised by Back to Back Theatre ensemble, Tim Sharp and David Woods

Superheroes are made, not born.

Laser Beak Man is the quirky creation of Brisbane artist Tim Sharp. A somewhat sardonic caped crusader, Laser Beak Man has carved a niche in the pantheon of super heroes courtesy of exhibitions of Tim’s work around Australia including at The National Museum of Canberra, Sydney Opera House and spots on ABC television. Now he makes his stage debut in a new production by Back to Back Theatre commissioned by STC. Hailed as one of the most inventive, complex and courageous performing arts companies in Australia, Back to Back Theatre has been creating contemporary theatre work with actors with disabilities for 25 years. The ensemble shares with its audience a view of the world that is both heart-warming and provocative, unified by Artistic Director Bruce Gladwin’s arresting visual style.

In this show, we follow the fortunes of a group of hopefuls auditioning for the role of the beaked wonder himself.

Who will fit the lycra suit?

Journey to the realm of heroism, via the colourful collective imagination of this talented ensemble.

Soul-searching

Delusion

Home Love

“ Back to Back Theatre’s work sits amongst the most iconic and respected theatremakers of a generation.”

Helen Cole, InBetween Time Productions, Bristol, UK

Hilarity

Politics Pathos

Exile Dress-ups

Doom

Photo by Jeff Busby

20 SEP – 19 OCT 2013 WHARF 1 THEATRE 70MINS

(NO INTERVAL)

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS A SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND STATE THEATRE COMPANY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA PRODUCTION

VERE (FAITH)

A NEW PLAY BY JOHN DOYLE Director Sarah Goodes Set Designer Pip Runciman Costume Designer Renée Mulder Lighting Designer Nigel Levings With Paul Blackwell

For his much anticipated new play, playwright John Doyle (The Pig Iron People) offers a powerful meditation on science, spirituality and human frailty.

Paul Blackwell (When the Rain Stops Falling, Tartuffe, The Ham Funeral) returns to STC as Vere, a physicist at the peak of his career and still enthusing infectiously about his subject. Out of the blue he is given a shattering prognosis and must rapidly reconcile his professional ambitions and personal relationships with the certainty of his own mortality.

One of the great debates of our times, God versus science, is played out with Doyle’s typical charisma and cheek. The play is brimming with intellectual engagement, gallows humour and wise, witty footnotes to culture.

Director Sarah Goodes (The Splinter) makes her Drama Theatre debut with this thoughtful and topical new Australian work.

Soul-searching

Delusion

“ I forgot to mention the most valuable human quality of all. Imagination.

Imagination is our greatest strength.

In the end.”

Vere

Home

Love

Hilarity Politics

Pathos

Image by Kris Washusen and Collider

Exile Dress-ups Doom

6 NOV – 7 DEC 2013 DRAMA THEATRE, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE 2 HRS 20MINS

(INCLUDING INTERVAL)

WARNING! COARSE LANGUAGE

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND QANTAS PRESENT

WAITING FOR GODOT

BY SAMUEL BECKETT

Director Tamás Ascher Associate Director Anna Lengyel Set Designer Zsolt Khell Costume Designer Alice Babidge With Richard Roxburgh Hugo Weaving

Waiting for Godot is one of those epoch-defining works of art.

It was met with bewilderment upon its premiere, yet went on to be one of the most lauded plays of the 20th century.

An incredible roll call of actors and directors have wrought interpretations of Beckett’s fascinatingly elusive masterpiece – its debut in English was directed by a 24-year-old Peter Hall; the ever-patient Vladimir and Estragon have been played by actors including Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart, Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall and Nathan Lane. It has inspired, or been quoted in, a vast array of novels, films and plays – even an episode of Sesame Street.

In 2013, Hugo Weaving and Richard Roxburgh will make their mark, reunited with Uncle Vanya director Tamás Ascher, who has been tempted by this once-in-a-generation casting coup to create his third interpretation of Beckett’s masterpiece.

Fuelled by high culture, complex philosophy and vaudevillian slapstick, the duo will face the void and slip on the banana skin of meaninglessness.

What’s it about? Nothing and everything: a bleak yet still hilarious canvas upon which countless critics, artists and audiences have projected endless different readings. Over to you.

Soul-searching

Delusion

Home

“ We’re all born mad, some remain so.”

Love Hilarity

Estragon

Politics Pathos

Exile

Dress-ups Doom

Photo by Ingvar Kenne

PRESENTING SPONSOR

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR

MEDIA PARTNER

12 NOV – 7 DEC 2013 SYDNEY THEATRE 2 HRS 30MINS

(INCLUDING INTERVAL)

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

MACHINAL

BY SOPHIE TREADWELL

Director Imara Savage Designer David Fleischer Lighting Designer Verity Hampson With Matthew Backer Ivan Donato Harriet Dyer

Rarely staged in Australia, Machinal is considered a high point of American Expressionist theatre.

Receiving its Broadway premiere in 1928, the play, by playwright and journalist Sophie Treadwell, is based on the true story of a woman convicted of murdering her husband and sent to the electric chair. The play’s strong proto-feminist stance was decades ahead of its time, tackling head-on the roles and societal expectations placed on women with a stark and innovative theatrical style.

Our 2012 Richard Wherrett Fellow Imara Savage will take on this touchstone piece in the Wharf 2 Theatre, our ‘lab’ for investigating new and innovative new theatre practices.

Machinal will form a fascinating third perspective on themes raised – in very different forms – in Mrs Warren’s Profession and The Maids.

Soul-searching

“Is nothing mine?”

Delusion

Helen

Home Love Hilarity Politics

Pathos

Exile

Dress-ups Doom

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Image by Collider

21 – 30 NOV 2013 ALL TICKETS $25

WHARF 2 THEATRE 100MINS

(NO INTERVAL)

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Props Department

The Props department is one of our favourites: an Aladdin’s cave of the beautiful and bizarre. Tricycles, coffins, bouquets and chairs of every variety can be found here, waiting to catch the eye of each passing stage designer. Have you noticed that even in voguishly minimal stage designs, there are still plenty of props? Props – or ‘properties’ to give them their full but still not particularly revealing name – help further the narrative. They can contain meanings all their own.

And, when all else fails, they give actors something to do with their hands. Even mime artists pretend to have props. Or, on occasion, the gang from our neighbouring lighting and sound departments do too.

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PRE-SALE OFFERS

Photo by Ingvar Kenne

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Special pre-sale ticket offers for our Season Ticket Holders ~ 39

BY RICHARD BEAN, BASED ON THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS BY CARLO GOLDONI WITH SONGS BY GRANT OLDING

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND UBS AUSTRALIA PRESENT A NATIONAL THEATRE OF GREAT BRITAIN PRODUCTION

ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS

BY RICHARD BEAN BASED ON THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS BY CARLO GOLDONI WITH SONGS BY GRANT OLDING Director Nicholas Hytner Physical Comedy Director Cal McCrystal Associate Director/ Choreographer Adam Penford Designer Mark Thompson Lighting Designer Mark Henderson Music Grant Olding Sound Designer Paul Arditti Fight Director Kate Waters With Owain Arthur Edward Bennett Amy Booth-Steel Sabrina Carter Peter Caulfield Nick Cavaliere Alicia Davies Mark Jackson Colin Mace Mark Monero Alan Pearson Kellie Shirley Seun Shote Russell Wilcox Leon Williams Matthew Woodyatt Rosie Wyatt

It has played to packed houses on the West End and Broadway, scooped armfuls of five-star reviews and theatre awards and made thousands of theatre-goers roar with delight.

Now we’re bringing the National Theatre of Great Britain’s hit One Man, Two Guvnors to Sydney.

Inspired by Goldoni’s classic The Servant of Two Masters, this new production, written by Richard Bean and staged by the National Theatre’s Director, Nicholas Hytner, is a comic masterpiece for the 21st century.

Set in the seaside town of Brighton during the swinging ’60s, this is the tale of a simple, sandwich-loving man, Francis Henshall, who engineers himself into the employment of two bosses at the same time. Cue a parade of shady characters, mistaken identities, tortured love triangles and very, very old trainee waiters.

Featuring the British cast straight from the West End, One Man, Two Guvnors is one-part farce, one-part slapstick, plus a liberal splash of Carry On. Join the fun!

Soul-searching Delusion

Home Love

“ The funniest show on the planet”

Hilarity

Daily Mail

“ Leaves no comic stone unturned” NY Post

“ Comic perfection. What are you waiting for?

Book now!”

Politics Pathos Exile Dress-ups

Daily Telegraph

Doom

30 MAR – 11 MAY 2013 Photo by John Persson

PRESENTING SPONSOR

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR

SYDNEY THEATRE 2 HRS 30MINS

(INCLUDING INTERVAL)

WARNING! MILD SAUCY ROMPING

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS A SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND BARKING GECKO THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTION

STORM BOY

BY COLIN THIELE ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY TOM HOLLOWAY

Director John Sheedy Designer Michael Scott-Mitchell Lighting Designer Damien Cooper Sound Designer Kingsley Reeve Visual Designer Mic Gruchy

Colin Thiele’s Storm Boy has to be one of Australia’s best loved stories for young people.

With Trevor Jamieson

The book and the film both reached huge audiences, and we are now thrilled to partner with Perth’s Barking Gecko Theatre Company to bring this moving tale to the stage.

A boy’s last childhood summer before beginning the long trek to adulthood is spent with his reclusive dad Hideaway Tom in the wild freedom of South Australia’s Coorong. Storm Boy roams the savage landscape, navigating the waters and searching for debris and wildlife. Along the way he picks up some unlikely friends including the enigmatic Fingerbone Bill and a family of orphaned pelicans, including his favourite, Mr Percival.

Whether you are returning to the story as an adult, or introducing it to a new generation, we look forward to sharing with you afresh the wonder, sadness and hope of this homegrown classic.

Soul-searching

Delusion Home

“ A wonderful thing is the pelican.

His beak can hold more than his belly can.”

Dixon Lanier Merritt

Love

Hilarity Politics Pathos

Exile

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Commissioning Patron Gretel Packer

Dress-ups Doom

Image by Collider

9 AUG – 8 SEP 2013 WHARF 1 THEATRE

FAMILY-FRIENDLY TICKETS $30 UNDER-16S $25

2 HRS

RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 6+

(INCLUDING INTERVAL)

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SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH PRESENT

THE WHARF REVUE 2013

WRITTEN AND CREATED BY JONATHAN BIGGINS, DREW FORSYTHE AND PHILLIP SCOTT Lighting Designer Matthew Marshall

Their mission, should they choose to accept it: make Australia’s political landscape funnier than it already is.

With Jonathan Biggins Drew Forsythe

The mighty and the ridiculous will duck for cover as The Wharf Revue team swoops in for another go at poking politics and popular culture in the eye with its carefully sharpened satire stick.

Written by Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott, The Wharf Revue has been a Sydney institution for more than a decade, attracting a large and loyal band of fans over the years, including journalist/commentator Bob Ellis, who describes the show as a ‘vast exuberant soul-altering experience’. Even those at the pointy end of the stick are known to sneak in to the audience.

They sing, they dance, they wear ridiculous costumes and sometimes even speak in tongues, all in glorious service of the comic cause.

If the looming federal election fails to go your way you can depend on one good news story: the provision of plenty of new material for these talented satirists.

Soul-searching Delusion Home Love Hilarity

“ If it’s political satire you want, The Wharf Revue is the place to get it.”

Time Out

“ For an evening of penetrating humour livened up with the odd cheap shot, you can’t do better.”

The Sydney Morning Herald

Politics

Pathos Exile

Photography by Tracey Schramm, image by Collider

Dress-ups

Doom PRESENTING SPONSOR

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR

23 OCT – 21 DEC 2013 WHARF 1 THEATRE 90MINS

(NO INTERVAL)

THE WHARF REVUE GALA TUE 22 OCT 8PM

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Costume

And so to mid-Wharf, where we find the Costume department, sandwiched between production workshops and scenic art studios on the one hand, and rehearsal rooms on the other. So many figures of speech spring to mind.

‘You are what you wear’, ‘clothes maketh the man’: all these are doubly true in the theatre, where we learn so much about characters from their cunningly designed costumes.

Our extraordinary in-house team does it all. Hats – rakish or frumpy. Shoes – dependable or flighty. Clothing – period, street, austere, luxurious, naturalistic or expressionistic.

Animal suits – adorable or frightening. There is nothing and no-one these people cannot conjure with a needle and thread.

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Photo by Ingvar Kenne

HOW TO FUEL THE FOUNDATION ~

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD ~

As donors you make things happen now, and you help transform our future. You fund programs for emerging artists, and help us to attract the big names to our stages.

You bring the magic of the stage to children and regional communities, and the individuality of Australian theatre to international audiences. Every gift you give empowers our ability to create, commission, and deliver theatre experiences that are among the best in world.

Photo by Lisa Tomasetti

When so much of theatre is about exploring who we could be in a different world, you start to see that philanthropy is just like theatre. Because whether you’re taking your seat for a performance, or giving a gift behind the scenes, you are investing in this possibility.

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Throughout the brochure you will have noticed this button.

These productions were made possible through the generosity of people like you.

Giving to STC is about investing in the vision of what you want to see, and creating the company you want to be a part of. Please consider giving a gift to STC with your Season Ticket, and help make 2013 a year of incredible theatre.

Thank you. We need your support and welcome you to our family.

For more information please contact Philanthropy Coordinator Lucy Howard-Taylor (02) 9250 1715 or lhowardtaylor@sydneytheatre.com.au

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OUR SUGGESTED SHOW COMBINATIONS ~

With 13 great productions in 2013 you’re spoilt for choice when building your Season Ticket. You can build your own, or if you need a little help deciding, here are some suggested combinations to suit your mood.

~

BIG NIGHT OUT

THE NAMES

THE GREAT DEBATE

You’re guaranteed an entertaining night at the theatre with this selection.

We love working with some of the most celebrated actors from stage and screen.

If you love a good post-show yarn in The Bar then here are some perfect shows for you.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Waiting for Godot The Maids Fury Mrs Warren’s Profession The Secret River

Mrs Warren’s Profession Vere (Faith) Fury Machinal The Maids The Secret River

OUT THERE

LANGUAGE LOVERS

BARGAIN!

Feeling intrepid?

Check out some of our more provocative, edgy, or simply downright silly selections in 2013.

Are you are a lover of writing? We’re presenting some of theatre’s greatest texts in 2013.

For a mere $283 ($218 concession) get six of the most cost-effective nights in the theatre during 2013.

The Secret River The Maids Waiting for Godot Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Mrs Warren’s Profession Romeo and Juliet Plus! One Man, Two Guvnors

Laser Beak Man Little Mercy The Maids Machinal School Dance Dance Better at Parties

The Maids Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Waiting for Godot Romeo and Juliet Machinal Mrs Warren’s Profession

(excludes Sat urday evening) Little Mercy Machinal Dance Better at Parties School Dance Laser Beak Man Romeo and Juliet

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TICKET PRICES ~

In 2013 you’ll notice we have priced the season a little differently. Instead of pricing by venue, we have priced by production. There are still only four price bands, but you’ll see a much bigger range, with shows starting at $25. Prices are also detailed on your booking form and online.

Due to popular demand and limited capacity we charge a flat rate for Saturday evenings and preview performances. If you hold a Seniors Card, are a concession cardholder or are aged under 30, you receive a discount on full ticket prices for performances except Saturday evenings and Previews.

SEASON TICKET PRICES Season Ticket Holders save up to 20% on casual ticket prices. All of the productions below can be selected as part of your Season Ticket Package, as long as you have a minimum of six.

The Secret River The Maids Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Waiting for Godot Mrs Warren’s Profession Fury Romeo and Juliet Vere (Faith) School Dance Dance Better at Parties Laser Beak Man Little Mercy Machinal

Saturday Evening $90 $90

Adult

Concession Preview

Under 30

$85 $85

Seniors Cardholder $75 $75

$65 $65

$70 $70

$50 $50

$90 $90 $85 $85 $85 $85 $55 $55 $55 $25 $25

$85 $85 $83 $83 $83 $83 $50 $50 $50 $25 $25

$75 $75 $73 $73 $73 $73 $40 $40 $40 $25 $25

$65 $65 $63 $63 $63 $63 $35 $35 $35 $25 $25

$70 $70 $70 $70 $70 $70 $40 $40 $40 $25 $25

$50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $30 $30 $30 $25 $25

ALL PLAY Season Ticket Holders If you choose all 13 plays in the 2013 season and we receive your booking form before 30 November 2012 we will give you a free ticket for a friend as a special gift.

CONCESSIONS

You can purchase a Concession priced ticket if: – You are an Australian full time student – You are an Australian Pensioner – You are an Australian Health Care Card Holder – You are on Unemployment benefit

You must provide valid proof of Concession status

ADDITIONAL TICKET PRICES We know that when you purchase your Season Ticket, there are some shows that you like to attend with your friends. That’s why you can purchase additional tickets to shows in the season while you’re buying your Season Ticket. Not only that, but your friends can enjoy the special prices listed below.

The Secret River Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Waiting for Godot Mrs Warren’s Profession Fury Romeo and Juliet Vere (Faith) School Dance Dance Better at Parties Laser Beak Man Little Mercy Machinal

Additional Tickets are not available for The Maids, but we will offer Season Ticket Holders a special pre-sale for this production later in the year.

Saturday Adult Evening $99 $95

Seniors Concession Preview Cardholder $82 $72 $75

Under 30

$99 $99 $90 $90 $90 $90 $60 $60 $60 $27 $27

$82 $82 $80 $80 $80 $80 $45 $45 $45 $27 $27

$52 $52 $52 $52 $52 $52 $32 $32 $32 $27 $27

$95 $95 $85 $85 $85 $85 $55 $55 $55 $27 $27

$72 $72 $70 $70 $70 $70 $38 $38 $38 $27 $27

$75 $75 $72 $72 $72 $72 $42 $42 $42 $27 $27

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SPECIAL PRE-SALE OFFERS We are offering our Season Ticket Holders an exclusive opportunity to buy some exciting extra shows in a pre-sale before we release tickets to the public.

One Man, Two Guvnors The Wharf Revue 2013 Storm Boy

Saturday Evening $99 $60 $30

Get your hands on the best seats in the house, enjoy discounts for The Wharf Revue 2013 and One Man, Two Guvnors, and bring your family to see the wonder of Mr Percival the pelican in Storm Boy, all while you purchase your 2013 STC Season Ticket.

Adult Seniors Cardholder $95 $82 $55 $50 $30 $30

Concession Preview Under 30 Under 16 $82 $45 $30

$75 $50 $25

$95 $40 $30

$25

PROGRAMS We pack each program full of fascinating content, commissioned articles, interviews with key creatives and explorations of the process of creating the show you see on stage. Often we feature design influences and sketches, details about the historical context of the work and top tips on getting the most out of your theatre visit.

Programs are usually $10 each but you can pre-purchase program vouchers for only $8 when you buy your Season Ticket.

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HOW TO BOOK ~

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KEY DATES

CHOOSE

Fri 7 Sep 2012 Browse the 2013 Season Brochure.

Renewing Season Ticket Holder – priority booking window opens. Forward the ebook to your friends from Wed 3 Oct 2012 sydneytheatre.com.au/2013 Renewing Season Ticket Holder – Priority booking window closes. Check out our suggested combinations on page 50.

Thu 4 Oct 2012 – Season Ticket sales open to Read the Magazine online the public. sydneytheatre.com.au/ magazine Fri 30 Nov 2012 Deadline for your Free Ticket if you book all 13 plays.

Fri 3 Dec 2012 First single tickets for 2013 go on sale.

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CHECKLIST

Before you book, make sure you have to hand: Your final play choices Your preferred dates Fellow ticketholders details Proof of concession if required Special seating requirements Personal and payment details

GUIDE TO THE SEASON TICKET BOOKING FORM ~

1 DETAILS

2 CHOOSE

3 PRE-SALE OFFERS

4 SEATING

5 PROGRAMS

6 DONATION

7 PAYMENT DETAILS

8 SUBMIT

You can fill in your Season Ticket booking form (mailed in your pack or available from sydneytheatre.com.au/2013) and send it to the STC Box Office for our staff to process for you.

Take advantage of your exclusive pre-sale offers.

Consider making a donation to support the work of Sydney Theatre Company.

Fill in your details and those of your friends. You can photocopy or download an additional form from sydneytheatre.com. au/2013 if you have a party of more than two.

Inform us of any specific seating requirements.

Total the amounts, decide if you would like to defer 50% of the payment to February 2013, and fill in your payment details.

Please ensure you include copies of any relevant proof of age or concession cards if you are ordering an Under 30, Seniors Card or Concession Season Ticket.

Deferred payment attracts a $10 fee.

Choose your performance preferences. You can also purchase additional tickets for friends and family (except for The Maids).

Pre-order your program vouchers for only $8 each (usual price $10).

Submit your form to: STC 2013 Season Tickets Reply Paid 85302, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012 or email your e-form to seasontickets@ sydneytheatre.com.au

9 DONE

Simply wait for us to post your tickets and then you’re all set for 2013. Enjoy the Season.

REMEMBER Renewing Season Ticket Holders have a priority booking period 7 Sep – 3 Oct 2012.

If you book within this period, you get the best seats in the house!

Season Ticket sales are open to all from Thu 4 Oct 2012.

If you book all 13 plays in our 2013 season we will give you a free ticket to introduce a friend to the joys of STC.

GUIDE TO BOOKING YOUR SEASON TICKET ONLINE ~

You can book online unless: You are booking for a group of 10 or more – You wish to defer 50% of your payment to early 2013 – Some of your companions wish to see different productions as part of their Season Ticket – You have access requirements or wish to book wheelchair seats

1 VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Visit sydneytheatre.com.au/2013 and log in using your email address

If any of the above apply you must book your Season Ticket by filling out our form

2 DRAG AND DROP

3 PRE-SALE OFFERS

4 TICKETHOLDERS

5 DATE & TIME

Drag and drop a minimum of six Season Ticket productions to your Season Ticket builder. You can also purchase additional tickets for friends and family (except for The Maids)

Continue to the next page and select your total number of Season Tickets (and fill in your fellow ticketholder details if you like!)

Take advantage of your exclusive pre-sale offers by adding these productions to your Season Ticket builder

At the next step you will select your performance dates and times

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6A SELECT YOUR OWN SEAT

6B BEST AVAILABLE SEATING

7 SECURE PAYMENT

8 EXTRAS

9 DONE

REMEMBER

Here you can also select the specific seats you would like, in real time

Once you have completed all of your selections, proceed to our secure payment gateway to complete your Season Ticket Builder.

Simply wait for us to post your tickets and then you’re all set for 2013.

Enjoy the Season.

Or you can let our ticketing system select the best available seats for you.

Don’t forget, you can also purchase program vouchers and make a donation to support the work of STC.

When booking online you will have 60 minutes to complete your transaction from the moment the first seat is reserved, so make sure you have all your information to hand before starting to purchase. As the seat selection is live, you will not be able to save your work and come back later!

‘Select your own seat’ may not be available for all productions. Wharf 2 Theatre is General Admission.

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VENUES ~

THE WHARF

SYDNEY THEATRE

DRAMA THEATRE

The Wharf is Sydney Theatre Company’s home base located at Pier 4/5, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, which houses Wharf 1 and 2 Theatres and The Bar.

The largest space we perform in is Sydney Theatre, 150 metres west of The Wharf, opposite Pier 6/7 on Hickson Road.

We’re the resident theatre company at Sydney Opera House, and perform in the Drama Theatre located on the western side of the House.

Dining The Bar at the End of the Wharf is a comfortable, relaxed space perfect for affordable pre- and post-theatre dining and drinks. At Sydney Theatre, Hickson Road Bistro opens for dinner two hours before every performance and lunch every Wednesday and Saturday.

Visit sydneybuses.info or call 131 500

Transport Circular Quay railway station, bus and ferry terminus is the closest public transport hub. There is a free shuttle operating from Circular Quay to the Sydney Opera House.

For more details visit sydneyoperahouse.com

Getting to Walsh Bay Circular Quay railway station, bus and ferry terminus is the closest public transport hub. The Wharf and Sydney Theatre are a brisk 15 minute walk from Circular Quay. Buses run from Balmain and Glebe Point via George Street in the evenings, and a night bus links us to Town Hall station on Fridays and Saturdays.

Parking While on-street metered parking is available in Walsh Bay, we recommend parking at one of the two parking stations located along Hickson Road. Season Ticket Holders can access discounted parking at both parking stations.

Details will be sent with your benefits card.

We operate two free shuttle buses to transport patrons to and from all STC season matinee performances at The Wharf and Sydney Theatre on Wednesdays and Saturdays (excluding Schools Days).

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MILLERS POINT

For more detailed information about your visit go to sydneytheatre.com.au/yourvisit

DAWES POINT

BA R THE THE AT O F D N E HARF W THE

WALSH BAY

Parking The Sydney Opera House car park is a public car park located at the northern end of Macquarie Street, adjacent to the Forecourt.

ACCESS ~

SEATING There are seats near the front of each auditorium for visuallyimpaired patrons. Please indicate this requirement when booking your Season Ticket.

AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCES For those with visual impairments we have programmed audio-described performances for the following productions in 2013: The Secret River, One Man, Two Guvnors, The Maids, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Romeo and Juliet, Vere (Faith) and Waiting for Godot. Audio description is a live commentary, by trained describers, interspersed with the actors’ dialogue. Touch-tours before the production help to capture the atmosphere of the set and costumes. Dates for all access performances are indicated on your calendar.

HEARING ENHANCEMENT AND HEADSETS Hearing enhancement systems are available in all theatres. The Infrared System (available at the Drama Theatre) caters for those without hearing aids by using a headset available from the theatre’s Front of House staff. The Induction Loop system (available in Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre and Drama Theatre) caters for those with newer hearing aids or hearing aids with T switches.

As some seats may be ‘out of range’ we ask that you let us know your needs when booking your Season Ticket.

CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES

WHEELCHAIR FACILITIES

In 2013, we will be offering captioned performances for the following productions: The Secret River, One Man, Two Guvnors, The Maids, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Romeo and Juliet, Vere (Faith) and Waiting for Godot.

AT THE WHARF

Captioning allows those with hearing limitations to follow the on-stage dialogue in real time.

We use plasma screens for this purpose. The screen is visible from selected seats in Sydney Theatre and the Drama Theatre.

If you wish to be seated in this area for these productions, please indicate when booking.

AUSLAN INTERPRETED PERFORMANCES In 2013, we have AUSLAN interpreted performances for One Man, Two Guvnors, The Maids, Romeo and Juliet and Waiting for Godot. A block of seats is reserved for deaf and hearing-impaired patrons to ensure a good view of the interptreter and the stage. If you wish to be seated in this area for these productions, we ask that you let us know when booking your Season Ticket.

Wheelchair seats are available in the Wharf 1 and Wharf 2 theatres. We have a lift at The Wharf to the right of the Box Office which gives patrons direct level access from Hickson Road to both theatres at The Wharf.

AT SYDNEY THEATRE

Wheelchair seats are available in Sydney Theatre. There is level access into the venue from Hickson Road.

AT THE DRAMA THEATRE

Wheelchair seats are available in the Drama Theatre. The Sydney Opera House has a lift from the Lower Concourse to the Drama Theatre level, located in the corridor opposite the Sydney Opera House Shop. There are eleven accessible parking spaces on level 1 of the Sydney Opera House Car Park for holders of RTA disabled person parking permits. Car spaces on level 6 also have direct lift access and undercover access to Sydney Opera House.

Bookings (02) 9247 7599.

If you require mobility assistance of any kind, please indicate on your Booking Form, email us or advise the Box Office at least 24 hours in advance of attending and we will arrange appropriate assistance.

We’re here to help!

Please contact the STC Box Office to discuss your particular needs so we can ensure your comfort and enjoyment.

Remember – indicate your access requirements on your Season Ticket Booking Form, call us on (02) 9250 1777 or email boxoffice@sydneytheatre.com.au Learn more at: sydneytheatre.com.au/access

MORE THAN THEATRE ~

PRE-SEASON BRIEFINGS

MATINEE CLUB

Throughout the year we hold Pre-season Briefings with the cast and key creatives of each production. Come along to ask questions, find out more about the creative process and get more out of the play when you see it. Pre-season briefings are marked on the calendar and on the production pages online.

If you like to attend our mid-week matinee performances and would like to get to know your fellow Season Ticket Holders, come along to the Matinee Club at the Wharf.

AUDI NIGHTS WITH THE ACTORS

The 2013 Matinee Club dates are Mrs Warren’s Profession Wed 27 Feb Fury Wed 24 Apr

1pm 1pm

Purchase a ticket to the performances marked ‘ANWA’ on the website or calendar and you’re in for a treat. After the show, the cast will come back on stage and answer your questions about their experience of making the work.

WHARF SESSIONS Each month we host free live music events in The Bar at the End of the Wharf. Recent artists we’ve welcomed to The Bar include Brendan Maclean, Christa Hughes, Faker (below) and Bridezilla.

Put the 2013 Wharf Sessions Fridays in your diary 18 Jan, 22 Feb, 15 Mar, 5 Apr, 10 May, 14 Jun, 12 Jul, 30 Aug, 27 Sep, 1 & 22 Nov.

THE PIER GROUP The Pier Group is open to all lovers and supporters of theatre and raises funds for the Patrick White Playwrights’ Award and Fellowship, in addition to supporting the immediate and evolving needs of STC. The group invites you to join them for regular lunch events featuring the actors, directors, and famous faces behind the shows.

The dates for the 2013 lunches are Fury Mon 18 Mar 12–2pm The Maids Mon 13 May 12–2pm Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Mon 1 Jul 12–2pm Romeo and Juliet Mon 19 Aug 12–2pm To book for the Pier Group lunches call the Box Office on (02) 9250 1777.

On Tue 22 Oct 8.15pm the Pier Group also hosts the celebrated Wharf Revue Gala. Book for the Wharf Revue Gala on your Booking Form or call the Box Office.

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A warm thank you to the STC Pier Group Anne Schofield AM (Chair), Peggy Carter, Eve Heath, Graham Jennings, Richard Lyle, and Virginia Pearce.

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ROUGH DRAFTS

YOUTH NIGHTS

Discover more about the theatre making process; get down and dirty with artists developing new works for the stage. Rough Drafts are week-long creative developments that take place throughout the year and culminate in free, hour-long, public showings. Whether you see fragments of a work in progress, hear a reading of a script, watch a design presentation or witness actors devising, Rough Drafts will invariably offer you a unique insight into the practice of Australia’s up and coming theatremakers. Held on Friday evenings at 6.30pm, Rough Draft showings are best enjoyed when followed by end-of-week drinks at The Bar at the End of The Wharf. Sign up to the STC enews to keep up-to-date with 2013 Rough Drafts.

If you’re under 30 come along to our Youth Nights and enjoy post-show chats in The Bar at the End of the Wharf hosted by our Youth Night ambassadors.

2013 Youth Nights are School Dance Fri 18 Jan, Little Mercy Fri 15 Mar 6.30pm and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Fri 30 Aug.

PICK UP A PROGRAM Our programs are your handbook to getting inside and understanding our productions.

They are heaving with info, including a note from Cate and Andrew explaining why they programmed the show, insight from the director on their vision for the production, details about the historical context of the work, background on the design concept, an exclusive essay about the work and a list of related tidbits to watch, read and listen to, as suggested by the cast and creative team.

Available for $10 in our foyers, or $8 if you pre-purchase vouchers with your Season Tickets.

ONLINE MAGAZINE Dig deeper: go to our online magazine Back Stage, (sydneytheatre.com.au/magazine) where you can meet all the key players (actors, directors, playwrights, composers, designers and STC staff members), learn about themes and inspiration for our productions, explore our treasure trove of archival material, and discover more about the world of theatre and the arts.

Find us on Facebook facebook.com/SydneyTheatreCompany Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/sydneytheatreco Sign up to our enews sydneytheatre.com.au/enews

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The Bar at the End of the Wharf

Past the Wharf 1 Theatre and the administration office – a shadowy jungle where few dare tread – and we arrive, at the end of the show, most aptly, at the end of The Wharf, location of The Bar at the End of The Wharf. Legend has it that it was founding Director Richard Wherrett’s light bulb moment to have the theatres at the very harbour tip of the Wharf, not closer to the street. Hence we have the long walk down the length of building, surely one of Sydney’s iconic architectural experiences, and one that gives us plenty of time to prepare ourselves for the evening’s performance. And we also have the joy of a theatre bar with the best views in the world.

A wondrous spot for lunch on a sunny winter afternoon, and an inspiring place to linger at night after the show, beneath the arcing lights of the Harbour Bridge, to mull over the evening’s experience with your companions, cocktail in hand. Sharon 62 and the boys will take care of you.

THE BAR AT THE END OF THE WHARF ~

ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS

Photo by Ingvar Kenne

~

It’s only fair that a theatre should have a theatre bar, right? But The Bar at the End of the Wharf is not just a theatre bar. It’s an everyone bar. Drop by pre- or post-show for a drink and a bite to eat, catch a free gig with one of our Wharf Sessions, spend the afternoon on the sofa using our free WiFi or just sit on the balcony soaking up the view.

300km from organic orchard to brewery then to us.

Light lunches keep local workers on the go during the week. Our share-plates include wild mushroom arancini, wagyu beef sliders and prosciutto and fig salad. Work off the hand-cut chips with a game of ping pong or pool, or the brisk walk back to Sydney Theatre for a show.

Our house beer is as iconic as a koala in a gumtree and comes from arguably the most water-efficient brewery in the world. Our cocktail list features program-themed cocktails made by some of Sydney’s friendliest bartenders. Our wine list features local drops with an organic, biodynamic focus. We are featuring a local cider so, ahem, ‘green’ that the whole product travels less than

Find out more about our opening hours, menus and seasonal offerings at sydneytheatre.com.au/thebar The Bar at the End of the Wharf is for you, come join us.

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COMMUNITY ~

TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION

BEHIND THE SCENES

In 2013, NSW schools will get to experience a stellar array of high quality theatre productions with multiple dedicated schools performances to Romeo and Juliet, Waiting for Godot, Storm Boy and more, as well as discounted tickets and tailored classroom materials. Operating since 1983, our Education program continues to inspire and engage students, meeting curriculum needs, whilst helping build a lifelong passion for theatre.

This year, we take our innovative primary teacher professional learning program School Drama, created in partnership with The University of Sydney, into regional centres and interstate.

Find out more at sydneytheatre.com.au/stced

Tours of The Wharf and Sydney Theatre provide a taste of what happens behind the scenes of our beautiful, heritage-listed Wharf building and stunning Sydney Theatre.

For more information contact our Box Office on (02) 9250 1777 or visit sydneytheatre.com.au/yourvisit

BRING THE FAMILY Share the magic of theatre with the whole family: bring the youngsters to Australian classic Storm Boy, and let them experience the joy of Mr Percival the pelican coming to life on stage. For teens we recommend the hilarious School Dance, the classic Romeo and Juliet, absurdist masterpieces Waiting for Godot or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and One Man, Two Guvnors for a big laugh.

UNDER 30?

Under-30s can enjoy generously discounted prices across our whole season. We also have special Under-30s nights. 2013 Youth Nights are: School Dance Fri 18 Jan, Little Mercy Fri 15 Mar 6.30pm and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Fri 30 Aug.

NEW AUSTRALIAN STORIES STC is committed to developing current, vibrant Australian stories. In 2013, our Resident Director, Stefo Nantsou, will mount two new community productions as evolution of our innovative regional and community theatre program, around universal urban and regional themes.

For young people, it offers insight into challenging issues, academic and social learning opportunities, plus exposure to the theatre-making process.

Community participants also get to experience theatre, often for the first time.

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PARTNERS ~

SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY CELEBRATES THE SUPPORT OF OUR VALUED PARTNERS MAJOR SPONSORS

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT Sydney Theatre Company is assisted by the Sydney Theatre Company is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its NSW Government through Arts NSW arts funding and advisory body

PRESENTING SPONSORS

Accommodation Partner

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

Media Partner

Fine Wine Partner

PREMIUM SEASON SPONSORS

SEASON SPONSORS

CORPORATE SPONSORS ACMN MARKETING & ADVERTISING

ARIA Restaurant

IDS Displays

ISS Facility Services

Tourism & Transport Forum

SYDNEY THEATRE PARTNERS

Presenting Sponsor

INDUSTRY PARTNER

Premium Season Sponsor

For further information contact Anna McPherson, Corporate Partnerships Manager on (02) 9250 1784

CONTACT DETAILS ~

Artistic Directors Cate Blanchett Andrew Upton Executive Director Patrick McIntyre STC Board David Gonski AC (Chair) Jonathan Biggins Cate Blanchett Toni Cody John Connolly Martin McCallum Justin Miller Simon Mordant AM Sam Mostyn Andrew Stuart Andrew Upton Sydney Theatre Company Foundation Jillian Broadbent AO (Chair) Andrew Stuart (Deputy Chair) Nick Greiner AC Judi Hausmann Ann Johnson Justin Miller Peter Miller Gretel Packer Matthew Playfair Carla Zampatti AC

Long-Term Major Donors Mr Giorgio Armani Shi’s Family Foundation Ian and Min Darling David and Claire Paradice Anonymous The Johnson Family Foundation Cameron and Ilse O’Reilly The Australian Children’s Trust in collaboration with Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for youth Catriona & Simon Mordant AM David Gonski AC and Orli Wargon OAM Gretel Packer The Caledonia Foundation The Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation Brochure credits Design by Collider Printed by Special T Special thanks to Alice Babidge, David Fleischer, Renée Mulder

Box Office The Wharf Pier 4 Hickson Road Walsh Bay NSW 2000 Australia Telephone (612) 9250 1777 Facsimile (612) 9247 3584 Toll-Free 1800 467 993 (non-metro NSW) boxoffice@sydneytheatre.com.au sydneytheatre.com.au Administration PO Box 777 Millers Point NSW 2000 Australia Telephone (612) 9250 1700

The STC 2013 program text is printed on KW Doggett, Impact Made with a carbon neutral manufacturing process* Impact is FSC COC certified and consists of 100% post consumer waste recycled fibre. *Mill use 86% renewable energy, meaning emissions generated by producing Impact are very low. The remaining unavoidable CO2 emissions are compensated for by promoting controlled emission reduction projects.

Sydney Theatre Company Ltd A company limited by guarantee and incorporated in New South Wales.

ABN 87 001 667 983 sydneytheatre.com.au Details in this brochure are correct at time of publication. Sydney Theatre Company reserves the right to add, withdraw or substitute artists and to vary the program and prices. Full terms and conditions of sale available at sydneytheatre.com.au

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Please note that from time to time our productions may include smoke effects, smoking on stage, strobe effects, nudity, coarse language and loud music. Where we have information about the production, we have included warnings on each production page. At the time of performance we will also provide notice in the foyers of our theatres and on our website.

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