PACC 2024 Season Act Two

act TWO: jUL - DEC 2024

WHAT ' S AH EAD We do our absolute best to incorporate as many of the 2024 performances as possible into our program, however there’s always something new and exciting being added to the calendar. Our website is continually being updated, so always check out the WHAT'S ON page at mypacc.com.au and our social channels for the latest info.

pacc th eatre

JUL

03 18

THE GRANDPARENTS CLUB THE LISTIES: MAKE SOME NOISE!

AUG

17 24

THE ROY ORBISON STORY THE VISITORS by JANE HARRISON directed by WESLEY ENOCH

SE P

04 14 22

CELTIC ILLUSION ARC by ERTH VISUAL AND PHYSICAL INC THE TAP PACK

NOV

22

THE POEMS, PRAYERS AND PROMISES OF JOHN DENVER starring DARREN COGGAN

pacc galle ry JUN/AUG AUG/OCT

SONGSPIRALS: YOLŊU WOMEN SHARING & NOURISHING MILKARRI PHIL QUIRK'S THE EISTEDDFODS

stay I N TH E KNOW Sign up to our e-newsletter to receive updates on news, special offers and upcoming events. It’s the perfect way to ensure that you don’t miss a moment of the magic here at PACC. Simply visit our website, fill in your email address and click ‘subscribe’ - it’s that easy!

let us e nte rtai n you

at your pacc Welcome to ACT TWO of 2024! The launch of the PACC Gallery has been an outstanding success with lots of great feedback from patrons and artists alike! Whilst the new entry and location of the box office is an adjustment the response to the new space is providing a lot of interest – particularly the Gift shop.

We have two great pieces of theatre to look foward to. Written by Wendy Harmer, THE GRANDPARENTS CLUB hits the stage in July - a musical celebration with laughs galore and toe-tapping songs. THE VISITORS is a must-see production heading our way in August, written by Jane Harrison and directed by Wesley Enoch. It's a riveting and insightful work that takes a unique look at Australia’s history and asks "what if..?" - it's one not to be missed.

The July school holidays sees the outrageous LISTIES arrive with MAKE SOME NOISE! Expect mayhem and madness - songs, compulsory toilet humour and loads of Dad jokes - to delight audiences of all ages! Erth Visual and Physical Theatre return with ARC, a new work for the whole family that spotlights some of the world’s most beautiful but endangered species. Featuring awe-inspiring puppetry, we hope ARC will have you contemplating our role in this place we call Earth.

As always, PACC is delighted to host a number of performers and bands paying tribute to artists of today and yesteryear, including, John Denver, Roy Orbison, and many more!

We’ve had four very different exhibitions in the Gallery to date. In July we welcome SONG SPIRALS, an extraordinary group of works by artists from Bawaka Country in North East Arnhem Land. In August we have THE EISTEDDFODS, a beautiful collection of photograpy taken by Phillip Quirk during the 70’s and 80’s which documents the oldest continuous Eisteddfod in NSW - the Abermain Eisteddfod.

Vicki Sienczuk Curator of Performing and Creative Arts

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be i m m e rse d i n th e arts

BECOM E A PACC M E M BE R Make 2024 a year filled with theatre, music, dance and art by becoming a PACC Member! As a member you'll receive: • • • • •

Discounted tickets on selected performances Pre-show glass of sparkling wine Reservation* & early bird benefits 10% off products in our Gift Shop Invitations to attend special events, with priority notice given to members

With four tiers of membership, there’s something to suit everyone.

Chat to our team today! *Reservations MUST be paid in full at least 14 days prior to the performance date to avoid the reservation being cancelled. Full details can be found at mypacc.com.au.

VOLUNTE E R If you have a love of the arts and would like to gain experience in the industry, become a PACC volunteer! Our volunteers are essential in providing audience members with information about the centre, shows and exhibitions; assisting patrons in locating their seats; and watching over the audience during performances. To find out more head to our website at mypacc.com.au

PACC Galle ry The PACC Gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 4.30pm, and on weekends from 10am to 2:30pm.

AT YOUR PACC

drama an d m usical th eatre classes!

Hunter Drama hosts weekly drama and Musical Theatre classes at PACC every Monday and Tuesday during the school term. Drama classes offer a wealth of performance-based activities for children and young people, furthering their insight into the world of theatre. With games, activities, opportunities for performance, improvisation, devising and scripted work; all participants will broaden their horizons, expand their knowledge and increase their skills in the performing arts.

Through a range of new challenges and opportunities, an enjoyable and worthwhile experience is guaranteed.

Cessnock Studio: Performance Arts Culture Cessnock (PACC) www.hunterdrama.com 1300 367 852

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TH E LISTI ES:

MAKE SOM E NOISE! Writte n & Pe rform e d by Th e Listi es!

Will they be in tune? Almost.

In time? Not quite.

In order? Definitely.

Can Rich dance? Let’s find out.

It’s a party for your ears and both of them are invited! Hilarious, fabulous fun for the whole family!

Get ready for THE LISTIES show by watching their YouTube, listening to their albums on Spotify, or grab a copy of their books, Teleportaloo and The Big No. 2.

th u 18 j u l 1 hr, no interval

For over a decade the award-winning LISTIES have toured the world doing shows for literally gazillions of kidults (that’s kids and their adults). Now it’s your turn. Make Some Noise! is a comedy concert for humans aged 4 - 400. Join the maestros of mirth, Rich and Matt, as they belt out a bunch of songs with the LOLs turned up to 11.

10am & 1PM

Turn up the LOLS to 11 with Make Some Noise!, the brand-new musical comedy show by THE LISTIES, Australia’s favourite kids comedians! As seen on ABC Kids The Listies Work For Peanuts and Art Blast.

“Nobody else does Kids comedy this brilliantly, what’s more astounding is that adults have just as much fun.” - The Age

Prese nte d by PACC an d arts on tou r

tickets $25.00 Recommened ages 4+.

Pricing for school group bookings available on request.

Contact our Box Office on 02 4993 4266 to find out more.

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TH E ROY ORBISON STORY

Mark Shelley is simply brilliant in his characterisation of Roy. He not only has the vocal range and tone to honour his songs, he also has the sensitivity and artistic ability to ‘be’ Roy. Expect hits such as Only the Lonely, Running Scared, Sweet Dream Baby, Candy Man, Blue Bayou, In Dreams, Anything You Want, Crying, Workin for the Man, Penny Arcade, Pretty Woman, and many more.

From his initial success in the 1960’s to the resurgence of his career in the 80’s, Roy Orbison’s voice remained remarkable, communicating an emotional intensity not experienced in popular music before or since. His songs conveyed vulnerability, love, loss and fun. His performance was unique, simple and powerful.

1 hr 35 min, no interval

The ‘Big O’ stood head and shoulders above the rest, his vocals were peerless, his range extraordinary. His songs unique, impassioned and personal. Orbison, the man, was enigmatic, driven, shy, funny, quietly charismatic.

SAT 17 AUG

Experience the wonder of Roy Orbison in this brilliant theatrical portrayal of the man, his music, his voice, and his life. You'll find yourself believing you are in his presence, transported back in time, reliving the emotion of each of his songs and the stories of his life.

7.30PM

FEAT. MARK SH E LLEY

Without doubt, this is the definitive portrayal of Roy Orbison - the man, his music and his life.

Prese nte d by Focal Poi nt Australia

PACC M E M BE R $61.50 Adult $64.50 Concession $62.50 Child (16 and under) $62.50

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Photo: Rob Hookey.

A Moogah li n Pe rform i ng Arts an d Sydn ey Th eatre Com pany Production

th e VISITORS

A mysterious fleet of giant nawi is amassing in the harbour and as they creep closer, these seven representatives must choose unanimously: whether to send these strangers on their way or welcome them?

Having recently been awarded Best Mainstage Production and Best Ensemble at the 2023 Sydney Theatre Awards, Muruwari playwright Jane Harrison’s THE VISITORS embarks on a national tour directed by one of Australia’s most celebrated directors, Quandamooka man Wesley Enoch.

Co-produced by Moogahlin Performing Arts and Sydney Theatre Company, THE VISITORS is at once a riveting, deeply researched insight into one of the most impactful and painful days in Australia’s history, and a hugely entertaining study of how communities respond to change and the unknown.

sat 24 aug 1hr 15 min, no interval

On a sweltering day in January 1788, seven clan leaders gather on a sandstone escarpment overlooking the harbour.

The attendees, six of them Elders and one new initiate, catch-up, laugh together, share a meal and compare notes. But beyond the friendly banter, protocols, and hospitality, a momentous decision is waiting to be made.

7.30PM

By Jan e Harrison Di recte d by Wesley E noch

Content warning: Infrequent coarse language, themes of racial violence, descriptions of violence, intergenerational trauma, and theatrical haze.

Indigenous Languages and Arts

Prese nte d by ARTS ON TOUR AN D PACC

PACC M E M BE R $45.00 Adult $55.00 Concession $49.00 Student $25.00

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CE LTIC I LLUSION

A breathtaking array of experiences, fusing Irish Dance, Magic and influential flavours of Fosse, Michael Jackson, with a Broadway style. CELTIC ILLUSION is a show like no other.

The show features new spellbinding illusions and choreography, alongside a musical score that will either make you cry or send shivers down your spine.

CELTIC ILLUSION will surpass your expectations and leave you wanting more. Don’t hesitate, and book now to know the hype of one of the largest and most unique Dance and Illusion shows in the world. CELTIC ILLUSION is not to be missed!

1 hr 50 min, including interval

Starring the multi talented former lead dancer of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance and Star Illusionist Anthony Street, with Georgia May, a marvel in both dance and Illusion. These impeccable performers lead a cast of champion dancers recruited from renowned productions across the world, such as Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, into a theatrical masterpiece that will have you mesmerised from the moment the curtain is raised.

WE D 4 SE P

Even fans who have seen our previous shows won’t dare miss the 2024 tour that is set to raise the bar once again. This exhilarating production has broken barriers by fusing unparalleled art forms and is more spectacular than ever before.

7.30PM

Immerse yourself in one of the most unique productions touring the world. CELTIC ILLUSION, the Irish dance and Grand Illusion sensation that has taken Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada and the USA by storm and will tour nationwide in 2024.

Prese nte d by BASE E NTE RTAI N M E NT

Adult $89.90 Concession $84.90 Child (16 and under) $79.90 Groups (10+) $80.00 Family (4+) 80.00 ea

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PACC prese nts An E rth Visual & Physical I nc production

Showcasing exquisite puppetry, an enigmatic host, audience interaction and a world of rare and exotic animals, ARC is a profound experience that embraces the natural world and the creatures that cohabit this place we call Earth.

Renowned as innovators of physical and visual theatre, for the past three decades Erth’s body of work has explored the depths of the past. With ARC, they look unblinkingly to the future, as this menagerie of animals transforms the stage before your very eyes.

"If you get the opportunity to experience any of Erth’s work – go!

ARC is a quality offering from one of Australia’s most exciting companies." - Theatre Travels "Enthralling… As puppetry, the huge animals are truly awe-inspiring, and the young are duly impressed" - South Sydney Herald

55 min, no interval

Made for children and their families, ARC presents intimate, magical encounters with rare and vulnerable species, raising important questions about our collective and individual relationship with nature and loss.

sat 14 SE P

A place to keep the most precious of things.

A place to embrace the awe and wonder of nature...

10.30AM & 1PM

arc

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body, and the NSW Government through Create NSW.

tickets $25.00 Kids under 3 free on the knee.

Pricing for school group bookings available on request.

Contact our Box Office on 02 4993 4266 to find out more.

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TH E TAP PACK

THE TAP PACK mix slick humour, high-energy entertainment, and world-class tap dance. A show of pure entertainment inspired by the legendary kings of swing, the Rat Pack, freshly created for the audience today. Cool classics with a fresh new twist. All your favourites including The Lady Is a Tramp, Come Fly with Me, One For My Baby, Me And My Shadow and much more.

THE TAP PACK is an all-ages, family friendly production.

"Exhilarating" - The Herald Sun "Knockout performances" - The Age "Sensational evening" - The Advertiser "Genuinely breath catching" - Timeout.com "Sheer brilliance" - London Theatre One

1 hr 20 min, no interval

They sing. They dance. They joke. They bring a new, invigorating energy to a timeless style!

SU N 22 se p

Picking up where The Rat Pack left off, THE TAP PACK conjures up a modern twist to the crooners and artists from the ‘50s through to the noughties! Featuring songs from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr to Ed Sheeran, Michael Bublé and Beyoncé.

4PM

Following sold-out shows and rave reviews on London’s West End, at Sydney Opera House and around the world, Australia’s hottest tap dance sensation, THE TAP PACK is coming to Cessnock!

Created by Jesse Rasmussen, Jordan Pollard, and Thomas J Egan. Co-created and directed by Nigel Turner Carroll.

Prese nte d by Th e Tap Pack Pty Ltd produce d

by Kym Halpi n i n assoc. with SK E nte rtai n m e nt

Premium $99.90 A Reserve $79.90

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Songspirals

IMAGE Ms D Yunipingu Lamamirri Whale 13B 2016 Etching 1/20 Mother of the Rirratjiŋu nation All images copyright © Buku Larrnggay Mulka, the artists and their families, and the Gay’ wu Group of Women

songspi rals Yolŋu women sharing & nourishing milkarri

Songspirals are often called songlines or song cycles. We call them songspirals as they spiral out and spiral in, they go up and down, round and round, forever. Yolŋu women from North East Arnhem Land in northern Australia, cry the songspirals, we keen the songspirals - this is what we call milkarri. Only women keen milkarri. Milkarri is an ancient song, an ancient poem, a map, a ceremony and a guide, but it is more than all this too.

Milkarri is a very powerful thing in Yolŋu life. The knowledge and stories in this exhibition are an invitation to share in some of what we, Yolŋu people, know and do as we live songspirals today.

“We are still doing milkarri of the songspirals...

The sound communicates who we are and where our homeland is...

The place and the song are one. It’s soothing and healing...

Women cry milkarri to guide our loved ones, living and dead...

We cry milkarri in grief, bittersweet, with love, to heal” (xvii, 84, 255)

official OPE N I NG

This exhibition includes print-making, weaving, and audiovisual works, connected to the Yolŋu kinship system, Gurrutu, _ and five songspirals: Wuymirri (whale), Wukun _ (gathering of the clouds), Guwak (messenger bird), Wititj (rainbow serpent) and Goŋ-Gurtha (Fire keeper). The exhibition is a manifestation of the intergenerational continuation and nourishment of songspirals and milkarri by Yolŋu women in North East Arnhem Land.

GALLERY

sat 06 j u l 12PM - 2PM

Proudly brought to PACC by the Bawaka Collective and the University of Newcastle.

Gay’wu Group of Women, Songspirals: sharing women’s wisdom of Country through Songlines Curated by Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Ronyiwuy Maymuru and Rosealee Pearson.

EXHIBITION OPEN FROM SAT 29 JUN TO SUN 18 AUG.

GALLERY HOURS Tue to Fri 9am - 4.30pm | Sat and Sun 10am - 2.30pm

FREE ENTRY

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GALLERY

th e E ISTE DDFODS

FRI 30 Aug 5.30PM - 7.30PM

The Eisteddfods in Australia began in the goldfields of Victoria around 1855. The Abermain Eisteddfod started in 1917 and is the oldest continuous Eisteddfod in NSW (107 years).

Abermain is the only Eisteddfod left in the Hunter and this documentation of the 1979 Eisteddfod event will be exhibited for the first time at PACC in August 2024.

In Quirk’s formative years working with Melbourne fashion photographer, Bruno Benini, he assisted with assignments and darkroom printing. After moving to Sydney in the mid 70s, his work with Benini became the catalyst in a search to find a cultural subject aligned with his interest in documentary photography.

This body of work was his first essay on Australian society and was shot when black & white film was used extensively in magazines and on art gallery walls.

The exhibition is a combination of portraits and competition dancing, mostly black and white with a small sample of Kodachrome colour prints. The exhibition includes Quirk’s Eisteddfod work both in Wollongong & Wales.

Abermain Eisteddfod was photographed in 1979 and was followed by the Wollongong Eisteddfod in 1980. With support from the Visual Art Board (Australia Council) Quirk then travelled to Wales for the proclaiming ceremony of the National Eisteddfod of Wales.

official OPE N I NG N IG HT

ph i lI P qu i rk's

EXHIBITION OPEN FROM SAT 31 AUG TO SUN 20 OCT.

GALLERY HOURS Tue to Fri 9am - 4.30pm | Sat and Sun 10am - 2.30pm

FREE ENTRY

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PERFORMANCE • ARTS • CULTURE • CESSNOCK 198 - 202 Vincent Street Cessnock NSW 2325 02 4993 4266 Our Box Office is open Monday - Friday from 9am - 5pm and 1 hour prior to a performance start time.

Gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 4.30pm, and weekends from 10am to 2:30pm.

For up-to-the-minute information, please visit

mypacc.com.au Fi n d us on All details are correct at the time of printing and are subject to change where necessary and without notice.

PACC is committed to providing equal access for all to ensure that everyone can fully participate and enjoy the arts.

More information about venue accessibility can be found on our website, or by contacting us on 02 4993 4266.

Performance Arts Culture Cessnock acknowledges the Wonnarua people, the Awabakal people and the Darkinjung people as the traditional custodians of the lands on which our offices and operations are located, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.

PACC is owned and operated by Cessnock City Council.