September 2011 - Victorian Drama League

Transcription

theatrecraft
THE VICTORIAN DRAMA LEAGUE INC.
ISSN 0311-7138
webpage: www.theatrecraft.org.au
RESULTS OF FOSTER FESTIVAL
OF ONE-ACT PLAYS
email:[email protected]
September 2011
The Victorian Drama League
Annual General Meeting
Individual Members and Company
Representatives invited to attend.
Saturday September 17, 2011,
1:00 pm, in the front meeting room,
3rdd Floor, Ross House, 247 Flinders
Lane Melbourne.
Notice of Meeting and Nomination
form are printed on Page 3.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Memebers of Pop Culture Theatre, who won outstanding production at the Foster Festival One Act Awards. (l–r)
Damian Clancy, Justin Mahood Duijkers, Sharon Duijkers Mahood, Alex Mavor Rauschl, Kaitlyn Russell, Imogen
Martin, Madeline Hardie, Bruce Hardie, Alison Drury (back), Jody Keilblock, Genya Mik, and John Jennings
Held on August 13 and 14, 2011, at the Foster War Memorial Arts Centre
The Adjudicator was Malcolm Sussman.
Office Notes
VDL AGM Notice
Centrestage
2011 VDL Award list
What’s On
Auditions
Tech Corner
One Act Festivals
From The Shelves
Theatrebooks
VDL Awards Dinner
Entry Form
Membership and
Contact Details
2
3
10
11
12
13
14
15
20
21
23
24
REVIEWS
4
WAIT UNTIL DARK
Results for 2011 (with nominations)
Sherbrooke Theatre Company
Most Outstanding Production
LIFE AFTER GEORGE
Pop Culture Theatre, The Seven Deadly Sins by Simon Denver; adapted by Michael Olsen
Encore Theatre
4
5
Runner-Up Most Outstanding Production
THE HISTORY BOYS
Nuworks Theatre, Fawk by David Dunn
Heidelberg Theatre Company
6
RISING WATER
Most Outstanding Director
Melbourne Theatre Company
David Dunn, Fawk, Nuworks Theatre
THE IMPORTANCE OF
BEING EARNEST
Edna Bartlett, Der Kriminalkommisar, Peridot
Theatre
Beaumaris Theatre
Denise Wellington, It’s All in the Timing, Peridot
Theatre
Brighton Theatre Company
6
7
BLITHE SPIRIT
Michaela Smith, Mrs Thally F, Hartwell Players
THE GLASS MENAGERIE 8
John Jennings, The Seven Deadly Sins, Pop Culture
Theatre Company
Peridot Theatre Company
Ann Marie O’Neill, Committed, Hartwell Players
The 1812 Theatre
Aron Toman, The Singing Princess, Latrobe Theatre
Company
THE IMPORTANCE OF
BEING EARNEST
Most Outstanding Actor — Male
Sunshine Community Theatre
MY THREE ANGELS
Dann Barber — Iago, Fawk, Nuworks Theatre
Tommy Clifas — George, Mirror Image, Lady Scorpio
Productions
Sean Hand — Arnold Skinner, Clutterbuck, Pop
Culture Theatre Company
Continued on Page 2
8
TALKING HEADS
16
16
Mornington CEF Players
(l–r) Meg Dunn, Peter Noble and Dann Barber in
Nuworks Theatre’s production of Fawk, which won
several awards at the Festival.
IT’S MY PARTY (AND I’LL
DIE IF I WANT TO)
17
Frankston Theatre Group
THE LION IN WINTER
The Basin Theatre Group
17
office
From the
Secretary’s
Desk
The September issue of Theatrecraft
carries the final notice for the Annual
General Meeting of the Victorian
Drama League. The meeting is on
Saturday September 17, at 1:00 pm.
Address is Ross House (3rd Floor), 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Continued from Page 1
Most Outstanding Actor — Female
Deborah McKelvey — Vonnie, Mrs Thally F, Hartwell Players
Bronwyn Cameron — Sally Saunders, It’s All in the Timing, Peridot
Theatre
Janis Schneider — Jane McAdams, It’s All in the Timing, Peridot
Theatre
Mary Walker — Princess Madeline, The Singing Princess, Latrobe
Theatre Company
Most Outstanding Support Actor
Stuart Bruce — Mouse, Fawk, Nuworks Theatre
Please come if you can. Company members can send a
representative. This is the opportunity for members to receive
reports on the year past, and to elect committee for the coming
year. As has been mentioned in previous issues, the committee
needs an injection of members, as it has been under strength for
some years now. A nomination form is printed in this issue.
Most Outstanding Design
If you are coming, please email or ring the office so catering for
afternoon tea can be organized.
Leongatha Lyric Theatre, A Dog’s Life by Pam Valentine
We heard last week of the passing of Eileen Bentley, President
of Essendon Theatre Company. Eileen was also until recently a
VDL volunteer one day a week in the office. Eileen was always
enthusiastic about everything she did, and loved theatre. Our
thoughts are with her family and friends at this time. Thank you
Eileen for your help at the VDL.
As a non-profit organization we are eligible to receive up to date
office software at a very reasonable price. Recently we received a
suite of Microsoft office products that were donated by Microsoft
through the Donortec Agency. No longer will .docx files be
unreadable.
Congratulations to Wangaratta Players who recently celebrated
their 60th birthday. Their play “Face to Face” is an entry in our VDL
Awards.
If you are considering either of the Summer Schools please
contact the respective conveners. We need early numbers, and
an expression of interest will help us plan. For the Youth Summer
School contact Jo Watt on 03 9888 0198 (summerschool@
theatrecraft.org.au) For the Adult Event contact Liz Lipski on 03
9509 9992 ([email protected]).
See you at the AGM on the September 17.
Geoff Kidd
VDL Secretary
[email protected]
Vale Eileen Bentley
President of Essendon Theatre
Company and expert volunteer at the
VDL.
Thank you Eileen for all your work
and friendship.
The Victorian Drama League.
Page 2 — Theatrecraft September 2011
Nuworks Theatre, Fawk
Peridot Theatre, Der Kriminalkommisar
Latrobe Theatre Company, The Singing Princess
Most Outstanding Youth Production
Most Outstanding Youth Performance
Nuworks Theatre, Meg Dunn & Andrew Lopes, Fawk
Amy Mitchell — Margaret Shelly, Art, J.A.F.A. Theatre
Michael Dixon — Fritz, A Dog’s Life, Leongatha Lyric Theatre
Madeline Hardie — Julie Waghorn, Clutterbuck, Pop Culture
Theatre Company
Adjudicator’s Choice Award
Latrobe Theatre Company — The cast of The Singing Princess
Victorian Drama League Encouragement Award
Hartwell Players — Rachel Cox & Dominic Lee Watt, the young
dancers in Mrs Thally F
New Members
The VDL welcomes the following new members:
Groups
≠
Gisborne Seconday College
≠
Gennazzano College
Individuals
≠
Robert Wightwick, Melbourne
≠
Brad Glynne, Port Melbourne
≠
Adele Shelley, Coburg
≠
Jackie Fraser, Thornbury
≠
Lyndal Connor, Doncaster East
≠
Nicky McFarlane, Glen Waverley
PLEASE NOTE:
The VDL accepts Credit Card payments
(Visa & Mastercard), and we also have
EFTPOS facilities
THE VICTORIAN DRAMA LEAGUE
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Notice is hereby given that the 58th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the members of The Victorian Drama
League Inc. will be held in the Meeting Room, 3rd Floor, Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000, on
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2011, at 1:00 pm (Refreshments available)
AGENDA:
1.
To receive the minutes of the 57th Annual General Meeting
held on Saturday, September 4, 2010.
2.
To receive the President’s Report for the year to June 30, 2011.
3.
To receive and consider the Treasurer’s Report for the financial
year to June 30, 2011.
4.
To elect the Committee:
i.
The President
ii.
The Vice President
iii. The Treasurer
iv. The Secretary
v.
Ordinary Committee Members
5.
To receive and consider the statement submitted in
accordance with Section 30(3) of the Act.
6.
Any other business that can legally be brought forward.
By order of the Management Committee
Geoff Kidd, Secretary, The Victorian Drama League Inc.
THEATRE COMPANIES, PLEASE SEND A
REPRESENTATIVE TO THE MEETING
Please remember that any signature as nominee, proposer or
seconder (other than Individual member) must be that of the
official representative of a Group Membership or Play Reading
Group of The Victorian Drama League Inc.
Nomination Forms must be lodged at the Offices of The Victorian
Drama League Inc. not less than 7 days before the date of the AGM.
If you would like a Nomination Form or Proxy Form please phone
the VDL and we will post them to you.
A Nomination Form is printed below.
Dear Members,
Your Victorian Drama League is facing a difficult period
in its existence. The changing economic circumstances
are forcing changes to the activities of the League.
Your League, like all voluntary organisations, relies
on the good will, time, commitment and effort
given freely by its members to operate and provide
whatever services its members require.
For too long this commitment has fallen on too few shoulders. You will
have read in recent editions of Theatrecraft that we are in need not only
of new office-bearers but of new volunteers to assist in specific areas
of the League’s work. The finances of your League will not allow the
necessary work to be paid for.
Without that assistance more and more jobs will necessarily fall on fewer
and fewer shoulders. I know many of our members are facing the same
concerns in their own organisations, but among the many people who
are members of groups and among the individual members there should
be one or two people able to assist.
The Annual General Meeting is the forum for your committee to report
to you on what your League has been doing, what it has been achieving
and what the problems are that lie ahead of it. It is the forum for you all to
discuss these problems, for you to consider how you want your League
to tackle these problems, how you are going to provide the bodies to
solve these problems and improve the services provided by your League.
Remember that individual members are members in their own right, but
group organisations are all independent individual members too. The
Victorian Drama League does not rule, direct or have any authority over
the lives and activities of its members but it works for and is the provider
of certain umbrella activities for the members.
I urge you all to attend the Annual General Meeting. If you cannot do so
please submit a Proxy Form.
With all best wishes,
Richard Burman, President
"
THE VICTORIAN DRAMA LEAGUE INC.
NOMINATION FORM For Election of Office Bearers & Committee Members
I hereby nominate for the position of ............................................................................................................................................................................................
Please print the name of the nominee .................................................................................................................................. Date
/
/2011
Signature of nominee ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Proposer signature ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Proposer represents. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Seconder signature ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Seconder represents .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
(Please indicate the name of the group or playreading group you represent, or if you are an individual member)
Nomination received by The Victorian Drama League
Verified by Secretary ..................................................................................................................................................... Date
/
/2011
reviews
Below: (l–r) Mark Vogels, Chris Shaw and Matt Wilson in Wait Until
Dark. Photos by Gill Collard
Above: Matt Wilson and Vanessa Bate in Sherbrooke Theatre Company’s
Wait Until Dark.
WAIT UNTIL DARK
By Frederic Knott
Directed by Malcolm Sussman
Reviewed by Phyll Freeman – July 31, 2011
For Season 2, Sherbrooke presented a 1960s classic in Wait Until
Dark by playwright Frederic Knott. A fast-moving thriller, set in
London, it was made into a film in 1967 starring Audrey Hepburn.
Two ex-cons are given the task of finding a doll filled with heroin.
The doll has been left in the flat of a photographer, whose blind
wife is alone and at the mercy of these men. What follows is a
hectic weekend as she attempts to outwit not two, but three
villains.
The set, designed by Bob Bramble, was the kitchen cum lounge,
in a basement flat jam-packed with 1960s paraphernalia such
as a Bakelite radio, Hoover washing machine and photographic
equipment, to name a few. Costumes, by Bronwyn King, were of
the period. Caspar Sussman designed the sound, sourcing the
impressive music from various films, including The Shining and The
Magic Garden. The car crash sounds in Act II were excellent. The
lighting, designed by Robin LeBlond, was a major part of the plot.
Turning to the characters, I was impressed with Matt Wilson as the
conman with a heart, Mike, who gained the trust of the visionimpaired wife. He was partnered with Mark Vogels as Croker,
the pseudo-policeman. These two were eventually coerced into
searching for the doll by a velvety-voiced Chris Shaw as Roat. His
disintegration was creepy and violent. As the beleaguered wife
Susy, Vanessa Bate did a sterling job as she tried to foil this evil
man. She averted her eyes at all times and moved carefully around
the set as befits her character’s lack of sight. Vanessa worked well
with Katie Timms as the cheeky schoolgirl, Gloria. Ian Johnson was
the photographer, Sam Henderson who caused the problem for
his wife by bringing home the doll from overseas, as a favour for
a stranger. The real police, Cassy Dutton and David Timms, arrived
at the end.
Pace at the beginning was slow, with what appeared as dialogue
©
IMPORTANT: REVIEWS COPYRIGHT
The reviews of plays published in Theatrecraft are
copyright and, if reproduced in your theatre company
newsletter, must not be edited but reproduced in
their entirety. And please credit that the review of
your production is from Theatrecraft published by the
Victorian Drama League.
problems, but eventually picked up with the arrival of Susy, the
wife. The second act became a ‘cat and mouse’ game between
Roat and Susy, with lots of blackouts. This is a lengthy play which
could have been judiciously pruned.
A very tricky play to produce and perform. Thanks to Sherbrooke
for an interesting afternoon.
LIFE AFTER GEORGE
by Hannie Rayson
Encore Theatre
Directed by Doug Bennett
Reviewed by Jill Watson – Sunday, July 24, 2011
The action begins with the funeral of Professor Peter George, Head
of the History Department at Melbourne University. We are briefly
introduced to his three wives attending the funeral, which is led
by Alan Duffy, George’s long-time friend. The action then moves
back to the late ‘60s and spans three decades, covering the social
changes over that period through the tempestuous university
career and private life of Peter George (known as “George” as is
“Duffy”).
We see George with his new wife Beatrix in 1970, as they are
following the revolution in Paris where Beatrix is attending Art
College and George is writing a book. Disillusionment sets in.
They move back to England, then George accepts a position at
Melbourne University, Bea gives up her possible art career, and off
to Australia they go, taking up residence in Box Hill. Two children,
a boy and a girl, are born.
Earlier on, with George flying onto the stage on a rope, we have
been “treated” to George’s renowned inaugural speech at the
university, covering many of his ideas on life and work, with
free love certainly one of them. His marriage doesn’t last the
course, with Beatrix returning to England with the children. He
has started having an affair with one of the university lecturers,
Lindsay, whom he marries. After troubles with Lindsay (she is too
competitive for him), he ends up with his third wife, Poppy, one of
his students who is not much older than his daughter.
George has a troubled relationship with his offspring; the son
has always been a drifter, currently in India and doesn’t bother to
come to the funeral. We see scenes with his daughter, spanning
many years. The daughter is a loner, doesn’t want to go to
university, but is a talented pianist and composer. Melanie Rowe
did a wonderful job with this part, showing her loneliness and
lack of self-esteem, but not afraid to say her mind to either of her
parents.
Kellie Bray as Beatrix gave a steady, sympathetic performance;
an earth mother, perhaps, living with an Italian man in Tuscany,
fulfilling her love of painting. She conveyed her love and
knowledge of George, along with the strength to let him go his
own way.
The set, designed by Doug Bennett, was simple, including a raised
area centre stage, providing more emphasis for certain scenes and
even depicting a basement storage space at one point. Scenes
were played out all over the stage.
Gail Bradley as the organised, bossy Lindsay, with her eye on
keeping the university out of the red, was wonderful. She
obviously loves George, but again, lets him go his own way.
Doug Bennett gathered together an intelligent cast, who did a
wonderful ensemble job with this well written, if somewhat long,
play. Acknowledgement should also be made of Doug’s assistant,
Kim Redford.
Venetia Macken as Poppy was delightful. With her intelligence and
idealism, you could see how George would be smitten.
THE HISTORY BOYS
Trevor Hanna as the longstanding friend, Duffy, did a great job in
this role. A quiet, reliable man, who ultimately shows his strong
will and determination in resolving an important situation.
William Mulholland as the charismatic George, did marvellously
well. Great stage presence, managing to convey a caring man
despite his wild ways.
By Alan Bennett
Directed by Bruce Akers
Reviewed by Ewen Crockett – July 14, 2011
What a well-crafted script this is. Clever, witty and sensitive, it deals
with the relationships between a group of boys and their various
teachers, covering everything from larrikinism to schoolboy
crushes and a little harmless groping. Under the capable direction
of Bruce Akers the play is brought to life with all its nuances intact.
It’s the groping that lands History master Hector in hot water and
begins the unravelling. Peter Maver played this role, and to watch
the masterful way he handled Hector’s tragic disintegration was
an absolute delight. In fact the whole cast were next to faultless.
Juliet Hayday as the slightly sarcastic but ever caring Dorothy;
Tim Constantine as Irwin, struggling with his emotions towards
the boys; Paul Kennedy as the headmaster reminded me of selfcentred, poncy masters I encountered during my own schooldays;
all gave excellent, well controlled performances.
From Encore Theatre’s Life After George:
Above: (l–r) Kellie Bray and William Mulholland.
Below: (l–r) Venetia Macken and Melanie Rowe. Photos by Bill Rendall
(l–r) Samuel Chappell, Alex Goldsworthy, Tim Driver, Joshua Kerr, Ryan
Purdey, James Plunkett, Tim Constantine (standing) and Brian Farrell in
Heidelberg Theatre Company’s The History Boys. Photo by Patricia Tyler.
The boys, Crowther (Ryan Purdy), Dakin (James Plunkett),
Lockwood (Alex Goldsworthy), Posner (Tim Driver), Rudge (Joshua
Kerr), Scripps (Samuel Chappel) and Timms (Brian Farrell) captured
the essence of teenage boys but still let us know that there was a
lot more to them than just the jokey, knockabouts they purported
to be.
The set was simple, workable and looked like a schoolroom;
congratulations to David Dare on his design. Clever use of
lights (Deryk Hartwick) and an excellent choice of sound (Neill
Williamson) further enhanced the evening. Wardrobe (Wendy
Drowley, Lois Connor & Dianne Brennan) was spot on.
Lighting worked very well, designed by Deryk Hartwick and
operated by Nick Ryan. Actors were good at finding their
spotlights, and I liked the dimming of lights when an actor
stepped from one scene into another, sometimes into the future,
sometimes back in time. Scenes were successfully augmented by
location projections at the back (graphic design by Belinda and
Danny Buckingham). Audio design and operation by Annie Blood
also worked well, including some excellent mood music.
This is a very busy play with many scene changes and different
locations, and could have become sloppy if not done well. Under
the slick stage management of Emma Hunt all went very smoothly,
never stopping the action as we were transported from scene to
scene.
If this all sounds like a rave, well it is; rarely have I enjoyed an
evening of theatre this much.
Everyone involved in this production is to be congratulated. Thank
you all.
Theatrecraft September 2011 — Page 5
others afforded to those who live otherwise. They banter away,
by turns badgering each other for personal details or desperately
trying to protect and preserve them.
John Howard has his work cut out for him. His has the biggest and
wordiest role, and while he often achieves the pathos required, he
seems preoccupied with simply getting the words out as rapidly
as possible. Whyte and Kelso also tend to this, and in scenes where
all three of them are in full banter mode, the point of the writing
is often compromised. Pace is certainly needed for a play like this,
but not at the expense of actors truly engaging with each other or
bringing full meaning to the words they deliver. A certain ‘letters
to the editor’ quality to their interchanges doesn’t help. Real
people don’t talk to each other like this very often.
Whyte is at her best in her monologues, bringing forth a believably
complex character who is both tough and vulnerable, caring yet
wary, and patently wounded. Kelso gets the lion’s share of the
laughs, delivering Aussie sayings and quips with gusto. Claire
Lovering, who plays the ultimate ugly British backpacker Dee,
works extremely hard to bring her unlikable character to life — a
tough gig mostly well-executed. Unfortunately, the relative lack
of stage experience by Louis Corbett (Boy), combined with an
unclear role (I’m assuming he represents Baxter’s lost youth)
meant his scenes are the least successful.
Is Winton’s first play a winner? Not entirely. Should he keep writing
plays? Definitely!
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING
EARNEST
by Oscar Wilde
Beaumaris Theatre
Directed by Emma Sproule
Reviewed by Deborah Fabbro – July 22, 2011
John Howard in Melbourne Theatre Company’s Rising Water. Photo by
Gary Marsh.
RISING WATER
by Tim Winton
Melbourne Theatre Company
Directed by Kate Cherry
Reviewed by Kim Ryan – August 9, 2011
Rising Water is Tim Winton’s first play. As one of Australia’s
most celebrated authors, most of us know and hold dear the
extraordinary stage adaptation of his iconic Cloudstreet by Nick
Enright and Justin Monjo (a recent television adaptation was also
highly praised), but this is the first time Winton has brought one of
his own stories to the stage.
It’s a big, ballsy production. A knockout set features three realistic
yachts moored to a jetty which leads off-stage at various points.
The yachts seem to float on rippling water, and upstage we see the
barely perceptible swaying of other masts and rigging. Combined
with striking lighting effects in strong colours, the audience is
instantly taken to the marinas of their own experience. Additional
seaside sound effects throughout might have added even more to
the sense of place, and sadly I was brought out of the suspension
of disbelief whenever the row-boat appeared; it lacks the same
realism as the larger craft around it.
The state of the three yachts provides insight to their owners,
whom we soon meet in rapid succession. Baxter (John Howard)
is as shambolic as his boat, Shirley; Col (Geoff Kelso) and his craft
Goodness both exude ocker Australian male; and Mercy, owned by
Jackie (Alison Whyte), is clean-lined and sparsely sophisticated.
Baxter, Col and Jackie are neighbours; they live at the marina, and
the dialogue and program notes make it clear that they are all, in
their own ways, hiding away from the wider world, licking various
life wounds. They may have broken free from the restraints of
more conventional lifestyles but they have swapped one sort of
prison for another. Here they have very little of the privacy from
I know and love the three-act version of The Importance of Being
Earnest, so was intrigued to see the four-act version as presented
by Beaumaris Theatre. In her lengthy Director’s Notes, Emma
Sproule, stated that she had chosen to present this version not
because of a particular preference, but to offer the audience an
alternative.
The four-act version seems to include references to Mr. Wilde’s
financial situation at the time, and to his persecutors. As such the
additional scenes lend nothing to the content of the play and are
of little interest to an audience. For example, despite a capable
performance by veteran actor Tom Travers as the solicitor Mr
Gribsby, this extra scene with the solicitor delivering the debtor’s
writ does not gel with the rest of the story and adds nothing to the
plot. For me it seemed unnecessary. That said, there was some very
comic business and good attention given to timing.
Casting Jennifer Gilchrist and her real-life daughter Annabelle
Tudor as Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen Fairfax was inspired,
and there was chemistry between them that could not be
manufactured. Jennifer was a formidable Lady Bracknell with
great stage presence and a perfect sense of the ‘dramatic pause’.
Annabelle is obviously following in her mother’s footsteps as
a talented actress. She displayed good timing and appropriate
gestures and body language, though I did think she was a little too
strident in Act 3; a stronger directorial hand would have benefited
here. Both she and Kristina Doucouliagos as Cecily needed to slow
down their delivery. While diction was reasonable, both tended to
gabble on occasions. All of the cast are to be congratulated of their
most suitable accents, which were maintained throughout.
Matt Allen as John Worthing and Nicholas Barker-Pendree as
Algernon Moncrieff worked well together playing similarly, though
a little postured and stilted. I did think that both were older than
the roles suggested. Peter Emery took the dual roles of Lane and
Merriman and gave a lovely portrayal of Lane with good sense of
timing. However, and it seems to be the case in most productions,
Merriman was too over the top.
The final two roles of Miss Prism and Rev. Canon Chasuble, were
played by Judy Sporton and David Dodd. Both were believable
in their roles. I did like Judy’s change of character after the
discovery that she was the owner of “The Handbag”. David gave
a particularly agreeable characterisation to his interpretation of a
country vicar.
Neil Barnett’s set design, the concept of which the director
borrowed from another production, was a giant book with popup pages which turned to create the next scene; clever both
in concept and execution. It was enhanced by the adept stage
crew, dressed as household staff of the period, who achieved the
scene changes efficiently and with style. I saw the penultimate
performance and signs of wear and tear were becoming evident;
this should have been attended to.
Costuming a period play is always a challenge but Emma
Spoule and Kristina Doucouliagos co-ordinated this aspect
well. It was great to note the co-operation between companies
around Melbourne in making this possible. As a hat lover I must
acknowledge Jennifer Gilchrist’s role in creating the fabulous
headwear. The thought that had gone into all aspects of this
production was well appreciated by the audience.
BLITHE SPIRIT
By Noel Coward
Directed by John Keogh
Reviewed by Barry O’Neill – August 20, 2011
This well known piece from Noel Coward concerns socialite
Charles Condomine, who invites respected medium Madame
Arcati to conduct a séance in his home, hoping to gather material
for a new book he is writing. During the séance, Madame Arcati
manages to invoke the spirit of Charles’s first wife, Elvira, who then
proceeds to stir up a very troublesome threesome that includes
Charles’s current wife, Ruth. The situation gets increasingly out of
control, so Charles pleads with Madame to revoke the spell and
send Elvira packing. Things get worse when Elvira’s plan to kill
Charles backfires, and Ruth is mistakenly killed, and Madame’s
muddling only succeeds in bringing both spirits — Elvira and
Ruth — to haunt Charles.
The set, designed by John Shelbourn, was the luxurious living
room of the Condomines’, dressed appropriately by the Brighton
crew with a sharp eye for detail, and props from the correct era
(no special program credits given). A very square layout with
central double doors and french windows SR was bright and
effective. A selection of Coward vocals formed the basis of sound
design from Bruce Parr, whilst Gordon Boyd’s lighting design
added ambience throughout. Mention must be made of the
special effects provided by Neil Barnett and Ewen Crockett which
were particularly impressive in the last scene. The lid of a period
gramophone continually opening and closing was very clever.
Bronwyn King as Costume Coordinator added her own stamp
on the production with immaculate dressing for both men and
women.
Ian Grealy and Alison Campbell Rate were a delight to watch
as Charles and Ruth Condomine. Their work was relaxed and
convincing; Ian with his whimsical glances and superbly timed
humour, Alison with her pouting petulance and simmering
dismay. They were totally believable at all times and ensured that
the comic scenes were maximised by resisting the temptation to
overplay their emotions. Complementing these performances
and complicating the tricky threesome was Janis Schneider as
Elvira. Janis used her eyes with wonderful effect to give us a great
interpretation of this ethereal, wicked and always mischievous
character.
Also attending the early séance were the Condomines, friends Dr
and Mrs Bradman, played by Barry James and Joan Krutli. Both
these experienced actors added to the very natural look of this
production, playing their parts with consummate ease, as did
Phillipa Bain in the minor, but eventually critical role of the maid
Edith.
Finally, in an adventurous piece of casting by director John Keogh,
the pivotal role of Madame Arcati was played by male actor
Robin Cuming. Certainly the oddities of Madame Arcati — floppy
hat, eccentric dress, affected speech, odd dance, airy-fairy
gestures — were well portrayed, so perhaps the traditional
casting of females such as Margaret Rutherford and Angela
Lansbury was worth the challenge. However Mr. Cuming’s efforts
were badly undermined by his continual hesitant line delivery
which repeatedly slowed the otherwise sharp pace to a crawl.
This occurred too often to be classified as ‘characterisation’
and became an unwelcome intrusion into an otherwise classy
production.
Continued on Page 6
Janis Schneider,
Alison Campbell
Rate and Ian Grealy
in Brighton Theatre
Company’s Blithe
Spirit. Photo by John
Shelbourn.
Audience reaction was very favourable, and it was pleasing to
see a full house in attendance. Thanks also to BTC for their usual
hospitality.
THE GLASS MENAGERIE
By Tennessee Williams
Peridot Theatre Company
Directed by Vicki Smith
Reviewed by Phyll Freeman – August 14, 2011.
Peridot has again given us a first-class production in The Glass
Menagerie, a largely acknowledged autobiography by author
Tennessee Williams. It tells of a middle-aged ‘Southern Belle’ who
still lives in the past of having gentlemen callers. She now rules
her family with the proverbial rod of iron.
The talented director,Vicki Smith, brought together a fine cast.
As Amanda Wingfield, the mother, we had a great performance
from the experienced Christine Andrew. Her change from the
dominant mother to the faded ‘Southern Belle’ of 30 years earlier
was mesmerising, as she pouted, preened and pirouetted in her
ancient finery for their gentleman caller. Her voice was strong
and easily understood. As her crippled daughter, Laura, we saw
Donna Pope, who was completely in character. Her high, light
voice was suitable, and her breakdown on the arrival of the
gentleman caller was affecting. The son/narrator, Tom Wingfield,
was Angelo DeCata, who showed the frustration with his mother’s
tight control of everything he did and said. His vocal delivery was
a little soft and too conversational when furthering the storyline.
The gentleman caller, Jim O’Connor, was an excellent Stephen
Shinkfield, who successfully went through a range of emotions
during his visit, and while giving advice to the lovelorn Laura.
The set consisted of a dining setting on a platform upstage
centre, which highlighted a picture of the errant husband and
father. Doors leading to kitchen upstage right and bedrooms
upstage left, were curtained with flimsy see-through material.
People working in the kitchen could be viewed through a seethrough wall. Downstage centre there was a floral-covered sofa
next to a small table holding the glass menagerie belonging to
the daughter, Laura — this had become her little world. On the
audience left was a table holding a typewriter, and behind, a
mirror on the wall. Downstage front was a walkway leading to a
balcony and the front door.
The director, who also designed the set with Helen McIntosh, also
designed and operated the sound and helped with the costumes.
The accompanying music was an amalgam of various musical
instruments which underlined the emotions and gave us a sense
of impending doom. I also liked the sound of the raindrops after
the arrival of the caller. Lighting, designed by Robin LeBlond
and Gordon Boyd, was fine. Although the blackouts in Act I were
lengthy, they were understandable as the cast had to change
outfits to show the passing of time. Costumes were of the correct
period, especially the ladies’ frocks in Act II, plus the 1930-style
wigs.
A fine performance – thanks to director, cast, crew and FOH staff.
TALKING HEADS
by Alan Bennett
The 1812 Theatre
Directed by Helen Ellis
Reviewed by Nicky McFarlane – August 19, 2011
Alan Bennett wrote Talking Heads, a series of women’s monologues,
for BBC TV in the 1980s. They are sharply witty but underpinned
with great sympathy. I think Helen Ellis and 1812 Theatre were brave
to try a production that is not a play with several actors as we
expect to see, but nevertheless brilliantly entertaining.
Carol Shelbourn was Susan in “Bed Among the Lentils”. Susan,
dressed conventionally in a pleated skirt and a loose jacket, is
pottering in her kitchen and occasionally relaxing in an armchair
as she bares her soul to us. She is describing her boring, sad and
depressing life as Mrs Vicar, which is what husband Geoffrey, the
Vicar, and his gaggle of adoring women of the parish annoyingly
call her. Their flower arrangements for the altar make her efforts
look pathetic. Geoffrey is so busy talking to God he has no time
or the inclination to pay any attention to her. She has taken to the
bottle in a big way, slipping off to Leeds every day, or to the local
Indian grocer, Rama (who has “rather good legs”), for her supplies,
or sampling the communion wine if nothing is readily to hand.
So frequent are her visits to Rama, that the expected happens;
he ushers her into his store room and they enjoy each other’s
company on the lentil bags. By this time her alcoholic state has
penetrated even to Mr Vicar’s notice, and Rama persuades her to
give Alcoholics Anonymous a try. When she is recovered Mr Vicar
sees such a recovery as God’s doing and claims to the entire parish
that Susan’s rescue from the wicked drink is a miracle.
Susan could be telling this story to a neighbour over the fence.
Her voice is so confidential it is easy to believe she is speaking to
each of us alone, only lifting in amusement as she laughs at herself,
or when angry or quoting someone else. Her facial expressions
illustrate every anecdote and this is a delightful and touching story.
In “Her Big Chance” we see Angela Glennie as Lesley, a young
would-be actress who has had a little work as an extra in TV
soapies. She is naive, callow and brash, and thinks her chance to
shine has come when a friend gets her an audition for a film to be
shot on a yacht and she is offered a part. Determined to show she
is experienced (in fact she says several times “I am a professional,
you know”), she immediately starts pestering the producer and
director with her brilliant ideas as to how her part should be
played. Needless to say, they ignore her ideas, and she is given
little to do and is kept waiting for hours for something to happen.
Meanwhile, she tries to persuade herself she is having a great time.
It all comes down to the point that she is told to take her clothes
off. As the film is finished, the director takes her to bed and nobody
even says goodbye. Lesley has long blonde hair, wears skin-tight
pants or low-cut skin-tight dresses (looks gorgeous), and indicates
just what sort of girl she is, or would like to be. Her voice is not
quite BBC, more like Coronation Street, and at one point she goes
through a list of emotions with expressions to match. It reminded
me of an illustration I saw once in an ancient “How to Act” book, of
people pulling faces to illustrate different emotions — very funny.
This performance was so full on; Angela was living this girl’s life and
making her real for us.
Two beautiful performances from such talented people was a treat.
I took a friend who was not a theatregoer and she was wrapt. The
set design was by John Shelbourn and comprised an arch place
centre stage, black drapes around the sides, a kitchen for Susan,
a girly pink bedroom full of soft toys, dolls and fuchsia-coloured
clothes lying around for Lesley. Now, if you are thinking that a
show like that would be easy and simple, there are 17 names in the
production list, including a stage manager and two assistants, plus
the work of numerous 1812 volunteers. Robin Le Blond’s lighting
plan was good, though some of the blackouts and changes were a
little offbeat. Wardrobe was worked out by the directors and actors.
I talked to Carol Shelbourn after the show and asked her if she
found being alone on stage scary. She said she found it in fact
liberating; not having to rely on other people, easily covering up if
she misses a line — good in every way.
More Reviews on Page 16
Dandenong Theatre Company inc.
by arrangement with jacksontrainfence,
proudly present...
Don’t Take It As Gospel
Written by Matt Caton
A satirical look at how the greatest book ever written, came to be
Old Council Chambers,
Trades Hall, Carlton
September 22 - October 8, 2011
Tickets $18 / $15
Visit www.melbournefringe.com.au
dandenongtheatre.org.au
> Publicity
jacksontrainfence.com.au
> Press Releases
> Photography
> Creative Writing
> Script Library
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Services for the
entertainment industry
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centrestage
A series arranged by Kym Davies
Company: The 1812 Theatre
What kind of members does the group have? The 1812 Theatre
is managed by a Board of Directors. It has a volunteer base of
approximately 150 members (known as 1812’ers), and a subscriber
base of approximately 2,000.
What’s the current culture of the company like? The companies
culture is based on a common love of theatre. The theatre itself has
become a second home, and source of extended family to many,
and we are always happy to welcome new members. Our goal is
to provide a broad range of high quality theatre to our patrons,
while providing opportunities at all levels for the development of
the artistic skills of our performers and the technical skills of our
crews. We have a culture of inclusion, in which the theatre and its
entertainment offerings are the sum total of the individuals who
come together to create them.
How has it changed over the years? The company’s culture has
more evolved than changed with time. Its core values of inclusion,
quality and community focus have continued. However, the
continued success and growth of the theatre and its facilities have
required this to be balanced with a distinct business focus to the
companies operation; in order to ensure the theatre is continually
able to reinvest in itself, and thus continue to provide its current
high standards to both its patrons and members in the future.
Current production: Talking Heads (Bed among the Lentils & Her Big
Chance) by Alan Bennett
Last three productions: Breaking Legs by Tom Dulack; Visiting Mr
Green by Jeff Baron; Almost Maine by John Cariani.
When was the group formed? The 1812 Theatre had its beginnings
in 1945 under the somewhat unwieldy title of the Ferntree Gully
Arts Society Repertory Players and as such is one of the longest
running theatre groups in Melbourne. For the next 10 years the
group grew, though not exactly prospered. But despite playing on
one memorable occasion to an audience of three, the enthusiasm
remained. In 1956 the group became “The Repertory Players”.
By 1968 the company had outgrown its premises and relocated
to the Lysterfield Progress Hall in Kellets Road, Lysterfield, twice
as big, but in a state of near collapse. For the next 6 months
actors became carpenters, painters and tradesmen. The hall was
converted into an intimate theatre and the 1812 Theatre was
created. But tragedy struck in the early hours of June 2nd 1972 when
a fire razed the theatre to the ground, in the middle of a season,
and the 1812 lost everything.
With the same enthusiasm, that current season Ring Around the
(l–r) Nick Martin and Matt Phillips in Visiting Mr Green at The 1812
Theatre, March 2011
Moon was re-presented at the Scoresby Hall, and one month later
The 1812 again began building at the Festival Theatre, a derelict
cinema in Rose Street, Upper Ferntree Gully, our current home.
Since November 1972, when the curtain rose on a new stage and a
new era, The 1812 has progressed in leaps and bounds. Jazz nights,
out-of-town openings for professional shows, workshops for its
members, as well as five diverse plays presented each year.
Where does the group rehearse? Rehearsals take place at the 1812
Theatre in Ferntree Gully.
Where does the group perform? The group performs in the 1812
Theatre in Ferntree Gully
Types of productions the group stages: We have two performing
spaces, the Lowe Auditorium (the theatre’s main performing space
– 152 seats) and the “bakery” (an intimate & versatile space with
flexible seating configurations – 56 seats). In the Lowe Auditorium
we stage a large variety of (non-musical) plays, targeting more
mainstream tastes. In the “bakery” we stage plays that deal with
more confronting social issues, where the uniquely intimate space
is best suited, and provides a more adventurous and personal
journey into theatre.
Other interesting facts about the group: In 1985 the company
represented Australia in an international festival of amateur
theatre in Monaco. A cast and crew of 20 ventured into Europe,
where a uniquely Australian play, Such is Life… Ned Kelly, was
presented. The 1812 Theatre is still the only Australian theatre
company to participate in this international event.
Left and below: the set of 84 Charing Cross Road, 2009.
2011 VDL AWARDS ENTRIES
Entries approved as of July 22
(D) Drama, (C) Comedy
THE SHOE-HORN SONATA (D)
by John Misto
Director: Deborah Fabbro
February 24–March 12
MOaRTZ
A BAD YEAR FOR TOMATOES (C)
by John Patrick
Director: Annette O’Shea
May 27–June 4
WAIT UNTIL DARK (D)
by Frederick Knott
Director: Malcolm Sussman
July 22–August 6
The 1812 Theatre
VISITING MR GREEN (D)
by Jeff Baron
Director: Malcolm Sussman
March 3–April 2
Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company
DEATH OF A SALESMAN (D)
by Arthur Miller
Director: Kevin Trask
May 31–June 18
Wangaratta Players
FACE TO FACE (D)
by David Williamson
Director: Lorraine Monshing OAM
August 12–20
The Mount Players
THE WOMAN IN BLACK (D)
by Stephen Mallatratt (adapted from the
book by Susan Hill)
Director: Frank Harvey
March 11–April 2
Werribee Theatre Company
`ALLO `ALLO (C)
by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft
Director: Alaine Beek
June 3–11
Gemco Players Community Theatre
COSI (C)
by Louis Nowra
Director: Sharon Maine
August 19–September 4
Foster Amateur Music & Drama
Association (FAMDA)
HEROES (C)
by George Sibleyras; adapted by Tom
Stoppard
Director: Andrew Oldroyd
June 17–25
Dandenong Theatre Company
SPEAKING IN TONGUES (D)
by Andrew Bovell
Director: Colin Morley
Essendon Theatre Company
LIVING TOGETHER (C)
by Alan Ayckbourn
Director: Teresa Maurici-Ryan
March 24–April 2
TWELVE ANGRY MEN (D)
by Reginald Rose; adapted by Sherman
Segal)
Director: Dave Wearne
April 14–17
Eltham Little Theatre
WE HAPPY FEW (D)
by Imogen Stubbs
Director: Gayle Poor
June 23–July 9
Williamstown Little Theatre
NOT ABOUT HEROES (D)
by Stephen MacDonald
Director: Shane Ryan
April 28–May 15
Geelong Repertory Theatre
DR JEYKLL AND MR HYDE (D)
by Jeffery Hatcher
Director: Travis Eccles
June 24–July 9
Southern Peninsula Players
DEATHTRAP (D)
by Ira Levin
Director: Kylie Knoble
May 5–15
Malvern Theatre Company
THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION (D)
by Aaron Sorkin
Director: Shane Ryan
June 24–July 9
NATURAL CAUSES (C)
by Eric Chappell
Director: Drucilla Bartlett
May 12–June 5
THE HISTORY BOYS (C)
by Alan Bennett
Director: Bruce Akers
July 7–23
SECRET BRIDESMAIDS’ BUSINESS (C)
by Elizabeth Coleman
Directed by Rachel Holt
May 13–21
Beaumaris Theatre
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (C)
by Oscar Wilde
Director: Emma Sproule
July 8–23
Strathmore Theatre Arts Group
HYSTERIA (D)
by Terry Johnson
Director: Alex Lance
May 26–June 4
Encore Theatre
LIFE AFTER GEORGE (D))
by Hannie Rayson
Directed by Doug Bennett
July 15–30
Purely Pensive Productions
AWAY (D)
by Michael Gow
Director: Luke Morrison
September 15–17
Hartwell Players
THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE (D)
by Harley Granville-Barker
Director: Bruce Cochrane
September 16–October 1
Moreland Theatre Company
PYGMALION (D)
by George Bernard Shaw
Director: Karim Shaker
Kyneton Theatre Company
SWEET ROAD (D)
by Debra Oswald
Director: Bronwyn Neill
October 21–29
AWARDS
ENTRY
what’s on
For more information on the productions, including
exact performance dates, please visit our website:
www.theatrecraft.org.au
SEASON
GROUP
PRODUCTION
BOOKINGS
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Matinée: 4:00 pm
THE 1812 THEATRE
TALKING HEADS by Alan Bennett
Directed by Helen Ellis
3–5 Rose St, Upper Ferntree Gully (Melways: 74 F6)
9758 3964
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Matinées: Sundays, 2:15 pm
BRIGHTON THEATRE
COMPANY
BLITHE SPIRIT by Noel Coward
Directed by John Keogh
Brighton Arts and Cultural Centre, Wilson St, Brighton
1300 752 126
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Matinées: August 21 & 28 &
September 4, 5:00 pm
Evenings: 8.00 pm
Matinée: September 4, 2:00 pm
GEMCO PLAYERS
COSI by Louis Nowra
AWARDS
COMMUNITY THEATRE Directed by Sharon Maine
ENTRY
The Gem, 19 Kilvington Drive, Emerald (Melway: 127 E5)
www.
gemcoplayers.org,
or 0450 667 034
after 7:00 pm
ELTHAM LITTLE
THEATRE
PRIVATE LIVES by Noel Coward
Directed by Susan Rundle
Performing Arts Centre, 1602 Main Rd, Research (Melway: 22 H1)
9437 1574
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Matinees: August 28 &
Evenings: 8:15 pm
Matinees: August 27 &
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Matinées: September 4 & 11,
2:00 pm
DANDENONG
THEATRE COMPANY
SPEAKING IN TONGUES by Andrew Bovell
AWARDS
ENTRY
Director: Colin Morley
The Castle, Hemmings Park, 61A Princes Hwy, Dandenong
(Melways: 90 C5)
LOVE LETTERS and LATER LIFE by A. R. Gurney
Directed by Horrie Leek
29 Burke Rd, Malvern East
9771 6666
GOD OF CARNAGE by Yasmina Reza; translated from French by
Christopher Hampton
Directed by Natasha Boyd
56 Smith St, Macedon
1300 463 224
(Tuesday–
Saturday) or www.
themountplayers.
com/
9735 1777
MALVERN THEATRE
COMPANY
THE MOUNT PLAYERS
LILYDALE
THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG by Neil Simon; lyrics by Carole Bayer
ATHENAEUM THEATRE Sager; music by Marvin Hamlisch
COMPANY
Directed by Alan Burrows
29–41 Castella St, Lilydale
GEELONG REPERTORY DOUBT: A PARABLE by John Patrick Shanley
September 2–17
THEATRE COMPANY
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Directed by Sarah Freeman
15 Coronation St, Geelong West (Melway: 401 C3)
Evenings: 8:30 pm
September 8–17
ESSENDON THEATRE
COMPANY
Evenings: 8:00 pm
BLACKROCK by Nick Enright
Directed by Rachael Holt
Bradshaw Street Community Hall, 9 Bradshaw St (off Buckley St),
Essendon West (Melway: 28 B3)
September 9–24
BEAUMARIS THEATRE TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME, JUNIE MOON by Marjorie Kellogg &
D. D. Brooke
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Directed by Lyn Laister
82 Wells Rd, Beaumaris (Melway: 86 G6)
MORDIALLOC
LOVE LETTERS by A. R. Gurney
September 9–24
THEATRE COMPANY
Evenings: 8:15 pm
Directed by Judy Corderoy
Allan MacLean Hall, Albert St, Mordialloc (next door to the Police
Station) (Melway: 87 E12)
PURELY PENSIVE
AWAY by Michael Gow
September 15–17
AWARDS
PRODUCTIONS
ENTRY
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Directed by Luke Morrison
Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre, Cnr Sydney and Glenlyon
Rds, Brunswick
HEIDELBERG THEATRE THE 39 STEPS by John Buchan (adapted by Patrick Barlow)
COMPANY
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Directed by Justin Stephens
36 Turnham Ave, Rosanna (Melway: 32 A1)
Mention under WHAT’S ON and AUDITIONS is for VDL Member Groups only
1300 131 552
5225 1200
9330 4808 or
essendontheatre
company@gmail.
com
9583 6896
9587 5141
www.
purelypensive.
com.au
www.htc.org.au or
9457 4117
what’s on
SEASON
GROUP
PRODUCTION
Evenings: TBA
Matinées: TBA
HARTWELL PLAYERS
THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE by Harley Granville-Barker
Directed by Bruce Cochrane
AWARDS
Ashwood College PAC, Vannam Dr, Ashwood
ENTRY
(off High Street Rd) (Melway: 60 J10)
PYGMALION by George Bernard Shaw
AWARDS
ENTRY
Directed by Karim Shaker
Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre, cnr Sydney & Glenlyon
Rds, Brunswick (Melway: 28 G8)
ASPECTS OF LOVE by Andrew Lloyd Webber
1300 362 547
Directed by Shaun Kingma
Musical Director: Andrew Houston
Choreographed Movement: Tamara Finch
The National Theatre, Cnr Barkly & Carlisle Sts, St Kilda (Melway: 58 B10)
THE MOUSETRAP by Agatha Christie
03 5333 5888
Directed by: Peter Nethercote
SMB Courthouse Theatre, Lydiard St South, Ballarat (Parking off
Armstrong St South)
MORELAND THEATRE
COMPANY
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Matinées: September 25 &
October 2, 2:00 pm
CLOC MUSICAL
THEATRE
October 1–9
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Matinées: October 2, 8 & 9,
2:00 pm
October 8, 6:00 pm
October 14–22
Evenings: 7:30 pm
Matinées: October 15, 2:00 pm;
October 22, 5:00 pm
BALLARAT NATIONAL
THEATRE
October 14–29
Evenings: 8:00 pm
Matinées: 2:15 pm
ENCORE THEATRE
October 14–29
Evenings: 8:15 pm
Matinées: October 16 & 23,
5:15 pm
October 21–29
CROYDON PARISH
PLAYERS
BOOKINGS
THE SOUND OF MUSIC music By Richard Rodgers & Oscar
Hammerstein II; book by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse
Directed by Nick Walter
Music Director: Jenn Walter
Mahon Theatre, Aquinas College, Great Ryrie St, Ringwood
THE CEMETERY CLUB by Ivan Menchell
Directed by Deborah Fabbro
Clayton Community Centre Theatrette, Cooke St, Clayton (Melway: 79 C3)
www.
croydonparish
players.com
or 0447 014 584
SHERBROOKE
THEATRE COMPANY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY by Marc Camoletti
Directed by Craig Maloney
Doncaster Playhouse, 679 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster (Melway: 47 E1)
1300 650 209
KYNETON THEATRE
COMPANY
SWEET ROAD by Debra Oswald
Directed by Bronwyn Neill
auditions
AWARDS
ENTRY
SEASON
AUDITIONS
November 17–
December 4
SEPTEMBER 11, 2:00 PM Williamstown Little Theatre
SEPTEMBER 12, 7:30 PM PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM by Woody Allen
Director: Gaetano Santo
3M (2 x 20s. 1 x 30s), 4–8 F (20s)
Williamstown Little Theatre, 2–4 Albert St, Williamstown
SEPTEMBER 19, 7:30 PM Heidelberg Theatre Company
SEPTEMBER 20, 7:30 PM UNDER MILK WOOD by Dylan Thomas
Director: Chris Baldock, assisted by Helen Ellis
Mixed cast, 10–24 people
37 Turnham Ave, Rosanna
SEPTEMBER 25, 2:00 PM Hartwell Players
SEPTEMBER 28, 7:00 PM THE REAL STORY OF PUSS IN BOOTS by David Foxton
Director: Joanne Watt
5M, 5F (various ages) plus ensemble
BDC Dance, 13 Yertchuk Ave, Ashwood
November 17–
December 3
January 13–28, 2012
1300 739 099
PRODUCTION
ENQUIRIES
0419 529 208
chris.baldock@
gmail.com
0408 366 481
or auditions@
hartwellplayers.
org.au
Copies of most of the above plays are available to hire to VDL members.
Please note: some plays may not be available during the week leading up to audition.
WHAT’S ON and AUDITIONS submissions must be made through our website for inclusion in Theatrecraft.
J;9>9EHD;H
This month: Set painting tips
PLAIN CAN BE BORING!
While it can be said that a plain colour for the walls of a room on a set is modern, not all periods adopted this look. Many periods had
wallpaper which, in a number of cases, defined an era or style. Consider using something different. Four simple systems could be
adopted: Stamps, Stencils & Scenic painting and/or stripes. They may take a little longer to prepare but will enhance the production.
STAMPS
A paint stamp is a tool similar to a giant rubber stamp and ink pad that makes repeating patterns
(see image, left). They are custom-made using foam rubber glued to a piece rigid sheet of ply.
The pattern can be simple or complex in design, provided it makes a repeating pattern. In this
image the dotted lines are “snap lines” of chalk to ensure the pattern is repeated correctly; the “X”
marks the position of the stamp point which ensures correct spacing.
The paint stamp can be used on both vertical and horizontal (painted before erected) flats.
Stamps are charged with paint by setting them into a very shallow tray of paint. This may mean
creating a tray to fit a 2 × 1 and a ply base.
What paint should be used with paint stamps? The paint for the stamp should be fairly thick. If
too thin, it may seep to one side of the stamp and drip. This is one reason to use the stamp with
the flat horizontal and then let it dry.
If you look at a number of professional sets up close they are not perfect. The stamp also does
not have to be perfect. Remember your audience is not close to the set wall and what you can
see when up close they will not see sitting in the auditorium. Take a step back, stand well back
from the flats and see what the audience will see.
STENCILS
A stencil is an intricate painting mask made from heavy card or plastic with the negative area of a
design or pattern cut out. Paint is applied through the stencil. It is better to cut the pattern in an
oversized stencil so that the stencil itself masks excess paint. A stippling brush is primarily used
for stencilling. Use similar snap lines, as suggest for the stamp, and the “X” to position the stencil.
If using a plastic-cut stencil consider using a spray glue to hold the stencil in place.
Making a stencil out of thick card is a very cheap way to make a stencil. Having decided on your
design, cut it out with a Stanley knife and spray it with polyurethane. Try to get the spray on the
edge of the cut as this will seal the card.
If you are not making your own stencil consider stencils from The Stencil Gallery in Sydney (www.
stencilgallery.com.au) or a similar place. This is a stencil purchased. The stencil has two shapes cut
out, one above the other and off set.
SCENIC PAINTING
If you are painting a wall of a set with one colour, why not go further? This image of wallpaper and
panelling has been painted by the great scenic artist Graham McGuffie for a recent production,
yet it looks real. The wallpaper is a combination of painted stripes of colour with a small stencil
pattern of leaves and flower heads. The panelling is also painted to give the impression of painted
tongue and grove panels.
If one was to use real wallpaper from the era (if you could get it) and real tongue and grove wood
panels it would be expensive and very time-consuming. With a little time and effort and scenic
paint this can be done for a few dollars
Melbourne theatre groups are very luck to have Scenic Studios, one of the best places to get
scenic paint in Australia (www.scenicstudios.com.au).
Scenic paint is cheaper than domestic paint. There are over 22 basic colours which can be mixed
to make any colour you wish. They are available in 4 different sizes: 10, 4 and 2.2 litres, as well as
800 ml.
Scenic paint is mixed with water and any one colour pot will last ages, because you use very little
of the pigment paint in the mix. 4 Lt is about $40.
one act festivals
SEASON
EVENT
FESTIVAL INFORMATION
September 2
KYNETON YOUTH ONE ACT
PLAY FESTIVAL
Venue: Bluestone Theatre, Hutton St,
Kyneton
Adjudicator: Val Victor-Gordon
Closing date: August 12
September 3–4
KYNETON’S 55TH FESTIVAL OF
ONE ACT PLAYS 2011
September
23–25
MONASH ONE ACT PLAY
FESTIVAL
Hosted by Peridot Theatre
October 7–8
DELORAINE FESTIVAL OF ONE
ACT PLAYS
ENTRY & CONTACT DETAILS
Contact: Ingrid Gang
Entries to: Kyneton Daffodil & Arts Festival
Inc One Act Plays, PO Box 59, Kyneton VIC
3444
Telephone: 0410 050 915
Email: [email protected]
Venue: Bluestone Theatre, Hutton St,
Contact: Ingrid Gang
Kyneton
Entries to: Kyneton Daffodil & Arts Festival
Adjudicator: Maggie Millar
Inc One Act Plays, PO Box 59, Kyneton VIC
3444
Closing date: August 12
Telephone: 0410 050 915
Venue: Peridot Theatre, Mt Waverley
Contact: Robyn Kelly 03 9898 9090 (phone
Secondary College, Lechte Rd, Mt Waverley & fax)
(Melway: 61 F11)
Mobile: 0438 724 664
Adjudicator: John Bishop
Entries to: Peridot Theatre, P. O. Box 1026,
Box Hill VIC 3128
Venue: Deloraine Little Theatre, Deloraine Contact: Julius Kearon
Entries to: 25 Meander Valley Rd, Deloraine
TAS 7304
Telephone: 03 63623045
Season 3
TALKING HEADS:
Bed among the Lentils, Miss
Fozzard Finds Her Feet,
& Her Big Chance
by Alan Bennett
Director: Helen Ellis
August 11 –
September 10 2011
Season 4
THE RETURN
by Reg Cribb
Director: Dexter Bourke
September 29 – October 22
Wanted: Actors, technicians, crew, handypeople, costumers.
The 1812 Theatre welcomes new members. Anyone interested in joining
our thriving group of thespians will be made to feel at home. We have a
beautiful little theatre only 45 minutes from the city where we rehearse,
build great sets, perform to packed audiences, and, above all, enjoy
ourselves! If this appeals to you, please phone us.
Bookings & Enquiries: 9758 3964
reviews
From Sunshine Community Theatre’s The Importance of Being Earnest: Left: (l–r) Tania Maxwell and Tess Maurici-Ryan. Right: (l–r) Dusan Dobrilovic
and. Verity Danbold. Photos by Stephen Andrews.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING
EARNEST
By Oscar Wilde
Directed by Lee Cook
Reviewed by Phyll Freeman – August 7, 2011.
Sunshine presented, at their Community Centre, this deliciously
acerbic play by the Dublin born author, Oscar Wilde.
This is a ‘bare bones’ theatre where a small army of volunteers
have to start from the floor up to create a playing space for their
actors. No stage, but tall screens arranged at floor level, draped
with suitable materials and later flowery garlands, imitation grass,
returning to the drapes. Although in three acts, the sets were
changed quickly and quietly. The lighting was satisfactory and
the sound was suitable. Costumes were excellent and well fitted.
The men’s suits, the ladies’ voluminous frocks with lots of lace, and
Lady Bracknell’s wide hats were in the correct period.
Xavier Ryan gave us a worldly Algernon, as he gets his
‘comeuppance’ with the fictional ‘Bunbury’. His upper-class accent
and his hairstyle were fine. Ethan Wolfe was John Worthing,
Algernon’s best friend. Unfortunately his continual grimaces and
the clenching of his fists detracted from his performance. Ethan
certainly looked the part. As Lady Bracknell, Tess Maurici-Ryan
gave us a delightfully formidable character and her beautifully
rounded vowels added to the performance. As her daughter
Gwendolen, we saw Tania Maxwell, who was the epitome of
London debutante of that time — a nice portrayal. I also enjoyed
the tightly restrained repartee when she first meets the engaging
Theodora Neave, as John’s ward, Cecily. The governess, Miss
Prism, was played by Verity Danbold, who paired off with Dusan
Dobrilovic as the local vicar, Reverend Cannon Chasuble; a
romantic duo.
To round off the cast, as Merriman, the butler was Mark Griffey;
as Lane, the manservant was Alan Barrett and the footman was
Robert Wightwick. Overall the pace was good and the accents
worked well.
Congrats to the director, Lee Cook, cast and crew for an enjoyable
afternoon.
MY THREE ANGELS
By Sam and Bella Spewack
Mornington CEF Players
Directed by Myles Sharpe
Reviewed by Ewen Crockett – August 5, 2011
There are times as a reviewer when you wish you didn’t have to be
honest. This is one of those times, so I’m going to write some good
things but also tell you how bad this play was.
Firstly, I know a lot of effort went into this production. I took note
of set design (Craig Aiton) and decor, which was excellent, well
dressed and workable, but very flimsy. The set waved and shook
every time someone touched it; please don’t slam doors shut if
the whole set is going to move when you do it. French braces and
sandbags can secure almost anything. I didn’t get why there was
a vertical pole just inside the upstage entrance; it seemed to have
no purpose other than to hinder the actors. Scenic painting of the
outside area backdrop was superb. Congratulations to Dawn Laity
for her work, the whole set really looked as it should.
Of course I have no idea what the technical facilities of the venue
are, but I did notice that the lighting board is an LSC Mini 12, which
is capable of far more than I saw, even with the minimal rig that
was set up. Footlights are just that and are meant to be used in
front of curtain or for front-of-stage effect, otherwise they just
give the audience a good view of the actors nostrils, and cast
nasty shadows over the rest of the set, which is very distracting for
the audience on both accounts. Lighting designer Peter Amesbury
should have taken that into account.
Costuming, by Val Sharpe, was mismatched, anachronistic and
ill-fitting. Again, I know a lot of effort went into it, but more
thought to the era and the situation was needed. Sound design is
not mentioned in the programme, but what little there was, was
appropriate.
The actors were obviously enthusiastic, but lack of knowledge of
their lines, the play, the flow of it and unsure direction, led to a
production which lacked in pace and spontaneity.
I really don’t want to delve into individual performances. The best I
can say is that all showed some talent and some understanding of
their roles but really missed directorial input.
It makes no difference to an audience that the director has
excused himself, in his notes, by explaining how difficult it was to
stage his show. My suspicion is that there was a whole lot going
on “behind the scenes” that misdirected the director.
All in, this was not a good production. However, enthusiasm and
dedication is evident and I would welcome the opportunity to be
invited back to Mornington CEF Players.
IT’S MY PARTY (AND I’LL DIE IF I
WANT TO)
By Elizabeth Coleman
Directed by Roy Thompson
Reviewed by Ken Barnes – August 7, 2011
A dying father assembles his wife and three adult children for a
party in the family home to announce that he has only hours to
live, wishes to bid farewell and to review their lives together. At
first disbelieving, the wife and children gradually admit their true
feelings toward the father, including personal hurts, neuroses
and guilty secrets which together reveal the father’s controlling
nature and the resulting deeply divided family. This sounds like
a searing drama that should have an audience awash with tears,
but as it was written — and is usually directed — it turns out to
be a comedy with rather unsophisticated (though thoroughly
engaging) dialogue and situations bordering on farce.
This will sound like carping, but here goes. The performance was
one-dimensional; subtlety and nuance were the key elements
missing from what was otherwise an impressive performance.
While the writer had clearly intended It’s My Party to be performed
as a comedy, the show would have had more impact if director
and cast were able to balance the comedy with some of the
pathos in such a tragic situation. I felt at the end that this was
a story that could have been aimed at my heart rather than my
funny-bone. However, that might have required a complete
re-writing, given the implausible premise on which the play was
based, and my bias is probably because I am a father of grown-up
children and found it a little close for comfort!
Leaving these reservations aside, it was clear that the Frankston
audience thought the performance was a hoot from start to finish,
and that’s what really matters. Indeed, as we departed the theatre,
one patron with a broad smile asked the author (who was present
for the performance I attended), “How come you know so much
about my family?” And that probably said it all.
THE LION IN WINTER
by James Goldman
Directed by Graham Fly
Reviewed by Nicky McFarlane – August 21, 2011
The play is set in Chinon in France. It is Christmas in 1183. King
Henry II has gathered his legitimate family, including his wife
Eleanor of Aquitane, previously married to the King of France,
imprisoned by Henry for supporting his oldest son in a rebellion.
Present at this gathering are their sons Richard (Lionheart),
Geoffrey, John, Philip of France and Alais, Henry’s paramour. The
play confronts us with all these characters as they argue, plot and
speculate, and manoeuvre for “power and property” i.e. who is to
succeed Henry as King of England. This is spiced with the love/
hate relationship of Henry and Eleanor.
The director had assembled an impressive cast for the Party
led by Keith Gledhill in the key role of Ron Patterson, whose
wide theatrical experience was evident. Keith played the role
appropriately in low key, with good enunciation and voice
projection. He was totally credible as the patriarch and won some
sympathy from the audience despite his overbearing attitude
toward his children. On the other hand, Michelle Hamer’s portrayal
of his wife Dawn was perhaps a little over the top, especially in
the early scenes where her character was showing the effects of
alcohol, and in the final deeply black comedy scene. I also felt that
Rob Lister’s portrayal of Michael could have benefited from some
attenuation. While Michael needs to be played as an assertive and
grudge-bearing son with a deep secret, he is surely not that loud
and aggressive.
The two daughters also came across as strident and assertive after
their cool demeanor had been cast aside. Debbie was played by
Dawn Ridsdale who was able to bring out the acerbic, cynical and
very secretive nature of her character as she fired vitriol at her
father and siblings. The softer daughter Karen, her Dad’s favourite,
was played with credible, spoilt-brat poutiness and flouncy
mannerisms by Kelly Burton. Completing the cast was Parveen
Sagar who made an impressive first appearance on the Frankston
stage as Ted Wilkinson the undertaker. Like the other actors,
his delivery and stage presence was very good, including the
sidelong glances in Debbie’s direction and the protective cushion
between him and Michael. Parveen’s lack of undertaker-gravitas
could be excused because, after all, this was a comedy.
The actors were supported by a competent crew led by Gwen
Thompson as production coordinator and Dan Ellis as stage
manager. The expansive set (for a large stage) and properties
were first rate thanks to Dave Wearne and Janet Gledhill. Lighting
was appropriate though undemanding; the sound was adequate,
though the ticking clock and the mobile phone were both a touch
on the loud side.
(l–r) Robyn Pollock and Chris Hodson in The Basin Theatre Group’s The
Lion In Winter. Photo by Drucilla Bartlett
The director has further confused this complicated story by
dressing King and Queen in Medieval costumes and everybody
else in modern clothes. The stage features upstage three arched
windows lit from behind, a large dais two steps high on our left,
Continued on Page 18
a lower one on our right. The music between scenes is Medieval,
and a Christmas tree (a Victorian idea) is decorated with modern
baubles. The director justifies this mix of present and past because
“the character, passion and language are fictitious and equally
relevant” today.
The play seems flat; neither drama nor humour is highlighted,
missing the very passion the director mentions. The actors speak
their lines clearly, but they have not developed the characters
to go with them. There are exceptions of course. Robyn Pollock
as Eleanor gives as good as she gets to Henry, standing up to his
bullying as she fights for her own choice of son, while well aware
of the failure of all of them as cadets. Standing tall she looks regal
to the core. Chris Hodson as Henry is not the dynamic figure one
imagines. I understand that he had some vocal problems, and
it is a big role, but the sparks did not fly in the clashes with his
treacherous wife.
Karen Bennon, as Alais, does what she can with little help from the
text, wanting the love of Eleanor who brought her up, and of the
King who treasures her. She is pushed around like the pawn she
feels she plays, as her marriage (to Richard or John?) is discussed.
Aspects at CLOC
Love Changes Everything for Rosa…
Busy musical theatre performer, Rosa McCarty (pictured with
co-star Adam Rafferty) is becoming one of Melbourne’s most
accomplished and well-known leading ladies in the Melbourne
theatre scene. She is currently preparing to star in her fourth
consecutive show in the last twelve months, this time as
the aptly named Rose in CLOC Musical Theatre’s upcoming
production of Aspects of Love.
Originally from Adelaide, Rosa moved to Melbourne in
2008, and since then, has worked steadily with a number
of Melbourne’s leading theatre companies in a variety of
principal roles. “I have been very fortunate that some wonderful
opportunities have come along to play several larger than life
characters,” says Rosa, a medical scientist by day. That is an
understatement, as just in the last year, she has played the title
roles in Kiss of the Spiderwoman and Dusty!, and last year, she
played the lead role of Aldonza in CLOC’s production of Man of
La Mancha.
Her role as Rose reunites her with both her director and leading
man from that production, and brings her back to a company
she loves to work with. “After my last show, I thought I would
take a break, as I had done three big roles in a row,” says Rosa,
“but then the opportunity to work with CLOC again in such
an elegant and classy production, and to sing Andrew Lloyd
Webber’s gorgeous melodies, in a show that is rarely produced,
was too much of a temptation to pass up!” Not only that, but
unlike her last CLOC production, where she wore just one outfit
and wig for the entire show, this time Rosa has 25 costumes and
almost as many wig changes from an era of high fashion and
exquisite style.
Aspects of Love tells a tale of passion, love, betrayal and loss
over three generations of one family, spanning twenty years
across post war France and Italy, and how, as its most famous
song says, love changes everything. With book and music by
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics by Don Black and Charles
Hart, whose names are associated with some of the most loved
and successful musicals of all time (including Phantom of the
Opera and its sequel currently playing in Melbourne Love Never
Dies, Sunset Boulevard, Evita, Cats, Song and Dance), Aspects of
Love promises a night of beautiful music, lush melodies and
gorgeous love songs.
CLOC has assembled a superb cast and a multi-award winning
Karen is not helped by a very drab dress. Zane Kelly is the sulky,
whining teenager, John, hair in spikes and knees out of his jeans,
confused by his mother’s dislike of him and his father’s on again,
off again plans for succession.
Blair Manie, as Richard, looks spectacular in his military outfit and
weapons, but does not manage to show confidence, or anger and
impatience at the lack of progress. Greg Allen, as Geoffrey, dressed
very conventionally, sees himself as the invisible man between his
brothers. Riley Pullen, as Philip, is elegantly French in a beautiful
suit, but neither Greg nor Riley has much of a part to play.
Graham Fly’s set causes problems for the stage management.
There are constant blackouts followed by brownouts as props
and furniture have to be brought on and off (including a fourposter bed), and the two large dais do not leave much space in
between. A revolve would have sped up the changes and, to my
understanding, the Basin Theatre do have one, so why not use it?
Or has it been done away with?
I had looked forward to this production and have to say that while
I appreciate the effort and sheer hard work that must have gone
into it, it was a disappointment.
production team to give Melbourne audiences a unique
opportunity to see one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s lesser known
and rarely produced musicals, but one of which Lord Webber
himself has said “Out of all the shows I have written, this show
will stand the test of time.”
Aspects of Love runs from Friday September 23-Saturday October
8 at the National Theatre, St. Kilda. Tickets are available online at
www.cloc.org.au or call 1300 362 547.
Noosa One Act Play
Festival.
Editor at Maverick Musicals and Plays Gail Denver attended the
Noosa One Act Playwriting Competition and came away this year
with two very good one act plays that will be published ready for
groups to perform at Festivals. “The standard is getting better every
year, and with major sponsor Macquarie now offering $3,000 to the
winning playwright, this national writing competition is attracting
new plays from all over Australia and overseas. Once again,
congratulations must go to not only the writers, directors and
performers who make up this special Festival but to the organisers
at Noosa Arts Theatre who put so much work into firstly attracting
new scripts and then ensuring top notch productions of the
chosen finalists”. Maverick have offered publication of the winning
Audience Choice Award every year since 2000 as part of the overall
prize package, and often publish the overall winning play.
The cast of Nothing, with Victoria Langham (left) and Adjudicator Karen
Crone (centre).
BEST PLAY 2011
Congratulations to winner Mark Langham, with his contemporary
Aussie comedy Nothing.
THE NANCY CATO AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD
This went to Bruce Olive, a previous winner and prolific writer, for
the heart-wrenching The Knock on the Door.
Adjudicator, Karen Crone, awarded:
BEST DIRECTOR
Liza Park, The Knock on the Door
BEST ACTRESS
Jenni McCaul, The Knock on the Door
(l–r) Meegan Maguire, Michael Morgan and Frank Wilkie in Nothing.
BEST ACTOR
Frank Wilkie, Nothing
Both scripts are now available for perusal by contacting Maverick
Musicals and Plays [email protected]
Anyone interested in entering the 2012 Competition should contact
the Convenor at [email protected], download
the entry form from www.noosaartstheatre.org.au/competitions.
aspx, or call 07 5449 9343. Entries close, November 14, 2011.
and Plays
Two more AWARD WINNING ONE ACT PLAYS!
from the 2011 Noosa One Act Playwriting Festival
Nothing
by Mark Lanham 1 f 2 m comedy
Overall Festival winner
The Knock on the Door
by Bruce Olive 2 f 2 m drama
(l–r) Michael Parlato, Jenny McCaul and Tom Morgan in The Knock on
the Door. Photos by Barry Alsop of Eyes Wide Images.
DONATING TO THE VDL
The Victorian Drama League is a Registered Cultural
Organisation approved by the Australian Government and
Taxation Office.
As such a donation made to the League is tax deductible.
Winner of the Audience Choice Award
The assets and activities of the League are a vital resource to all
its members, both groups and individuals.
peruse these and other great scripts FREE at
The League receives no Government assistance in any form at
all, so any financial support from its members is invaluable.
www.mavmuse.com
Remember — donations are tax-deductible.
07 5494 4007
[email protected]
from the shelves
LIBRARY RECENT
ADDITIONS: LOCAL
WRITERS
THE ROLE MODEL
By Bruce Hoogendoorn
Full Length
4M 2F
Scott is a retired Olympic Swimming
Champion who has just ruined his
motivational speaking career by sleeping with his best mate’s wife.
The media and public have turned against him, and his speaking
dates have been cancelled. How will Scott make a living now?
Wanda, his manager, comes up with an idea to change his image.
She gets him involved with Beating the Blues, an organisation
that helps young people overcome depression through exercise.
Wanda plans to get A Current Affair to do a story on him, so
everyone will love him again. The problem is the young man Scott
is trying to help just won’t cheer up!
The following plays are from the Drama
Association of Wales:
THE FUNERAL OF MACIE
LOVERETT
By Gytha Lodge
One Act
6M 7F
Macie Loverett’s family gather for her funeral and
it is a fairly sorry and absurd sight. Her husband is determined
to bring his mistress, and her eldest children can’t seem to feel
anything. The devoted mother is little mourned, it seems. But as
the funeral approaches, a whole life they knew nothing about
comes to light. This is a play about love, loss, grief, wilful blindness
and secrets. Told in part through a variety of fonts, it draws as
much laughter as it does sadness at the absurdity of the lives we
make for ourselves. Winner of the Geoffrey Whitworth Award 2009
for best new play in the U.K.
OH MY GOD!
By Daniel Sossi
One Act
3M 10F
A monastery community exists peacefully and
happily; pure, dedicated, God-fearing people who
work hard and live truthfully. Then, following a discovery made
by the monastery’s resident monk, the news comes that there will
be a visit from God Himself (or herself ). This revelation sets the
peaceful community into panic, leading to theft, then murder.
With an investigation in full throttle and tensions running sky
high, God’s arrival doesn’t receive quite the reception he (or she)
had quite expected…
FUTURE SHOCK
By Richard Stockwell
One Act
1M 2F
Laura is woken from an eight hundred year hypersleep because she has run out of money. It will be
Don’t forget, you can now check
out our recent additions to the
Library on the Website
hundreds of years before her partner will return from surveying
new planets. How can she reach him? She has no money to be
returned to hyper-sleep, and she is alone in an unfamiliar time.
All she has are the stories of the past, until she is offered a strange
and desperate way of reaching the future. Is she brave enough to
accept?
WRITER’S BLOCK
By Lauren Dunlop
One Act
2M 2F (plus extras)
When a playwright, sitting on a deadline, is
struggling for ideas, he desperately pens a few
basic characters to get himself started. However,
when they come to life in his imagination things
begin to get more complicated. The characters have no intention
of co-operating: the romantic leads hate each other, the heroine
falls for the villain, the secondary characters are eaten up with
resentment, and chaos breaks out. When the characters decide to
take over and write the plays themselves, the audience is left to
consider the question: How much control do we really have over
our own destiny?
Acting Workshop
Peridot Theatre is holding an acting workshop for adults on
September 26 and 28 from 7:30 pm and on October 1 from
10:00 am. Conducted by Helen Ellis, the workshop will be made
up of three classes at a cost of $80 for non-members and $60
for members of Peridot. Bookings are essential and enquiries
can be made to Robyn Kelly on 0438 724 664 or robynperidot@
yahoo.com.au
theatrebooks
And if the play you’re looking for is not there, we will try and get it for you. You may email your enquiry through the website, or call the
Office on 9663 4222, Monday–Friday, 10:00–3:00. Mail orders welcome.
SHAKESPEARE
SALE!
TWELFTH NIGHT
Sale Price: $15
Twelfth Night is the story of Orsino, a nobleman
in the kingdom of Illyria. Following a shipwreck
Orsino employs Viola, who when abandoned by
the shipwreck disguises herself as a man named
Cesario. Soon Viola falls in love with Orsino,
however Orsino is in love with Lady Olivia who has fallen for Viola,
believing her to be a man. Twelfth Night is a classic Shakespearean
comedy of mistaken identities.
THE TAMING OF THE
SHREW
Sale Price: $5
The beautiful but sharp-tongued Katherina has
sworn never to accept the demands of any wouldbe husband. But when she is pursued by the wily
Petruchio, it seems that she has finally met her
match. And as he meets her own caustic words with a feigned,
capricious cruelty, Katherina quickly comes to understand the
absurdity of her shrewish behaviour, in one of the greatest of all
comic battles of the sexes.
MUCH ADO ABOUT
NOTHING
Sale price: $7
A vivacious woman and a high-spirited man both
claim that they are determined never to marry.
But when their friends trick them into believing
that each harbours secret feelings for the other,
they begin to question whether their witty banter and sharptongued repartee conceals something deeper. Schemes abound,
misunderstandings proliferate and matches are eventually made
in this sparkling and irresistible comedy.
JULIUS CAESAR
Sale Price: $5
When it seems that Julius Caesar may assume
supreme power, a plot to destroy him is hatched
by those determined to preserve the threatened
republic. But the different motives of the
conspirators soon become apparent when high
principles clash with malice and political realism. As
the nation plunges into bloody civil war, this taut drama explores
the violent consequences of betrayal and murder.
BEAUMARIS THEATRE INC. PRESENTS
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
Sale Price: $7
A magnificent drama of love and war, this riveting
tragedy presents one of Shakespeare’s greatest
female characters—the seductive, cunning
Egyptian queen Cleopatra. The Roman leader Mark
Antony, a virtual prisoner of his passion for her, is
a man torn between pleasure and virtue, between
sensual indolence and duty . . . between an empire and love.
Bold, rich, and splendid in its setting and emotions, Antony And
Cleopatra ranks among Shakespeare’s supreme achievements.
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Sale Price: $7
Based on a pair of comic dramas from ancient
Rome, The Comedy of Errors presents a spectacle
of pure farce in the spirit of utmost fun and as
the title suggests hilarious confusion. Two sets
of identical twins provide the basis for ongoing
incidents of mistaken identity, within a lively plot
of quarrels, arrests, and a grand courtroom denouement. One of
Shakespeare’s earliest dramatic efforts, the play abounds in his
trademark conceits, puns, and other forms of fanciful wordplay. It
also foreshadows his later and greater comedies, offering students
and scholars a valuable key to the playwright’s development.
Performances
by D.D. Brooke. From
Marjorie Kellogg’s book.
September 9th, 10th, 16th,
17th, 22th, 23rd, 24th at 8pm
September 18th at 5pm
Directed by Lyn Laister
By arrangement with ORiGiNTM
Tickets
Theatrical, Exclusive Representatives of
The Dramatic Publishing Company
$22 Adults $18 Concessions
of Woodstock, Illinois
Bookings
www.beaumaristheatre.com.au
Inquiries phone: (03) 9583 6896
82 Wells Rd
Beaumaris 3193
ADVERTISE IN THEATRECRAFT!
Prices for VDL Members and Non-members (per month per insertion).
1⁄8 page = 65 mm deep x 90 mm wide
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¼ page = 130 mm deep x 90 mm wide
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Full Page = 265 mm deep x 180 mm wide
Members $120; Non-members $180 (subject to space availability)
If your advertisement has to be set up by the Editor, there will be a setup fee.
Enquiries to: [email protected]
Advertisement files to: [email protected]
FLYER INSERTS:
Have a Flyer inserted in Theatrecraft to advertise your next
production or business to a captive audience of theatre people!
For VDL members the cost is only $55 for a single sheet A4 flyer. For nonmembers the cost is $80 (450 copies). Larger brochures cost more.
Printed flyers must be delivered by the 20th of the month to the Office/
Library for mailing out with Theatrecraft.
You need to book with the office on 9663 4222 or email:
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AUDITION & WHAT’S ON NOTICES
These are available free to members, and appear in both Theatrecraft
and the VDL Website. Email: [email protected]
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15th Annual
Victorian Drama
League Awards
Presentation Dinner
We are delighted to invite you to the 15th Annual Victorian Drama League Awards
Presentation Dinner for 2011.
Please take note of the details, and complete and return the Booking Form.
DATE:
Sunday, December 4, 2011
6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
VENUE: Merrimu Receptions
1300 Dandenong Rd, Murrumbeena (Melways 69 C4), cnr
Poath Rd, opposite Chadstone Shopping Centre
Parking available at Chadstone Shopping Centre car
park and surrounding streets
DRESS: Formal
COST:
$70.00 per head (all inclusive)
This covers drinks and savouries on arrival, and a threecourse dinner with red and white wines, beer, and soft
drinks. Other drinks may be purchased at the bar.
DINNER: Any special dietary requirements advise on this booking
form or at least two weeks prior to the awards dinner
through The Ticket Secretary. Please do not contact
Merrimu Receptions with these details.
TABLES: Round tables seating 10 people.
BOOKINGS:
Priority bookings of 10 tickets are available immediately to Awardentered groups.
Forward all bookings to the Ticket Secretary at the VDL Office no
later than Thursday, September 22, 2011. Make Cheques payable
to The Victorian Drama League Inc.
Additional tickets for Entrants, Members and other companies will
be open Friday, October 7, 2011.
Bookings will not be confirmed or tickets posted to you until
payment is received.
All bookings and payments close on Friday, November 11, 2011.
No refunds given.
If you require further information, please call the VDL Office on
9663 4222, Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Please complete and return the Booking Form below to The Ticket Secretary
BOOKING FORM
To: The Victorian Drama League
3rd Floor, Ross House
247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Please reserve ............... tickets @ $70 for the 2011 VDL Awards
Presentation Dinner on Sunday, December 4, 2011
Cheque for $.................. is enclosed (Payable to The Victorian Drama
League Inc.)
Name (Company/Individual):
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
Address for mailing tickets:
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
Dietary requirements (vegetarian, diabetic, etc):
Name of person and type of diet:
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THEATRECRAFT
Volume 35 Issue 8
September 2011
THE VICTORIAN DRAMA LEAGUE
COMMITTEE, OFFICE BEARERS, &
STAFF
ISSN 0311-7138
President: Richard Burman
The Victorian Drama League
3rd Floor, Ross House
247 Flinders Lane
MELBOURNE 3000
Library Hours: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Monday – Friday
Vice President: Edna Bartlett
Treasurer: Deborah Fabbro
Secretary & Webmaster: Geoff Kidd
Awards Sub-committee convenor:
Jill Edwards
General Committee:
Shane Ryan
Alan Dilnot
Chris Bartle
Website: www.theatrecraft.org.au
PHONE/FAX: 9663 4222
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS
11 issues of Theatrecraft are printed each
year (not in January). To receive Theatrecraft,
it is not necessary to be a member of the
VDL—see below.
GROUP:
Interstate: $140 pa;
Victoria: $150 pa
Includes Theatrecraft, full hiring rights with 2
membership cards issued. Groups can borrow
sets of plays and a representative is entitled
to vote at the AGM.
PLAY READING:
$75 pa
Office Staff:
Kym Davies (Manager)
David Crothers
Theatrecraft Editor: Damian Vuleta
Includes Theatrecraft and hiring rights for sets
of plays (for a limited time) for readings only
(not performing). A representative is entitled
to vote at the AGM.
Note: Any correspondence addressed to any area
of the VDL will not be formally acknowledged if the
correspondent is not identified.
INDIVIDUAL:
$55 pa
THEATRECRAFT DEADLINES:
1st of the month for ADVERTISING/EDITORIAL
e.g. April 1 for May issue. To reserve space, material is then required by the 10th at the latest.
Email [email protected]
10th of the month for WHAT’S ON/AUDITIONS
e.g. April 10 for May. Please submit details on the VDL website: www.theatrecraft.org.au
Includes Theatrecraft and hiring rights, single
play copies only. An individual is entitled to
vote at the AGM.
SUBSCRIPTION:
$40 pa
This is for Theatrecraft only. It does not make
you a VDL member, and subscribers are not
permitted to hire from the library
Membership and Subscriptions are for the financial year
from July 1–June 30. Check with the Office for appropriate
pro-rata part-year rates.
20th of the month: FLYER INSERTS
These must be received at the Office. Please book with the office.
PHOTOS:
If your show is being reviewed, please send a photo from your production to publish with
the review. Email to [email protected]
www.origintheatrical.com.au
Level 1, 213 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: 61 2 8514 5211 or 61 2 8514 5204 Fax: 61 2 9518 4611
ORiGiN™ Theatrical is an Australian Independent Music Company.
Full Length Comedy/Mystery. Cast: 6m., 6w.
The Palace Theatre actors are just getting
ready to rehearse the final scene for their
latest production, "I Ain't Got No Body,"
when they run into a snag. The director
who wrote the play is found dead onstage.
Lois is shocked into an allergy attack! Ava
faints! Luther orders a pizza!
Approximate running time: 90 minutes.
Full Length Comedy/Mystery. Cast: 6m.,
7w., plus 11 to 40 either gender.
One Act Comedy. Cast: 2m., 2w.
One Act Drama. Cast: 3w.
Sherlock Holmes and his faithful
sidekick, Dr. John Watson, have left on
an extended holiday throughout Europe,
leaving their nieces—Shirley Holmes
and Jennie Watson—to keep an eye on
the famous flat at 221B Baker Street.
Nancy and Don, a young married
couple, are arguing. Nancy thinks the
new neighbours are creepy. She thinks
they're watching them. Don thinks
she's imagining things. But why did
the new neighbours cut down the
tree between their houses?
Set in Northern Ireland during
the troubles of recent memory,
two women, one Protestant
and one Catholic, sit down
in the outdoor section of a
bakery shop.
Choose from over 1000 Musicals and Plays. Order scripts online.
Approximate running time:
25 minutes.

September 2011 - Victorian Drama League

Transcription

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