april’s fool: return season

This April, the powerful production April’s Fool, based on the 2009 death of Toowoomba teenager Kristjan Terauds, embarks on a national tour.

A startling work of sadness, loss and love, while laced with humour and ultimately optimism, April’s Fool has been based on interviews about Kristjan by local playwright David Burton, with friends and family of the popular youth, who died from complications from illicit drug use just two weeks shy of his 19th birthday.

After its debut season in 2010, young people, parents, teachers, youth workers and theatre critics alike, for its honesty and ability to engage its audience without preaching or lecturing, universally praised April’s Fool.

We asked Writer, David Burton, and Director, Lewis Jones, to tell us about what it means to re-visit this moving play and offer it up to a whole new audience. Rehearsals started last week. Jones said, “It is a little surreal coming back to something, where it is almost entirely the same cast – four out of the five cast members are the same.” The only change of cast we’ll see for this tour is Belinda Raisin replacing Kathryn Marquet.

Jones explains, “The initial creative development process came directly out of the events on which the play is based, in that David Burton began conducting interviews on which to base his verbatim work within four or five months of Kristjan’s death. There were then three intense creative developments between then and the final rehearsal period. The show premiered in July 2010, some fifteen months after Kristjan died. It was a very raw and immediate process for all involved, which I think made its impact very raw and immediate as well.”

Writer, David Burton

Burton notes, “It was originally commissioned by the Empire Theatre Project’s Company. So Lewis Jones, the director, is the brains behind this whole project. I quickly caught Lewis’ passion for the piece and ran with it. When you sit down and hear the story for the first time it’s pretty astonishing, and we had Kristjan’s father’s journal as source material too. Lewis’ passion, along with the family’s desire for positive change in the community, really fueled the project and turned it into what it was.”

Director, Lewis Jones

As Director and the person who had to instigate the production – it was a high-risk undertaking – Jones was not sure how the local community would react. “I knew that it was a story that was both innately theatrical but more importantly, it was a story that needed to be shared. And I feel that this is why it has been received so positively by audiences. It is a story that we share with the audience very gently and with a great deal of love. It is not sensational. It is not ‘dramatic’ in the usual sense of the word.

We have found that audiences appreciate the gentleness and the directness of the storytelling and young people respond very positively to the work, because it respects their ability to make up their own mind. At no point does the play tell them whether to take drugs or not to take drugs; it just tells the story of one boy who took drugs.

At a Conference I was talking to Nicole Lauder who is a close family friend of the Terauds family. At the time, Nicole was General Manager of La Boite Theatre and in asking her how she was, she shared that she had just been up in Toowoomba watching the son of a friend die. She asked if it was time to revisit Margery Forde’s X-Stacy and I suggested that it was probably time for a new work within this genre.

She put me in touch with David, Kristjan’s father who had written a journal entitled ‘April’s Fool’ chronicling the last days of his son’s life. It was a devastating read and I asked if it could form the basis of a new theatre work and very generously the Terauds family gave permission for the development of the work.”

Burton interviewed family members and friends to get the full story. I asked if this was a “difficult” process.

“Difficult is too simple a word. It was one of the most beautiful and awful experiences of my life. It’s still haunting. Obviously you’re sitting with people who are going through massive grief, so it’s very sad. But you really become aware of how much love is in a community, and how much a death can affect so many people. It was never difficult finding people. Overall, people were very willing to come forward and talk quite openly. The community was extremely gracious and generous with their stories.”

The result of such generous, courageous community sharing is a new breed of verbatim theatre. Burton notes, “If I can make up an entirely new label, I’d say April’s Fool is a ‘narrative verbatim’. We were always very focussed on the narrative. We don’t stop too often to really stop and smell the roses and reflect in this play. I always wanted to keep the story moving. So in that sense I think audiences shouldn’t expect a ‘discussion’ about the event that you can see in some verbatim plays. April’s Fool tells you a story. That was always it’s main goal.”

Not an easy story to share.

Even so, neither Jones nor Burton had any misgivings and they remained consultative throughout the process, allowing those interviewed to have a seven-day cooling off period. He says that the immediacy of the interviews was of utmost importance to allow it to be part of the grieving and healing process. Jones observes, “I guess that is how the rehearsal process is different this time. There is a distance from Kristjan’s death. The mood in the rehearsal room is somewhat more reflective. The premiere season had an urgency to it, this remount is perhaps a little gentler, though nonetheless powerful, and it is underpinned with the knowledge that this is a show that has proven its artistic merit and its ability to have a positive impact on the communities where it is performed.”

During the original rehearsal process, Burton says he was involved as much as any writer. “I would pop in every week or so to check in, tweak things and make changes. Lewis Jones and I work extremely well together, so there was the occasional phone call where we’d bounce around ideas. I was there when we showed the parents for the very first time. That was one of the most memorable days of my life. But overall, it was such a pleasure to work with the team.  It’s a superb cast and crew.”

“There were a few key people with this script that really bounced it along,” says Burton. “The most influential was Lewis Jones, along with Christie Tickell and Michael Futcher. There was other advice from the cast along the way too. Theatre’s a collaborative art form, and especially with a piece like this it’s important to remember that you (the writer) actually has very little spiritual ownership of it. So if someone suggests an idea that’s brilliant, who am I to complain? Once again, the team behind this was brilliant, so I always felt the script was in good hands.”

As well as holding an open call for actors who would complete his cast, Jones handpicked Barbara Lowing and Allen Laverty, whose work he had known for many years. “I knew I could trust them with the material,” he said. “There is an added dimension to working on material you know to be real and immediate and all the cast met what I will call the main players over the creative development process, with David Burton perhaps operating as a conduit; he had, after all, conducted the interviews and built close relationships with the family and close friends. The most important thing for the family is summed up by Kristjan’s mother, Helena who said, when asked why she was prepared to let this tragic story be shared, said, ‘If I can stop another mother going through what I have been through, then it is worth it.’”

Interestingly, Kristjan does not appear in the play, nor do we hear his voice. Burton says, “It was an instinct. The very first thing I knew about the play was that it wouldn’t feature Kristjan in any real physical sense. The fact he’s not there is what the play is really about. And an attempt to reenact his life or have someone play him flirts dangerously with bad taste. I kind of really like that by the end of the play you feel like you know Kristjan, but you still feel like he’s incredibly mysterious. I think that’s really important to the piece.”

I wondered what that original opening night would have been like, as a member of that community, as a member of that family…

Burton remembers, “The opening night was huge. It was terrifying. But then the lights went down and it all played out and it was one of the best experiences of my life. We all hung around with the family and the cast and it was a really beautiful symbol of a community coming together. Kristjan’s whole community seemed to be really pleased with it. From there, the play’s had pretty amazing affects. We get feedback from every show that blows us away. It’s changing lives, which is what Kristjan’s parents originally wanted.”

I asked Burton if he thought April’s Fool should be mandatory reading/viewing for high school students. He said, “I’m biased, so of course I think yes. But I certainly don’t think it would hurt! We’ve had people come to this show and say things like ‘I never knew theatre could do that.’ We’ve had teenagers come and then go home to their parents and confess their drug problems that same afternoon. We’ve had several local politicians see the show and say that every teenager and parent should be exposed to it. I think it’s a vital issue, and I do think that there’s very little out there that talks about these issues in quite the way that April’s Fool does. I think it’s rare you get a play like this.”

Original audiences might want to see this production again. “They might want to bring a friend or a young person who is now in the age group who are most deeply affected by these issues, but who was not the last time it can around,” says Jones.

The response from school groups has already been phenomenal. When the government doesn’t show their support for the arts, it’s vital that schools and parents do and it’s pleasing to see so many families, teachers and principals prioritising a student trip to this show.

“They witnessed real characters, real feelings and real reactions. It shocked them, it challenged them, it angered them, it saddened them, it made them laugh and it made them cry. This was the first performance my students have been really passionate about.”

Michelle Radunz, Drama Teacher at Chinchilla State High School

“I was amazed by the rapt attention of the large audience of school students. They appeared to hang on every word. For me, this is clear evidence of the play’s success in reaching its target audience who will hopefully consider and discuss the issues long after the season has finished.”

Katherine Lyall-Watson, ourbrisbane.com

April’s Fool is a real, raw, affecting story but Jones would not describe it as “hard-hitting.” Rather, he explains, it is “remarkably gentle – profound, moving, beautiful, sad. From my perspective it is an act of love. The work opens up discussion on a difficult topic. This work will save lives.”

April's Fool is available at australianplays.org

Kate Foy reviewed the world premiere in Oakey, near Toowoomba, in 2010 and likened the play to – “a piece of art and in form and intention” – a quilt, with its fragments of deep feelings and shared history. I was curious about what made the final cut.

“There were long and very confidential conversations between Lewis Jones and I about certain pieces of information. You’re going to encounter that with any verbatim play. There are some moments in the play that we took a small (and very calculated) risk by including, because we felt they were important. There are other moments that we sacrificed along the way. Sometimes this was because it was information that was too sensitive. But almost all of the time it was simply because a moment didn’t work because of fairly mundane theatrical reasons.

We have to wonder if the experience of telling a difficult story is a cathartic experience for those involved in its telling. Burton notes, “The six or so months that I worked with the family was fantastic. I can’t speak on their behalf of what their emotional experience was like, but I know a lot of them felt positively about it. I think it’s dangerous to assume these things can always be cathartic. Grief is a funny and mysterious beast. For one person it may be ‘cathartic’, for another it can be extremely dangerous. The only reason we ever went ahead with the project was that the family (who have been involved in theatre before and understood what would happen) were so enthusiastic for it. They really wanted it to happen. I feel humbled and honored to be a part of it. It remains one of the things I’m most proud of (creative work or otherwise) in my life.”

Burton is currently writing a couple of plays for school audiences with Grin and Tonic Theatre Company. He’s also writing a new work, which will premiere at the Empire Theatre in Toowoomba in September. “I have a weekly podcast that I do with a mate about arts in Queensland (stuffandthings.com.au) and I’m polishing off a couple of novels that will hopefully see the light of day quite soon.”

As Director of Brisbane’s Judith Wright Centre, Jones continues to seek out work that “transcends the ordinary by putting us in touch with the intangible.” He points out, “Yes, that last sentence is not logical. Perhaps it sums up my artistic heart.”

Jones’ support for new work, new talent and the growth of the industry in general does not go unnoticed. He says, “I carry with me a belief in the ability of EVERY one – artist or not – to have their life enriched by the arts. There is a lot of shit that goes on around the arts, and so I like to focus on ‘the work’. In the end it is about connecting artists to audiences and audiences are our masters.

There are audiences out there with a hunger for productions that feed them – perhaps – spiritually and it is our task to make work that transcends the ordinary.

My hope for Queensland is that we continue to acknowledge that we have some brilliant theatre makers and that we have the capacity to take that to audiences near and far – and that we do not need to validate what we do by seeking approval from afar.

It’s about the work and supporting artists to develop business models that allow them to build genuinely sustainable practice.”

Book online to see April’s Fool at the Judith Wright Centre or Nambour Civic Centre

 

 

 

ZEN ZEN ZO Actor Training Week One or Ouch! How Much Will This Hurt?

My friend, Cathy Sheargold, decided to take on some awesome personal challenges this year. No one put her up to it, she’s just that kind of chick. I wonder how amazing we’d all be if we regularly took on similar “impossible challenges”. Not only physical, her latest self-set challenge is a giant mental and spiritual leap as well. Cathy is training with world-renowned physical theatre ensemble, Zen Zen Zo.

The company’s artistic vision is intimidating enough! The training is based on the Suzuki Method of Actor Training, the Viewpoints and  Butoh dance-theatre.  I’ve heard about the strenuous exercises and mad discipline for years, from many friends and from my sister (the one who ran off with the circus). I’ve seen the shows, by Lynn Bradley and Simon Woods’ and I am in awe of many of the performances. Their production of Cabaret won the Greenroom’s Groundling Award, voted for by the people, this year for Best Musical. I’m excited to see the direction Zen Zen Zo will take this year, with that dynamic duo at the helm, Michael Futcher and Helen Howard. Check out the company showreel. Cathy did. And she was afraid. Very afraid.

When Cathy told me she was about to commit to the series of workshops for adult actors, I asked her to vlog about it. Who could resist hearing about how much it hurts? With any luck, and with our interest and support, Cathy will continue to vlog weekly, her experience at Zen Zen Zo’s physical actor training sessions.

Come back every Tuesday until the end of March to find out what’s happening and exactly how much it hurts. Ouch!

Please leave you comments and questions for Cathy. And get ready to play the game!

Dominic Nimo: As You Like It

Dominic Nimo is probably not a name you’ll recognise…yet.

David Berthold’s La Boite production of Shakespeare’s comedy, As You Like It, marks Nimo’s professional debut. It’s an impressive first step into the professional arena and one for which he’s grateful and also tres excited about.

Nimo graduated in 2009 from QUT’s Fine Arts Acting Course. He says he entered as an extremely quiet and shy 17 year old.  The three years at QUT, training with the same 10 individuals daily, was an intense period.

Nimo’s biggest influences during acting training came from the countless mentors and the “very confronting yet valuable” Eric Morris System classes. Required reading was Eric Morris (No Acting Please). “He has many books, however; this was the first book I read as a student and it was a real introduction to Acting as a craft.” You can order Morris’s texts online from our friends at the Book Nook.

Nimo says he felt like a giant sponge, soaking up everything he could. The directors who came in to direct the actors’ 2nd and 3rd year shows were influential across all areas of Nimo’s acting training. “We were very fortunate to have such big names as Sean Mee, Bille Brown and Jennifer Flowers, to name but a few, not only direct us but also teach us throughout the entire process,” he says.

Nimo decided early to pursue acting as a career, simply for the love of it. I guess there are not many of us who go into the arts to make a fortune. “It’s very hard to explain to people the high an actor feels whilst on stage or on location for a shoot; the adrenalin that shoots through your body before you walk on stage for a show can only be compared to jumping out of an airplane before parachuting.  I love theatre, I love film and I love music; there isn’t anything else I would rather do.”

Nimo’s parents support his ambition. From the small island of Samoa, they moved to Australia in 1987; English was their second language. Nimo grew up the youngest of the family (he has two sisters and a brother). “My parents were always very hard-working and from a very young age I was well aware that my parents had moved here to give us greater opportunities in life. It was because of that reason that I felt like I could pursue anything and when I told my parents I wanted to act  they were nothing but supportive. They are very much like my biggest fans and I cannot express how thankful I am that they moved here, otherwise who knows what I would be doing.”

It seems that nothing will deter this ambitious young performer, though he notes, “This is a very tough industry to be in and I have learnt that first-hand from the two years I have been out of QUT. It is very easy to have your spirit broken or lose sight of your passion, however my parents did not raise a quitter. I have a very strong support system so I am not going anywhere.”

Berthold cast Nimo as Silvius, the ideal ‘Courtly Lover’ who is, Nimo explains, concerned only with his incomparable love for Phoebe, despite that love not being reciprocated. “There are many varieties of love explored throughout the play and Silvius introduces the foolery of love, suffering anything for the sake of his beloved Phoebe. I think we all, as humans, have had a lapsed moment where we became fools in love so in that respect, I can relate to Silvius. I have learnt that with characters like him it’s important to play the truth, play his heartbreak and play through the comedy, and the character will come naturally.”

Nimo is one of two new actors to the La Boite stage for this production. He says he was was extremely nervous being “one of the newbies” (Luke Cadden is the other), especially coming into a cast that has so many respected Brisbane actors.

Helen Howard (Hamlet, Colder) and Thomas Larkin (Hamlet, Julius Caesar) lead the 18-strong cast as lovers Rosalind and Orlando. Berthold said, “I needed a brilliant Rosalind. She is the indisputable centre of the play and Helen is indisputably brilliant. The role requires an actor of maturity, and Helen has that in the best possible mix of intelligence, experience and sexiness”

Berthold adds, “She needs to be matched, and Thomas was my one and only choice. He was great in Hamlet, but he blew us away as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar. “They complement each other fantastically – there’ll be sparks.”

Joining Helen and Thomas are familiar faces Helen Cassidy (Orphans), Kathryn Marquet (Ruben Guthrie), Bryan Probets (Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness), Hayden Spencer (Ruben Guthrie), Trevor Stuart (Hamlet), Kate Wilson (Water Wars).

Nimo has felt completely comfortable working with the actors he has admired for so long. “Everyone has been nothing but welcoming and I am very thankful for this amazing experience. I am very quiet in the rehearsal room and that is because, much like at uni, I feel like a sponge, observing and soaking up everything that I can.  I admire how free the cast is and how openly they play in the rehearsal room – sometimes when you are new you find yourself just trying to do everything right and forget everything else. That is the greatest lesson I have learnt from this experience.”

And what of working with one of our pre-eminent directors? Nimo acknowledges Berthold’s wealth of experience and observes that “he is not afraid to offer that to the young actors. This is evident by the eight student actors from QUT and Southbank Institute of Technology he has cast in this production. This is the first year that La Boite has had an actors internship program and it is great because David directs us all the same and that is very beneficial for a student actor.” Can working with a great director and with great actors help in becoming a great actor? Nimo says yes. “I think that is where you can learn the most.” Nimo admires the work of many actors, listing Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Drew Barrymore, Angela Basset and Denzel Washington, Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush among those who have most influenced him thus far. Nimo says he is “a complete sucker for American reality TV.” He also keeps up with Spirited and Boardwalk Empire. He saw George Clooney in The Descendants and he’s currently reading Telesa- The Covenant Keeper by writer/blogger/teacher, Lani Wendt Young. (She’s a mother and wife as well as a writer and she states that in her ideal world, she “wouldn’t need to sleep. Ever. I would just stick my finger in a light socket and get a boost of energy whenever I got tired.”) Not just an actor, Nimo also sings. He says he loves music as much as acting. Perhaps the secret to Nimo’s boundless energy is the light socket of which Wendt Young speaks.

If Nimo were not acting, he says he would still love to be involved in the arts. “I’d love to be an A&R for a record label.” In the meantime, he’ll continue  ”trucking along” on his journey as an actor and ”hope for more amazing opportunities like this one to come my way.”

In the last two years, with Berthold at the helm, La Boite has tackled two of Shakespeare’s great tragedies. “This time around David has chosen one of Shakespeare’s most infamous comedies,” Nimo reminds us. “This play is so free and playful and at times you will find yourself in tears from laughter, and as opposed to the other two plays, As You Like It ends with one of the most beautiful endings.”

One of the most famous lines from the play is uttered by Jaques, who observes, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.” Nimo believes that this means the world is bigger than just one person. “For me it really puts everything into perspective. We come into this world, we play our part and then we exit.”

 

Rosalind falls in love with the younger Orlando at a wrestling match, as you do. Banished from the city by her usurping uncle, she disguises herself as a man, as you would.With her best friend Celia by her side, she seeks refuge in the magical Forest of Arden where she meets Orlando again and teaches him the art of love, just as she likes it.

As You Like It

at La Boite’s Roundhouse Theatre, Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove Village

Show Times: Tues & Wed 6.30pm, Thurs – Sat 7.30pm

Matinees 2pm Sat 24 Mar and selected mid-week shows Season 18 Feb – 24 Mar

Previews 18, 21, 22, 23 Feb (Tickets from $28)

Director: David Berthold, Designer: Renée Mulder, Lighting Designer: David Walters, Composer and Sound Designer: Guy Webster,

Assistant Directors: Heather Fairbairn and Steven Mitchell Wright

with Luke Cadden (Oliver), Helen Cassidy (Celia), Helen Howard (Rosalind), Thomas Larkin (Orlando), Kathryn Marquet (Phoebe), Dominic Nimo (Silvius), Bryan Probets (Touchstone), Hayden Spencer (Duke Frederick/Corin/Audrey), Trevor Stuart (Jaques/Adam) and Kate Wilson (Duke Senior).

Also featuring students actors from QUT and Southbank Institute of Technology: Thomas Carney, Hanna Galbraith, Thomas Hutchins, Jordan Kadell, Lucy-Ann Langkilde, Jerome Meyer, Alec Snow and Mahala Wallace.

Dickens 200th Anniversary: Dickens’ Women

Did you know it was Charles Dickens’ birthday on Tuesday? He would have been 200 years old!

The British Council has an exciting schedule of events in 2012, to celebrate worldwide, Dickens’ 200th anniversary. We are lucky enough to welcome the return of the extraordinary BAFTA®-winning actress, Miriam Margolyes, in her one-woman show, Dickens’ Women.

Andrew Denton is a big fan of Margolyes:

‘Miriam Margolyes is just a little different to most actors. She has done Dickens … she has been a penguin, a sheepdog and a glow-worm. You may also know her as Professor Sprout from Harry Potter. Her CV is as unlikely as the woman herself.’ 

In Dickens’ Women, Margolyes will bring to life 23 of Charles Dickens’ most affecting female (and male!) characters, including Mrs Micawber from David Copperfield, Miss Havisham in Great Expectations and the grotesque Mrs Gramp in Martin Chuzzlewit. “They are real to me,” she says.

“Dickens’ women were chosen not only because they are some of the most colourful and entertaining characters in his writing, but because they were based on real people in his life; people he fought with and cared for, loved and hated,” explains Miriam. “In this way, the play is as much about the man himself, as it is about the 23 characters. These characters are drawn from his novels & sketches, including his most popular such as Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and Nicholas Nickleby. Some characters are famous & iconic, others are lesser-known creations from Dickens’ books, but all offer a unique glimpse into the real-life Charles Dickens.”

For Margolyes, it all comes down to the voice. She once said, “Voices are people,” and recently, when speaking with Sharon Verghis of the Weekend Australian review (February 4th -5th 2012), “Voices betray people perhaps in ways they never imagine.” This reveals a lot about the woman (more vulnerable than one would think, according to Verghis) and about her characters (“the mixture of evil and comedy that is particularly Dickensian.”)

Margolyes’ career began within the BBC Drama Department, in radio roles and voiceovers and quickly spanned TV (Blackadder), film (The Age of Innocence) and theatre (she was Madame Morrible in the original West End production of Wicked).

Miriam Margolyes as Madame Morrible in the original West End production of Wicked

“Directors are always saying to me, ‘A bit less, Miriam’.

And with Dickens, you don’t have to do that.”

Miriam Margolyes in conversation with Sharon Verghis

Dickens’ Women was developed by self-confessed “Dickens’ tragic”, Miriam Margolyes and Sonia Fraser for the 1989 Edinburgh Festival. It has since travelled worldwide, including London, Jerusalem, Santa Cruz, New York, Boston, Sydney, and all over India. In 1992, Dickens’ Women was nominated for the prestigious Olivier Award. 2012 will be busy for Miriam Margolyes; she is also appearing in the ABC’s new series Phryne Fisher Murder Mysteries based on the best selling series by Kerry Greenwood and set in the 1920s in Melbourne. Miriam will play Mrs Prudence Stanley, Phryne’s Aunt.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see Miriam Margolyes live on stage, only at the QPAC Playhouse and the Gold Coast Arts Centre in March.

What:             Miriam Margolyes in Dickens’ Women in BRISBANE

                           Presented by Andrew McKinnon Fine Entertainment

Venue:           Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC)

Date:              March 22 – 24

Website:      www.dickenswomen.com

Tickets:       www.qpac.com.au

What:             Miriam Margolyes in Dickens’ Women – GOLD COAST

                           Presented by Andrew McKinnon Fine Entertainment

Venue:           Gold Coast Arts Centre

Date:              March 21

Website:        www.dickenswomen.com

Tickets:         http://www.theartscentregc.com.au

Miriam Margolye – Biography

She is a British award-winning actress who has achieved success on both sides of the Atlantic as well as in Australia. Winner of the BAFTA Best Supporting Actress award in 1993 for The Age of Innocence, she also received Best Supporting Actress at the 1989 LA Critics Circle Awards for her role in Little Dorrit and a Sony Radio Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her unabridged recording of Oliver Twist. She was the voice of the Matchmaker in Mulan & Fly, and the mother dog in one of Australia’s most successful films Babe.
Major film credits during her long and celebrated career include Yentl, Little Shop of Horrors, I Love You To Death, End of Days, Sunshine,Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence, Cold Comfort Farm and Magnolia. She starred in Stephen Hopkins’ The Life and Death of Peter Sellers,Modigliani, Istvan Szabo’s Being Julia and Ladies in Lavender (dir. Charles Dance, with Dames Smith & Dench). Margolyes was Professor Sprout in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Most recently, Margolyes appeared in The Dukes, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (with Simon Pegg) and Blind Man’s Bluff.
Most memorable TV credits include Old Flames, Freud, Life and Loves of a She Devil, Blackadder, The Girls of Slender Means, Oliver Twist, The History Man, Vanity Fair and Supply and Demand. Her 2004 BBC TV documentary series Dickens in America was a worldwide success. In May 2010, she starred in the UK TV series, MERLIN.
In 2002, H.M The Queen awarded Miriam the Order of the British Empire for her services to Drama.

In the early years of the twenty-first century, we still sometimes see the world as a ‘Dickensian’ place. On the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’s birth, we look at how his example and his creations live on. Dickens was one of the greatest of Victorians, but this seminar is about the Dickens who continues to be our contemporary. What do today’s writers still learn from him? What do readers of fiction expect because of him? What would he write – and what would he write about – if he were alive today? Dickens was a writer who broke the rules of tasteful composition. He revelled in caricature and hyperbole; he rifled the language for absurd idioms and resonant clichés; he loved the grotesque. Are his stylistic freedoms still available to writers today? He was also a satirist who was confident he knew the difference between good and evil. He was always ready to step into his novel to exhort or lecture his readers. Can contemporary novelists draw on the same moral fervour? He wrote novels that seemed to be about what was called ‘the condition of England’; he sometimes seemed to anatomise a whole nation. Do we still hope that novelists will take on such a task? Is it even possible to do so?

- Professor John Mullan

Dickens' Dream (unfinished) by Robert William Buss (1804 - 1875)

On Being Mr and Mrs Banks

If you’ve seen Disney & Cam Mack’s Australian production of Mary Poppins, you’ll know there is as much in the show for grown ups as there is for children. It’s an impressive production and if you’re a parent, you’ll get so much from it on so many different levels. We asked Simon Burke and Pippa Grandison about being Mr and Mrs Banks.

Being Mrs Banks

Pippa Grandison

This is the second time you’ve stepped in to take over a role on an Australian stage. In comparison to going green for 6 months of Wicked, what has it been like to become Mrs Banks?

Well, it’s certainly been easier than being painted green! They really are such different roles, so comparison is trcky. I will say that being Mrs Banks has been a very enjoyable journey. Now being a mother on stage as well as in real life has made the transition a natural one.

What is it about being Mrs Banks that you relate to or try to connect with?

Winifred is really the heart of the piece and has so much love for her family. Particularly her husband, throughout his struggle to connect and I love the challenge of maintaining that unconditional caring nature she possesses.

Do you think you will bring a percentage of the Underbelly crowd to the theatre? There’s a demographic who know you now as a nightclub singer! How much of Mary Poppins – a children’s classic – is for the grown ups? 

Well I’m not sure about that! They’ll get a very contrasting lady in Mrs Banks…There is, however, a great deal of pleasure and enjoyment for all ages in Mary Poppins. Most people can relate to a dysfunctional family in need of help.

You have a new Mr Banks in Simon Burke. How has it been to work with Simon after becoming accustomed to Philip Quast’s take on the role?

There is always an adjustment period, particularly when the relationship is such an important one, but it’s been great to find new things together.

How do you connect with the children in the show?

It’s wonderful working with them. All so talented and lovely people. I really feel that being a mum has helped me with that connection too.

How has the experience of having your own child and becoming a mother to Charlie impacted on your approach to your work? As a performer, what is easier, more challenging and more important to you now than it was before? Is there anything that has paled into insignificance?

I’m more confident now for some reason. I still get nervous but my approach no longer has that judgment factor (of myself I mean) so I go to places I may not have before. Life experience is a wonderful thing. Nothing is more important to me than my family and this takes the pressure off.

Ironically, in order to be involved in this production, you required a nanny for Charlie. Did you have any special requirements, as Jane and Michael do?

Indeed. practically perfect is a must. At the moment, her dad is working in Melbourne and her aunty is nannying for us. Janet was there when Charlie was born, so obviously I trust her completely.

What does opening night in a new city mean for you?

It’s very exciting. Brisbane has been particularly enjoyable as it’s really my first opening ad Mrs Banks.

What’s coming up next for you?

I can’t say as yet but I’ll stay with Mary Poppins for a little while yet.

What do you want to see happen in theatre and musical theatre in this country over the next twelve months?

That’s a very specific time frame! Continued support for our local talent, in all departments, and more people interested in coming to the theatre as well as watching the tele!

 

 

Being Mr Banks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simon Burke

Mary Poppins is the first Disney production to come to Brisbane. Is it your first Disney gig? And is this a significant leg of the tour, to return to the city so near the author’s birthplace in Maryborough? 



It’s great to be back in Brisbane after such a long time (my last big show here was CHICAGO first time around back in 2000!) and especially to be part of this wonderful Cameron Mackintosh/Disney hybrid production. I’m sure the spirit of PJ Travers is blowing its way to QPAC when the wind is right…

You’re playing Mr Banks, an arrogant British banker who is a little out of touch with his wife and children until Mary Poppins comes to stay. What was it about this character that appealed to you? What does his journey look like?



George has a fantastically interesting journey and it’s that journey that most appeals to me in the role. From a man who begins the show describing his childhood as “there was no time for hugs and kisses and all that soppy nonsense”, a man who has no time for his wife or kids, a man for whom position and advancement is all that matters, to a man who embraces family life and realises that the precious years he has with his kids before they grow up are the most important thing in his life.

Did you see Philip Quast in the role before you stepped into it? How did you work on developing a character that is your own? 



I worked very closely with the British creatives on my interpretation of George – a very enjoyable and rewarding experience

How has it been to work with Pippa Grandison as Mrs Banks? What have you brought to the show and to each other, in terms of playing the married couple in what must still be perceived as a rather traditional nuclear family?




Pippa and I have a mutual best friend so we’ve known each other for a long time but never worked this closely together before. She brings a real warmth to Winifred and you can certainly believe that she used to be an actress!

What can we learn from this family and their collective journey?



Love is all.

Where does your own journey take you next, with such an expansive career and now a debut solo album and a solo show of the same name (Something About Always), under your belt?



Well – immediately it takes me to Perth with MARY POPPINS after Brisbane – and after that possibly back to London for a while. Having been there for the past 4 years and had such a great time it really seems that living and working in both cities (Sydney and London) would be the ideal.

What would you like to see happen in Australian musical theatre this year?



Musical Theatre seems to be having a boom in Australia at the moment so of course I’d love to see that continue – we have so many fantastically talented performers in this country and I’d love to see them all in work!

 

Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness

An Interview with actor, Lindsay Farris

Lindsay Farris. Photo by Al Caeiro

Can you tell us a bit about this amazing show and your role in it?

Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness is an ‘amazing’ work in the very sense of the word. It is a play that really opens up the imagination through theatrically immersive storytelling in both naturalistic and surrealistic territories. To delve into those places of heightened narrative headfirst, as audiences and artistic collaborators, I think is something really spectacular, frequently hilarious and intensely thought provoking. I play Nicholas Ludd, the revolutionary new wave theatrical realist who acts as a counterpoint for much of the main narrative, whilst also acting as an enabler for scenes that depart into heightened theatricality.

Brisbane audiences are very excited about the Romance Was Born designed costumes, which are crucial to the show. Has the design of the costumes had an impact on the way you’ve approached character development or the telling of the tale? Did characters inform any of the costume designs? 

We were very fortunate that, pretty much since day one of rehearsals, we were given the opportunity to work with our costumes. Costuming is something that is usually left until well into the rehearsal process, or even a few days before opening, so it was a real gift to have their ideas since day dot. We had opportunities early on to engage with the design process as part of a workshop where we essentially let our imaginations run wild with the text and the worlds we might explore, and Romance Was Born and Renée Mulder have been incredible vessels for getting the play off the page and into the world. In such an imaginative piece of writing, any physical actualisation of those ideas as part of wardrobe, props or set design makes the process really exciting in seeing those ideas realised by another collaborator’s vision. I think the artists and designers inform each other, but the base work always comes from the script.

Lindsay Farris, Sarah Goodes. Photo by Al Caeiro

You’ve done so much now on screen, what is it about the theatre that keeps bringing you back to the stage?

I don’t ever really feel like I left! I’ve been working professionally on stage for about eleven years now, starting with a tour of the UK with the NSW State Drama Company. My creative engine room came from the theatre. The experiment that is a rehearsal process allows the discovery and exploration of a world of ideas that are then refined and transformed into a communion with an audience. It’s a real gift to be part of a storytelling process on screen, but even more so when you’re there in person to do it on stage.

Has the rehearsal process been particularly different or difficult in any way? Can you tell us about working with this cast and with Director, Sarah Goodes?

As I mentioned, it’s been really great to have a lot of the design with us since the first day of rehearsals, which has been a nice change from the usual. I think our real challenge in the rehearsal period has just been to set free the myriad ideas that are explored in the amazing feats. I think that’s all a rehearsal process ever is: to release and refine story in ways that are accessible, challenging, thought-provoking and invigorating. Sarah and the cast are incredible, and every day I really look forward to being part of such an awesome group of collaborators. I think one of the most challenging components for me so far has been to try and learn the accordion for the show. I hadn’t picked one up before rehearsals started, and we had a moment that went something like: “I reckon this bit would sound great on the accordion,” so we got one!

Artistic Director of La Boite, David Berthold, has said he finds this production “fantastically invigorating”. How do you think Brisbane audiences will respond?

 I think that this play asks that an audience open their hearts and minds to a world of imagination. It’s the sort of play that you experience and have an immediate relationship to. All of the people I know that have read it have felt invigorated in some way, and to see it in action with two exceptional theatre companies uniting is an opportunity to be in the theatre when it is at its least boring and most thought-provoking.

Emily Tomlins and Lindsay Farris. Photo by Al Caeiro

You created the National Youth Theatre Company (NYTC) to nurture young performing arts talent and give them a head start in the industry. Can you tell us how the company is going and what immediate and long-term plans you have for it?

NYTC is currently completing a documentary on young actors, as part of its most recent production season. It’s a pretty incredible project being filmed by Sunny Abberton (Bra Boys) that involves about 70 actors, over 150 staff and a team of incredible creatives that brought our most recent production to life. NYTC regularly offer development opportunities for regional and metropolitan people under the age of 25, most of which are designed to develop skills set for acting, creating and producing their own works. We have spent a lot of time this year developing relationships with a number of companies in Los Angeles and India for co-productions and representation and development for our artists.

We have been really fortunate in that NYTC has been incredibly well received by the theatrical, youth and education communities in seeking to develop emerging Australian artists. The next evolution of NYTC will see further expansion into QLD and the NT, as well as the development of some really exciting projects for cultural development in regional communities.

What advice do you have for Brisbane actors wanting to make it in our theatre and film industries?

I think that the sheer drive to tell accessible stories, and to tell them well, intrinsically sums up making work happen in theatre and film. The drive to tell stories means that limitations in work opportunities are always secondary to the ability to create work and learn new ways to create stories. Sustenance in this industry comes from the journey as much as the arriving.

What’s next for you?

I have a book that is finally on the verge of completion called A young actor’s guide to becoming a Wanker. My editor called me the other week and asked for the next draft, so getting that submitted is my next project. Following that I have a production and development season with the National Youth Theatre Company, with a few other projects penciled in for the end of the year, so once they’ve wrapped maybe a little bit of a rest somewhere sunny?

Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness La Boite season 14 May – 12 June Bookings laboite.com.au

INFLUENCE: AN UPDATE

Interview with the director: Sam Coward

Sunday 17th April 

Influence opened in Noosa on Friday night. You’ve had 3 sold-out performances to start the season. How do you feel? 

Very satisfied, especially considering where the show is at, where ticket sales are at and the level at which the public and critical responses have been. We’re in a good place!

Were there any obstacles or hiccups to overcome to get to this stage? 

It’s been a relatively painless process. Illness at the eleventh hour made me a little nervous but generally speaking, with the level of competence in my cast and the level of wisdom in Williamson’s words, it all went pretty smoothly.

Opening Night highlights?

It was the first time in a long time that I’ve been able to sit in the bio box and see the audience’s immediate reactions and feel the buzz – it was electrifying and very satisfying.

So what’s your role during the run?

Because I’m a control freak and because, for the technical accuracy of this show, a degree of intimacy with the script was required, I decided I wanted to manually operate the lights for Influence.

When did you stop giving notes?

 Today. Today the show reached a level that I felt couldn’t be enhanced or improved upon. This is not to say that I won’t be giving any further notes during the run, this just means I’m giving no more notes, at this stage, until further notice.

What’s your favourite thing about this show?

I would have to say that’s it’s probably that the end result is so close to the vision I had from the outset. This production has stayed true to the original picture and it’s exciting to see that a) we’ve been able to do that and b) other people like it too.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

I would have put somebody else in the box early enough to learn the cues.

I really think the time invested in character early on is shining through now. We used the time we had very well. The performances are genuine. 

I’ve felt very confident, almost relaxed, which is really rare. Usually tech week is all horror but it was seamless. It’s been a relatively easy ride. I feel like I just had to sell the vision and then discuss characters with the cast, design…in fact, the biggest part of my job was at the front end. 

The playwright, David Williamson, is attending on the final night, a special gala evening to celebrate his 40 years’ involvement at Noosa Arts Theatre on April 30th. How do you feel about him seeing the show?

I’m very excited about that actually, because from our first discussions with him, he was intrigued as to how we were going to do this. Even Michael Futcher acknowledged that he’s not heard of anyone trying to do a Williamson in this way. I’m interested to get David’s reaction and I hope we can do his 40 Year Celebration justice. I’m quietly confident that we will. The way in which we are staging Influence is truly honouring the text and trusting that Australia’s greatest playwright is acknowledged as such for a reason. I don’t have to hide anything or do anything with smoke and mirrors because it’s enough on its own. And while I’m arrogant, I’m not arrogant enough to think there’s anything I can do with it that will improve on what’s already there. So with a text and a cast of this caliber how could I go wrong?

What’s next for you?

Hmmm. It’s a mystery.

David Williamson’s Influence continues at Noosa Arts Theatre until April 30th. To enquire about any remaining tickets, please call the box office (07) 5449 9343

In the Wings With Naomi Price – Still Hurting

I recently asked a friend of mine, Naomi Price, to talk about a few things for BrizTix.

You are well known to Brisbane audiences and you wear so many hats – director, general manager as well as a whole host of others – is “Singer” your favourite role? Can you tell us why you always come back to performing? What is it about being on stage, as opposed to being at work behind the scenes, that keeps you coming back?

It’s so difficult to say what my favourite role is, because when I’m doing one, I miss the rest! I get so much fulfillment out of working in so many roles; I grew up knowing I just had to work in the theatre industry. Of course, I initially had grand aspirations to become a world-famous musical theatre performer but from doing the hard yards over the years, I’ve worked in so many other capacities and found so much joy in so many areas. The wonderful nature of my job is that it is ever-changing. One moment I will be waist-deep in budgets and cashflows, and the next I will be getting my script bound and frantically learning music. Variety is the spice of life! And I intend to keep mine continually spicy…!

I think I always come back to performing because it was my first love. There’s something about that – the first time you fall in love with something or someone. It always has that extra significance. Performing has been part of my life since I was five, and the times in my life where I have felt most lost or least like myself were the times I wasn’t performing. I often ponder the spiritual nature of performing – it helps to keep me communicating and sharing, and I believe it also connects me to a power greater than myself. Creativity seems to transcend humanity – I like to remember that I’m part of a bigger picture, that I can take the focus off myself for 90 minutes or so and concentrate on telling a good story. There’s something incredibly meaningful about performing for me; soulful, worshipful even. But I digress…

Can you tell us why you decided to go out on a limb and present your own cabaret show, which must be the most intimate and personal sort of show you could possibly stage?

I’m super passionate about cabaret as a performance genre, having seen some ridiculously talented artists perform in this setting in recent times. I get excited about the possibility of stripping back characters and personas and heightened projections of myself, and actually revealing something intimate and vulnerable. Perhaps it’s the exhibitionist in me?! I also find that I am continually drawn to these depressing, angsty songs and I never seem to have an outlet for them. I’m not a songwriter, and in some ways I am extremely glad about that! Other people seem to capture my thoughts and feelings perfectly, so I would much rather interpret existing work and explore emotions and concepts through these crazy songs than clumsily pen my own thoughts.

Can you comment on the current state of musical theatre and/or cabaret in Brisbane?

The current state of musical theatre in Brisbane is that it’s THRIVING! I am constantly amazed and encouraged by the sheer volume of work being produced here, it’s absolutely astonishing. I often wish I wasn’t so busy working on my own projects, because I want to be able to see all the great stuff being produced around the city. Eight years ago when I first moved to Brisbane from the UK, this really wasn’t the case. It makes me so excited to think that in less than a decade, Brisbane has literally exploded with new musical theatre companies and productions and performers. And what is fantastic, and lucky for all of us, is that the audience base has grown too. I think musical theatre is perceived less and less as light and fluffy – there have been some truly impacting productions staged since I’ve lived here, and I think that Queensland audiences are completely onboard. This excites me!

Can you talk about singing Jason Robert Brown’s music? Georgia Stitt’s? What are some other favourite songwriters and why?

Oh my goodness, singing Jason Robert Brown’s music is terrifying and satisfying at the same time! Sometimes I wonder if I was just programmed to explore his work, because I honestly can’t think of another composer who so consistently stimulates me emotionally and musically. Seeing him in concert in Brisbane was an absolute dream – talk about taking a trip down memory lane! I feel unbelievably grateful to have tackled some of his most challenging works over the years; I’ve felt like I’ve had a life-changing experience every time and that’s what excites me about really good theatre – it’s transformative power, for everyone involved in the shared experience from performer to writer to director to audience.

I love to ride the emotional wave of JRB’s work, there is something about the way he shapes and crafts the unraveling of his characters and narrative that I connect with. I often get surprised when I return to a particular song after a long time how ridiculously difficult it is! Most of his songs are like marathons, but I wouldn’t trade the sense of accomplishment at the finish line for anything.

I first became acquainted with Georgia Stitt’s music after hearing Shoshana Bean perform I Lay My Armour Down in concert last year at the Powerhouse. I remember this unbelievable tension in the air, there is something fiercely devastating about that song and I remember thinking about performing it myself at some stage. When Georgia came to Brisbane to conduct masterclasses and perform a concert of her work, I jumped at the chance to workshop this song with her. I completely underestimated how confronting it is to perform a song for the composer! But I also underestimated how easily I found a connection to the song – Georgia writes so well for women. It’s truthful, genuine, authentic. I found myself transported to the scenario of the song as I saw it, and for three minutes I caught a glimmer of that spiritual nature of really good writing. Getting feedback from Georgia was such a bonus – being able to unpack a composer’s original thoughts and dissect them, or elaborate on them, is just such a gift.

Other favourite songwriters – Scott Alan, a dear friend and incredibly gifted writer who I had the honour of performing with last year. Similarly, Scott writes songs that I feel like I just ‘get’. Going through his albums is like entering a cave of treasures – every single song is bejeweled and precious, and sparkles the more you look at it. Performing ‘And There It Is’ with him was rather incredible, I’d just finished three months of intensive performing and so I felt physically and vocally exhausted, but luckily my limitations were no match for his music! A great story comes through regardless of the vessel. I’m so drawn to his work and I can’t wait for him to finish his first musical. The world needs more of Scott Alan!

Sara Bareilles is a contemporary songwriter who I first discovered when I heard one of her songs on the American series of So You Think You Can Dance. Gravity is all about being in a destructive relationship, one that keeps you down and won’t release you. She released a new album last year calledKaleidoscope Heart and I remember poring over it for days after I first got it. There’s something raw and remarkably open about her lyrics, and musically she is just on another level. Look up her cover of Single Ladies – I don’t know anyone else who can turn a Beyonce hit into a honky tonk number and make it sound better than the original!

We are talking about songs that require a singer to draw on a deep pool of emotions. How do you access those emotions? How do you make sure the story, character and context are all coming across to your audiences in a believable way? Are there times when the technical overwhelms the emotional or vice versa?

Truth truth truth. Honesty at all costs. Whether you are speaking directly from your own personal experience or you are able to suspend your reality and absorb yourself in the given circumstance or situation, it must always be about truth. I find that as a singer, you have the added bonus of being able to ride the cadences and phrases of the music which help to shape your emotional interpretation – I absolutely will not fight the music but I am a big believer in starting with the lyrics. Everything comes from that – telling the story. Once you have that connection, everything else seems to fall into place. Accessing emotions in song never seems like a big push for me, I just feel moved by music. It’s something that punctuates every aspect of my life, every memory, every relationship.

Music takes me to another place, and once I have dipped into that I don’t feel like it’s a massive leap to find emotion. It just emerges naturally. Sometimes technical and emotional do wrestle, and again I just try to take it back to truth. Big belted moments need to have a reason – you don’t yell unless you’re furious, you don’t wail unless you’re wounded. Big moments come from a big release. And sometimes that release can certainly override your best laid plans to sing a phrase a certain way, but I tend to go with it, and rehearse it until it’s engrained in me. If you’ve chosen a song that is deeply significant to you and you can’t sing it without bawling your eyes out, then just do that. Allow yourself to feel that emotion, to release it – sing it a thousand times until you feel like you can harness that feeling and channel it into a well crafted performance. This is what I keep telling myself, anyway…

As a singer and singing teacher, are there particular things that you are super sensitive about, or that you have a heightened awareness of? Do you use your own performances as teaching examples?

Oh god yes! Anyone who has worked with me will tell you that I am ridiculously paranoid and sensitive about the way I perform, as I am sure most performers are! One of my greatest technical weaknesses is jaw tension and I have spent countless hours singing in front of the mirror trying to eradicate it. But sometimes, things just come to you over time. I used to be exceptionally hard on myself about it but really it just took a few years for me to mature as a performer and realize that there ARE other factors to the performance to be concerned with other than the relaxed nature of my jaw. Again, I find that connecting with the story and pushing for truth helps me to release my negativity and not focus so obsessively on perfection. I had a wonderful singing teacher in 2007 who graciously and kindly informed me that I am not Idina Menzel and that I never would be. Of course, I cried for days but I tell you what – finding peace about that has helped me to discover what is unique and entertaining and moving about my own voice. Ownership of both flaws and successes is a major part of who I am today.

Pet hates amongst students include superfluous use of American accents (find your own voice!), outrageous vowel modification (you don’t have to sing like you’re on Glee) and insincerity. There’s just no excuse for that last one, even if you’re playing a character who is insincere. Fantastic comedy comes from absolute truth – make that person the most sincerely insincere person ever and you’re onto a winner!

Sometimes we see that directors, who are performers themselves, have very specific ideas about how a role must be played. You’re directing Harvest Rain’s upcoming production of Grease. Are there any challenges there, in terms of interpretation? Are you happy in the Director’s chair and will we see you in it again?

I absolutely want to give my cast ultimate freedom to create the characters themselves, otherwise they are just playing out my fantasy world onstage and have no ownership over their own creation. I’m a Grease fanatic, I watched the movie avidly as a teenager and I definitely have my own ideas about the themes and concepts I want to explore. But in terms of how a role should be played – that’s the actor’s job. I just want to guide and shape. If I wasn’t such an old crumbly, I would love to have a crack at Rizzo – the next in a long line of sassy, troubled young women I have been lucky enough to play. But the fantastic thing about casting is finding the right person, and I couldn’t be more thrilled than the cast we’ve assembled.

It excites me to see ten bright young musical theatre performers on the cusp of greatness, and to be able to give them all such a valuable experience. I remember being in their shoes – I’m STILL in their shoes! I can’t accurately describe the rush I get from directing. I love to be entertained, I love to be moved, I love to feel that energy and passion bursting off the stage and into the audience. So I feel like I’m their biggest fan; I watch rehearsals with my eyes and mouth wide open. I get utterly delighted! I sound like I am over-enthusing, but the point is – I get really really proud. As a director, you share in the accomplishments of the entire cast and crew and in a show like Grease, that’s over 100 people which means that my experience as a director is at least 100 times deeper and greater than as a sole performer. If someone offers me the director’s chair again, I will jump at the chance. It’s one of my favourite places to sit.

Naomi’s debut album SPECTRUM is available on iTunes

 

 

STILL HURTING: AN EVENING WITH NAOMI PRICE

Season: 7 and 8 April
Venue: Mina Parade Warehouse
Bookings: 3103 7437 or book online at BrizTix

One Night in Emerald City

 

See? There’s just no accounting for who they put on the front page anymore!

 

In case you missed it…

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is an exciting opportunity for me and another great theatrical event for the Sunshine Coast.

 

Tickets go on sale today.

 

Most interesting comment thus far: “Would they have given you the role if you weren’t a mum?!” I may have more to say about this another day…

 

 

Friends Bare all for Coast Theatre

Nathanael Cooper

Sunshine Coast Daily, 10th September 2010

A PURVEYOR of fine food, a peddler of fine events and a theatre company notorious for pushing the envelope as far as it can go.

Photo: Warren Lynam, SCD

It is hardly the first group of people you would think of putting together, but when Tony Kelly from il Secondo, Min Swan from Whitehouse Celebrations and Sam and Xanthe Coward from XS Entertainment came together it was theatre magic.

After a hit season of La Ronde in Noosa and Maroochydore earlier this year, XS Entertainment took the La Ronde concept to a new level and prepared it for the Sydney Fringe Festival.

At the same time, Tony Kelly was having an epiphany of his own.

“I was trying to think of a really good way that we could make use of these function rooms (at the M1 in Maroochydore),” he said.

“I made a call to Min and the first thing that came to mind was Sam and the work he had done with La Ronde.”

The three new amigos got together and discussed the concept of performing La Ronde’s sister show, Erotique, in two special preview performances for the Coast before travelling to Sydney.

“La Ronde was a great success in Noosa and Mooloolaba with sellout seasons and preceding our tour to Sydney next week, the obvious thing when this opportunity came up was to not only have a dress rehearsal, but also offer some performances,” Sam said.

“The concept of having live theatre in Maroochydore next to a high-class venue with a high-class event team was great, and something we really wanted to be involved in.”

Erotique’s risqué nature, exploring sex in a unique way through the use of minimal sets and very minimal clothing, aims to take culture on the Coast to a new level.

“After the preview (on Tuesday night) we were able to finish the show at 9.30 and walk down to il Secondo bar, have a coffee, have a wine and talk to people for a couple of hours,” Sam said.

“It’s such a rare thing to be able to do on the Coast. Most nights after dark it basically comes to a standstill.”

If Erotique is as successful as the new partnership hopes, Coast theatre lovers can look forward to more of the same.

“I would like to stretch it as far as we can,” Tony said.

“All three of us are praying that Maroochydore and the Sunshine Coast grab it with both hands and cherish the fact that we are putting our neck on the line to do it here.

“And if they can embrace it we will give it to them as much as they like.

“If it’s a two-shows-a-week thing then all three of us will love that to death.”

Some tickets are available for tomorrow night’s performance and are available by visiting www.whitehousecelebrations.com.au/erotique or by calling 54441736.