THE ONLY SUNSHINE COAST CONTINGENT IN THE ANYWHERE THEATRE FESTIVAL
Sunshine Coast creatives Mary Eggleston and Sue Davis are breaking new ground on several fronts with their latest production to be staged as part of the Anywhere Theatre Festival this weekend. This is the first Sunshine Coast production to be included in the Anywhere festival with the show being staged in a rather interesting ‘red shed’ in Yandina, currently housing the Sunshine Coast School of Photography. 2Muse Productions has also re-energised the traditional fairytale format with this show drawing on new media and various theatrical forms to tell a spellbinding story called Epiphany. Another feature of the process and performance is that young people are working alongside local and international professional artists, with the professional artists performing alongside the young artists on stage. (This makes it a community development project – Ed).
Younghee Park and Pak Hoyoung are performance artists from Korea who have extensive experience in physical theatre and performing for young people, but this is the first production they have worked on where they are both performing themselves while also mentoring young performers. They are working with the project organisers, Sunshine Coast’s own youth theatre directors, Mary Eggleston and Sue Davis to devise and shape this original performance piece. The production crosses over artforms as well with input from video artist James Muller (of Earth Base Productions) and local musician and performer, Simon Russell-Baker.
Young performers hail from Caloundra to Cooroy and they have been working for months to create characters drawn from circus, vaudeville and freak shows. The show was originally staged in a début performance in November 2011 at the SCAIP Black Box Theatre in Nambour but with the support of RADF funding has been totally reworked to showcase the talents of the young people and the Korean guest artists.
The show centres on the tale of young Queenie D, an Alice in Wonderland type character who is drawn into a fantastical new world that exists beyond the mirror. The cast have been developing a unique physical language for the production and have been exploring new media and old with the performance featuring digital imagery using iPad Apps.
The show is the first Sunshine Coast production to be staged as part of the south-east Queensland based Anywhere Theatre Festival. A unique festival, its parameters are that shows can be performed anywhere but in a theatre.
Writer and theatre reviewer, Simon Denver, counted Epiphany amongst the best of Sunshine Coast theatrical productions in 2011. Don’t miss it this time ’round!
Between 10 – 19 May you’ll find new plays in alleys, puppets in bars, cabaret in warehouses, comedy in your home and office and performances you can be a part of online from Texas to London, Hamilton to Toowoomba.
Anywhere Theatre Festival is the brainchild of husband and wife power couple Paul Osuch and Alexandra McTavish. They’re pretty humble about conceptualising, developing and continuing to run the whole thing so when you see them around – anywhere but in a theatre for the ten days between the 10th and the 19th of May – please congratulate them and give them big hugs and a whole heap of love!
N.B. Some shows are already SOLD OUT!
What will you be seeing anywhere but in a theatre???
In the tradition of murder-balladeer Nick Cave, the femme fatales of Babushka invite you into their bloody nightmare to indulge in dark tales of murderous passion, sinister sirens and the infinite beauty of death in the debut season of Where the Wild Roses Grow. Late night Cabaret at its finest. DATES: Thu 10th & Sat 12th @ 9:30pm PLACE: 275 Macarthur Avenue, Hamilton Reach
A family of Gremlins has taken residence in Brisbane. Roxoff, Mofball & Botolf Gromlot are trying to launch their new budget airline and fulfill their dream of flying. Tickets sales are going well, and their maiden voyage is due to take off shortly. There is only one problem….they haven’t built the plane yet. DATES: Thu 10th to Sat 12th @ 7:00pm & Thu 17th to Sat 19th @ 7:00pm PLACE: Reverse Garbage, 20 Burke St, Woolloongabba
As a collective the cast and the directors have come up with a collage of 5 scenes exploring life on the brink; public transport, romance, hospital drama and misadventure. 3 Windows will be an excellent opportunity to see Cinematic Theatre for and by Young People at it’s most vivid and vibrant… don’t miss it. DATES: Fri 11th & Sat 12th @ 7:30pm PLACE: 37 Manilla St, East Brisbane
Set in the heart of Fortitude Valley, four playwrights turn a dirty alleyway into the legends of nights out – where drunken youth roam free and the pavement becomes a stained and silent tapestry of history. DATES: Mon 14th & Tues 15th @ 7:00pm ONLY PLACE: Winn Lane, Fortitude Valley, 4005
10 Really Fast Festival Facts
1. Brisbane does it first
The 2012 Anywhere Theatre Festival is the only fringe festival in the world for performance anywhere but a theatre.
2. Already the biggest performance festival in Brisbane
The 2012 Anywhere Theatre Festival has over 50 productions and 200 performances already confirmed meaning it has more productions and performances than Brisbane Festival.
3. Attracting interstate and international
The 2012 Anywhere Theatre Festival features 6 companies from the U.K., Two from the U.S., one from New Zealand, Tunisia and France.
4. Brisbane proves it has a depth of untapped talent
Recognised companies such as Queensland Theatre Company and Circa Presents mix with independent and up and coming companies.
5. A theatre festival with performances on Twitter
A mix of international and local performances from streamed international performances to interactive augmented realities.
6. A Brisbane festival from the Sunshine Coast to Perth
Performance locations range from the Sunshine Coast down to the Gold Coast and across to Perth.
7. A two person volunteer team producing the biggest festival in Brisbane
The festival is organised by a core husband and wife team over evenings and weekends with financial contribution from Arts Queensland.
8. Theatre Anywhere – even in your house
This year theatre anywhere will be taken to the extreme with performances you can book to come to your home or office! Other performances happening in elevators, parks, city cats (tbc).
9. A Brisbane idea to the world
The purpose is to bring fringe festival to everyone, especially to places with a lack of theatres. We are already discussing how the festival can move to regional centres and other states.
10. International institutions want to know how we do it!
Since the 2011 festival we have been asked to advise on how to do theatre anywhere and have an invitation from the Milan Commissioner of Culture to talk as they prepare for their 2015 Universal Expo.
Backbone Youth Artshave extended the closing date for applications for their annual performance Ensemble! The Ensemble is a great opportunity for any performing artists seeking to expand their ideas of performance and train with industry professionals. Last year’s Backbone Ensemble group performed their Ensemble show at the 2012 World Theatre Festival-Scratch Series at Brisbane Powerhouse! So the Ensemble can take you places…
The Backbone Ensemble is an audition entry initiative to provide training and performance opportunities to young performance makers who wish to create work at the cutting edge of contemporary performance. The Ensemble is placed to explore these exciting new developments in performance:
outside the silos of classical actor/director/writer paradigms
by exploring and defining new performance spaces and audience engagement
by interfacing with contemporary and emerging technological platforms
by utilising hybrid art modalities and site specific work
Apply for this three-month training course led by contemporary performance director, Emma Che Martin, new media director, Daniel Flood and guest industry practitioners. You will work towards a devised performance, learn core producing skills to develop your career as a performance maker and meet like-minded artists.
The Ensemble 2012
WHEN: Mondays 9.30am – 4.30 pm and Thursdays 9.30am – 12.30pm, 13 April – 14 July 2012 (week intensive 16 – 20 April)
WHERE: The Edge, State Library of Queensland, South Brisbane.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: Friday 13th April 5.00pm.
INTERVIEWS: To be confirmed with successful applicants.
COST: $250.00 payable upfront or in five $50.00 installments.
CONTACT: Please email andrew@backbone.org.au or call 07 3210 2666
Backbone also have a new Performance Ensemble for people with disabilities. Working with Director and dramatherapist, Kimberley Twiner and arts worker, Anna Molnar, this group of 12 performers started training at The Edge, State Library Queensland at the end of Feburary. More news soon!
Tim O’Connor, CEO & Artistic Director of Harvest Rain Theatre Company and Director of their latest musical, The Wizard of Oz, wanted more than anything else, to put the classic (1939) film on the Playhouse stage. And I think he’s done it. This is a glorious production, of considerable scale, which far surpasses anything I’ve seen staged by Harvest Rain. I’ve noted previously that family entertainment is this company’s specialty and in this production we have it in abundance. The ideal choice for this group, showcasing all their strengths, O’Connor has assembled superb leads, a fabulous ensemble and an adorable children’s chorus. And then of course there’s the creative team, who have finally found a way to get the creative juices flowing in the same direction.
Even more impressive is that I attended the final preview performance before opening night. It was the slickest preview EVER. When a company’s history is a little hit and miss, and I’ve always been honest about their misses, I’ve gottta lay on the love when they get it right. So here’s a whole lotta love for a large-scale musical production that you really shouldn’t miss.
Image by Trent Rouillon
Over the years, Harvest Rain’s has become a tight-knit little creative team. They used to not play so well together and we would see conflicting or unfinished ideas instead of a completed, melded and polished product. Now I wouldn’t dream of separating them. A couple of them come and go (they are regularly invited to play with the big boys) and the experience must be informing what they’re doing when they return to Harvest Rain to work.
They are:
Tim O’Connor – Director/Producer
Callum Mansfield – Choreographer
Maitlohn Drew – Music Director
Josh McIntosh – Set & Costume Designer
Jason Glenwright – Lighting Designer
Reilly Case – Stage/Production Manager
Sophie Woodward – Vocal Director
The Wizard of Oz, based on Frank L. Baum’s book, with music and lyrics based on the MGM motion picture score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg (background music by Herbert Stothart) and adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company, is truly timeless. O’Connor has imbued this production with his long-held love for the story, its characters and for that place beyond the rainbow.
McIntosh has designed starkly contrasting sets, complemented by Glenwright’s evocative lighting. The mood is set before we see any of it with the orchestra’s stirring overture. Under the competent baton of MD Drew, this old-school opening allows us to sit back and see our own images, our own memories of the much-loved film. Paired with the full sound of the orchestra, the vocal arrangements make this a nostalgic experience for the young at heart before the curtain is up.
It opens on the dreary, dusty hues of the Gale family’s Kansas farm (remember the first time you saw The Wizard of Oz and tried to fix the colour on the TV?) Far from the dull daily chores of rural life in Kansas, we are taken on a trip through a strange, strobe-lit twister moment; it’s a rather long one and it’s the only questionable moment in the entire show, all enormous flag waving, which doesn’t really work, however, I could feel that others in the audience, including the five year old, Poppy, enjoyed it, in an anticipatory, storm-comin’ kinda way. We are taken, with Dorothy Gale and little Toto (too cute) to a place beyond the rainbow and into Munchinland, complete with painted houses and the adorable children’s chorus as the inhabitants. The children do a terrific job as Munchkins. They are well rehearsed and present themselves confidently and professionally. And suddenly, it’s in Technicolor that we feel the show starts. Dana Musil warms on me and I try to ignore that somebody must have told her to be as Garland as she likes. It works for the singing (her singing is gorgeous) but not so much for her spoken lines, which might be lost at times to those unfamiliar with the script. I appreciate the efforts towards achieving a certain level of authenticity within the context but I need to hear clear speech. And, having noted the efforts towards “authenticity”, I would love to have seen an original take on Dorothy, as we saw with the travelling companions. We’ll get to them in a minute.
Image by Trent Rouillon
Angela Harding is a beautiful Glinda and presents as a possible Galinda, should the opportunity arise. The woman is versatile and I look forward to seeing her solo show later this year. Her antithesis and Dorothy’s nemesis, the Wicked Witch of the West, is Penny Farrow at her most diabolical. Maniacal cackles, well-timed one-liners and beautiful big movement give this witch the right balance of nasty and comedy. Having seen Wicked, Poppy reminded me that the green witch is not as nasty as everybody thinks but is misunderstood. She has been teased for so long that sometimes she just can’t help how she responds to people. Also, she doesn’t melt and die; she’s living with Fiyero in the field under the stage. For young Wicked fans, this show is indeed a sequel.
Image by Trent Rouillon
I hope for HR’s sake, the newcomers (and by newcomers I mean newcomers to HR, not to the stage), Dan Venz (the tap dancing, debonair Tinman) and Matty Johnson (Lion) have signed a contract to stay – or at least to return whenever required – because these guys give wonderful performances that have helped to raise the standard of the show overall. If I Were King of the Forest is a song that, in the film, is misplaced and so slow I would rather skip it but Johnson performs it with a sassy Rum Tum Tugger type attitude to suit any cabaret club or morning television show (somebody tell DC)! He’s no Ray Bolger but Shaun Kolman is a delightful scarecrow, bringing lightness and tenderness to the character’s comedy and choreography. Steven Tandy is the wonderful Wizard of Oz and on stage, he certainly lives up to his character’s reputation, giving us a wonderful combination of emotions as the wise, lost man who is so very loved in a place he can’t call home. It’s a touching performance from one of our favourite Brisbane actor/directors. I’m enjoying working with Mr Tandy in Noosa, on David Williamson’s Travelling North, which opens in April.
Image by Trent Rouillon
Special mention must go to Grant Couchman, who is a firm Uncle Henry to Kathryn Dunstan’s gentle-ish Aunt Em. It’s as the Guard at the gate of the Emerald City that we enjoy Couchman’s easy comic ability and his is another performance you can look forward to.
With spot on vocals and energetic dance numbers, the 25 strong ensemble provides additional colour, energy and laughs. They are, thanks to McIntosh and a sizeable costume construction team, superbly dressed. In a scene that need only incorporate a sweeping staircase to be mistaken for the Folies Begere, we get a hint of the high fashion to come, admiring Dior inspired hats and reversible opera cloaks before getting the full picture, which is very Vogue indeed, inside the walls of the gloriously lit Emerald City.
By Trent Rouillon
The Wizard of Oz is a spectacular show that doesn’t disappoint and importantly for me, it’s the show that has earned Harvest Rain their place in the Playhouse. If you’ve not been a HR supporter before now, expect to be converted.
Queensland Theatre Company launched their 2012 season yesterday. Yes, on a Sunday and on a Sunday that I had already booked…with the first of our final rehearsals for Dancing With the Local Stars. I was devastated to miss QTC’s official 2012 season launch and I even stomped my feet on the lovely new studio floor when the tweets and Facebook check-ins started taking over my Hootsuite feeds…but, boy oh boy, you should see my dancers now! What a fantastic little group of talented, dedicated and absolutely passionate people they are! They are doing it all for nothing – all proceeds raised go to our Sunshine Coast Hear & Say Centre – and they have been working really hard, not only at the fundraising but at polishing the dances so the audience is thoroughly entertained. Yesterday, of course, we had to step it up another notch! With just five more sleeps, we had to raise the stakes! Todd McKenney will be there for god’s sake! They responded well and I’m very proud of them! Also, I’m in awe of their dance partners (a number of Sunshine Coast and Brisbane dance teachers), who have choreographed the numbers, taught their celebrity dance partners the steps and put them through their paces for the last few weeks. Check out the Facebook page for pics and more details about the event. Working with such professional artists makes my job easy!
Anyway, I digress. But I don’t apologise for doing so because this is exactly what happens every single day of my life. We are so busy that there is no single focus. So much is happening here (the blog is looking a little neglected, I know; you only know about half of what we’re up to) that I’ve even had to get Sam multi-tasking. I know! On any given day, we are each working our day job as well as reading, conceptualising, negotiating, directing, casting, managing or producing something new for somebody. Not to mention keeping up with their social media because, as some smarter businesses are finally starting to realise, somebody needs to be doing it! But no wonder we never get a funding application in for ourselves! A friend, who really knows her astrology, says I will never focus on doing just one thing. I’m not supposed to…I’m a Sagittarius. Another friend, who really knows palms, says I’m here this time just for fun. On. This. Earth. For. Fun. I must have worked bloody hard in a previous life! I thank you.
Anyway, lucky for me, Artistic Director, Wesley Enoch and his team, saw the value of inviting the punters (and the actors) in for an open forum the following evening, in order to discuss the season. Not much discussion was had during the presentation itself (and although questions were asked and answered, I had to wonder at the “forum” part; a slightly more structured Q & A session would have really gotten people talking). The bulk of the conversation was in fact being had before and after the event, over drinks. Of course, across social media, the conversation never ends!
I’d already decided to live-tweet the launch. Having read Insider Marketing’s interesting piece (and the comments accompanying it on Facebook) and having been in talks recently with a lot of people about audiences (on the Sunshine Coast, in Sydney and in Brisbane), I was already very interested in how this new season of plays would be sold to subscribers and “new” audiences. Also, because I think that live-tweeting is something that’s not quite happening enough when the obvious realm in which to explore this groovy marketing tool is the theatre. I spoke briefly with Kathryn Fray (Subscriptions) about live-tweeting the shows and events and it’s a really controversial issue! Not that Kath has any concerns about it but, for example, at the launch, a friend who is a journalist was asked repeatedly to stop tweeting because the glow of the iPhone was giving some woman a migraine! WTF? MOVE! And, with Pygmalion upcoming, which is the play that inspired My Fair Lady, it might be more appropriate, though entirely, unashamedly re-contextualised, to shout at such an ignoramus, “MOVE YOUR BLOOMIN’ ARSE!” Look, it’s so gorgeous and Melanie Zanetti looks SO elegant and Audrey in the poster for Pygmalion, we are going to stop and enjoy the entire My Fair Lady race scene again, right here, right now. Go on. You’ll love it and then you’ll want to book your tix for Pygmalion online immediately after!
I’m also excited about David Williamson’s Managing Carmen, Dario Fo’s Elizabeth, Matt Ryan’s Kelly and a brand new take on Romeo and Juliet. I’m keen to see what comes of Wesley’s positive, affirmative, action-packed leadership and I’m intrigued with the shape the Greenhouse might take (it’s replacing the Studio season and making the Bille Brown Studio the place where the “artists can get their hands dirty”. It will offer workshops, master classes and creative development for new works, not to mention a youth theatre, eventually, in some shape or form, focusing on training and mentorships, in the tradition of the Associate Artists program). 2012 at QTC seems to be all about the relationships and – not to throw all my uni words on you at once but – all about welcoming, enticing, seducing audiences, engaging them and making connections with them so they feel not only a part of that theatre community in the stalls (or the gallery or the cheap seats or wherever) for the duration of the piece but also, as they leave, they feel a part of something that is the wider community and that community is one that has theatre – art (living, breathing, able to move us and revive us art) – at its heart.
Isn’t she stunning?!
As far as selling the season goes (and I asked specifically about the Greenhouse season, made up of largely unknown works presented within a largely unidentifiable structure), Wesley implored us to engage our networks, to get the word of mouth happening and unashamedly use our own circles and contacts to promote the good work that’s being done. I think Brisbane creatives are more supportive of each other than they care to admit. But I don’t want to give up my sources either so we’ll hope that the mutual admiration society (and communication rather than that uneasy sense of competition we were beginning to feel there for a while) continues to foster relationships amongst the artists.
The other thing I’m interested in watching is how QTC get on with utilising their social media for optimum results. The trick will be, now that the company has established a strong presence online, to connect with people in a way that elicits heartfelt responses.
How have you responded to the season? What do you think? What are you talking about? What will you be seeing? Is there anything there that doesn’t interest you? Why is that?
To view the entire season and to book tix go to the website. Actually, this links to Wesley’s blog on the website and I thought you should read it. Not every AD is able to connect with his audiences so genuinely and I think that will be a big part of QTC’s resurgence/revival/rebirth in 2012.
To read the tweets from Sunday’s launch and from Monday’s forum search #qtc2012
To read my feed from the forum follow me on Twitter
To see the comments that peeps don’t put up on this blog (or on briztix.com … anymore!) connect with XS Entertainment on Facebook
At some stage, I’ll have to fill you in on the rest of Dancing With the Local Stars, our show at the Sydney Children’s Festival, The Book of Everything, 10 000 Beers, The Book Into The Fire, Dance Edge Studios and the rest of it, including long overdue #ATF links and the Sunshine Coast Theatre Festival forum topics and reviews!
Did you know that my Skype student, Elisabeth, is one of our new Jane Banks in Mary Poppins?
Did you know that our work experience student, Libby, was the last Queenslander in the final Sydney auditions for the new Young Talent Time?
Did you know my sister has really gone and run away with the circus this time? She and the husband and the three children are currently in Russia with Saltimbanco!
Did you know that Wolfe Bowart will be at The Events Centre in the morning, with his show, The Man the Sea Saw? I missed it in Sydney and I haven’t been asked to review it up here so Poppy and I are going just for FUN! WHEEEEEEEEEE!
Fantastic work by some of these young performers, especially by those that had to play 2 roles
We could relate to Switch On/Switch Off (everybody has had a fight over the remote control)!
I loved the three girls dressed the same
I loved the grandmother
Feet first for multiple roles. Start with the shoes. Be as diligent offstage as you are onstage.
Grandma/nurse great non-verbal work.
Repair shop: nurse and repairman, he went into his monologue and the nurse wandered off. Pay attention to detail, exits and entrances (establish place)
Nobody Famous: Barry playing two roles, the arm in a cast, the Italian accent; helping to tell the story.
Phantasmal: great premise
Energy thru to the end of the lines. Just as when we sing a song, you must breathe there, there etc = phrasing. Same technique applies when you are presenting dialogue.
Taylor had beautiful comic timing but a little too quiet. If we can’t hear we can’t laugh.
Re balance of the stage: Each of the plays were well staged. Best place on stage is CS
Intermediate Section
Romanov. Just astounding. I was transported. I was actually taken back in time. This production should tour to Sydney and then nationally.
The detail with the costuming
Sisters worked as an ensemble
The direction almost seamless
The detail: footsteps and something falling takes you out of the play. Quiet backstage!
I was affected by the performances
Well-balanced ensemble, all supporting each other and all telling the story
I was impressed with those who were able to work non-verbally and with the slower pace of the older man (Nicholas)
Gossip: she wrote, directed and played Bella. Sometimes it’s good to take a step back from your work.
Interesting staging: at times it worked and at times it was clumsy.
I wanted to see more unison work
I was confused by the choice of an American accent. I needed justification for it.
Some of the voices – interesting choice of a mix of personalities but I wanted something to justify it in the text
I got a little lost with the story. Revisit the piece and break it down. Be in it or step outside of it.
Use of the red worked
It grew as we went along. Stronger towards the end of the piece.
Romeo and Juliet: used the auditorium to their advantage
Romeo and Juliet was fantastic, energy wonderful. Tristan was fantastic. His face was very alive. If I can feel it you can feel it but we’ve also got to see it.
Re pre-empting laughs: Find that line where you can control yourself. Be careful.
For the chaos of the piece there was a great control
Great sense of depth and fabric with the use of the AV
I loved the use of theatrical blacks on everyone and then each costume donned helped to tell the story.
Hannah (director) kept the hat gag going and did a mighty job of covering when the music didn’t come on. Fantastic. Thinking on her feet.
You must be so incredibly proud of the youth you have on the Sunshine Coast! Thank you!
Karen Crone & Elizabeth Mahoney
Jasmin Tuppack & Karen Crone
Playwright, Peta Beattie, Director, Robyn Ernst, Adjudicator, Karen Crone and (most of the) cast members of Romanov!
Have you heard the story of the Johnston twins, as like each other as two new pins? Of one womb, born on the self-same day, how one was kept and one given away…
Willy Russell’s hit West End musical is perhaps better known than the play, which Catherine Steer, a relative newcomer to the Sunshine Coast, elected to stage as part of her 2011 Youth Theatre program. Being a huge fan of the musical version, I was looking forward to seeing how this production would pan out and I was not disappointed.
As Steer notes in the program, directing twenty young people in a production is no easy task! She has done an admirable job, incorporating some stylistic and contemporary choices, which at times work well to support the youth element and the text.
The text is largely delivered in rhyme – the prose is recognisably Willy Russell’s lyrics from the musical – and it didn’t work as well as the naturalistic speech. The two sharing the role of the Narrator (Frazer Johnston and Cristina Colnell) needed to work on phrasing and expression to fine-tune their delivery. I will say though, that they shared some comical moments, which clearly appealed to other audience members.
The ensemble developed their individual characters and maintained focus, carrying out their parts in the games and playing individually as was called for in earlier scenes and later, dancing and mingling, supporting the main action rather than, as so often happens with young, inexperienced actors, distracting from it. They have obviously absorbed some basic stagecraft and performer etiquette, which demonstrates a degree of intelligence and a great respect for their director as well as for the play as a truly “ensemble” enterprise. Utilising a little physical theatre, the mimed factory production line was particularly effective.
Steer, being British herself, has ensured the accents are handled with varying degrees of confidence, some actors being more competent than others in this area. I could not fault the accents, or the mature performances of Mickey (Jacob Phelan) and Linda (Tess Hogan). These two young actors are standouts, each establishing a strong character from the outset and developing a lovely relationship together; we journey with them through the simple joys (and hunger) of childhood, through the insecurities and excitement of young love, through the humdrum, difficult days and nights of marriage that must survive children and years of insufficient income and finally, the jealous, angry, bitter and inevitable end of not only that relationship but also, of the blood brothers of the title, Mickey and Eddie (Dominic Morley).
Mickey’s character is very well developed and his traits, though not his outlook on life, obviously, remain consistent as he ages and discovers that life’s not just a game. He and Mrs Johnston (Grace Winkel) establish early on, a clear, close relationship. For Mrs Lyons (Holly Davidson) to play such a pivotal role in the penultimate scene is a big ask and the action will surprise those more familiar with the musical’s conclusion. Watching Winkel and Morley made me think about what a big ask it is to have kids play the adult roles, just as it’s a challenge for adults in the musical version to sell the children’s characters.
The company members have learned sufficient technical skills to take care of sets, props and costumes, to operate adequate lighting and a soundtrack of jukebox hits from each decade of the story, which serve to entertain and drum home, in case you miss it in the dialogue, almost every one of Russell’s moral and social messages. The audience on Saturday night visibly enjoyed chart toppers from Johnny O’Keefe, The Beatles, Abba and the like.
The traditional scene changes slowed the pace (darkness and black-clad stage hands drive me to despair at the best of times) and we sat in front of an empty stage more often than I would have liked but overall, Steer’s Blood Brothers has given a young company the opportunity to gain experience on stage in a working theatre. It’s a great production, embracing and showcasing the talents of some enthusiastic, dedicated upcoming Sunshine Coast performers.
With Act 1 running at just under an hour and Act 2 coming in at 45 minutes, this is a great production to take the older kids to and if the older kids are at all interested in theatre, I would suggest they don’t miss it. In fact, I will go so far as to say that I have recently seen adult productions that were less entertaining than Lind Lane Youth Theatre’s Blood Brothers. Based on the strength of this production and on the potential of the talent involved, I will certainly look forward to seeing their next show.
We went to see Matthew Flinders Anglican College’s production of Grease, directed by our dear friend and their Drama HOD, Melissa White, on Saturday afternoon. We took Poppy, who has just turned five (there was no way she was letting us go without her) and we expected to be entertained and a little impressed. Needless to say, Poppy loved it. She loves Grease and she loves a show. That’s right. She is Mayzie: “I love a show! I think I’ll go!” It’s not just that she is easily impressed. It’s more that she is so kind-hearted and she loves everybody for getting up and having a go, which makes her the perfect date at any community theatre/high school production. Her favourite comment is, “They did a good job, Mama!” She is also very protective of those who have given it their best shot. The last time I started breaking down a show in the car on the way home from Brisbane, she scolded me and said very seriously, “Mama, they were all good and beautiful.” I’m sure every company would love an audience who responds as Poppy does!
This production of Grease was vibrant, energetic and fun. Some of the talent was super. Most of the leads were seniors and you would expect them to do a good job by the time they are given their last chance to do the school musical but we also had year nine student, Cody Hasaballah, playing Doody. His Magic Changes was sung straight, simply, beautifully; no comedic or cheeky overtones and it went down well, reminding us that there is still merit in the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) principle, espoused so frequently by my Indonesian teacher, Pak Gray, in my own senior years.
Sandy (Holly Daniels) can sing. What a relief it was to have a Sandy who could sing! And look, when Holly herself believes she can sing, I think we’ll hear a lot more from her. Danny (Kristian Heikoop) showed himself to be, in true Travolta tradition, a terrific dancer. It’s a pity that Cha Cha (Jennie Knight) did not. Both gangs – The Pink Ladies and The T-Birds – were far more effective than they have been in other productions I’ve seen recently; each individual performer offering their own quirks and making their relationships pretty clear.
Directors are either good at putting a heap of kids up on stage or they are not. Mel is good at it, however; I felt that what she did with West Side Story was far more effective. Fewer ensemble members might have made for neater, tighter dance routines. Is that even important? Isn’t the school musical all about giving as many kids as possible, the opportunity to be on stage, performing in front of an audience and being involved in the production process? Many would argue yes. It is certainly wonderful to see so many young performers being given the opportunity to learn the ropes from the likes of Industry pro, Dale Pengelly (Choreographer).
Nick Campbell, with his brilliantly brass-heavy band, proved (again) why Flinders holds fast, their reputation for being the top Sunshine Coast school for aspiring musicians. These musicians were sharp and precise, creating a fantastic, full sound that didn’t overwhelm the vocalists. Nor did it lull us to sleep, as can happen when you’ve seen a show that is not your favourite, on loop for the last 10 years. Well, sometimes, especially lately, it seems that it is!
The thing Flinders does most impressively is to showcase the talent they have. Whilst I know Mel can do more, she has showcased the current talent and given the students the experience of a lifetime! Who knows where we’ll see some of them next? If you had stayed to speak to any of the seniors after the show, you would have discovered that a number of them will probably not be found on our stages in future but will instead, be found in our labs, our surgeries, our courts and our international departure lounges. I hope the multi-talented graduates of MFAC (and of every school, for that matter) find a way of connecting with live theatre in the future. If you’ve loved being a part of the school musical and felt that indescribable buzz of performing once, odds are you’ll be drawn to it in some way again. Be in it or be a supporter of it. And remember, the longer you study, the longer you can claim your cheap theatre tickets!
The Gordon Frost Organisation will be auditioning children early next year for their upcoming professional national touring production of ANNIE (2012).
Even if your child does not intend to audition this time, these dynamic workshops are a great chance to meet other kids who love performing, have some fun and gain valuable insight into the process of preparing for a performance, any performance; auditions for professional shows, eisteddfods, special events and full scale school or community productions. You should also know that at Dance Edge Studios and XS Entertainment, we use these workshops to source new talent for our performances at special events across the Sunshine Coast. Give your child the edge!
ANNIE Audition Workshop Ages 5-16
(Children must be able to play between 6-14)
Saturday May 28th
9am – 12pm
Dance Edge Studios, Textile Ave, Warana
3 hours of ANNIE specific singing, dancing and acting for just $55/child
Your child will leave the workshop with greater self-confidence, knowledge of the requirements of the show in terms of story, context and character and a thorough understanding of what to expect during the audition process.
To secure your child’s place in this, the first of Dance Edge Studios & XS Entertainment’s ANNIE specific Audition Workshops for 2011, please email xsentertainme@gmail.com
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Sunshine Coast Youth Theatre Festival: Adjudicator’s Comments
Tags: adjudicator's comments, Karen Crone, Lind Lane Theatre, sunshine coast youth theatre festival
Adjudicator’s Comments
Adjudicator: Karen Crone
Junior Section
Intermediate Section
Karen Crone & Elizabeth Mahoney
Jasmin Tuppack & Karen Crone
Playwright, Peta Beattie, Director, Robyn Ernst, Adjudicator, Karen Crone and (most of the) cast members of Romanov!