Young guns share playwrights prize
Wednesday, April 30, 9:10am AEST.

The names Claire Macfarlane and Joshua Belperio may be unknown to most of us but that may not be the case in a few years time with the duo showing extraordinary talent in the State Theatre Company of South Australia's Young Guns 9 Playwrights Competition.

State Theatre Company Associate Director Geordie Brookman congratulated the joint winners of this year's competition and said that judges were impressed by the quality of this year's entries.

“It's been great to see such a high standard for the Young Guns 9 Competition,” he said.

“Both of our winners have written highly theatrical, heartfelt plays and we hope the Young Guns process will be an important next step in their development as playwrights."

Claire, 19, wrote Pigeons, a play with themes of loneliness and infatuation. She said her motivation to write the play came from people around her, and she thinks that the Young Guns experience is the ideal start to her script writing career.

Joshua, a Year Eight student at St Ignatius College, won for his script Love, Hell And A Diary, which tells the story of two American soldiers who find an abandoned diary of a teenage girl in war-torn Iraq. His passion for the performing arts, and television news stories inspired Joshua to write his first play.

Commendations went to Prerna Ashok for Family Ties, and Kurt Watson for Curiosity Killed the Curious Cat.

For the ninth year, State Theatre Company is supporting young playwright hopefuls through this competition. All scripts are the original work of the young South Australian writers, and have not been previously published or performed.

A team of theatre professionals determined the winning scripts with each winner receiving prize money plus a week’s dramaturgy on their work, culminating in a staged reading by professional actors on Friday, May 2 at 2pm at the Dunstan Playhouse. Claire and Joshua will be presented their awards by acclaimed playwright Andrew Bovell (writer of When The Rain Stops Falling).


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Fiyero a three year dream, says Mills
Tuesday, April 29, 7:20pm AEST.

Wicked star Rob Mills has revealed that landing the role of Fiyero was a three-year dream that started when he first heard the cast recording while appearing in an arena production of Grease in 2005.

“I listened to it and I went ‘that’s me – I’m that guy’,” Mills said.

“I listened to the songs over and over again and absolutely loved it. I remember ringing my manager the next day and said I desperately wanted an audition. I’ve been in love with the show for three years and wanted to do the role from the day I first heard the recording.”

Inexperienced in musical theatre he may be but Mills, a finalist on reality television program Australian Idol, has been doing all he can to play “catch up”, including taking a recent trip to Los Angeles to see the show.

There, he just happened to be in the audience with Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz. Mills admits to being a little star struck, and even asked the legendary musical theatre mainstay to sign his programme.

“After seeing it in London with Adam Garcia using an English accent, I just really wanted to see it again under American terms and be even more inspired than I am already, because it had been so long since I’d seen it,” Mills said.

“I also got to go on a backstage tour which gave me a grasp of the extraordinary amount of people involved in getting it on stage each day and how it all works.”

While he has been left to fight off the stigma of Australian Idol by some musical theatre fans, the American creative team were completely wowed by Mills in the audition room. And now that he’s got a taste for it, the young charmer wants to keep following a career in theatre.

“Now that this door has opened, it’s all I want to do – I’m rapt about settling down with it for at least a year,” he said.

“Wicked is the most exciting thing I’ve ever done in my life and it’s a life changing thing for me. Idol came along and I sort of just went with it, but with this it is full steam ahead – I’ve been working so hard on it."

Wicked opens at Melbourne's Regent Theatre on July 12. Bookings: 132 849.

- Troy Dodds


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Hatpin writers return with new show
Monday, April 28, 9:45pm AEST.



Acclaimed writers James Millar and Peter Rutherford, who presented The Hatpin to extraordinary reviews in February, will return to the Seymour Centre later this year with a new collaboration, AussieTheatre.com can reveal.

Lovebites is a new song cycle from the duo, and will open at the Seymour Centre's Downstairs Theatre in June.

It is a collection of stories about romance blooming in the most curious of places, and the way each of these encounters turns out. Hearing only the beginning and end of each story from each couple, Lovebites is a quirky, hilarious, moving and unique evening of song from Australia's most exciting new music theatre writers.

To be directed by Kim Hardwick and produced by White Box, the show features a cast of four, which is to be announced in the coming weeks.

Lovebites will be the second collaboration from Millar and Rutherford this year following the sensational success of The Hatpin, which was labelled a "landmark" production in Australian musical theatre by The Sydney Morning Herald.

Focusing on the true story of Amber Murray and her fight for justice after the death of her baby, the moving show is expected to have another life at some point in the future either here in Australia or overseas.

Tickets for Lovebites will go on sale once the season is officially announced.

- Troy Dodds

Picture: Peter Rutherford and James Millar.


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Priscilla waves goodbye
Monday, April 28, 9:28pm AEST.

One of the most successful Australian musicals of all time wrapped up its local run last night, with the curtain coming down on Priscilla at Melbourne's Regent Theatre.

The show now moves on to New Zealand, with persistent rumours that producers are trying to find a way to bring it back to Sydney's Lyric Theatre before the end of the year.

Its previous run at the Lyric lasted some 11 months but was cut short when a battle loomed over the rights for the venue with the producers of Miss Saigon, who eventually won out.

The musical's success in Melbourne surprised many given its Sydney-centric script and set but with a party feel, vibrant sets and terrific performances, the show was well received and performed well at the box office in what is currently a competitive market.

In fact, there's an argument Priscilla could have run longer in Melbourne, but again theatre availability became an issue with Wicked booked at the Regent Theatre from July, and several months required to mount the production.

Priscilla may have eventually found outstanding success but it has certainly been a bumpy road.

The show's major set piece - a massive bus - proved a complication during the rehearsal and preview process, with several performances going ahead without the prized possession.

Tragically, the show also lost its publicist in the days before opening night when the respected Judith Johnson passed away suddenly. The show's programme carries a special tribute to the legendary PR-woman.

Then, of course, there was the battle over the Lyric, but when the party began each night, it all seemed to matter very little.

The musical won several Green Room and Helpmann Awards, though missed out on the Best Musical gong at the Helpmanns in favour of Keating!.

- Troy Dodds


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Shane Warne The Musical to open 2/12
Monday, April 28, 9:13pm AEST.

Shane Warne The Musical, written by cabaret and comedy performer Eddie Perfect, will open in Melbourne on December 2 for a three month season ahead of a national tour, with Perth and Sydney confirmed as cities the show will visit.

Casting briefs reveal the show will open in Perth in April 2009 and move to Sydney in June, with further dates to be confirmed.

The production will enter rehearsals in October with auditions to be held in Melbourne and Sydney next month.

The show's casting brief reads: "We're looking for singer/actors who have strong contemporary voices and are able to sing difficult harmonies and learn music quickly. Sight readers are preferred. Must have a soul, gospel, jazz or blues sound - no legit music theatre sounding voices. An ability to communicate lyrics and act. The style of the piece walks the line from comic to dramatic... actors must be able to sing like hell, invest in ridiculous circumstances truthfully, and be prepared to improvise and input ideas. Also, performers will be required to play multiple roles. Basically, there’s no specific “type” in mind, we’re just looking for performers with charisma. It’s about finding the best mix of individual performers. There is no particular “look” we are after, as long as you have something interesting to offer we want to see you!"

Shane Warne The Musical has been in development for some time, and last year was presented in "almost there" format at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

The touring production will be directed by the respected Neil Armfield.

Audition details for Shane Warne The Musical and other job opportunities are available on AussieTheatre.com Theatre Jobs. Logon or subscribe now by clicking here.

- Troy Dodds


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Wicked sales hit $7 million mark
Monday, April 28, 7:19pm AEST.

Wicked is likely to hold the biggest box office advance in Australian theatrical history by the time it opens in Melbourne in July, with latest figures showing the production is gaining levels of sales not seen in two decades.

The musical's co-producer, John Frost, said the show is holding about $7.25 million in advance sales.

"Wicked sold 3,000 tickets on Thursday and with less than three weeks before we go into rehearsal on May 19 the demand for tickets is really hotting up," Frost said.

"To get an idea of the scale of our advance bookings you have to go back to the 1980s, when Cats and Phantom set the box office alight. The Washington Post called Wicked the biggest box office success story since the peak years of The Phantom Of The Opera and I believe we are going to experience the same phenomenon."

Frost said he was particularly pleased at the interest the show is getting from across the country.

"Like Phantom, around 30 per cent of our advance sales are coming from interstate: music theatre lovers from Brisbane to Perth who have been hearing about the international success of the show," he said.

Wicked, which tells the back story to The Wizard Of Oz, stars Amanda Harrison (Elphaba), Lucy Durack (Glinda), Maggie Kirkpatrick (Madame Morrible), Rob Guest (The Wizard), Rob Mills (Fiyero), Anthony Callea (Boq), Penny McNamee (Nessa) and Rodney Dobson (Dr Dillamond).

The production's ensemble cast is: Anton Berezin, Ross Hannaford, Anthony Costanzo, Todd Hampton, Ryan Sheppard, Danial J Brown, James Smith, Lockhart Brownlie, Michael Snell, Romina Villafranca, Deanna O'Leary, Liz Stiles, Christina Tan, Zoe Gertz, Patrice Tipoki, Melanie Hawkins, Ellen Simpson, Johanna Allen, James Maxfield, Glen Oliver, Matthew Hamilton, Emma Delmenico, Suzanne Steele and Suzie Mathers.

This july, AussieTheatre.com celebrates the arrival of Wicked with WICKED MONTH. Get ready for giveaways, gossip, news, reviews and more as we kick off a special and extended coverage of the biggest musical to ever land in Australia!

Picture: Amanda Harrison, Rob Mills and Lucy Durack.


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Strangers on tour
Monday, April 28, 9:23am AEST.

Following a sell-out season in Sydney in 2005, Strangers In Between returns this Autumn, touring to eight venues throughout Australia during May and June. Starting in Australia’s newest theatre space, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, the tour concludes in Australia’s oldest theatre, the Theatre Royal in Hobart.

In 2002, Griffin Theatre Company commissioned one of Australia’s most talented young playwrights, Tommy Murphy, to write the play as part of its Affiliate Writer's Scheme. It went on to feature in Griffin’s 2005 season. Aged 25, Murphy was one of the youngest playwrights to have their work presented at the SBW Stables Theatre in over 25 years.

Strangers In Between is a refreshingly honest portrayal of one boy’s coming of age in Kings Cross. Confronting, tender and excruciatingly funny, the story follows Shane (Sam Dunn) who is forced to flee his family home in Goulburn, and suddenly finds himself in a strange suburb surrounded by prostitutes, bikies and junkies. The confused teenager is unsure of his sexuality, more unsure of how to find intimacy, and completely thrown by having to choose between laundry liquid and powder.

But he soon meets two strangers - the very-Sydney Will (Anthony Gee), who offers brotherhood, sex and something unexpected; and the beguiling Peter (Anthony Phelan), a 50-year-old gay man whose mother is dying in a nursing home. Shane’s journey of self-discovery will touch the hearts of anyone who ever felt lost growing up. The surprising and often explicit relationships forged, offer glimpses of hope as the characters wash away their own hurts.

Director, David Berthold said: “Anyone who saw Holding The Man will know that Tommy is a remarkably gifted comic writer who is not afraid to go to dark places. But what makes this play so satisfying is the sheer humanity of his approach. Tommy believes in love, in loving well, and in our ability to heal each other, and it shows in this play. It's been a joy to revisit and refine after three years. It's tender, fragile, optimistic, and jaw-droppingly funny”.

Touring Details

Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre
6-7 May
Bookings: (02) 6298 0170

Coffs Harbour
Jetty Memorial Theatre
9-10 May
Bookings: (02) 6652 8088

Sydney
Glen Street Theatre, Belrose
13 - 24 May
Bookings: (02) 9975 1455

Riverside Theatres, Parramatta
27 - 31 May
Bookings: (02) 8839 3399

Bendigo
Capital Theatre
3 – 4 June
Bookings: (03) 5434 6100

Ballarat
Her Majesty's Theatre
5 June
Bookings: (03) 5333 5888

Launceston
Theatre North
10 - 11 June
Bookings: (03) 6323 3666

Hobart
Theatre Royal
13 - 14 June
Bookings: (03) 6233 2299


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McKenney to go on air
Sunday, April 27, 9:37pm AEST.

The Boy From Oz star Todd McKenney will be on air at Sydney's MIX 106.5 tomorrow morning as planned, with his drug arrest on Friday being played down by the station.

McKenney's squeaky clean image is under threat after he was found nearly dead in a Sydney park on Friday after overdosing on the drug GHB, commonly known as "fantasy". He had to be revived by ambulance officers and was later charged by police.

The Dancing With The Stars host, who has appeared in a variety of musicals, claims his drink was spiked, and the drugs found in his pocket were planted.

"After one drink I felt sick, and my face got hot ... my ears got very very hot, and I just knew instantly that something wasn't right," he told the Seven Network.

"And as I kept walking I could just feel myself having the most insane kind of collapses of mind. And then I was panicking, which was a feeling that I've never felt before.

"This is something that can happen to anybody ... I'm savvy, I know what goes on in town, I'm not dumb. And I can only assume that whoever planted the G in my pocket also spiked my drink."

McKenney will be on air from 5.30am tomorrow morning on MIX 106.5, alongside Sonia Kruger.

"Todd is a terrific person and the predicament he is currently facing is totally out of character for him," Australian Radio Network General Manager Anthony Fitzgerald said.

"Todd has the network's full support at this difficult time and we will not make any judgment until all the facts have been presented."


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The Write Stuff
Sunday, April 27, 9:35pm AEST.

TAZ Entertainment has launched Western Australia's first agency representing new and emerging playwrights, aptly named “TAZ Playwrights”.

For the past four years, TAZ Entertainment has been promoting theatre and music events across metropolitan and regional WA.

In promoting a variety of vibrant community and professional theatres – matched with her own personal involvement in theatre for the past 20 years – TAZ Entertainment director Melanie DeCull has witnessed some remarkable plays created by many talented up-and-coming playwrights.

“Many have been recognised through organisations such as the Independent Theatre Association and its annual State One-Act Drama Festival and Finley Awards,” DeCull said. “Some have even received national commendations.”

TAZ Entertainment is now representing these select playwrights and their one-act and full-length plays, musicals and screenplays, promoting the works to numerous theatre clubs, schools, groups and organisations around Australia and beyond.

“There is an outstanding array of talent in our state that needs further encouragement and representation,” DeCull said.

“Our new and emerging playwrights have limited forums in which to promote their scripts and some either don’t have the time or the know-how on where to start.

“We will also be advising and nurturing our playwrights with other outlets, which will ultimately assist with their own growth and development.”

DeCull said she expects TAZ Playwrights to grow to cater for established playwrights in the near future.

“Having the encouraging support of Stages WA, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Independent Theatre Association and writers’ centres, our playwrights will be kept well-informed and up-to-date on the various initiatives, workshops and events available to them,” she said.

Promoting various theatre and music events in WA certainly keeps DeCull’s TAZ team on its toes and exceptionally busy – yet DeCull also personally finds the time to co-host the Access 31 television program on theatre, The Green Room, nominated for best arts program in the National 2008 Antenna Awards.

Prospective directors and theatre clubs interested in producing new and exciting plays should go to www.tazentertainment.com.au and click on TAZ Playwrights where they can explore various offerings from playwrights and also read script samples.


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Too much Tunks is never enough
Sunday, April 27, 9:21pm AEST.

Sydney playwright Wayne Tunks admits he is the walking example of self promotion. If he could get jackets with his show's booking details on the back of them, he'd do it. Problem is, clothing companies don't make jackets that fast.

Barely a month goes by without a Tunks play being produced somewhere in Sydney, and next month the Blacktown-born writer heads back to his roots to present the premiere of his new play in western Sydney.

Directed by Alexandra Byron and produced by Alan Lao, The Girl From The West Of The City is a murder mystery-cum-social drama that starts with the death of a beautiful local woman. What follows are the six stories of the people left behind and how they deal with their love, their grief and their suspicion.

We meet the parents, the fiancée, the flatmates and the boy next door whose obsession for her was reaching worrying heights. We hear their stories and find out which one killed "the girl from the west of the city".

”This is the first time that one of my new plays has been produced without me. I am just the writer for the show and it’s very exciting, and nerve-racking at the same time," Tunks said.

Tunks is taking the show to Penrith's Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, something he believes is quite a significant step.

“I do think it’s very important for new work to be presented in the west," he said.

"This is where I grew up, this is an area I love, this is an area where people think the locals don’t enjoy the arts, and in fact the opposite is true. The support we have already received from the local community is incredible."

Despite the incredible number of plays Tunks churns out each year (he's already premiered Silvertop Ash this year and his Rules Of April opens later in the year at the Newtown Theatre), it seems there's no case of "too much Tunks". His plays continue to draw in solid return audiences, and a number have been picked up by regional theatre companies. The Bridesmaid Must Die, one of his most popular plays, opens in Tasmania in July.

The Girl From The West Of The City opens at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith on May 8. Bookings: (02) 4723 7600.


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McKenney declares: Drugs were planted
Saturday, April 26, 11:41pm AEST.

Musical theatre and cabaret star Todd McKenney claims his drink was spiked and the drug GHB planted on him, leading to ambulance officers having to revive him after he was found unconscious in a Sydney park on Friday afternoon.

As reported earlier, McKenney was taken to Kings Cross Police Station where he was charged with possessing a small amount of GHB, commonly referred to as "fantasy". He was released on bail and will appear in Downing Centre Local Court next month.

The Dancing With The Stars judge and breakfast radio host has played the "not mine" card, however, telling The Sunday Mail: "I had a vodka and tonic, and I started to feel progressively sick. I have no idea where I ended up. My drink was obviously spiked."

McKenney told the Adelaide-based newspaper the incident was probably a case of "the tall poppy syndrome".

"They obviously wanted to put the boot into me. I don't know what I have done to deserve this treatment," he said.

"I will rigorously defend any charges."

It is believed that McKenney attended a party at Potts Point on Thursday evening, and did not host his breakfast program on Sydney's MIX 106.5 on Friday because of the ANZAC Day public holiday.

McKenney's co-host on the breakfast show, Sonia Kruger, was at Randwick Racecourse for Doncaster Day when she heard the news of McKenney being charged.

"I haven't spoken to Todd all weekend," she told The Sunday Mail.

"I just cannot believe it but I don't want to make any further comment until I find out exactly what happened. It seems very unlikely to me."

Earlier this month, McKenney lost his driver's licence after pleading guilty to drink driving. He was caught over the limit driving through the Sydney CBD without his headlights on late in the evening.

McKenney rose to fame as Peter Allen in the original Australian production of The Boy From Oz, and while Hollywood hunk Hugh Jackman may have taken the show to Broadway and later revived it in Australia, most acknowledge McKenney as the man who did it best. The veteran entertainer is well known for his cabaret work, and his other musical credits include Singin' In The Rain, Cats, Cabaret, 42nd Street, West Side Story and Crazy For You.


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Report: McKenney on drugs charges
Saturday, April 26, 10:12pm AEST.

The man who brought the spirit of Peter Allen to the stage in the smash hit musical The Boy From Oz, Todd McKenney, has been charged with possessing the drug "fantasy", according to Sydney radio station 2GB.

The station is reporting that McKenney was found unconscious in a park in Rushcutter's Bay around 3pm on Friday.

He was revived by ambulance officers and taken to Kings Cross Police Station where he was charged with possessing a small amount of the drug GHB, commonly referred to as "fantasy".

McKenney was released on bail and is expected to appear in Downing Centre Local Court next month.

According to the Australian Drug Foundation, one of the most dangerous aspects of using GHB is the small difference between an amount that produces the desired effect and the amount that results in overdose. A further risk is that there is often no way to be sure that the drug is manufactured correctly. Improperly made GHB may result in an extremely toxic mixture of GHB and the chemical sodium hydroxide.

Earlier this month, McKenney lost his licence for three months after pleading guilty to drink driving.

The cabaret and musical theatre star's profile has risen in recent times thanks to his job as a judge on the Seven Network's ratings hit, Dancing With The Stars. He has also been hosting breakfast radio on Sydney's MIX 106.5.

2GB reported this evening (Saturday) that MIX 106.5 was refusing to comment on McKenney's future with the station.

McKenney rose to fame as Peter Allen in the original Australian production of The Boy From Oz, and while Hollywood hunk Hugh Jackman may have taken the show to Broadway and later revived it in Australia, most acknowledge McKenney as the man who did it best.

The veteran entertainer is well known for his cabaret work, and his other musical credits include Singin' In The Rain, Cats, Cabaret, 42nd Street, West Side Story and Crazy For You.

Recently, he starred with Nancye Hayes in the Ensemble Theatre Company's production of Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks, earning extensive critical acclaim.

Last year, McKenney and long-time friend and fellow musical theatre actor Anne Wood had a baby together.


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Erica Lovell joins Little Women cast
Saturday, April 26, 11:09am AEST.

Erica Lovell (pictured) has completed the missing piece in the puzzle in terms of the female cast of Little Women, with the youngster confirmed to be playing Amy in the forthcoming Kookaburra production of the tuner.

As previously revealed by AussieTheatre.com, the show will also star Kate Maree Hoolihan, Octavia Barron-Martin and Jodie Harris, as well as previously announced cast members Trisha Noble and Judi Connelli.

Lovell, a relative unknown, has performed in several plays and has also been seen in guest roles on a number of television shows.

Little Women opens at the Seymour Centre in November. It is to be directed by Stuart Maunder, with Hayden Tee part of its male cast.

Meanwhile, Kookaburra is expected to make a major announcement next week in relation to expanding interstate. Given their 'national' musical theatre company tag, many have been critical of the company's dedication to Sydney in its early stages.


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Call for Government to secure Phantom II
Friday, April 25, 10:12pm AEST.

The NSW Opposition has set the Iemma Government the challenge of ensuring Sydney secures the rights to host the Australian premiere of the upcoming sequel to the world's most successful musical, The Phantom Of The Opera.

Angry that Melbourne has secured a number of massive theatrical premieres including Wicked and Jersey Boys, NSW Shadow Major Events Minister George Souris (pictured) says the State Government must step in to stop it happening again.

The call comes after speculation mounted that the yet to be completed sequel would be staged in Australia by 2011, with a London premiere tentatively scheduled for late next year.

“This run must be claimed for Sydney and it is up to the NSW Major Events Group launched by Premier Iemma to ensure Melbourne doesn’t trump Sydney in theatre yet again,” Souris said.

“Premiere runs attract interstate and international tourists and visitors. The Iemma Government’s inaction in the past means that Sydney has failed to win these shows over Melbourne."

Producer Tim McFarlane confirmed that it was likely the Phantom sequel would hit Australia in the not too distant future.

"I hope that will be the next major production that we bring to Australia," McFarlane told AAP.

"It would be rather nice to follow on Phantom as it is now and see where the story goes in the sequel."

The original Phantom opens at Sydney's Lyric Theatre next month after successful seasons in Melbourne and Brisbane. After Sydney, it will continue its tour around the country.

The sequel is set in Manhattan and is rumoured to feature central character Christine with a 10-year-old child.

“In the past, Sydney has had to settle for second and third season openings," Souris said.

“The challenge is there for Morris Iemma and his Major Events Board."

In recent times Melbourne has premiered Miss Saigon, The Phantom Of The Opera, Spamalot, Shout! and Guys And Dolls and will host the premieres of Wicked and Jersey Boys over the next 12 months.

But Sydney has not been left completely out in the cold. It premiered Priscilla, The Rocky Horror Show and Billy Elliot, and will host the debut seasons of High School Musical and Mary Poppins.


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Powerful experience will inspire
Wednesday, April 23, 9:21pm AEST.

Wednesday, May 14 marks the launch of Sydney’s newest original theatrical work, Defiance, written, produced and directed for Q Station at Manly (Sydney's former Quarantine Station), by the creative team of Carlton Lamb Productions.

Set in a stunning location on North Head at the opening to Sydney Harbour, visitors will not only be entertained by Defiance but by the holistic experience that is inevitable at Q Station.

Defiance unveils the extraordinary real stories of men and women who were interned at Quarantine Station near Manly from 1828 until 1984 as the country battled to contain the outbreak of one of mankind’s greatest enemies, disease, including Smallpox (1881), Plague (1901) and Spanish Influenza (1919). However, this isn’t just a nostalgic ‘look back in time’ as the audience is also thrust into the future to experience the simulation of a world epidemic of Avian Flu (2020).

The production takes place at two locations in the original heritage site, immersing the audience into the experience with a combination of dramatic portrayals and stunning visual and special effects. The audience sits inside the same authentic buildings where the stories actually happened and the actors are close enough to touch.

Defiance stars Damian Rice, Rebekah Moore, Berynn Schwerdt and Lucy Miller.

There is no end date for Defiance, and bookings are now open for shows until October 31. Details: (02) 9976 6220.


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Classic film hits the stage
Tuesday, April 22, 8:22pm AEST.

One of the most brilliantly constructed films of all time will make its debut on the Australian stage next month when a national tour of Edward Scissorhands begins at the Sydney Opera House ahead of seasons in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne.

Again, another major theatrical production will bypass Adelaide.

A huge hit in London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre, this magical new dance theatre production of the classic Tim Burton motion picture is devised, directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne. Edward Scissorhands is the follow-up production to his smash hit Australian tour of Swan Lake.

This touching and witty gothic fairytale transforms the 1990 cult movie into humorous dance drama – with no words to clutter the theatrical terrain. Instead, expressive dance, pantomime, a sumptuous musical score performed live, witty and spectacular stage tableaux and dramatic lighting tell the heart-warming story.

Edward Scissorhands follows Edward, a sweet-natured, wistful young boy, created by an eccentric inventor who, upon his sudden death, leaves him with scissors instead of hands.

Edward flees to Hope-Springs, a candy-coloured 1950s suburban community where he falls for Kim, the teenage daughter of his adopted family. She’s smitten and their tender, yet ill-fated love story is at the heart of Bourne’s stage interpretation.

A treat for the entire family, this enchanting production features outstanding staging notably a scary Halloween sequence, a hilarious neighbourhood ballet and a topiary garden that springs to life.

Edward Scissorhands opens at the Sydney Opera House on May 29 before moving to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre on June 18, the His Majesty's Theatre in Perth on July 1 and the Arts Centre in Melbourne on July 22.


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Phantom sequel set for 2011
Tuesday, April 22, 7:58pm AEST.

It hasn't even been completed yet but the powers that be have revealed a plan to bring the sequel to the most successful musical in the world, The Phantom Of The Opera, to Australia in just three years time.

Producer Tim McFarlane says the show is tentatively scheduled to open in London next year and it could be down under by 2011.

"I hope that will be the next major production that we bring to Australia," McFarlane told AAP.

"It would be rather nice to follow on Phantom as it is now and see where the story goes in the sequel."

The original Phantom opens at Sydney's Lyric Theatre next month after successful seasons in Melbourne and Brisbane. After Sydney, it will continue its tour around the country.

The sequel is set in Manhattan and is rumoured to feature central character Christine with a 10-year-old child.

In other news, The Age reports that there are strong whispers of a possible Australian revival of the hit musical Evita, though nothing has been confirmed.


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STC digs its teeth in
Tuesday, April 22, 7:46pm AEST.

Seven new Australian mainstage works produced this year by Sydney Theatre Company begin with The Serpent’s Teeth, comprising two one-act plays, Citizens and Soldiers, by award-winning playwright Daniel Keene.

Both are performed by the STC Actor’s Company with one of Australia’s most celebrated actresses, Pamela Rabe, making her directorial debut with Citizens. Tim Maddock, a long term collaborator with Keene, directs Soldiers. Exploring the tragedy and impact of war on everyday lives, the double-bill is at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House, from April 24.

Citizens is set at the dividing wall of an unspecified country. Conflict is an unseen force disrupting the daily routines of the citizens, while over the course of the play, the nobility and generosity of the human spirit, even at its most vulnerable, is probed and laid bare.

The second play, Soldiers, is set in Australia and created specifically for the STC Actor’s Company as a companion piece to Citizens. Five ordinary families are thrown together for one day as they face the real cost of war. For some, the bonds of kinship are strengthened; but others find they are torn apart.

The Serpent’s Teeth represents something of a homecoming for multi-award winning writer Daniel Keene, who is one of the most performed Australian playwrights outside of the country. During the 30 years in which he has written for the theatre, his plays have earned critical praise and sell-out seasons in theatres and at festivals in Australia, the United States and across Europe.

Following Keene’s double bill, more new Australian work by STC in 2008 includes The Great by Tony McNamara, Gallipoli by Nigel Jamieson, The Narcissist by Stephen Carleton, The Pig Iron People by John Doyle and a new adaptation of The Women Of Troy by Barrie Kosky and Tom Wright. In addition, five Australian works are programmed by co-Artistic Directors, Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett, for the Wharf 2LOUD strand, launched in February with the critically acclaimed embrace: GUILT FRAME.

The Serpent's Teeth opens at the Drama Theatre on Thursday. Bookings: (02) 9250 1777.

Photo: Eden Falk, Ewen Leslie & Luke Mullins. Photo by Brett Boardman.


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Shout! movie confirmed
Tuesday, April 22, 9:07am AEST.

Following recent seasons in Melbourne and Sydney, the Australian musical Shout! will be shown around Australia via a brand new entertainment concept.

All the excitement and colour of the stage music has been captured live on stage in High Definition Digital and Surround Sound and will be seen in cinemas throughout the country from May 15 as a special event for strictly limited seasons.

For the first time ever in Australia, people who have been unable to get to see the stage show will now have the opportunity of having a true theatrical experience in their local cinema at a fraction of the price of a live theatre ticket with the absolute convenience of seeing it locally and being guaranteed of having ‘the best seat in the house’ and not missing anything.

Shout! is the first in a number of theatre productions to be presented in cinema by the Australian producers, JDN Productions.

Shout! will be screening similar to a live show as a Special Event with a strictly limited season, with only one session per day excepting matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.


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World calls again for Tee
Monday, April 21, 11:54pm AEST.

Hayden Tee is to join the incredibly successful touring production of Cats in the leading roles of Gus The Theatre Cat and Growltiger for the first seven weeks of the show's season in Seoul.

The touring production, which features an amazing company of Australian actors, has been running for nearly two years and commences previews in Seoul on May 23 ahead of a May 30 opening night.

Tee will only feature in the show for seven weeks due to his commitments with national musical theatre company Kookaburra, which includes a role with the organisation's touring company from August.

Tee will then star alongside Trisha Noble and Judi Connelli in the eagerly awaited Kookaburra production of Little Women, before backing up in his second show for the company in the shape of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.

In Little Women, Tee will work with a stellar creative team - director Stuart Maunder, musical director Peter Rutherford, choreographer Martin Michel, set designer Michael Scott-Mitchell, costume designer Julie Lynch, lighting designer Trudy Dalgleish and sound designer Michael Waters.

The show will open at the Seymour Centre's York Theatre on November 7.

Tee's role with Kookaburra Touring will see him perform in a number of regional centres as part of a new initiative announced by the company at its season launch in March at the Seymour Centre.

This year, Kookaburra Touring will take two 50 minute musicals into regional primary and secondary schools, and one main stage musical into regional theatres.

This pilot program will visit Tamworth, Taree, Wollongong, Queenbeyan and Wagga Wagga in August and September

2008/2009 has emerged as a very busy year for the New Zealand-born Tee, who first made a splash in Australia as host of The Muf-Tee Show in 2003 and 2004, a successful cabaret concept that played at Sydney's Stables Theatre.

He was a mainstay on the cabaret stages around that period, performing back to back shows at venues right across the country, including his popular tribute to the music of Kander and Ebb.

Tee's crowning glory came when he starred as Marius in the West End production of Les Miserables, before returning to Australia in late 2006 to play Thomas Andrews in the artistically successful but ultimate box office flop Titanic at the Theatre Royal.


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Priscilla sweeps Green Room Awards
Monday, April 21, 2:48pm AEST.

Hit Australian musical Priscilla has been the big winner at this year’s Green Room Awards, which honours excellence in theatre presented in Melbourne.

The musical won Best Costume Design (Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner), Best Choreography (Ross Coleman), Best Musical Direction and Orchestrations (Stephen Murphy), Best Male Artist In A Leading Role (Tony Sheldon) and Best Overall Production, as well as an award for “The Divas” for their terrific work as part of the show’s ensemble.

Priscilla was a massive hit at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre and has repeated that success at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, which will host Wicked from July.

Miss Saigon was another big winner at yesterday’s Green Room ceremony – taking out best Female Artist In A Leading Role (Laurie Cadevida), Best Lighting Design (David Hersey) and Best Direction (Laurence Connor).

Eddie Perfect won Best Artist In A Featured Role for his work in the unstoppable Keating! as Alexander Downer and John Hewson.

Meow Meow swept the cabaret awards, while Toni Lamond was given a lifetime achievement award in honour of her remarkable theatrical career.

- Troy Dodds


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Iemma's plans for theatre
Friday, April 18, 12:49am AEST.

The State Government wants to build a new theatre in Sydney and improve the backstage facilities of the famous State Theatre under a radical plan to overhaul the city's artistic vibe.

The Sydney Morning Herald says the Government wants a new development at East Darling Harbour to contain a performing arts centre seating up to 4000, which would link with theatres and arts companies at neighbouring Walsh Bay.

The newspaper also says the Government wants the State Theatre's insufficient backstage area expanded to accommodate larger theatrical productions.

The expansion could become a planning condition if Amalgamated Holdings, which owns the State Theatre, the offices above it and the adjoining Gowings and Mick Simmons buildings, goes ahead with a plan to transform them into a hotel.


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Kate's back
Friday, April 18, 12:17am AEST.

But when We Will Rock You ended its Australian tour, she seemingly disappeared. Her website's discussion forums, once full of fans dedicated to the Queensland-born star, started to wilter, and questions of "Where's Kate?" became frequent.

As she prepares for her return to a lead role in Kookaburra's upcoming production of Little Women, Hoolihan has opened up about her life and career in an extremely personal interview with AussieTheatre.com.

"I spent my whole adult life focused on becoming a star in musical theatre and getting a lead role, and when it finally happened everything snowballed, and after the Helpmann, I was left asking myself 'what's next?' and felt like I'd hit the ceiling in Australia in a way," Hoolihan said.

"I took some time out to re-assess my position, and looked at where I saw my career going in the next 10 years. I did three straight theatre gigs which showed me a whole new world in my industry, and an industry within an industry."

Shortly after We Will Rock You, Hoolihan ended her two year engagement and long term relationship with dancer Nathan Sheens.

"As much as both of you try, there comes a moment when it hits you," she said.

"I just had to move on. It was really sad, I felt like I’d failed, but I realise now it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about being happy, and that I definitely am. I’ve got a new relationship with a beautiful man who is not in the industry and is the balance I’ve been craving."

Despite the huge success of We Will Rock You and the interest she earned thanks to her portrayal of Scaramouche, Hoolihan said she is looking forward to taking on what she calls her "first legitimate musical theatre role" in the shape of Jo in Little Women.

"I feel like I’m the queen of the jukebox musical and I was trained for three years to do legitimate stuff, and now I’m finally getting to do it," she said.

"I can’t wait. It's a great role to get my teeth into. Awesome music, awesome cast."

- Troy Dodds


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Shout! to be released on DVD
Wednesday, April 16, 9:52pm AEST.

The recent Australian production of Shout! was filmed for release in regional cinemas and ultimately on DVD, it is understood.

The musical opened in Melbourne in January and recently wrapped up its Sydney season at the Lyric Theatre. A tour to other cities around the country was never planned.

Starring Tim Campbell, Alexis Fishman, Mark Holden, Glenn Shorrock, John Paul Young and Colleen Hewett, the musical was a moderate box office success but is most likely to draw major interest on DVD given the very limited number of Australian theatrical productions that have been professionally filmed and released over the years.

Equity has confirmed it has clarified some minor details in relation to what footage from the show will be used in the DVD, with any voice recording that occurs when a performer is miked but is not actually performing to be excluded from the release.


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Finalists for top playwright award announced
Tuesday, April 15, 9:24pm AEST.

The Sydney Theatre Company (STC) has released the judges’ shortlist of eight plays in the running for the prestigious 2007 Patrick White Playwrights’ Award.

The Award is an annual initiative of STC and The Sydney Morning Herald established in 2000 in honour of Patrick White’s contribution to Australian theatre and to foster the development of Australian playwrights.

The $20,000 award is Australia’s richest prize for playwriting for an unproduced play. In addition, the winning playwright is given the opportunity to work with STC directors and actors during a workshop culminating in a rehearsed reading of their play during the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

To date, 13 writers have shared in the Award from over 1300 entries. Previous winners include Patricia Cornelius for Do Not Go Gentle…, Wesley Enoch for The Story Of The Miracle At Cookie’s Table and Stephen Carleton for Constance Drinkwater And The Final Days Of Somerset.

This year's Award received 148 entries from around Australia. The shortlist of eight plays being considered by the judges is: Wretch by Angus Cerini (VIC), The Man In The Attic by Timothy Daly (NSW), War Poems by Suzanne Hauser (NSW), The Ides Of March by Duncan Levy (ACT), Bare Witness by Mari Lourey (VIC), Concussion by Ross Mueller (VIC), Precipice by Catherine Ryan (VIC) and The Water Carriers by Ian Wilding (VIC)

Amongst the diverse shortlist of playwrights is Ian Wilding, whose play Even Amongst Dogs was a joint winner of the 2002 Patrick White Playwrights’ Award. Ross Mueller has had several of his plays short-listed for the Patrick White, Griffin Theatre and Wal Cherry Awards. He has also been an affiliated writer with Melbourne Theatre Company and was the Australian representative at the International Residency of the Royal Court in London.

Timothy Daly’s previous plays include Kafka Dances (1993) which originally opened at Griffin Theatre Company before transferring to STC. This year it opened in Paris to excellent reviews.

Mari Lourey is a developing playwright with a background in theatre performance and music. Her last play, Dirty Angels, toured south-west Victoria in 2004 after playing at La Mama, while Angus Cerini is a writer and performer who has created many solo written/performed works including the multi award winning Filch.

The judges are Angela Bennie (The Sydney Morning Herald), Patricia Cornelius (playwright and winner of the 2006 Award), Katrina Douglas (director/dramaturg), Julian Meyrick (director) and Polly Rowe (Literary Manager, Sydney Theatre Company).

The winner will be announced on Friday, May 23 at 7pm by STC Co Artistic Directors Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett, during the 2008 Sydney Writers’ Festival, followed by a rehearsed reading of the play by STC artists.

Limited tickets for the event are available from the STC box office on (02) 9250 1777.


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Billy goes to the Ballet
Tuesday, April 15, 10:09am AEST.

The Australian Ballet, The Australian Ballet School and smash hit musical Billy Elliot have announced a partnership, formed with the purpose of working together to broaden the profile of dance and ballet in Australia.

This is the first time the national ballet company have joined forces with a commercial theatrical production. The association will involve a number of initiatives, providing an excellent platform for commercial and non-commercial sectors to work hand-in-hand in the following ways:

· Promoting an increased awareness of the personal and physical enjoyment of dance

· The building of awareness of career opportunities in Australia for young and teenage boys

· Co-operative marketing to expand and diversify audiences for both companies

· A collaboration to gain access to opportunities, such as education workshops and mentoring programmes for students and potential Billy Elliot audition candidates

· To mutually seek and identify talent through shared national auditions

· The development of skills using collective training resources

“We’re always on the look out for new ways to engage people in our art form,” said The Australian Ballet’s Acting Executive Director Patrick McIntyre.

“The beauty of this groundbreaking partnership between a commercial production house and a subsidised performing arts company is that together we can combine the existing strong support of ballet in the community and the high profile interest generated by a long-running musical to create a lasting legacy. As it has in other countries, Billy Elliot will create a lot of new interest in ballet, which we can then consolidate via a lasting engagement with The Australian Ballet. It’s a win-win mix of box office, public relations, educational and advocacy gains for both parties.”

Founded in 1962, The Australian Ballet is one of Australia’s flagship arts companies and for over four decades has been the defining face of ballet in Australia. Each year, it performs works from the classical repertoire as well as contemporary works by major Australian and international choreographers, and new commissions that explore the development and future of this dynamic art form. The Principal Artists' exceptional qualities are well-known and loved, and they proudly lead a company that has an abundance of talent throughout its ranks.

Based on the film of the same name, Billy Elliot the musical is an inspirational story following the journey of a young boy raised in a small British mining town who, after stumbling across a ballet class while on his way to a boxing lesson, realises that his future lies not in the boxing ring, but on stage as a dancer.

The partnership will build on the relationship formed with The Australian Ballet School in 2007 when Lochlan Denholm, one of the four young actors who currently alternate the title role in Billy Elliot, undertook intensive training at the school in advance of commencing rehearsals for the musical, which opened to critical acclaim in Sydney in December 2007.

“With our shared desire to identify great talent, present first class performances and leave a legacy of the love of dance for both the dancer and the audience, we are delighted to be forming this partnership with The Australian Ballet and The Australian Ballet School," said Billy Elliot producer Louise Withers.

"In working together we can provide young dancers with opportunities in dance from street funk to tap, contemporary and of course ballet, in addition to enjoying the mutual respect and appreciation that the Billy producers and the Australian Ballet have for each other’s art form. It’s a great example of the commercial and non-commercial working hand-in-hand and most importantly will be great fun.”


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Full Wicked cast announced
Monday, April 14, 9:20pm AEST.



The full cast list for the forthcoming Australian premiere production of Wicked has been released, with Jemma Stevenson and Erin Hasan confirmed as the standby performers for Elphaba and Glinda respectively.

The principal cast, most of which has already been announced, is Amanda Harrison (Elphaba), Lucy Durack (Glinda), Maggie Kirkpatrick (Madame Morrible), Rob Guest (The Wizard), Rob Mills (Fiyero), Anthony Callea (Boq), Penny McNamee (Nessa) and Rodney Dobson (Dr Dillamond).

The production's ensemble cast is: Anton Berezin, Ross Hannaford, Anthony Costanzo, Todd Hampton, Ryan Sheppard, Danial J Brown, James Smith, Lockhart Brownlie, Michael Snell, Romina Villafranca, Deanna O'Leary, Liz Stiles, Christina Tan, Zoe Gertz, Patrice Tipoki, Melanie Hawkins, Ellen Simpson, Johanna Allen, James Maxfield, Glen Oliver, Matthew Hamilton, Emma Delmenico, Suzanne Steele and Suzie Mathers.

Wicked, which tells the back story to the famous children's classic The Wizard Of Oz, opens at Melbourne's Regent Theatre on July 12 and is expected to run for at least a year before transferring to Sydney.

Visit AussieTheatre.com's Wicked website here


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Star City no more?
Sunday, April 13, 10:10pm AEST.

A $400 million upgrade to Sydney's Star City casino could see the site re-named, The Sun Herald says.

Star City houses two constantly in use theatres - the Lyric Theatre (which will host The Phantom Of The Opera from next month) and the Star Theatre (which is currently being leased by The Rocky Horror Show).

It's believed that gambling giant Tabcorp wants to "sex up" the image of the casino in the face of challenges from the Asian gaming boom in Macau, Hong Kong and Singapore.

The Herald reports it also wants to win over domestic tourists who are known to favour the Crown Casino in Melbourne, which is renowned as a classier site.

"There are various things being discussed including the name change, which I can not outline," a spokesman told the newspaper.

"They are looking at relaunching the complex when the building is completed. Some want a totally new look, others want to keep the present name."

Both the Lyric and Star Theatres are expected to remain under any plan to refurbish the site.


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MTC names new theatre
Sunday, April 13, 10:10pm AEST.

The Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC) has announced that the name of the main auditorium in the new MTC Theatre in the Southbank Cultural Precinct will be the Sumner Theatre in honour of the Company’s Founding Director, and one of the most influential figures in modern Australian theatre, John Sumner.

The MTC Theatre, currently under construction at the corner of Southbank Boulevard and Dodds Street in Southbank, will feature the 500-seat state-of-the-art Sumner Theatre, as well as a rehearsal room/studio performance space capable of seating 160, function and VIP rooms, a full café and various bars, foyers and display areas.

“If we have seemed in any way farsighted in creating the finest and most flexible proscenium arch theatre in Australia, it is because John Sumner is the giant on whose shoulders we have sat,” said current MTC Artistic Director, Simon Phillips.

“What could we possibly call the auditorium of the new MTC Theatre but the Sumner Theatre? We owe him a great debt for which this tribute, in comparison, is meagre.”

Sumner founded the MTC in 1953 and remained its driving force until his retirement in the late 1980's.

“I am very honoured and humbled to have my name on the new theatre auditorium for Melbourne Theatre Company,” Sumner said.

“It’s tremendous and I really feel very moved.”

In establishing Australia’s first professional repertory company, Sumner created a model for every successful state theatre company to this day, while his energetic management and exacting principles of stagecraft injected an ethos of tough professionalism that became the standard for Australian theatre as a whole.

During those 34 years, he produced some 500 plays and directed more than 100 of them, starring such notable actors as Zoe Caldwell, Patricia Conolly, Noel Ferrier, Frank Gatliff, Barry Humphries, Reg Livermore, Monica Maughan, Frederick Parslow, Alex Scott and Frank Thring.

Sumner also directed the Company’s first Australian play, the landmark international success Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler, and encouraged the development of two generations of Australian playwrights.

The MTC Theatre is being built as part of a combined project between the University of Melbourne and the Victorian State Government and is expected to be completed in late 2008 in readiness for opening in the first half of 2009.


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How times have changed
Sunday, April 13, 9:42pm AEST.

The famed Sydney Morning Herald Theatre Directory is but a shadow of its former self, now displaying less than half the advertisements for theatrical shows it did just a decade ago.

The Directory, which is also carried in The Sun Herald, features 18 ads in a block that takes up less than half a page in today's edition of the newspaper. In the November 1, 1998 edition of The Sydney Morning Herald, a total of 49 advertisements were listed.

The Directory appears to have been overtaken by the growth of internet websites dedicated to theatre and the emergence of social networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook, which all feature ways to promote shows.

The November 1, 1998 version of the Directory takes up the entire page, in stark contrast to what is presented today.

A Sydney producer, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the value in what was once seen as a requirement when putting on a show simply wasn't there anymore.

"It has always been so expensive to use the Herald listing, and became an expense that was too high," the producer said.

"With the strength of the internet, there are far cheaper ways to promote your show."

However, with strong regular support from a number of companies and producers, the Theatre Directory is far from dead. One industry mainstay said he believed the Directory still provided an important service.

"There's enough people who decide off the cuff to see a show and turn to a Directory like that - it still has its purpose," he said.

"An argument could be made against most forms of advertising - some would say flyers and postcards do very little. My suggestion is to advertise everywhere, and hope that more bums on seats equals a return on the investment."

- Troy Dodds


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Buddy to open in Sydney in 2009
Sunday, April 13, 2:17pm AEST.

50 years after the death of the rock 'n' roll icon it is based upon, the musical Buddy will return to Australia next year, with a new production to open in Sydney on February 3, most likely at the Star Theatre.

David White and Rick Szabo are producing the musical, which is based upon the life story of Buddy Holly, who shot to stardom in the 1950's but had his life cut tragically short by a plane cash that also claimed the lives of Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson (The Big Bopper).

Auditions for the new production will be held in June and July across Australia and New Zealand, ahead of a rehearsal period that starts in December and the production from February 2009. After Sydney, it will tour the country.

A hit internationally, Buddy has been produced in Australia before.

The jukebox show features some of rock 'n' roll's most memorable songs, including 'That'll Be The Day', 'Peggy Sue', 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love' and 'La Bamba'.

AussieTheatre.com Gold broke the news of the possible Buddy production some time ago. Why not subscribe to Gold today and experience giveaways, exclusive news, special offers and more? Click here.


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High School Musical to open in November
Sunday, April 13, 1:29pm AEST.

The stage version of High School Musical will commence its Australian tour in Sydney and will start performances in November, it has been confirmed.

AussieTheatre.com exclusively revealed last month that a major production of the global phenomenon would be staged in Australia later this year by Jacobsen Entertainment and The Really Useful Group.

Now, The Really Useful Group has started advertising for a touring crew, including a General Manager, Company Manager, Stage Manager and Mechanist. Job advertisements state the show will open in Sydney in November 2008.

Auditions for the show were held across the country recently.

Based on the smash hit Disney film that has defined a generation of young musical theatre lovers, High School Musical has been performed by several amateur companies in Australia and is currently being presented 'on ice' around the nation, but this will be the professional premiere of the true stage show.

The show is set at East High School and focuses on Troy Bolton, the school's basketball superstar turned singer, and his blossoming relationship with Gabriella Montez. Almost a modern day Grease, the heart of the story is Troy's difficult choice between pursuing his basketball career and following his new dream of being in the school musical.

High School Musical is currently touring throughout the United States.


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Walsh backs calls to save the Regent
Saturday, April 12, 11:50am AEST.

Former television king Mike Walsh has thrown his support behind the campaign to save Brisbane's Regent Theatre.

The theatre is the last of a group of grand picture palaces and live theatre venues in and around Queen Street in the northern capital's CBD. The original auditorium of the Regent, built in 1929, was gutted in the 1970s to make way for four cinemas, including the "Showcase" cinema which includes elements of the original venue.

Developers are promising to retain the grand foyer of the theatre, but members of the Save the Regent campaign - which has attracted more than 3000 supporters on social networking website Facebook alone - say this is not enough.

More than 600 people have signed a petition to State Parliament asking for the original theatre to be restored as a 1500 to 2000-seat venue capable of handling large live theatre productions and big cinema events, such as the opening and closing of the Brisbane International Film Festival.

Walsh, a legend of daytime television, is heavily involved in the production of theatre productions in Australia and believes the Regent should remain standing.

"I think that saving and restoring The Regent Theatre Brisbane is a great idea," Walsh said.

"In a city growing as quickly and prosperously as Brisbane is, how marvellous to have another theatre for musicals.

"The QPAC Lyric is a fine theatre, but there will be a need for an alternative, as commercial theatre is booming in the London West End, Broadway, and Europe."

Academy Award winning actor Geoffrey Rush and Bille Brown, the former Royal Shakespeare Company actor and star of the Australian production of Spamalot, have backed calls to save the theatre.

Savetheregent.com webmaster Brett Debritz said: "My view is that merely retaining the foyer and building the tower around it is fraught with danger. Some experts are already saying that the foyer could be damaged, if not destroyed, in the building process. Even if it survives, it will be hidden within a modern tower that, inevitably, will itself come down one day. The developers' plans merely delay the demise of what is left of a very grand building."

While Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has ordered a stay of execution for the Regent, the door remains open for the developers to build a tower on the site.


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Trouble for Darwin Theatre Company
Thursday, April 10, 8:23pm AEST.

A war of words has erupted between the Northern Territory Government and the Darwin Theatre Company over funding cuts, with the company's Artistic Director labelling the situation a "debacle of breathtaking proportions".

The company has had its funding cut by about $70,000 for this year, and John du Fue says it has major ramifications.

"This destroys our reputation and throws into doubt our relations with federal funding bodies," he told the Northern Territory News.

"We would like an explanation and we would like an apology."

Mr Du Fue said the company had been ambushed by the decision and had not been told why the funding was cut.

The Northern Territory News reports that the Arts NT panel that decided on the funding cut was not satisfied with the strength of the company's direction and training. It said the productions were of "varied quality'' and "the relevance of artistic choices was not always appropriate''.

The Government was left embarrassed this week when publicly saying that the cut to funding was only in the vicinity of $20,000. It has since provided a statement acknowledging the information was inaccurate and the theatre company figures of $70,000 are correct.


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New kids on the block
Wednesday, April 9, 9:34pm AEST.

A host of graduates from NIDA's Singer, Actor, Dancer course will hit the cabaret stage this month, combining to present a show labelled Flaw Play at Sydney's El Rocco Room @ Bar Me.

Cassie Betcher, Belle Crawley, Joel Curtis, Fabian Hartwell, Sophia Katos and Taryn Ryan will feature in the show, with the group to be accompanied by the respected Nigel Ubrihien.

Press notes for Flaw Play read: "Our flaws are what make us individuals, but these six NIDA graduates are convinced that they fell out of the defect tree and hit every branch on the way down. Come join a social outcast, an egomaniac, a diva wanna-be, a man eater, a procrastinator and one very confused girl in an hilarious exploration of life's innumerable imperfections."

Meanwhile, another young rising star in the shape of Nana Matapule will make his cabaret debut at Will And Toby's in Darlinghurst on April 20. Matapule's show, Soul Fusion, will feature special guest Elenoa Rokobaro.

Flaw Play opens at the El Rocco Room @ Bar Me on Sunday, April 27 and plays until Sunday, May 4. Bookings: (02) 9368 0893. Soul Fusion plays at Will And Toby's on April 20. Bookings: (02) 9331 3467.


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Tour ends for Saigon
Tuesday, April 8, 9:02pm AEST.

After more than a year on the road, the curtain will come down on the successful Australian tour of Miss Saigon this Sunday, ending what has been an at times turbulent journey.

But sudden casting changes and battles for theatres aside, Miss Saigon has been a winner for producers, capturing plenty of attention, performing well at the box office and earning outstanding critical praise.

Produced in Australia by Michael Coppel, Louise Withers and Linda Bewick, Miss Saigon was nominated for seven Helpmann Awards and has been nominated in eight categories for the 2007 Green Room Awards.

"With over 500,000 patrons across five cities, we are delighted with the success and critical acclaim of this production," Withers said.

"In addition to providing employment to over 200 people around Australia, Miss Saigon has provided performing opportunities to artists of many multicultural backgrounds, of which we are very proud."

The show opened in Melbourne in March last year and has visited Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide, with the Perth season to conclude on Sunday.

Meanwhile, bio-musical Shout will end its run at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney this weekend.


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QTC readies for Rabbit Hole
Tuesday, April 8, 8:56pm AEST.

The Queensland Theatre Company is preparing for the premiere of its production of the worldwide smash hit play Rabbit Hole, which plays at the Cremorne Theatre (QPAC) from May 1.

David Lindsay-Abaire's emotion-driven play takes us into the lives of Becca and Howie Corbett, an everyday suburban couple whose relationships with family and each other are tested after a heartbreakingly random accident.

Eight months after the accident, Becca and Howie are drifting perilously apart as they struggle to make sense of their shared tragedy and return to their daily lives.

Rabbit Hole, which won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, was presented in Sydney by the Ensemble Theatre Company last year to outstanding acclaim.

Director of the Queensland Theatre Company production, Michael Futcher, said the play is as improbably funny as it is heartbreaking.

"Rabbit Hole can be compared to fly-on-the-wall television for the sheer intimacy of its portrayal of five ordinary people desperately missing their son, grandson and nephew," Futcher said.

"But that is where the comparison ends, for the medium of theatre allows playwright David Lindsay-Abaire to use a language that transcends the commonplace, but retains the expressive dialogue and humour of its New York setting."

Rabbit Hole commences previews on April 28 ahead of a May 1 opening night and is scheduled to run until May 31. Bookings: 1800 355 528.


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Lorna Luft to return to Sydney
Tuesday, April 8, 8:42pm AEST.

Lorna Luft is returning to Sydney with her hit show Songs My Mother Taught Me - a lovingly staged multimedia extravaganza melding one of the most familiar songbooks with intensely personal, often hilarious memories plus private photos and video footage of Lorna’s mother; the legendary Judy Garland.

Luft performed in Sydney earlier this year but the performance at the Factory Theatre was only a taste of Songs My Mother Taught Me, a huge hit overseas.

“I had to bring the entire show to Sydney as it was wonderful to see the audience spellbound when she did only a segment of the show and it made me realise the huge love there is in Australia for Judy Garland," said producer David Hawkins from Showtune Productions.

"Showtune is also touring Lorna 's cabaret show nationally but only Sydney audiences will see Songs My Mother Taught Me.”

New musical arrangements of Garland’s classic orchestrations ensure that this rich tapestry of songs are given the illustrious and deferential treatment they deserve with a 10 piece band made up of some of Australia’s best musicians. Lorna brings unmatched emotion to many of her mother’s signature songs including 'Come Rain Or Come Shine', 'The Man That Got Away' and  'Rock-A-Bye Your Baby'. The show features never before seen footage and photos plus dozens of tunes from some of Garland’s most popular films: The Wizard Of Oz, Easter Parade, Meet Me In St. Louis and A Star Is Born.

Written and directed by Emmy Award Winners Mitzie and Ken Welch (best known for The Carol Burnet Show), Songs My Mother Taught Me pays homage to composers, performers and pals who were part of Garland’s life including Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin and celebrates the birth of the Rat Pack.

Songs My Mother Taught Me plays at the City Recital Hall, Angel Place on Saturday, May 31. Bookings: (02) 8256 2222.


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Good German heads to Seymour
Tuesday, April 8, 9:09am AEST.

A new theatre company in Sydney will present the compelling and uplifting play The Good German at the Seymour Centre from April 30.

Black Pearl, founded by Sheryl Sciro and Frank van Putten, makes its debut on Sydney's theatre scene with the David Wiltse play, which has never been produced in Australia before.

The Good German follows four Germans during World War II. A university professor and his wife have, with some reluctance, hidden a Jew in their home to prevent his deportation to the concentration camps. A solicitous administrative clerk for the Nazi regime is their close family friend and a frequent visitor. What unfolds will test their friendships, loyalties and their personal and collective moral values.

The play premiered at Paul Newman’s and Joanne Woodward’s famous Westport Country Playhouse – where the playwright is writer-in-residence. The Good German (not to be confused with the Hollywood movie of the same name) gives us penetrating insights into the frailties and contradictions of human nature. It boasts a brilliant and experienced cast of Australian stage and screen stars: Ivar Kants (Bell Shakespeare, Heartbreak High, Neighbours), Linden Wilkinson (Seven Deadly Sins, Home & Away, Losing Louis), Mark Lee (Gallipoli, The Bet) and also the Australian debut of Frank van Putten.

“As a new company on the Sydney theatrical scene, we’re asked to state what we would like to do. Simply this: we like to explore dialogue and situations that have the power to challenge our own beliefs and thoughts. Plays that effect us in a deeper way than can mere shock value or novelty," Sheryl said.

"Our object is to expose the fine print in the human contract. It’s not about us as artists: we’re not asking you to watch us act or how we direct; what we’re after can only be born in the exchange of dialogue, the back-and-forth between the actors and the audience, that creates a tiny shift, opens a door, moves us in such a way that we are altered by the experience. This is our aim."

The Good German will open at the Seymour Centre in Sydney on April 30. It is scheduled to run until May 24. Bookings: (02) 9351 7940.

AussieTheatre.com Gold has two double passes to give away to the Friday, May 2 performance of The Good German. For your chance to win, logon or subscribe to our Gold section.


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Director's search for truth leads to Belvoir
Monday, April 7, 10:16pm AEST.

"Rarely do I come across a play that makes me want to leap off my couch and do a 'happy dance' as a result of it being such a worthwhile read," Murphy said.

"My Name Is Rachel Corrie did this for me. Her story speaks to people with a passion, or the desire to find one. Clearly a gifted writer, her strong sense of self service is something that is both enlightening and tragic. Today many people feel they do not fulfil their potential, they are getting lost in a world where population is increasing, yet human contact is decreasing. Rachel chose to make contact and to be in Israel on January 25th, 2003, to meet the people she had been raising awareness for in the US. Rachel is only one of many to die in a conflict that has continued for far too long."

My name Is Rachel Corrie had its United States premiere cancelled by the New York Theatre Workshop in early 2006 due to controversy that its content relating to the Israel/Palestine conflict was provoking.

Despite this, Murphy believes it must be seen.

"This play is powerful and relevant. Australia is becoming increasingly conservative and is geographically very removed from the rest of the world. It needs the pressure this play evokes to focus further on global issues," she said.

With plays as strong and as emotional as this being presented on Sydney's smaller stages, Murphy believes more financial support must be given to independent theatre makers.

"I have friends in the industry who are currently putting their groceries on credit. I find this heartbreaking as there are many artists who have extensive training, talent and passion and are continuously giving their work to the community and yet financially are being treated as second class citizens," she said.

"The professional team on this production have all worked for major theatre companies throughout Australia and some even internationally. They are choosing to work on this play because they feel very strongly about not waiting any longer to tell Rachel's story. This play deserves financial support not only for its content but also because the collaboratives involved are the next generation of Australian theatre-makers."

My Name Is Rachel Corrie plays at the Belvoir Street Downstairs Theatre from May 14. Bookings and details: (02) 9699 3444.

- Troy Dodds


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Fire near theatre extinguished
Monday, April 7, 8:26am AEST.

A fire in a building adjacent to Sydney's iconic State Theatre has been extinguished by firefighters this morning.

The fire started at around 6am this morning in a three storey building behind the theatre in Pitt Street and was extinguished before 8.30am, with smoke and flames visible above the building during the emergency.

While fire has damaged all three floors of the building, there is believed to be limited structural damage. The State Theatre hasn't been damaged by the fire.

Several buildings surrounding the fire scene were evacuated, while traffic chaos continues following the incident.


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Fight on to save theatre
Sunday, April 6, 9:26pm AEST.

Thousands of Queensland theatre-lovers and heritage architecture enthusiasts are battling a plan to build an office tower on the site of Brisbane's Regent Theatre.

The theatre is the last of a group of grand picture palaces and live theatre venues in and around Queen Street in the northern capital's CBD.
The original auditorium of the Regent, built in 1929, was gutted in the 1970s to make way for four cinemas, including the "Showcase" cinema which includes elements of the original venue.

The developers are promising to retain the grand foyer of the theatre, but members of the Save the Regent campaign - which has attracted more than 3000 supporters on social networking website Facebook alone - say this is not enough.

More than 600 people have signed a petition to State Parliament asking for the original theatre to be restored as a 1500 to 2000-seat venue capable of handling large live theatre productions and big cinema events, such as the opening and closing of the Brisbane International Film Festival.

Academy Award winning actor Geoffrey Rush and Bille Brown, the former Royal Shakespeare Company actor and star of the Australian production of Spamalot, have backed calls to save the theatre.

In a message on the Savetheregent.com website, Rush said: "In Melbourne we still have The Princess, The Comedy, Her Majesty's, The Forum, The Athenaem, The Astor ... all of which are beautiful and tell their own story of the city's history, creating a lively hub of musical theatre success, Melbourne Film Festival forums and screenings, rock concerts, brilliant cinema retrospectives on the big screen - none of which is hurting the city's artistic and economic bounty."

Savetheregent.com webmaster Brett Debritz said: "My view is that merely retaining the foyer and building the tower around it is fraught with danger. Some experts are already saying that the foyer could be damaged , if not destroyed, in the building process. Even if it survives, it will be hidden within a modern tower that, inevitably, will itself come down one day. The developers' plans merely delay the demise of what is left of a very grand building."

While Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has ordered a stay of execution for the Regent, the door remains open for the developers to build a tower on the site.