ABC TV presents a Playmaker Production MEDIA KIT as at 25.8.17 © 2017 Playmaker Media Pty Ltd, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. About the Production This landmark two-part mini-series tells the story of five young newly-arrived immigrants who met in a Sydney migrant hostel and formed the band that would take Australian rock’n’roll to the world. This is the story of The Easybeats. Written by Christopher Lee (Howzat, Paper Giants, Gallipoli) and directed by Matt Saville (Seven Types of Ambiguity, Please Like Me, The Slap), Friday On My Mind stars AACTA award winner Ashley Zukerman (The Code, Manhattan) as Australian music industry pioneer and record producer, Ted Albert. He is joined by an exciting line-up of talented newcomers, Christian Byers (December Boys) as Stevie Wright, William Rush (Waterloo Road) as George Young, Mackenzie Fearnley (Dance Academy: The Movie) as Harry Vanda, Du Toit Bredenkamp (Molly) as Dick Diamonde and Arthur McBain (Blue Eyes) as Snowy Fleet. Produced by Diane Haddon, David Taylor and David Maher in association with the ABC, Screen Australia and Create NSW, Friday On My Mind tells the story of five young men from incredibly diverse backgrounds creating Australia’s iconic rock and roll sound and taking it to the world. Sally Riley, ABC’s Head of Scripted Production and Executive Producer, said: “The Easybeats are truly iconic and hold such a special place in Australia’s musical history. The ABC is proud to team up with Playmaker, Screen Australia and Create NSW to bring audiences this incredible home grown story which will no doubt be just as upbeat as the band’s biggest hits.” Playmaker Producers David Taylor and David Maher said: “We’re massive Easybeats fans so to be involved in bringing this incredible story to life is a real honour, and something we’re both proud and excited to be producing for the ABC.” 2 © 2017 Playmaker Media Pty Ltd, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Synopsis In 1964 when five young newly arrived immigrants met in a Sydney migrant hostel and formed a garage band, little did they know that they would take Australian rock’n’roll to the world. This is the story of The Easybeats. Friday On My Mind is far more than a classic rags to riches tale. It is a story of identity, re-invention and belonging. It is a story with a powerful contemporary relevance which sees five disparate immigrant boys band together with an equally talented young visionary from the top end of town, to create Australia’s first truly international rock group – The Easybeats. Interwoven with a killer soundtrack, the series touches on themes of celebrity, damnation and redemption. It was a lot of fun being rock stars in the swinging sixties, a wild ride, but in their chase for riches and fame these five talented musicians each struggled with their own sense of self, and each member of the band found he had to confront the loss of identity that comes with overwhelming fame. Living in a foreign land, struggling to be understood, they were each lost in their own way. But ultimately, they found themselves at home. It was through their ground breaking music that they discovered they were essentially Australian. They belonged. 3 © 2017 Playmaker Media Pty Ltd, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Key Cast George Young William Rush Harry Vanda Mackenzie Fearnley Dick Diamonde Du Toit Bredenkamp Stevie Wright Christian Byers Gordon ‘Snowy’ Fleet Arthur McBain Mike Vaughan Alex Williams Gail Baxter Megan Hind Maureen Fleet Georgia Kelly with Ashley Zukerman as Ted Albert 4 © 2017 Playmaker Media Pty Ltd, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Key Crew Director Matt Saville Producers Diane Haddon David Maher David Taylor Writer & Producer Christopher Lee Casting Leigh Pickford Maura Fay Casting Production Designer Tim Ferrier Director of Photography Simon Chapman ACS Costume Designer Xanthe Heubel Make Up & Hair Designer Jen Lamphee Editor Mark Perry Composer David McCormack 5 © 2017 Playmaker Media Pty Ltd, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Part 1 In suburban Sydney in the early Sixties, five young immigrants form a rock band that creates a brand new sound – a homegrown, raw and highly energized rock’n’roll that takes Australia by storm. In the early-1960s recent arrivals George Young (William Rush) and Johannes Van Den Berg aka Harry Vanda (Mackenzie Fearnley) find kinship in modern music with fellow migrants Stephen Wright (Christian Byers) and Dingeman Van Der Sluys aka Dick Diamonde (Du Toit Bredenkamp) in the knockabout world of Sydney’s Villawood Migrant Hostel. Determined to create their own band, the boys unite with Gordon 'Snowy' Fleet (Arthur McBain), who comes on board as their drummer and form The Easybeats. The young guys break into the Sydney music scene and gain the attention of budding band manager Mike Vaughan (Alex Williams) and the entrepreneurial music publisher Ted Albert (Ashley Zukerman). Under Ted's stewardship the boys record their first smash hit songs as Friday On My Mind, and soon find themselves catapulted to phenomenal Australia-wide success. ‘Easy-Fever’ takes Australia by storm. 6 © 2017 Playmaker Media Pty Ltd, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Part 2 After conquering Australia, The Easybeats take their music to the world. In London success doesn't come easily – and when Ted (Ashley Zukerman) leaves, the boys come adrift. On the verge of collapse The Easybeats are introduced to smash hit producer, Shel Talmy (Matt Zeremes), and together they put out the monster international hit Friday On My Mind. After touring Europe to huge acclaim The Easybeats return to Australia and following a smash hit homecoming tour Snowy (Arthur McBain) reunites with his wife and daughter and leaves the band. The guys hold together with a new drummer through a tour of America, but the writing is on the wall. When they return home a second time they know The Easybeats phenomenon has come to an end. 7 © 2017 Playmaker Media Pty Ltd, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Post script … In 1970, on an informal handshake deal, Ted Albert, Harry Vanda and George Young formed an agreement to produce music. The partnership created many of Australia's most iconic songs and continued for 28 years. In 2001 The Easybeats song Friday On My Mind was honoured by the Australasian Performing Rights Association as the Best & Most Significant Australian Song in the history of the association. In 2004 Stevie Wright, Harry Vanda and George Young were the first musicians to be inducted into the Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2007 Australian Musician Magazine selected the meeting of Harry Vanda and George Young in the Villawood Migrant Hostel in 1964 as the most significant event in Australian pop and rock history. 8 © 2017 Playmaker Media Pty Ltd, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. George Young Originally from Glasgow, and one of eight children that include brothers Malcolm and Angus (AC/DC), George is the rhythm guitarist, charismatic lead figure and principal songwriter for The Easybeats. Sometimes abrasive, George has astonishing talent, drive and clarity of vision. WILLIAM RUSH is George Young William "Will" Rush is a British actor, born in Manchester, best known for his role in BBC One's Waterloo Road as Josh Stevenson. Will trained at Manchester School of Acting and started his career in Channel 4's Shameless before going on to bigger roles in BBC's Grange Hill, The Street and Drop Dead Gorgeous. From 2009 to 2012 he played Josh Stevenson in Waterloo Road and made a guest appearance the following year. Will is also an accomplished singer and musician and in 2016, he auditioned for series thirteen of the The X Factor and made it through to the six-chair challenge – the third of four elimination stages. He moved to Australia in late 2016 and booked the role of George Young in Friday On My Mind at his first Australian audition. 9 © 2017 Playmaker Media Pty Ltd, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Harry Vanda Born Johannes Van Den Berg in The Hague, Netherlands 'Harry Vanda' is the lead guitarist. Easygoing, funny, generous and new to English, he initially stays in the shadows of the band, but later with George forges an outstandingly successful songwriting duo. MACKENZIE FEARNLEY is Harry Vanda Mackenzie Fearnley studied acting at the Queensland University of Technology, graduating in 2015. While there he appeared in many theatre productions and short films including The Man Who Came to Dinner and The Hot L Baltimore. On film Mackenzie appeared in the teen drama Dance Academy: The Movie as George. Mackenzie is making his television debut in Friday On My Mind. 10 © 2017 Playmaker Media Pty Ltd, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Dick Diamonde Born Dingeman Van Der Sluys in the Netherlands, Dick Diamonde is the bass guitarist. Self-effacing and thoughtful, Dick is the band member most conflicted by fame – clashing with his parents over his musical career. DU TOIT BREDENKAMP is Dick Diamonde Du Toit made his professional stage debut in 2015 playing the role of Rolf Gruber in GFO’s Sound of Music throughout its successful Australian tour. Du Toit is a graduate from the Western Australian Academy of the Performing Arts (WAAPA) where he performed the roles of Claude Hooper-Bukowski in HAIR, Doc in West Side Story, Terry in Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, and Uncle Sam in Reefer Madness. Prior to his studies in Musical Theatre, Du Toit also completed a Bachelor of Music in Classical Piano at WAAPA, and was privileged to act as Musical Director for the WAAPA productions of Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens, as well as a tribute show to Nick Enright called Enright in the Enright.