Fringe, the 2016 Outstanding performing arts as an actor, production. She was in the Access Award at Melbourne singer and producer. London and Sydney seasons The Farce is popular enough, when it comes to revivals. In This is where I’ve wound up setting my BIOGRAPHIES Darwin Festival: Highway of State Theatre Company and National Studio program; for Fringe, and a 2015 Nominee of Working Title’s production the last few years in Australia we’ve seen plays like Noises farce: square in the cross-fire of a culture Declan Greene Lost Hearts; for the National Belvoir: The Sapphires, which Jetpack Theatre Collective: for GLOBE LGBTI Artist of the Simon Corfield of Billy Elliot, for which she Off, A Flea In Her Ear, and One Man, Two Guvners hit stages war where outrage is currency, feelings are Playwright Institute of Dramatic Art: Big toured nationally,BIOGRAPHIES and to South How. Dare., co-written for Declan Greene is a theatre- Love, Shopping and Fucking, Korea and London’s Barbican Sydney Fringe Festival; Year. Mama has worked with Kim received a Helpmann Award to mass delight. But as far as new playwriting goes, over facts, sensitivities are ignored, atonement Brook Andrew, Phillip Adams Simon’s acting credits include: for Best Female Actor in a maker based in Melbourne. His After Dinner and The Winter’s Theatre; with Melbourne for Montague Basement: BalletLab, is a proud alumni of for Griffin: Motortown, Orestes Musical, the Sydney Theatre GRIFFIN THEATRE COMPANY IN ASSOCIATION the last few decades the Farce has gone the way of the is impossible, and simplistic buzz- words previous works as a playwright Tale; and for the Western Theatre Company: National Kaleidoscope, Telescope; Monash Uni Student Theatre, 2.0, Tattoo; for Belvoir: Bliss; for Critics Award for the Judith WITH MALTHOUSE THEATRE PRESENTS Passion Play, the Verse Drama, and Commedia dell’Arte... like ‘Cultural Marxism’, ‘Social Engineering’, include: for Griffin Theatre Australian Academy of Interest; with Queensland for Old Fitz Theatre: Are We and a company member of Darlinghurst Theatre Company: Johnson Award for Best All thoroughly—and in some cases, mercifully—extinct. and ‘Snowflake’ are used to stifle Company and Perth Theatre Performing Arts: As You Like It. Theatre Company: Other Awake?, written as part of the Finucane & Smith, with whom The Bee, Every Second, Torch Performance by an Actress in discourse in much the same manner as Company: Eight Gigabytes Desert Cities, Gasp!, Managing New Fitz Writers Program; for A couple of years ago I was speaking with another writer she was amongst the cast who Song Trilogy; for Melbourne a Musical and the Green Room THE HOMOSEXUALS ‘Bigotry’, ‘Privilege’, and ‘Nazi’. As the Left of Hardcore Pornography, Marg Horwell Carmen. Other highlights: I Am Smoking Gum Theatre: Before about why farces are so rarely written these days. We both Eora at Sydney Festival and received the Best International Theatre Company: The Goat Award for Best Female Artist OR ‘FAGGOTS’ and Right slowly distil their values into pure which won the Max Afford Designer the Water Gets Cold. His credits Production Award at the or Who is Sylvia?, The Lonely in a Leading Role. Genevieve’s agreed that the stakes necessary to manufacture this Playwright’s Award; for Marg is a multi award winning Waltzing The Wilarra at Perth for dramaturgy include: for black and white, I’ve tried to write a play of CHAMACO Awards, Cuba. Wolf; for Tamarama Rock TV credits include: After the BY DECLAN GREENE mechanical type of playwriting were, in general, absent Malthouse Theatre: I Am A designer and is the Designer International Arts Festival. leftofcentre: Transience; for muddy grey in-betweens. It’s a comic play Surfers: Poster Girl, Trapture; Beep, Heartland, Neighbours, from our contemporary lives. The plays of Feydeau— Miracle, which won the Green In Residence at Malthouse Trent is a recipient of the Mike Montague Basement: The Big and for Vass Theatre Group: Prisoner, Rake, Redfern Now, 17 MARCH-29 APRIL about comedy. An offensive play about Room Award for Best Writing Theatre. Marg has won six Walsh Fellowship and WA Bruise. Charles is currently Simon Burke unquestionably the greatest farceur—were written during Warren Bad Jews. He performed in The Secret River, Three Men offence. A work which oscillates moment for the Australian Stage, Greenroom Awards and two Department of Culture and the directing drama students at the Belle Époque era, a time of tremendous moral upheaval Simon has appeared in over The One Eyed Man is King for and a Baby Grand and Top to moment between Politically Correct and Pompeii and L.A; for Malthouse Sydney Theatre Awards for Arts Young People Fellowship. the Australian Institute of in France. Most of his farces feature highly-repressed 130 stage productions in Schaubuhne Berlin. Simon was of the Lake, for which she Problematic (or its ‘fun’ alternative: Theatre & Arena Theatre her work. Her theatre credits A graduate of WAAPA Performing Arts in a play about Australia and the UK, including in the national tour of Critical received Equity Ensemble married couples who, for one reason or another, are driven Company: Moth, which won include: for Griffin: Eight (Production & Design). trans youth. Probbo!); attempting to defy the lazy for Griffin: October, Satango; Stage’s multi-award winning Award for Oustanding Q wild with the desire to cheat on their spouse—even though the AWGIE Award for Theatre Gigabytes of Hardcore categorisations we’ve taken to using in our for Belvoir: Snugglepot & musical cabaret, Songs For The Performance by an Ensemble to be discovered en flagrante would mean social death. for Young Audiences. As a Pornography; for Angus Cerini Steve Toulmin Rhianne Perrie Cuddlepie; for Black Swan Fallen. His TV and film credits in a Telemovie or Mini-Series. knee-jerk summation of art, public director and dramaturg his Doubletap: Chapters From The Composer & Sound Designer Stage Manager State Theatre Company: include: Blue Heelers, COPS: Her film credits include: Billy’s When I decided to try my hand at writing a contemporary discourse, and the existence of certain credits include: for Griffin, La Pandemic, Resplendence, Save Steve’s credits as Composer This is Rhianne’s first Clinton The Musical; for L.A.C., Crownies, Darwin’s Holiday, The Dressmaker, farce, I hit my first obstacle in the creation of these stakes. human beings. PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE Mama and MKA: The Unspoken For Crying, Wretch; for Dee & and/or Sound Designer production with Griffin. Ensemble Theatre: They’re Brave New World, Packed Holy Smoke, The Piano, Soft THE U In 2017 we’re a less repressed bunch where sex is Word is “Joe” (by Zoey Dawson); Cornelius: Savages, Shit; for include: for Griffin: Gloria, Rhianne’s theatre credits Playing our Song; for To The Rafters. Simon is the Fruit, Suburban Mayhem, In 2017, perhaps the only thing that unites for ZLMD Shakespeare Bell Shakespeare: The School The Bleeding Tree, Beached; include: for Barking Gecko concerned. Having your affair outed might raise the ire of a Kookaburra Theatre Company: co-creator of the web comedy and Sweetie, for which she the members of the Left and Right is a fear of being Company: Conviction (by Zoey For Wives; for Belvoir: Nora; for for Griffin and La Boite: A Theatre Company: Bamberts few relatives and close friends, but most people won’t care, Company; for Harvest Rain series The Birth of Creation received the Australian Film interned in one of these sticky categories—because it’s Dawson); for Sydney Theatre Malthouse Theatre: Edward II, I Hoax; for Bell Shakespeare: Book of Lost Stories, In A Dark unless it’s with a horse or a sibling. In my own inner-city Theatre Co: Hairspray; for and a founding member of the Critics Award for Best Actress. impossible to escape, and often the company really fucking Company: Hamlet: Prince of Am A Miracle, The Good Person Othello, Richard III; for Belvoir: Dark Wood, Jasper Jones, This IMG: Chicago The Musical; for award-winning performance Genevieve has an album of her Left-wing bubble, we aren’t afraid of being outed as ‘sexual Skidmark (co-created with of Szechuan, The Histrionic, Jasper Jones, The Blind Girl Laughs. As Assistant Stage A HOMOSEXUALS sucks. Amy Schumer enjoyed three seconds of being the Melbourne Theatre Company: group SandS through the Sydney Opera House concert, deviants’ anymore. But we are afraid of being labelled a The Listies). Alongside Ash Tame; for Melbourne Theatre Giant Is Dancing, Ivanov, La Manager: for Barking Gecko world’s most adored feminist comedian, before some Take Me Out; for Sydney hourglass. He is a graduate of Angels in the City. ‘bigot’... Or any of its equally bone-rattling sub-labels: Flanders, Declan co-runs Company (MTC): Birdland, Traviata, Blue Wizard, Is This Theatre Company: Storm idiotic jokes from a decade earlier relegated her to the queer independent theatre Peddling, Constellations, Cock, Thing On?, 20 Questions, The Boy; for Black Swan Theatre Theatre Company: A Little Night WAAPA (Acting). ‘misogynist’, ‘racist’, ‘homophobe’, ‘transphobe’, ‘ableist’... Music, Mr Kolpert, Mrs Warren’s Lincoln Younes category of racist—alongside alt-right lunatics like Richard company Sisters Grimm. He Music, The Dream Life Of Seed and Scorched; for La Company: Clinton The Musical, Profession, She Stoops To Genevieve Lemon Lucacz If you spend any amount of time commenting on social Spencer and Milo Yiannopoulos, who protest this label just has directed and co-created all Butterflies, The Water Carriers, Boite: Tender Napalm, Julius A House On The Lake, A Perfect S Circle Mirror Transformation, Caesar, Hamlet. For La Specimen; for West Australian E their shows to date, including: Conquer, The Wharf Revue, Up Diana This is Lincoln’s first as loudly. Non-binary trans-femme performance poets media, this fear is particularly well-founded. The I Call My Brothers; For Sisters Boite and STC: Edward For Grabs; and for Performing Genevieve’s theatre credits production with Griffin. His DarkMatter reached almost unprecedented levels of fame for Griffin Independent and Ballet: Coppelia. She has also Lines’ national tour of Three include: for Griffin: The Big credits for television include: graduation of identity politics from academia into public Theatre Works: Summertime Grimm: Lilith The Jungle Girl, Gant’s Amazing Feats of worked for West Australian Furies. In London’s West End Picture; for Belvoir: The City Homocide, Hiding, Home discourse has been swift. New sets of parameters have and influence for their inflammatory, galvanising activism, in the Garden of Eden; La Traviata, and Summertime Loneliness; for Michael Sieders Symphony Orchestra, he has starred as Captain von Blind Giant Is Dancing, The & Away, Love Child, Tangle, been created around language and culture, which shift in before one poorly-worded Facebook post had them classed for Belvoir: La Traviata; for in the Garden of Eden. Marg Presents: Porn. Cake; for Woodford Folk Festival, Perth Trapp in The Sound of Music, Cosmonaut’s Last Message, for which he won Most H N specificity to both the person speaking and the person as rape apologists. Fred Nile—a man who has campaigned Malthouse Theatre and Sydney was nominated for a Helpmann the Royal Queensland Show International Arts Festival, as Raoul in Phantom of the Death Of A Salesman, Outstanding Performance by listening, along the axes of gender, race, sexuality, ability obsessively for decades to suppress the civil rights of Theatre Company: Calpurnia Award for Marlin presented by (Ekka): Arena Spectacular Fringe World Perth, Ochre Opera, in A Little Night Music Seventeen; for Ensemble an Actor. Lincoln’s film credits (and sometimes, where convenient, class). For people who LGBTIQA+ people—is hugely outraged whenever someone Descending; for Melbourne MTC and Arena Theatre. (2013-2015);for Sydney Aboriginal Dance Company, opposite Dame Judi Dench Theatre: Tribes, Broken include: Down Under, The calls him homophobe. Meanwhile, anyone who knows Theatre Company: Lilith: Theatre Company (STC): A Perth Theatre Company and and in the European premieres Glass; for Melbourne Theatre Wedding Party. have been historically marginalised—such as women, Jungle Girl; for Sydney Theatre Trent Suidgeest Flea In Her Ear, Power Plays, Spare Parts Theatre Company. the correct vocabulary can cloak harmful ideas — of the Australian classics Company: Piaf, Summer Of T LGBTIQA+ individuals, or People of Colour—these rules Company: Little Mercy. Declan Lighting Designer Little Mercy; for Ensemble Rhianne is a graduate of Holding the Man and When The Seventeenth Doll; for offer a new frontier of self-determination. An opportunity unintentional or otherwise—under surfaces that look is Resident Artist at Malthouse Trent’s recent credits as a Theatre: Great Falls, Liberty WAAPA (Stage Management). the Rain Stops Falling. Simon’s Sydney Theatre Company: to exert control over one’s place in culture, after perfectly PC. All of which seems to me, if nothing else, Theatre. Lighting Designer include: for Equality Fraternity, Circle television credits include: Deep The Girl Who Saw Everything, generations of being forced into clumsy semantic slightly farcical. Ambassador Theatre Group: Mirror Transformation; For Mama Alto Water, Hustle, Miss Fisher’s The Hanging, Hanging Man, pigeonholes designated by the majority. Lee Lewis The Beast; for Opera Australia: Queensland Theatre: Bae Bae/ Pam Declan Greene John Bell’s Carmen, The Opera Murder Mysteries, Rake and Harbour, Hay Fever, The Madras PRODUCTION DONORS A Director Switzerland, That Face; for Mama Alto is a jazz singer South Pacific. For 25 years House, Merrily We Roll Along, For people who don’t know these rules—or resent them— Writer Lee is the Artistic Director (The Eighth Wonder); for Strut & Fret: Blanc De Blanc; and cabaret artiste. Her Simon was one of ABC TV’s Play Miracle City, Morning Sacrifice, they can seem like a ruthless and over- sensitive claim for of Griffin Theatre Company Opera Australia and Barking for Sydney Festival: All past festival credits School’s best-loved presenters. Noises Off, Once In A Lifetime, Presenting Partner territory that is publicly owned. Impinging on that and one of Australia’s leading Gecko Theatre Company: The The Sex I’ve Ever Had; for include: Adelaide Cabaret At age 13, Simon starred The Recruit, The Republic directors. For Griffin she has Rabbits, which was part of the independent theatre Festival, Adelaide Fringe, Rebel Penfold-Russell fundamental human right: ‘Freedom of Speech’. in Fred Schepisi’s feature of Myopia, The Seagull, YOU G directed: The Bleeding Tree, for Perth Festival, Melbourne sector:Prehistoric, After All American Songbook Festival, film The Devil’s Playground, Summer Rain, Victory, The which Lee was awarded Best Festival, Sydney Festival and This, Queen Of Wolves, Me Castlemaine State Festival, winning the AACTA Award for Wharf Revue; for Queensland Production Patrons Director at the 2016 Helpmann QPAC Brisbane Season; for Pregnant, Rommy and Trapture. Darwin Festival, Fringe World Best Actor, the youngest-ever Theatre Company: And A Anonymous Declan Greene’s Eight Gigabytes of writing is challenging for actors and audience alike. It Awards, Gloria, Eight Gigabytes The Production Company: Steve’s credits as Associate Perth, Havana International recipient of this honour. He Nightingale Sang, Brilliant Andrew Bell & of Hardcore Pornography, DUSTY, Nice Work If You Can Designer include: for Belvoir: Theatre Festival, Marysville THANK Hardcore Pornography was the first play I requires a deep honesty about frailty and pretension. It is Get It; for Sydney Theatre Jazz & Blues Weekend, went on to reprise this role Lies, The Venetian Twins. Joanna Bird programmed in my first season as Artistic painful to make… and not just because of all the slamming Masquerade (co-directed with Radiance, The Baulkham 40 years later in mini-series Genevieve also performed in Sam Strong), Emerald City, Company: Hayfever, TALK. Hills African Ladies Troupe. Melbourne Cabaret Festival, Devil’s Playground for which he the Australian premieres of Robert Dick Director of Griffin Theatre Company. It of doors. It is painful because it requires us all to dip into A Rabbit for Kim Jong-il, The Trent’s early career began with His credits as Audio Visual Melbourne Fringe Festival, was also Executive Producer. Steaming, Steel Magnolias, & Erin Shiel was spare and compassionate – two the ‘well of worst moments’ in order to bring the best Serpent’s Table (co-directed 20+ commissions at Black Designer include: for Griffin: Midsumma, and Stonnington In 2015 Simon received the Priscilla Queen of the Richard McHugh people and a chair to create a portrait of moments of the play to life. by Darren Yap), Replay, Silent Swan State Theatre Company Angela’s Kitchen, Between Jazz Festival. Mama has AO (Officer of the Order of Desert The Musical, and The & Kate Morgan contemporary loneliness. Disco, The Bull, The Moon and including: Boy Gets Girl, Dust, Two Waves; for STC: God of performed at venues such th Yes there are big contemporary political issues wrapped Extinction, The House On The as: Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia) for his service to the Mousetrap 65 Anniversary Bruce Meagher the Coronet of Stars, The Call, A Carnage, Tot Mom. As Foley The Homosexuals, or ‘Faggots’ is nothing around the play but the heart of the story is filled with love, Hoax and The Nightwatchman; Lake, Laughter On The 23rd Artist, Steve has worked on: Bendigo Art Gallery (Bendigo), & Greg Waters like that. This play is a cluttered, messy, age, friendship, the crises of choice and the horror of for Griffin and Bell Floor, The Motherf**cker With for STC: Our Town. Steve is also Bruno’s Art Gallery (Marysville), Penelope Wass cruel modern farce. And right now, in the mistakes. If Eight Gigabytes laid bare our fears of being Shakespeare: The Literati; for A Hat, Next To Normal, The known as a songwriter and Brisbane Powerhouse Richard Weinstein midst of the anarchy of the rehearsal alone, The Homosexuals, or ‘Faggots’ dissects the Bell Shakespeare: The School Red Balloon, When The Rain music producer, having worked (Brisbane), The Butterfly Club, & Richard Benedict for Wives and Twelfth Night; for Stops Falling and The White with artists such as Ricki-Lee Chapel off Chapel, The Copa room I am hating both the form and the aspirations of coupledom but with the scalpel of farce. Belvoir: That Face, This Heaven, Divers Of Broome, which was Coulter, Samantha Jade and Room at the Havana Riviera playwright: the form for embracing Everyday at work is like entering the humiliation Olympics. Half and Half, A Number, 7 part of Perth International Megan Washington. (Havana, Cuba), Entrecôte, Production Partners implausibility and props, and the Blowjobs and Ladybird; for Arts Festival. Trent’s credits Hares & Hyenas, La Boheme Government Partners It is a privilege to direct the first production of a new Gil Appleton playwright for leaving me with no choice Melbourne Theatre Company: as Set & Lighting Designer Charles O’Grady (Adelaide), The Melba Australian play. It is an honour to direct a second Rodney Cambridge but to put these issues on the stage. If David Williamson’s Rupert, include: for Black Swan State Assistant to the Director Spiegeltent, Melbourne Recital DIRECTOR’S NOTE production by Declan Greene. It is a real joy to be working Theatre Company: Death Supported by our Production Declan Greene had a less urgent voice, my which toured to Washington Charles is a transgender Centre, MPavillion, National Michael Hobbs across the states bringing the audiences of Melbourne DC as part of the World Stages Of A Salesman, Dinner, and playwright and director. Gallery of Victoria, RMIT Design In association with Partner program life would be a lot simpler this week. Tony Jones and Sydney together in a play that speaks to the identity International Arts Festival and Shrine, which was the WA Charles’ credits as a playwright Hub and Sofitel Melbourne on Griffi n acknowledges the generosity of the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation Steve Riethoff For what this play does share with Eight Gigabytes is future of this country. to Sydney’s Theatre Royal in representative at Centenary include: for Australian Theatre Collins. She was the recipient in allowing it the use of the SBW Stables Theatre rent free, less outgoings, since 1986. Diana Simmonds Declan’s extraordinary capacity to detail the humiliations 2014; for STC: Honour, Love- of Canberra Festival. In co- For Young People: Intersection, of the 2014 Weekly Award Lies-Bleeding and ZEBRA!; for productions with Black Swan co-written as part of their for Best Cabaret at Adelaide and horrors of ordinary modern urban existence. His Lee Lewis Director The Farce is popular enough, when it comes to revivals. In This is where I’ve wound up setting my BIOGRAPHIES Darwin Festival: Highway of State Theatre Company and National Studio program; for Fringe, the 2016 Outstanding performing arts as an actor, production. She was in the the last few years in Australia we’ve seen plays like Noises farce: square in the cross-fire of a culture Declan Greene Lost Hearts; for the National Belvoir: The Sapphires, which Jetpack Theatre Collective: Access Award at Melbourne singer and producer. London and Sydney seasons Off, A Flea In Her Ear, and One Man, Two Guvners hit stages war where outrage is currency, feelings are Playwright Institute of Dramatic Art: Big toured nationally,BIOGRAPHIES and to South How. Dare., co-written for Fringe, and a 2015 Nominee of Working Title’s production Declan Greene is a theatre- Love, Shopping and Fucking, Korea and London’s Barbican Sydney Fringe Festival; for GLOBE LGBTI Artist of the Simon Corfield of Billy Elliot, for which she to mass delight. But as far as new playwriting goes, over facts, sensitivities are ignored, atonement maker based in Melbourne. His After Dinner and The Winter’s Theatre; with Melbourne for Montague Basement: Year. Mama has worked with Kim received a Helpmann Award the last few decades the Farce has gone the way of the is impossible, and simplistic buzz- words previous works as a playwright Tale; and for the Western Theatre Company: National Kaleidoscope, Telescope; Brook Andrew, Phillip Adams Simon’s acting credits include: for Best Female Actor in a Passion Play, the Verse Drama, and Commedia dell’Arte... like ‘Cultural Marxism’, ‘Social Engineering’, include: for Griffin Theatre Australian Academy of Interest; with Queensland for Old Fitz Theatre: Are We BalletLab, is a proud alumni of for Griffin: Motortown, Orestes Musical, the Sydney Theatre GRIFFIN THEATRE COMPANY IN ASSOCIATION All thoroughly—and in some cases, mercifully—extinct. and ‘Snowflake’ are used to stifle Company and Perth Theatre Performing Arts: As You Like It. Theatre Company: Other Awake?, written as part of the Monash Uni Student Theatre, 2.0, Tattoo; for Belvoir: Bliss; for Critics Award for the Judith WITH MALTHOUSE THEATRE PRESENTS discourse in much the same manner as Company: Eight Gigabytes Desert Cities, Gasp!, Managing New Fitz Writers Program; for and a company member of Darlinghurst Theatre Company: Johnson Award for Best A couple of years ago I was speaking with another writer ‘Bigotry’, ‘Privilege’, and ‘Nazi’. As the Left of Hardcore Pornography, Marg Horwell Carmen. Other highlights: I Am Smoking Gum Theatre: Before Finucane & Smith, with whom The Bee, Every Second, Torch Performance by an Actress in about why farces are so rarely written these days. We both Eora at Sydney Festival and she was amongst the cast who Song Trilogy; for Melbourne a Musical and the Green Room THE HOMOSEXUALS and Right slowly distil their values into pure which won the Max Afford Designer the Water Gets Cold. His credits agreed that the stakes necessary to manufacture this Playwright’s Award; for Marg is a multi award winning Waltzing The Wilarra at Perth for dramaturgy include: for received the Best International Theatre Company: The Goat Award for Best Female Artist black and white, I’ve tried to write a play of OR ‘FAGGOTS’ mechanical type of playwriting were, in general, absent Malthouse Theatre: I Am A designer and is the Designer International Arts Festival. leftofcentre: Transience; for Production Award at the or Who is Sylvia?, The Lonely in a Leading Role. Genevieve’s muddy grey in-betweens. It’s a comic play from our contemporary lives. The plays of Feydeau— Miracle, which won the Green In Residence at Malthouse Trent is a recipient of the Mike Montague Basement: The Big CHAMACO Awards, Cuba. Wolf; for Tamarama Rock TV credits include: After the BY DECLAN GREENE about comedy. An offensive play about Room Award for Best Writing Theatre. Marg has won six Walsh Fellowship and WA Bruise. Charles is currently Surfers: Poster Girl, Trapture; Beep, Heartland, Neighbours, unquestionably the greatest farceur—were written during offence. A work which oscillates moment for the Australian Stage, Greenroom Awards and two Department of Culture and the directing drama students at Simon Burke and for Vass Theatre Group: Prisoner, Rake, Redfern Now, 17 MARCH-29 APRIL the Belle Époque era, a time of tremendous moral upheaval to moment between Politically Correct and Pompeii and L.A; for Malthouse Sydney Theatre Awards for Arts Young People Fellowship. the Australian Institute of Warren Bad Jews. He performed in The Secret River, Three Men in France. Most of his farces feature highly-repressed The One Eyed Man is King for Problematic (or its ‘fun’ alternative: Theatre & Arena Theatre her work. Her theatre credits A graduate of WAAPA Performing Arts in a play about Simon has appeared in over and a Baby Grand and Top married couples who, for one reason or another, are driven Company: Moth, which won include: for Griffin: Eight (Production & Design). trans youth. 130 stage productions in Schaubuhne Berlin. Simon was of the Lake, for which she Probbo!); attempting to defy the lazy wild with the desire to cheat on their spouse—even though the AWGIE Award for Theatre Gigabytes of Hardcore Australia and the UK, including in the national tour of Critical received Equity Ensemble categorisations we’ve taken to using in our for Young Audiences. As a Pornography; for Angus Cerini Steve Toulmin Rhianne Perrie for Griffin: October, Satango; Stage’s multi-award winning Award for Oustanding Q to be discovered en flagrante would mean social death. knee-jerk summation of art, public director and dramaturg his Doubletap: Chapters From The Composer & Sound Designer Stage Manager for Belvoir: Snugglepot & musical cabaret, Songs For The Performance by an Ensemble When I decided to try my hand at writing a contemporary discourse, and the existence of certain credits include: for Griffin, La Pandemic, Resplendence, Save Steve’s credits as Composer This is Rhianne’s first Cuddlepie; for Black Swan Fallen. His TV and film credits in a Telemovie or Mini-Series. farce, I hit my first obstacle in the creation of these stakes. human beings. PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE Mama and MKA: The Unspoken For Crying, Wretch; for Dee & and/or Sound Designer production with Griffin. State Theatre Company: include: Blue Heelers, COPS: Her film credits include: Billy’s Clinton The Musical; for L.A.C., Crownies, Darwin’s Holiday, The Dressmaker, In 2017 we’re a less repressed bunch where sex is Word is “Joe” (by Zoey Dawson); Cornelius: Savages, Shit; for include: for Griffin: Gloria, Rhianne’s theatre credits In 2017, perhaps the only thing that unites for ZLMD Shakespeare Bell Shakespeare: The School The Bleeding Tree, Beached; include: for Barking Gecko Ensemble Theatre: They’re Brave New World, Packed Holy Smoke, The Piano, Soft THE U concerned. Having your affair outed might raise the ire of a the members of the Left and Right is a fear of being Company: Conviction (by Zoey For Wives; for Belvoir: Nora; for for Griffin and La Boite: A Theatre Company: Bamberts Playing our Song; for To The Rafters. Simon is the Fruit, Suburban Mayhem, few relatives and close friends, but most people won’t care, interned in one of these sticky categories—because it’s Dawson); for Sydney Theatre Malthouse Theatre: Edward II, I Hoax; for Bell Shakespeare: Book of Lost Stories, In A Dark Kookaburra Theatre Company: co-creator of the web comedy and Sweetie, for which she unless it’s with a horse or a sibling. In my own inner-city Company; for Harvest Rain series The Birth of Creation received the Australian Film impossible to escape, and often the company really fucking Company: Hamlet: Prince of Am A Miracle, The Good Person Othello, Richard III; for Belvoir: Dark Wood, Jasper Jones, This Left-wing bubble, we aren’t afraid of being outed as ‘sexual Skidmark (co-created with of Szechuan, The Histrionic, Jasper Jones, The Blind Girl Laughs. As Assistant Stage Theatre Co: Hairspray; for and a founding member of the Critics Award for Best Actress. sucks. Amy Schumer enjoyed three seconds of being the deviants’ anymore. But we are afraid of being labelled a The Listies). Alongside Ash Tame; for Melbourne Theatre Giant Is Dancing, Ivanov, La Manager: for Barking Gecko IMG: Chicago The Musical; for award-winning performance Genevieve has an album of her A HOMOSEXUALS world’s most adored feminist comedian, before some ‘bigot’... Or any of its equally bone-rattling sub-labels: Flanders, Declan co-runs Company (MTC): Birdland, Traviata, Blue Wizard, Is This Theatre Company: Storm Melbourne Theatre Company: group SandS through the Sydney Opera House concert, idiotic jokes from a decade earlier relegated her to the queer independent theatre Peddling, Constellations, Cock, Thing On?, 20 Questions, The Boy; for Black Swan Theatre Take Me Out; for Sydney hourglass. He is a graduate of Angels in the City. ‘misogynist’, ‘racist’, ‘homophobe’, ‘transphobe’, ‘ableist’... category of racist—alongside alt-right lunatics like Richard company Sisters Grimm. He Music, The Dream Life Of Seed and Scorched; for La Company: Clinton The Musical, Theatre Company: A Little Night WAAPA (Acting). If you spend any amount of time commenting on social Spencer and Milo Yiannopoulos, who protest this label just has directed and co-created all Butterflies, The Water Carriers, Boite: Tender Napalm, Julius A House On The Lake, A Perfect Music, Mr Kolpert, Mrs Warren’s Lincoln Younes Circle Mirror Transformation, Caesar, Hamlet. For La Profession, She Stoops To Genevieve Lemon Lucacz media, this fear is particularly well-founded. The as loudly. Non-binary trans-femme performance poets their shows to date, including: Specimen; for West Australian S E I Call My Brothers; For Sisters Boite and STC: Edward Conquer, The Wharf Revue, Up Diana This is Lincoln’s first DarkMatter reached almost unprecedented levels of fame for Griffin Independent and Ballet: Coppelia. She has also graduation of identity politics from academia into public Theatre Works: Summertime Grimm: Lilith The Jungle Girl, Gant’s Amazing Feats of worked for West Australian For Grabs; and for Performing Genevieve’s theatre credits production with Griffin. His discourse has been swift. New sets of parameters have and influence for their inflammatory, galvanising activism, in the Garden of Eden; La Traviata, and Summertime Loneliness; for Michael Sieders Symphony Orchestra, Lines’ national tour of Three include: for Griffin: The Big credits for television include: been created around language and culture, which shift in before one poorly-worded Facebook post had them classed for Belvoir: La Traviata; for in the Garden of Eden. Marg Presents: Porn. Cake; for Woodford Folk Festival, Perth Furies. In London’s West End Picture; for Belvoir: The City Homocide, Hiding, Home specificity to both the person speaking and the person as rape apologists. Fred Nile—a man who has campaigned Malthouse Theatre and Sydney was nominated for a Helpmann the Royal Queensland Show International Arts Festival, he has starred as Captain von Blind Giant Is Dancing, The & Away, Love Child, Tangle, Theatre Company: Calpurnia Award for Marlin presented by (Ekka): Arena Spectacular Fringe World Perth, Ochre Trapp in The Sound of Music, Cosmonaut’s Last Message, for which he won Most H N listening, along the axes of gender, race, sexuality, ability obsessively for decades to suppress the civil rights of LGBTIQA+ people—is hugely outraged whenever someone Descending; for Melbourne MTC and Arena Theatre. (2013-2015);for Sydney Aboriginal Dance Company, as Raoul in Phantom of the Death Of A Salesman, Outstanding Performance by (and sometimes, where convenient, class). For people who Seventeen; for Ensemble calls him homophobe. Meanwhile, anyone who knows Theatre Company: Lilith: Theatre Company (STC): A Perth Theatre Company and Opera, in A Little Night Music an Actor. Lincoln’s film credits have been historically marginalised—such as women, Jungle Girl; for Sydney Theatre Trent Suidgeest Flea In Her Ear, Power Plays, Spare Parts Theatre Company. opposite Dame Judi Dench Theatre: Tribes, Broken include: Down Under, The LGBTIQA+ individuals, or People of Colour—these rules the correct vocabulary can cloak harmful ideas — Company: Little Mercy. Declan Lighting Designer Little Mercy; for Ensemble Rhianne is a graduate of and in the European premieres Glass; for Melbourne Theatre Wedding Party. offer a new frontier of self-determination. An opportunity unintentional or otherwise—under surfaces that look is Resident Artist at Malthouse Trent’s recent credits as a Theatre: Great Falls, Liberty WAAPA (Stage Management). of the Australian classics Company: Piaf, Summer Of T to exert control over one’s place in culture, after perfectly PC. All of which seems to me, if nothing else, Theatre. Lighting Designer include: for Equality Fraternity, Circle Holding the Man and When The Seventeenth Doll; for generations of being forced into clumsy semantic slightly farcical. Ambassador Theatre Group: Mirror Transformation; For Mama Alto the Rain Stops Falling. Simon’s Sydney Theatre Company: pigeonholes designated by the majority. Lee Lewis The Beast; for Opera Australia: Queensland Theatre: Bae Bae/ Pam television credits include: Deep The Girl Who Saw Everything, Declan Greene Director John Bell’s Carmen, The Opera Switzerland, That Face; for Mama Alto is a jazz singer Water, Hustle, Miss Fisher’s The Hanging, Hanging Man, For people who don’t know these rules—or resent them— Writer Lee is the Artistic Director (The Eighth Wonder); for Strut & Fret: Blanc De Blanc; and cabaret artiste. Her Murder Mysteries, Rake and Harbour, Hay Fever, The Madras PRODUCTION DONORS A they can seem like a ruthless and over- sensitive claim for of Griffin Theatre Company Opera Australia and Barking for Sydney Festival: All past festival credits South Pacific. For 25 years House, Merrily We Roll Along, Simon was one of ABC TV’s Play Miracle City, Morning Sacrifice, territory that is publicly owned. Impinging on that and one of Australia’s leading Gecko Theatre Company: The The Sex I’ve Ever Had; for include: Adelaide Cabaret directors. For Griffin she has Rabbits, which was part of the independent theatre Festival, Adelaide Fringe, School’s best-loved presenters. Noises Off, Once In A Lifetime, Presenting Partner fundamental human right: ‘Freedom of Speech’. directed: The Bleeding Tree, for Perth Festival, Melbourne sector:Prehistoric, After All American Songbook Festival, At age 13, Simon starred The Recruit, The Republic Rebel Penfold-Russell which Lee was awarded Best Festival, Sydney Festival and This, Queen Of Wolves, Me Castlemaine State Festival, in Fred Schepisi’s feature of Myopia, The Seagull, YOU G Director at the 2016 Helpmann QPAC Brisbane Season; for Pregnant, Rommy and Trapture. Darwin Festival, Fringe World film The Devil’s Playground, Summer Rain, Victory, The Production Patrons Declan Greene’s Eight Gigabytes of writing is challenging for actors and audience alike. It Awards, Gloria, Eight Gigabytes The Production Company: Steve’s credits as Associate Perth, Havana International winning the AACTA Award for Wharf Revue; for Queensland Anonymous Hardcore Pornography was the first play I requires a deep honesty about frailty and pretension. It is of Hardcore Pornography, DUSTY, Nice Work If You Can Designer include: for Belvoir: Theatre Festival, Marysville Best Actor, the youngest-ever Theatre Company: And A Masquerade (co-directed with Get It; for Sydney Theatre Radiance, The Baulkham Jazz & Blues Weekend, recipient of this honour. He Nightingale Sang, Brilliant Andrew Bell & programmed in my first season as Artistic painful to make… and not just because of all the slamming THANK Sam Strong), Emerald City, Company: Hayfever, TALK. Hills African Ladies Troupe. Melbourne Cabaret Festival, went on to reprise this role Lies, The Venetian Twins. Joanna Bird Director of Griffin Theatre Company. It of doors. It is painful because it requires us all to dip into 40 years later in mini-series Genevieve also performed in A Rabbit for Kim Jong-il, The Trent’s early career began with His credits as Audio Visual Melbourne Fringe Festival, Robert Dick was spare and compassionate – two the ‘well of worst moments’ in order to bring the best Serpent’s Table (co-directed 20+ commissions at Black Designer include: for Griffin: Midsumma, and Stonnington Devil’s Playground for which he the Australian premieres of people and a chair to create a portrait of moments of the play to life. by Darren Yap), Replay, Silent Swan State Theatre Company Angela’s Kitchen, Between Jazz Festival. Mama has was also Executive Producer. Steaming, Steel Magnolias, & Erin Shiel contemporary loneliness. Disco, The Bull, The Moon and including: Boy Gets Girl, Dust, Two Waves; for STC: God of performed at venues such In 2015 Simon received the Priscilla Queen of the Richard McHugh Yes there are big contemporary political issues wrapped the Coronet of Stars, The Call, A Extinction, The House On The Carnage, Tot Mom. As Foley as: Arts Centre Melbourne, AO (Officer of the Order of Desert The Musical, and The & Kate Morgan th The Homosexuals, or ‘Faggots’ is nothing around the play but the heart of the story is filled with love, Hoax and The Nightwatchman; Lake, Laughter On The 23rd Artist, Steve has worked on: Bendigo Art Gallery (Bendigo), Australia) for his service to the Mousetrap 65 Anniversary Bruce Meagher like that. This play is a cluttered, messy, age, friendship, the crises of choice and the horror of for Griffin and Bell Floor, The Motherf**cker With for STC: Our Town. Steve is also Bruno’s Art Gallery (Marysville), & Greg Waters cruel modern farce. And right now, in the mistakes. If Eight Gigabytes laid bare our fears of being Shakespeare: The Literati; for A Hat, Next To Normal, The known as a songwriter and Brisbane Powerhouse Penelope Wass midst of the anarchy of the rehearsal alone, The Homosexuals, or ‘Faggots’ dissects the Bell Shakespeare: The School Red Balloon, When The Rain music producer, having worked (Brisbane), The Butterfly Club, for Wives and Twelfth Night; for Stops Falling and The White with artists such as Ricki-Lee Chapel off Chapel, The Copa room I am hating both the form and the aspirations of coupledom but with the scalpel of farce. Richard Weinstein Belvoir: That Face, This Heaven, Divers Of Broome, which was Coulter, Samantha Jade and Room at the Havana Riviera & Richard Benedict playwright: the form for embracing Everyday at work is like entering the humiliation Olympics. Half and Half, A Number, 7 part of Perth International Megan Washington. (Havana, Cuba), Entrecôte, implausibility and props, and the Blowjobs and Ladybird; for Arts Festival. Trent’s credits Hares & Hyenas, La Boheme It is a privilege to direct the first production of a new playwright for leaving me with no choice Melbourne Theatre Company: as Set & Lighting Designer Charles O’Grady (Adelaide), The Melba Government Partners Production Partners but to put these issues on the stage. If Australian play. It is an honour to direct a second David Williamson’s Rupert, include: for Black Swan State Assistant to the Director Spiegeltent, Melbourne Recital Gil Appleton DIRECTOR’S NOTE Declan Greene had a less urgent voice, my production by Declan Greene. It is a real joy to be working which toured to Washington Theatre Company: Death Charles is a transgender Centre, MPavillion, National Rodney Cambridge life would be a lot simpler this week. across the states bringing the audiences of Melbourne DC as part of the World Stages Of A Salesman, Dinner, and playwright and director. Gallery of Victoria, RMIT Design Michael Hobbs Supported by our Production and Sydney together in a play that speaks to the identity International Arts Festival and Shrine, which was the WA Charles’ credits as a playwright Hub and Sofitel Melbourne on Partner program Tony Jones In association with For what this play does share with Eight Gigabytes is future of this country. to Sydney’s Theatre Royal in representative at Centenary include: for Australian Theatre Collins. She was the recipient Steve Riethoff Declan’s extraordinary capacity to detail the humiliations 2014; for STC: Honour, Love- of Canberra Festival. In co- For Young People: Intersection, of the 2014 Weekly Award Griffi n acknowledges the generosity of the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation Lies-Bleeding and ZEBRA!; for productions with Black Swan co-written as part of their for Best Cabaret at Adelaide and horrors of ordinary modern urban existence. His Lee Lewis in allowing it the use of the SBW Stables Theatre rent free, less outgoings, since 1986. Diana Simmonds Director