Trust News Now Living in London LES MISERABLES, the RSC's "Pop LIKE IT Which Has Come to London Where She Is an Artist's Agent
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
FEBRUARY, 1986 Vol 10 No 1 ISSN 0314 - 0598 A publication of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Australian Classic Adapted For The Stage AN IMAGINARY LIFE based on the novel by David Malouf Directed and designed by Kim Carpenter Music by Richard Vella Lighting by John Rayment Cast: Norman Kaye, Alexander Hay, Christine Mahoney, Mary Haire, Ira Seidenstein and Lorenzo A valia Belvoir Street Theatre rom the tinkle and chatter and glitter F of the cocktail party circuit, a celebrated poet, the toast of the town, is suddenly plunged into exile. In coat and hat, he finds himself in a timeless barren world, so cold it freezes for eight months of the year. Its people are voluminously cloaked against the cold, and speak a language that is totally strange. · In this alien world he is taken in by a family and develops some communication; he glimp ses a wild boy who seems to represent the innocence of his lost childhood. Obsess ed, he captures the boy and a touching relationship develops. From the Poet being ' the boy's protector, the roles gradually reverse and the boy opens the Poet's eyes to the beauty of his child's world. When director-designer Kim Carpenter first read David Malouf's award-winning During workshop for AN IMA GINA R Y LIFE. (Left to right back) Lorenzo Avolio, Mary Haire, Christine book AN IMAGINARY LIFE, three Mahoney, Alexander Hay (sitting), Norman Kaye, Ira Seidenstein years ago, he didn't expect it to be transferred to the stage, but it stayed in "He has a Jacques Tati quality. We had tion; the absurdity of a man in a hat and his subconscious, and the idea of it being worked together before and there was a coat stranded in the desert." AN translated into a piece of visual and rapport and a lot of trust between us", he IMAGINARY LIFE opens at the Belvoir musical theatre gradually developed. said. Skills in singing, dance and mime Street Theatre on February 19. February were a pre-requisite for all members of 21 is Trust Members night when the Carpenter's idea of the story being told the cast. Premier and Minister for the Arts, the through images and sound with minimal Hon. Neville Wran who awarded AN dialogue appealed to David Malouf. To produce the mix of wordless human IMAGINARY LIFE his literary prize in With the guarantee of financial and pro voices and instruments that composer 1979 will be guest of honour. Tickets are duction support from the AETT's Vella envisaged for the play, he used a $20 which includes after show supper. Australian Content Department, which is computer and the facilities of the NSW (See Member Activities p. 8). subsidised by the Theatre Board of the Conservatorium to produce a tape to Australia Council, a workshop was set up back up the live music and voices on stage. in October last year with the six actors, BOOKING INFORMATION composer Richard Vella, the stage Tue to Fri at 8 p.m. manager and director -designer Carpenter AN IMAGINARY LIFE poses a lot of Sat at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to explore the book and consider its questions. Is the Poet's journey real for Sun at 5 p.m. theatrical possibilities. example or is he living out his next book? AETT $11.00 Carpenter claims that despite its serious G.P. $15.00 Norman Kaye who starred in the film underlying mysteries, the play has its Pens/Stud $7.50 MAN OF FLOWERS was, to Carpenter, light side. "There is a lot of irony and Two AETT tickets per member the ideal choice for the role of the Poet. humour because it's a ridiculous situa- 2 The programme opens with her Billie Whitelaw in reading of a short story, ENOUGH, a Beckett Triple Bill monologue about a sometimes difficult, sometimes luminous, long-ago but well ROCKABY, FOOTFALLS, & remembered relationship which might be ENOUGH by Samuel Beckett construed as a love affair. This is follow Directed for the New York season by the ed by FOOTFALLS, in which, pacing late Alan Schneider endlessly in a small rectangle of light, she Starring Billie Whitelaw talks with the offstage voice of an aged Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre and ailing mother. In frayed gown and bent-backed, she is a middle-aged crone eckett afficionados and in fact, any trapped by circumstances and barely Bkeen theatregoers, will be excited by relating to reality except through the the coming visit to Australia of Billie sound of her footsteps. Whitelaw, the English actress who has The final play, ROCK-A-BYE is a been described as "the voice, body and prime example of Beckett's playwriting soul of Samuel Beckett". After five per genius. A woman in a rocking chair rocks formances at the Adelaide Festival early herself to death; she speaks only one Julie Haseler in ME AND MY GIRL in March, she will present three short word, "more", repeated four times, but year and the Australian production open Beckett pieces (in the one programme) at the words are interspersed with taped ed in Melbourne early last month. The the Seymour Centre from March 8 to speeches, the tortured final convolutions Australian production was mounted by March 29. of her consciousness and her desolation, the original London director, Mike Since her first Beckett play in 1964, waiting for death. Ockrent'. Reviewing the production in Billie Whitelaw has worked together THE AUSTRALIAN, Dennis Davison closely with Beckett on each of his plays BOOKING INFORMATION said, "the spectacular sets, splendid in which she has appeared. "Beckett says Sat Mar 8 to Sat Mar 29 (excluding Mar 17, period customes, the tuneful songs ... that when he writes he hears my voice. 18 and 28) the vigorous dancing, the crystal-clear When I perform I hear his. So what Mon to Thu at 8.30 p.m. .. lyrics, the deft direction, all combin you've got coming out of my mouth is a Fri and Sat at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. ed to produce a dazzling entertainment. " AETT $18 .00 (until Mar 21) mixture of my voice and his, and I think ME AND MY GIRL, is the story of a G.P. $21.00 sharp-witted, lovable Cockney lad who that's unique", she says. Pens/ Stud $16.00 (except Fri/ Sat) New York critics raved about her turns out to be a long-lost earl. Along appearances last year in the triple bill she with his Lambeth sweetheart, Sally, he will present in Australia. "It's possible creates chaos at his ancestral seat, that you haven't really lived until you've Thirties Musical Hareford Hall as his noble relatives watched Bill Whitelaw die ... Mr attempt a Pygmalion style integration. As Beckett and Miss Whitelaw make time Revived well as a tap-dancing duet to the title song stop and it 's a sensation that no by Bill and Sally, the songs include the theatregoer will soon forget ", said Frank show-stopping "Lambeth Walk", Rich of The New York Times. ME AND MY GIRL by Noel Gay "Leaning on a Lamp Post" and "Once Book an lyrics by L. Arthur Rose and you Lose Your Heart". Douglas Furber Revised by Stephen Fry BOOKING INFORMATION Directed by Mike Ockrent Mon to Sat at 8 p.m. Set design by Martin Johns Wed and Sat mats at 2 p.m. Costume design by Ann Curtis AETT $23.90 (Mon to Thu), $25 .90 (Fri & Cast: David Waters, Julie Haseler, David Sat), $20.90 (mat) Ravenswood, Faye Donaldson, Jackie G.P. $27 .90 (Mon to Thu), $29.90 (Fri & Rees, Tony Harvey and Ron Shand Sat), $22.90 (mat) Her Majesty's Theatre Pens/ Stud $23.90 (Mon to Thu), $18.90 (mat) Two AETT tickets per member he first production of Noel Gay's ME T AND MY GIRL opened in London at the Victoria Palace in 1937 and ran for a Graeme Blundell Joins phenomenal 1,646 performances. It featured a famous song, "The Lambeth Kinselas Walk" which became a dance craze and a famous star, Lupino Lane in the central ell-known Australian actor/ direc role of Bill Snibson. The show was revis W tor Graeme Blundell has accepted ed and revived with great success at Lon an appointment as artistic director of Billie Whitelaw don's Adelphi Theatre in February last Kinselas nightclub. He remains associate 3 director with the Melbourne Theatre lies, a mistress, wife, girlfriend, jealous Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide before Company and will continue to visit boyfriend and husband, all combining to reaching Sydney in mid-April. Reviewing Melbourne regularly. Graeme hopes to produce the style of comedy we have the opening night performance in the establish stylistic continuity at Kinselas so come to expect from Alan Ayckbourn. It Newcastle Herald, Mick Scanlon said people know to expect a certain type of is directed by Sandra Bates. "Larry Shue's richly comic play THE show there. The first show with which he FOREIGNER has all the ingredients of will be involved will open at Kinselas in BOOKING INFORMATlON hilarity and seems set for a long run March. It is a transfer season of Ensemble Theatre around Australia". BOUNCERS which played at the Mon Mar 10 to Sat Mar 29 THE FOREIGNER is set in Georgia Seymour Theatre Downstairs at the end Mon to Sat at 8 p.m. where a British Army officer, a demoli of last year. BOUNCERS follows Mats Thu at 11 a.m. and Sat at. 5 p.m.