BY BECKY MODE

11 OCT – 16 NOV 2019

Based on characters created by Becky Mode and Mark Setlock WELCOME Becky Mode’s hilarious play for a solo performer has been on my to do list for a very long time. I know we had a huge success with it in 2002 and I was pleased to see it had been a smash recently on Broadway. I felt we could do a version that swapped the gender – after all actors of both genders are out of work giving the material a fresh perspective – and have the play set in familiar surroundings with foodie references we recognise. I was excited by this idea and by the idea that Becky Mode’s fabulous play is a universal story. In the hands of Kate Champion as director and the astonishing Contessa Treffone performing as Sam and an amazing creative team, I know we are in very safe hands. Enjoy FULLY COMMITTED, you’ll be glad you booked early! Mark Kilmurry Artistic Director

DIRECTOR’S NOTE Have you ever lost your temper with a As our fascination with food grows stranger on a phone call? They’re not evermore fetishised, the competition to giving you the information or solution you be seen in elite restaurants has become so desperately need? Has it made you increasingly ridiculous. It is only food of behave in ways you normally wouldn’t? course, but in the end, it’s so much more. How do you think that stranger must feel It’s ego, it’s prestige, it’s power. on the receiving end of multiple versions FULLY COMMITTED is marinated in of you? this heady mix of the delicious and the FULLY COMMITTED brings this deeply debauched. It’s a role to relish for an inequitable social exchange to the stage. actor who thrills to the discipline of an Written around the time when food extreme challenge. Witnessing one actor became more about fashion and status take on dozens of characters is the than a function of survival, it evokes the equivalent of a high-wire act without a questionable behaviour between upstairs net. Contessa Treffone is one such actor and downstairs, those serving and being and it’s been an honour to witness her served and the abuse experienced by an tackle the extraordinary provocation that employee on the end of the line who is this play delights in. Bon appetit! just trying to do their job. Kate Champion

PROGRAMS: $2 which helps enormously with the cost of printing. Ensemble Theatre acknowledges the Cammeraigal people of the Eora nation as customary owners of the land on which we work and share our stories. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. Based on characters created by Becky Mode and Mark Setlock SYNOPSIS

Nobody wants to hear that a chef-hatted, multiple-award-winning, ridiculously trendy Woolloomooloo restaurant is fully committed and can’t take a booking. Coercion, threats, bribes, melodramatics - when socialites and international A-listers stop at nothing in their zeal to secure a prime time or the right table, the booking schedule is harder to finesse than the perfect soufflé. In a dingy basement office, far from the magic of molecular gastronomy, Sam skilfully manages the red-hot reservation line to keep over thirty demanding characters happy… and more importantly, keep her job! CAST

CONTESSA TREFFONE CREATIVES

DIRECTOR DRAMATURG KATE CHAMPION JANE FITZGERALD ASSISTANT DIRECTOR STAGE MANAGER ADAM DEUSIEN BROOKE KISS SET & COSTUME DESIGNER COSTUME SUPERVISOR ANNA TREGLOAN RENATA BESLIK LIGHTING DESIGNER DIALECT COACH VERITY HAMPSON AMY HUME COMPOSER AND SOUND DESIGNER PRODUCTION MANAGER NATE EDMONDSON ROMY MCKANNA

RUNNING TIME APPROX. 90 MINS NO INTERVAL

THANK YOU Tim Petrie and Dennis Blumendeller Ben Lightowlers, Luke Davis

“Lady Is A Tramp” Written by Rodgers R/Hart L Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing Pty Ltd obo Williamson Music Company FULLY COMMITTED received its World Premiere at the Adirondack Theatre Festival, Lake George, NY. Martha Banta, Artistic Director; David Turner, Producing Director. FULLY COMMITTED received it New York premiere, September 1999 the Vineyard Theatre, New York City. Off-Broadway Production Produced by David Stone, Adam Pascal, Jesse L. Martin and Susan Quint Gallin.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: FULLY COMMITTED is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental. While some of the characters bear the names of famous people, the portrayal of them in this play is entirely fictitious. Rehearsal Images Phil Erbacher Rehearsal

BECKY MODE ADAM DEUSIEN PLAYWRIGHT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Becky Mode is an Adam is Artistic Director American playwright, of Lingua Franca Theatre, actress and television working extensively as producer based in New a director/producer, York City. Raised in presenting work regionally, Washington DC, she studied theatre and nationally and internationally, creating and American History at Wesleyan University, directing work for the company including graduating with Phi Beta Kappa honors. RIGHT BEHIND YOU, UNSUSTAINABLE Her major accomplishments to date include BEHAVIOUR and MIGHTY. As a freelance the play FULLY COMMITTED co-created artist, he has adapted and directed with Mark Setlock which achieved listing in LYSISTRATA, THE BACCHAE, THE TROJAN Time Magazine’s Top Ten Plays of 2000.[1] In WOMEN and THE FOX as well as working as addition, she appeared as an actress in the Assistant Director for Ensemble Theatre, Griffin 1995 film PARTY GIRL. Her credits also include Theatre, Stalker Theatre and Siren Theatre Co. several episodes of SMASH (the NBC TV He is the recipient of CreateNSW’s Regional series) that she wrote (episodes 2x07; 2x13). Artist Fellowship and in 2017 was appointed Artistic Director of Artstate, NSW celebration KATE CHAMPION of regional arts and culture. Adam is currently DIRECTOR undertaking a Research Residency supported Kate was the founding by the Australia Council with Sydney Festival, Artistic Director of Force examining how festivals engage with regional Majeure (2002-15). She artists, audiences and communities. has worked in theatre, CONTESSA TREFFONE dance, film, circus, opera ALL ROLES and musical theatre with arts companies and institutes including Belvoir (UNDER After graduating NIDA in THE INFLUENCE, , FOOD, 2012, Contessa has had an MY URRWAI, A TASTE OF HONEY), Sydney extensive career in theatre. Theatre Company (NEVER DID ME ANY Her theatre credits include; HARM, SPRING AWAKENING), STCSA (THAT LORD OF THE FLIES, EYE THE SKY, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE), HARP IN THE SOUTH: PART ONE & TWO, The English National Opera (THE PRISONER, TOP GIRLS, THREE SISTERS, ALL MY SONS LA STRADA), Opera Australia (BLISS, THE (Sydney Theatre Company), ANATOMY OF A RING CYCLE, LA BOHEME), The Hayes (EVIE SUICIDE, THERE WILL BE A CLIMAX (Redline MAY), NIDA (NOT WHO I WAS, MEAT EATERS), Productions), THE KITCHEN SINK (Ensemble National Theatre of Parramatta (SWALLOW) Theatre), THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX and DV8 Physical Theatre - London. Kate has (Darlinghurst Theatre), MINUSONESITER also created and performed two critically (Griffin Theatre) and many more. acclaimed solo shows, FACE VALUE and ABOUT FACE. As Artistic Director of Force Majeure, Kate directed SAME, SAME BUT DIFFERENT, TENEBRAE – PART 1 and 2, ALREADY ELSEWHERE, THE AGE I’M IN, NOT IN A MILLION YEARS, and NOTHING TO LOSE. Kate has been awarded Helpmann, Green Room and Australian Dance Awards. ANNA TREGLOAN MERCY (Sydney Theatre Company); DEATH SET & COSTUME DESIGNER OF A SALESMAN (Queensland Theatre); ONE THE BEAR, BLACKROCK (La Boite); Anna Tregloan is a multi- TITUS ANDRONICUS, JULIUS CAESAR, A award winning artist, MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT DREAM, THE LITERATI designer and creative (Bell Shakespeare); THE BLEEDING TREE, THE producer who collaborates BOYS, THE FLOATING WORLD (Griffin); NEW and creates work with BREED, WOOF (Sydney Dance Company). major performing arts companies and For television, Verity was Lighting Director cultural institutions and an array of smaller for the ABC’s LIVE AT THE BASEMENT and and independent companies, galleries and THE ROAST; and THE CROWN AWARDS for artists. She has an extensive history in SBS. Awards include a Mike Walsh Fellowship, contemporary performance, dance, physical a Green Room Award and three Sydney theatre, opera, live-art, exhibition design and Theatre Awards. immersive installations. She has a Masters in Animateuring from VCA, University of NATE EDMONDSON Melbourne. Amongst other projects, in the COMPOSER & SOUND last two years, she designed the concept DESIGNER and installation of a major exhibition for Nate is an international, ACMI, Melbourne (WONDERLAND) which is multi-award winning now showing at the Art Science Museum in composer and sound Singapore before touring to other locations designer for stage and including the Victoria and Albert Museum, screen. His scores have been heard across London; she designed the immersive the world, including his work on THE VERY exhibitions, BLOOD and PERFECTION, for HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW (Rockefeller Science Gallery Melbourne; OSCAR AND Productions), which has reached a global LUCINDA for Sydney Chamber Opera & audience of one million people. Locally, he Bell Shakespeare’s Australia-wide touring has worked on many critically acclaimed productions of JULIUS CAESAR and productions, including THE HARP IN THE THE MISER. SOUTH, BLACKIE BLACKIE BROWN, and VERITY HAMPSON CLOUD NINE (STC); MARK COLVIN’S KIDNEY, LIGHTING DESIGNER and SEVENTEEN (Belvoir); THE TEMPEST (Bell Shakespeare). Nate was awarded the 2016 and Verity Hampson is an 2015 Sydney Theatre Award for Best Score / award-winning lighting Sound Design of an Independent Production; and projection designer. the 2018 and 2016 Broadway World Award Since graduating from for Best Score / Sound Design of a Play; the NIDA, she has designed 2014 Brian Dyer Trophy for Best Score / Sound over 120 productions, working with many of Design [UK] (ALL MY SONS). In 2019, Nate was Australia’s leading directors and nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best choreographers. Previous productions at the Sound Design for his work on THE HARP IN Ensemble Theatre include CLYBOURNE PARK, THE SOUTH. Nate has previously worked with LIBERTY EQUALITY FRATERNITY, GREAT Ensemble on DIPLOMACY, and his work can FALLS and THE ANZAC PROJECT. Designs also currently be heard in BABY DOLL. include: WINYANBOGA YURRINGA, AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, SAMI IN PARADISE, FAITH HEALER, THE DROVER’S WIFE, RUBY’S WISH, THE BLIND GIANT IS DANCING, IVANOV (Belvoir); BLACKIE BLACKIE BROWN, HAMLET: PRINCE OF SKIDMARK, MACHINAL, LITTLE

JANE FITZGERALD BROOKE KISS DRAMATURG STAGE MANAGER Jane is Resident Dramaturg This is Brooke’s first show at ATYP and was previously at Ensemble Theatre. Literary Manager at Brooke’s previous Ensemble (shared role). productions include the Recent productions following. For Sydney include THE APPLETON LADIES’ POTATO Theatre Company; Assistant Stage Manager RACE, NEVILLE’S ISLAND (Ensemble), THE on BANGING DENMARK, Assistant Stage BIG DRY (co-production Ensemble/ATYP), Manager on ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF INTERSECTION 2019: ARRIVAL, CHARLIE AN ANARCHIST, Stage Manager on THE PILGRIM, BATHORY BEGINS (ATYP), LOST REMOVALIST (staged reading) and Assistant BOYS (Merrigong) and MROCK (co-production Stage Manager on THE TESTAMENT OF ATYP/STC). Jane has been a mentor on MARY. For Belvoir; Assistant Stage Manager ATYP’s Fresh Ink writers’ program and at on BARBARA AND THE CAMP DOGS (2019 National Studio. For STC she has been Literary tour), Stage Manager on BLISS, Assistant Stage Manager, Artistic Associate and administrator Manager on SAMI IN PARADISE, Rehearsal of the Patrick White Playwrights’ Award as well Stage Manager on BARBARA AND THE CAMP as a dramaturg on new writers’ programs and DOGS, Assistant Stage Manager Cover on MR on mainstage productions. She has worked as BURNS. For Force Majeure, Stage Manager a script reader for the Royal Court London and on YOU ANIMAL, YOU for both Sydney Festival has worked extensively as a Mentor with Year 2018 and Dance Massive 2019. For Froudist & 12 students on HSC creative writing projects. Cubby House Co production, Production Stage Manager on RUBY’S WISH (2018 tour). Brooke graduated from NIDA's Technical Theatre and Stage Management Course In 2016. RENATA BESLIK AMY HUME COSTUME SUPERVISOR DIALECT COACH Renata graduated from Amy is a voice teacher at NIDA in 2007 with a NIDA, voice and accents Bachelor’s degree in tutor at ATYP and founder Costume Production. of award-winning speech Costume Supervisor: A and drama studio, Viva VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, FOLK, DIPLOMACY, Voice. For Ensemble: Dialect Coach for THE BIG TIME, LUNA GALE, SHIRLEY FOLK, THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, SHIRLEY VALENTINE, THE KITCHEN SINK, BUYER VALENTINE and THE KITCHEN SINK. For AND CELLAR, WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA Belvoir: Dialect Coach on FANGIRLS, SAMI WOOLF?, ODD MAN OUT, BAREFOOT IN PARADISE; voice support on COUNTING IN THE PARK, BETRAYAL, A HISTORY OF AND CRACKING, THE ROVER and GHOSTS. FALLING THINGS (Ensemble Theatre), Other theatre: Voice/Dialect Coach on FANGIRLS (Belvoir/Queensland Theatre), THE BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL 10th Anniversary RETURN OF ULYSSES, ARTASERSE, ATHALIA, Tour, Voice/Dialect Coach on the Sydney THE CORONATION OF POPPEA, RAMEU: production of MATILDA THE MUSICAL (RSC/ ANACREON AND PIGMALION, THEODORA Louise Withers), Voice Coach for MEASURE (Pinchgut Opera), HENRY V, THE WINTER’S FOR MEASURE and THE SERVANT OF TWO TALE, MACBETH (Bell Shakespeare), STAY MASTERS (Sport for Jove). For Film: Dialect HAPPY KEEP SMILING, THE TEMPEST, Coach on THE UNLISTED (ABC/Netflix) and WOYCECK, A LIE OF THE MIND, PORT (NIDA). THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS (Lingo Pictures for Designer: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Channel Ten). Amy is a Designated Linklater ROMEO AND JULIET, THE TEMPEST (Sport for Teacher and also facilitates corporate voice Jove), THE COLOUR OF AUGUST (Newtown and communication training for organisations Theatre), Design Assistant: THE LIFE OF across different industries. GALILEO (Belvoir) OUR SUPPORTERS Thank you for your generous support and ensuring our future is bright

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(02) 8918 3400 ensemble.com.au The management reserves the right to make any alteration to cast which may be rendered necessary by illness or any other unavoidable cause. Patrons are reminded that out of 78 McDougall St, Kirribilli consideration for others, latecomers cannot be admitted until a suitable place in the performance.