LADY TABOULI BY JAMES ELAZZI • DIRECTED BY DINO DIMITRIADIS 9 – 18 JANUARY A NOTE FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT JAMES ELAZZI

I’ve always believed that our choices lists. Amidst the chaos of it all, I’m and actions can often be direct interested in interrogating what comes consequences of the expectations that to the surface, and what is lost, when are placed on us by our families and we shake up our cultural fabric. cultural communities. My hope with In writing Lady Tabouli, my hope is to Lady Tabouli is to explore what can retain the beautiful complexities of my happen to unconditional love when it’s Lebanese Australian culture. Belonging, pushed to the limit. Because choice has loss, fear and imminent rejection are all consequences. a part of the complicated kaleidoscope. It’s a big day for Danny and his sister Is it really about the sugared almonds? Josephine. For the whole family. A rollercoaster of emotions and to-do

A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR DINO DIMITRIADIS

As I write this, the world feels like a perspectives on the world, values that very complicated place. don’t align with mine, politics that We’re in uncertain times and so many might enrage me. But for a little while, people seem so angry about so many we’re all just flesh and breath and things. It is easy to want to curl up and heart sitting side by side. And we’re take refuge in some good take-out and all just watching flesh and breath and the latest Netflix binge. But while I love heart making sense of being alive and a good online streaming bender, there’s not feeling alone, just as we are trying nothing like coming to the theatre as to do in our own lives. Theatre does a group of strangers that walk into something that Netflix can’t do. a space together to watch the same It puts us all in same room. thing, but who never walk away having actually seen the same thing. Because we’re all a product of our own walk, and the person to my left or right might harbour radically different Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta and Sydney Festival present

PERFORMERS CREATIVE TEAM

Nisrine Amine Playwright James Elazzi Deborah Galanos Antony Makhlouf Director Dino Dimitriadis Johnny Nasser Production Designer ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Jonathan Hindmarsh OF COUNTRY Lighting Designer Benjamin Brockman Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta acknowledges the traditional owners of this land, Sound Designer Ben Pierpoint the Darug people. Stage Manager Hannah Crane

Dramaturg Hilary Bell

Creative Futures (Assistant Director) Bernadette Fam

Lady Tabouli opened Saturday 11 January, 2020 at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta.

Lady Tabouli was developed with the support of Apocalypse Theatre, Green Door Theatre Company and Riverside’s National Theatre OF Parramatta and through Playwriting Australia’s National Script Workshop and BATCH FESTIVAL. BIOGRAPHIES DINO DIMITRIADIS DIRECTOR JAMES ELAZZI PLAYWRIGHT Dino Dimitriadis is an award-winning James’ writing seeks director, creative to find a balance producer and curator. between both the cultures of Australia Their recent credits and his Lebanese include De Profundis with Paul Capsis heritage. A catalyst (Red Line Productions), Omar and in James’ writing is the universal Dawn (Apocalypse and Green Door), idea of obstacle and transition where Tony Kushner’s Angels in America characters ebb and flow through Parts I & II (Red Line and Apocalypse) themes of family, culture and nudging and a queer reading of Mary the status quo. Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, which was nominated for 6 and received In 2017, James was chosen to take part in two of National Theatre of 4 Sydney Theatre Awards. Other Parramatta’s programs for emerging recent credits include All My Sleep artists – Page to Stage and Creative and Waking, The Girl / The Woman Futures. James has had four of his (National Theatre of Parramatta), plays publicly read, including Omar and Permission to Spin, Doubt: A Parable, Dawn, Son of Byblos, (2019 Finalist, Construction of the Human Heart, Silver Gull Play Award) and Miriam. In Closer and Danny and the Deep Blue 2018, James was selected by Belvoir Sea. Dino launched and curated Theatre to submit a script to the Apocalypse Theatre’s rapid-response prestigious Bruntwood International series ASYLUM that featured new Playwriting Award and was part of King work by 24 Australian playwrights Cross Theatre’s Storyteller’s Festival, in a creative response to Australia’s where Omar and Dawn was first read. Asylum Seeker policy. In 2015, they Last year, his latest play, Lady Tabouli produced The Dapto Chaser for Griffin played to a sold-out audience during Independent and co-produced the Griffin Theatre Company’s Batch production’s subsequent regional Festival. Following that, Omar and tours in 2016 and 2017 with Critical Dawn had a sold out season at Kings Stages, as well as The Dapto Chaser Cross Theatre. film with ANT Live (2018, screened James has been selected to become nationally). Dino has produced a member of the 2019 – 2020 extensively for local government, Sydney Theatre Company’s Emerging on numerous festivals including Writers Group and WestWord’s writing Sydney Fringe and Liveworks Festival residency (2019). of Experimental Art (Performance Funding Initiative. Nisrine directed Space) and for Sydney Gay and alongside Warwick Thornton and Lesbian Mardi Gras. They have Lucy Clements for the 2019 Martin worked for Griffin Theatre Company Lysicrates Prize at Riverside Theatres. and Playwriting Australia (as director, In 2020, Nisrine will direct James script assessor and dramaturg). Elazzi’s Son of Byblos as part of Belvoir’s 25A program. NISRINE AMINE PERFORMER – DEBORAH JOSEPHINE GALANOS We are pleased PERFORMER – to welcome DANA back Nisrine Deborah is a NIDA after Riverside’s graduate whose National Theatre television credits of Parramatta’s production of The include Street Smart, Girl/The Woman (2018). Nisrine’s Pulse, Camp, Redfern Now, Rake, recent credits include the Australia My Place, Children’s Hospital, Police feature film Slam and TV showsMr Rescue, All Saints, A Country Practice, Inbetween, Frayed, Deadly Women, Home & Away, GP and Murder Call. Here Come the Habibs and Janet Film credits include Chasing Comets, King. She has featured in short films Inside Out, The Premonition, Cavity, Amir, Candlelight,The Woman on No Worries, Razzle Dazzle, Balls, and the Top Floor, Broken Time and The Boys From The Bush. She’s worked Parisian, as well as the web series I all over Australia with many state Luv u But and TAFE Western Sydney and independent theatre companies, Institute’s Rob’s Campaign. Her stage spending years touring nationally, credits include Shaz and Tina: Waiting with Mum’s The Word, Boswell For for Uber (Sydney Fringe Festival), The Defence (Sydney Festival), The Lady Tabouli (Green Door/Apocalypse/ Heartbreak Kid, The Shearston Shift Griffin Theatre Company), The Girl/The (APT/ Sydney Theatre Co), Antigone Woman (Riverside’s National Theatre (Sport For Jove). Other theatre: of Parramatta), Alex and Eve: The Blood On The Cat’s Neck, Homesick, Complete Story (Factory Theatre), The Dropped, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Colour Blind Project (Tap Gallery), and Woolf? (theatrongroup), Unfinished Arabian Nights (New Theatre). Works, Greek Tragedy (Belvoir/ As a writer, Nisrine’s short filmApricot Company B), Lady Tabouli (Griffin), (ABC) received funding by Screen The Seagull, Romeo & Juliet, The NSW as part of their SEED: Regional House Of Ramon Iglesia, The God Committee (Ensemble), The Plot, The and Beirut. Believing that art should Mystery Of Love & Sex, I’m With Her, be accessible, Antony creates and (Darlinghurst Theatre Co), A Kind of distributes affordable art prints and Alaska, Hotel Hibiscus (NIDA Co), and apparel to stockists in Sydney and was in the multi-awarded productions, Amsterdam. Antony studied at UNSW Metamorphoses for Apocalypse and Art & Design, Screenwise, ACTT, State Theatre Co of South Australia’s The Actor’s Centre Australia and The The Gods Of Strangers. Deborah has Actors Hub. received several Sydney Theatre Awards nominations and will feature JOHNNY in Wicked Sisters, directed by Nadia Tass, for Griffin’s 2020 season. A NASSER proud MEAA member since 1990. PERFORMER – MARK AND SABAH Johnny is a ANTONY National Theatre MAKHLOUF Drama School PERFORMER – graduate. He has DANNY worked extensively with Sydney Antony Makhlouf is Company, Loose Canon Arts for over a multidisciplinary 15 years, creating and performing creative working as a in shows such as, Trash Alchemy television presenter, (Casula Powerhouse) Darlingwood actor and visual artist. He is best Tales (Sydney Opera House) and known for his television role on Get Monkeyshines (Sydney Opera House) Arty teaching art techniques airing as well as numerous shows touring on Channel 7 in Australia and on throughout Asia and the Middle East. Discovery Kids in New Zealand and His recent theatre credits include South East Asia. His theatre credits Dead Cat Bounce (Griffin Theatre include work staged in Sydney Company), The Effect (Redline and Adelaide, such as Amphibian Productions), The Ham Funeral (Windmill Theatre Company), Omar (Stables Theatre and Siren Theatre and Dawn (King’s Cross Theatre) Co), Night Slows Down (Bakehouse and the 2019 development of Lady Theatre Co), Julius Caesar (Geelong Tabouli (Griffin Theatre Company’s Performing Arts Centre), Vampirella BATCH Festival). (Darlinghurst Theatre Company), His intricate illustrative artworks Wilde Tales (State of Play - Downstairs and socially-charged photographic Belvoir), Arabian Night (NIDA), pieces have been exhibited Railway Wonderland (Northern Rivers extensively in Sydney, Melbourne, Performing Arts), Clusters of Light (Sharjah Ampitheatre, United Arab choreographed by Garry Stewart Emirates), The 52-Storey Treehouse (West Australian Ballet), set for and Mr Stink (CDP). Johnny’s TV Brisbane Festival’s I’ve Been Meaning credits include US series The Wilds to Ask You (The Good Room), The and Reef Break, Street Smart, Home Humans (The Old Fitz), the Green & Away, Here Come the Habibs, Room Award-winning Apokalypsis Chandon Pictures, Simone de (Next Wave Festival), Kill Climate Beauvoir’s Babies, Stingers, Legacy of Deniers (Griffin Theatre Company), the Silver Shadow. He has been in the Metamorphoses, and Doubt: A Parable following films:Shock Room, Convict (Apocalypse Theatre). and The Combination Redemption. Jonathan is currently a production Johnny was awarded a Sydney design assistant on a major motion Theatre Award for Best Supporting picture filming at Fox Studios, to be Actor in The Ham Funeral. released in 2021.

JONATHAN BENJAMIN HINDMARSH BROCKMAN PRODUCTION LIGHTING DESIGNER DESIGNER We are pleased Ben returns to welcome back to Riverside’s Jonathan after National Theatre of Riverside’s National Parramatta after the Theatre of Parramatta’s productions Girl in the Machine and The Girl/The of Grounded and The Girl/The Woman. Woman. Ben is an award-winning Jonathan Hindmarsh is an award- lighting designer who works both winning Australian production and nationally and internationally. costume designer. He graduated from His lighting design credits include NIDA’s Bachelor of Dramatic Arts in Cat’s Cradle (Legs On the Wall), 2015 and was the recipient of the Waters Edge (The Raft Development), 2018 Green Room Award for Design In the Zone, King (Shaun Parker & and the 2018 Sydney Theatre Award Company), Splinter, Replay, Diving For for Best Costume Design. Pearls (for Griffin Theatre Company). Jonathan’s recent design work Other credits include Tribes, The includes A View from the Bridge Big Dry, The Plant, Neville’s Island (Ensemble Theatre), Pomona (Ensemble Theatre), Torch Song (Red Stitch), Trevor (King’s Cross Trilogy, Broken, Detroit, Mother Theatre), The Astral Plane (Belvoir Fucker With a Hat, Tinder Box (For 25A), costumes for Reincarnation, Darlinghurst Theatre Company), Girl in the Machine, The Girl/ The BEN PIERPOINT Woman (Riverside’s National Theatre SOUND DESIGNER of Parramatta) and Metamorphoses, We are pleased to Angels In America Part 1 and 2 (For welcome Ben back Apocalypse). In addition to that, after Riverside’s he was the lighting designer for National Theatre Cripple of Inishmaan, Eurydice, You of Parramatta’s Got Older, Bengal Tiger at Baghdad productions of , , , Zoo Belleville Dark Vanilla Jungle The Girl/The Woman and Girl in the (Mad March Hare), , Shivered Dresden Machine. Ben is a theatre maker, Visiting Hours, The Laden Table, live performance producer/director, Jatinga, Straight (Bakehouse Theatre composer and sound designer. Company), Chamber Pot Opera (Bontom Entertainment for Sydney The recipient of a 2018 Sydney Adelaide Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe Theatre Award, Ben began composing Festival), Good Omens the Musical, and sound designing with Clockfire Herringbone, Grey Gardens The Theatre Company as an artistic Musical, Mystery Musical, Man of associate in 2013, collaborating on La Mancha (Squabbalogic Theatre), The Grief Parlour, A Hunger Suite, Political Children, Haunted (Spark The Natural Conservatorium for Wise Youth Theatre), Razorhurst and Women & We, the Lost Company. Carmen Alive or Dead (Hayes Other credits include Metamorphoses, Theatre Company). Angels in America, Doubt: A Parable & Asylum (Apocalypse), Jess & Joe Forever and The Underpants (Sugary Rum), Fierce (Mophead), The Girl/ The Woman (National Theatre of Parramatta), Black Birds (The Joan), Dry Land (Mad March Hare/Outhouse Theatre), The Maids and Extinction Of The Learned Response (Glitterbomb), A Little Piece Of Ash (JackRabbit), Home Invasion (An Assorted Few), You Got Older (Mad March Hare) and Cyprus Avenue (Empress Theatre). Since 2015 Ben has worked with BERNADETTE Ngaiire on multiple projects including FAM as film producer ofOnce , Diggin’, film CREATIVE FUTURES director of Diggin’ and producer of her (ASSISTANT touring live show. He also works in the DIRECTOR) management team of the future-soul Bernadette is vocalist Wallace. an emerging Arabic-Australian HANNAH interdisciplinary storyteller. Since CRANE graduating from Sydney Theatre STAGE MANAGER School in 2017, she has been a member of PYT Ensemble, National Hannah Crane is Theatre of Parramatta’s Playwrights a graduate of the of Parramatta, King’s Cross Theatre’s University of Sydney Step Up, Darlinghurst Theatre (Bachelor of Arts). Company’s Emerging Theatre Makers While studying she and Q Theatre’s Originate. was involved extensively with the Sydney University Dramatic Society She is the Associate Creative Producer (SUDS), in various roles including for Green Door Theatre Company. two terms on the executive team. Some of her recent credits as a performer and theatre maker include Since graduating she has served as a , stage manager on many independent Poo Shame Vagina Curiosity and Other Things That Won’t Kill You shows, including The Serpent’s Teeth (Edinburgh Fringe), The Serpent’s (2018, Hasemann, Ball & Radda) and Teeth (Hasemann, Ball and Rada), (2019, Curry Kings of Parramatta Spider in my Soup (Shopfront/Bondi Nautanki Theatre), and as the stage Feast), Hairworm (Eye Contact Theatre manager and/or tech operator for Company) and Swimming Pool (PYT, many shows during Sydney Fringe Fairfield). As a writer Bernadette is and Sydney Comedy Festival. currently developing Middle Where? She has had the pleasure of working She recently attended The National multiple times with Dino Dimitriadis Studio (ATYP) and was commissioned and Apocalypse Theatre Company by Q Theatre to write Mother (Annual on All My Sleep and Waking (2018), Youth Theatre Festival). Angels in America Parts 1 and 2 Bernadette is a recipient of the (2019). In 2019, she worked on the Create NSW Young Creative Leader’s early development of Lady Tabouli and Fellowship and is completing her Omar and Dawn (Apocalypse-Green grant program, Middle Where?: An Door Theatre Company partnership). Exploration of Arabic-Australian Life in Western Sydney, throughout 2019. ABOUT RIVERSIDE’S NATIONAL THEATRE OF PARRAMATTA

Based in Sydney’s geographical heart, Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta launched in November 2015 and reflects contemporary Australia through bold performances, education programs and audiences. As the producing arm of Riverside Theatres, National Theatre of Parramatta is raising the profile of performance and engaging the imagination and creative ideas that resonate in Western Sydney and beyond and is Putting the Nation on Stage. As a principal arts organisation based in Western Sydney, Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta contributes to Sydney’s vibrant artistic community by fostering the creation of new works, building capacity in the arts.

RIVERSIDE’S NATIONAL THEATRE OF PARRAMATTA

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