HTC History Boys Program R1B.Pub
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Heidelberg Theatre Company THE HISTORY BOYS HEIDELBERG THEATRE COMPANY (HTC) BOOKINGS 03 9457 4117 ENQUIRIES 03 9455 3039 EMAIL [email protected] WEB www.htc.org.au HTC is a member of the Victorian Drama League. HTC acknowledges financial assistance from the City of Banyule. HTC Artspace Exhibition Our featured artist this month is Leanne Cole, our curator. Leanne has displayed her artwork in this space many involved in the theatre. Much of her Leannewo Cole various plays. For this show she is giving you a chance of Lino Cut Prints that she has done fr times over the years that she has been rk has been displayed on the stage in Leanne works as a cycling photographer inspire her artwork. to view some of her new work. A series om the imagery she gets from cycling. and often uses the images she gets to HTC Playbill 2011 Shows to come... THE 39 STEPS by John Buchan & Alfred Hitchcock adapted by Patrick Barlow * Justin Stephens director * 15 September - 1 October UNDER MILKWOOD by Dylan Thomas * Sandy Green director * 17 November - 3 December About the author Alan Bennett Alan Bennett Alan Bennett was born in 1934 in Leeds, West Yorkshire. For his secondary education, he attended Leeds Modern School, a grammar school for boys similar to the one portrayed in ‘The History Boys’. While serving his National Service, he studied Russian at the Joint Services School for Linguists. He was offered a place at Cambridge, but he’d already spent some time at Cambridge during his National Service, and decided instead to apply for a scholarship at Oxford. He attended Exeter College and earned a first-class degree in history. Despite his academic achievements, Bennett found that the scholarly life did not suit him. At the 1960 Edinburgh Festival, he co-wrote and performed ‘Beyond the Fringe’ with fellow artists Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller, a show which achieved great success and critical acclaim. For the next few years he enjoyed a successful acting career, particularly in comedy. Bennett's first play, ‘Forty Years On’, was produced in 1968 and achieved immediate success. Bennett went on to write well-received works in television, film, and theatre. Bennett other plays include ‘Habeas Corpus’ (HTC 1984), ‘The Lady in the Van (HTC 2007) and ‘The Madness of King George III’ for which, like ‘The History Boys’ he also wrote the screenplay. About the play The History Boys premiered at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton Theatre in London in May 2004 and played to sold-out audiences for an extended run. It toured to Hong Kong, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia in 2006. The play premiered on Broadway in April 2006. The play has received more than 30 major awards, including Britain’s Olivier award for Best New Play in 2005 and six Tony Awards, including Best Play in 2006. About the director ‘The History Boys’ is the ninth production directed by Bruce Bruce Akers Bruce Akers for HTC - the others being ‘The Judas Kiss’, ‘Angels in America: Millennium Approaches’; ‘Side Man’; ‘Sylvia’; ‘A Perfect Ganesh’; ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’; ‘The Accrington Pals’ and ‘Translations’. Since ‘Angels in America’ in 2008, Bruce has appeared onstage at Heidelberg and Malvern Theatre in such productions as ‘Cloudstreet’; ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ and ‘The Elephant Man’. He first joined HTC in 1983 with ‘The Lion in Winter’ and has appeared in such landmark HTC productions as ‘The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby’; ‘Amadeus’; ‘Hobson’s Choice’; and ‘Hurlyburly’. His favourite role remains Angus in Williamstown Little Theatre’s production of ‘The Drawer Boy’ directed by Chris Baldock. Cast Hector - Peter Maver Irwin - Tim Constantine Dorothy Lintott - Juliet Hayday Headmaster - Paul Kennedy Akhtar - James Acok Crowther - Ryan Purdey Dakin - James Plunkett Lockwood - Alex Goldsworthy Posner - Tim Driver Rudge - Joshua Kerr Scripps - Samuel Chappel Timms - Brian Farrell There will be a 15 minute interval between Act 1 and 2 during which refreshments will be available in the foyer. To assist those with hearing difficulties, a hearing loop is installed in the theatre—seats 1 to 10 in all rows. HTC gratefully acknowledges a City of Banyule grant for this service. Production Team DIRECTOR Bruce Akers PRODUCTION COORDINATION Wendy Drowley STAGE MANAGER Emma Hunt ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Siobhan Earley SET DESIGN David Dare LIGHTING DESIGN Deryk Hartwick LIGHTING OPERATION Maureen White, Jessi Wilcox, John Rowe, Raymond Martini SOUND DESIGN Neil Williamson SOUND OPERATION Margaret Hassall, Bruce Akers WARDROBE Wendy Drowley, Lois Connor, Dianne Brennan PROPERTIES Bronwyn Parker PHOTOGRAPHY Patricia Tyler POSTER DESIGN James Hutson PROGRAMME Chris McLean PUBLICITY HTC Publicity Committee BOX OFFICE June Cherrey, Toni Tyers FRONT OF HOUSE Patricia Tyler & HTC members SET CONSTRUCTION David Dare Owen Evans, Doug McNaughton, Dennis Pain, Paddy Moriarty, Des Harris, Neville Wilkie, Jim Thomson & HTC Members Acknowledgements FOR THEIR VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THIS PRODUCTION THE COMPANY WISHES TO THANK: CATHERINE VÊQUE, CHERINE PECK, STUDIO 1 PERFORMING ARTS, DOROTHY CONNORS, NORTH BALWYN HIGH SCHOOL, OUR LADY OF MERCY COLLEGE, HEIDELBERG Peter Maver Peter Maver PETER MAVER (Douglas Hector) Peter has performed in more than seventy plays and musicals with several of Melbourne’s leading theatre companies. His favourite roles include Henry Higgins in ‘My Fair Lady’, C S Lewis in ‘Shadowlands’, Harry in ‘The Sum Of Us’, George in ‘Same Time Next Year’, Bill in ‘Gulls’, Arnold in ‘Torch Song Trilogy’ (VDL Best Actor Award), Roy in ‘Cosi’ and Thomas More in ‘A Man for All Seasons’. Television acting credits include appearances in ‘Halifax FP’, ‘Blue Heelers’, ‘Neighbours’, ‘Stingers’, ‘State Coroner’ and ‘Hawke’. JULIET HAYDAY (Dorothy Lintott) Juliet’s last roles at Juliet Hayday HTC include a geriatric rabbi, a Mormon mother and Ethel Rosenberg in ‘Angels in America: Millennium Approaches’ (2008) and Ma Joad in the ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ (2007). She has worked extensively throughout the Melbourne amateur theatre community and favourite roles include Beatrix in ‘Life After George’, ‘B’ in ‘Three Tall Women’, Sister Aloysius in ‘Doubt’, Margrethe in ‘Copenhagen’, the cancer-ridden poetry professor, Vivian Bearing in ‘Wit’ and this year Judith Bliss in Encore’s ‘Hay Fever’. Juliet is the recipient of numerous VDL, Lyrebird and in-house nominations and awards for both acting and costume design. Tim Constantine Tim Constantine TIM CONSTANTINE (Irwin) Tim is pleased to be returning to the Heidelberg stage. Previous roles he has played at HTC include Lord Alfred Douglas in ‘The Judas Kiss’ (2010), Quick Lamb in ‘Cloudstreet’ (2009) and Louis Ironson in ‘Angels in America: Millennium Approaches’ (2008). Tim won the VDL Award for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy for the role of Rosencrantz in HTC’s ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ (2009). Working with such enthusiastic and vibrant young actors in ‘The History Boys’ makes him feel very old indeed. If you see him in the foyer please give him a cup of cocoa and place a blanket over his knees. Paul Kennedy PAUL KENNEDY (Headmaster, Felix Armstrong) A seasoned performer, Paul appeared at HTC as Mick Dowd in ‘A Skull in Connermara’ (2009) and Roy Cohn in ‘Angels In America: Millennium Approaches’ (2008). Paul has studied with the National Theatre, VCA, and the Globe Theatre (UK). His many credits transverse straight theatre, musicals, film and television and he has won many acting awards. Paul’s other appearances include ‘Torch Song Trilogy’, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, ‘The Elephant Man’, ‘The Crucible’, ‘Les Miserables’, ‘La Cage aux Folles’, ‘Cabaret’, ‘City Homicide’, ‘Stingers’, and ‘Kath & Kim’. Tim Driver Tim Driver TIM DRIVER (Posner) Tim is a recent arrival from Brisbane. His recent awards include those for Best Comedy and Best Production in the Brisbane Short and Sweet Festival of 2010. It is also reliably reported that Tim also appears regularly on stage as a cabaret performer in North Melbourne—though Tim may deny this if questioned directly on the matter. James Plunkett James Plunkett JAMES PLUNKETT (Dakin) This is James’ first time working with Heidelberg Theatre Company. Developing a strong love for acting in 2008, he has had a major focus on training, completing numerous short courses on acting, voice, and movement with the VCA and the Zen Zen Zo physical theatre company. James’ previous acting roles include; Florindo in ‘The Servant of Two Masters’, Sam in ‘The Family Way’, Uncle in ‘Seven Jewish Children’, and Levars In ‘Ghetto’. Joshua Kerr Joshua Kerr JOSHUA KERR (Rudge) This is Josh’s on-stage debut with Heidelberg Theatre Company, after lighting the previous two productions. Josh first stage role was in ’The Crucible’ (2007). Since then he has been hooked, enjoying playing Darcy in ‘Pride & Prejudice’ and Romeo in ‘Romeo & Juliet’. Last year James took out a Victorian Musical Guild award for his role of Gaston in ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Recent theatre pursuits include participation in MTC’s Your Scholarship course. Josh is “having a blast” playing Rudge in this fun and entertaining production. BRIAN FARRELL (Timms) Brian is from Ireland and Brian Farrell moved to Melbourne 3 years ago. He has studied Acting in Ireland, New Zealand and here in Melbourne. This is Brian's 2nd performance at Heidelberg, and where he again works with Paul Kennedy, with whom he appeared in ‘A Skull in Connemara’ in 2009. Brian's recent acting work includes a T.A.C TVC & Medibank TVC shot here plus a Sony TVC in Auckland. Last year he played the role of ‘Rudge’ in the Strathmore production of ‘The History Boys’. This performance he plays ‘Timms’ and he is delighted to work with Bruce Akers who has assembled an excellent cast for this production. Alex Goldsworthy Alex Goldsworthy ALEX GOLDSWORTHY (Lockwood) Alex is currently studying Secondary Teaching (Arts) at Deakin University with majors in Performing Arts and Literature with a minor in Linguistics.