MARCH, 1985 Vol 9 No 2 ISSN 0314 - 0598 A publication of the Australian Eli zabethan Theatre Trust Cats Opens in July CATS by Andrew Lloyd Webber Based on 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats' by T. S. Eliot Directed by Trevor Nunn Assistant Director and Choreographer: Gillian Lynne Designed by John Napier Lighting design by David Hersey Theatre Royal he eagerly awaited Australian pro­ T duction of the Andrew Lloyd-Weber musical CATS opens in Sydney in July. The production will feature an all­ Australian cast (yet to be announced) with the London production team. CATS, which has been playing in Lon­ don since May 1981, is the first major musical written by Andrew Lloyd Web­ ber without the collaboration of Tim Rice. Their previous successes were JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAM COAT (1967), JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (1970) and EVITA (1975). CATS is based Footrot Flats An on T. S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" which was published in October 1939. Eliot had a great affection Hilarious Musical Frolic for cats and 'Possum' was his nickname There is little attempt at plot. The show among his friends. Based on the cartoon strip by Murray Ball Most of the poems compris'ing the book Written {or the stage by Roger Hall works instead through a series of sket­ have been set to music complete and in Music by A. K. Grant ches within the framework of some their originally published form; a few Lyrics by Philip Norman familiar themes: town against country, have been subject to a minor revision and Directed by Brian Debnam conservation against expediency, and, Musical direction by Denis Follington last but not least, the love of a good eight lines have been added to "The Song Choreography by Kevan Johnston woman against anything that stands in of the Jellicles". However, some of the Cast Includes: Robert Faggeter, Terry its way. The various animals wear lyrics were discovered among the McDermott and Wayne Comley unpublished writings of Eliot. Footbridge Theatre costumes but not masks as the produc­ tion aims to dress the actor in a stylistic Because of the anticipated demand for representation of the character and let CATS tickets, we have been unable to ne of the most widely read cartoon the audience provide the imagination to negotiate the large discount normally O strips in this part of the world is create the cartoon characters. available for major productions. We "Footrot Flats" by New Zealander have arranged a small discount but more Murray Ball which is syndicated into FOOTROT FLATS premiered in New importantly, we believe, we have set aside various Australian newspapers, Zealand and then opened in Perth in prime seats in Stalls Rows L, M and N including the Daily Mirror in Sydney. May 1984 where it was a runaway suc­ for members at specific performances. As The strip is about the goings on at a cess. A West Australian tour, Adelaide the catwalk extends back to row G we whacky farm run by Wal Footrot and season and South Australian tour believe our allocation to be the best seats populated by a diverse range of four­ followed . The musical opens at Sydney's in the house. footed friends led by Dog, Wal's co­ Footbridge Theatre on March 28. The season is presented by John Manford In­ star. BOOKING INFORMATION ternational by arrangement with the Mon Aug 26, Thu Aug 29, Mon Sep 2, It is hard to imagine the strip being suc­ Gordon Frost Organisation. Wed Sep 4, Mon Sep 16, Mon Sep 23, cessfully translated into a stage musical Thu Sep 26 at 8 p.m. but NZ playwright Roger Hall (whose BOOKING INFORMATION Sat Sep 7, Sat Sep 21, Sat Oct 5 (Long play MIDDLE AGED SPREAD was Mon Apr I to Sat Apr 13 Weekend) and Sat Oct 26 at 2 p.m. seen at the Stables Theatre in November) Mon to Sat at 8 p.m. AETT $33 .50, G.P. $35.00 Wed and Sat at 2 p .m. No pens/ stud discount working in co-operation with the strip's Two AETT tickets and two G.P. tickets creator and composer and lyricist A. K. AETT $14.00 G .P. $17 .50 per member only Grant and Philip Norman has succeeded Pens/Stud $12.00 (Mon to Fri) AETT discount unavailable at Theatre in creating an hilarious family entertain­ Two AETT tickets per member Royal ment. 2 agents, lawyers and performers. Plans Public Season by A New Lease of Life for 1985 are well ahead and include a fresh and invigorating programme of Theatre Of Deaf for the Old Salt Factory comedy, rock 'n' roll, drama, cabaret, MAN EQUALS MAN by Bertold Brecht n March 1984 Sue Hill and Chris talk, music, dance, exhibitions and Directed by Ben Strout I Westwood, principals of the theatrical variety. The theatre will be open seven Set design by !lonka Craig promotion company, Understudies, days a week with late night shows and Costume design by Imogene Hall learned that Nimrod was moving out of bar and food service. There will always Cast: Colin Allen, Carol Lee Aquiline, Janet their Surry Hills premises and that the be something going on. The theatre has Kitcher, David London, David Pidd, Steve theatre would be up for sale. Commer­ been renamed the Belvoir St. Theatre Ripley, Martha Rundell, Catherine Gillard. and opens this month. Studio at the Wharf cial managements had expressed interest in the theatre but Understudies had dif­ The theatre's pricing policy is equally in­ he Theatre of the Deaf, the ferent aspirations; they wanted to see the novative. Tickets for all performances T Australian Elizabethan Theatre theatre firmly in the hands of the profes­ are $15 .00, but instead of offering a Trust's own in-house theatre company, sion. They wanted to run a space in subscription ticket the theatre invites will present Bertold Brecht's play MAN Sydney that would generate new work, a patrons to purchase a book of ten tickets EQUALS MAN in the Sydney Theatre place for theatrical innovation and ex­ for $100 which can be used by anyone at Company's Studio Theatre at the Wharf perimentation, to introduce new writers any performance. So for example a par­ from April 10 to 27. It will be the com­ and performers and, through a broad ty of ten could use the book at one per­ pany's first public season since A range of exciting activities, to add much­ formance or a couple could use it over WINTER'S TALE in 1981. The produc­ needed colour and variety to Sydney's five visits. theatrical diet. tion of this extremely funny play by the Opening on March 7 in the Upstairs Actors, directors, designers were invited Theatre of the Deaf uses both music and Theatre is Ha Ha Ha, a remarkable to contribute $1,000 each to mount a the exciting theatricality of simultaneous company which combines rock and sign language and the spoken word to tender. The response was remarkable. theatre. It has been described as "Like a Within a short space of time, over 500 create an innovative theatre piece. rock clip on stage". Harry M. Miller shares were sold and a successful tender MAN EQUALS MAN is set in distant said of the group "It's the only new was mounted. The result was a theatre Kilkoa (Nepal) where four British frontier that I've seen in rock and roll or owned debt free by the industry for the soldiers raid a temple for its riches and, in young music theatre in more than ten industry. Shareholders in the company the process, are forced to abandon one of years". Downstairs will be a series of read like a who's who of the profession -their number. Covering up their part in films by new Australian filmmakers bas­ - Robyn Archer, Neil Armfield, the crime, the soldiers persuade a local ed around individual artists. porter, J. Galgei, to stand in for the miss­ Patrick White, Noni Haselhurst, Barry ing soldier at roll call. Galgei little knows Otto, Cathy Downes, Steve J. Spears, what he has let himself in for! Mel Gibson and Stephen Sewell to name BOOKING INFORMATION a few . Chairman of the Board is Mr. Thu Mar 7 to Sun Apr 7 The Theatre of the Deaf is Australia's Justice McClelland. premier, professional deaf theatre com­ Tue to Sat at 8 p.m. Wed, Sat and Sun at 5 p.m. pany. It consists of deaf and hearing ac­ A separate board which is also the ar­ AETT discount $1 .00 tors who use a blend of sign language, tistic directorate has been set up to run the theatre and members include a wide No AETT discounts on ticket books voice, mime and gesture to produce a Bookings on 699 3273 unique style of theatre. The company ranging expertise - directors, designers, works mainly as a theatre-in-education team and each year performs to approxi­ mately 50,000 students in schools throughout NSW. It has also visited Tasmania, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia. The company was established in 1979 under the auspices of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust and receives financial support from the Theatre Board of the Australian Council and the office of the Minister for the Arts in New South Wales. BOOKING INFORMATION Wed Apr 10 to Sat Apr 27 Tue to Sat at 8 p.m. Sat at 4 p.m. AETT $11.90, $10.00 (Apr II only) G.P. $13.90, Pens/stud $9.00 Two AETT tickets per member Ken Tribe [ or Nimrod and Jim McClelland [ or fhe Syndicafe exchange confraCfS in A ugusf 1984 3 e Australian Ballet , he Australian Ballet's 1985 season opens in Sydney on March 15 with perennially popular ballet COP­ LIA.