7 JULY – 20 AUGUST 2016 A HISTORY OF FALLING THINGS by James Graham A HISTORY OF FALLING THINGS by James Graham PLAYWRIGHT DIRECTOR JAMES GRAHAM NICOLE BUFFONI CAST CREW ROBIN JACQUI DESIGNER ASSISTANT ERIC BEECROFT SOPHIE HENSSER ANNA GARDINER STAGE MANAGER SLADE BLANCH LIGHTING LESLEY REECE DESIGNER WARDROBE MERRIDY BRIAN MEEGAN CHRISTOPHER PAGE COORDINATOR EASTMAN RENATA BESLIK AV DESIGNER JIMMY TIM HOPE DIALECT SAM O’SULLIVAN COACH SOUND DESIGNER NICK CURNOW ALISTAIR WALLACE JOHN REHEARSAL (VOICEOVER) STAGE OBSERVER MARK KILMURRY MANAGER ELSIE EDGERTON-TILL LARA QUALTROUGH PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY RUNNING TIME: APPROXIMATELY 90 MINUTES (NO INTERVAL) JAMES GRAHAM – PLAYWRIGHT James is a playwright and film Barlow. It opened in Boston in Summer 2014 and and television writer who won transferred to Broadway in Spring 2015. His play the Pearson Playwriting Bursary THE VOTE at the Donmar Warehouse aired in real in 2006 and went on to win the time on TV in the final 90 minutes of the 2015 Catherine Johnson Award for the Best Play in polling day and has been nominated for a BAFTA. 2007 for his play EDEN’S EMPIRE. James’ play His first film for television, CAUGHT IN A TRAP, was THIS HOUSE premièred at the Cottesloe Theatre broadcast on ITV1 on Boxing Day 2008. James was in September 2012, directed by Jeremy Herrin, and picked as one of Broadcast Magazine’s Hotshots transferred to the Olivier in 2013 where it enjoyed in the same year. He is developing original series a sell out run and garnered critical acclaim and and adaptations with Tiger Aspect, Leftbank, a huge amount of interest and admiration from Kudos and the BBC. His film X AND Y has been current and former MP’s for his rendition of life produced by Origin Pictures and BBC Films and in the House of Commons. James’s play TORY was on the prestigious ‘Brit List’, the list of the BOYZ for the National Youth Theatre caused a best unproduced screenplays in the UK. It opened storm during its run at the Soho Theatre and in cinemas in Spring 2015 starring Rafe Spall, received excellent reviews for its portrayal of Sally Hawkins & Eddie Marsan. He is currently young, gay men in the modern Conservative Party. working on an adaptation of 1984 for director Paul His play THE WHISKY TASTER premiered at the Greengrass. James’ play PRIVACY will open at the Bush Theatre in early 2010 to uniformly excellent Public Theatre Off Broadway in New York in July reviews. He has written the book for FINDING 2016 starring Daniel Radcliffe. NEVERLAND the musical with music by Gary NICOLE BUFFONI – DIRECTOR Nicole studied under Hayes LADIES IN LAVENDER, A PICASSO (Ensemble Gordon AO OBE and Zika Nester Theatre), PUSH UP (Newtown Theatre), THE QUIET OAM at the Ensemble Studios. BROTHER- AWGIE Nominated (Belvoir Downstairs), She worked as an Assistant THE THINGS GOOD MEN DO (Tap Gallery) THE Director for Mark Kilmurry and Sandra Bates on HISTORY OF THEATRE and LOVE, DEATH AND A numerous productions between 2008 and 2013. In LITTLE MADNESS (HGR Shakespeare in Schools 2008 she received the Order of Australia Emerging Program), SOMEONE WHO’LL WATCH OVER ME, Director’s Grant. In 2012 she received the Walter BOMBSHELLS, CRIMES OF THE HEART, PLAYING Reid Memorial Prize at Sydney University. Earlier SMALL (self devised), LOYALTIES and GIRL this year Nicole served as Ensemble Theatre INTERRUPTED for which she wrote the stage Literary Coordinator. Directing credits include: adaptation (Ensemble Studios). A HISTORY OF FALLING THINGS by James Graham 3 ERIC BEECROFT – ROBIN For Ensemble Theatre: THE ANZAC UNDER MILK WOOD, THE TRIAL, and HAMLET PROJECT, DARK VOYAGER, and (WAAPA). Film: LIFE (dir. Robert Stromberg), A THE GLASS MENAGERIE. Other LADY AND A ROBOT (Tropfest Finalist 2014 dir. Toby theatre credits include: MACBETH Morris), RED (AFTRS dir. Erin Good). WAAPA Acting and ROMEO AND JULIET (Sport for Jove Theatre), Graduate 2010. MERRIDY EASTMAN – LESLEY A NIDA graduate, Merridy Eastman Merridy’s first book was published by Allen and has performed in a swag of Unwin. THERE’S A BEAR IN THERE (AND HE WANTS productions for the Melbourne and SWEDISH) was an Australian best seller, and was Sydney Theatre Companies as well followed by RIDICULOUS EXPECTATIONS (2007) as the State Theatre Company of South Australia. and HOW NOW BROWN FRAU (2011). Merridy has Having appeared in many television comedies contributed to two anthologies, Penguin’s THANKS and dramas, Merridy is best known for being a FOR THE MAMMARIES (2009) and Pan Macmillan’s former PLAYSCHOOL presenter and a regular cast JUST BETWEEN US (2013). She was one of the member of television series ALWAYS GREENER and contributing writers of BREAST WISHES the Musical, PACKED TO THE RAFTERS. Most recently she has and is a regular columnist for the Wentworth Courier. appeared on the fourth series of RAKE. In 2002, SOPHIE HENSSER – JACQUI Sophie has trained with the UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE, COPS LAC, ALL Australian Theatre for Young SAINTS and THE SADDLE CLUB. Her theatre credits People and participated in the include UGLY MUGS FOR MALTHOUSE Theatre NIDA open program. Sophie / Griffin Theatre Directed by Marion Potts, THE holds a BA in Media Communications, Media, Arts REMOVALISTS for Tamarama Rock Surfers directed and Production from UTS. Sophie is currently by Leland Kean, SILENT DISCO for the Griffin Theatre screening in Series 3 of Channel Nine’s acclaimed Company, directed by Lee Lewis, THE DISTANCE production of LOVE CHILD in the role Viv. Her FROM HERE for Griffin independent directed by other television credits include AUSTRALIA THE John Sheedy, SUMMERFOLK FOR BOB PRESENTS, STORY OF US, Channel Nine’s TRICKY BUSINESS directed by Eamon Flack. Sophie was nominated as the series regular Lily Christie, SERANGOON for “Best Newcomer” at the 2011 Sydney Theatre ROAD and CROWNIES for ABC, HOME AND AWAY, Awards for SILENT DISCO. BRIAN MEEGAN – REECE Brian graduated from WAAPA in MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and THE GRASS 1984. For The Ensemble Theatre WIDOW for The Hole in the Wall Theatre Company. Brian has appeared in ABSENT BREAKING THE SILENCE for Marian Street, MUCH FRIENDS, NEIGHBORHOOD ADO ABOUT NOTHING for Shakespeare in the Park, WATCH, FRANKENSTEIN, THE ACT, MY HAMLET, HENRY IV, OTHELLO and ANTHONY AND WONDERFUL DAY, NINETY, ABIGAIL’S PARTY, CLEOPATRA for Sydney Theatre Company and KING CHAPTER TWO, ART, THE HEARTBREAK KID, LEAR for The Studio Company. Brian also co-wrote MACBETH, WRONG FOR EACH OTHER, ALARMS his own show, THE BOYS GOTTA BONK which toured AND EXCURSIONS and THE BOYS NEXT DOOR. to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. For Television His other theatre credits include COCK for Red he has appeared in DEVILS DUST, UNDERBELLY Line Productions, GLEN GARRY GLEN ROSS for “BADNESS”, A MODEL DAUGHTER – THE KILLING OF the Western Australian Theatre Company and A CAROLINE BYRNE, SEA PATROL, WATER RATS, ALL SAINTS, GRASS ROOTS, STINGERS, BLUE HEELERS, ADVENTURE – Interactive DVD and DEADLY BLUE WATER HIGH, THROUGH MY EYES. Brian for Yoram Gross, voice work on the Interactive played the regular character of Colin Thompson on game BORDERLANDs for 2K Australia P/L. Brian’s GOING HOME for SBS. For the ABC he has appeared film appearances include PRIME MOVER, $9.99, in MARKING TIME and CURTIN. His voice over JOYRIDER, THREADED, RISK and THE ILLUSTRATED credits include PETALS for ABC, OZ THE MAGICAL FAMILY DOCTOR. SAM O’SULLIVAN – JIMMY Originally from Perth, Sam and STORIES LIKE THESE, THE REMOVALISTS for completed a Bachelor of Arts at The Rock Surfers, HILT for Mirror Mirror, MUSIC Curtin University, majoring in Film for Stories Like These and Griffin Independent, and Television before moving to CONSTELLATIONS for the Darlinghurst Theatre Sydney to attend the National Institute of Dramatic Company, PLATONOV for Mophead Productions, Art. Since graduating, Sam’s theatre credits include KILL THE MESSENGER for Belvoir St Theatre and MY the HOBO Collective’s MEN WITHOUT SHADOWS, ZINC BED for Ensemble Theatre. His screen credits Toby Schmitz’s, CAPTURE THE FLAG, the 2011 JUST include the short films LITTLE LOVE, SIMPLETON, FOR LAUGHS COMEDY GALA, the Rodney Seaborn ZOMBIE CASE STUDY, DASH and BACKPACK and Award winning play, SPROUT, Australian Youth TV series BLACK COMEDY, WONDERLAND, PACKED Workshop’s SHAKESPEARE ON TRIAL, Pantsguys’ TO THE RAFTERS and FAST TRACKS. In 2012, multi-award winning production of Simon Steven’s, Sam was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award PUNK ROCK, Cathode Ray Tube’s A STEADY RAIN, for Best Actor in an Independent Production for his POSTNUPTIALS for AnotherBrightIdea and the performance in PUNK ROCK. Sydney Mardi Gras Festival, PLAYHOUSE for NIDA ANNA GARDINER – DESIGNER A WAAPA Design graduate, THIS FELLA, MY MEMORY (Moogahlin Performing Anna has designed numerous Arts), HENRY V (Bell Shakespeare), BLOOD BROTHERS productions across Sydney (Enda Markey Presents), THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER including, Costume Design: for (Monkey Baa), ORPHANS (Redline Productions), Sport for Jove - ROMEO AND JULIET, AS YOU LIKE IT, SHELLSHOCK (Riverside Theatre), FOLLIES - IN MACBETH, HAMLET, CYRANO DE BERGERAC. Set and CONCERT (Storyboard Entertainment), INNER VOICES Costume Design: for Sport for Jove - THE TEMPEST, (Don’t Look Away). Anna has been nominated for two TWELFTH NIGHT, THE CRUCIBLE, THE MERCHANT Sydney Theatre Awards for her work on CYRANO DE OF VENICE, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, BERGERAC and THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (Sport THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. For Ensemble Theatre for Jove), was nominated for a Greenroom Award for - A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD, CAMP, DARK Henry V (Bell Shakespeare) and was the winner of the VOYAGER, ABSENT FRIENDS, EDUCATING RITA, THE 2014 Sydney Theatre Award for Best Stage Design SHOEHORN SONATA, LADIES IN LAVENDER, JACK of a Mainstream Production for HENRY V. Anna has OF HEARTS.