OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS, EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY (ISSUE 39) MARCH 2015 WAAPA welcomes new 30 years of Head of Acting Music Theatre Page 2 Page 4 Plus KABOOM PERCUSSION Overseas exchange and lifts off ... graduate success Page 8 stories! Inside WAAPA Issue 39 Page 1 WAAPA WELCOMES NEW COORDINATOR OF ACTING ACTOR, DIRECTOR AND EDUCATOR GLENDA LINSCOTT TAKES ON HER NEXT BIG ROLE Actor Glenda Linscott says that her motto appeared with William Zappa in Hate by Stephen to live by is simple: “Be Kind. Breathe. Count Sewell for Malthouse Theatre, and directed Life Your Blessings”. of Galileo and Summer of the Seventeenth Yet it is the Academy’s students who will Doll for the Complete Works Theatre Company be counting their blessings now that Linscott in Melbourne. has relocated from Melbourne to Perth to take Linscott has also taught at acting up the position of WAAPA’s new Coordinator institutions such as NIDA, VCA, MEAA, of Acting. Melbourne University, Swinburne University, Linscott brings a wealth of acting and Patrick Studios Australia and many private teaching experience to her role at WAAPA. training academies in VIC, NSW and QLD. Since graduating from NIDA in 1978, she has “The appointment of such a highly- worked extensively in theatre, film, television respected arts practitioner will undoubtedly and radio; she has taught at Australia’s major enhance WAAPA’s national reputation,” says actor training institutions; and she runs her Julie Warn, Director of WAAPA. “We’re delighted own business, Perform with Confidence, which to welcome Glenda on board, and look forward provides training and coaching services to to benefiting from her expertise.” actors and corporate clients. Linscott describes herself as being elated Linscott is best known for her award- about her WAAPA appointment. winning performance as tough bikie inmate “It’s the affirmation of a lifetime’s work and top dog Rita ‘The Beater’ Connors in the and a very great honour,” she says. “I’m very iconic Australian television series, Prisoner. excited about working with and training the That was back in 1986-87, yet people still write, next generation of elite actors.” approach her in the street, ask for photographs, and wallabies. She had finished high school Asked to name who has had the greatest and want to talk about how much they loved and was studying psychology in the UK. After influence on her career, Linscott is at a loss to the show. that day, she decided to emigrate and finish her know where to begin. degree at Ballarat University. We had a deep Linscott describes how an encounter with “Not fair! So many!” she laughs. “My first conversation about how Rita’s story – and all a Prisoner fan turned out to be one of the acting teacher Aubrey Mellor, Cicely Berry who the stories told through a piece of low budget highlights of her career. taught me in early 1980s, Lindy Davies, Nick Aussie TV soap – had the power to enhance, “I once had a very humbling encounter with a Enright, Peter Kingston, Rhys McConnochie, inspire and engage people to live better lives, Prisoner fan, who’d had a tragic early childhood, ABC Radio Drama! The playwrights! The brilliant and become better human beings.” suffering terrible physical and emotional abuse actors I’ve worked with over the years, Maggie at home, and grinding poverty,” recalls Linscott. “That made me very proud to be an actress.” King, Geoff Morrell, all the girls on Prisoner, Paul “When she was still a little girl she went to Linscott’s long list of television credits also Eddington, Julia Blake, William Zappa, Blessing visit her grandmother one holiday. She saw includes regular roles on the drama series Mokgohloa ... too many!” an episode of Prisoner with me playing Rita Murder Call as pathologist Dr. Imogen Soames; When Linscott launched her training Connors. She told me that she didn’t know on Neighbours as Dr. Jessica Girdwood, a company Perform with Confidence in 2008, human beings could be like that – so full of surgeon at Erinsborough Hospital; and more she wrote herself a mission statement. It reads: life, so fun, so passionate, so caring – even recently on Winners & Losers as Lily Patterson, “Glenda’s intention is at all times to support the when they were behind bars. She made up her Frances’ wayward mother. realisation of the individual’s potential. Allowing mind that she would meet me one day. Her Among her considerable theatre experience, the development of imagination, creativity and grandmother told her if she applied herself and Linscott has performed lead roles for major adventurous story telling in order to develop finished school, she would help her with the theatre companies in plays such as Steaming, excellence in communication and performing airfare to Australia.” Daylight Saving, Speaking in Tongues, Crimes with confidence; to serve our community by “Twelve years later she flew out to Australia of the Heart, and Dinner with Friends. reflecting the value and meaning of our lives.” as part of a UK Fan Club event and met me. In 2012, she was nominated for a Greenroom It seems WAAPA’s Acting course is in We talked as we walked around the Wildlife Award for Best Actress for Bad Blood Blues at good hands. Sanctuary in Ballarat, held koalas, met goannas Melbourne’s Chapel Off Chapel. Last year she Photo by Yatzek Page 2 Inside WAAPA Issue 39 MEG MAC SCORES TRIPLE TRACKS IN HOTTEST 100 VOCAL POWERHOUSE MEG MAC SCORES THREE TRACKS IN TRIPLE J’S HOTTEST 100 FOR 2014 Since snagging one of the three “Around the time I graduated I had winning places in the Unearthed only recorded one song which I had Falls Festival competition for 2013, written that year,” said McInerney. Meg Mac has been making a name “Being an unknown and unsigned for herself with her sophisticated artist I created a profile on Triple J songwriting and velvety-smooth, Unearthed and uploaded my first soulful vocals. single, Known Better and put my After graduating from WAAPA’s music out in to the world for the Contemporary Music course in 2012, first time. I guess you can say I was Meg Mac – a shortening of her real ‘unearthed’ by Triple J because it all name, Megan McInerney – brought started from there. I started getting out two singles in quick succession airplay and support from the station, to critical acclaim, Known Better presenters and the listeners and and Every Lie, both of which that all led me to write and record feature her trademark bluesy more and now I find myself where I instrumentation and bursts of am today.” passionate vocal power. Behind the scenes, Composition Now three of her songs have and Music Technology graduate made it into Triple J’s Hottest 100 for Charlie Daily produced two tracks by 2014: Roll up Your Sleeves was voted Allday that made the Hottest 100 cut: in at 24, Grandma’s Hands charted at You Always Know the DJ scored at 35 46 and Bridges (Like a Version 2014) and Right Now was voted in at 65. came in at 91. DR THOMPSON TAKES CENTRE STAGE t Edith Cowan University’s graduation funding for 12 special projects at WAAPA ceremony on January 31, Australian this year. Ascreen legend Jack Thompson was the Included will be a play by leading recipient of the honorary title of Doctor of playwright David Milroy to be performed Performing Arts honoris causa. by the students of WAAPA’s Aboriginal The award recognises Thompson “as one Theatre course. of Australia’s most iconic performing artists and for his decades of leadership as an ambassador of reconciliation.” Dr Thompson AM, who lives in Sydney, is a regular visitor to WAAPA. He has held several masterclasses for students and his son Bill graduated from the Acting course in 2013. Dr Thompson is also the Founding Patron of the Jackman Furness Foundation for the Performing Arts, which was established by WAAPA alumnus Hugh Jackman and actor, producer and director Deborra-lee Furness in 2014. The Jackman Furness Foundation, with support from the Andrew and Nicola Forrest- founded Minderoo Foundation, has approved From left: Director of WAAPA Professor Julie Warn, Dr Jack Thompson and Jonny Hawkins Photo by Paul Santelmann, GFP Studios Inside WAAPA Issue 39 Page 3 SHOWSTOPPERS KICK OFF 30TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR WAAPA’S MUSIC THEATRE COURSE TURNS 30 ... AND KICK STARTS THE YEAR WITH A SHOW-STOPPING FUNDRAISER Launching a year of celebrations to mark 20-23. Themed Australasian Overtures, this will the 30th anniversary of WAAPA’s renowned be the first MTEA Conference to be held in the Music Theatre course, the Academy hosted southern hemisphere. a fundraising gala concert in the Geoff Gibbs The conference will bring together musical Theatre on February 9. theatre educators from all over the world to share WAAPA Music Theatre Showstoppers featured ideas about curriculum, recruitment, production the entire cast of Cameron Mackintosh’s and professional placement. It will also unite acclaimed new production of Les Misérables – educators with professional theatre artists in which includes 16 WAAPA graduates – with their their respective fields, with key Australian and Musical Director Geoffrey Castles, members of international artists being featured. There will the orchestra and key technical staff, who all be presentations, workshops, discussions and Heath Stephen by Photo generously donated their time to make the gala entertainment pertinent to teachers of acting, Music Theatre graduate Kerrie Anne Greenland, who plays Éponine in Les Misérables, performing in WAAPA’s Showstoppers gala concert possible. Les Misérables also celebrates 30 singing, dance and voice. years this year. Comedian, author, playwright, actor and WAAPA Music Theatre graduates that he has All funds raised will benefit WAAPA’s hosting director Ben Elton, who is patron of the MTEA auditioned and employed.