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Busy Arts season highlights change and continuity
By Natalie Bochenski It's the way of things, really isn't it — a disgruntled populace dismiss a long-serving leader only to replace him/her with someone who looks, walks and talks differently, but in essence, is the same. In mid-2002 Kurt Lerps was appointed the new artistic director of the Brisbane Arts Theatre, replacing Brenda White, who'd had the job for four years. The board believed Lerps would be the answer to the theatre's prayers, a man who would bring financial and critical success to a theatre not struggling, but certainly needing a shot in the arm. But BAT's Season 2003 shows no radical change to White's approach. I see similar principles in action — only the execution of them differs. And say what you like about Brenda White's decisions as AD, no one who has met her could doubt her loyalty to the theatre and her desire to give actors, directors and crew opportunities to better themselves and the BAT community in general. So I figure as long as Kurt Lerps has those same feelings of loyalty and dedication, then Season 2003 should be a good one for Brisbane Arts. The BAT is a busy little theatre, with three programs running simultaneously — main house, early week and children's. Main house has always been about providing entertaining mainstream productions, picked to draw a crowd who'll know what they're getting. In 2003 there'll be eleven of these, with musicals (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole and Dinkum Assorted) beginning and ending the year. In between there are comedies (Blithe Spirit, The Solid Gold Cadillac, The Lady's Not for Burning, The Good Doctor, Outside Edge and the requisite Terry Pratchett play, Carpe Jugulum), dramas (The Woman in Black, The Herbal Bed) and the required David Williamson (Brilliant Lies). There is a good mix in this line-up — Neil Simon, Noel Coward, Richard Harris, George Kaufman — adhering to that good business principle especially true at the Arts "something for everyone". I must say it's a great coup for the theatre to have the Brisbane premiere of Peter Whelan's The Herbal Bed, about Shakespeare's daughter Susanna. After a year of being retitled "Fresh", the BAT's early week program has gone back to that unimaginative moniker, "Early Week". However, I'm eternally grateful that the theatre has kept this vital part of the season on, and even extended it to five shows. It demonstrates their commitment to different types of theatre, and dare I say it, to their younger members. Early Week in 2003 has its youth and alternative-culture based shows (Juice and The Landscape of Men), its classics (Twelfth Night and Waiting for Godot) and an end-of-year comedy (Last Tango and Last Panto at Little Grimley). Early Week co-ordinator John Boyce has chosen a great mix, which will hopefully encourage punters to get out and see theatre on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. Again, the children's show program is full of exciting prospects for my two young cousins, who came to almost every show in 2002 and loved every minute. Seven shows (James and the Giant Peach, The Little Tin Soldier, Babe, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, The Bad Wolf's Revenge, The Princess and the Pea and The Snow Queen), all with a heap of the theatre's best young talent — involved in directing, choreographing and even writing! Co-ordinator Sally Daly does a bang-up job in getting all these keen youngsters involved in what is undoubtedly one of the theatre's most popular aspects (at least for my cousins!). So all looks well for the Brisbane Arts Theatre in 2003. The principles of decent, old fashioned entertainment (main house) will hopefully exist harmoniously with plans to reach new audiences with new kinds of shows (early week) and an already successful kids line-up. It is good to see Kurt Lerps taking the theatre in a firm direction, keeping the principles of Brenda White going. I hope the theatre will back up these excellent scripts with good machinery of production, from cast and crew, to most especially publicity and promotion. People these days don't just wander in hoping for something good. They're more likely to shell out the $80-odd for the latest Lyric Theatre extravaganza. Potential audiences need to be targeted and appealed to. The theatre can and should be able to find an audience, and that's exactly what they have to do. Find them. (23 December 2002) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine La Boite launches final Hale Street season Artistic director Sean Mee and actor/writer Michael Forde emerged from coffins at La Boite's season launch on Friday, while the audience were issued with black armbands. It was all to draw attention to the demise of the Hale Street theatre, with its last season about to be performed. (It closes just before the rebuilt Lang Park across the road hosts matches in the rugby World Cup. La Boite moves to Kelvin Grove Urban Village in 2004, as part of the QUT Creative Industries precinct.) Although the point of the launch was somewhat blunted by La Boite's releasing the season details early to the Courier-Mail, guests entered into the spirit of the not particularly mournful occasion in welcoming the forthcoming productions. The season includes new plays, continuing the La Boite tradition of fostering local talent, as well as classics and recent box office successes. Details are: Louis Nowra's Cosi, directed by Adam Cook and featuring Karen Crone (February 6-22), Daniel Keene's Half & Half, directed by Sean Mee and with Hayden Spencer and Jason Klarwein (March 13-29), Margery & Michael Forde's Still Standing, directed by Andrew Buchanan (May 1-24), David Williamson's The Removalists, directed by Lewis Jones (August 7-30), and Norman Price's Urban Dingoes, directed by Jean-Marc Russ (September 19-October 4). For more information see the La Boite web site. (2 November 2002) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine Arts minister sings too soon at Opera launch Opera Queensland officials were bemused as Queensland Arts minister Matt Foley blithely spilled the beans on one of their prime secrets just seconds before the official announcement of the 2003 season yesterday. Foley chirpily told guests at the swanky Stamford Plaza launch that Tosca would be among next year's works — leaving opera boss Chris Mangin with a little less to reveal than he had hoped. "I think you've had something of a clue as to where we're going," said Mangin drily, as he named next year's operas. But the audience was forgiving, especially when confronted with the treat of offerings — an opera lover's dream. The three big staged productions next year are Tosca, Don Giovanni and Sweeney Todd, in addition to Verdi's Requiem. Details are: Verdi's Requiem with the OQ Chorus, the Queensland Choir and the Queensland Orchestra (Brisbane City Hall, March 28-29), Puccini's Tosca, directed by John Copley, with Arax Mansourian, Patrick Power and Kimm Julian (Lyric Theatre, May 17-31), Mozart's Don Giovanni, directed by David Bell, with Jose Carbo, Rachelle Durkin and Rosemarie Arthars (Conservatorium Theatre, July 12-August 2), Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, directed by Gale Edwards, with Philip Quast and Judi Connelli (Lyric Theatre, October 11-25). There's also a three-week regional tour in August of Moonlight, Mozart & the Movies, a collection of opera, musical and cinema favourites, which goes to Mout Isa, Richmond, Hughenden, Charters Towers, Ingham, Ayr, Proserpine, Mackay, Moranbah, Emerald, Rockhampton and Maryborough. OQ will also join OzOpera in a tour of La boheme to six regional centres in August-September. In anticipation of criticisms of the conventional programming for 2003, Chris Mangin said OQ was proud of its commitment to development of new repertoire, had realised three new Australian works in the past four years and had three new works under development. For more information see the Opera Queensland web site. (25 October 2002) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine QTC's nine-play season ranges from classics to new Australian theatre The Queensland Theatre Company will produce nine plays in 2003, including famous 20th Century plays, two French classics, a Noel Coward musical and new Australian drama. Announcing the line-up today, QTC artistic director Michael Gow said its theme of "sheer emotional impact" summed up the experience to be captured in the 2003 season. The season opens with Ron Blair's 1970s one-actor hit The Christian Brothers, directed by John Bell and acted by Peter Carroll (Cremorne, February 20-March 22). Next is A Conversation, the second of David Williamson's trilogy of community conferencing plays, centred on a meeting between the parents of a murder-rape victim and the family of the perpetrator. Directed by Jean-Mark Russ, its cast includes Carol Burns, Michael Forde, Kevin Hides and Sally McKenzie (Optus, March 27-April 12). Winner of this year's inaugural Queensland Premier's Drama Award, Sven Swenson's Road to the She-Devil's Salon is a Brisbane-based comedy directed by Scott Witt and with a cast including Sue Dwyer and Peter Marshall (Bille Brown Studio, April 10-May 10). It is followed by modern British classic A Day in the Death of Joe Egg by Peter Nichols. Directed by Carol Burns, Joe Egg's cast includes Stu Cochrane, Paul Denny, Sarah Kennedy, Caroline Kennison and Nicola Scott (Cremorne, May 22-June 21). QTC makes a return to musical theatre with its July production, Noel Coward's We Were Dancing, featuring two leading Australian performers, Dennis Olsen and Amanda Muggleton. Directed by Michael Gow, the trio of plays also includes Melinda Butel and Jean-Marc Russ (Optus, July 10-26). It is followed by the Irish Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh, directed by Jon Halpin and with a cast including Iain Gardiner and Hayden Spencer (Bille Brown Studio, August 7-September 6). French classic Phedra by Racine, the retelling of a Greek myth, is directed by Michael Gow and includes Penny Everingham, Anita Hegh, Jason Klarwein and Roxanne McDonald (Powerhouse Theatre, September 18-October 11). A return to Australia comes next, with Angela Betzien's The Orphanage Project. The story of two children in a remote orphage is directed by Leticia Caceres, with Jodie Le Vesconte and Kyas Sherriff in the cast (Bille Brown Studio, October 23-November 15). The 2003 season finishes with Moliere's farce Scapin, adapted and directed by Scott Witt and with a cast including Paul Blackwell, Bridget Boyle, Helen Cassidy, Andrew Cory, Michael Habib, Annie Lee, Andy McDonell, Caroline Mignone, Justin Moore and Bryan Probets (Optus, November 24-December 13). (7 October 2002) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine Rugger boss kicks off Queensland Ballet season Brisbane's 2003 performing arts season was kicked off today by Queensland Rubgy Union chief Jeff Miller, who launched the Queensland Ballet program for next year. Miller paid tribute to the athleticism, energy, fitness and courage of Queensland ballet dancers, several of whom had a training session with the Reds at Ballymore (Ballet-more?) this year. He said the Reds were impressed with the dancers' skills, and recognised that their two forms of performance had similar challenges, such as building audiences and helping the punters understand the finer points of the game. QB general manager Judith Anderson said she looked forward to the days when blokes talked ballet in pubs and salary caps became an issue in ballet. The 2003 season, which has a "myth and magic" theme, centres on new work by QB choreographers. The major work is Excalibur — the Legend of King Arthur, choreographed by Francois Klaus (Optus, November 1-15). Two other works drawing on classic literature are Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (choreo Klaus, Optus February 28 - March 15) and R.L. Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde (choreo Paul Boyd, Powerhouse December 12-20, with a companion work by Tim Brown). The season also includes the International Gala (August 8-10) and the Vis-a-vis series in February, June and August. Regional Queensland will see tours of last year's Brisbane successes Don Quixote (Gold Coast April 19, Cairns April 26-27, Mackay May 3, Rockhhampton May 7) and The Amazing Magician (Gold Coast April 19, Cairns April 24, Townsville April 29, Mackay May 4, Maryborough May 9, Gympie May 10, Nambour May 11). Artistic director Francois Klaus told the launch audience that Brisbane was full of very talented musicians, and he regretted that people felt they had to go overseas to be successful. He also regretted the lack of connections between dancers and other performing artists. Klaus said it was his aim to develop performance opportunities bringing together the talent of dance, instrumental playing, singing and acting, to showcase Brisbane's strong artistic capabilities. For more information on the QB 2003 season see the Queensland Ballet web site. (4 October 2002) www.STAGEDIARY.com: Queensland's Online Stage Magazine webmaster@stagediary.com |