new theatre
542 King St
Newtown (Sydney)
Current Program

2008 Past Productions

James and the Giant Peach | Mardi Gras Festival 2008 - Corpus Christi, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, Lemon Delicious, Rainbow Collection | Kids Club Summer, Autumn, Winter, Halloween | Hamlet | Loosely Woven Concert | Angels in America - Part One: Millennium Approaches | Education Program: Cosi, Away, Dead White Males, Speed the Plow | Censored Banned Plays: Saved | The Real Inspector Hound | King Lear | Second Childhood | New Directions 2008: Catapult, Airsick, The Carnivores, Colder Than Here | The Crucible at the Seymour Centre | Beauty of the World - Loosely Woven Concert | A Clockwork Orange | A Nasty Piece of Work | Brand Spanking NewLittle Shop of Horrors

James and the Giant Peach

Young James Henry Totter has lost his parents in an unfortunate accident involving a rampaging rhinoceros. He is sent to live with his miserable and mangy aunts Spiker and Sponge, who proceed to make his life a misery.

One day, James meets a mysterious old man, who offers him a gift of the strongest magic. Overnight, a giant peach tree grows in the bottom of the garden, and its five oversized inhabitants - Centipede, Earthworm, Grasshopper, Ladybird and Spider - befriend James and bring happiness and excitement back into his life.

So begins an amazing adventure as James and his newfound mates set off across the sea to New York, accompanied by squawking seagulls, scary sharks - and one very big peach!

"Highly creative ... a wonderful ensemble of performers brimming with daring, adventure and humour on stage and with their interactions with the pint-sized punters. ...James and the Giant Peach is sure to be the best source of imaginative and accessible live entertainment you'll find this school holidays!" - australianstage.com

"It was a great production, with a wonderful story, fabulous characterisations, terrific costumes and a really simple and imaginative set. Our two littlies were mesmerised." Rose Costelloe, Canberra

4 - 25 January 2008
WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY @ 1pm
Additional Performance: WEDNESDAY 23 January 2008 @ 10am
Tickets: $17 ($14 groups 10+)
BOOKINGS: 1300 306 776 / www.mca-tix.com

Hamlet

by William Shakespeare
Directed by Fiona Hallenan

The classic story of love, loyalty and revenge is given a sharp and edgy interpretation that emphasizes the dark heart of the play.

Drawing parallels between the world of Shakespeare's tragedy and contemporary society, this production brings into focus the complex human drama that underscores the action.

Elsinore is an enclave of the rich and powerful, a bastion of the criminal underworld, but within its protective walls the social fabric is shredding. The younger generation is rejecting the values of ruthless and ambitious parents out of touch with their needs, and at the heart of this conflict is Hamlet, a young man struggling to come to grips with his destiny in a world he despises yet can't escape.

Associate Director: Danielle Wilding-Forbes
Set Design: Tom Bannerman
Lighting Design: Tony Youlden
Sound Design: John Blake (DJ Soup)
Featuring: Ashley Adkins, Donna Brooks, Alex Bryant-Smith, Rebecca Clay, Harley Connor, Richard Cox, Barry French, Dannielle Jackson, Tara Jay, Joshua North, David Ritchie, Dee Wilson, Peter Wright, and Johann Walraven as 'Hamlet'

13 March - 12 April 2008
(No performance Good Friday 21 March 2008 or Easter Saturday 22 March 2008)
THURSDAY - SATURDAY 8pm, SUNDAY 5pm
$27 full / $22 concession / $17 School groups (1 teacher free per 10 students)
BOOKINGS: 1300 306 776 / www.mca-tix.com

Loosely Woven presents
'On the road again'

- a light-hearted concert for all the family.

The popular acoustic group Loosely Woven is an eclectic bunch of 20 musicians based on the Northern Beaches. Loosely Woven regularly performs at new theatre with all ticket sales being donated to the new theatre building fund. These concerts are always a lot of fun, and involve audience participation for both young and old!

2pm Saturday 12 April 2008
Tickets $15
Bookings: 9519 3403 or available at the door.

Angels in America - Part One: Millennium Approaches

by Tony Kushner
Directed by Alex Galeazzi

Hailed as the most ambitious American play of our time, Angels in America seamlessly blends realism and fantasy in a provocative, enticing journey through politics, sex, religion and identity.

Subtitled 'A gay fantasia on national themes', everything is fair game in this sprawling epic of life in the time of AIDS. From The Bronx to Salt Lake City, via Antarctica and the Kremlin, a cultural melting pot of Mormons, Jews, African Americans, gays, angels and drag queens all figure in this witty, brave and life-affirming play.

"Astonishing with its breadth and daring ... this production far exceeds expectations ... 7/10" Jason Blake, SunHerald

"A winner ... it's one of the best productions, independent or mainstream, of the first half of 2008" Diana Simmonds, StageNoise

"Makes it stunningly clear why this is considered one of the best American plays ever written ... a wonderful production" Veronica Hannon, SX

"One of the most elegant productions ever seen at new theatre ... the ensemble work beautifully together ... highly recommended" Christian Taylor, SameSame

"Impressive ...this stunning production is a testament to those smaller theatres that surprise us with sophisticated ingenuity ...professional and proficient ... there were many outstanding moments"M/C Reviews

"Fast-paced and cinematic ... still relevant today, the play forces us to ask probing questions of ourselves and our world" ArtsHub

"Confronting yet enjoyable ... well worth seeing" AussieTheatre.com

Directed by Alex Galeazzi
Assistant Director: Neil Gooding
Set design: Brigid Dighton
Lighting design: Michael Schell
Sound design: Panos Couros
Projected image design: John Henry Martin
Voice and Dialect Coach: Simon Stollery
Costume design: Alice Morgan

Cast: Abigail Austin, Laurence Coy, Elaine Hudson, Angus King, Ray Chong Nee, Beejan Olfat, Tyran Parke, Jane Phegan

24 April - 24 May 2008
THURSDAY - SATURDAY 8pm, SUNDAY 5pm
$27 full / $22 concession / $17 School groups (1 teacher free per 10 students)
BOOKINGS: 1300 306 776 / www.mca-tix.com

The Real Inspector Hound

by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Frank McNamara

"A rollicking murder-mystery spoof"

The Real Inspector Hound is a witty romp that turns the classic 'whodunnit' genre on its head.

Moon and Birdboot, two pompous drama critics, are attending the production of a new theatrical thriller. All the classic ingredients are there: an isolated country house, a dark and stormy night, guests with hidden agendas, a faithful housekeeper and a mysterious stranger. However, as the mayhem unfolds and the body refuses to be found, the two critics find themselves thrust into the midst of the action with absurd and deadly consequences.

Stoppard is the master of theatrical invention, dazzling wordplay and 'serious comedy' and The Real Inspector Hound glows with intelligence, philosophical wit and a delicious sense of fun.

"An enjoyable production ... engaging and very funny" - Stephen Dunne, Sydney Morning Herald

"A night of great fun ... strong, highly enjoyable performances with great comic timing ... if you're in the mood for a light-hearted romp, this is just the ticket" - Sonia Allen, AustralianStage.com.au

Set and Lighting Design: Tony Youlden

Cast: Richard Cox, Alan Faulkner, Chris Francis, Lynden Jones, Elisha Oliver, Nell Shipley, Peter Talmacs and Sandra Velini

5 June - 5 July 2008
THURSDAY - SATURDAY 8pm, SUNDAY 5pm
$27 full / $22 concession / $17 School groups (1 teacher free per 10 students)
FREE SUNDAY: Sunday 8 June @ 5pm.
BOOKINGS: 1300 306 776 / www.mca-tix.com

Special Event
Harlos Productions at new theatre in 2008

KING LEAR

by William Shakespeare
Directed by David Ritchie

Due to the upgrading of Bondi Pavilion, Harlos Productions is bringing its hugely successful interpretation of King Lear to Newtown for a strictly limited season.

This production will build on Harlos' acclaimed previous productions, which won such reviews as: "Terrific!! An imaginative and often exciting vision of the text... It's a production so striking and effective that even for old Lear hands, the play seems fresh..."....minimal resources, maximum effect..." (Sydney Morning Herald)

1 - 30 June 2008
Week commencing 2 June: Mon, Tue, Wed 10am & 2:30pm; Thurs, Fri 11am
Week commencing 9 June: Tue, Wed 2:30pm & 7:30pm; Thurs, Fri 11am; Sat 2:30pm
Week commencing 16 June: Mon 11am; Tue, Wed 2:30pm & 7:30pm; Thurs, Fri 11am; Sat 2:30pm
Week commencing 23 June: Mon 11am; Tue, Wed 2:30pm & 7:30pm; Thurs, Fri 11am; Sat 2:30pm

Tickets: Students $25 / Teachers free (Discussion with Cast and Director on request)
Bookings and Enquiries: Harlos Productions phone(02)99588525, fax(02)93576854 e-mail: harlosproductions@ozemail.com.au, www.harlos.com.au

Second Childhood

Adapted for the stage by Glenn Perry from the novel by Morris Gleitzman
Directed by Lyndelle Green

Mark's father has always wanted him to be a 'Somebody'. But unless Mark does better at school, he'll end up a 'Nobody'. Then Mark and his friends discover that they've lived before. Not only that - they were Famous and Important People!

However, things start to get a little out of hand. They find out they've been responsible for several of the world's biggest problems. So Henry Ford, John Batman, Elizabeth Kenny and a well-known Aussie racehorse decide they'd better try and make up for their mistakes.

Morris Gleitzman is one of Australia's most successful and popular children's authors. His unique blend of larger-than-life characters, off-the-wall humour and unbridled imagination makes Second Childhood the perfect play for all the family.

In the tradition of New Theatre's sell-out productions of Spike Milligan's Badjelly the Witch and Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach comes Morris Gleitzman's Second Childhood. Terrific theatre for all ages from 9 to 90!.

9 - 19 JULY 2008
WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY @ 7.00pm
SATURDAY @ 1pm, SUNDAY @ 5pm
$17 / $14 groups 10+
$10 PREVIEW TUESDAY 8 JULY 2008
Please note: there is no free Sunday performance for this production
BOOKINGS: 1300 306 776 / www.mca-tix.com

New Directions 08

New Theatre's annual 'mini-season' will this year showcase the best of contemporary writing with four exciting plays from Australia and the UK.

23 July - 16 August 2008 Wednesday - Friday @ 8pm, Saturday @ 4pm and 8pm
Tickets: $22 4-Play Season Pass: $70 Tuesday previews: $10 (22 and 29 July; 5 and 12 August)
Bookings: 1300 306 776 / www.mca-tix.com

Catapult

22 - 26 JULY 2008
By Lachlan Phillpot (Australia)
Directed by Travis Green

Nathan comes on stage - literally: into a specimen jar! He's made a deal with lesbian couple Kay and Beth to father their child. His mother Maggie is horrified; his partner Guy is worried about the added pressures on an already strained relationship; the lesbian couple is asking a lot of uncomfortable questions; and Nathan must face difficult truths about both his past and present.

An explosive look at what hinges the deepest and most intimate relationships and the way in which people construct identities for themselves.

"Theatrical, layered, dense ... Take the plunge and immerse yourself in something quite extraordinary" - Stage Left.

Airsick

29 JULY - 2 AUGUST
By Emma Frost (UK)
Directed by Augusta Supple

How do you escape the past? How do you find the balance between independence and commitment? And what can you do when people just make you sick? Thirty-something Lucy is having a hard enough time coping with a high maintenance father and a wild and crazy best friend; but add to that a new, seemingly perfect but boorish boyfriend, and her growing attraction to a charming and mysterious Kiwi, and suddenly Lucy finds her life spiralling out of control.

Check in for this sexy, sassy comedy/drama about feminine dilemmas, bad choices, bastard men and the emotional black holes inside us all.

"Very funny, rich and inventive" - Theatre Record

"A young playwright with a distinctive individual voice ...darkly comic ...constantly grips and delights" - Telegraph (UK)

Celebrate the

Beauty of the World

Loosely Woven
2pm, Sat 6th September 2008
Tickets $16 ($12 conc) 95193403 or at the door

The Carnivores

5 - 9 AUGUST 2008
By Ian Wilding (Australia)
Directed by Luke Rogers

Brothers Thom and Gramme are rivals in the ethical murkiness of global capitalism - both up-market and black-market. As they try to negotiate their way through a minefield of family loyalty, medical ethics, sexual fidelity and plain old crime, the outside world steps in to make its own decisions.

An urban political drama with a comic edge that peels back the surface of contemporary life and gives us pause to consider what humanity really means.

The Carnivores won the 2005 Griffin Award for New Australian Playwriting.

"Among the select few voices writing for the Australian stage who is politically minded, uncompromising and not averse to risk" - Sydney Morning Herald

Colder Than Here

12 - 16 AUGUST 2008
By Laura Wade (UK)
Directed by Sally Blackwood

Nobody can ignore the fact that Myra is dying but in the meantime life goes on. There is heating to be fixed, cats to be fed and the perfect funeral to be planned. While Myra researches burial spots and biodegradable coffins, her husband and two adult daughters are finally forced to communicate with her, and each other, in the face of a heart-wrenching certainty.

A tender, funny and unsentimental look at a family facing up to the imminent death of a loved one.

"Wade is clearly a playwright on the rise" - The Times

"Far from flinching in the face of death, explores how we might make peace with it" - The Guardian

THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller

Presented by the Seymour Centre and New Theatre

New Theatre's sell-out production of Arthur Miller's great epic drama will transfer to the Seymour Centre in August.

The Crucible depicts the hysteria, paranoia and fear that tore apart the puritanical town of Salem Massachusetts during the 1682 witch-hunts. Written in the 1950s at the height of the Cold War anti-communist panic, Miller's message remains as relevant today, reflecting the darkest corners of human nature and the terrifying consequences of a community's actions. Louise Fischer directs a formidable cast of 20 in this dynamic production of The Crucible.

Has you by the throat .. you could hear a pin drop. 7/10 - Sun Herald 2 April 2007

"Gripping production" - The Daily Telegraph 23 March 2007

Dates: 13 August - 6 September 2008
Information and Performance Times - go to www.bite.net.au
Bookings: Seymour Online Box Office Telephone: 9351 7940

Anthony Burgess'
A Clockwork Orange

"A crack in the kishkas real horrorshow hot. Give it them whether they want it or not."

Meet Alex and The Droogs. Just your typical teenage gang. They have their own language and their own culture. They do a lot of sex and drugs. They get off on muggings and gang rape. And Alex is a big fan of Beethoven.

After a rampaging fun night of ultra-violence, Alex is arrested and sent to prison. There he is given a choice - be brainwashed into good citizenship and set free, or face a lifetime inside.

Based on his 1962 novella of the same name, that inspired the 1971 cult film directed by Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Burgess' play with music set in the unforeseeable future paints a frighteningly believable picture of a society gone mad.

Directed by Frieda Lee

Set Design: James Croke

Lighting Design: Miles Thomas

Costume Design: Anna Hughes

Featuring: Emily Beale, Geoffrey Craig, Jarrod Crellin, Matthew Dennis, Peter Buck Dettman, James Forbes, John Grinston, Sam Hayes, Melissa Jones, Julian Lovick, Marcus Pater, Gary Smith and Eloise Snape

This production contains nudity and coarse language
28th August 2008 - 27th September 2008
THURSDAY - SATURDAY @ 8.00pm, SUNDAY @ 5pm
$27 / $22 (conc)/$20 groups 10+ ($10 Preview Wednesday 27 August 2008)
Free Sunday: Sunday 31 August @ 5pm (Unwaged, Students, Pensioners, Seniors card holders only)
BOOKINGS: 1300 306 776 / www.mca-tix.com

The World Premiere of a new Australian musical.
A NASTY PIECE OF WORK

Book and Lyrics by Nicholas Parsons
Music by Heinz Schweers

The city is Sydney; the locale Kings Cross. Sex, corruption and crime course through its seedy streets and only the smartest and toughest survive.

In this shadowy parallel world lurk the irrepressibly lecherous McNeil, Boris Barksy the sinister Russian mafia boss, 'Front End' Loder the bent copper, the Madam with a heart of gold, her bevy of working girls, pole-dancers, pimps, and a hopelessly inept trio of thieves. Together they sashay and slither across the stage in the funniest exposé of vice seen in a very long time.

Award-winning playwright Nicholas Parsons and composer Heinz Schweers have collaborated to create a hilarious and bawdy musical comedy bursting with outrageous characters and brilliant songs. Inspired by John Gay's 18th century romp The Beggar's Opera, this is contemporary and barbed satire at its most vibrant and entertaining.

With the generous support of

Directed by Annie Bilton

Musical Director: Heinz Schweers
Assistant Director: Paul Appleby
Set: Mitch Lavender
Lighting: Spiros Hristias
Costumes: Margaret Jewell

Cast: Ashley Adkins, Debra Bryan, Rachel Campbell, Morgan David, Sonja Donohoe, Brionny Fagan, Emma Harris, Barbara Hastings, Zac Jardine, Lynden Jones, Yuna Kawahara, Rebecca Lamond, Toni Murphy, Amy Robertson, Adam Salter, Sinisa Vrebac
Musicians: Jo Argall, Jonathan Beament, Peter Corkill, Bec Grubb, Damien Mathieson, Brian Sommerville, Sophie Unsen

3 - 18 OCTOBER 2008
Thursday - Saturday @ 8pm, Sunday @ 5pm
Tickets: $27 / $22 / $10 preview Thursday 2 October
Bookings: 1300 306 776 / www.mca-tix.com

Brand Spanking New

With the generous support of

A two-week season of new Australian writing.

Last year, as part of its 75th birthday celebrations, New Theatre presented Art is a Weapon, a hugely successful season of new writing.

Brand Spanking New takes the idea a step further. With support from the City of Sydney, New Theatre is fostering new Australian writing through the creation of a hothouse for both emerging and established writers.

From over 80 submissions, 14 writers have been selected to participate in the project. Their work presents an uncensored snapshot of current Australian Playwriting: brave, bold and mind-bendingly funny!

The writers will collaborate on their new work over a month with experienced directors and actors, culminating in a two-week public showcase. The pieces encompass monologues, short plays and excerpts from longer works: everything from cabaret comedy to surrealist farce, from tender confessions to brutal revelations.

By providing a non-competitive, well-resourced, nurturing environment for the development of work, New Theatre aims to strengthen relationships among theatre practitioners whilst providing a platform for up and coming artists.

The writers:
Week One: Jessica Bellamy, Alex Broun, Jo-Anne Cahill, Alexandra Cullen, Joanna Erskine, Patrick Lenton and Augusta Supple
Week Two: Van Badham, Hilary Bell, Suzanne Hauser, Tom Holloway, Noelle Janaczewska, Nick Parsons and Lachlan Philpott

Directors:
Paul Appleby, Melissa Bruder, Zoe Carides, Nick Curnow, Jane Eakin, Louise Fischer, Travis Green, Boris Ivanoff, Anne-Maree Magi, Felicity Nicol, Danielle O'Keefe, Mark Pritchard, Kate Revz and Jocelyn Speight

Season Artistic Director: Augusta Supple
Season Production Co-ordinator: Peter Talmacs
Season Designer: Barbara Bryce

22 October - 1 November 2008
Wednesday - Saturday @ 8pm

Tickets: $22
Bookings 1300 306 776 / www.mca-tix.com (week 1) / www.mca-tix.com (week 2)

Little Shop of Horrors

Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Music by Alan Menken

As far as productions go, this is the best I've seen. - aussietheatre.com

"This is theatre that rocks (in more ways than one) ... the talent on show here deserves to play to packed houses." - SX

Beautifully executed and filled with amazing talent ... smart, funny and tender" - Australian Stage Online

New Theatre is ending the year with a production of one of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time - Little Shop of Horrors.

Shy and insecure Seymour Krelborn has a dead-end job in Mushnik's Flower Shop, a rundown establishment on Skid Row, and an unrequited crush on his co-worker Audrey.

When Seymour acquires a strange and exotic plant he names it 'Audrey II' in honour of his secret love. But gradually the harmless-looking succulent morphs into a bad-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivorous monster with an insatiable appetite for flesh and blood.

As the mean, green mother's hungry demands increase, its sinister agenda for global domination is revealed and Seymour must choose between the promise of fame and fortune and saving everything he holds most dear

Featuring a score by the song writing team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (Disney's The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin), this hilarious tongue-in-cheek homage to B-grade sci-fi movies and 1950s pop is a perennial favourite.

Director: Stephen Colyer
Musical Director: Mark Chamberlain
Set and Costume Design: Rita Carmody
Lighting design: Gavan Swift and Hugh Hamilton
Cast: Stephen Anderson, Brionny Fagan, Ellissa Fry, Sam Haft, Vanessa Raspa, Jeremy Rosenstrauss, Tony Taylor, Andrew Threlfall and Sophie Webb

13 November - 13 December 2008
Thursday - Saturday @ 8pm, Sunday @ 5pm
Tickets $30 / $25 / $22 (groups 10+)
Bookings 1300 306 776 / mca-tix.com.au

Industry performance: 7pm Monday 8 December 2008. All Tickets $25, proceeds will be donated to the Actors Benevolent Fund. Phone: 1300 306 776 or mca-tix.com.au

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Content © new theatre 2008. This page was last updated 15 November 2008