Secret Bridesmaids' Business

 Secret Bridesmaids' Business

Directed by Adrian Smith with some new actors  Jenni Potter [Miss Saigon and Fiddler on the Roof with Choral] , Helen Holmes, Carmel Wooding, Shara Gampe, Stewart Limpus and Chloe Laverjon.

We went with Barbara and Tracy and Chris Roberts. A full house of younger people.

The Woman in Black

 The Woman in Black

Directed by Mike Taylor.

I liked it better than the film which we watched later. Mark Phythian and Peter Bevan with Bev Irwin Taylor appearing as the woman.

Dark Knight of the Soul

 Dark Knight of the Soul

2 one act plays directed by Beth Geoghegan

The Donahue Sisters by Geraldine Aaron played by Kylie Zadow, Marianne Buchanan and Beth was well done.

Avatar by Mark Lucas a young Qld writer was done by younger less experienced actors. 

Stewart Limpus was very good with some excellent slapstick moments, but Kate McCormicks performance I suspect was held back by the inability of Charlotte-Mez to act. I suspect the lack of energy resulting spoiled this play. Perhaps they got it together more as the week progressed

The things we do For Love

Three short plays directed by Beth Geoghegan.

We were part of the set building team and I found myself helping Beth dig out possible furnishings - a window and a couch - then discussing the paint scheme. I suggested variable lighting between the plays and we consulted Bob Horstman who agreed that it was a good idea which required $45K. Beth flicked through Dulux and other paint company sites on her phone and we thought an avocado shade with diagonal splits on the side walls would be interesting. A couple of weeks later at the AGM I peeked behind the  curtains to find it done.

I did Front of House twice for the production and we went on the last Saturday night. Public nights are quite different to the group nights. It is nice to be part of the team these days, chatting with the Director, President, leading actors etc.

There were 3 plays by Peter Quilter called Duets - Blind Date, The Holiday and Bride to Be. Unfortunately Bride to Be was withdrawn due to illness of the two actors.

The final play was Post Its (Notes on a Marriage) by Paul Dooley.

All plays were two characters only and it turned out really well.

Ding Dong

A farce in the tradition of Boeing Boeing and Don't Dress for Dinner. Bernard finds that his wife is having an affair with Robert and gives him two options to compensate: either he will sleep with Robert's wife in order to keep things even, or he will have him killed. A non-stop feast of mistaken identities and farcical hijinks.

The Mouse Trap

Agatha Christie
the world's longest running play - continuous since 1952.
Eight people are snowed in at a guest house and a murder takes place. Can the murderer be caught before more deaths happen?
I did Front of House twice for this play and that was the last time I saw Neil McKilligan. We had a nice chat at interval although he was very frail.
He went to a nursing home in Brisbane at the beginning of October and died in the first week of January 2020.

Glorious

A play based on Florence Foster Jenkins, the queen of the sliding scale. Directed by Mark Phythian with Elaine Coates as Florence and Brett Fahey as Cosme McMoon. They did a wonderful job of both roles. It was worth seeing the original footage on UTube - would have been better if we had seen it before the show as Elaine really did her homework well. She agreed that she put a lot of work into it and said Brett was amazing how he stayed with her despite her never doing it the same.
Also Kerrie Edwards as Maria the spanish speaking maid was special. Other actors were Ken Morrissey as St Clair Byfield, Beth Geoghegan as Dorothy and Robbie Campbell as Mrs Verrinder-Gedge.
We were listed in the program in the production team - props- as we made the trolley that the dog was pulled across the stage in. A good working bee morning.
Emily came with us.

Carnival Plays

Inconceivable by Hugh O'Brien is a drama about a journalist's search for the reason of a dropping birth rate in a South East Queensland town.

At first the cause is thought to be a fungicide used by local grape growers but as she digs deeper a far more sinister reason raises its head.

Directed by Lynette Hodgson

Cat Ardi Brennan, Robyn Campbell, Peter Bevan, Mark Phythian, Helen Holmes

Fireflies is a drama/comedy by Bruce Clark about a career farmer living on the Darling Downs and the lengths he must go to to save the family farm despite his only son seeing his future elsewhere.

Directed by Mike Taylor

Ken Morrissey, Bev Irwin-Taylor, Adam Goldfinch, Alaina Macdonald, Kylie Zadow, Fiona Quinn

Plaza Suite

Plaza Suite by Neil Simon

Sat, 14 Jul 2018 to Sat, 28 Jul 2018

Directed by Adrian Smith

Christine Anderson, Helen Holmes Alan Richardson, Shara Gampe, Alli Purtill

Mark Phythian/Peter Devey, Kieran Phythian

Three acts - Three separate couples staying at different times in 1973 in Suite 719 of New York's City Plaza Hotel [overlooking Central park ?]

The play is a comedy with a quite sad undercurrent, and is a wonderful display of Neil Simon's genius for creating humour from the lives and troubles of ordinary people.

Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling

Sat, 28 Apr 2018 to Sat, 12 May 2018

Directed by Mike Taylor
Alli Purtill, Angela Ponting, Jennifer Langton, Julia winning, Beth Geoghegan, Bev Irwin-Taylor

Set in Truvy's beauty shop, six southern spitfires gather to gossip and support each other through thick and thin.

The Ladies Foursome

The Ladies Foursome by Norm Foster

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 to Sat, 3 Mar 2018

Our members and patrons might be interested to read the Stage Whispers review of this production. Congratulations to Peter Devey (director) and his cast and production team on a terrific show.
For more information, see:	www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/ladies-foursome Directed by peter Devey Anneke Shea, Helen Holmes, Elaine Coates, Beth Geoghegan

Visitors

Visitors by Barry Norris
Directed by Michael Taylor
Bev Irwin-Taylor as Edie, Michael Rose-Miller as Arthur, Halina Wills as Kate, Adam Goldfinch as Stephen

a gentle but quite relevant family drama about ageing and the choices we must all eventually make.
In a farmhouse, by the edge of the Salisbury Plain, a family is falling apart. Stephen can't afford to put his mother into care and Arthur can't afford to stop working to look after his wife. When a young stranger with blue hair moves in to care for Edie as her mind unravels, the family is forced to confront their future. Visitors takes a haunting , beautiful look at the ways our lives slip past us.

The One Day of the Year

The One Day of the Year by Alan Seymour
Directed by Adrian Smith.
Peter Devey, Jenny Langton, Brett Fahey, Ken Morrisey, Julia Winning, Trevor Hilsdon

the classical Australian play for Anzac Day

Australia Day

Australia Day by Jonathan Biggins
Directed by Lyn Hodgson
Peter Bevan, Adrian Smith, Dianne Rozynski, David -Graham Parker, Ethan Mesken, Kylie Zadow

A witty look at this nation's identity.

The Seven Year Itch

Last Rep play for the year. I circulated it among walking friends but none came. We were unable to help with bump out as we were off to India on Monday.

The Seven Year Itch by George Axelrod. Directed by Adrian Smith.
Peter Devey as Richard Sherman, Catherine Ardi Brennan as the Girl/Marie/Miss Morris/Elaine, Oliver Dashwood as Dr Brubaker, Alaina McDonald as Helen and Adam Goldfinch as Tom.

One Act Play Festival

Carnival of Flowers One Act Play Festival
The Perfect Crime by Valda Marshall dir Mark Phythian
The Locals' Spot by Bruce Olive dir Mike Taylor
The Muddy Feet Forest Retreat by Kylie Mulcahy dir Lyn Hodgson

Here on the Flight Path

by Norman Foster, dir Mike Taylor
Mark Phythian, Fiona Quinn, Halina Wills
We went to this Rep play with Lee.

The Last Romance

Last nights Rep play, The Last Romance by Joe DiPietro, may have been the best we have attended. There were 4 actors, one of whom appeared as a 'ghost' and sang opera excerpts nicely in a young tenor voice. There was also a dog with a minor role. It all came together really well with a good script and a good audience.

The Odd Couple

In keeping with our plan to go to all Rep plays, this was the last for the year and perhaps the best we have been to/ they really do a great job with nice simple sets and great commitment. Or was this the play we left early as I was too hot, and probably too tired at this time of year?

Hamlet

Bell Shakespeare presented Hamlet at the Empire Theatre. I had looked forward to seeing Bell Theatre but we found it too modern and disappointing, despite having good seats.