After hit musical Come From Away landed back at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre following its COVID hiatus, Simon Parris spoke to company members ahead of their Sydney and Brisbane transfers.
Just like the passengers on board North American flights in 2001, after their planes and lives were diverted when the terrorists attacked, so too cast members of the Australian production of Come from Away have learnt to cope with major disruptions.
Damien Ryan makes his Queensland Theatre (QT) debut with Taming of the Shrew, having worked on productions of around 20 of Shakespeare's plays – that's more than half of the known 37 works by the playwright – as director and performer at Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare Co, and his own company, Sport for Jove. Beth Keehn from Stage Whispers spoke to the award-winning director just before opening night.
Cameron Mackintosh and Disney have announced that their Tony® and Olivier Award-winning production of Mary Poppins will open at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in May 2022.
Featuring the beloved quintessentially English magical Nanny, Mary Poppins has been seen by over 12 million people worldwide and was the winner of 8 Helpmann awards in Australia in 2011.
Image from Berlin at Melbourne Theatre Company. Photographer: Jeff Busby.
The past is never dead. In fact, it’s not even past. William Faulkner
Playwright Joanna Murray-Smith explains to Michael Brindley how a visit to Berlin and her own family history inspired her new play Berlin. Will this internationally themed play, currently premiering at the MTC, have the same resonance as her previous hits and take it to the West End and Broadway?
Beth Keehn caught up with performer and multi-instrumentalist, Jonathan Hickey, as the cast and crew commenced a seven-week tour of regional Queensland with their new Australian work Are You Lonesome Tonight.
Beth Keehn (BK): Your world premiere opening night was on 4 May in Rockhampton – what was the reaction?
Luckiest Productions and Hayes Theatre Co have announced the cast for the Stephen Sondheim-George Furth musical Merrily We Roll Along which will open at the Hayes in June 2021.
