News

It was announced today that both leading Australian theatre producer John Frost and Opera Australia Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini have been awarded an AM (Member in the General Division) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

John Frost had been awarded an OAM in 1999, and this year was upgraded to an AM for “Significant service in the performing arts, and as a supporter of industry personnel.” Lyndon Terracini was awarded the AM for “Significant service in the performing arts as an opera performer, director and administrator”.

For new Sydney writer Jordy Shea, finding a company that nurtures up and coming theatre makers proved to be easier than expected. His first play, It’s Been a While will debut at the King Street Theatre, presented by Smoking Gum Theatre from July 16-19.

It will be Smoking Gum’s second production, after Colony which played during the Sydney Fringe in 2013 at the TAP Gallery. Founded by Lucinda Vitek and Eunice Huang, the company is one of the many emerging groups of artists keen to stamp their mark on the Sydney theatre scene.

Iconic performer Reg Livermore hsa returned to the stage as the Wizard in Wicked. He talked to Coral Drouyn about things past and present, and his own particular magic of a lifetime in theatre.

Monkey Baa Theatre Company is touring a new 50-minute musical based on Jackie French and Bruce Whatley’s quintessentially Australian picture book to 54 venues this year.

It’s about Shaun, the sheep shearer, and Pete, a sheep, who set up their own shearing salon and are inundated with woolly clients. The composer/lyricist is Phil Scott, best known as pianist / performer in The Wharf Review. Neil Litchfield asked him about the challenge of writing songs for children.