Exciting and Varied: Glen Street Theatre Announces 2012 Season

Spring is the time for theatre company ‘season launches’ and Sydney’s Glen Street Theatre today announced their exciting and varied 2012 subscription season.

 Spring is the time for theatre company ‘season launches’ and Sydney’s Glen Street Theatre today announced their exciting and varied 2012 subscription season. Director Margot Woodward has programmed a varied and exciting season of drama, music, comedy and contemporary dance, promising something for everyone next year.  Glen Street Theatre itself is a 400 seat proscenium arch auditorium located in Belrose, a suburb in Sydney’s North Shore (approx 20 minutes drive from the CBD). Professional theatre productions, children’s shows and community events alike are seen at this delightful theatre all year round.  In 2012, 9 professional shows will be available as part of the subscription season including a Bangarra Dance Theatre piece – of earth & sky – and the witty, satirical The Wharf Revue. Subscribers of Glen Street’s 2012 season will enjoy a range of benefits, including a discount of up to 30% on tickets, priority seating, discounts at local restaurants and special offers throughout the year. Those who subscribe by 31 December 2011 will automatically go in the draw to win a fabulous mini-break including a ‘Staycation’ at the recently refurbished Sydney Harbour Marriott hotel. 
The Music at the Glen series of matinee concerts also returns in 2012 with an exciting line up of talented performers. The series continues to grow in popularity following its introduction in 2006 and the nine concerts on offer next year will not disappoint.
Photo: courtesy of Glen Street Theatre 

GLEN STREET THEATRE 2012 SEASON

 

Dickens’ Women

Following sell-out performances in 2007, BAFTA-award winning actress Miriam Margolyes returns to Australia for an encore national tour of her one-woman tour-de- force, Dickens’ Women. Bringing to life twenty-three of Charles Dickens’ most affecting and colourful female (and male!) characters, Margolyes presents her powerful, hilarious, and at times shocking exposé of Dickens, his writing, and the real-life women who were the influence for the characters in his novels. Don’t miss your chance to see this acclaimed actor in the role she was born to play. Written by: Miriam Margolyes and Sonia FraserDirector: Sonia FraserCast:Miriam Margolyes, with John Martin on pianoDate: 3- 12 February

Every Single Saturday

 Audiences are invited to laugh out loud with this musical comedy about four parents whose only common ground is the football field where their kids play every single Saturday. Neil, an aloof orchestra conductor, unaccustomed to the pressures of being a father to his estranged son; Sandy, a hard-driven working class fitness freak trying to avoid her struggles at home; Liz, a well- educated North Shore mum trying to rebuild her life as a single parent and the team’s coach, Carlo, an Italian soccer dad reliving his days as a former sports hero. The play follows their sideline dramas as the junior team goes nowhere fast until Neil’s son, the talented Becks, arrives. Featuring more than a dozen original songs, dazzling dancing, plenty of laughs and a few tears, this heart-warming, inspiring, poignant and romantic new Australian musical comedy celebrates the pain and the passion – the oranges and the lemons – of being a parent on the sidelines. After all, that’s where the real action is! Written by: Joanna WeinbergDirector: Lisa FreshwaterDate: 15 – 26 February 

of earth & sky

Spectacular. Original. Evocative. Don’t miss these two works inspired by old and new stories in this theatrical fusion of dance and visual arts. Commissioned by Bangarra’s Artistic Director, Stephen Page, of earth & sky features the work of celebrated choreographer Frances Rings and the talented Daniel Riley McKinley. Artefact by Frances Rings, is inspired by the dynamic between ‘man and object’. It honours Indigenous symbols of ancient and modern rituals that hold great spiritual meaning and connection to place. Riley by Daniel Riley McKinley, explores the cultural resilience of Indigenous Australians. It is a celebration of the life of Aboriginal photographer and film maker, the lateMichael Riley, and his internationally acclaimed cloud photographs. At the heart of Bangarra’s work is the inimitable soundscape and musicalcreativity of David Page, one of Australia’s most successful Aboriginal contemporary composers. Choreographers: Frances Rings and Daniel Riley McKinleyArtistic Director: Stephen PageCast: Members of Bangarra Dance TheatreDate: 28 March – 1 April 

Biddies

After Codgers the Glen Street Theatre patrons told the artistic team it was time to hear from the ladies. So move over Codgers, here come the Biddies! Five ordinarily marvellous women find themselves back in their infants school classroom plying their knitting needles in a good old-fashioned session of “stitch and bitch”. Their confessions are frank, their rivalries intense and their jokes outrageous. They discover a common frustration with the limitations of being female and mature in a world still largely defined by men. Accidentally locked in the classroom, with nothing but ingenuity, Adora Cream Wafers and a bucket to get them through the crisis, unknown reserves come to the fore. Released from their own constraints, they rediscover their capacity to love, forgive – and take control. Men see their wives, adult children see their mothers, grandchildren see Nana, and the mature Australian woman sees herself. Some of our most beloved actresses bring this delightful new comedy to life and laughter on the stage. You’ll laugh till you cry. Vulnerable, feisty and in full bloom, these gals are everything … except old! Written by: Don ReidDirector: Wayne HarrisonCast: Maggie Blinco, Annie Byron, Jeanie Drynan, Donna Lee, Linden WilkinsonDate: 11 – 22 April  

War Stories – A Salute in Story and Song to the Anzac Spirit

Inspired by his own family history, performer Darren Coggan connects us to an iconic part of our heritage. Personal and exceptional stories of Australians at war are woven into songs that provide an intimate perspective of the tales that have helped shape our nation. War Stories takes you on an insightfuljourney into the lives of the Australians behind the lines. We reminisce about the generation of women who stayed at home and kept the country running. We celebrate the mateship, humour and courage in the Gallipoli trenches. And we honour our Indigenous diggers, a story rarely told. Awarded Heritage Song of the Year at the 37th Golden Guitar Awards, Darren’s beautiful performance brings a warmth and integrity to the narrative. War Stories is a salute to the Australian spirit and how we find the strength to shine in the most intense and heart-breaking situations.
From the performer who brought you Peace Train: the Cat Stevens Story don’t miss Darren Coggan in this inspirational new work.
Written by: Ken McBeathSongs by: en McBeath and Darren CogganDirector: Ken McBeathCast: Darren CogganDate: 1 -2 May  

Shifting Sand

A powerful evocation of the ocean’s many faces. Shifting Sand is a new work richly inspired by the beach and the ocean. From the delicate play of light on the surface of the sea to the raging fury of winter storms, TaikOz’s thunderous taiko drumming and dynamic movement seeks to capture the beauty, majesty and force of the ocean. ‘Taiko’ is the Japanese word for ‘drum’ and TaikOz is Australia’s leading taiko drumming group. A TaikOz performance is more than just the beating of drums: it incorporates a complete world of drumming, song and dance that harks back to ancient Buddhist and Shinto rituals. It is a reflection of contemporary musical life, irrespective of nationality. A TaikOz performance is not only for the ears and the eyes, but is felt throughout the entire body. It is a truly visceral experience. Composer and Director: Graham HilgendorfCast: Members of TaikOzDate: 17 – 26 May  

Stop. Rewind

How well do you know the person at the next desk? Stop. Rewind is a deft and recognisable comedy with heart that begs the question: is it too late to live the life you’ve always wanted? As a disparate group of co-workers at a departmental office struggle to hold onto their dreams, we glimpse the series of compromises that has led each to their place in this eclectic community. Trevor is worried he’s wasted his life. Dim wants to be a musician but he’s been in this ‘temporary’ admin gig for thirteen months now. Heather is perfectly all right, except for being too old and fat to ever have sex again. Tabitha is fine with having sex, only it’s with her married co-worker Grant. And Nina’s trying to hang on to her family home without the help of her couch potato philosopher husband. Life continues at its painfully familiar pace until a catastrophic event in the department forces everyone to examine their own lives, what they want, and what they are really prepared to sacrifice to get it. Written by: Melissa BubnicDirector: Anne BrowningDate: 3 – 14 July 

The Flood

The sheep farm is now dilapidated. The farm house, once magnificent, sits dark and squalid by the river, sheltering a mad old lady and her isolated, hard-drinking daughter. The memories are seeping through the floorboards and as the sun sets, the flood waters rise. In the wind and rain, the screen door bangs open andCatherine appears: she has returned home from London. A mother is now trapped in the house with her two estranged daughters; one who takes care of her, one who has been away for twenty years. The mesmerising friction between the bereft sisters explodes during a sleepless and alcohol-fuelled night as memories of their dead father surface. Memories which their mother either can’t or won’t remember. This arresting production expertly plunges into a world of dark humour, suspense and intrigue as a web of family history unravels in the haunting Australian outback. Written by: Jackie SmithDirector:  Laurence StrangioCast: Shirley Cattunar, Maude Davey, Caroline LeeDate: 4 – 15 September 

The Wharf Revue

A Sydney institution for over a decade, Sydney Theatre Company’s The Wharf Revue returns to Glen St Theatre. The outrageously talented team – led by Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott – will again deliver their unique blend of side-splitting sketches and musical hilarity. Once more, you can be sure the Revue will be packed full of its trademark up-to-the- second satire of contemporary politics and popular culture, which has made the show such a hit year after year. Written by: Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe, Phillip ScottMusical Director: Phillip ScottCast: Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe, Phillip ScottDate: 9 – 20 October BOOKING DETAILS Venue Glen Street Theatre – Cnr. Glen Street and Blackbutts Road, BelrosePrices $26 – $65