Some months ago, I watched David Berthold interview the great director Peter Sellars. Among other things, Sellars noted the possible upsides of the pandemic. “There’s an upside?” I wondered. But Sellars said something which I’ve kept front and centre in my thinking for the past almost 6 months: “The virus is our teacher.” Those five
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It’s been quite a while since I wrote this little piece for the QTC’s 1975 newsletter No 2. I found it today as I was researching materials for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Company. Touring around the vast distances of this country is still a way of life for actors – some things never
Continue reading ...Monday – a day when most shows are ‘dark’ for a day off. It marks the end of the 8-shows a week into Week 2 of our season. Routines have changed from the day-long, week-day intensives of rehearsal and production week to the rhythms of a night-shift worker.
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Since it’s the day to celebrate all things about love, I want to send a Valentine to our audiences. QUARTET’s have been notable for the warm response from every single house. Over the years, I’ve marvelled at how different each audience is. The latest are no exception.
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Last night there was a gathering at the Playhouse Theatre to honour the memory of a great member of the artistic community. I was one of many who spoke of Carol’s life in the theatre, and of our friendship which began as young actors in the founding years of Queensland Theatre Company. This is what
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It’s often said that the play is not complete until the house is ‘in.’ Saturday night – Preview 1 of 4, and the first audience arrives to test our waters. We are very ready for them – craving them; comedy especially needs the feedback of laughter to assist the tempo and attack of playing. The very ‘liveness’
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There’s another kind of orchestration happening in the backstage area. It has a rhythm of its own, conducted by the Stage Manager, and one never heard out front. I sit waiting in the wings during tech rehearsals and listen to the sounds around me – music and sound effects, the gentle rumble of stage machinery,
Continue reading ...Yesterday we said goodbye to Rehearsal Room 1 at Queensland Theatre Company. It’s been our cosy playroom since just after Christmas when we came together to begin work on QUARTET. It’s into the Playhouse at QPAC tomorrow and the start of tech week. This means getting used to a new space; those green (Act 1) and
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