Armidale Playhouse Prompt - February 2005

Welcome to the Year of the Monkey

Pathetic isn't it. I've obviously got so little news that I have to resort to astrological allusions. But in fact it is relevant because a monkey does appear in our first production Woyzeck. Or at least a monkey puppet does. We wanted to have a real live monkey, not to mention horse and cat on stage in the Arts Theatre but for some reason the management weren't keen on the idea.

They say you should never perform with animals, children or musicians (the first because they misbehave, the second because they steal the show and the last because they always insist on buggering up the lighting effects by demanding to be able to read their music). Well, in Woyzeck we're tempting fate and going for two out the three with the third in puppet form, so it should be a lively show.

Woyzeck

Georg Buchner's classic is being directed by Barbara Albury as a joint production between the playhouse and the UNE German Department, for a one week season in the Arts Theatre as part of the German Festival from 16-19 March.

A dark tragi-comedy with a sardonic twist, written in the mid nineteenth century, Woyzeck explores the arbitrary oppression of a private soldier and is one of the first plays to deal with the little man. It is surprisingly modern in both structure and content and still very relevant today. It is also surprisingly funny for a play about mental derangement, adultery and murder. Buchner has digs at all of society and when we throw in music, puppets and special effects it should be a good night in the theatre.

A strong cast including Gordon Cope, Adam Caffarella, Mari Grantun, Nicola Speeden, Felix Burkhard, Alex Borkowski and Jim Harrop along with a host of children, puppeteers and musicians directed by Benjamin Thorn have been working hard (rehearsing, growing beards etc) and the show is beginning to get a really nice shape.

Note that there are only six performances at the Arts Theatre UNE including the preview: Wednesday 16 March (preview), Thursday 17, Friday 18 and Saturday 19 March at 8pm with matinees on Friday at 11:30am (designed for schools but anyone can come) and Saturday at 2pm. Tickets are available at the Armidale Visitor Information Centre. Ph 6772 4655. DON'T MISS IT!

Rest of the Year's Program

We are still not quite sure what we're doing this year. Jean Freer will direct something (probably another farce) in August and we want to do Cabaret in November. After Woyzeck we have a couple of possibilities including a youth production of The Complete Works of Wm Shakespeare and another collaboration with Poetzinc but neither of these is confirmed yet.

AGM

The annual general meeting of the Playhouse will be on Monday 2 May at 7:30pm in the Playhouse. Think about getting involved in the committee and really seeing how things work!

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the committee to which everyone is welcome will be on Monday 4 April at the Playhouse at 7:30pm. Due to Woyzeck commitments there will be no meeting in March. Meetings are normally on the first Monday of each month.