Armidale Playhouse Prompt - September 2005

Cabaret

Berlin in the 1930s – sophisticated, hedonistic, decadent and the haunt of Europe’s rootless demimonde. The eve of Hitler’s rise to power. A third rate nightclub. A writer meets a singer. Stuff happens… The Kandor and Ebb musical Cabaret has great songs that seduce you before stripping off and revealing a disturbing subtext about the rise of Nazism.

Directed by Gordon Cope and Barbara Albury with a strong cast including Martin Mantle, Warren Bartik, Ruth Strutt, Byron Spencer, Betty Hall, Bob Thompson and Tracey James with a wild chorus from the Kit Kat Klub it shouldn’t be missed.

Performances will be at the Armidale Showground in the main pavilion from 24 November until 10 December: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and a special matinee on Sunday 4 December at 4pm. Tickets are $20 ($15 concession) and will be available from Dymocks (6771 4558). Earlybird group (10+) concession bookings can be made before 15 October by ringing Cecile Michels on 6772 5889.

Memories, Romance and Something Grittier

This staging of works from Poetzinc went really well with some great audience response. Benjamin Thorn and his cast put together what was described as “a little gem”. Related to this show we have managed to get a small grant from the New England Credit Union’s Community Sponsorship scheme to continue promoting local writers in the coming year.

Vagina Monologues

Last week the playhouse hosted a production from north coast group Pataphysics Productions of the Vagina Monologues. This was a really enjoyable evening in the docutheatre tradition with some fine acting and some very funny stories (as well as more serious bits). There is a possibility that we may host a return season early next year. If you missed it this time (and people were turned away at the door) try to see it when it comes back.

Playhouse Future

The state of the playhouse infrastructure and the increasing demands of licensing authorities means that we seriously have to look at the future of the current playhouse. One possibility that is being considered is moving operations to the showground where Cabaret is being put on. Nothing has been decided yet but this is a subject that will be intensely discussed at the next few playhouse meetings.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the committee to which everyone is welcome will be on Monday 10 October at the Playhouse at 7:30pm. This is a week later than usual. Meetings are normally on the first Monday of each month.