By Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom. Based on the book by Mitch Albom.

From the best-selling memoir by Mitch Albom comes a tender and uplifting comedy about a life-altering friendship and mentor, touching the lives of all his students but in particular Mitch Albom when Mitch learns that Morrie has Lou Gehrig’s disease. Returning to visit his old professor, he is once again captivated by Morrie’s wit, wisdom and the joy he takes in living. As one Tuesday becomes another and another, Mitch realises that Morrie is teaching him one final lesson in how to live.

Running time: 90 minutes, no interval.

Cast: Glenn Hazeldine, Daniel Mitchell
Director: Mark Kilmurry
Designer: Brian Nickless
Lighting Designer: Peter Neufeld
Sound Designer: Daryl Wallis

By Peter Houghton

Bill is an experienced theatre director on the verge of a nervous breakdown – there are less than 24 hours until the curtains go up and his production is unravelling fast.

Enter Jules, the latest fresh-faced television star of “Murder Squad”. He’s the name that’s going to sell the tickets. Without him the show is doomed. But when Jules fails to perform the simplest of acting tasks, Bill’s raison d’être becomes teaching his young pupil the very meaning of farce. Driven by wit, cynicism and thigh-slapping humour, A Commercial Farce is biting comedy at its best. Expect slapstick, running gags, misunderstandings and an inability to communicate the simplest of messages. It’s one big, complex and complicated dog’s breakfast – that must nonetheless unfold with blind precision.

Director Aidan Fennessy revels with Houghton’s script in a production that fuses physical humour, sexual innuendo and transgressive behaviour with an almighty bang.

Running Time: 72 minutes, no interval.

Lowdown wishes to advise there will be smoke effects, strobe lighting & loud noise.

Cast: Peter Houghton, Tim Potter
Director: Aidan Fennessy
Set and Costume Designer: Anna Cordingley
Lighting Designer: Matt Scott
Sound Designer: Ben Grant

Two icons of Australian theatre, Nancye Hayes and Reg Livermore, take to the stage in the world premiere of TURNS, a reflection on identity, family, show business and completely losing your marbles! Pantomime star Marjory Joy is on her last legs (or is she?). As she reflects on a life spent in show business (or was it?), her son Alistair tries to understand this woman, all women – and to come to terms with one woman in particular.

TURNS was especially created for these two stars, from the pen and vivid imagination of Reg Livermore himself. Let these two legends take you on a theatrical journey which will surprise and delight as Nancye and Reg do what they do best. There’s singing, dancing, comedy, mystery and fun-and-games aplenty. TURNS brings together a kaleidoscope of theatrical styles to create a richly entertaining, whimsical, very funny and ultimately moving theatrical event. It’s a starry, starry night. Don’t miss it.

By Reg Livermore

Running Time: 90 minutes, no interval.

Cast: Nancye Hayes, Reg Livermore
Pianist: Vincent Colagiuri
Director: Tom Healey
Set Designers: James Browne
Costume Designer: Cliff Simcox, Matthew Aberline
Lighting Designer: Trudy Dalgleish
Choreographer: Karen Johnson-Mortimer

Strewth! They’re back!

Dad, Dave, Mum, Mabel and the mob from Snake Gully are back in Dad & Dave: Live at the Glen – a rip snorter play of original scripts from Australia’s most loved radio serial.

Over 2,500 episodes of Dad & Dave were aired between 1937–1952, making it Australia’s longest running radio play. Now you can experience the joy of watching this iconic radio serial come to life on the Glen Street stage – featuring six actors, two musicians, sound effects created in real-time and a good old Aussie sing-a-long.

Dad & Dave: Live at the Glen showcases some of the best-loved storylines including Dad at the Races, the Engagement of Dave and Mabel and Mum Buys a Car. Each week there’s a different set of adventures – week one will showcase stories from the early years, while week two will bring to life the final years.

Include Dad & Dave: Live at the Glen in your subscription package and you will be entitled to a discount ticket to the alternate week performances. Book now to be part of Dad & Dave: Live at the Glen. It’ll put a smile on your dial.

Running Time: Approximately 1 hour and 50 mins, including interval.

Cast: Annie Byron, Johnny Carr
Director: Katrina Douglas
Sound Effects: Peter Kennard
Music: Marcus Holden
Lighting Designer: Martin Kinnane

By Casey Kurtti

In today’s world where nuns wear shorts and we embrace the theory of evolution, Catholic School Girls takes us on a humorous and moving journey back to the 60’s through the
experiences of four young girls.

From the assassination of President Kennedy to the first astronaut on the moon, the pill, protest marches, women’s lib and The Twist, the play explores the development of impressionable young minds and the girls’ struggle to reconcile their religious teachings with the constantly changing world around them.

Four highly acclaimed actresses, Lucinda Armour, Helen O’Connor, Kim Lewis and Rhonda Doyle play eight characters: students and nuns, navigating their way through life over eight years, with hilarious outcomes and some very tender moments which we can all relate to today.

Casey Kurttis’ delightful play premiered off Broadway in 1982 to rave reviews. Following this success, the play toured Australia to sell-out seasons across the country and now it’s back.

Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes, including interval.

Cast: Lucinda Armour, Helen O’Connor, Kim Lewis, Rhonda Doyle
Director: Kingston Anderson
Designer: Teresa Negroponte
Lighting Designer: Jack Audas Preston
Producer: Party Girl Productions

By William Shakespeare

Arts Radar brings us a new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Director Eamon Flack has turned this great Shakespearean classic into a grand, decadent and sad celebration – a party unfolding on stage, shot through with karaoke ballads and comedy.

With a cast of eight (and a half), new doublings and reordered scenes, this is A Midsummer Night’s Dream as it’s never been done before. It is an exploration of a hedonistic pursuit of love, pleasure and freedom – that comes at a cost. The seasons have gone awry, the grownups are in denial, and the young are
randy with hope and despair. Suddenly, in the midst of overwhelming uncertainty, four young lovers take a mighty stab at happiness.

Eamon said, “This play is a vivid reminder of what it’s like to fall in love for the first time – the hope, pain, thrill, extreme amazement, profound confusion, awful misunderstanding and brilliant aliveness – that’s why we’ve been putting on this play for 400 years and still haven’t got enough of it.”

Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including interval.
Cast: Elizabeth Blackmore, Kit Brookman, Katharine Cullen, Andrew Lees, Anya Poukchanski, Tim Spencer, Tim Walter
Director: Eamon Flack
Designer: Alistair Watts Lighting Designer: Chris Page
Sound Designer: Stefan Gregory

 

By Wayne Scott Kermond and Tony Harvey

Something between a voyeuristic peek into the boys’ locker room and a sophisticated show.

Four talented, young, lovable ‘Aussie blokes’ rehearse for and perform a show at impossibly short notice – bringing a special kind of chaos as they endeavor to sort out their ideas, frustrations and personal hang-ups.

“We’re four musical guys not setting out to change the world – the idea is to hang out together and have a great time. We gotta dance, sing and make entertainment that people really enjoy.”

Running Time: 2 hours and 5 minutes, including interval.

“A hilarious evening of light entertainment. A vaudeville-esque, electric show of buffoonery, fisticuffs, jive and tap dance … these guys really know their stuff. The audience loved it.” The Edinburgh Evening News

Director: Wayne Scott Kermond
Designer: Stephen Wickham
Musical Director: Stephen Gray
Choreographers: Simon Lind, Katie Kermond

By Sue Fabisch

A baby is just the beginning. Motherhood is for life.

It’s the joyous journey and loving look at the blessings and perils of being a Mum. It’s climbing the emotional mountain only to find that there’s laundry at the top. It’s discovering how powerful your love can be and how quickly they grow up. It’s helping them find their way and not losing yours. It’s about laughing and crying, craziness and calm, smiles and tears … and all before breakfast. Motherhood The Musical is a hilarious, musical journey through the lives of four women. There’s Barb, the over-worked, underpaid, stressed-out mother of five. There’s Brooke, the lawyer, who works too much and barely sees her kids. There’s Trisha, a single mum who’s struggling to juggle it all. And Amy, the naïve 20-something about to have her first child. As the three friends throw Amy a baby shower, the truth about motherhood (the good, the bad and the ugly) all come out into the open: the diapers, the dirty laundry, the lazy husbands and everything in-between.

Running Time: 90 minutes, no interval.
Warning: Contains adult themes.
Cast: Ziggy Clements, Jacqueline Hoy, Rebecca Moore
Director: Terence O’Connell
Musical Director: Vicky Jacobs
Resident Choreographer: Sue-Ellen Shook