Category Archives: Suzy’s 5 Questions

5 Questions with Martin Portus

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martinportusWhat is your favourite swear word?
Bum. My father used to say it, along with something else very odd – a load of old cock!

What are you wearing?
Black. Going to Melbourne for a few days to chair an ideas forum.

What is love?
Steadfastness, patience and laughter.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Switzerland, the terrific new thriller and ideas comedy from Australia’s Joanna Murray Smith, which will be an international hit and, I’m sure, a film. Four and a half stars.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Yes, we’ve perfected it now with two earlier seasons and it avoids those pitfalls of one person-shows. This eccentric Sydney writer Les Robinson really wants to reach his audience, and win their laughter and empathy for him and his times.

Martin Portus is starring in The Les Robinson Story, with Type Faster Productions.
Show dates: 18 – 29 Nov, 2014
Show venue: The Old Fitzroy Hotel

5 Questions with Gertraud Ingeborg

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gertraudingeborgWhat is your favourite swear word?
I don’t swear that much, I’m much better at it as a character, like as ‘Belle’. But ‘damn’ might have to do it!

What are you wearing?
Leotard (because I just went to a ballet class), leggings, a black soft top and flat shoes.

What is love?
Love, there are some many types of love, for a man, your children, your dog, your family. It’s all about caring, I think and giving.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
At the Old Fitz. The Irish play, Howie the Rookie, 3 stars

Is your new show going to be any good?
Yes, of course it will be, the writing is very good and so is the directing by David Ritchie and Colleen Cook who is going to do a great strip! My acting – of course it is good!! (At least my director thinks so).

Gertraud Ingeborg is starring in Belle Of The Cross, with Harlos Productions.
Show dates: 18 – 29 Nov, 2014
Show venue: The Old Fitzroy Hotel

5 Questions with Jacki Mison

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jackimisonWhat is your favourite swear word?
My favourite swearword is ‘motherfucker’ because hey, why limit yourself to just one? I love the fact you can elongate either, or both words for extra emphasis.

What are you wearing?
PJ’s, which involves a singlet & a pair of boxers.

What is love?
When you rejoice in someone else’s being… and that includes my dog!

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
The best thing I’ve seen in the last few months, which I absolutely loved, was Sugarland at ATYP.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Well if you feel like watching something that is sharp, witty, will make you laugh out loud and is NOT 3 hours long, then yes, it is good, very, very good! So come along and enjoy….

Jacki Mison is appearing in The God Of Carnage, by Yasmina Reza (translated by Christopher Hampton).
Show dates: 26 Nov – 7 Dec, 2014
Show venue: TAP Gallery

5 Questions with Dimitri Armatas

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dimitriarmatasWhat is your favourite swear word?
Fucking/fucken shit! Both of these alternatives, I find, have an incredible way of doing two things at once. Firstly, it helps to release all the frustration you’ve got inside you, which is the reason for swearing in the first place. Secondly, if said properly, will come out in an altering pitch and speed, allowing for ultimate success in execution.

What are you wearing?
Black t-shirt and jeans. T-shirts and jeans, the forever winning combination.

What is love?
I’ve got nothing, but…indescribable

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Henry V at the Sydney Opera House. It was a great show with an interesting choice of staging, and always good to see a young cast showing the power of the Bard lives on. I would give it 3.5/5 stars.

Is your new show going to be any good?
With a great director and the quality of the talent within the cast, I really think it’ll be spectacular.

Dimitri Armatas is appearing in his own play Haus by Black Raven Productions.
Show dates: 5 – 15 Nov, 2014
Show venue: King Street Theatre

5 Questions with Claire Lovering

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claireloveringWhat is your favourite swear word?
Lord Voldemort. No matter how many times you say it aloud, it still feels naughty.

What are you wearing?
A singlet and sarong… I’ve been lying on a hammock all afternoon pretending I’m on a tropical island. It worked surprisingly well, and it’s cheaper than flights to Barbados.

What is love?
It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around. (Works best when read by Hugh Grant.)

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Is This Thing On? at Belvoir. It was brilliant. I can’t remember the last time I laughed that much at the theatre. I give it 4 and a half stars. I will deduct half a star because I sat in the front row and due to my irrational fear of audience participation I spent a good 96% of the show terrified I’d be picked on.

Is your new show going to be any good?
It better be; I’ve had to learn to play the xylophone for it… I say that like it’s been forced upon me, but I wrote the show so I only have myself to blame.

How Lord Voldemort is that?!

Claire Lovering is performing in her own one-woman show, River.
Show dates: 18 – 23 Nov, 2014
Show venue: The Old 505 Theatre

5 Questions with Hugh O’Connor

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hughoconnorWhat is your favourite swear word?
Cunt. It just sounds so great, the way the consonants sit in your mouth. For me it’s the perfect curse word. I need to stop saying it around kids.

What are you wearing?
Beige shorts and a grey reebok singlet. No shoes, I hate wearing shoes. I’ll take comfort over fashion any day.

What is love?
My family, my husband. Love is their acceptance and unyielding support. Love is something I couldn’t live without. Gosh, I am a total romantic!

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
I really don’t see enough theatre. I spend so much time working in them that as soon as I get any free time I spend it out in the real world! So the last show I saw was my own show, The Witches, which was at Griffin Theatre. And of course I give it 5 stars (but seriously it was really good).

Is your new show going to be any good?
I bloody hope so! The cast is top notch, and I love Nick Enright. It should be really a fun and engaging show.

Hugh O’Connor‏ is production designer for Daylight Saving, from Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s 2014 season.
Show dates: 31 Oct – 30 Nov, 2014
Show venue: Eternity Playhouse

5 Questions with Lucian McGuiness

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lucianmcguinessWhat is your favourite swear word?
Kutwijf. It’s Dutch, and very satisfying though sexist. Look it up.

What are you wearing?
About 5 extra kilos, a fine salt, pepper and ginger moustache and some clothes I guess. For the show I dress the moustache up and wear some really spanking outfits from local and imported ingredients. That’s when I look my best.

What is love?
My daughter. She’s consistently the coolest, smartest and most beautiful person I know.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
The Shadow King at Brisbane Festival last month. There’s a bit at the end that ties the Shakespearean morals to Aboriginal rights in Australia that moves you. 4 stars.

Is your new show going to be any good?
My new show, quite frankly, is one of the best things going. All previous incarnations of this ensemble have sent the audience into a fit, and the Speakeasy takes all that and makes it bigger, tighter, better and funner. Funner is a word, right?

Lucian McGuiness is writing, directing and performing in Little Egypt’s Speakeasy.
Show dates: 6 – 9 Nov, 2014
Show venue: Django Bar, Camelot Lounge

5 Questions with Helen Vienne

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helenvienneWhat is your favourite swear word?
Fudge. Very G rated, I know.

What are you wearing?
Gingerbread pajama pants and an ex boyfriend’s T-shirt.

What is love?
Being a Beatles fan, I would have to say love is all you need 🙂

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
The Glass Menagerie at the Belvoir. It was a very simple but brilliant interpretation. They had video cameras set up to capture the actors in quieter moments and these images were projected on large screens in black and white, giving it an old Hollywood movie feel. I would give it four stars.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Bet your bottom dollar! (As Annie would say).

Helen Vienne is appearing in Haus by Black Raven Productions.
Show dates: 5 – 15 Nov, 2014
Show venue: King Street Theatre

5 Questions with Jacob Warner

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jacobwarnerWhat is your favourite swear word?
Strewth. Which I only recently learnt is a contraction of ‘gods truth’. And by recently I mean just then, when I googled the word to check the spelling.

What are you wearing?
A suit. I am about to go to my graduation ceremony. I just finished the full time course at The Actors Centre.

What is love?
Baby don’t hurt me. Don’t hurt me. No more.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
Writing For Performance by Michael Gow at NIDA. It was wonderful. Duncan Ragg was particularly moving as Roland. 4 stars out of 5.

Is your new show going to be any good?
Better bloody be. I dyed my hair blonde for it.

Jacob Warner‏ is appearing in Daylight Saving, from Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s 2014 season.
Show dates: 31 Oct – 30 Nov, 2014
Show venue: Eternity Playhouse

5 Questions with Justin Cotta

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justincottaWhat is your favourite swear word?
“Fuck Me In The Face With A Chainsaw Gently”.
It’s not a singular swear word, as per the question, yet run together at a rate of knots… Actually, wait.. no… that just ends up sounding like an in-flight announcement on Aerolineas Argentinas… Say it slow to medium fast depending on the context. And don’t just say it when you’re angry. Try mixing it up a little. Use it in a moment of quietly suspended disbelief. Or, here’s a good one; when you run into someone unexpectedly like an old friend, you can go with..
“Well fuck me in the face with a chainsaw gently!!! If it isn’t Such ‘n Such from Such ‘n Such!?!”
Follow your gut and play with it. And don’t be harsh on yourself if you mess it up the first few times. Like anything, it’s a process. Trust me, you’ll start to dig it.

What are you wearing?
My skin.

What is love?
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116. Franz Liszt’s Consolation #6. My sweetheart asleep on my chest. Creating the space for someone to be exactly who they are without judgement. The Collingwood Football Club. Curry. My Ducati. My family and My friends.

What was the last show you saw, and how many stars do you give it?
The Motherfucker With The Hat at Eternity Playhouse. Rating: 6 out of 5. Absolutely brilliant. Adam Cook is such a magnificent director. The entire cast blew me away. Our Sweeney Todd will be richer for having seen this show.

Is your new show going to be any good?
I said yes to this role because it feels almost insurmountable. I honestly don’t know if I can pull it off Suzy. At times the demands of Sweeney have left me quivering in my boots. Sondheim is mocking me and bullying me as an actor and as a singer and as a musician. I am scared. To the core. I am filled with doubt. I am questioning myself and my choices in the rehearsal room. I want to run away. Particular songs break my heart. The story breaks my heart. No one wants to have their heart broken. That’s terrifying enough in and of itself… And yes of course, as actors we would be lying if we didn’t say that some of the discomfort is about the ego not wanting to be adjudged to be the giver of a poor/average performance. Aah those reductive and selfish thoughts! However, the fact that I am experiencing so much fear is a positive sign that I am invested in and care deeply about this production. I care deeply for the characters. I care for and respect the team that I am working with. Our wonderful director Giles Gartrell-Mills has assembled a stellar cast. And our MD, Liam Kemp, is a supremely talented musician/pianist. And so, to the question! Will it be any good? I can only guarantee you our passion and commitment. But as a cheeky indulgence, let me also answer you this way… If I weren’t pervaded by undercurrents of fear and doubt in week 3 of rehearsals for a production of Sweeney Todd, I would say, “Don’t bother going. The guy playing Sweeney doesn’t get it.”

Justin Cotta is starring in Sweeney Todd, at the New Theatre in Newtown.
Show dates: 18 Nov – 20 Dec, 2014
Show venue: New Theatre