Review: The Dapto Chaser (Apocalypse Theatre Company / Griffin Theatre Company)

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apocalypseVenue: SBW Stables Theatre (Kings Cross NSW), Jul 1 – 25, 2015
Playwright: Mary Rachel Brown
Director: Glynn Nicholas
Cast: Danny Adcock, Noel Hodda, Jamie Oxenbould, Richard Sydenham
Image by Robert Catto

Theatre review
Stories can have universal appeal, or they can be culturally specific. The two are not mutually exclusive, but it is a tall order to expect any work of the theatre to be able to explore unusual themes and contexts at great depth, while still being able to speak to everyone. Mary Rachel Brown’s The Dapto Chaser is not a work that can enthral every kind of audience, but it certainly represents a segment of society that is rarely seen on our stages, even if their existence in real life is ubiquitous and undeniable. Four men entrenched in the world of greyhound racing, staking their lives on the ambiguous divide between skill and chance. At its core, the work is about poverty and kinship, and although it can be seen as being critical of gambling, and does portray its addictive qualities as such, great care is taken to provide a sense of accuracy to the lives it depicts. The experiences resonate with a documentary-like truth, but without a watered down presentation, the play is not palatable to all.

Human resilience and the popular notion of the Aussie battler doing it tough, are expressed thoroughly and fluently by director Glynn Nicholas, who brings to the stage a microcosm of a disadvantaged family that is rarely revealed at such powerful and intimate detail. An invisible fifth character, the dog at the symbolic centre of its entire narrative, is given presence by a hint of deftly generated magical realism, but it is the hyper realistic delivery of very domestic scenarios that impress.

Four actors, all perfectly cast, each giving spectacular performances that leave no imaginable room for improvement. Richard Sydenham is flamboyant and wild as Cess Sinclair. He plays the role big and broad, but his comedy is cunningly subtle and genuinely funny. With a less than attractive character at hand, Sydenham brings to the fore unexpected tenderness and humanity at every opportunity, and we cannot help but surrender our empathy to his marvellous work. Jimmy is the younger Sinclair, more vulnerable and much less boisterous. Played by Jamie Oxenbould, whose authenticity on every level is disarmingly incredible. Oxenbould seems to refuse any glimpse of the actor, allowing us only to see the character he embodies. The show is unquestionably heightened in its naturalism, and the actor makes good dramatic use of his lines to highlight the story’s poignancies, but his creation is entirely believable, and at many points, captivating in its emotional sensitivity.

We all know the pain that comes with blood that flows thicker than water, and most of us understand the struggles of falling short at life’s promises, but our stories are not all the same. Diversity in media and the arts is a serious concern, and we must guard against the conformism that comes from a twisted misunderstanding of democracy that is determined to produce a universal blandness. On one hand, our tall poppy mindset persists, and on the other, our middle class aspirations keep our cultural cringes in check. What is generally acceptable, becomes narrower by the minute. Small stories are necessary, because it is in the deep excavation of a singular site, that the most meaningful inspirations can surface, even if they are not immediately accessible to every Tom, Dick and Harry.

www.apocalypsetheatrecompany.com | www.griffintheatre.com.au

5 Questions with Charles Allen and Anna Houston

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Anna Houston

Anna Houston

Charles Allen: How do you prepare to play a character that isn’t even given a name in the play, you are only referred to as Curley’s Wife?
Anna Houston: I work like a script detective … what clues are in Steinbeck’s script, his novel? Then I broaden the scope to look at the time period she came from. That helps with filling in the gaps about domestic life, socio economics, education, and so on. The rest is imagination and intuition. So much of what you bring to a role is intuitive, emotional. That’s the fun stuff. I also found a beautiful letter that Steinbeck wrote to Claire Luce, the first actress to play Curley’s Wife on Broadway in 1937. In it, he discusses her background, her motivations and desires. That letter does a lot to restore her dignity and humanity.

Curley’s Wife wants to be a star in the movies… which would you choose, being a star on stage or in the movies?
Can I do both, please? I think I’ll go with being a star on stage, paid movie star money.

5 words you’d use to describe working with a cast of 10 actors.
A noisy explosion of creativity.

Favourite down time activity on your days off from acting?
Sleeping.

Why should people see Of Mice And Men?
Because it’s Steinbeck! It’s gritty, heart breaking and timeless. It’s epic on the most intimate and vulnerable scale. And the artists at the helm of this production are at the top of their game. Excellent direction, design and performances. It deserves a damn big audience!

Charles Allen

Charles Allen

Anna Houston: Of Mice And Men is controversial for its language and the social environment surrounding its only African American character Crooks, how do you feel playing a role like that?
Charles Allen: Well, that comes down to separating the ego of the actor from the behavior of the character. I feel fine especially considering playing such a character requires me to stretch as an actor.

Crooks likes to read a lot of books, which book have you read recently that you really enjoyed?
I’m into Memoirs Of A Dutiful Daughter right now and I am really enjoying that.

Which actors inspire you?
My friend and fellow actor Mark Nassar. He isn’t well known but I’d put him in the ring with any actor past or present.

You are currently based in Brisbane… what is the first touristy thing you’ve done in Sydney?
Take a picture of the Opera House.

Why should people see Of Mice And Men?
Because it’s an atypical love story that is destined for tragedy. It uses simple characters to tell a complex story. It’s beautiful.

Anna Houston and Charles Allen will be appearing in Spot For Jove Theatre’s Of Mice And Men/em> by John Steinbeck.
Dates: 9 – 25 July, 2015
Venue: Seymour Centre

Review: Men (Red Line Productions)

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redline1Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jun 30 – Jul 25, 2015
Playwright: Brendan Cowell
Director: Jessica Tuckwell
Cast: Cheree Cassidy, Sean Hawkins, Ben O’Toole, Jamie Timony
Image by Marnya Rothe

Theatre review
There are three men in the play, each representing a negative aspect of machismo. One is the narcissist, another is the brute, and the weakling makes the trio. Brendan Cowell’s script is filled with insecurity and angst about modern maleness. Set within an indeterminate but claustrophobic context, Jules, Bob and Guy are aggressive expressions of all that we think is wrong with boys and men in Western societies today. It is a real challenge creating a story with no likable characters, but the author’s own presence is strong in the piece, and his self-effacing approach is an appealing one. Cowell achieves a fine balance between manufacturing objectionable scenarios and dialogue, with a critical undercurrent that gives us the freedom to indulge in the often politically incorrect humour. Despite its coarse demeanour and brash tonalities, Men is deeply poetic, with a strange and tragic beauty accentuated by the hopelessness that it depicts.

Jessica Tuckwell’s direction of the work brings a showy brazenness that entertains for the entirety. Energy levels are pitched very high, but we are always conscious of substance and subtexts lying beneath. There certainly is a good amount of depth to the play, but much as we are invited to analyse these young men’s thoughts and behaviours, there seems an unwillingness to delve into the causes of their plight. Comedy is handled with an impressive restraint that shows sophistication, as well as a well-placed confidence in the script. Haizel, the sole female personality on stage is a predictably enigmatic figure, but Tuckwell resists ascribing her with an archetype and her resultant ambiguity adds interest, if slightly unsettling.

All performances are accomplished for the piece, especially that of Sean Hawkins, who impresses as the boundlessly vain Jules. The writing demands of its players loud and fast delivery, which means that characters can appear mono-dimensional, but Hawkins’ portrayal reveals fragility and bewilderment where least expected, and his ability to inject subtle flashes of irony into a world of conceit, is thoroughly delightful. The level of concentration and clarity that each actor displays for their own part, gives the production its electricity, and despite their despicability, we hang on to their every word and action, always eager for more.

There are some spiritual schools of thought that believe in the importance of knowing what it is that one desires, rather than knowing only what is undesired. The production only shows us the troubling parts of being human, but is hesitant at discussing the alternatives. Regardless, Men is hugely satisfying. Deeply interesting questions are brought up that refuse to be ignored, and the sheer visceral excitement derived from its excellent performances is quite exceptional. Men, can’t live with them, can’t live without them.

www.oldfitztheatre.com

Review: An Hour With Kay‏ (Kworks / The Old 505 Theatre)

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kayarmstrongVenue: Old 505 Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), June 30 – July 5, 2015
Playwright: Kay Armstrong
Director: Kay Armstrong
Cast: Kay Armstrong

Theatre review
Meanings can be found anywhere, and in anything, but it requires that the observer draws their own conclusions on what, if anything, is being said. An Hour With Kay is abstract and absurd. The fact that time itself is highlighted by its very inclusion within the title of the work, makes us consider how we value those 60 minutes, and whether the artist Kay Armstrong justifies her procurement of the audience’s presence. Indeed, our presence is an important factor in the piece, which is characterised by an unusual freedom in Armstrong’s eagerness in incorporating our bodies and minds into the creation of a kind of theatre that is on some level, about the subversion of passive viewership. A quality of democracy figures heavily in her art. Maybe we are not in control of the action at all times, but we are certainly the ones who have to decide what it is that we experience.

Armstrong is a strong performer with excellent conviction, but she is uninterested in manipulating the resolutions we may or may not attain from participating in her work. It is about the here and now, and those 60 minutes of activity and energy that we are involved with. What happens after, is entirely reliant on our own creativity. The work is fascinating and engaging, with tempo that changes regularly, so that it evades predictability. Armstrong’s ability to surprise at every juncture keeps us intrigued, and a gentle sense of instability demands that we are attentive to what she might unleash upon us next.

An Hour With Kay satisfies with its concoction of all that is weird and wonderful, yet it challenges us, both in terms of our notions of components and definitions theatre and art, and also of our expectations as public consumers of culture. Art has the privilege of being able to take any form, and to break any rule. It is however, required to reconstitute something new in place of what it seeks to dismantle. The new is never easily understandable, but we can hope for it to connect in some way, and Kay Armstrong’s show reacquaints us with joy and wonder, which seem to become increasingly scarce with each passing year.

www.venue505.com/theatre | www.kworks.co

5 Questions with Hadleigh Adams and Christopher Lowrey

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Hadleigh Adams

Hadleigh Adams

Christopher Lowrey: What’s the best breakfast food, and why?
Hadleigh Adams: It sounds really boring, but I don’t care! Haha: Rolled oats with blueberries. Oh, or an egg white omelette with mushroom and spinach.

Which fictional character (TV, movies, books, comics, etc.) do you most identify with?
Archer. Ok, yeah he’s a cartoon, and I don’t reeeeally identify with him as much as I think he’s awesome and in real life either want him to be my friend, or to be him.

Any talents/skills most people don’t know about?
I played bassoon for 12 years. I miss it a lot.

Was there a moment when you knew you wanted to be a singer?
There was actually! I was 10 and at the time I was listening to a lot of music theatre and then I found a record and our basement and I put it on the turntable and the need hit the record right at the very beginning of the aria “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s Tosca. It sounded just like music theatre to me but louder, and with more instruments, which when you’re a ten year old kid in a small farming town in New Zealand that’s pretty cool. Haha. But I was hooked. That music helped me to make sense of who I am.

How many roles have you prepared?
Bajazet is actually the 20th role I’ve prepared! I’m so happy to be back here in Sydney for it. It’s an amazing opera, visceral and gritty, and I’m excited to get it up on its feet for an audience.

Christopher Lowrey

Christopher Lowrey

Hadleigh Adams: What has been your most comedic onstage moment?
Christopher Lowrey: I was singing a revival of Acis And Galatea in Venice for which my costume included huge faux Elvisesque sideburns. On a matinee show, the makeup artist applied what seemed to be the wrong size sideburn extensions. After nervously interrogating my castmates about it, I was assured that I was losing my mind and that the hair extensions were the same as ever. In the opening chorus, all of us had a lot of dancing to do and in one conspicuous moment, one of my castmates, whom I hadn’t yet seen that afternoon, swung upstage to face me impishly gesturing towards my sideburns…on his face. As it became clear the whole cast had been in on the prank, I had to interpretively dance to the side of the stage to hide my tears of laughter.

Why do you perform opera opposed to any other singing art form?
As anyone who has spent more than a few minutes chatting to me will tell you, I can’t stop nerding out on baroque music and I never stop psychoanalysing people. Opera combines both of these unhealthy obsessions. Sorted.

What’s the worst costume you’ve ever had to wear for a show?
I’ve honestly never had a bad one! My favourite was a costume made for Oberon, the concept of which was all-black Elizabethan finery (ruff, doublet, jerkin, breeches, codpiece, crown of berries) that had been lived in for the five centuries since Shakespeare had written him into existence.

What is your favourite opera aria to sing and why?
“Dove sei, amato bene” from Handel’s Rodelinda. After a performance of this at the Royal College of Music in London, I received probably the most touching note of my life, informing me that this person had been surrounded by grown men in the audience crying during my aria. I felt as if I’d accomplished a performer’s highest aspiration, to marry singing with dramatic truth in order to allow an audience to find something vulnerable and hidden and precious within themselves, and to let it free, if only for a short moment, in a darkened theatre.

What is the greatest thrill about singing Tamerlano in this production of Bajazet?
I suppose it’s getting the chance to embody a character almost diametrically opposed to my own, to flirt with the capacity to be wicked, corrupt, depraved, that lies dormant in all of us.

Hadleigh Adams and Christopher Lowrey will be performing Pinchgut Opera’s Bajazet by Antonio Vivaldi.
Dates: 4 – 8 July, 2015
Venue: City Recital Hall

Review: Bring It On (Supply Evolution)

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bringitonVenue: NIDA Parade Theatres (Sydney NSW), June 27 – July 9, 2015
Music: Tom Kitt, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lyrics: Amanda Green, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Libretto: Jeff Whitty
Director: Rod Herbert
Choreographers: Melissa McKenzie, Tracey Rasmussen
Cast: Isaac Bradley, Sophie Carol, Jaime Hadwen, Justin Hitchcock, Kat Hoyos, Timothy Langan, Alexandra Lewtas, Henry Moss, Ashley Power, Kirsty Sturgess, Temujin Tera, Jessica Van Wyk, Nicole Vella,

Theatre review
Cashing in on the success of the 2000 film, the Bring It On musical first premièred in the USA in 2011. The work retains characters and dramatics of the original, but unlike the film soundtrack, which featured a best-selling collection of memorable songs, compositions for the stage version are never quite as catchy. Its writing feels generic, almost paint-by-numbers, obviously created for the Broadway stage where it had played for less than half a year.

Direction for this Sydney production is similarly predictable. Rod Herbert puts effort into getting things right, with a desire to emulate a certain idea of conventional musical theatre, rather than focussing on real moments on stage that could develop personalities and relationships for us to become engaged with. There is a lot of hullabaloo, but very little magic, with performances that often look like play-acting that never go beyond the surface, and a humour that is rarely effective beyond the plainly cheesy context. On a brighter note, the show is well-rehearsed. Except for several instances of cheer stunts not achieving their target, the cast always seems energetic and in confident stride.

The role of Danielle is played by Kat Hoyos, whose presence is strongest in the very large cast, and who comes closest to a performance that contains some quality of authenticity. Her vocals do not live up to the demanding material, but she looks and feels the part, and we believe the personal narrative she conveys. Male members of the cast play smaller supporting roles, but Isaac Bradley, Temujin Tera and Henry Moss bring flashes of sparkle to the stage with their respective solos. Bradley and Tera impress with their rap sequences in the opening of Act Two, and Moss belts out convincing notes in his several show stoppers. Also a very big voice is leading lady Alex Lewtas, who sings her numbers well, but we never quite believe the Campbell she portrays. Her approach is too simplistic, with more than a hint of Disney, and the important elements of duplicity and sinisterness that accompany her saccharine sweetness fail to take hold.

Scenic design is too understated for a brash work like Bring It On, but Benjamin Brockman’s lights are a good effort at making up for its shortfalls. Brockman’s work is key to the depiction of time and scene transitions, and he provides surprise, emotion and an overall glossiness, to a staging that can easily turn hollow. It is to the production’s great credit that a live band is utilised for the performance, but sound design is inconsistent, and the show never quite affects us with sufficient power, on a sonic level.

No matter how formulaic a creation, tales of the underdog can always move an audience. We want the small guy with the big heart to come out on top, because it is easy to identify with the ones who struggle. This musical aims high but does not reach far enough. Ambition should not be discouraged, and there is no room in the arts for the tall poppy syndrome. The sky is the limit, and the only way for all, is up.

www.bringitonthemusical.com.au

Review: Dining [Uns]-Table‏ (PACT Centre For Emerging Artists)

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pact1Venue: PACT Theatre (Erskineville NSW), June 17 – 20, 2015
Choreographer: Cloé Fournier
Director: Cloé Fournier
Cast: Cloé Fournier
Image by Katy Green Loughrey

Theatre review
Events from childhood have the potential to shape a person’s entire life, no matter how innocuous they might seem at the time. Little souls have a kind of sensitivity that adults forget, and things that we do and say can have a lasting effect beyond any of our intentions. Cloé Fournier’s Dining [Uns]-Table is an exorcistic ‏work that draws inspiration from memories of a Christmas party with family members many years ago. Fournier works from a base of dance and physical theatre, but she establishes a definite sense of narrative, to provide her audience with reference points that allow us to connect with the surprising range of emotions that are being expressed. The style of art on stage is experimental and its language is thrillingly original, but all its moments are communicative and we read the unconventional presentation from an instinctive and familiar space of interior intimacy. Fournier’s exploration of her personal memory, is in conversation with our own remembrances, and the commonalities we are able to locate, are divine.

If essential ingredients for theatre are inventiveness and a spirit for adventure, Dining [Uns]-Table scores top marks. Furthermore, it is performed with exceptional gusto and flair, by a dancer whose talents are diverse and irrepressible. Fournier’s physicality is flawlessly employed by her own choreography, which is in turn, always thoughtful and refreshing. Her presence is that of a seasoned actor, with the ability to convey story and sentiments clearly and succinctly, always keeping us enthralled. The artist has a precise approach that leaves no stone unturned, and the show feels exhaustive both in terms of what it wishes to depict, and how it does so. The experience is fascinating and all-consuming, and by the end, we are completely satisfied and leave the space thoroughly impressed.

When we approach a work of art, we hope to see a reflection; not an exact facsimile of selves, but a representation of the human condition that we can relate to. This requires both creator and viewer to take a step forward, and to find a point of contact that will spark imagination and hopefully discover something meaningful. In Cloé Fournier’s work, we get in touch with elements that are fundamental to the construction of our identities, shared or personal. The depth that she leads us to, comes not as a result of the divulgement of details from her own experiences, but from the way she seeks to move us in the space that we temporarily encounter. There is so much power in the meeting of strangers at the theatre, and Dining [Uns]-Table agitates an eruption that brings new definition to how things are made and received on Australian stages.

www.pact.net.au

Review: This Is Not Mills And Boon (Glorious Theatre Thing Co / Old 505 Theatre)

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glorioustheatreVenue: Old 505 Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Jun 23 – 28, 2015
Playwright: Erica J Brennan
Director: Richard Hilliar
Cast: Emma Chelsey, Cat Martin, Diego AR Melo, Dominic McDonald
Image by Liam O’Keefe

Theatre review
Sex is a difficult thing to talk about. It is deeply personal, and social etiquette dictates that we keep it hidden under wraps. What is proffered to be general and common knowledge are invariably narrow definitions of healthy sexual functioning and practice. Maturity is therefore almost always an awkward process that involves young people grappling with unexpected deviations from those preconceived notions of norms, and the turmoil that it precipitates can be quite agonising.

Erica J Brennan’s This Is Not Mills And Boon is about Abigail, a young woman trying to understand her sexual self, through the discovery of sexual diversity in erotic literature. The plot is devised with a creative vision, using well-considered anti-chronological timelines and the meaningful juxtaposition of fantasy with reality, but for what is clearly the most risqué of themes at its centre, Brennan’s approach is uncomfortably polite. The raunchy context requires a certain quality of bluntness, or perhaps a coarser sensibility, in order that its jokes may cut deeper, and its many libidinous situations resonate with greater danger and tension.

Director Richard Hilliar introduces a good amount of theatricality to the staging, with strong support by designers (Ash Bell’s costumes are especially noteworthy) to create a show that is effervescent and fast-paced, but it seems to shy away from the opportunity for an exploration into sex and its boundaries that goes beyond the surface. Occupying centre stage is Abigail’s tedious impassivity, which grows more and more pronounced with time, and its presence is allowed to take over the story without it ever being interesting enough. Emma Chelsey plays the lead with a convincing naiveté and an appearance that easily portrays both girl and woman, but her performance is too plain. Without a sense of complexity that intrigues or titillates, the exercise is one that ultimately feels puerile and overly cautious.

Brennan and her protagonist’s journey from girl to goddess might not be the most compelling tale, but it provides a universal parallel for those of us who have experimented and have found our individualistic inclinations in what could be life’s greatest joy. The revelations that come with the formation of confident sexualities are invariably profound, and it is that kind of poignancy that all work about sexual awakenings have to live up to.

www.venue505.com/theatre | gloriousthingtheatreco.wordpress.com

Review: Legends! (Gordon Frost / Theatre Royal)

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781198-f461dc9e-0993-11e5-8dc7-b0c4f7af3b6c[1]Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), Jun 18 – Jul 5, 2015
Playwright: James Kirkwood
Director: Christopher Renshaw
Cast: Maxwell Caulfield, David Denis, Leah Howard, Phillip Lowe, Hayley Mills, Juliet Mills

Theatre review
James Kirkwood’s 1987 comedy Legends! is about screen sirens wrestling with the fact that time can be unkind, and that parts of us are considered over-the-hill before we are ready to acknowledge their demise. The script is only 28 years old, but it feels more dated than the characters it portrays. Many of the jokes are tired, and its inclusion of African-Americans only as servants and strippers is clearly inappropriate for today’s milieu. All the personalities are simplistic, and although we recognise them on the level of stereotypes, they are not affecting beyond anything archaic and predictable.

Direction of the work by Christopher Renshaw does not seek to invent a new sense of humour in order to update the tone and feel of the text, but his show is nevertheless, tightly paced and energetic. The plot is relayed with clarity and enthusiasm, but its lack of wit is unable to be disguised. It must be noted though, that Justin Nardella’s achievements as designer on the production is remarkable, with set and costumes in particular, conveying a striking glamour that is quite captivating.

Performances by the show’s stars, Hayley and Juliet Mills, are polished and engaging. Their interpretation of dueling has-beens at the centre of the play is not wicked enough for the show to be much more than amusing, but we are impressed by the thoroughness of their professionalism in what is evidently a very well-rehearsed performance. The Mills sisters have gestures and voices that demonstrate their admirable stage expertise, and even though the story being told is not filled with passion, the duo’s dedication and enjoyment of their art are lovely to behold. Also exuberant are supporting actors Leah Howard and David Denis, who contribute significant luster to a very conventional production. Their impulsive and lively approach provides buoyancy to an otherwise contrived style of presentation.

Legends! is an old-fashioned comedy, which is not to say that it will not find an audience. It holds appeal for certain cultural segments, but is perhaps not a popular choice for the rest of us. What is it that makes people laugh is never a certainty, and the rules are never stable. Time and space, along with humour, are constantly in flux, and what was once hilarious can now be tedious. Sylvia and Leatrice might no longer be relevant to today’s movie-going public, but their voice should still persist, even just to tide with the sands of time in anticipation of trends and tastes to return.

www.legendstour.com.au

2015 Helpmann Awards Nominations

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HELPMANN AWARDS CEREMONY
Monday 27 July, 2015 | Capitol Theatre, Sydney

THEATRE


BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
ANDREW UPTON
Endgame (Sydney Theatre Company)
CLARE WATSON
What Rhymes with Cars and Girls (Melbourne Theatre Company)
KIP WILLIAMS
Suddenly Last Summer (Sydney Theatre Company)
SARAH GOODES
Switzerland (Sydney Theatre Company)


BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY
HELEN THOMSON
After Dinner (Sydney Theatre Company)
JULIE FORSYTH
Endgame (Melbourne Theatre Company)
PAMELA RABE
Beckett Triptych – Footfalls (State Theatre Company of South Australia)
SARAH PEIRSE
Endgame (Sydney Theatre Company)


BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY
JULIE FORSYTH
Night on Bald Mountain (Malthouse Theatre)
PAMELA RABE
The Glass Menagerie (Belvoir)
ROBYN NEVIN
Suddenly Last Summer (Sydney Theatre Company)
SARAH PEIRSE
Switzerland (Sydney Theatre Company)


BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY
BRUCE SPENCE
Endgame (Sydney Theatre Company)
GLENN HAZELDINE
After Dinner (Sydney Theatre Company)
JOHN BELL
As You Like It (Bell Shakespeare)
LASARUS RATUERE
Kill the Messenger (Belvoir)


BEST MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY
HUGO WEAVING
Endgame (Sydney Theatre Company)
HUNTER PAGE-LOCHARD
Brothers Wreck (Belvoir)
PETER CARROLL
Oedipus Rex (Belvoir)
STEVE RODGERS
Eight Gigabytes of Hardcore Porn (Griffin Theatre Company and Perth Theatre Company)


BEST PLAY
CALPURNIA DESCENDING
Malthouse Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company
ENDGAME
Sydney Theatre Company
THE GLASS MENAGERIE
Belvoir
SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER
Sydney Theatre Company

MUSICALS


BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL
ANDREW HALLSWORTH
Anything Goes (Opera Australia and John Frost)
KATE CHAMPION and MICHELLE LYNCH
Dirty Dancing – The Classic Love Story on Stage (John Frost)
MICHAEL ASHCROFT and GEOFFREY GARRATT
Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh Australia)
STEVEN HOGGETT
Once (John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo)


BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
DEAN BRYANT
Anything Goes (Opera Australia and John Frost)
JOHN TIFFANY
Once (John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo)
LAURENCE CONNOR and JAMES POWELL
Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh Australia)
STUART MAUNDER AM
Into the Woods (Victorian Opera)


BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
AMY LEHPAMER
Once (John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo)
CLAIRE LYON
Anything Goes (Opera Australia and John Frost)
KERRIE ANNE GREENLAND
Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh Australia)
LUCY MAUNDER
Into the Woods (Victorian Opera)


BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
CAROLINE O’CONNOR
Anything Goes (Opera Australia and John Frost)
HELEN DALLIMORE
Blood Brothers (Enda Markey Presents)
MADELEINE JONES
Once (John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo)
PATRICE TIPOKI
Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh Australia)


BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
ALEX RATHGEBER
Anything Goes (Opera Australia and John Frost)
BRENT HALL
Once (John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr, Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo)
CHRIS DURLING
Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh Australia)
COLIN DEAN
Once (John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr, Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo)
EDDIE MULIAUMASEALI’I
Show Boat (The Production Company)
TREVOR ASHLEY
Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh Australia)


BEST MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
HAYDEN TEE
Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh Australia)
SIMON GLEESON
Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh Australia)
TODD MCKENNEY
Anything Goes (Opera Australia and John Frost)
TODD MCKENNEY
La Cage Aux Folles (The Production Company)


BEST MUSICAL
ANYTHING GOES
Opera Australia and John Frost
DIRTY DANCING – THE CLASSIC LOVE STORY ON STAGE
John Frost, Karl Sydow, Martin McCullum and Joyce Entertainment
LES MISÉRABLES
Cameron Mackintosh
ONCE
John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo

INDUSTRY AWARDS


BEST COSTUME DESIGN
ANNA CORDINGLEY
Masquerade (Griffin Theatre Company and State Theatre Company of South Australia)
DALE FERGUSON
Anything Goes (Opera Australia and John Frost)
GABRIELA TYLESOVA
The Rabbits (Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company)
GARY MCCANN
Faramondo (Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC)


BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
GEOFF COBHAM
The Philip Glass Trilogy (State Opera Company, South Australia)
NICK SCHLIEPER
Macbeth (Sydney Theatre Company)
PAULE CONSTABLE
Faust (Opera Australia)
PAULE CONSTABLE
Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh Australia)
RACHEL BURKE
Marlin (Arena Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company)


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
CAMERON GOODALL and QUENTIN GRANT
Little Bird (State Theatre Company of South Australia)
KATE MILLER-HEIDKE with IAIN GRANDAGE
The Rabbits (Opera Australia)
MIKELANGELO and THE BLACKSEA GENTLEMEN
Masquerade (Griffin Theatre Company and State Theatre Company of South Australia)
TIM ROGERS
What Rhymes with Cars and Girls (Melbourne Theatre Company)


BEST MUSIC DIRECTION
ERIN HELYARD
Faramondo (Brisbane Baroque)
MARTIN LOWE
Once (John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo)
TIM ROGERS
What Rhymes with Cars and Girls (Melbourne Theatre Company)
TIMOTHY SEXTON
The Philip Glass Trilogy (State Opera South Australia)


BEST SCENIC DESIGN
DAN POTRA
The Perfect American (Brisbane Festival and Opera Queensland)
GEOFF COBHAM
Little Bird (State Theatre Company of South Australia)
MARG HORWELL
Marlin (Arena Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company)
MATT KINLEY
Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh Australia)


BEST SOUND DESIGN
CLIVE GOODWIN
Once (John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo)
JD BRILL, CLAIR GLOBAL and EAGLES
Eagles | History of the Eagles Live In Concert 2015 (The Eagles and Frontier Touring)
MICHAEL WATERS
Anything Goes (Opera Australia and John Frost)
MICK POTTER
Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh Australia)


BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
AIDAN FENNESSY, MUSIC AND LYRICS BY TIM ROGERS
What Rhymes with Cars and Girls (Melbourne Theatre Company)
ARENA THEATRE COMPANY
Marlin (Arena Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company)
JOANNA MURRAY-SMITH
Switzerland (Sydney Theatre Company)
NICKI BLOOM with songs and music by CAMERON GOODALL and QUENTIN GRANT
Little Bird (State Theatre Company of South Australia)
OPERA AUSTRALIA and BARKING GECKO THEATRE COMPANY
The Rabbits (Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company)
TAMARA SAULWICK
Endings (Sydney Festival and Insite Arts)

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC


BEST AUSTRALIAN CONTEMPORARY CONCERT
CHET FAKER | NATIONAL TOUR 2015
JIMMY BARNES | 30:30 HINDSIGHT GREATEST HITS TOUR 2014
KYLIE | KISS ME ONCE TOUR 2015
TINA ARENA RESET TOUR


BEST CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL
BLUESFEST BYRON BAY
LANEWAY FESTIVAL
VIVID LIVE 2015
WOMADELAIDE 2015


BEST CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL CONCERT
ED SHEERAN | X WORLD TOUR 2015
FOO FIGHTERS | SONIC HIGHWAYS WORLD TOUR 2015
PAUL SIMON and STING – ON STAGE TOGETHER
THE ROLLING STONES | 14 ON FIRE

COMEDY


BEST COMEDY PERFORMER
JUDITH LUCY
Judith Lucy – Ask No Questions of the Moth (Token Events)
MATT OKINE
The Other Guy (Century Entertainment)
NAZEEM HUSSAIN
Nazeem Hussain – Legally Brown (Live Nation)
RONNY CHIENG
You Don’t Know What You’re Talking About (Century Entertainment)
SAM SIMMONS
Sam Simmons – Spaghetti for Breakfast (Token Events)

CABARET


BEST CABARET PERFORMER
BECCY COLE and LIBBY DONOVAN
The Cowgirl and the Showgirl (Adelaide Festival Centre Trust)
CAMILLE O’SULLIVAN
Camille O’Sullivan – Changeling (Arts Centre Melbourne)
DAVID CAMPBELL and JOHN BUCCHINO
David Campbell Sings John Bucchino (Luckiest Productions)
KIM SMITH
Nova Noir (Adelaide Festival Centre Trust)

DANCE AND PHYSICAL THEATRE


BEST BALLET OR DANCE WORK
FRAME OF MIND
Sydney Dance Company
MEETING
Antony Hamilton and Alisdair Macindoe
MOTION PICTURE
Lucy Guerin Inc
PRECIPICE
Rachel Arianne Ogle


BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
ANTONY HAMILTON
MEETING (Antony Hamilton Projects, Arts House and Insite Arts)
NATALIE WEIR
Natalie Weir’s The Red Shoes (Expressions Dance Company and Queensland Performing Arts Centre)
RAFAEL BONACHELA
Frame of Mind (Sydney Dance Company)
STEPHEN PAGE
Patyegarang (Bangarra Dance Theatre)


BEST FEMALE DANCER IN A DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
CHLOE LEONG
William Forsythe’s Quintett (Sydney Dance Company)
ELISE MAY
Natalie Weir’s The Red Shoes (Expressions Dance Company and Queensland Performing Arts Centre)
JESSE SCALES
William Forsythe’s Quintett (Sydney Dance Company)
MADELEINE EASTOE
Giselle (The Australian Ballet)


BEST MALE DANCER IN A DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
ALISDAIR MACINDOE
Motion Picture (Lucy Guerin Inc)
CASS MORTIMER EIPPER
William Forsythe’s Quintett (Sydney Dance Company)
DAVID MACK
William Forsythe’s Quintett (Sydney Dance Company)
JACK ZIESING
Natalie Weir’s The Red Shoes (Expressions Dance Company and Queensland Performing Arts Centre)


BEST VISUAL OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
BEYOND THE CIRCA
Arts Centre Melbourne and Circa
DISLOCATE’S “IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK”
Marguerite Pepper Productions
THE PAPER ARCHITECT
Davy and Kristin McGuire and Perth International Arts Festival
TABAC ROUGE
Produced by Compagnie du Hanneton, presented by Sydney Festival

OPERA AND CLASSICAL MUSIC

BEST DIRECTION OF AN OPERA
DAVID MCVICAR
Faust (Opera Australia)
DAVID MCVICAR
Don Giovanni (Opera Australia)
LEIGH WARREN
Philip Glass Trilogy (State Opera of South Australia)
PAUL CURRAN
Faramondo (Brisbane Baroque)

BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA
ANNA DEVIN
Faramondo (Brisbane Baroque)
ANNA STARUSHKEVYCH
Faramondo (Brisbane Baroque)
NICOLE CAR
Don Giovanni (Opera Australia)
TARYN FIEBIG
Don Giovanni (Opera Australia)


BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA
CAITLIN HULCUP
Iphigenie en Tauride (Pinchgut Opera)
JENNIFER RIVERA
Faramondo (Brisbane Baroque)
LATONIA MOORE
Aida – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (Opera Australia)
NICOLE CAR
Faust (Opera Australia)


BEST MALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA
CHRISTOPHER LOWREY
Faramondo (Brisbane Baroque)
SHANE LOWRENCEV
Don Giovanni (Opera Australia)
TEDDY TAHU RHODES
Faust (Opera Australia)
WARWICK FYFE
The Flying Dutchman (Victorian Opera)


BEST MALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA
ADAM DIEGEL
Madama Butterfly (English National Opera, Metropolitan Opera and Lithuanian National Opera)
CHRISTOPHER PURVES
The Perfect American (Brisbane Festival and Opera Queensland)
CLAUDIO SGURA
Tosca (Opera Australia)
MICHAEL FABIANO
Faust (Opera Australia)
TEDDY TAHU RHODES
Don Giovanni (Opera Australia)


BEST OPERA
FARAMONDO (Brisbane Baroque)
FAUST (Opera Australia)
MADAMA BUTTERFLY (English National Opera, Metropolitan Opera and Lithuanian National Opera)
THE PHILIP GLASS TRILOGY (State Opera South Australia)


BEST CHAMBER AND/OR INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE CONCERT
GOLDNER STRING QUARTET, MUSICA VIVA INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SERIES NATIONAL TOUR 2015
Goldner String Quartet for Musica Viva Australia
LES ARTS FLORISSANTS and LE JARDIN DES VOIX IN Â JARDIN Ã L’ITALIENNE
Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House and Perth International Arts Festival
THE SIXTEEN
Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House, Perth International Arts Festival, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Australian National University of Music, Llewellyn Hall
STEPHEN HOUGH IN RECITAL
Sydney Symphony Orchestra


BEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT
THE DAMNATION OF FAUST
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
MAHLER 3
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
REFLECTIONS ON GALLIPOLI
Australian Chamber Orchestra
TAFELMUSIK’S HOUSE OF DREAMS
Musica Viva


BEST INDIVIDUAL CLASSICAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE
ASHER FISCH
Beethoven Festival (West Australian Symphony Orchestra)
CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF
Christian Tetlaff (Melbourne Recital Centre)
EMANUEL AX
The Beethoven Piano Concertos (Sydney Symphony Orchestra)
WILLIAM CHRISTIE
William Christie (Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House, and Perth International Arts Festival)

REGIONAL TOURING PRODUCTIONS


BEST REGIONAL TOURING PRODUCTION
FESTIVAL OF CIRCA
Circa
FOOD
Force Majeure and Belvoir
KELLY
Queensland Theatre Company
SONS & MOTHERS
Performing Lines and No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability

CHILDREN’S PRESENTATIONS


BEST PRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN
CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS
Circa and Queensland Performing Arts Centre
HANS CHRISTIAN, YOU MUST BE AN ANGEL
Sydney Opera House and Arts Centre Melbourne
PETE THE SHEEP
Monkey Baa Theatre Company
THE RABBITS
Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company, in association with West Australian Opera, cocommissioned
by Perth International Arts Festival and Melbourne Festival

2015 HELPMANN AWARDS BESTOWED AWARD

BEST SPECIAL EVENT
PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROYAL DE LUXE
The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of the Giants to the Streets of Perth

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

SUE NATTRASS AWARD™
ERIC ROBINSON

JC WILLIAMSON AWARD®
PAUL KELLY

BRIAN STACEY AWARD 2015
JESSICA GETHIN