As a long time fan and follower of Lachlan Philpott’s writing – yes let me list them for you – Catapult, Colder, Bison, Bustown this is perhaps one of the most anticipated productions noted in my diary. Directed by Lee Lewis Associate Director/Literary Advisor of the Griffin Theatre, Silent Disco is the 2009 Griffin Award-winning play and makes it’s debut at the Stables. It’s exciting to see a company dedicate not only an award, but the truly rewarding exciting prize of production to Australian playwrights. I’ve always said, if its worth an award it’s worth a production.
A chain link fence. The city skyline traced in plastic cups. Shall we begin? more…
I’m experiencing a definite zombie zeitgeist… and I’m not talking about our current hung parliament. A friend of mine says that zombie films are really siege films- where a population is surrounded and consumed by zombies- the inescapable siege. Perhaps it’s the fact that Australia, in it’s island sensibility fears invasion so strongly that this zombie terror is raising it’s ugly undead head? In thinking about zombies- i think about the insatiable need to consume (often brains, I believe)- and that perhaps the rise of zombie presence is a comment on our need to mindlessly consume and purchase? I feel the zombie-ness acutely in my 14 hour work days- and surely I am not alone? We are the working poor, are we not? more…
It’s not easy taking a punt on a new play, and the scariest punt imaginable is the play which is absolutely positively new and from an absolutely positively new writer. In this case the sleight of hand is interesting: and the context is interesting. The Griffin Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company have joined forces to produce Anthony Weigh’s new play “Like a Fishbone.” more…
Photo: Leah McGirr
A huge congratulations to Sam Strong for scoring the Artistic Directorship of Griffin Theatre, at the SBW Stables!
I struggled through the door of my apartment today with a wad of window envelopes from my mail box in my mouth, brief case in one hand, my keys in the other, mobile phone wedged in the gap between my ear and my shoulder. I was on a whimsical spontaneous phone call to my parentals who are in their beach-side town 8 hours drive north from here- as my mother asks me if I knew this “fellow”who got the job at Griffith… I am puzzled. I have just come from an OFF THE SHELF rehearsal- I am hungry. Tired. Listing the things I have to do today. “Griffin” she corrects herself. “No” I said. I hadn’t heard. My throat tightens. (I thought I was so in the loop- clearly not- my mother with a newspaper in a tiny north coast NSW town proves yet again she knows more than me). “Sam Strong?” She said, as though it was the weirdest name in the world. (which is funny when you consider her daughter’s name). My throat unclenches. “Awesome” I say… and it’s a genuine relief. “He’s a great guy.” After the phonecall I open my mail- a letter inside announcing his appointment. I check my email there’s an email from James Waites with the press release attached. “Cool” I think to myself as I relax… “Griffin is is safe, strong hands.” more…
![Belinda-McClory-Colin-Moody-Love-Me-Tender-web-319x480[1]](http://augustasupple.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Belinda-McClory-Colin-Moody-Love-Me-Tender-web-319x4801.jpg "Belinda-McClory-Colin-Moody-Love-Me-Tender-web-319x480[1]")
In the dizzying haze of Stories from the 428- I didn’t get out much to other theatres- I spent alot of my time with a laptop on my lap top or gesticultating wildly at actors (and occasionally chasing them around rehearsal rooms)… and so was mildly shut off from my regular review circuit. During that time, however, one play was mentioned to me in passing by people who had access to “the outside world” as I remembered it- and that play was none other than Tom Holloway’s Love Me Tender. more…
![ACTT_logo_colour_Use_this[1]](http://augustasupple.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/ACTT_logo_colour_Use_this1-300x137.jpg "ACTT_logo_colour_Use_this[1]")
Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers examines the reasons or causes behind people who are high acheivers- the thesis goes onto explain that for any person to be a leader in their field, they need to accrue 10,000 hours of practice in their given field. Gladwell sites the practise of The Beatles (who played 8 hours straight in Hamburg 5 days a week) and Bill Gates (who used to sneak into his local university at 2am to work on Computers as a teenage boy) … its a fascinating idea- and a hypothesis that rings true in the realm of the theatre. more…