Community Theatre

How to Keep Your Little Theatre Open During the Coronavirus Epidemic

Stage Whispers Perth correspondent Kimberley Shaw shares ways of making your audience and company as safe as possible during the outbreak of Covid 19. 

Be aware that advice is changing very quickly, so little theatres (with an audience under 500) may NOT be able to perform next weekend, but these measures will also be helpful when we return to business after the worst of the outbreak. 

Bookings

Community Theatre Cancellations

Community Theatres across Australia are cancelling or postponing their seasons due to the Corona Virus pandemic.

In Victoria CentreStage Geelong announced that their planned programming of West Side Story has been postponed and not be onstage during the originally planned March 27th– April 4th season at the Geelong Arts Centre.

The Mousetrap Set To Thrill and Chill Hunters Hill

Sadly, this production closed with its dress rehearsal.

The eerie whistling of ‘Three Blind Mice’… a chilling scream… then silence.  

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical At Miranda

This production has been postponed.

Long before she was Carole King, Brooklyn born Carol Joan Klein fought her way into the record business as a teenage songwriter, initially as one of the staff songwriters at the Brill Building and later as a solo artist. She is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

Don’t Dress for Dinner at Cronulla

An evening of hilarious theatre is promised by the director of Arts Theatre Cronulla’s first play for 2020, Don’t Dress for Dinner. Originally staged in Paris where it ran for two years, the English version of this infidelity comedy adapted by Robin Hawdon ran in London for six years, opened on Broadway in 2012 and has since played in theatres all over America and the English-speaking world

Singin’ In The Rain at Rockdale

Rockdale Musical Society brings Singin’ In The Rain to the Rockdale Town Hall in March 2020

Based on the classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, the stage production of Singin’ In The Rain promises high-energy choreography, a superb score and a joyous story,.

Spine Chilling Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for Castle Hill

Castle Hill Players begin their 2020 season with The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, playing from January 31 to February 22. You may know the story but you’ve never experienced it like this! Noah Smith’s intimate adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic blends drama and horror to create a unique, spine-chilling night of theatre.

The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Shakespeare may be turning in his grave, but this show (which has become a cult classic) contains all 37 of his plays – plus his sonnets - in just 97 minutes!

Described by the Los Angeles Herald as “Shakespeare written by Reader's Digest, acted by Monty Python and performed at the speed of the minute waltz”, thisbinge of Bard - coming to Sydney’s North Shore courtesy of Lane Cove Theatre Company - is part parody, part tribute, part party trick!

DramaFest and Finley Awards 2019

The Koorliny Arts Centre was the big winner of the 45th annual Robert Finley Awards held at Perth’s State Theatre Centre on January 18, taking out six categories including Best Musical for The Boy From Oz (pictured left).

The awards are run by the Independent Theatre Association, with judges travelling around  Western Australia to adjudicate on community independent and school theatre.

Two of the adjudicators Kent Acott and Lyn Hutcheon were honoured with life membership.

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