Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Cast Announced

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Season extended to December 8

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Producers Stephen Doorey and George Youakim from James Anthony Productions today (Tuesday September 3) announced the rest of the cast for their upcoming production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, opening at Sydney’s Theatre Royal on 24 October 2013, it will play a strictly limited season.

Joining the cast will be Zoe Coppinger, Rodney Dobson, Xander Ellis, Jillian Green, Matthew Hamilton, Glenn Hill, Vincent Hooper, Zoe Jarrett, Annabel Knight, Nadia Komazec, Phillip Lowe, Stephanie Morrison, Lisa Sontag, Darren Tyler, Caleb Vines, Jake Walasek and Sophie Weiss.

Principal cast members previously announced are Tony Sheldon as Lawrence Jameson, Matt Hetherington as Freddy Benson, Amy Lehpamer as Christine Colgate, John Wood as Lawrence’s “bodyguard” Andre Thibault, Anne Wood as Muriel Eubanks and Katrina Retallick as Jolene Oakes.

Our review

Our Earlier Coverage

Broadway musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, based on the 1988 film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, is coming to Sydney, opening at the Theatre Royal on 24 October for a strictly limited season. Neil Litchfield was at the launch, and spoke to several of the cast members.

Tony Sheldon returns to Australia following his success in the West End and on Broadway in Priscilla Queen of the Desert to lead the cast of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as Lawrence Jameson, a suave conman who believes in tricking corrupt, rich people out of their money to finance his lavish lifestyle. Still in the US, Sheldon shared some engaging banter by video with Matt Hetherington, who plays the cocky small-time American hustler Freddy Benson. Hetherington won a Green Room Award for playing the same role in the Production Company’s 2010 concert presentation of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels In Melbourne.

Hetherington says of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, “I love everything about the show. I’ve never had so much fun on stage.  It was a movie that I absolutely adored growing up. I knew it very well, and when I saw it on Broadway I couldn’t quite believe that they had managed to capture the spirit and fun that the movie had. “Sometimes that gets a little bit lost, and I probably experienced that a bit in The Full Monty.

“They’ve just hit this absolutely on the head. It’s set in the same place, the characters have the same names, and the songs complement the story.

“It’s a gift. And Freddy gets to do so many fun things. There isn’t a single scene where you don’t get to do something you’re really looking forward to. That doesn’t happen much in shows.”

Christine Colgate, the naive and wealthy American heiress who is the target for Lawrence and Freddy’s con, will be played by Amy Lehpamer (Rock of Ages, Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert), who is repeating the role she played in The Production Company’s Melbourne production.

“It’s such a gift to be able to revisit Christine Colgate,” Amy said. “She’s a character of many colours. She comes into the piece with a beautiful naivety and sense of wonder at the surroundings she’s found herself in. There’s a sense of play about her that is really fantastic to play as a performer as well, because when you’ve got a character who’s willing to try things and experiment as a character, as an actor you’ve got a whole range of things you can start to think about. Physicalities, ideas and the possibilities of that character start to open up for you. When I finished the show with The Production Company I sort of hoped it wasn’t the end, because it was one of the most fantastic things I’ve ever done, and I’m so excited to be in this. There’s a wicked amount of fun to be had, so I can’t wait to revisit it – a bit more confident, a bit more wise, and with a longer rehearsal period to back it up and experiment with.”

Two of the women conned by the pair, Muriel Eubanks and Jolene Oakes, are played by Anne Wood (Mamma Mia!, The Sound of Music) and Katrina Retallick (The Addams Family, A Little Night Music).

Anne says of her character, “Muriel is a woman of a certain age who has a lot of money, but she’s bored, and most importantly, she’s lonely.  So she’s a well-intentioned, good-hearted person who is probably looking for a bit of trouble.

“I’m very excited about the script because it’s just so funny. It’s so rare that you pick up something that’s just black and white on the page, and you’re actually belly-laughing while you’re reading it.

“I love the fact that she’s so unaware of her naivety.”

Katrina Retallick explained that her character, Joelene, “is ‘a princess of petroleum’, that is how she’s referred to. She’s very wealthy too, and her money has come through family oil, from Oklahoma, so I’ll be dusting off my southern accent for this one. She’s outrageous. She’s probably the broadest character I’ve ever played. She’s ridiculously foul-mouthed, loud and in your face. She’s hilarious. She doesn’t know how hilarious she is, she’s just ‘bein’ herself, and doin’ her thang’ (Katrina drawled) - looking for her prince, and so excited that she’s found him.”

This all-new Australian production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will be directed by Roger Hodgman (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Grey Gardens, Sweeney Todd), musically directed by Guy Simpson and choreographed by Dana Jolly. Producers Stephen Doorey and George Youakim from James Anthony Productions are thrilled with the calibre of the cast for their debut production. “We loved the musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels the first time we heard the music,” said Doorey and Youakim, “and we knew that we had to produce this musical in Sydney. To have assembled this sensational principal cast is the icing on the cake. We know that Sydney is going to fall in love with our mischievous scoundrels.”

The plot is based on the highly successful and much loved 1988 film with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and book by Jeffrey Lane, and centres around the two con men, Lawrence Jameson and Freddy Benson, on the French Riviera.

When Freddy threatens to expose Lawrence’s operation, Lawrence begrudgingly agrees to take him under his wing and tutor him in the ‘art of the con’. The pair join forces and successfully work the Riviera until Freddy, frustrated by his apprentice ‘monkey boy’ role, abandons the partnership and starts to compete with Lawrence. It soon becomes apparent that the small French town of Beumont sur Mer isn't big enough for the two of them. They agree on a bet – the first one to extract $50,000 from a young female ‘soap’ heiress, Christine Colgate, wins and gets to stay. The other must leave town forever. A hilarious battle of ‘cons’ ensues that will keep audiences laughing, humming and guessing right to the end!

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and 10 Drama Desk Awards. It was originally directed by two-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde). The 1988 film of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, directed by Frank Oz, starred Steve Martin and Michael Caine.

www.dirtyrottenscoundrels.com.au

At Theatre Royal, King Street, Sydney

From October 24, 2013

Tues 7pm, Wed – Sat evening 8pm, matinees Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 3pm

From $79.00 (transaction fees apply)

Bookings: ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 723 038

Groups 12+ Save! Call 02 8240 2290 or email groups@ticketmaster.com.au

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TICKETS ON SALE: Monday July 29\

Image: Amy Lehpamer, Matt Hetherington, Katrina Retallick & Anne Wood (c) Matt Watson

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