Recent Shows & Events on TheatreLink

Neil Simon's classic comedy "THE GOOD DOCTOR" (NSW)

Woodstock Players (Burwood) present their second production for 2008 - Nathan Farrow will direct Neil Simon's classic comedy "THE GOOD DOCTOR".

9 performances only between September 11 - 20, in the Ballroom at Woodstock, Church St., Burwood.

Tickets $20 and $15 (concession and groups of 10+) � not forgetting our famous �Director�s Cut� preview (all tix $15) or our popular Friday supper nights (all tix $25, no concessions)

BOOKINGS NOW OPEN � PHONE 0405 483 554
(or you can download a form from our website and mail it in).

For more information and performance times, please see our website:
www.geocities.com/woodstock.players

Macarthur Playwriting Festival 2008 (NSW)

We are looking for writers to enter our playwriting festival. We are seeking plays 10 minutes in length, entries close 10th October 2008. If you are a writer and would like more information, please email: macarthurplaywritingfestival@yahoo.com.au

An exclusive Improvisation Workshop with Dan O'Connor (from LA, USA) (VIC)

Dan is Artistic Director of the critically acclaimed Los Angeles Theatresports Company (Impro Theatre) as well as a co-founder of four other American Theatresports companies. He co-created and starred in the NBC/PAX improv comedy show �World Cup Comedy� which ran for two seasons which was executive produced by Kelsey Grammer. Most recently he directed the critically acclaimed ABC/Broadway Video hybrid sit-com �Sons and Daughters� and �Campus Ladies� for the Oxygen Network. Dan also performed with the UK Improbable Theatre�s production of �Lifegame� Off-Broadway and in the TNN television series of the same name.

Television acting credits include: 60 episodes of the Columbia Tri-Star sketch show �The Newz�, two producer/performer for �Quick Witz�, appearances on �The Tonight Show� and �Seinfeld�, writer and improv director for �The Wayne Brady Show�.

Training includes the American Conservatory Theater, extensive work with Keith Johnstone, and a graduate of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Theatresports� (VIC)

Mano e mano. Femina e femina. Team on team.

Who shall win the Victory Wreath in this Herculean Task?

Teams are pitted against each other in ever increasing degrees of improvised difficulty. Come and see stories with a double pike, synchronized singing and scenes with impossible twists.

Starring Impro Melbourne�s fearless posse of rascals, rogues and professional mischief makers: Rik Brown, Simon Dowling, Jason Geary, Rama Nicholas, Lliam Amor, Patti Stiles, Jamie Robertson, Emilie Collyer, Jenny Lovell, Karl McConnell, Leah Gabriel, Sean Fabri, Tim Redmond, Anna Renzenbrink, Kevin Yank, Sarah Kinsella, Mark Gambino, Mike Bryant WITH special guests from all over Australia and New Zealand for the Halloween Classic

Let the games begin!

Who is Lindsay Boag? (VIC)

Presented by JNC

Who is Lindsay Boag?
An Italian comedy by David Conati.
Translated by Clara Pagone.

Lindsay has landed a new job because his employer thinks he's a woman. Three friends tackle five ringing phones simultaneously and as Lindsay tries to hide his secret new job from his boyfriend Fernando, Fernando attempts to conceal his job as a heterosexual pornographic photographer from Lindsay. Pucci (their hysterical, safety obsessed flat mate) lies for them both, is accused of having an affair with a married man and makes them all go 'blind'...with pepper spray.

Who is Lindsay Boag? will make you laugh, hate technology and possibly cross dress.

2 - 5 October 2008
Thurs � Sat 8pm, Sun 6pm
Tickets: $18 Full, $15 Concession (+ Transaction Fee)
Bookings: 03 8290 7000 and www.chapeloffchapel.com.au
Chapel Off Chapel
12 Little Chapel St
Prahran
Melways: Map 2L Ref J10

Hold the Pickle (VIC)

Rachel Berger brings you

Hold the Pickle
Four Shows only!

Rachel opens the door of her parents' delicatessen and delivers stories of heartbreak, loss and longing, fear and belonging. Oh, and schnitzels. Berger takes on a variety of characters, each crafted with affection and wry observation.

�This is no mere sentimental nostalgia trip, Berger's honesty is a key factor in the success of Hold the Pickle.� - The Age.

16 � 19 October
Thurs � Sat 8pm, Sun 6pm
Tickets: $30 Full, $25 Concession and Groups 10+ (+transaction fee)
Bookings: 03 8290 7000 and www.chapeloffchapel.com.au
Chapel Off Chapel
12 Little Chapel St
Prahran
Melways: Map 2L Ref J10

Noel It All! (VIC)

Mirage Makers presents

Noel It All!

Hot from touring Australia as the spectral Sir No�l in the hit musical comedy Two Old Queens, Western Australian based cabaret singer John Michael Swinbank will make his Melbourne debut at the prestigious venue Chapel Off Chapel, in September.

In the �Rolls Royce� of cabaret shows Noel It All!, John Michael takes a delicious tour with piano accompanist Tim Cunniffe through Coward�s greatest comedy songs such as Don�t Put Your Daughter on the Stage, Mrs Worthington, Nina from Argentina, and In a Bar on the Piccola. Delicious tidbits of Coward contemporaries, Cole Porter and Stephen Sondheim are included to remind us just how good Sir No�l was at the pithy phrase and the haunting melody.

John Michael celebrates his 25th professional anniversary this year. An early devotee of the works of No�l Coward, John Michael made his professional debut at Ricardo�s in Perth alongside old friend, David Helfgott. Ever since, his passion for the dazzling works of Coward and others has taken him around the world from Raffles Hotel to the QE2.

www.miragecorporation.com

19 and 20 Sept 8pm, 2pm Sat matinee
Tickets: $42.50 (Table Seating), $32.50 Full, $27.50 Concession (+ transaction fee)
Bookings: 03 8290 7000 or www.chapeloffchapel.com.au
Chapel Off Chapel
12 Little Chapel St
Prahran
Melways: Map 2L Ref J10

John & Jen (VIC)

Lisa-Marie Charalambous and Chris Durling star in the Victorian Premiere of Andrew Lippa�s

John & Jen
Directed by Terence O�Connell
Performed at Chapel Off Chapel

A truly original musical that takes a look at the complexities of relationships between brothers and sisters and parents and children. The story is set against the background of a changing America between 1950 and 1990. John & Jen is a tour-de-force chamber musical for two actors, who travel from childhood through to adolescence and beyond. A gem of a show, brimming with intelligence, wit and beautiful melodies by award-winning American composer Andrew Lippa. (The Wild Party and You�re a Good Man Charlie Brown). The show is about connections, commitments and the healing of the human heart.

12 � 28 September
Preview 12 September
Thurs � Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm
2pm Matinee Fri 26
Tickets: $30 Full, $25 Concession, Groups 10+ and Preview (+transaction fee)
Bookings: 03 8290 7000 or www.chapeloffchapel.com.au
Chapel Off Chapel
12 Little Chapel St
Prahran
Melways: Map 2L Ref J10

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE (VIC)

Directed & Choreographed by JAMES WRIGHT
Conducted by MARTIN WRIGHT
Full Cast of Principals, Chorus & Orchestra.

The Connection (NSW)

Inspired by The Living Theatre's groundbreaking work of the same name, "The Connection" seeks to examine how addiction is a necessary facet of capitalist soceity where want is often confused with need and wanting more is positive trait. Using an experimental soundscape to get inside the head of an addict, this piece suggests addiction is an intrinsic part of a materialist culture and questions exactly who or what may be called an "addict".

Thorn in my side (NSW)

The multi-talented actors and live musician will invite the real stories of audience members and turn them into live theatre - with all the laughter, tears, bathos and pathos they can muster!

It�s improvisation like you've never imagined - a unique collaboration between audience, performers and musicians.
And each performance is a one-off, created in the moment for a single audience to enjoy. Scenes inspired by the honest stories audience volunteers, in the hands of the brilliant improvisers of the company, make for funny - and surprisingly moving - theatre.

Playback Theatre Sydney has delighted Australian audiences for 25 years. Pioneered by Jonathan Fox in New York in 1975, Playback exists now in more than 40 countries � and Sydney�s show is the longest running in the Southern Hemisphere. In theatre performances, workshops and corporate shows, Playback is truly unique. An artform that requires intensive listening skills, group work, trust and dedication, its highly-trained performers draw on music, dance, physical theatre, mime, improv and Greek chorus skills. What they create is a thrill that exists in the moment� but whose magic will be with you long after the lights come up!

Says Playback�s Johanna de Ruyter: �Come and watch - and dare to tell your own story. Together we�ll go on a journey to the depths - and heights - of our collective history!�

Sondheim UnScripted (VIC)

Impro Melbourne
presents

Sondheim UnScripted

LISTING INFORMATION
Venue: The Ballroom, Lithuanian Club, 44 Errol Street, North Melbourne
Dates and Times: Friday 26, Saturday 27 September at 10.15pm
Sunday 28 September at 9.15pm
Tuesday 30 September to Saturday 3 October at 10.15pm
Running Time: 60 minutes
Ticket Prices: Adult: $20, Concession: $15, Tightarse Tuesday: All tickets $15
Opening Night Friday 26 Sep 2-for-1 ticket deal
Bookings: 9660 9666 or www.melbournefringe.com.au

Direct from Los Angeles - Australian Premiere

Sondheim UnScripted is a completely improvised musical that pays tribute to one of Broadway's most luminous talents. It is inspired and informed by the signature style of Stephen Sondheim's diverse creations: the poetic lyrics of Gypsy and West Side Story, the rapturous score of Into the Woods, the farcical plot of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and the dark hurricane that is Sweeney Todd. See Sondheim UnScripted� where each night the musical is based entirely on your suggestions.

Sondheim UnScripted is a co-creation of director Dan O�Connor and Michele Spears for Impro Theatre (Los Angeles). Impro Melbourne is delighted to welcome Dan to Australia to direct our production.

Dan is a co-founder of many American Theatresports� companies. He performed in the Improbable Theatre�s Off-Broadway production of Lifegame and in the TNN television series of the same name. Television acting credits include the Columbia Tri-Star sketch show The Newz, two seasons as a producer/performer for Quick Witz and appearances on The Tonight Show and Seinfeld. He was a writer and the improv director for The Wayne Brady Show and most recently played the lead in David Steinberg�s Warner Bros pilot The Phil Fuller Show. He co-created and starred in the NBC/PAX improv comedy show World Cup Comedy. Most recently he directed the critically acclaimed ABC/Broadway Video hybrid sit-com Sons and Daughters and Campus Ladies for the Oxygen Network.

Sondheim UnScripted: it would be a folly to miss it.

The Drawer Boy (SA)

A charmingly delicate comedy where the self-discovery of youth is the impetus for the previous generation�s re-discovery of theirs.
Morgan and Angus � childhood friends and war veterans share a mysterious secret buried under a comfortable but hard working life on the land. Their routines are interrupted by the arrival of Miles � an ambitious city actor who stays with them to research farming life at first hand for a play that he is writing.
What ensues is an achingly funny battle between age and experience, youth and ideals, city and country life. No-one knows just how much they are about to learn from each other as the lines blur between memory and reality, theatre and life.

An uplifting comedy about the power of story telling and friendship.

The Drawer Boy was rated as one of Time Magazine�s top ten plays of 2001, and was the winner of four Dora Awards including �outstanding new play�.

Directed by Dee Easton
Featuring: Roger Newcombe, Peter Green and Russell Hutchinson.

WHEN: October 2 to 18 (Wed to Sat) at 8pm
WHERE: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide
TIX; Adults $25, Concessions $18, Groups (10+) $15
BOOKINGS: 82270505 or by email book@bakehousetheatre.com

The Four High Club (VIC)

Four Melbourne playwrights: Bill Marshall, Kieran Carroll, Natalie Faulkner and Peter Murphy showcase new short works - from West Fishton to Pamela Anderson.

Where: Bright Space Gallery, 8 Martin St St.St.Kilda
When: Fri Aug 1 and Sat Aug 2 at 8.30PM
Sun Aug 3 at 7PM
Cost: $15/$10...Tickets at Door
Bookings: 97731210

The Four High Club (VIC)

Lend Me A Tenor (WA)

tickets available from Rockingham Vistors Centre Phone 9592 3464
Show dates Evening 7.30pm
Friday 5th, 12, 19th September
Saturday 6th, 13th, 20th September
Matinee 2pm Sunday 14th September

Bruce Mathiske�s Sizzling Strings (VIC)

Bruce Mathiske�s Sizzling Strings
One night only at Chapel Off Chapel!

Sizzling Strings - featuring the guitar wizardry of internationally acclaimed virtuoso Bruce Mathiske! Come and witness his unique style of playing bass, rhythm and melody, which has led to world-wide acclaim and standing ovations. Described by The Sydney Morning Herald as "The authentic guitar virtuoso!", Mathiske�s guests for this evening include Ukulele dynamo Greg Young and
Tamworth Banjo champion Dave Hellens on Bluegrass Banjo. With over 150 years experience between them, this extraordinary combination of music maestros will spellbound audiences with their stringed excellence covering many styles of music from Spanish, African, Latin and Gypsy to Celtic, swing and groove.

�Simply quite dazzling. The audience was enthralled, we were all his!� � Adrian Morgan (The Scotsman - Edinburgh Festival)

Saturday 11 October at 8pm
Tickets: $34.50 Full, $29.50 Con, $18.50 Child, $27.50 Groups of 10+ (+ transaction fee)
Bookings: 03 8290 7000 or www.chapeloffchapel.com.au
Chapel Off Chapel
12 Little Chapel St
Prahran
Melways: Map 2L Ref J10

Socrates Johnston is Unemployable (NSW)

The latest play from the talented team of Matthew Holt (writer/
director) and Rick Ballan (musician/composer), �Socrates Johnston is
Unemployable!� charts the comic misadventures of Socrates Johnston in
his various attempts to find employment. But unlike his ancient
namesake, innocent, na�ve and scarred Socrates Johnston knows
absolutely nothing at all. This satirical piece of theatre lampoons
the modern world of work and the sets of expectations we have today
of a life that is �worth living�.

Into The Woods (NSW)

'Into The Woods' intertwines the familiar fairy tales of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Jack (of beanstalk fame) with an original story of a childless Baker and his Wife, who catalyse the action of the story by attempting to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child. As the well-loved characters set out on their journey, they encounter death, romance, betrayal, happiness, and finally "Happily Ever After". It is what happens after �Happily Ever After� that makes the story, for nothing is what it seems in this fairytale world. No one emerges from the woods unscathed, but all are wiser for the journey.
'Into The Woods' explores themes of growing up, the relationship between parents and children, responsibility, morality, and finally, wish fulfilment and its consequences. This is classic 20th century music theatre, with appeal for anyone from 8 to 80. Directed by Dave Russell with choreography by Lisa Suleiman and musical direction by Jeff Fisher, this musical is sure to leave you amused, charmed, perhaps a little thoughtful, and careful of what you wish for.

Performances of �Into The Woods� are on 10th, 11th, 18th, 24, & 25th October at 8pm and 18th, 19th & 25th October at 2pm at Normanhurst Uniting Church, Buckingham Avenue, Normanhurst. Bookings can be made by telephone on 9487 2786 or through the website (www.nucms.org). Tickets cost $25 for adults, $20 for concession card holders and $15 for children.