WYONG DRAMA GROUP
2010 - 2019
The terrific 'teens' is the seventh decade of productions for the Wyong Drama group. The list below contains all of the Group's productions from 2010 - 2019.
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COSI
By Louis Nowra
Directed by Ruth Crawley
Performed April 2010
Our April 2010 production was the Australian play Cosi, written by Louis Nowra, directed by Ruth Crawley, assisted by Pam Campbell. The show opened on 15 April 2010.
Ruth is a local teacher from St Peter's Catholic College at Tuggerah. WDG Audiences may remember the play Means of Happiness presented at the 2008 TheatreFest on the Friday Night by students from St Peter's College, which, although not technically entered in the TheatreFest, was considered good enough by the adjudicator to win the John Axford Memorial Award.
Cosi was an HSC play this year. We offered special prices for students ($5 discount on regular prices), and if a teacher wished to arrange a group visit, they were entitled to free admission themselves.
The performance dates for the show were Thursday 8pm (15 & 22 April - $17 tickets), Friday 8pm (16 & 23 April - $20 tickets), Saturday 2pm & 8pm (17 & 24 April - $17 for the matinee and $20 for the evening) and Sunday 2pm (18 April - $17 tickets).
The cast and crew of Cosi. Use the arrows to navigate and click the images to view them full-size.
It is 1971 and Lewis, a young director, agrees to stage a production of Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte with a cast of patients from a mental institution. There is no orchestra, no one can sing and the theatre is nothing more than a burnt out shell. Beyond the walls of the institution, citizens march against their government’s involvement in a war and Lewis’ own relationship falters. As the production lurches forward, Lewis realizes it doesn’t hurt to be a little crazy.
DIRECTED BY:
Ruth Crawley
CAST:
LEWIS - Stephen McDonald
ROY - Laszlo Weidlich
CHERRY - Debbi Clarke
RUTH - Pam Campbell
ZAC - Les Besseny
DOUG - Mike McLeod
HENRY - John Czernieki
JULIE - Sophie Berry Porter
NICK - Justin Stafford
LUCY - Sara Brown
JUSTINE - Cathy De Vries
Central Coast TheatreFest
2010
Performed 2nd - 3rd July 2010
The Theatrefest this year was held over the weekend of Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd July.
On Friday there was a night of presentations from the XtrAct Drama Academy to break the ice, get the ball rolling, and give all competitors a chance to familiarise themselves with the venue, other competitors and Wyong Drama Group itself.
"Peggy & Penny (the pint-sized pirates)"
"The Sister, The Brother, The Parents"
Special thanks to Terry Brady
"Peggy & Penny (the pint-sized pirates)"
Shots of XtrAct Academy Performances on the first night of TheatreFest 2010. Use the arrows to browse through the photos.Click the images to view them full-size.
Wyong Drama Group entered two shows this year, Three Chairs! by Roger Gimblett (directed by Julie Bailey - two awards) and The Boat by Jill Shearer (directed by Howard Oxley - six awards). A number of Wyong Drama Group members were also involved in productions entered by other theatre companies.
The competitive section of the Theatrefest was held on the Saturday in three sessions, and following that, the all-important Awards Ceremony was held. There were three sessions on the Saturday: 10am, 2pm and 6pm. The awards ceremony was then held an hour after the final session concluded.
The Whoops Award this year WAS awarded! Barry Sampson, who actually makes the trophies, was given the Whoops Award for omitting to close the rear traveller curtains after setting the stage for Karma Street Kitchen, the second-last production of the festival. Obviously the strain of stage managing all day was getting to him!
Terry Brady
ADJUDICATOR:
Awards (click the photos to view them full-size):
BEST MALE ACTOR: Laszlo Weidlich (The Boat)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR: Denise Pastor (The Boat)
BEST DIRECTION: Julie Bailey (Three Chairs)
BEST PRODUCTION: The Boat
(Wyong Drama Group) (Howard Oxley, Director)
BEST PRODUCTION RUNNER-UP:
The Sex Life of Snails
(XtrAct) (Pictured: Robyn Weidlich: Director)
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE:
Joining the Club
(Woy Woy Little Theatre) (Steve Killeen, Jen Francis - cast; Marie Sellers - director)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Marc Calwell (The Boat)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Ruth Jordon (Three Chairs)
BEST SET: The Boat
(Wyong Drama Group) (Pictured: Howard Oxley, Director)
BEST COSTUMES: Murder at Church Hill
(XtrAct) (Pictured: Director Pam Campbell)
BEST UNPUBLISHED PLAY: Josh Aspinall &
Duncan Mitchell (You Can't Pick Your Friends)
(Jopuka)
ADJUDICATOR'S SPECIAL AWARD: Jen Francis (Joining the Club) (WWLT)
JOHN AXFORD MEMORIAL AWARD:
War Letters (Phoenix Productions)
(Pictured: Maree Sellers (cast) and Linda Williams (director))
APEX 40 AWARD: Laszlo Weidlich
WOOPS! AWARD: Barry Sampson - Stage Manager (WDG)
Note: For archived resources, such as the info kit and rules provided to directors for this festival, please contact us.
Central Coast TheatreFest 2010
THE BOAT
By Jill Shearer
Directed by Howard Oxley
Performed 3rd July 2010
Sel spends all day fishing from a boat in his living room after his nervous breakdown. The
love from his son and the support from his wife make confrontation with Jane difficult. An emotional rollercoaster of love in its many forms.
DIRECTED BY:
Howard Oxley
CAST:
SEL - Laszlo Weidlich
MARY - Denise Pastor
BRIAN - Marc Calwell
JANE - Sally Bartley
Central Coast TheatreFest 2010
THREE CHAIRS
By Roger Gimblett
Directed by Julie Bailey
Performed 3rd July 2010
Patty and Tom are newly married. Patty has a surprise for Tom. However, that shock is nothing compared with the revelations in store for this newly married couple.
DIRECTED BY:
Julie Bailey
CAST:
PATTY - Sara Brown
TOM - Stephen McDonald
BERNADETTE - Ruth Jordon
DOROTHY ATTENBOROUGH - Millie Sampson
GEORGE BAKER - Howard Oxley
HARP ON THE WILLOW
By John Misto
Directed by Ron Baker
Performed August 2010
This was Wyong Drama Group’s August 2010 production, directed by Ron Baker.
Irish folk singer Mary O’Hara was a star at 18, a bride at 20 and a widow at 21. Her concert tours had played to full houses worldwide. Her love affair, with the poet Richard Selig was legendary for its beauty, its intensity and its tragedy. Then, at the age of 26, at the height of her fame, she abruptly disappeared.
If this story wasn’t, in fact, true you wouldn’t believe it!
The play is largely set in the early 1970s amongst the wimples, sacred brandy and confessions of the strict Catholic order of nuns at Stanbrook Abbey. The global village of the time is one equally fraught with terror and social cultural change, IRA bombings, Richard Nixon’s Presidency, Mick Jagger and heaven forbid - ABBA fever.
The cast, crew and action of Harp On The Willow. Use the arrows to navigate and click the images to view them full-size.
Misto writes “I had to tell this story before Hollywood beat me to it, a story no writer would dare create, a story about those missing years, when Mary O’Hara entered an austere monastery in the English Midlands. Here, as an anonymous nun, unable to see visitors or even listen to a radio, she began a journey of self-discovery, a journey both humorous and harrowing. I spent six years searching for this extraordinary lady and located her finally in the heart of Africa. One of the world’s most beloved and famous singers was living literally in the jungle.”
John Misto is also the author of the play The Shoe Horn Sonata, the mini series Day of the Roses the story of the Granville train disaster, and the telemovie Heroes’ Mountain about the rescue of Stuart Diver in Thredbo.
The Melbourne 2007 production of the play featured none other than Marina Prior in the role of Mary O’Hara.
DIRECTED BY:
Ron Baker
CAST:
SISTER MIRIAM PERPETUA SELIG & MARY O’HARA - Rose Cooper
YOUNG MARY O'HARA - Tamara Abbott
MOTHER RAPHAEL WALKER - Julie Bailey
TYRONE KANE - Brad Talbot
RICHARD SELIG - Rohan Smith
Note: For more information and archived resources, such as the audition notice used for this production, or ticket and show times, please contact us.
CAUGHT IN THE NET
By Ray Cooney
Directed by Peter Deane
Performed November 2010
The play opened on 11 November 2010 and was directed by Peter Deane. Previous shows from this director for WDG include Kid Stakes (1989), The One Day of the Year (1990 and 2001), Other Times (1996), Hot Taps (1999), Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (2005) and Pass the Butler (2007).
The cast, crew, rehearsals and some miscellaneous photos from Caught In The Net. Use the arrows to browse through the photos . Click the images to view them full-size.
Here's the interview with Scott Levi and Yianni Johns on Smart Arts on ABC 92.5FM broadcast on Friday 5 Nov 2010 at 1:45pm. This includes an extract from the play done by Stephen McDonald and Steve Killeen.
Here's the interview done with Lyn Smith (the Drama Queen) on 96.3 CoastFM on Friday 12 Nov 2010 at 11:15am. This is just me rabbiting on about the show after opening night, which was a sheer pleasure, given the standard of performance we managed to achieve.
Synopsis
This play is a typical Ray Cooney farce. That description may be enough for some people, but if you’re still intrigued, and love a good rollicking farce, read on.
The play is the sequel to another Ray Cooney Farce (Run for your Wife) which was presented by Wyong Drama Group in April 2003. In this farce we learn of John Smith, taxi driver, of both Wimbledon and Streatham who has, unbeknown to each other, two wives, Mary and Barbara. John is ably assisted by Stanley in ensuring that the pair never find out that the other exists.
We now fast-forward eighteen years. Barbara has a son, Gavin; and Mary has a daughter, Vicki. Thanks to modern technology the two Smith children meet in an internet chat room and it seems they are growing keen on each other.
At first they are amazed at the coincidences surrounding their fathers. Both are called John Smith (well, there are a lot of them). Both are taxi drivers (again there are a lot of them). Both are the same age (this is getting to be uncanny). Both have the middle name Leonard (now it’s even suspicious).
Is John’s biggest secret about to be revealed? Stanley is still helping him keep mum about it. But it turns out Gavin is very keen on meeting Vicki and vice versa. John is keen to prevent the meeting as it will complicate his arrangements with his wives somewhat more than they already are. He is also absolutely determined to prevent the unthinkable from happening between the two young ones.
At first, things go well. Only a few lies are needed on the part of John and Stanley. But naturally, it doesn’t remain this way. Stanley’s somewhat senile father arrives, expecting to get a lift from his son to Felixstowe to start his long-awaited holiday. This makes it even harder for John and Stanley to keep their story going and results in more lies, and some incredibly ponderous phone calls.
Gavin actually visits Vicki’s house and desperately tries to see her, but with Stanley and John working hard and fabricating even more untruths, this doesn’t happen. More and more lies are the fare of the day and eventually they become so ludicrous that even John and Stanley have trouble believing them!
This sounds like the recipe for a fast-paced farce in the classic Ray Cooney vein, and audiences won't be disappointed on that score. The play was nominated for the 2002 Olivier Award and the 2001 Evening Standard Awards for Best New Comedy.
Cooney’s plays are anything but high brow literature, but what they do is entertain. One critic has said “It has been a while since I cried laughing at the theatre, and what a joy it is when it happens.” Another writes: “Cooney gives you a master class in the art of farce … the perfectly potty plot is a precision-built laughter machine.”
WDG is sure this play is definitely its audience’s cup of tea. If you’re after laughs (and plenty of them) this play is one for you.
Note: For more information and archived resources, including detailed documents for future directors, please contact us.
DIRECTED BY:
Peter Deane
CAST:
GAVIN SMITH - Rohan Smith
VICKI SMITH - Sara Brown
BARBARA SMITH - Virginia Skinner
MARY SMITH - Nikki De Vries
JOHN SMITH - Stephen McDonald
STANLEY GARDNER - Steve Killeen
DAD GARDNER - Hagen Heinrich
LITTLE WOMEN
A Non-Musical Adaptation of the novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Adapted by Peter Clapham
Directed by Ron Baker
Performed April 2011
In April 2011, Ron Baker directed yet another WDG play, this time an adaptation of Little Women. The play is based on the famous novel by American novelist Louisa May Alcott. It was originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869.
The play performed is a much shorter work set on a single set with the adaptation written by Peter Clapham (1925-2003). It is one of about four or five adaptations of the novel produced as a play.
The famous novel by Louisa May Alcott can be read or downloaded from here:
Alcott's original work explores the overcoming of character flaws. Many of the chapter titles in this first part are allusions to the allegorical concepts and places in Pilgrim's Progress. When young, the girls played Pilgrim's Progress by taking an imaginary journey through their home. As young women, they agree to continue the figurative journey, using the "guidebooks" — copies of The Pilgrim's Progress, described as "that beautiful old story of the best life ever lived"; they receive on Christmas morning. Each of the March girls must struggle to overcome a character flaw: Meg, vanity; Jo, a hot temper; Beth, shyness; and Amy, selfishness.
In the course of the novel, the March girls become friends with their next-door neighbour, the teenage boy Laurie. The book depicts the light hearted, often humorous activities of the sisters and their friend, such as creating a newspaper and picnicking, and the various "scrapes" that Jo and Laurie get into. Jo consistently struggles with the boundaries 19th Century society placed on females, including not being able to fight in a war, not being able to attend college, and being pressured by her Aunt March to find a suitable husband to take care of her.
The Cast, Crew and Action of Little Women. Use the arrows to browse through the photos. Click the images to view them full-size.
Note: For more information and archived resources, including detailed documents for future directors, please contact us.
DIRECTED BY:
Ron Baker
CAST:
AMY - Kalani Hirst
BETH - Renee Stein
JO SARAH - Ann Ballard
MEG - Erin Beecher
HANNAH - Julie Bailey
MARMEE - Cathy De Vries
AUNT MARCH - Pam Campbell
LAURIE - Scott Russell
MR. BROOKE - Robert Cottam
MR. LAURENCE - Marc Calwell
MR. MARCH - Howard Oxley
Central Coast TheatreFest
2011
Performed 25th - 26th June 2011
The TheatreFest this year was held over the weekend Friday 24th, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th June 2011. We invited all interested theatre societies, collectives and other dramatically-minded groups of people to enter a One-Act play in the competition. Tickets were priced at $10 per session, or $25 for a full season pass (entry to all sessions). The final Awards Ceremony on Sunday at 2pm was free for all to attend.
WDG entered three plays this year:
Twenty-seven Wagons Full of Cotton
This was directed by Nikki De Vries, and was her directorial debut. It depicts a small glimpse into the lives of Flora and Jake Meighan and the repercussions of the “good neighbour policy”. Its cast was Sara Brown, Stephen McDonald and Marc Calwell.
Ruby of Elsinore
This was directed by Robyn Weidlich who directed three plays in this year's festival. (Two for WDG and one for XtrAct Drama Academy). This is an extremely funny spoof on Hamlet where the Danish Royal Family let their hair down when they come to Ruby's House of Beauty for a cut and counsel. The cast included Ruth Jordon, Madeline Parker, Pollyanna Forshaw, Laszlo Weidlich, Robert Cottam and Les Besseny.
Swan Song
Robyn Weidlich again directed this two-hander with Laszlo Weidlich and Les Besseny. In this play an ageing actor laments the passing of time and questions his life choices. Torn between vanity, ambition and self-doubt, should he now fade into obscurity and die, or choose life and proceed towards his inevitable fate in a blaze of glory?
Shots from the Central Coat TheatreFest 2011. Use the arrows to navigate through the images. Click the images to view them full-size.
Sean Hall
ADJUDICATOR:
Awards (click the photos to view them full-size):
BEST MALE ACTOR: Paul Russel (How to Make Your Theatre Pay )
BEST FEMALE ACTOR: Dot Ward (Garbage)
BEST DIRECTION: Margaret Bell (Garbage) (Pictured: Madeline Sheehy accepting the award on her behalf)
BEST PRODUCTION: How to Make Your Theatre Pay (Woy Woy Little Theatre)
(Pictured: Paul Russel & Jessica Alex)
BEST PRODUCTION RUNNER-UP:
Shadow of Doubt (Independent Theatre)(Pictured: Duncan Mitchell, Writer)
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE:
The Jewellery Box (Wyong Christian School)
(Pictured: Rouba Elhage, Writer/Director)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Scott Osborne (Shadow of Doubt)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Pollyanna Forshaw (Ruby of Elsinore)
BEST SET:
27 Wagons Full of Cotton
(Wyong Drama Group)
(Pictured: Nikki De Vries, Director
BEST COSTUMES:
Save Me a Place at Forest Lawn
(Players Theatre) (Pictured: Karen Slater, Director; Barbara Brum & Diane Leslie, Cast)
BEST UNPUBLISHED PLAY: Duncan Mitchell (Shadow of Doubt)
ADJUDICATOR'S SPECIAL AWARD: Jacob Funnell (guitarist in The Jewellery Box) (Pictured: Rouba Elhage accepting the award on his behalf)
JOHN AXFORD MEMORIAL AWARD:
Lisa Phillips (vocalistè in The Jewellery Box)
(Pictured: Rouba Elhage accepting the award on her behalf)
APEX 40 AWARD:
Dot Ward (Garbage)
WHOOPS! AWARD: Kahli Meredith
(Pictured: SM Barry Sampson giving the award to ASM Kahli)
Programme Errata
The festival programme, flyer and running order can be accessed using the buttons below, however, the programme contains some errors:
-
Late/Late... Computer Date was actually presented by XtrAct Drama Academy (not WDG).
-
Shadow of Doubt (written by Duncan Mitchell) was not directed by him (as listed), but by Pam Campbell.
-
The spelling of Les Besseny, Scott Osborne and Anton Chekhov also needs correcting.
Note: For archived resources, such as the info kit and rules provided to directors for this festival, please contact us.
Central Coast TheatreFest 2011
27 WAGONS FULL OF COTTON
By Tennesee Williams
Directed by Nikki De Vries
Performed 25th June 2011
A small glimpse into the lives of Flora and Jake Meighan and the repercussions of the “good neighbour policy”.
Nikki De Vries
DIRECTED BY:
CAST:
FLORA MEIGHAN - Sara Brown
JAKE MEIGHAN - Steve McDonald
SILVA VICARRO - Marc Calwell
Central Coast TheatreFest 2011
RUBY OF ELSINORE (2011)
By Bruce Kane
Directed by Robyn Weidlich
Performed 25th June 2011
The Danish Royal Family let their hair down when they come to Ruby's House of Beauty for a cut and counsel.
Robyn Weidlich
DIRECTED BY:
CAST:
RUBY - Ruth Jordon
OPHELIA - Madeline Parker
GERTRUDE - Pollyanna Forshaw
CLAUDIUS - Laszlo Weidlich
HAMLET - Robert Cottam
GHOST - Les Besseny
SWAN SONG
Central Coast TheatreFest 2011
By Anton Chekhov
Directed by Robyn Weidlich
Performed 26th June 2011
An ageing actor laments the passing of time and questions his life choices. Torn between vanity, ambition and self-doubt, should he now fade into obscurity and die, or choose life and proceed towards his inevitable fate in a blaze of glory?
DIRECTED BY:
Robyn Weidlich
CAST:
VASILI SVIETLOVIDOFF - Laszlo Weidlich
NIKITA IVANITCH - Les Besseny
LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS (2011)
By Neil Simon
Directed by Brian Fitzsimmons
Performed August 2011
Cast of the 2011 Production of Last of the Red Hot Lovers.
The Last of the Red Hot Lovers was Wyong Drama Group's August production and directed by Brian Fitzsimmons. We last performed this play in 1984. The play is one of Neil Simon's best, opening in 1969 and was made into a 1972 movie with Alan Arkin, Sally Kellerman, Paula Prentiss and Renee Taylor.
In 2003, HiT productions produced a very succesful version of this play in Sydney, starring Jackie Weaver and Max Gillies.
Our director (below), Brian Fitzsimmons has worked with amateur theatre companies in Northern NSW and has been extensively involved with actor-training work mostly in the United States.
Brian Fitzsimmons, the director.
Barney Cashman is a happily married, middle-aged New Yorker. He is proud of his very successful fish restaurant and generally quite content with his life.
There’s just one thing missing: he’s never had an affair – and time is running out! So he decides to take a plunge and do something about this appalling state of affairs (or lack of them). His mother’s apartment offers him an ideal opportunity.
The big question is: what sympathetic lady is going to help him realise his ambition? He manages in fact to find three – not all at the same time you might be pleased to know.
The pursuit of his goal is the mainspring of what is perhaps Neil Simon’s funniest play. The (more or less) willing collaborators in his quest are the sophisticated, let’s-get-down-to-business Elaine, the psychotic, out-of-control Bobbi, and the paralysingly depressed Jeanette.
Jeanette: I don’t find you physically attractive, Barney, you knew that didn’t you?
Barney: No, no, I didn’t know that. It doesn’t surprise me. I mean it’s not mandatory…
The play is essentially a two-hander (with the female roles often played by three individual actors, although some productions use just one woman doubling (trebling?) all three roles). Neil Simon has written some excellent monologues along the way.
Below you can access the show programme, flyer and perusal monologues for Elaine and Barney (which I believe were used for auditions). For more information and archived resources, including media releases and detailed documents for future directors, please contact us.
DIRECTED BY:
Brian Fitzsimmons
CAST:
BARNEY - John Czerniecki
ELAINE NAVAZIO - Sally Bartley
BOBBI MICHELE & JEANETTE FISHER - Ruth Jordon
CHASE ME, COMRADE! (2011)
By Ray Cooney
Directed by Millie Sampson
Performed November 2011
Millie Sampson directed Chase Me Comrade for Wyong Drama Group as the November production. WDG last performed the play thirty years ago in 1981.
In the 1960s Nureyev, the famous Russian ballet dancer, defected to the West. It was a dramatic story of intrigue and high-level connivance. Just after the event Ray Cooney wrote this play – the story of a defecting Russian ballet dancer involved in intrigue and connivance at the highest level. During its three year London run Nureyev himself saw the play several times and laughed as much as the rest of the audience. It was Ray Cooney's second play (he went on to write over twenty others).
We have a web page listing all of Cooney's plays and the years WDG have performed them. It can be accessed from the appropriate button below.
The year is 1964. Holding a top secret post in the Ministry of Defence, Commander Rimmington, of Her Majesty's Navy, must watch appearances, and he is not always pleased by the carryings-on of his impulsive daughter, Nancy. Her latest escapade begins when her friend, ballerina Alicia Courtney, arrives breathlessly to announce that the great Russian dancer, Petrovyan, has decided to defect to the West-and that she has smuggled him out of London in the trunk of the Commander's car. Complications set in at once. The house where he is concealed belongs to a naval commander whose duty it would be to hand him over to the authorities.
The first question is how to distract the Commander while Petrovyan is sneaked into the house, but then, after the Commander goes off fishing, the problems really begin to mount. An official appears with a coded message for the Commander and, in an attempt to get rid of him quickly, the Commander is impersonated by Nancy's fiance, Gerry Buss. As they try to hide Petrovyan, the trumped-up stories and assumed identities mushroom hilariously, while agents from the Russian embassy lurk outside in the bushes and the local constable blunders in at the wrong time. Nancy and her fiancé get involved in a hilarious game of hide and seek in which everybody is pretending to be everybody else.
This play is a riot from beginning to end and was a huge West End hit for Ray Cooney and Brian Rix's Whitehall Theatre.
PRODUCED BY:
Millie Sampson
CAST:
NANCY RIMMINGTON - Jessica Armitage
COMMANDER RIMMINGTON - Andy Kabanoff
HOSKINS - Laszlo Weidlich
ALICIA COURTNEY - Madeline Parker
PETROVYAN - Scott Russell
GERRY BUSS - Duncan Mitchell
MR LAVER - Stephen McDonald
CONSTABLE PULFORD - Les Besseny
JANET RIMMINGTON - Julie Bailey
BOBBY HARGREAVES - Cameron Oxley
FAWLTY TOWERS (2012)
The Builders, The Kipper and the Corpse, Basil The Rat
Directed by John Cleese & Connie Booth
Directed by Pam Campbell
Performed in April 2012
In April 2012, WDG again revisited Fawlty Towers. We have previously produced the show this century in 2009 and also in 2006. These recent productions were directed by Pam Campbell, who directed this year's one as well. We also produced the show back in 1982 directed by Bob McKettrick and in 1984 directed by Steve McNeil. With this 2012 production, WDG will have produced 75% (nine shows out of twelve) of the Fawlty Towers episodes in the 2000s.
Fawlty Towers always proves a very popular production. In the 2009 and 2006 productions it was common to see house sizes of around 250 people, with some actually exceeding 300 (particularly the closing nights)! This just goes to prove how popular the shows are. Cleese and Booth have created an incredibly long lasting legacy, having written the series in the mid and late 1970s.
The episodes produced this year were The Builders, from the first series, The Kipper and the Corpse from the second series and the very final episode ever made, Basil the Rat. The show was auditioned in mid-December 2011. It included eighteen people, making it one of the biggest casts ever assembled by Wyong Drama Group.
2012 also marked the Wyong Drama Group's 60th year. Most of the original cast of the previous Fawlty Towers productions returned!
Trivia: the sign in the opening titles for The Builders reads "FAWLTY TOWER" (with a crooked "L" and missing "S"); for The Kipper and the Corpse "FATTY OWLS" and for Basil the Rat "FARTY TOWELS".
The Cast and Action of the 2012 Production of Fawlty Towers. Use the arrows to browse through the photos. Click the images to view them full-size.
Synopsis of Episodes
The Builders - Basil accepts the cheapest quote for alterations to the lobby.
While the Fawlties are out, the incompetent builders mess it up spectacularly and Basil must try to remedy the situation before Sybil finds out.
The Kipper and the Corpse - With no regard to Basil's blood pressure, a guest dies at the hotel and Basil and the staff are left with the unpleasant task of removing the body discreetly, causing chaos and mayhem. Basil is (wrongly) convinced it was the kippers (which were well out of date) that have caused the death. Meanwhile the doctor staying at the hotel, Dr. Price, waits in vain for his breakfast sausages, as Polly and Manuel feed an elderly woman's pampered pet dog the extra spicy sausages after it bites them both.
Basil the Rat - The local health inspector issues a long list of hygiene irregularities which Basil and the staff must immediately sort out, or else face closure. After Manuel's pet rat escapes from his cage and runs loose in the hotel, the staff must catch it before the inspector becomes aware of it. At the same time, they must try to discern which veal cutlets are safe to eat after one covered in rat poison gets mixed up with the others.
Note: We are currently missing the programme for this production. If you have a copy, please Contact Us.
DIRECTED BY:
Pam Campbell
CAST:
BASIL FAWLTY - Howard Oxley
SYBIL FAWLTY - Kelly Humphries
MANUEL - Laszlo Weidlich
POLLY SHERMAN - Cathy De Vries
MR. CARNEGIE, LURPHY & MR. XERXES - Marc Calwell
RONAL, KERR & DOCTOR PRICE - Duncan Mitchell
MR. TAYLOR, JONES & MR. LEEMAN - Paul Ractliffe
QUENTINA, GIRLFRIEND IN BAR & MRS WHITE - Madeline Parker
FIRST DINER & THE MAN - Mathew Richards
THE GUEST, MR. INGRAMS & SECOND DINER - Cameron Oxley
THIRD DINER, BENNION & FOURTH DINER - David Guy
MAJOR GOWAN - John Bradley
TERRY - Matt Waugh
MR. O'REILLY & MR. WHITE - Brendon Flynn
MRS. TAYLOR & MISS YOUNG - Karen Edwards
MR. STUBBS & MR. ZEBEDEE - Robert Cottam
MRS. CHASE - Sally Bartley
MISS TIBBS - Helen Schumann
MISS GATSBY - Sally Bartley & Pam Campbell
TERRY - Matt Waugh
Central Coast TheatreFest
2012
Performed 22nd - 24th June 2012
Our TENTH (!) TheatreFest was held over the weekend Friday 22nd, Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th June 2012.
The Friday evening was an introduction to the festival. It provided a chance for visitors to familiarise themselves with the venue and see performances produced by the XtrAct Drama Academy referred to as the JuMP! (Junior Mini Performances). Admission to the Friday evening performances was $10 per adult or $5 for kids.
The Saturday consisted of two sessions only with three plays each this year. The first commenced at 1pm and the second at 7pm. Tickets were priced at $10 per session. The final Awards Ceremony was held from 10am on Sunday morning and was free for all to attend.
Theatre groups from Port Macquarie, Maitland, Terrigal, Woy Woy and Wyong provided an enticing diversity of entertainment (from chuckles to Chekhov) as they competed for the highly prized Woscars, lovingly crafted by WDG’s Barry Sampson.
Returning this year was our adjudicator Terry Brady, a highly respected theatre professional with a wealth of experience as actor, director, designer and teacher.
WDG Entries
WDG entered two plays this year, both of which were taken to the Port Macquarie Drama Festival on the Queen's Birthday long weekend of 2012:
Not All Fruitcakes Have Nuts
This is an Australian play by Judith Boyd (who adjudicated a TheatreFest a few years back), and directed by Millie Sampson. At Port Macquarie it garnered the Adjudicator's Special Award for Nikki De Vries for her portrayal of the kitchen-maid Paula.
Marsupials
This is another Australian play by the playwright Barry Oakley (A Salute to the Great McCarthy, The Great God Mogadon, The Father We Loved on the Beach by the Sea, etc. This one has a substantially shorter title and was directed by Ron Baker. It is a "slice of life" play set in the 1970s, and actor Marc Calwell, who played Frank, was awarded Best-Actor-Runner-Up at Port Macquarie for his portrayal.
Note: We are currently missing the programme and flyer for this festival. If you have a copy, please Contact Us.
Terry Brady
ADJUDICATOR:
Awards:
BEST MALE ACTOR: Marc Calwell (Marsupials)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR: Sally Bartley (Marsupials)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Paul Russell (The Proposal)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Ruth Jordon (Not All Fruitcakes Have Nuts)
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE: The Fifth Wall (Port Macquarie Players )
BEST PRODUCTION: Marsupials (Wyong Drama Group)
BEST PRODUCTION RUNNER-UP: Not all Fruitcakes Have Nuts (Wyong Drama Group)
BEST DIRECTION: Ron Baker (Marsupials)
BEST COSTUMES: The Proposal (Apropos Theatre)
BEST UNPUBLISHED PLAY: (Not awarded)
BEST SET: Lithuania (Maitland Repertory Theatre)
ADJUDICATOR'S SPECIAL AWARD: XtrAct! Drama Academy for the JuMP! Night
JOHN AXFORD MEMORIAL AWARD: Denise Main (director of A Little Something for the Ducks)
APEX 40 AWARD: Mother and Daughter roles (Not all Fruitcakes Have Nuts)
WOOPS! AWARD: Ron Baker (for having an imaginary stereogram in Marsupials)
Note: For archived resources, such as the info kit and rules provided to directors for this festival, please contact us.
Central Coast TheatreFest 2012
NOT ALL FRUITCAKES HAVE NUTS
By Judith Boyd
Directed by Millie Sampson
Performed June 2012
DIRECTED BY:
Millie Sampson
CAST (some unknown roles):
PAULA - Nikki De Vries
Ruth Jordon
Possibly Others
Note: This play was produced a second time again in 2012 for the Port Macquarie Theatre Festival, however there is currently no further information about it (or about the Port Macquarie Theatre Festival). Therefore, is is assumed this second production is identical to the first, and its listing on this page has been omitted. If you have more information about it or the WDG trip to the Port Macquarie Theatre Festival, please contact us.
Central Coast TheatreFest 2012
MARSUPIALS
By Barry Oakley
Directed by Ron Baker
Performed June 2012
DIRECTED BY:
Ron Baker
CAST:
FRANK - Marc Calwell
SUE - Sally Bartley
TOM - Andrew Thomson
ESTATE AGENT - Joshua Maxwell
Note: This play was produced a second time again in 2012 for the Port Macquarie Theatre Festival, with the same cast and director. Marc Calwell was awarded the Best Actor Runner Up at the festival for playing Frank.
Since there is currently no further information about WDG's trip to the Port Macquarie Theatre Festival, and it is assumed both productions of Marsupials were identical, the listing of the second production for this play has been omitted. However, if you have relevant information that might improve this history, please contact us so it can be added.
THE SHOE-HORN SONATA
By John Misto
Directed by Angie Bain & Laszlo Weidlich
Performed August 2012
This is the story of a young Australian Army Nurse and an English schoolgirl, who meet after their ships have been sunk while fleeing after the fall of Singapore in 1942, and who go on to survive - although many did not - the deprivations of Japanese POW camps. It is about their friendship, survival and eventual triumph over incredible odds. Their reunion, brought about by the filming of a documentary, is filled with laughter and tears and the discovery of a shoehorn, which holds a dark secret that has kept them apart for 50 years. However, it also holds the threads of loyalty and love which form their 'uncommon bond'.
The Shoe-Horn Sonata was first seen in 1995 during the year of "Australia Remembers", when we thanked a generation who secured our freedom through the dark days of the Second World War. It won the National Playwriting Competition and Misto donated the prize-money to the building of a memorial.
Especially moving for those of us touched in some way by the tragedy of war .... and for those too young to know, in whom we put trust to prevent history repeating itself.
John Misto also wrote Harp on the Willow, which WDG brought to the stage in August 2010. However, The Shoe-Horn Sonata is his best-known play, and should not be missed.
To bring this story to life as a drama, Misto engages his audience with plenty of humour and the elements of suspense, surprise, confrontation and a final resolution. Laced with 1940s music and historic images from the National Archives, and a superb cast, this production was a truly evocative multimedia performance.
Note: We are currently missing the programme, flyer and promo postcard for this production. If you have a copy, please Contact Us.
DIRECTED BY:
Angie Bain & Laszlo Weidlich
CAST:
SHEILA - Pollyanna Forshaw
BIRDIE - Pam Campbell
THE VOICE - Marc Calwell
TWO WEEKS WITH THE QUEEN
An Adaptation of the novel by Morris Gleitzman
By Mary Morris
Directed by Joshua Maxwell
Performed November 2012
Wyong Drama Group's November production was Two Weeks with the Queen, directed by Joshua Maxwell. The production opened November 6th and ran until the 17th. It played for 9 shows and is notable for its interactive set and large youth cast. You might well recall Josh as the Production Designer and Production Manager for the 2010 WDG production of Cosi where he put his indelible stamp on the overall atmosphere of the show. He has also been responsible for many other youth theatrical productions with his production company, Jopuka Productions.
Two Weeks With The Queen is a 1990 novel by Australian author Morris Gleitzman about a 12-year-old Australian boy, Colin Mudford, who is sent to England to stay with relatives while his brother is being treated for cancer. You might be thinking that the book is a prime candidate to be turned into a play. Well, Mary Morris (a Scottish born Australian) did just that in 1993, and has written a magnificent adaptation of the very funny and poignant book, which was revised and improved in 1997.
Shots from Dress Rehearsal of Two Weeks With The Queen. Click the images to view them full-size.
Colin's parents send him to England so he can be looked after by his Aunt and Uncle during his younger brother's hospital stay. The show follows Colin's journey, and the rollercoaster of emotions he goes through as he attempts to find a cure for his brother.
Set in modern day, this beautiful Australian play captures the heart of the Australian spirit and the unbreakable bonds of family.
Note: We are currently missing the programme (and possibly other resources) for this production. If you have a copy, please Contact Us.
DIRECTED BY:
Joshua Maxwell
CAST:
COLIN - Scott Russell
ALISTAIR - Declan Green & Kalani Hirst
LUKE - Scarlett Frazer & Isabella O'Brien
MUM - Denise Pastor
DAD - Rob Cottam
AUNTY IRIS - Ruth Jordon
UNCLE BOB - John Pastor (TBV)
TED - Marc Calwell
GRIFF - Laci Weidlich
ENSEMBLE - Madeline Parker, Rohan Smith, Cameron Oxley & Tiffany Duncan
THE MEMORY OF WATER
By Shelagh Stephenson
Directed by Ron Baker
Performed April 2013
The familiar dramatic territory of inter-family strife in Stephenson’s play focuses on three sisters who have gathered in their old, seaside, Northern English family home in the wake of their mother’s death.
On the surface, Teresa, who runs a successful health food business seems content within her second marriage; Mary is a vaguely discontented successful doctor in a relationship with an equally successful lover Mike, who is alas, married. Catherine is the youngest and most immature of the sisters. She binges on shopping for inappropriate clothes, hopeless love affairs, and drugs.
Cast, crew, publicity shots and the graphic for The Memory of Water. Use the arrows to browse through the photos. Click the images to view them full-size.
Trapped by a snowstorm in the hours before their mother’s funeral, the sisters bicker incessantly over conflicting childhood memories, sniping at each other and haranguing each other over old grudges. Resurrecting decades-old arguments, their different and often distorted memories compete for authenticity. Who was it that was left at the beach? Who ate the hash cookies? And who was watching The High Chaparral?
This moving, yet entertaining comedy is sure to have universal audience appeal.
Article from the Central Coast Express Advocate, Wednesday 3 April 2013.
Note: We are currently missing the programme (and possibly other resources) for this production. If you have a copy, please Contact Us.
DIRECTED BY:
Ron Baker
CAST:
TERESA - Ruth Jordon
MARY - Sally Bartley
CATHERINE - Jessica MacKillop
VI - Julie Bailey
MIKE - Marc Calwell
FRANK - Duncan Mitchell
CALENDAR GIRLS
By Tim Firth
Directed by Howard Oxley
Performed August 2013
'At first glance it should look like your classic WI calendar. Jams, cakes and sewing and all that. Except for one thing …the ladies are not naked, they're nude.’
Wyong Drama Group is proud to present Tim Firth’s comedy stage play of Calendar Girls, directed by Howard Oxley. Based on the Miramax motion picture, Calendar Girls is the true story of a group of Yorkshire women who decide to create a cheeky new way to raise money for Leukeamia Research after Annie’s husband dies from the illness at an early age.
The ladies plan to discreetly pose nude while engaged in everyday activities, such as baking and knitting, in order to raise funds. However their fellow Women’s Institute members balk at almost baring it all! Gradually, these prim, tea-and-crumpets ladies come round and learn to delight in their newfound pluckiness and status as international sensations.
Most importantly, as is traditional with productions of the play, the WDG produced an “Alternative Calendar” for 2014 depicting the cast and director posing tastefully “nude, not naked” in the manner of the original calendar. Copies were sold at each performance and at outlets around the Central Coast, with proceeds going to The Leukemia Foundation of Australia.
Graphics and Photos of some of the Cast and Crew of Calendar Girls. Click the images to view them full-size.
Article from the Central Coast Express Advocate (Lifestyle section), Wednesday 31st July 2013
Another article from the Central Coast Express Advocate (Wyong Shire Council's Shirewide feature), Wednesday 31st July 2013
A third article from the Central Coast Express Advocate (What's On section), Wednesday 31st July 2013
You can access the show programme, flyer, the radio ads broadcast for the show on 2GO and SEA-FM, and a Newcastle Herald article on the show. Other articles can be found here (Daily Telegraph) and here (Lakes Mail/Newcastle Herald)
DIRECTED BY:
Howard Oxley
CAST:
CHRIS - Ruth Jordan
ANNIE - Cathy De Vries
CORA - Denise Pastor
JESSIE - Kelly Humphries
CELIA - Denni Mannile
RUTH - Debbi Clarke
MARIE - Margaret Holdom
ELAINE - Tiffany Duncan
LADY CRAVENSHIRE & BRENDA HULSE - Julie Bailey
ROD - Marc Calwell
JOHN - Duncan Mitchell
LAWRENCE - Scott Russell
LIAM - Cameron Oxley
One-Act Play Season &
Central Coast TheatreFest
2013
Performed 21st - 23rd June 2013
At this year's TheatreFest, the standard of the plays and performances were just outstanding! Wyong Drama Group entered four one-act plays into the festival: Why Can't They Just Eat Flowers?, Laundry And Bourbon, On The Edge and In The Tank.
Each of these were 'previewed' in three performances across the 31st May - 1st June in an event called the One-Act Play Season, held at the Toukley Senior Citizens Centre. This gave the casts four chances to perform their hard work!
Apex 40 Award, Scott Russell, Declan Green
The Awards Ceremony at the 2013 TheatreFest. Use the arrows to browse through the photos. Click the images to view them full-size.
Article from the Central Coast Express Advocate talking about the festival, probably from Wednesday 19 June 2013. You may click the 'View Full Article' link below to see the full image in the highest resolution, but note that it may still not be high enough to read.
Lyn Lee
ADJUDICATOR:
BEST MALE ACTOR: Duncan Mitchell (as Harry in In The Tank, Wyong Drama Group, Wyong)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR: Helen Herridge (the Woman in The Craft, Border Productions, Central Coast)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Marc Calwell (as Mr Owen in Mr Owen’s Providence, Border Productions, Central Coast)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Tiffany Duncan (as Amy-Lee in Laundry And Bourbon, Wyong Drama Group, Wyong)
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE: Rose Cooper (Helen) and Kalani Katsoolis (Drew) (in Small Things, Aphrodesian Theatre, Central Coast)
BEST PRODUCTION: Countdown (The Players Theatre, Port Macquarie)
BEST PRODUCTION RUNNER-UP: Small Things (Aphrodesian Theatre, Central Coast)
BEST DIRECTION: Gavin Critchley (Mr Owen’s Providence, Border Productions, Central Coast)
BEST UNPUBLISHED PLAY: Gavin Critchley (Mr Owen’s Providence, Border Productions, Central Coast)
BEST DESIGN: In the Tank (Wyong Drama Group, Wyong)
ADJUDICATOR'S SPECIAL AWARD: Scott Russell (as Joel in On The Edge, Wyong Drama Group, Wyong)
JOHN AXFORD MEMORIAL AWARD: Why Can’t They Just Eat Flowers? (Wyong Drama Group, Wyong)
APEX 40 AWARD: Declan Green (Adrian) and Scott Russell (Joel) (in On The Edge, Wyong Drama Group, Wyong)
Click the button below to read a review by Karen Ractliffe from About The Central Coast of the TheatreFest.
Note: We are currently missing the programme (and possibly other resources) for this festival. If you have a copy, please Contact Us.
One-Act Play Season & Central Coast TheatreFest 2013
WHY CAN'T THEY JUST EAT FLOWERS?
By Mary Elizabeth Raines
Directed by Nikki De Vries
Performed May - June 2013
According to the author, this is the first performance in Australia.
It tells the struggle of 2 fairies as they try to understand human-kind and all their "foul" ways. Rose and Myrtle journey to separate parts of the world and change into human form to experience first hand the reason for these "despicable creatures" being the way they are.
Why do they eat animal products, turn their playgrounds into rubbish dumps and shopping malls, and put up lights that block out the stars?
Why Can't They just Eat Flowers? One-Act Play Season weekend (31st May - 1st June). Use the arrows to browse through the photos. Click the images to view them full-size.
DIRECTED BY:
Nikki De Vries
CAST:
ROSE - Madeline Parker
MYRTLE - Jessica MacKillop
One-Act Play Season & Central Coast TheatreFest 2013
LAUNDRY AND BOURBON
By James McLure
Directed by Pam Campbell
Performed May - June 2013
Laundry And Bourbon. One-Act Play Season weekend (31st May - 1st June). Use the arrows to browse through the photos. Click the images to view them full-size.
Elizabeth and her friend Hattie are enjoying an afternoon on Elizabeth’s porch, folding laundry, watching TV, drinking Bourbon and Coke and chatting about town secrets when they are joined by Amy Lee, and the tone changes.
DIRECTED BY:
Pam Campbell
CAST:
ELIZABETH - Ruth Jordon
HATTIE - Sally Bartley
AMY LEE - Tiffany Duncan
One-Act Play Season & Central Coast TheatreFest 2013
ON THE EDGE
By Kylie Rackham
Directed by John Pastor
Performed May - June 2013
On The Edge is both funny and surprisingly deep. It features two men – Adrian and Joel – on the brink of ending it all by jumping off an office building. Adrian is on the edge, literally. Joel is ready to fly off it. Can these two strangers change each other’s lives in a chance meeting?
They crack some great dark jokes and also talk through their differing issues before coming to a conclusion that should clearly not be revealed.
On The Edge. One-Act Play Season weekend (31st May - 1st June). Use the arrows to browse through the photos. Click the images to view them full-size.
DIRECTED BY:
John Pastor
CAST:
ADRIAN - Declan Green
JOEL - Scott Russell
One-Act Play Season & Central Coast TheatreFest 2013
IN THE TANK (2013)
By Rosemary Frisino Toohey
Directed by Millie Sampson
Performed May - June 2013
2013 Production of In The Tank. One-Act Play Season weekend (31st May - 1st June). Use the arrows to browse through the photos. Click the images to view them full-size.
What's it like to be peered at by hungry humans? Chosen to be someone's dinner? Such is the predicament of Harry and Su, two lobsters who find themselves in the tank of a seafood restaurant.
DIRECTED BY:
John Pastor
CAST:
HARRY - Duncan Mitchell
SU - Ruth Jordon
THE ACCUSED
By Jeffery Archer
Directed by Pollyanna Forshaw
Performed November 2013
Jeffrey Archer, former British MP, is infamous for his brief time in prison for perjury during a libel case. However he is probably more famous as a noted novelist, having sold over 250 million books worldwide. And now his talents come to the Wyong stage.
Hot on the success of the much loved “Calendar Girls” in August, Wyong Drama Group’s final production for the year is “The Accused”, a tense, contemporary, courtroom drama and the third play Archer has written. When it opened in the West End of London in 2000, Jeffrey Archer himself played the part of Dr Patrick Sherwood, the "Accused” of the title.
Directed by Pollyanna Forshaw, it features a strong cast - Brendon Flynn and Andrew Thomson spar as the opposing barristers, many of WDG's new youthful members keep the Old Bailey running smoothly and favourite Laszlo Weidlich is crotchety Justice Cartwright. An array of colourful witnesses, for and against the accused, have us guessing till the end.
Archer has an extra twist.
He has cast, YOU, the audience, as the jury. You decide the verdict! Remember - the law is not always what it seems!
The Action of The Accused, and the social media banner. Click the images to view them full-size.
