Difference between revisions of "Mardi Gras"

From New Theatre History Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
m
 
(41 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Main Page|New Theatre History Home]] | '''Previous''': [[The 2000s - Women]] | '''Next''': [[Children's Theatre]]
+
[[Main Page|New Theatre History Home]] | '''Previous''': [[Australian Drama]] | '''Next''': [[Children's Theatre]]
 
----
 
----
 +
 +
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
Mardi Gras Funny Business 2.jpg |
 +
</gallery>
  
 
Although there had been homosexual members (labelled “artistic freaks” by the Central Committee of the CPA, and commented on by CIB Security) from the NT’s beginnings as the WAC, it was not until the theatre was at St Peters Lane that the first gay man publicly “came out”.   
 
Although there had been homosexual members (labelled “artistic freaks” by the Central Committee of the CPA, and commented on by CIB Security) from the NT’s beginnings as the WAC, it was not until the theatre was at St Peters Lane that the first gay man publicly “came out”.   
  
Over the years the New supported organisations such as the <span class="group">Gay Solidarity Group</span> and <span class="group">Counteraid</span>, and from the 1990s works dealing openly with gay themes were staged.  Peter Nichols’ cheekily titled <span class="play">Privates on Parade</span>, about a British Army Entertainment Company touring Malaya in 1948, was produced in 1990.  Directed by Colin Kenny, the musical featured <span class="person">George Hoad</span>, later NT Administrator, in drag.   Hoad also acted in the 1992 production of Peter Kenna’s <span class="play">Furtive Love</span> in which the central character struggles to reconcile his homosexuality with his Catholic faith.  Caryl Churchill’s <span class="play">Cloud 9</span> staged in 1993 unsettles audience preconceptions of gender, sexuality and race.  
+
Over the years the New supported organisations such as the <span class="group">Gay Solidarity Group</span> and <span class="group">Counteraid</span>, and from the 1990s works dealing openly with gay themes were staged.  <span class="writer">Peter Nichols</span>’ cheekily titled <span class="play">Privates on Parade</span>, about a British Army Entertainment Company touring Malaya in 1948, was produced in 1989. A new production was mounted for the 2014 Mardi Gras season.
  
In 1994 NT officially involved itself with the <span class="group">Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras</span> arts festival, after which it annually produced a work dealing with homosexual or cross-gender themes.  The first, Mart Crowley’s <span class="play">The Boys in the Band</span> directed by <span class="person">Kevin Jackson</span>, marked the 25th anniversary of the ground- breaking play. 
+
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
Privates on Parade.jpg | Privates on Parade, 2014
 +
</gallery>
  
An original script by Sydney writer Barry Lowe, <span class="play">The Death of Peter Pan</span> was workshopped before its staging in 1995.  Directed by <span class="person">Elaine Hudson</span>, it centred on J M Barrie’s favourite adopted son Michael Llewellyn-Davies who drowned in a double gay suicide with Rupert Buxton in 1921Appealing to a wide audience, the play was nominated for bestF Sydney Mardi Gras and reviewed by Sheridan Morley in the Spectator: “This is a Peter Pan we must have over here soon”.   The performance of <span class="play">Barry Latchford</span> as the ill-in-bed Barrie received special praise.  At the end of the season the set’s closet and toy box were auctioned.  
+
Directed by <span class="person">Colin Kenny</span>, the musical's first season featured <span class="person">George Hoad</span>, later NT Administrator, in dragHoad also acted in the 1992 production of <span class="writer">Peter Kenna</span>’s <span class="play">Furtive Love</span> in which the central character struggles to reconcile his homosexuality with his Catholic faith. <span class="writer">Caryl Churchill</span>’s <span class="play">Cloud 9</span> staged in 1993 unsettles audience preconceptions of gender, sexuality and race.  
  
1996 saw the Australian premiere of Larry Kramer’s <span class="play">The Destiny of Me</span> about the early days of AIDS, its cast including <span class="person">Dmitri Psiropoulos</span>.   In the slot the next year was David Geary’s Lovelock’s <span class="play">Dream Run</span> directed by <span class="person">Ken Boucher</span>, its subject the NZ Olympic athlete.   From 1998 to 2000 <span class="person">Gill Falson</span> directed a trilogy of gay and lesbian cabarets ~ <span class="play">No Funny Business</span>, <span class="play">Lots More Funny Business</span> and <span class="play">Life is a Funny Business</span> ~ a creative collaboration from NT writers, performers and musical directors. 
+
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
1992 Furtive Love.jpg | Furtive Love, 1992
 +
1993 cloud nine.jpg | Peter Callan and Andrew Everingham (as Betty) in Cloud 9, 1993
 +
</gallery>
  
 +
In 1994 NT officially involved itself with the <span class="group">Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras</span> arts festival, after which it annually produced a work dealing with homosexual or cross-gender themes.  The first, <span class="writer">Mart Crowley</span>’s <span class="play">The Boys in the Band</span> directed by <span class="person">Kevin Jackson</span>, marked the 25th anniversary of the ground- breaking play. 
 
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
George Hoad 1998 Funny Business.jpg| Funny Business, 1998 - George Hoad
+
1994 feb the boys in the band.jpg |  
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
As part of regular programming, male homosexual intimacy was the subject of Canadian playwright Brad Fraser’s <span class="play">Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love</span> and <span class="play">Poor Superman</span>, the latter in repertory with local writer Gina Schien’s <span class="play">Relative Comfort</span> exploring lesbian relationships.  
+
An original script by Sydney writer <span class="writer">Barry Lowe</span>, <span class="play">The Death of Peter Pan</span> was workshopped before its staging in 1995.  Directed by <span class="person">Elaine Hudson</span>, it centred on J M Barrie’s favourite adopted son Michael Llewellyn-Davies who drowned in a double gay suicide with Rupert Buxton in 1921.  Appealing to a wide audience, the play was nominated for best Sydney Mardi Gras production and reviewed by Sheridan Morley in the ''Spectator'': “This is a Peter Pan we must have over here soon”.  The performance of <span class="person">Barry Latchford</span> as the ill-in-bed Barrie received special praise.  At the end of the season the set’s closet and toy box were auctioned.
 +
 
 +
1996 saw the Australian premiere of <span class="writer">Larry Kramer</span>’s <span class="play">The Destiny of Me</span> about the early days of AIDS, its cast including <span class="person">Dmitri Psiropoulos</span>.  In the slot the next year was <span class="writer">David Geary</span>’s <span class="play">Lovelock’s Dream Run</span> directed by <span class="person">Ken Boucher</span>, its subject the NZ Olympic athlete.  
  
 
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
1995 aug- unidentifed human remains.jpg|Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love, 1995
+
1996 destiny of me.jpg | Dmitri Psiropoulos (left) and Kim Knuckey in The Destiny of Me, 1996
 +
</gallery> 
 +
 
 +
From 1998 to 2000 <span class="person">Gill Falson</span> directed a trilogy of gay and lesbian cabarets ~ <span class="play">No Funny Business</span>, <span class="play">Lots More Funny Business</span> and <span class="play">Life is a Funny Business</span> ~ a creative collaboration from NT writers, performers and musical directors. 
 +
 
 +
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
George Hoad 1998 Funny Business.jpg| No Funny Business, 1998 - George Hoad
 +
Mardi Gras Funny Business.jpg | No Funny Business, 1998
 +
2000 life is funny 2.jpg | Life is a Funny Business, 2000
 +
2000.2.16.jpg |
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
Alex Harding’s Australian musical <span class="play">Only Heaven Knows</span> had a successful season in 1998.  Set in the 1940s/50s gay subculture of Kings Cross, it was directed by <span class="person">Pete Nettell</span> and designed by <span class="person">Wayne Harris</span>, with <span class="person">Paul Flynn</span> playing the lead.  
+
As part of regular programming, male homosexual intimacy was the subject of Canadian playwright <span class="writer">Brad Fraser</span>’s <span class="play">Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love</span> and <span class="play">Poor Superman</span>, the latter in repertory with local writer <span class="writer">Gina Schien</span>’s <span class="play">Relative Comfort</span> exploring lesbian relationships.  
  
2001 opened with <span class="person">Alice Livingstone</span>’s production of <span class="play">Once in a while the odd thing happens</span> charting the struggle of Benjamin Britten to come to terms with his sexuality. This was followed by an Australian work <span class="play">The Man in the Moon is a Miss</span> by Cameron Sharp and George Torbay.
+
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
1995 aug- unidentifed human remains.jpg|
 +
1999 poor superman.jpg | Benjamin O'Reilly and Cameron Sharp in Poor Superman, 1999
 +
1999 Gina Schien Relative Comfort .jpg | Author and cast of Relative Comfort, 1999
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
<span class="writer">Alex Harding</span>’s Australian musical <span class="play">Only Heaven Knows</span> had a successful season in 1998.  
 +
 
 +
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
1998.11.7 Only Heaven Knows.jpg | Only Heaven Knows, 1998
 +
</gallery>
  
The official 2002 Mardi Gras show was <span class="play">Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde</span> in repertory with Barry Lowe’s concept <span class="play">The Importance of Being Earnest: a prison fantasy</span> with the same performers and production team, headed by director <span class="person">Elaine Hudson</span>.  Performance times were changed on “Wilde Weekends”.  
+
Set in the 1940s/50s gay subculture of Kings Cross, it was directed by <span class="person">Pete Nettell</span> and designed by <span class="person">Wayne Harris</span>, with <span class="person">Paul Flynn</span> playing the lead.  
  
Added to the season were a moved reading of Michael Neaylon’s <span class="play">Six Pack</span>, and Louise Fischer’s cabaret <span class="play">Lemon Delicious: A Celebration of Sheilas</span>, a  concept repeated in 2003 and 2004.  <span class="play">Vampire Lesbians of Sodom</span> was a supporting production in 2007, and in 2006 there was a Workshop reading of Ray Goodlass’ <span class="play">Teaching the Fairy to Swim</span> re the unsolved Adelaide murder by drowning of university lecturer George Duncan in 1972.  
+
2001 opened with <span class="person">Alice Livingstone</span>’s production of <span class="play">Once in a while the odd thing happens</span> charting the struggle of Benjamin Britten to come to terms with his sexualityThis was followed by an Australian work <span class="play">The Man in the Moon is a Miss</span> by <span class="writer">Cameron Sharp</span> and <span class="writer">George Torbay</span>.
  
Mark Ravenhill’s <span class="play">Mother Clap’s Molly House</span> played to good houses in 2003.
+
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
2001 feb - the man in the moon is a miss.jpg | The Man in the Moon is a Miss, 2001
 +
2002 gross indecency anthony hunt.jpg | Anthony Hunt as Oscar Wilde in Gross Indecency, 2002
 +
</gallery>
  
Staged for Mardi Gras in 2004 was <span class="play">Falsettos</span> directed by Brendan McDonall who also directed <span class="play">Falling Petals</span> by Melbourne writer Ben Ellis the next year.  Lee Blessing’s <span class="play">Thief River</span> was the official Mardi Gras show in 2006; <span class="play">Tango Masculino</span> in 2007; the controversial <span class="play">Corpus Christie</span> in 2008; <span class="play">Take Me Out</span> about baseball players in 2009; <span class="play">Hardcore</span> in 2010; <span class="play">Canary</span> in 2011 ("We're still the litmus test of whether a society respects human rights. We're the canaries in the mine”); <span class="play">The Temperamentals</span> in 2012; and <span class="play">Milk Milk Lemonade</span> in 2013.  The next two Mardi Gras seasons saw revivals of <span class="play">Privates on Parade</span> and <span class="play">Mother Clap’s Molly House</span>.  
+
The official 2002 Mardi Gras show was <span class="play">Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde</span> in repertory with <span class="writer">Barry Lowe</span>’s concept <span class="play">The Importance of Being Earnest: a prison fantasy</span> with the same performers and production team, headed by director <span class="person">Elaine Hudson</span>.  Performance times were changed on “Wilde Weekends”.
 +
 
 +
Added to the season were a moved reading of <span class="writer">Michael Neaylon</span>’s <span class="play">Six Pack</span>, and <span class="person">Louise Fischer</span>’s cabaret <span class="play">Lemon Delicious: A Celebration of Sheilas</span>, a concept repeated in 2003 and 2004.
 +
 
 +
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
2004 feb- a twist of lemon delicious.jpg | A Twist of Lemon Delicious, 2004
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
<span class="play">Vampire Lesbians of Sodom</span> was a supporting production in 2007, and in 2006 there was a Workshop reading of <span class="writer">Ray Goodlass</span>’ <span class="play">Teaching the Fairy to Swim</span> re the unsolved Adelaide murder by drowning of university lecturer George Duncan in 1972.
 +
 
 +
<span class="writer">Mark Ravenhill</span>’s <span class="play">Mother Clap’s Molly House</span> played to good houses in 2003. A new production was mounted in 2015.
 +
 
 +
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
2003 feb - mother clap s molly house.jpg | Mother Clap's Molly House, 2003
 +
2003 mother clap pete nettell.jpg | Mother Clap's Molly House, 2003
 +
2013 mother clap.jpg | Mother Clap's Molly House, 2015
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
Staged for Mardi Gras in 2004 was <span class="play">Falsettos</span> directed by <span class="person">Brendan McDonall</span> who also directed <span class="play">Falling Petals</span> by Melbourne writer <span class="writer">Ben Ellis</span> the next year.  
 +
 
 +
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
2004- feb - falsettos.jpg | Falsettos, 2004
 +
2007 tango.jpg | Tango Masculino, 2007
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
<span class="writer">Lee Blessing</span>’s <span class="play">Thief River</span> was the official Mardi Gras show in 2006; <span class="play">Tango Masculino</span> in 2007; the controversial <span class="play">Corpus Christi</span> in 2008;  
 +
 
 +
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
2008 Corpus Christi.jpg  | Corpus Christi, 2008
 +
2008.2.7 Corpus Christi.jpg | Corpus Christi, 2008
 +
2008 corpus.jpg |
 +
2008 4.24 Angels in America 2.jpg | Angels in America was part of the mainstream season in 2008
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
<span class="play">Take Me Out</span> about baseball players in 2009; <span class="play">Hardcore</span> in 2010; <span class="play">Canary</span> in 2011 ("We're still the litmus test of whether a society respects human rights. We're the canaries in the mine”); <span class="play">The Temperamentals</span> in 2012; and <span class="play">Milk Milk Lemonade</span> in 2013.  The next two Mardi Gras seasons saw revivals of <span class="play">Privates on Parade</span> and <span class="play">Mother Clap’s Molly House</span>.  
 +
 
 +
New Theatre was the 2016 winner of the ACON Arts& Entertainment Award for their contribution and commitment to the LGBTI community in their programming of plays.
 +
 
 +
<gallery heights="300px" mode="packed">
 +
2009 take me out.jpg  | Take Me Out, 2009
 +
2011 canary .jpg | Canary, 2011
 +
2012 temperamentals.jpg | The Temperamentals, 2012
 +
2013 milk milk lemonade.jpg | Milk Milk Lemonade, 2013
 +
2016 ritz.jpg | The Ritz, 2016
 +
</gallery>
  
 
----
 
----
[[Main Page|New Theatre History Home]] | '''Previous''': [[The 2000s - Women]] | '''Next''': [[Children's Theatre]]
+
[[Main Page|New Theatre History Home]] | '''Previous''': [[Australian Drama]] | '''Next''': [[Children's Theatre]]

Latest revision as of 15:31, 8 April 2021

New Theatre History Home | Previous: Australian Drama | Next: Children's Theatre


Although there had been homosexual members (labelled “artistic freaks” by the Central Committee of the CPA, and commented on by CIB Security) from the NT’s beginnings as the WAC, it was not until the theatre was at St Peters Lane that the first gay man publicly “came out”.

Over the years the New supported organisations such as the Gay Solidarity Group and Counteraid, and from the 1990s works dealing openly with gay themes were staged. Peter Nichols’ cheekily titled Privates on Parade, about a British Army Entertainment Company touring Malaya in 1948, was produced in 1989. A new production was mounted for the 2014 Mardi Gras season.

Directed by Colin Kenny, the musical's first season featured George Hoad, later NT Administrator, in drag. Hoad also acted in the 1992 production of Peter Kenna’s Furtive Love in which the central character struggles to reconcile his homosexuality with his Catholic faith. Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9 staged in 1993 unsettles audience preconceptions of gender, sexuality and race.

In 1994 NT officially involved itself with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras arts festival, after which it annually produced a work dealing with homosexual or cross-gender themes. The first, Mart Crowley’s The Boys in the Band directed by Kevin Jackson, marked the 25th anniversary of the ground- breaking play.

An original script by Sydney writer Barry Lowe, The Death of Peter Pan was workshopped before its staging in 1995. Directed by Elaine Hudson, it centred on J M Barrie’s favourite adopted son Michael Llewellyn-Davies who drowned in a double gay suicide with Rupert Buxton in 1921. Appealing to a wide audience, the play was nominated for best Sydney Mardi Gras production and reviewed by Sheridan Morley in the Spectator: “This is a Peter Pan we must have over here soon”. The performance of Barry Latchford as the ill-in-bed Barrie received special praise. At the end of the season the set’s closet and toy box were auctioned.

1996 saw the Australian premiere of Larry Kramer’s The Destiny of Me about the early days of AIDS, its cast including Dmitri Psiropoulos. In the slot the next year was David Geary’s Lovelock’s Dream Run directed by Ken Boucher, its subject the NZ Olympic athlete.

From 1998 to 2000 Gill Falson directed a trilogy of gay and lesbian cabarets ~ No Funny Business, Lots More Funny Business and Life is a Funny Business ~ a creative collaboration from NT writers, performers and musical directors.

As part of regular programming, male homosexual intimacy was the subject of Canadian playwright Brad Fraser’s Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love and Poor Superman, the latter in repertory with local writer Gina Schien’s Relative Comfort exploring lesbian relationships.

Alex Harding’s Australian musical Only Heaven Knows had a successful season in 1998.

Set in the 1940s/50s gay subculture of Kings Cross, it was directed by Pete Nettell and designed by Wayne Harris, with Paul Flynn playing the lead.

2001 opened with Alice Livingstone’s production of Once in a while the odd thing happens charting the struggle of Benjamin Britten to come to terms with his sexuality. This was followed by an Australian work The Man in the Moon is a Miss by Cameron Sharp and George Torbay.

The official 2002 Mardi Gras show was Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde in repertory with Barry Lowe’s concept The Importance of Being Earnest: a prison fantasy with the same performers and production team, headed by director Elaine Hudson. Performance times were changed on “Wilde Weekends”.

Added to the season were a moved reading of Michael Neaylon’s Six Pack, and Louise Fischer’s cabaret Lemon Delicious: A Celebration of Sheilas, a concept repeated in 2003 and 2004.

Vampire Lesbians of Sodom was a supporting production in 2007, and in 2006 there was a Workshop reading of Ray GoodlassTeaching the Fairy to Swim re the unsolved Adelaide murder by drowning of university lecturer George Duncan in 1972.

Mark Ravenhill’s Mother Clap’s Molly House played to good houses in 2003. A new production was mounted in 2015.

Staged for Mardi Gras in 2004 was Falsettos directed by Brendan McDonall who also directed Falling Petals by Melbourne writer Ben Ellis the next year.

Lee Blessing’s Thief River was the official Mardi Gras show in 2006; Tango Masculino in 2007; the controversial Corpus Christi in 2008;

Take Me Out about baseball players in 2009; Hardcore in 2010; Canary in 2011 ("We're still the litmus test of whether a society respects human rights. We're the canaries in the mine”); The Temperamentals in 2012; and Milk Milk Lemonade in 2013. The next two Mardi Gras seasons saw revivals of Privates on Parade and Mother Clap’s Molly House.

New Theatre was the 2016 winner of the ACON Arts& Entertainment Award for their contribution and commitment to the LGBTI community in their programming of plays.


New Theatre History Home | Previous: Australian Drama | Next: Children's Theatre