In 2019 Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC) will bring some of the finest national and international talents to our city. The program is packed with a diverse variety of drama, music, dance, and physical theatre performances that are passionate, smart, fun and moving.

The annual season is a cornerstone of BMEC’s program which has facilitated the development of the Local Stages Program, the Inland Sea of Sound music festival and many more opportunities for local performers. 

Children will be captivated with Roald Dahl’s REVOLTING RHYMES AND DIRTY BEASTS.

Frighteningly funny and seriously silly, this show is the perfect entertainment for ages five to 105. It delights and disgusts in equal measures.

For lovers of live music, a must-see is LADY BEATLE. The show is a kaleidoscopic journey through the Beatles’ most monumental hits. Starring UK-born Australian stage and screen star Naomi Price, the show is a rollicking magical mystery tour accompanied by chart toppers such as LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS and YELLOW SUBMARINE.

Fans of physical theatre and dance can join over a million people who have experienced the sensation that is CIRCA’S PEEPSHOW. Join Circa as they embark on a seductive dance through the hall of mirrors that is your imagination. Expect teetering towers of balanced bodies, extreme bending and devilishly precarious aerials.

Other program highlights include MIGHTY a physical performance that explores strength in modern times and TWO – a smash hit comedy that is heart-warming and poignant.

The calibre of cultural experiences coming to our region continues to grow and evolve.

BMEC is one of the finest facilities in the region to host local, national and international performances proving that Bathurst is a wonderful place to live, work and visit.

GRAEME HANGER OAM

MAYOR OF BATHURST

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

Reliance Bank is proud to have been the principle sponsor of the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre for 20 years. A sponsorship of this length is extremely rare and demonstrates the commitment our Bank has to support this wonderful region. During our 20 years of support tens of thousands of show goers have attended events that have provided much joy and laughter which we can never get enough of given the challenges life provides us from time to time.

Being a member owned financial institution allows us to put back into the community where our members live and work and BMEC is one of the over 100 organisations and activities we are delighted to support. Given recent events in the banking sector I would encourage you to consider making Reliance your banking partner as we will always place the interest of you and your family first.

Assisting the cultural identity of the region where our members live is something we consider as important as other endeavours such as sport or education. Reliance understands that artistic expression contributes to sustaining a strong sense of community identity and social cohesion and that is why we have been a partner for 20 years.

We are looking forward to BMEC continuing to present outstanding touring productions as well as developing programs that extend opportunities for local residents, especially young people. Such programs considerably enhance the lifestyle of the region which aligns extremely well with our desire to realise our vision of fostering the financial and social well-being of our members.

We are extremely pleased to be the Principal Sponsor of BMEC and we wish them and their audiences an enjoyable and memorable 2019 season.

MARK GENOVESE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

A MESSAGE FROM THE CENTRE MANAGER

In March 2019 it will be 20 years since the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre, or BMEC as we know it, was opened. What an amazing time we have had in those 20 years sharing performances that remain in our hearts and minds and which have become an important shared part of the fabric of our lives.

20 years ago it wasn’t a totally fresh start as the Centre was refurbished around the stage and backstage facilities of the Bathurst War Memorial Hall opened in July 1965 and therefore next year we are also celebrating 54 years of the performing arts on this site.

Leonie Smith, our Assistant Manager, performed in the old hall as a child, an adolescent and an adult. She was a staff member in 1999 when the new Centre opened and remains a valued staff member to this day. I think this makes her part of the fibre of BMEC.

Volunteer ushers Jacqui Hickey, Linda Hurford, Roger Hayman and Jane Cox have incredibly been with us for 20 years. What an amazing connection and we can’t thank them enough. We also thank the many ushers who joined not long after and are still with us.

This is also a time to acknowledge Judy Rutherford, who remains a dedicated BMEC supporter, Bob Fry, Cynthia McNeil and the members of Bathurst Arts Council. Bob called the initial public meeting in August 1986 which led to the formation of Bathurst Arts Council. Their aims were to promote all forms of art in the city and specifically to work towards building a theatre.

The cultural evolution of the Bathurst region is an exciting and ongoing process and therefore in 2019 we seriously begin the task of deciding what performing arts facilities the region needs for future generations of artists and audiences. The Bathurst Cultural

Vision has articulated that we should be looking towards a “Next Practice” facility or facilities and funds have been allocated to commence that planning process.

The staff of BMEC are honoured to be part of this history and to live in a region that values the arts so highly.

STEPHEN CHAMPION
CENTRE MANAGER

THE BEGGARS SING THE SEEKERS
50 years ago The Seekers were on top of the music world, their breakup was broadcast live by BBC TV to 10 million fans.
THE BEGGARS SING THE SEEKERS follows The Seekers story from the 1962 Melbourne cafe scene, to London, the swinging centre of the pop universe.
All the hits are here I’LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER YOU, THE CARNIVAL IS OVER, MORNINGTOWN RIDE and, of course, GEORGIE GIRL, faithfully re-produced, alongside The Beggar’s originals and rollicking standards such as OPEN UP THEM PEARLY GATES and SINNER MAN. Presented in wonderful harmony by internationally acclaimed Adelaide folk sensation The Beggars. 
The Beggars are Renee Donaghey, Stuart Day and Quinton Dunne, three brilliant singer songwriters with a crystal clear Australian acoustic sound. Their handmade music has climbed the iTunes and European radio charts, winning fans and made them a regular feature on the Australian and European touring circuits. Quinton and Stuart spent many years on Australia’s long highways touring the country with music and theatre shows, they returned to Adelaide, met Renee and formed The Beggars in 2006.
“SUPER AUSTRALIAN BAND: RENEE DONAGHEY IS A GENIUS.” Bote der urschweiz Lucerne. Feb 2008. [Switzerland]
“THE BEGGARS ARE KNOWN FOR GREAT VOICES AND HARMONIES AND NO MATTER IF ITS RENEE, QUINTON OR STUART LEADING – THEY DO NOT DISAPPOINT. CARE AND THOUGHT HAS BEEN PUT INTO EACH WORD, THE STAGECRAFT AND THE JOURNEY ON WHICH THE BEGGARS LEAD THE AUDIENCE.”   The Clothesline

Drawing on physical theatre, dance, circus and verbatim theatre, MIGHTY is an exploration of strength in our modern times. In a world of aggression, brutality and intolerance where is the space for grace, vulnerability and empathy in the way we lead and the ways we relate to each other and our world?

MIGHTY is an ambitious full length work that asks what is it to be strong in today’s world by exploring how we behave when we are our most vulnerable. The work draws on hours of interviews with people from all walks of life, as well as found materials like political speeches and philosophical texts and is created using physical theatre, dance, circus, comedy and music.

Bathurst’s own interdisciplinary performance company Lingua Franca presents this original work in a landscape of large scale steel sculptures created by award winning visual artist Harrie Fasher.

At times a solemn reflection on when we feel at our weakest and at others a bawdy, raucous extravaganza of physical prowess, MIGHTY is a highly physical and moving interrogation of how we build strength for ourselves and our communities and an exciting collaboration between physical performance and visual art.

CREATED BY THE COMPANY DIRECTOR ADAM DEUSIEN TECHNICAL DIRECTOR BECKY RUSSELL SCULPTOR HARRIE FASHER DESIGNER ANNEMAREE DALZIEL
COMPOSER AARON HOPPER PERFORMERS ALISON PLEVEY, TANYA BROWN, CAROLYN ECCLES, DAVID JACKSON, KATE SMITH

Directed by Ensemble Theatre Artistic Director Mark Kilmurry, Jim Cartwright’s timeless comedy TWO introduces fourteen colourful characters, all skilfully played by Brian Meegan and Kate Raison.

Set in the local pub, you’ll meet all the regulars, a misfit crowd of eccentric and hilarious individuals. There’s Moth, who loves Maud (and every other woman) fervently; Mrs Iger, with her passion for quiet, strong men; possessive Roy, jealous of anybody who looks at Lesley (even the darts players); Alice and Fred and their Elvis obsession; and the publicans themselves – a married couple with an unspoken secret… By turns funny, heart-warming and poignant, don’t miss this smash hit comedy.
DIRECTOR MARK KILMURRY SET AND COSTUME DESIGNER ALICIA CLEMENTS LIGHTING DESIGNER MATTHEW MARSHALL SOUND DESIGNER NEIL MCLEAN CAST BRIAN MEEGAN AND KATE RAISON

“ACTORS BRIAN MEEGAN AND KATE RAISON ARE BOTH EXCELLENT, PLAYING DIVERSE CHARACTERS WITH PRECISE TIMING AND CONSIDERABLE NUANCE.” Australian Stage Online

“WARMLY COMIC... CHARACTER PORTRAITS ARE SHARP...” Sydney Morning Herald

Two trailblazing stars of the Australian music scene survey the forces that have shaped their way. TZU’s Joelistics and ARIA-nominated producer James Mangohig are icons of Australian hip-hop, but their family histories are as complex and layered as their lyrics. Both half-Asian, their respective heritages are woven through their experiences growing up in Australia.

From a nightclub-owning grandma in an open marriage to globetrotting parents with a political streak, the pair lovingly paint a canvas filled with failed proposals and religious strictures, casual racism and empowerment through music.

WRITTEN, COMPOSED & PERFORMED BY JOELISTICS AND JAMES MANGOHIG DIRECTED BY SUZANNE CHAUNDY SET DESIGN EUGYEENE TEH LIGHTING DESIGN LUCY BIRKINSHAW VISUAL DESIGN JEAN POOLE DRAMATURGES WILLIAM YANG AND ANNETTE SHUN WAH PRODUCER ANNETTE SHUN WAH

“THIS IS A HIP HOP SHOW UNLIKE ANY OTHER. AN AUSTRALIAN NARRATIVE CHALLENGING HOW YOU THINK, HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT SOCIETY AND ITS MORAL FIBRE.”  4.5 STARS The Music

“THE END RESULT, WHICH FINDS A BEAUTIFUL BALANCE BETWEEN THE PERSONAL AND THE POLITICAL, THE MUSICAL AND THE THEATRICAL, IS SKILFULLY CRAFTED AND HIGHLY ENGAGING.” 4 STARS Arts Hub

International mezzo soprano, Helen Sherman returns to Bathurst to perform a stunning program of Handel, Mozart and Vivaldi arias and motets with The Australian Haydn Ensemble. The Ensemble, under the direction of Artistic Director and violinist Skye McIntosh has been acclaimed as “one of Australia’s leading period instrument groups”. (Limelight Magazine) The musicians are all soloists in their own right, specialising in music of the baroque and classical eras.

The program will feature Helen’s stunning voice, with string orchestra, harpsichord and theorbo (bass lute). Works include Vivaldi’s dazzling motet In turbato, virtuosic arias from Handel’s Giulo Cesare and Agrippina, and arias from Mozart’s Idomeno, Marriage of Figaro and La Clemenza di Tito. The Ensemble will also present Vivaldi’s famous Double Violin Concerto and Concerto Grossi by Handel.

THE AUSTRALIAN HAYDN ENSEMBLE PLAY FAULTLESSLY AND THEY WORK TOGETHER SO WELL, WHETHER IT’S IN THIS OR A LARGER FORMAT. City News

MY URRWAI BY GHENOA GELA PRODUCED BY PERFORMING LINES SUPPORTED BY ILBIJERRI THEATRE

Ghenoa Gela - little sister, daughter, granddaughter, comic, teacher, fighter, gold medallist, air guitarist, charmer, TV star, Torres Strait mainlander, walking political statement – has made a show.

This is your invitation into the complex political, social, colonial and cultural expectations she navigates every day.

Ghenoa is a recipient of both the renowned Keir Choreographic Award and the Deadly Funny Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award. Laughter and deep reflection go hand in hand in this unique and intimate story told through movement and words

MY URRWAI, supported by stellar team director Rachael Maza and dramaturg Kate Champion, is a revealing reflection on and celebration of cultural and familial inheritance, and an unflinching comment on race relations in Australia.

CREATOR/PERFORMER GHENOA GELA DIRECTOR RACHAEL MAZA DRAMATURG KATE CHAMPION COMPOSER ANIA REYNOLDS LIGHTING DESIGNER NIKLAS PAJANTI SET & COSTUME DESIGNER MICHAEL HANKIN PRODUCED BY PERFORMING LINES SUPPORTED BY ILBIJERRI THEATRE

“MY URRWAI IS EXQUISITELY SIMPLE STORYTELLING OF IMMENSE MEANING AND PURPOSE, ENGAGING, ENTERTAINING AND ENLIGHTENING.”  Sydney Arts Guide

“IT’S IRRESISTIBLE AND WITH HER BRIGHT SMILE, CONVERSATIONAL DELIVERY AND AN EXCESS OF CHARM, YOU MIGHT FALL IN LOVE WITH HER.” Timeout Sydney

MY URRWAI is produced by Performing Lines, supported by ILBIJERRI Theatre; the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts its arts funding and advocacy body, and the New South Wales Government through Create NSW My Urrwai was originally supported by Performing Lines, Belvoit, Ilbigerri Theatre and Sydney Festival

A LEGEND OF WALES

STORYTELLER MICHAEL HARVEY SINGER LYNNE DENMAN
COMPOSER/MUSICIAN STACEY BLYTHE

[THE PRESENTATION OF THIS SHOW IS DEPENDENT ON A PENDING FUNDING APPLICATION]

Honour, justice, magic and transformation collide in this spellbinding new storytelling and music performance which evokes the ancient Celtic legend of THE MABINOGION.

Experience a world that’s bristling with life and filled with animals, people and constellations, caught in stories of creation and destruction.

Thrilling, funny, powerful and poetic, DREAMING THE NIGHT FIELD features one of Wales’ most engaging storytellers alongside exquisitely haunting live music. An intoxicating performance making ancient voices and landscapes come alive.

“THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE FESTIVAL WAS AN INCREDIBLE EPIC TELLING OF THE FOURTH BRANCH OF THE MABINOGION... A WELL-DESERVED STANDING OVATION.” Wales Arts Review

“WE LEFT THE THEATRE SPELLBOUND.” New Welsh Review

An Adverse Camber production with Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Felin Uchaf and Cardiff University School of Welsh

ME AND MY SHADOW is about the fanciful escapades of a girl making friends with her shadow. Children love to play with shadows, but making friends with your shadow can be a tricky business. There are things to sort out, problems to solve, adventures to have and laughter to be shared.

ME AND MY SHADOW is a gentle, magical, visual poem for children, using paper, light, shadow, colour, water, music, sound and words to create a world of play where the imagined becomes real. With fantastical imagery, quirky physical performances and an intriguing score, ME AND MY SHADOW ignites the imagination in a poetical experience that explores the trials and joys of friendship.

2013 WINNER, VICTOR AWARD FOR BEST SHOWCASE PRODUCTION IPAY
2011 WINNER, HELPMANN AWARD FOR BEST PRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN
2011 NOMINATION, SYDNEY THEATRE AWARD BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN

COLLABORATIVELY CREATED BY ZOË BARRY, DAVE BROWN, GEOFF COBHAM, ROZ HERVEY, NATHAN O’KEEFE, ASTRID PILL AND BOB WEATHERLY DIRECTION ROZ HERVEY, DAVE BROWN AND GEOFF COBHAM COMPOSER ZOË BARRY LIGHTING AND STAGE DESIGN GEOFF COBHAM AND DAVE BROWN ORIGINAL CAST ASTRID PILL AND NATHAN O’KEEFE

“THIS IS MUST SEE CHILDREN’S THEATRE” Peter Burdon, The Advertiser

“A FEAST FOR THE EYES THAT REACHES STRAIGHT, CRYSTAL CLEAR TO THE HEARTS OF ALL AGES.” David O’Brien, DB Review

EXPLORING THE MUSIC NAZIS BANNED

Composers in exile is a musical and theatrical exploration of one of the darkest times in European history. As the Weimar Republic descended into chaos, the people escaped into hedonistic abandon and an explosion of creativity. Under this easy cover, the Nazi Party slowly slithered into power. With Hitler’s ascent, Germany’s greatest composers fled to seek freedom in the four corners of the world.

Peter Coleman-Wright and Nexas Quartet take audiences on a musical journey following these exiles from Berlin and Vienna to New York and beyond with a mixture of political songs from the Weimar period, the musical theatre of Weill and the cabaret and song from Stolz and Schreker. These songs capture the spirit of the times: defiant, soulful and searching, but also capable of moments of exuberant joy and hope.

BARITONE PETER COLEMAN-WRIGHT AO SOPRANO SAXOPHONE MICHAEL DUKE ALTO SAXOPHONE ANDREW SMITH TENOR SAXOPHONE NATHAN HENSHAW BARITONE SAXOPHONE JAY BYRNES

“COMPOSERS IN EXILE IS A RICH, ENTERTAINING STEP BACK INTO THE WEIMAR ERA, GUIDED BY THE BRONZED SOUNDS OF THE MUSICALLY WELL-MATCHED PETER COLEMAN-WRIGHT AND THE NEXAS QUARTET. WELL WORTH CHECKING OUT.” Angus McPherson, The Buzz

DIRECTED BY JUSTIN LEWIS

GURU OF CHAI grabs you by the throat and never lets go. Indian Ink display their theatrical muscle in a tale and a teller bristling with mischief, mayhem and the maddening magic of India.

The contradictions of modern India with its iPhones and ancient gods come alive in this outrageously funny and heartbreakingly beautiful romantic thriller. A poor chai-wallah has his life changed forever when a young girl is abandoned at a busy railway station and brings the place to a standstill with the beauty of her singing. Kutisar (the chai-wallah) is one of Rajan’s favourite characters:

“He’s actually based on a mask-dancer that Justin and I met in Bali. A man steeped in the spirituality of mask-dance, but with a weakness for beer and cock-fighting, and yet desperate to have a Facebook page – he literally danced into our lives, and onto the pages of this play a as a fully formed character”

“RAJAN’S PERFORMANCE IS A MESMERIZING BLEND OF DAZZLING SHOWMANSHIP AND PURE CHARISMA.” New Zealand Herald
“GURU OF CHAI IS NOTHING SHORT OF GENIUS.” Time Out Singapore
“A WHIRLWIND OF DRAMATIC STORYTELLING.” NZ Listener

From the creators of international hit show BOYS IN THE BAND comes global sensation THE DIAMONDS - a celebration of the greatest divas of all time! Grab your friends and get ready to boogie as this hit after hit concert extravaganza brings to life some of the greatest female anthems the world has ever known.

Described by audiences as “The Supremes meets Destiny’s Child” Australian production THE DIAMONDS features television personality Casey Burgess (Hi-5, Home&Away, Wonderland), Moulin Rouge star and Miss Galaxy International 2017, Shikye Smith and soul singing sensation Hannah-May Buckley (John Field Band/The Cockroaches). Serving up much loved hit tunes with a generous side of girl power, the trio sing and dance their way through a 90minute non-stop stage spectacular dressed in sparkling couture costumes.

Backed by their sensational live band THE PLAYERS, this spectacular show weaves together more than five decades of music with amazing harmonies, stunning costumes, and choreography by internationally renowned Cameron Mitchell (SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE).

“ROCK SOLID. NINE CARATS OF PURE TALENT.” Funktionality Events

“ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING!” Paula Duncan OA

Songs include: BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY, RESPECT, RESCUE ME, SAY A LITTLE PRAYER, HOT STUFF, IT’S RAINING MEN, I WILL SURVIVE, ALL THE SINGLE LADIES, I’M EVERY WOMAN, SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES, BORN THIS WAY, I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY and many more. Labelled “Nine carats of pure talent” these three stunning performers are an unbeatable combination of high octane glam our and knock out talent.

 BY OSCAR WILDE

You are cordially invited to participate in the coronation celebrations for The Young King.
What kind of King would you be? A naïve boy raised by goatherds is discovered to be Heir to the kingdom. Treasures and privileges are laid at his feet, but at what cost to others?

The achingly beautiful and tender language of Oscar Wilde joins the intimate and magical world of internationally acclaimed Adelaide theatre company, Slingsby. Journey in wonder, to a land of challenging choices and rich rewards.

DIRECTOR ANDY PACKER PLAYWRIGHT NICKI BLOOM COMPOSER QUINCY GRANT DESIGNER WENDY TODD LIGHTING DESIGNER GEOFF COBHAM

“THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS PHENOMENAL…. THE YOUNG KING IS CHARMING, MAJESTIC AND UTTERLY DELIGHTFUL AND A BEAUTIFUL JEWEL IN THE FESTIVAL CROWN.” Gordon Forester, Limelight 
"EVERY ELEMENT OF THIS DELIGHTFUL PRODUCTION EXCITES THE EYE, STIRS THE MIND AND TOUGHCES THE HEART" Peter Wilkins, Canberra Critics Circle

Slingsby is supported by the Government of South Australia through Arts South Australia and Australia Council for the Arts

A MONKEY BAA THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTION
HITLER’S DAUGHTER BASED ON THE BOOK BY JACKIE FRENCH

The play begins early morning somewhere in the Australian countryside. Four children wait for the school bus and they decide to play a game; a simple game of storytelling.

As they shelter in the bus stop from a raging storm Anna creates an intriguing story and simultaneously on stage we begin to hear the bombing of Berlin and we see Heidi crawl from a bunker. With a large birthmark across her face, we discover that Heidi is the disfigured daughter of Hitler. Caught in the turmoil of war, she is hidden away by her father, one of the most dreaded men in history. Back at the bus shelter Mark becomes so engrossed in Anna’s story; he begins to wonder how it would feel to be the child of someone as evil as Hitler. As the play evolves, Mark’s search for truth in a world of half-truths becomes clearer and the story culminates in the bombing of Berlin, the fall of the Third Reich and the end of Heidi’s innocence. HITLER’S DAUGHTER poses powerful questions and examines moral issues in relation to society’s fears and prejudices in a fresh, compelling light.

ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY EVA DI CESARE, SANDRA ELDRIDGE & TIM MCGARRY DIRECTED BY SANDRA ELDRIDGE LIGHTING DESIGNER LUIZ PAMPOLHA SET AND COSTUME DESIGNER IMOGEN ROSS SOUND DESIGNER JED SILVER

WONDERFUL PERFORMANCES… MOVING AND BEAUTIFULLY HANDLED… IT STAYED WITH ME FOR WEEKS. Lowdown Magazine

THE JOURNEY WAS SPELLBINDING. The Gladstone Observer

MAN AGAINST MACHINE IN A MUSICAL COMEDY FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF POP

A zany and toonful chamber opera about two lifts and a computer virus in a bed of 1980s pop gold served up by five singers, two speakers, and four hands at one piano.

A cartoonesque prequel to ANNA’S RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (premiered by The Song Company at the Sydney Opera House), MIND OVER MATTER is a chamber opera for five singers, speaking piano duet and computer operator, by Antony Pitts, with theatrical direction by Leonie Cambage. The story is set (not far) in the future: the world has been taken over by a giant computer corporation called BABEL, run by a man known simply as “The Boss”, and, of course, someone is trying to hack into its central computer system.

BABEL’s corporate headquarters has 127 floors and just two lifts (with characters of their own). There is a Guard who will not venture off the ground floor, two suspicious characters called Rime and Reezon who carry two identical briefcases, a power-crazy executive who falls in love and then loses her mind, and the heroine Anna herself.

The music is inspired by the melodic pop of the 1980s and the program begins and ends with arrangements of some classic hits from Joe Jackson’s STEPPIN’ OUT to Wang Chung’s DANCE HALL DAYS.

CREATED BY YARON LIFSCHITZ WITH LIBBY MCDONNELL AND THE CIRCA ENSEMBLE

CIRCA’S PEEPSHOW turns cabaret on its head, literally. Join Circa as they embark on a seductive dance through the hall of mirrors that is your imagination, CIRCA’S PEEPSHOW lurches from the thrillingly acrobatic to the comically playful. Expect teetering towers of balanced bodies, extreme bending and devilishly precarious aerials.

CIRCA’S PEEPSHOW combines some of the finest acrobatic talent on the planet under the direction of circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz to create a playfully exhilarating ride into the beautifully bizarre recesses of your mind.

Come to CIRCA’S PEEPSHOW and see the world from the other side of the mirror.

DIRECTOR YARON LIFSCHITZ TECHNICAL DIRECTOR & LIGHTING DESIGNER JASON ORGAN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR & COSTUME DESIGN LIBBY MCDONNELL CO-LIGHTING DESIGNER RICHARD CLARKE ORIGINAL MUSIC ORI LICHTIK

****  “. . . AN EXCITING FUSION OF CIRCUS AND CABARET . . . PEEPSHOW MAKES THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE.” Theatre Weekly, UK

****  ½ “. . . ONE OF THE MOST ENTERTAINING, UNBELIEVABLE THINGS YOU WILL EVER SEE.” The Reviews Hub, UK

***** “. . . A WHIMSICAL COMBINATION OF A CIRCUS PERFORMANCE AND A COMEDY SHOW, ALL OF WHICH IS ENHANCED WITH ITS SENSUAL NATURE.” Plays to See, UK

Circa respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands, waters and seas on which we work and live paying respects to Elders, past, present and future.

A SHAKE & STIR THEATRE CO PRODUCTION ROALD DAHL’S
REVOLTING RHYMES & DIRTY BEASTS
ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY SHAKE & STIR THEATRE CO

Think you know the story of The Three Little Pigs, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Goldilocks and Jack and the Beanstalk? Think again.

Roald Dahl’s REVOLTING RHYMES & DIRTY BEASTS bursts off the page in a spectacular live show, taking the world’s best-loved fairy tales and rearranging them with some surprising and hilarious twists. Frighteningly funny and seriously silly, Roald Dahl’s REVOLTING RHYMES & DIRTY BEASTS is the perfect family entertainment – for children 5 to 105. It delights and disgusts in equal measures. Don’t miss this multi-Helpmann Award nominated production penned by the world’s number one storyteller and from the team that brought you GEORGE’S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE.

DIRECTOR ROSS BALBUZIENTE DESIGNER JOSH MCINTOSH SOUND DESIGNER GUY WEBSTER LIGHTING DESIGNER JASON GLENWRIGHT

“THIS DAHL DELIGHTS AND REVOLTS. A TREAT FOR MUMS, DADS AND THE LITTLIES.” The Courier-Mail
“PURE ENTERTAINMENT.” Stage Whispers

A LITTLE RED COMPANY & CRITICAL STAGES PRODUCTION
ORIGINALLY PRODUCED BY LA BOITE THEATRE COMPANY

From the creators of celebrated Australian works RUMOUR HAS IT and WRECKING BALL comes the must-see live music event of the year: Lady Beatle – a kaleidoscopic journey through the Beatles’ most monumental hits. 

Starring UK-born Australian stage and screen star Naomi Price (BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, RUMOUR HAS IT, LADIES IN BLACK, THE VOICE AUSTRALIA) and inspired by true accounts, Lady Beatle is a rollicking magical mystery tour soundtracked by The Beatles’ biggest chart toppers, including LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS, ELEANOR RIGBY, YELLOW SUBMARINE and PENNY LANE. Flanked by a live band, Price transports audiences to 1960s Liverpool, taking the audience along for the ride as she riffs off the cuff, invites them to join in the big numbers, and ultimately has them on their feet for the show’s epic mega-mix finale dance party.

LADY BEATLE proved a runaway hit when it premiered at La Boite in 2017, drawing capacity audiences and standing ovations at each performance and unanimous critical and audience acclaim. It epitomises The Little Red Company’s unmistakable brand of cabaret: tremendous heart and charm, world-class musicianship, seamless audience interaction, striking design and a triumphant central performance from Naomi Price.

CREATED BY ADAM BRUNES & NAOMI PRICE LIGHTING DESIGN JASON GLENWRIGHT SOUND DESIGN JAMIE TAYLOR COSTUME DESIGN LEIGH BUCHANAN STARRING NAOMI PRICE WITH MIK EASTERMAN, ANDREW JOHNSON, MICHAEL MANIKUS, JASON MCGREGOR

“UTTERLY BRILLIANT… I FOUND THE SHOW SO POWERFULLY SENTIMENTAL THAT I WAS MISTY-EYED FOR MUCH OF IT AND WAS SO THANKFUL TO HEAR THE SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE PLAYED WITH SUCH VERVE AND LOVE.” The Courier-Mail

EDMUND. THE BEGINNING is both an exercise in distorted biography and a confessional torrent. Brian Lipson summons a disordered array of characters from the impatient past and the murky present: some are familiar, some are famous, some are known only to Lipson. None are comfortable.

Fifteen years ago Lipson’s acclaimed solo show, A Large Attendance in the Antechamber, won two Green Room Awards before touring the world for the next seven years. Brian is now considerably older and considerably less wise, but he can still talk very fast.

EDMUND. THE BEGINNING is even more intriguing than its predecessor, and each of its many characters is both a real person and an imaginary figure. But who imagines whom? Who is Whom? Who is Alive? Who is Dead? And Why?

In EDMUND. THE BEGINNING, literary giants, sirens, reprobates, and infants cavort in existential quadrille. A few you will recognise, others you won’t. All will ring bells.

“DELECTABLY “DELECTABLY RICH ... A RARE SHOW, SOMETHING LOVELY, POIGNANT AND ARCHIVAL ...” Australian Stage
“... A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN TEXT ... CARRIED BY LIPSON’S PRECISELY–JUDGED PERFORMANCE.” ABC Arts
“MESMERIC ...” “FOUR STARS” The Age and Sydney Morning Herald