Bugle 2012

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Hello,

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As I write this I’m sitting in the stalls of the New Victory Theater, on Broadway, watching the crew make some last minute adjustments to the set in preparation for tonight’s opening of The Book of Everything. It’s thrilling to be here, in New York, at the epicentre of the theatrical universe with a beautiful, beautiful show from little old Belvoir.

It’s the culmination of an incredibly frenetic and exciting period for us. This year we’ve taken a stack of shows on the road; Summer of the Seventeenth Doll has just finished up in its fifth venue on a national tour and The Wild Duck just closed after a sell-out season in Melbourne, and we are now getting prepared to take the production to the Ibsen Festival in Oslo in August.

It’s part of what feels like an Australian takeover of world theatre; I flew across from London this morning where I’m moonlighting as the set designer on Benedict Andrews’ Caligula at the English National Opera, while across town Sydney Theatre Company’s Gross und Klein is playing to packed houses at the Barbican.

It’s fabulous to have this opportunity to show the great theatre we make in Sydney to the world.

Back at home we’ve been busy too. As I write, our Resident Director Simon Stone is deep in rehearsals for his adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s Strange Interlude in the Upstairs Theatre, while Kate Champion and Stevie Rodgers put the finishing touches on Food for Downstairs. By the time you read this, both shows will be up and running in our theatres.

Exciting, exciting times!

Thank you for your support of Belvoir. We couldn’t do what we do without our audience, our donors and friends.

See you soon in our foyer, I hope.

Ralph Artistic Director

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A Day in the Life of Belvoir’s Literary Manager

Anthea, what exactly does Belvoir’s Literary Manager do? I read a lot of plays and go and see work across the country. With the help of others in Belvoir’s Artistic and Programming department I commission playwrights and then help with the development of their work. I also support our writers-in-residence, helping them get to know more about writing and how a theatre company works. This year, with the financial support of Arts NSW and PlayWriting Australia, we have four writers-in-residence: Tommy Murphy (our senior writer), Kit Brookman, Nakkiah Lui and Mei Tsering. They’re all creating fantastic work.

Belvoir prides itself on being an open and accessible theatre company and while we can’t program every writer in the country I’ve never turned down a writer who has requested a meeting to discuss their work with me. We also don’t program new international work so I focus on finding and developing Australian plays rather than looking overseas for new plays.

What does your typical day consist of? There’s not really a typical day. Sometimes I’m at my desk, reading plays and answering emails. Other times I’ll be in rehearsals, readings and workshops, or meeting with artists to discuss the work they are writing

or would like to develop with us. If we’re in previews I’ll be at the theatre to discuss the work with the director, writer and creative team. And of course I see a lot of theatre.

What goes into creating a season, and who are the players in that process? The Artistic and Programming team is made up of Ralph our Artistic Director, Brenna our General Manager, Resident Director Simon Stone, Associate Director Eamon Flack, Associate Producer Tahni Froudist, and me. Unlike some theatre companies Belvoir is, as Ralph says, ‘a broad church’. Everyone comes to the table with ideas and work can come from various disciplines. We’ll all have theatre-makers we’re excited by, and who we believe should be part of the season, and we’ll speak to these people about what they’d like to work on.

We have a lot more scope now that we produce the Downstairs Theatre productions. There’s a focus on getting the best emerging artists in to develop their work Downstairs and then to move them to the Upstairs Theatre. For example, after Angela Betzien and Leticia Cáceres’ fantastic production of The Dark Room we were quick to commission Angela for a new play, and Leticia was one of the directors we spoke to about what she would like to direct in the future. Our Downstairs

AntHeA WiLLiAMs has been wrangling Belvoir’s toppling pile of scripts for just over a year now. Originally hailing from new Zealand, Anthea studied at the University of nsW and Victorian College of the Arts before arriving at Belvoir from the Bush theatre in London where she was Associate Director of bushfutures, developing new writers and theatre-makers and directing plays.

Anthea Williams. Photo: Gabriella Alessi.

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Theatre also provides a space for established theatre-makers to try something new.

How tall is your slush pile, really?Massive; I get more plays in a week than one person could possibly read cover to cover. The quality of these works is really variable as well.

What are the three key things playwrights should think about before sending us their script?1. Unless it’s a commission from an

established writer that we’re working with I shouldn’t be the first person a writer sends their work to. I never have time for a second read and can’t offer feedback to unsolicited work. A writer should make sure they’ve taken their work as far as they can by themselves and with colleagues before sending it to me.

2. Ask yourself: is this theatrical? I receive a lot of work that’s not really theatre. It’s didactic, literary or has a tendency to tell the audience what is happening rather than building

scenes through dialogue, subtext and action.

3. Are your characters less intelligent than you are? Most of the best drama comes from complex characters with complex needs in conflict.

Anthea, you’re directing Old Man for Belvoir this year. How do you approach flexing the different muscles of directing and being a dramaturg? Are they complementary acts?Yes, they’re totally complementary. My training was all in directing, particularly in Britain where dramaturgy is often the responsibility of the director. Both directors and dramaturgs are interested in how to tell a story, structure, plotting and the journey of an audience. It’s really exciting to be directing again – I can’t wait to get this wonderful play into a rehearsal room.

Old Man runs in the Downstairs theatre 7 June – 1 July.

Anthea Williams. Photo: Gabriella Alessi.

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Billy McPherson, Roslyn Oades and John Shrimpton in rehearsals for I’m Your Man. Photo: Heidrun Löhr.

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Collectively speakingthe desire to collaborate generally comes out of an interest in the work that other companies are doing, and an honest knowledge of our own and other people’s skill sets. Belvoir’s renewed focus on developing new Australian work means we’re collaborating with eight different companies to realise the 2012 season. Belvoir’s Associate Producer tAHni FROUDist elaborates…

It has been an intense beginning to a year that is celebrating the truly diverse processes of Australian performing arts companies.

We started with three collaborations for Sydney Festival: Buried City with Urban Theatre Projects (UTP); I’m Your Man, produced for our Downstairs Theatre in association with Bankstown Youth Development Services; and a presentation of The Hayloft Project’s Thyestes at Carriageworks. These projects all came to us at different stages of development. Buried City was the result of over a year’s collaboration with UTP, intertwining director Alicia Talbot’s site-driven process with our usual practice of having a writer and dramaturg on a new work. I’m Your Man was initially developed through B Sharp, and was the third in a trilogy of headphone-verbatim works created by Roslyn Oades. Thyestes came to us after a season at Melbourne’s Malthouse in 2010. It was one of those shows we felt Sydney just had to see, so we rebuilt the set and re-rehearsed the actors to bring it to life once more.

We’ve also partnered with two dance companies to create work that crosses the dance/theatre divide. The first, Food, was co-directed by Steve Rodgers (also the writer) and Kate Champion, artistic director of Force Majeure, a dance-theatre company focused on creating work that reflects contemporary life and breaks down the barriers between artforms.

Each show has particular demands. Food relies so heavily on choreography performed on an intricate set, so it was important we built the set early so Kate and Steve could effectively intertwine the movement with the text.

Our second dance-theatre piece comes from Lucy Guerin Inc, the company who brought us Human Interest Story in 2011. Conversation Piece is the result of an Interconnections grant from the Australia Council and was borne out of a three-week development process we ran in Sydney last year. Lucy is working with three dancers and three actors, in a style that can only really be described as ‘dacting’. The dancers act, the actors dance, hilarity ensues. Working with an out-of-town company poses its own set of challenges. Belvoir’s Production Manager Chris Mercer and I are working very closely to make sure that while the show will rehearse in Melbourne, it is indeed a collaboration between the two companies. There will be lots of Skyping and flying between cities before the company eventually travels to Sydney for a week of rehearsals, and then they’ll move into the theatre. >

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As I’m writing this I’m preparing for a trip to Palm Island, with artists from Ilbijerri Theatre Company and version 1.0, for our November production of Beautiful One Day. I’m booking flights, barges, ferries and 4WDs, writing meal plans and booking the PCYC for nine people to come together on the island and try and tell a story true.

The story is one that has horrifyingly common elements: an Aboriginal man whose death in custody on Palm Island in 2004 remains unapologetically unsolved, and whose family are still crying out for justice and the truth. It’s a story we felt simply had to be told. To co-produce the work we approached version 1.0 (The Bougainville Photoplay Project, A Distressing Scenario), a collective that uses found documents, such as coronial inquests and court transcripts, as a basis for their devising process. At the same time we asked Rachael Maza and her theatre company Ilbijerri (Jack Charles v The Crown) if she would be interested in co-producing as well. The result is a three-way collaboration with artists from each company, as

well as members of the Palm Island community. We’ll be spending four weeks on Great Palm Island, talking to the community about their story and then showing them our work, before moving into a more standard rehearsal process in Sydney in October.

Last but certainly not least, we are working in association with the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) to produce Medea in October, directed by Anne-Louise Sarks for the Downstairs Theatre. This production won’t be theatre for young people, but theatre with young people. Collaborating with ATYP means we not only have access to some of the most talented young people in Sydney, we also get to work with theatre-makers who have extensive experience working with young people to help them perform with excellence.

ATYP is our unofficial child mentor, holding our hand while we work with children in not just one but four productions in 2012 (see article p14). I have unofficially renamed the season the Year of the Child, which makes it a pretty cute year!

Kate Champion, Fayssal Bazzi and Kate Box in rehearsals for Food. Photo: Heidrun Löhr.

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The Book of Everything on Broadway

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Following successful seasons in sydney and a national tour, the Belvoir and Kim Carpenter’s theatre of image production of The Book of Everything crossed the globe for a 10-show run in new York City’s historic new Victory theater.

Company Manager Annelies Crowe, recalls: ‘The trip from Australia to New York is long and tiring, but our cast and crew were in the theatre with only one day of rest, ready and raring to go. The show was met by our first school audience on Thursday morning, and if the cast were tired or jetlagged, the children certainly woke them up! I could hear their screams and cheers from under the stage in the Green Room. The show officially opened to a warm and adoring house on Friday 20 April. With the writer of the original novel Guus Kuijer and adaptor Richard Tulloch in the house, a standing ovation and shouts of “bravo” were especially rewarding for the whole company.’

The production subsequently received glowing reviews from the New York Post, The New York Times and backstage.com. Director Neil Armfield’s birthday fell during the NY run, with cast and crew celebrating with him around a huge, very special and very well-deserved Red Velvet Cake from Magnolia Bakery.

it’s not quite right to say that The Book of Everything is one of the best children’s shows in town. it’s one of the best shows, period. Frank scheck, New York Post.

Cast members with director Neil Armfield outside the theatre. Photo: courtesy of the New Victory Theater / Alexis Buatti-Ramos.

Cast on stage during a Q&A with school students. Photo: Annelies Crowe.

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Composing for the stage

stefan, what’s your background or training in sound and composition?I’m mostly self-taught, apart from a year-and-a-half at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, but my main degree was in Mathematics. My first encounter with playing music was my dad teaching me the ukulele when I was seven.

I think theatre attracts people who don’t fit anywhere else. One day someone asked me to compose for a show and it grew from there. I love the people in this industry and the conversations.

in the dual roles of composer and sound designer on a production, do you compose some pieces for a show and combine them with music you’ve sourced from elsewhere?‘Composer’ is a straightforward term, but not even I know what a ‘sound designer’ is, and I am one. It’s a catch-all, and you’re expected to be an aural dramaturg, technical systems designer, music sourcer, mixer and engineer as well as a composer of more abstract sounds (composition without notes).

What’s your process for creating the music and sound for each show?I approach each show with a fresh and open mind – each production, each director is different. I spend a

lot of time in rehearsal normally, just watching and imagining before I try anything. It’s important to understand deeply what the production is trying to do, and serve those needs. The show’s demands must come first rather than some fetish I might have for composing for balalaika and basset horn. I try to have as much fun in the process as possible.

How is composing for the stage different to composing for other media – film, tV, performing live with a band?Theatre-making is very much a communal process; a group of people meeting daily in a room for a few weeks working towards a shared artistic goal. There is a sense of shared ownership of the show, and people’s roles sometimes cross over – an actor might suggest some music, the lighting designer might suggest changing a line in the script. In my limited experience of working on films I’ve written the music after the film has been written, shot and partly edited – in other words at the end of the process. Writing for a band or ensemble is entirely different again; often you don’t have to serve an external story, and it’s important to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the individuals involved. Classical musicians don’t improvise, jazz musicians improvise too much, and rock musicians can’t read music.

steFAn GReGORY is an associate artist at Belvoir, and has been composer and sound designer on many of our productions including Strange Interlude, Thyestes, As You Like It, Neighbourhood Watch, The Seagull, The Wild Duck, Measure for Measure and the upcoming Old Man and Death of a Salesman. Here stefan chats with us about his work in the specialised area of composing for the stage.

What’s been the most challenging production you’ve ever worked on, and why?Baal [Malthouse Theatre/Sydney Theatre Company, 2011] was challenging in some unusual ways. It was a musical, performed while 60,000 litres of cold water rained onto the actors on stage, who were mostly naked, and it was winter, and there was a live electric guitar and radio microphones. Apart from protecting expensive equipment from aquatic ruin, and circumventing the risk of electrocution from the guitar amplifier, there was the difficulty of actors being so cold that when they sang the shivering of their bodies made their voices tremble. Then there was the guitar, which, being made of wood, absorbed a lot of water over the eight-week season, so much so that its neck distorted and it became impossible to play, and had to be stretched back into shape. It was a very enjoyable show to work on, but not everyone liked it!

You’ve had small acting roles too, while also being the musician on stage throughout most of the show, like in our production of Neighbourhood Watch. What’s the experience of juggling all these hats on stage every night?That was a really enjoyable experience; Lally’s play was such a warm story, and the cast were so warm too, and wonderful. I was nervous of course, but luckily (and strategically) my acting parts, though

numerous, didn’t require a great deal of range. Almost all my scenes were with Robyn Nevin, which might have been daunting (being opposite one of Australia’s greatest actresses) but her strength and experience actually makes you feel very safe on stage. In the end, the piano playing caused me the most anxiety – it’s not my first instrument. The weirdest moments were during technical rehearsals, where I had to be the sound designer too.

And finally… any clues as to what you have in store for Old Man and Death of a Salesman?Bruce Springsteen, a fugue for solo piccolo and maybe some field recordings of native frogs.

Stefan Gregory and Robyn Nevin in Neighbourhood Watch. Photo: Brett Boardman.

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Meet Our Volunteers

everyone needs a helping hand now and then, and Belvoir is no exception. Our volunteers provide support for the Belvoir team, across a variety of tasks and disciplines. Here we profile our current crop of regular volunteers. We’re very grateful for their time and their enthusiasm!

CYRUs CARAnDAnG Volunteering since November 2010

What do you do at Belvoir? I help in the Marketing department sourcing headshots and bios for the programs.

Do you have a day job? I work in a bookshop in Paddington.

Have you always been involved in theatre or the arts?As a spectator but never on the arts admin level.

What do you like most about volunteering at Belvoir? Just being part of it all. I still get a buzz seeing Ralph Myers and Simon Stone walking around the office.

Your favourite Belvoir moment/experience? Seeing Geoffrey Rush casually walking by during The Diary of a Madman rehearsals. Meeting Neilsky (Belvoir’s cat) for the first time was also a highlight!

DAWn HOBsOn Volunteering for around six years

What do you do at Belvoir?General office stuff. (I’m a brilliant envelope stuffer!)

Do you have a day job?I’m now retired but I was a gilder. I’ve always had an interest in the arts in general and I decided being an arts volunteer was a good retirement career. I also volunteer for the Sydney Festival and the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Your favourite Belvoir moment/experience?Picking a favourite Belvoir moment is a bit difficult – there have been so many of them! Apart from the incredible shows like Cloudstreet, The Diary of a Madman, etc, the fabulous Downstairs Theatre and the foyer on opening night, I particularly like watching new performers and creatives grab their opportunities and develop into brilliant professionals. Oh, and having my daughter as General Manager!

If you’re interested in volunteering at Belvoir, please contact our Marketing Coordinator Marty Jamieson on marty@belvoir.com.au or 02 8396 6215.

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eMiLY sAint-sMitH Volunteering since August 2011

What do you do at Belvoir?My main area of focus is supporting the Optus Unwaged Program, which includes promoting the events in the community and helping out on the day at performances.

Do you have a day job?Yes, I am a finance journalist.

Why Belvoir?I’m always on the lookout for ways to indulge my passion for theatre. When a friend told me about the Unwaged Program I was really keen to get involved – it means I can help share the theatre with more people.

What do you like most about volunteering at Belvoir?I love meeting the audiences on the day of the Unwaged performances; their enthusiasm is infectious!

DAViD ROUnD Volunteering since June 2011

Why Belvoir?I have been a regular and enthusiastic theatre-goer for many years and in 2011 managed to see over 50 plays here and overseas. I wanted to give something back to the community that has given me so much pleasure.

What do you like most about volunteering at Belvoir?Everyone at Belvoir has a tremendous enthusiasm and camaraderie, working together as a team. It’s so different from my previous experience.

Have you always been involved in theatre or the arts?Not at all. I spent 31 years with Qantas, mainly doing analysis on where and when they should fly and with what aircraft types. Volunteering at Belvoir is so different. However working for Qantas did allow me to travel frequently, and holidays often featured visits to London or New York to catch up on theatre.

CAitLin sCARR Caitlin is on an internship, which commenced in December 2011

What do you do at Belvoir? I’m involved in publicity, helping with all things media.

Do you have a day job?Well, I’m an actor, but I am also studying Journalism/Creative Writing at UNSW, with a plan to get into writing/playwriting/directing. What I will do as a paid job I haven’t really thought through yet…

Why Belvoir?First and foremost, I love theatre. Absolutely love it. Secondly, it was such an amazing opportunity for me, for both my uni study and my creative side, that I simply had to get involved.

Have you always been involved in theatre or the arts?For as long as I can remember. It’s impossible to dissociate the arts from my childhood. b

Belvoir Diary

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* Subscribers are able to purchase single tickets one week earlier than this date.

9 JuneOpening Night Old Man

10 JuneSunday Forum strange interlude

14 JuneUnwaged Performance strange interlude

18 June Single Tickets on Sale – all remaining shows* Conversation Piece Private Lives Medea Beautiful One Day Don’t take Your Love to town

27 JuneOpening Night Death of a salesman

4 JulyWednesday Matinee Death of a salesman

12 JulyUnwaged Performance Death of a salesman

14 JulyCaptioned Performance Death of a salesman

5 AugustSunday Forum Death of a salesman

29 AugustOpening Night Conversation Piece

16 septemberSunday Forum Conversation Piece

20 septemberUnwaged Performance Conversation Piece

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3 OctoberOpening Night Private Lives

13 OctoberOpening Night Medea

20 OctoberCaptioned Performance Private Lives

27 OctoberAudio-described Performance Private Lives

31 OctoberWednesday Matinee Private Lives

4 novemberSunday Forum Private Lives

8 novemberUnwaged Performance Private Lives

21 novemberOpening Night Beautiful One Day

1 DecemberOpening Night Don’t take Your Love to town

12 DecemberWednesday Matinee Beautiful One Day

16 DecemberSunday Forum Beautiful One Day

20 DecemberUnwaged Performances Beautiful One Day Don’t take Your Love to town

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the next GenerationeLLY MiCHeLLe CLOUGH, Publicist

W C Fields once said: Never work with children or animals. But Belvoir disagrees. In 2011 our stage was lit up by Bob, a real live duck, who performed beautifully in The Wild Duck (and garnered a lot of attention!). And this year, we’ve ignored Fields’ advice once again by casting children in four of our productions: Babyteeth, Strange Interlude, Old Man and Medea.

Belvoir’s Associate Producer Tahni Froudist helps cast children in our shows. She explained that script requirements often dominate the process of casting: ‘With Babyteeth we needed two young Asian boys who could play the violin. Being able to play the violin was more important than acting skills. So we contacted the Suzuki School and the Education Department’s orchestra. With our other shows we’re working with the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP). And we go through children’s agents too. Mostly it’s about the child not performing too much.’

In our upcoming production of Medea, there will be no Medea; just the two children. ‘We’ll be looking for kids with experience in drama workshops,’ said Tahni about the audition process. ‘Kids who are comfortable to just play with people in the room watching and taking notes.’

Some of Belvoir’s productions this year have very strong or adult themes. And there are strict protocols in place for managing child actors. ‘We keep them in a separate dressing room without an audio monitor so they can’t hear what’s

happening on stage,’ said Tahni. ‘We talk to their parents a lot; the parents read the script before they allow their child to be cast and they manage how much they tell their child about the play.’

Children are always accompanied by a chaperone who is there to remind everyone else to create a safe environment for the child both physically and psychologically. The chaperone makes sure the children take regulated breaks, and reminds them of what they need to do on stage and where they need to be. Belvoir works very closely with The Children’s Guardian, an office that promotes the best interests and rights of children, to ensure work hours are recorded and regulations are adhered to. Tahni adds, ‘It’s complicated but it’s usually manageable when you have two children sharing a role.’

Could Fields have had a point? ‘It is a lot of administration but ultimately it’s worth it,’ said Tahni. ‘And I like to think they’re having an experience they will never forget.’

Sean Chu in Babyteeth. Photo: Heidrun Löhr.

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the next GenerationeLLY MiCHeLLe CLOUGH, Publicist

new indigenous Playwright’s Award

In mid-2010 we had a very fortuitous meeting with The Balnaves Foundation. We’d been introduced to the

foundation by Andrew Cameron, then a regular Board member, now happily our Chair. We had some broad-ranging discussions at that first meeting; we discussed the importance of storytelling to Australians in general and Indigenous Australia specifically, and we talked about the work that we love and the work that we wished we could make with additional support. A large part of the meeting was devoted to a discussion of Wayne Blair’s prowess as a rugby league player…

Out of that initial meeting came a commitment for The Balnaves Foundation to support an Indigenous-led production in both the Upstairs and the Downstairs Theatres, annually for three years. In our first year we presented Jack Charles vs The Crown in the Upstairs Theatre and produced a brand new production of David Milroy’s wonderful play Windmill Baby in the Downstairs Theatre.

When we turned to programming the 2012 Season we discussed the fact that we’d generally been producing works that were either existing plays or adaptations of people’s memoirs. And while we’re incredibly proud of the work and the artists that we are able to produce as part of this initiative, we

felt that there was something missing. That something was new plays by Indigenous writers.

The Balnaves Foundation believes in using its support to effect change and agreed to provide funds to establish The Balnaves Foundation Indigenous Playwright’s Award, which was launched in April this year. The award comprises a $7,500 cash prize as well as a $12,500 commission for a new play. It’s our fervent hope that this award will produce a raft of new works for our stages.

So please let all the Indigenous writers you know that we’re accepting entries until 31 August, and will announce the winner at the end of the year. In the meantime, secure your tickets for the two Indigenous-led works we are producing at Belvoir this year: our co-production with Ilbijerri Theatre Company and version 1.0, Beautiful One Day, and Don’t Take Your Love to Town.

For more information on The Balnaves Foundation Indigenous Playwright’s Award, visit belvoir.com.au/balnaves

We’re delighted to share some exciting news regarding Belvoir’s indigenous theatre initiatives. Firstly, we welcome Louana sainsbury, who joins us as emerging indigenous Producer on a nine-month secondment. secondly, we’ve just launched a brand new indigenous playwright’s award, generously funded by the Balnaves Foundation. Belvoir General Manager BRennA HOBsOn talks about the evolution of this award.

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Neil Balnaves and Rachael Maza. Photo: Patrick Boland.

school’s in

Going to Belvoir was exciting and surprising for me, as it was my first ever live theatre performance... I found the performance marvellous and fascinating and if I was given the chance to go again, I would grab the opportunity in a second.Student, Rooty Hill High School, on Neighbourhood Watch

At Belvoir we believe the experience of live theatre has a major role to play in the education of young people, broadening their horizons, providing inspiration, and challenging them to consider alternative views of the world.

Here, some of the students and teachers who have participated in our education program share their thoughts.

If you would like to learn more about our Education program contact Jane May on 02 8396 6222 or jane@belvoir.com.au. Or, if you would like to make a donation to our Education program, contact Pearl Kermani on 02 8396 6219 or pearl@belvoir.com.au

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immediately after the show my students breathed a collective sigh of relief because they were so engaged that they weren’t breathing properly.Teacher, Epping Boys High School, on The Dark Room

It was really interesting and helped a lot with my drama. It opened me up to skills I’m not used to. Thank you for coming. It was epic.Student, Group Devising & Improvisation workshop

I learnt things I don’t in class – this is really good, keep it going!Student, Brecht & Political Theatre workshop

Regional students can feel incredibly isolated and disadvantaged when undertaking practical subjects in particular, so they benefit enormously from regional workshops. They also feel special, in that industry professionals would care enough to visit them on their own turf. It’s so much easier, cheaper and more convenient! It is immeasurably better than travelling. Please keep offering these kinds of regional events – they are so important!

Teacher, St Columba, Port Macquarie, Student Group Devising workshop

What I will remember most about this play is the Q and A part, where Jack said that if you really believe in something, no matter how hard things may seem, you will be motivated to change it.

I’d also like to say I LOVED IT!!!Students on Jack Charles v The Crown

i think this play is saying that our world is cruel. it shows that love is torturous.Student, Morisset High School, on The Seagull

Accessibility at BelvoirtinA WALsBeRGeR, Marketing Manager

It’s important to us that everyone who comes to Belvoir St Theatre has the same experience, regardless of their physical abilities. So we’re really pleased to have made two new additions to our existing services: audio description for people with vision impairment, and mobile captioning for people with hearing impairment.

The audio description service ran for the first time during a performance of Buried City in January, thanks to a wonderful group of volunteers from Vision Australia. On arriving at the theatre, registered patrons have the opportunity to take a pre-show tactile tour of the set. They are then given a small earpiece, through which the volunteers describe the vision, during gaps in the dialogue on stage.

The turnout and feedback post-show was quite moving. One group of theatre-goers explained that they regularly go to the movies and then spend time afterwards brainstorming what they thought happened in the scenes without dialogue. Our audio description at Belvoir meant the world to them.

Mobile captioning was recently pioneered by the Adelaide-based Captioning Studio, and we used it during a performance of Babyteeth in March. You may already know that we run a number of live captioned performances for people with hearing

impairment (or English as a second language) each year. During these performances the studio listens in remotely and feeds captions to screens either side of the stage. Now captioning can also be received on iPhones and iPads via an app called GoTheatrical! (with other smart devices to be added soon). This is particularly useful in a venue like ours, where the theatre’s layout poses a range of challenges in the positioning of screens at the side of the Upstairs stage.

If you would like to book for one of our audio-described or captioned performances (see Diary pp12–13) please call our box office on 02 9699 3444. If you would like more information on all Belvoir’s accessibility services, visit belvoir.com.au/visit/accessibility or speak to our box office staff.

From one of our patrons

Having a degenerative eye condition has had a gradual impact on my ability to enjoy visual-based arts and entertainment. At Belvoir, being able to walk around the stage and have the different elements explained, as well as being able to touch different structures, has made it much easier for me to orientate myself and conceptualise what is happening during a play. The audio description adds a further layer of depth to the experience by providing greater accessibility to the characters and the plot – allowing me to ‘see’ through the describer’s eyes some of the subtler, visual cues and action that I would otherwise miss. Gavan Harrison

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in the Rehearsal Room

Violin teacher Monique Irik & actor Russell Dykstra – Babyteeth.

Choreographer Lee Wilson & director Roslyn Oades – I’m Your Man. Actor Mark Winter – Thyestes.

Writer & co-director Steve Rodgers, actors Kate Box & Emma Jackson – Food.

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in the Rehearsal Room

Violin teacher Monique Irik & actor Russell Dykstra – Babyteeth.

Director Eamon Flack & writer Rita Kalnejais – Babyteeth.

Performer Michael Mohammed Ahmad – I’m Your Man.

Co-devisor & performer Hazem Shammas – Buried City.

Actors Dylan Young & Shelly Lauman – Every Breath.

Actor Emily Barclay & director Simon Stone – Strange Interlude.Writer & co-director Steve Rodgers, actors Kate Box & Emma Jackson – Food.

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25 Belvoir street edited by Robert Cousins. Foreword by David Marr

This stunning book, full of essays, memories and vivid photographs, celebrates over a quarter of a century of theatre at Belvoir. Including a collection of essays by Robert Cousins, Ralph Myers, Benedict Andrews, Neil Armfield, Robert McFarlane, Rhoda Roberts, James Waites, Alan John and Rita Kalnejais, 25 Belvoir Street traces the social and political background from which Belvoir emerged and looks at the way the building itself has found a way into our imaginations.

From its first mercurial decade when it teetered on the edge of oblivion on more than one occasion, through to the appointment of Neil Armfield as Artistic Director, and beyond to a new generation of theatre makers headed by Ralph Myers, this book provides an extraordinary and intimate record of a company that has been described simply as the ‘heart and soul of Australian theatre’.

Pick up a copy now from the Belvoir Box Office RRP $77 or only $67 if you are a 2012 subscriber.

For a mailed copy, add $20 for postage & handling (within Australia).

Also available at selected bookstores.

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strange interlude 3pm 10 June

Death of a salesman 3pm 5 August

Conversation Piece 3pm 16 September

Private Lives 3pm 4 November

Beautiful One Day 3pm 16 December

The bigger picture, the story behind the show, the who’s who and the what’s what – Sunday Forum is the window into our work. There’ll be a Sunday Forum for every Upstairs show in 2012, at 3pm on the second to last Sunday of the season. Join us in the theatre and we’ll have a panel of special guests – performers, creatives, commentators, reviewers, pundits – for a discussion on the show and how it fits into the world at large.

You’ll have a chance to ask your burning questions during the forum, and continue the discussion informally with us in the foyer afterwards.

Sunday Forums are free, and you don’t need to have seen the show yet to be involved. Each topic will be firmed up once the show opens; check our website or call the box office for updated information.

See you there!

sunday Forum ...you’re invited

Bookings are essential and are available four weeks before each forum. Book: belvoir.com.au/sundayforum or call the box office on 02 9699 3444.

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Belvoir DonorsWe give our heartfelt thanks to all our donors for their loyal and generous support.

Foundation DonorsMake a significant financial investment in the Belvoir Creative Development Fund.

Neil Armfield AO Anne BrittonRob Brookman & Verity LaughtonAndrew & Cathy CameronJanet & Trefor Clayton Anne & Michael ColemanHartley & Sharon Cook Gail HamblyAnne HarleyHal & Linda HerronLouise Herron & Clark Butler Victoria HolthousePeter & Rosemary IngleIan Learmonth & Julia PincusHelen LynchFrank & Bronwyn MacindoeMacquarie Group FoundationDavid MarrAnn Sherry & Michael HoganVictoria TaylorMary Vallentine AOKim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey

Chair’s Group supports the creative development of indigenous work at Belvoir.

Anonymous (2)Antoinette Albert Jillian Broadbent AOKeith & Leslie BryantJan Chapman & Stephen O’RourkeLouise ChristieWarren Coleman & Therese KenyonKathleen & Danny GilbertGirgensohn FoundationMarion Heathcote & Brian BurfittHLA Management Pty LtdBelinda Hutchinson AMThe Jarzabek FamilyCassandra KellyHilary LinsteadRoss McLean & Fiona BeithJohn Morris

Cajetan Mula (Honorary Member) A.O. RedmondMichael Rose & Jo D’AntonioAnn Sherry AOVictoria TaylorPenny WardDavid & Jen WatsonDr Candice Bruce & Michael WhitworthKim Williams AMCathy Yuncken

2011/2012 B Keepersincome received from B Keepers underpins all of our activities.

B Keepers Anonymous (5)Robert & Libby AlbertGil AppletonClaire Armstrong & John SharpeBerg Family FoundationBev & Phil BirnbaumMax BonnellEllen BordaAnne Britton Dr Catherine Brown-WattMary Jo & Lloyd CappsBrian T. CareyElaine ChiaJane ChristensenLouise ChristiePeter Cudlipp & Barbara SchmidtSuzanne & Michael DanielChris & Bob ErnstJeanne EvePeter FayPeter GravesDavid & Kathryn GrovesSophie GuestDavid HaertschWendy & Andrew HamlinBeth HarpleyJohn HeadMarion Heathcote & Brian BurfittMichael & Doris HobbsPeter & Jessie IngleRosemary & Adam IngleAnita JacobyThe Jarzabek FamilyAvril Jeans

Rosemarie & Kevin Jeffers-PalmerMargaret JohnstonRob & Corinne JohnstonPhil KachoyanColleen KaneAntoinette le MarchantJennifer Ledgar & Bob LimStephanie LeeAtul LeleHilary Linstead A & R MaxwellProf. Elizabeth More AMDr David NguyenD & L ParsonageTimothy & Eva PascoeRichard & Heather RaskerGreg RogerGeoffrey RushAndrew & Louise SharpeVivienne SharpePeter and Jan ShuttleworthEdward SimpsonChris & Bea SochanVictoria TaylorJudy ThomsonSue ThomsonBrian Thomson & Budi HernowibowoMary Vallentine AOAlison WearnJudy & Sam WeissPaul & Jennifer WinchIain & Judy Wyatt

Corporate B Keepers Constructability RecruitmentMacquarie Group FoundationSterling Mail Order

education DonorsProvide opportunities for young people throughout nsW to access our work.

Anonymous (5) Ian BarnettJudy BinnsMary G BurchellJan BurnswoodsRae de TeligaJane DiamondPriscilla GuestJulie Hannaford

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Siobhan Hannan & James TalbotBeth HarpleyDorothy HoddinottSusan HydePeter & Rosemary IngleStewart & Jillian KellieRobyn KremerMargaret LedermanZula NittimPatricia NovikoffJudith OlsenMartine RobinsPeter & Jan ShuttleworthChris & Bea SochanThe Spence FamilyKerry StubbsJane WestbrookZee Yusuf

General Donors over $250Provide valuable support to the projects most in need throughout the year.

Anonymous (13) Jes AndersenRoss & Barb ArmfieldCatherine & Chris BaldwinAndrew & Jane BennettBaiba & Peter BerzinsAlec BrennanKim BurtonAndrew & Cathy CameronMichael & Colleen ChestermanJudy Cole Dayn CooperTimothy and Bryony CoxDiane Dunlop Anton Enus & Roger HenningR.D & P.M EvansLeon FinkValmae FreilichFrances GarrickDr Ronald Lee GaudreauHelen Thwaites & Peter GrayPhillip & Vivien GreenYoram & Sandra GrossPriscilla GuestJuliet HarperJulie Hannaford

Libby HigginDorothy Hoddinott AODespina & lphygeni KallinikosSu KennedyJosephine KeyMargaret LedermanRoss Littlewood & Alexandra CurtinHeidrun LohrChristopher MatthiesPatricia McEnieryDavid and Barbara MillonsJohn MorganJ P MorrisonJane MunroAnnabelle Andrews & Peter MurrayDr Peter & June MusgroveIrena NebenzahlAndrew & Toni NobleAnne O’DriscollKate PasterfieldJudy & Geoff PattersonNatalie PelhamGreeba PritchardMarguerite RonaLesley & Andrew RosenbergMark and Ruth SampsonVivienne Sharpe & Tim McCormickAgnes SinclairEileen Slarke and FamilyTim SmythPaul SteinLee TanabeAnthony TarletonChris Vik & Chelsea AlbertSarah WaltersLynne Watkins and Nicholas HardingDavid WatsonSam & Judy Weiss Peter Wilson & James EmmettBrian & Patricia Wright Carolyn Wright

Belvoir is very grateful to accept all donations. Donations over $2 are tax deductible. if you would like to make a donation, or would like further information about any of our donor programs please call our Philanthropy Coordinator Pearl Kermani on 02 8396 6219 or email pearl@belvoir.com.au

List correct at time of printing.

special thanks

We would like to acknowledge long-time supporters Cajetan Mula and Len Armfield. They will always be remembered for their generosity to Belvoir.

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In 2011 we were saddened by the loss of a long-time elder of the Belvoir family, Len Armfield. And we’d like to take this opportunity to remember Len’s generous contribution to Belvoir.

Support like Len’s will ensure that future generations of artists and audiences alike can share the magic that is created on our unique corner stage.

You can help us to do this. When the time is right for you to make or update your will, we hope you

Leave it to Belvoir

will remember us and leave a gift to Belvoir. If you have generously included Belvoir in your will we encourage you to notify us.

In doing so, irrespective of size, you will make a significant contribution to the long-term future of the theatre.

If you have any questions or you would like further information about making a bequest to Belvoir, please contact our Philanthropy Coordinator Pearl Kermani on 02 8396 6219 or email pearl@belvoir.com.au. All enquiries will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

Neil and Len Armfield. Photo: Cathy Hunt.

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Belvoir sponsors

Besen Family Foundation

Coca-Cola Australia Foundation

Copyright Agency Cultural Fund

Enid Irwin Charitable Trust managed by Perpetual

Events & Stays in the Vines

Gandevia Foundation

The Greatorex Foundation

Media Tree

Thomas Creative

Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation

Corporate Partner

Major sponsors

Associate sponsors

event sponsors

Government Partners

supporters

Silver Spoon Caterers

Indigenous Theatre at Belvoir supported by The Balnaves Foundation

For more information on partnership opportunities please contact our Development Manager Retha Howard on 02 8396 6224 or email retha@belvoir.com.au

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CORPORATE PARTNER

18 & 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010email mail@belvoir.com.au Web belvoir.com.auAdministration (02) 9698 3344 Fax (02) 9319 3165 Box Office (02) 9699 3444

Design: Alphabet Studio Printing: Immij Cover: Emily Barclay in Strange Interlude. Photo: Heidrun Löhr.