Live theatre will be happening again in Sydney with Newtown’s New Theatre reopening its. doors. with Australian playwright Lally Katz’s. ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ in early September.
The New Theatre thinks that ‘neighbourhood Watch’ is the perfect play to reopen with given its emphasis on the importance of community, something we have all become aware of in the past few months as we deal with these strange and difficult times.
Lally Katz’s play has become something of a classic of contemporary Australian theatre and a great audience favourite. The revival will give audiences the chance to revisit this funny, heartwarming play or encounter for the first time.
The New thinks that Neighbourhood Watch is the perfect show to reopen with, given its emphasis on the importance of community, something we’ve all become very aware of over the past few months as we deal with these strange and challenging times. Lally Katz’s play has become a classic of contemporary Australian theatre, proving to be an audience favourite, and this revival will give people the opportunity to revisit this funny, heartwarming and deeply humane story – or encounter it for the first time. The play had its.professional premiere production at Belvoir Street Theatre in 2011 directed by Simon Stone and starring Robyn Nevin in the leading role.
During the season the theatre will be maintaining strict social-distancing practices in accordance with government advice, with a maximum capacity of 44 people in the audience per performance, contactless ticketing, deep cleaning of the venue, and hand sanitising stations. Patrons will be encouraged to wear masks to the performance.for their protection and that of other audience members.
in ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ Ana ia a. battle hardened Hungarian-Australian veteran of the twentieth century. Catherine is her neighbour: a 20-something aspiring actress waiting for a better world.
As their unlikely odd-couple friendship develops, Catherine’s life is transformed by Ana’s stories of the traumas of war, the desolation of the refugee experience, and the struggle of settling in a foreign land.
In turn, Ana is granted one last great friendship at a time when the journey to her life’s end was looking to be a lonely one.
A glorious comedy, ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ is about hope, death and pets, and takes on a sense of enormity in the midst of the ordinary, questioning whether we really know what’s out there in the ‘burbs’.
New Theatre’s Artistic Director, Louise Fischer, has taken over the directorial reins, and the set is being designed by New Theatre stalwart Tom Bannerman. Other members of the team include lighting designer Mehran Mortezaei (Pygmalion, My Night With Reg), costume designer Claudia Lafoy making her New Theatre debut, and sound designer Patrick Eades (The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Pygmalion).
Heading the cast as ‘Ana’ is Colleen Cook (Pygmalion, The Clean House) and opposite her as ‘Catherine’ is Kelly Robinson, most recently seen at New Theatre in The Angry Brigade last year. They are joined by a large ensemble cast of both New Theatre ‘veterans’ and ‘debutantes’.
CREATIVE TEAM
Cast Cathy Bates, Colleen Cook, Joshua Horwitz, Susan Jordan, Stephen Lloyd-Coombs, Eloise Martin-Jones, KellyRobinson, Harry Taylor, John Van Putten, Caitlin Williams, Tricia Youlden
Remount Director Louise Fischer
Remount Set Designer Tom Bannerman
Lighting Designer Mehran Mortezaei
Costume Designer Claudia Lafoy
Sound Designer Patrick Eades
Assistant Director Victoria Lewis
Production Manager Madeleine Picard
Stage Manager Rosane McNamara
Operators Ole Borch, Ricci Costa
Original Production Director Trudy Ritchie
Original Production Set Designers Sophie Lanigan and Max Volfneuk
The season of ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ runs fro the 8th Seotenber to the 5TH Octiber,
Performance Times
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