G.bod Theatre & Old 505 Theatre Present:
WYNGARDE! A CELEBRATION + QUEEN BETTE. DOUBLE BILL .
With Garth Holcombe as Wyngarde! and Jeanette Cronin as Queen Bette.
Performed back-to-back, this double bill of one-person shows explores the lives of infamous British actor Peter Wyngarde and Hollywood icon Bette Davis. Continue reading WYNGARDE! A CELEBRATION + QUEEN BETTE. DOUBLE BILL. GIVEAWAY
“It’s lovely to see you – here’s to a pleasant evening. And a few surprises. There we are. Are you comfortable? Now where shall we begin?”
G.bod Theatre presents WYNGARDE! A CELEBRATION
With Garth Holcombe as the famous but elusive TV star, this new one-man show is from the makers of the acclaimed QUEEN BETTE (‘Rain or shine, grab a ticket if you can’: SAG Review)
Peter Wyngarde was best known for playing the character Jason King, a bestselling novelist turned sleuth, in two television series: Department S and Jason King, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but was an accomplished theatre actor until his fall from grace: 2 arrests and convictions for gross indecency in public toilets in 1975. Much of Wyngarde's life is disputed: his name, his birth date, his sexuality. We know that as a teenager he was a Japanese Prisoner of War (alongside JG Ballard) and that he studied at RADA, before dropping out. We know that at the height of his fame the most popular boy's name in the UK became Jason (after his character). We know that he was mugged by thousands of female admirers at Sydney Airport. We know that Mike Myers has credited him as the inspiration for Austin Powers. He may have been born Cyril Goldbert. He may have had a relationship with Alan Bates. He may have had the nickname Petunia Winegum.
gbodtheatre [Facebook] presents WYNGARDE! A CELEBRATION as part of the Sydney Fringe. 25 Sep 2018 to 29 Sep 2018 at The Office, Emerging Artists Sharehouse 104 Erskineville Road Erskineville Sydney 2043
With thanks to gbodtheatre, Sydney Arts Guide has three double pass giveaways to WYNGARDE! A CELEBRATION. These are for either the Tues 25, Wed 26, or Thur 27 September. To be in the running, email (editorialstaff.sydneyartsguide@gmail.com) with PETUNIA WINEGUM as the subject, along with your full name AND the evening you would like to attend. Competition closes Midnight Sunday 23rd September, 2018 when the winner will be drawn. Only winners will be notified and the tickets will be available at the box office on the night of performance.
Featured photo- The cast- left to right- Amber McMahon, Luke Watts, Sean O’Shea, Genevieve Lemon (obscured) and Garth Holcombe. Pic by Clare Hawley.
Fellow theatre lovers, try your best to get to see this show. With her play Nina Raine has come up with something special.
TRIBES tells an old story…A person who has been repressed, and lived under the thumb, comes out from under, and stands up and asserts themselves, much to the disbelief, and then the admiration of those around them.
Billy is deaf and has grown up in an all hearing, middle class, well established family. Parents Christopher (Sean O’Shea) and Beth (Genevieve Lemon) choose to raise Billy by treating him like any other child- and having as little attention drawn to his disability as possible.
Then, one day, as a young adult, at a party, Billy meets a young woman, Sylvia, who he falls in love with. Syvia, who is also hearing impaired, offers to teach Billy sign language which Billy accepts.
Billy’s parents are enraged- their beloved, youngest ‘baby’ suddenly using sign language and being identified as one with a disability. The battle lines are drawn, and to the surprise of everybody, including Billy’s older sister Ruth (Amber McMahon) and brother Daniel (Garth Holcombe), Billy is ready to fight for his right to live his life his way.
Director Susanna Dowling guides the action assuredly, and wins strong performances from an impressive cast. The stand-outs are Ana Maria Belo as Sylvia, Luke Watts as Billy and Sean O’Shea as Billy’s dad, Christopher.
Rita Carmody’s set and costumes are spot on. Benjamin Brookman, perhaps Sydney’s busiest lighting designers, lights the stage with his usual flair. Jeremy Silver’s soundscape underscores the action well. I enjoyed the use of ‘cuts’ of Janis Joplin music.
Particularly, when we left the theatre to the sounds of Joplin’s classic, rasping recording of Piece of My Heart. TRIBES sure took a good piece of my heart!
The Ensemble Theatre Company’s production of Nina Raine’s play TRIBES is playing the Ensemble theatre, 78 McDougall Street, Kirribilli until Saturday 2 July.
