Issue 3 2023
Image credits:
Daniel Ferris
Contact us:
Our mailing address
Pymble Players Inc.
PO Box 203, St Ives 2075
E: theatre@pymbleplayers.com.au
W: pymbleplayers.com.au
F: facebook.com/PymblePlayers
“Acting is all about honesty. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made”.
— George Burns
From the President
Hello to all our members past and present!
Welcome to this issue of Noises Off. The improvement in Sydney theatre attendance seems to be sustained, and on the home front Things I Know To Be True continued our upward trend. So, theatre life does seem to be settling down after the disruptive COVID years.
Things I Know To Be True
Our second play for 2023 was a hit with audiences and reviewers. Overall, the season was a great success with 91% capacity and with excellent feedback from patrons and critics for the high standard of the production, direction, acting and set design. Congratulations to Director, Racquel Boyd and the entire PP team.
Special mention should be made of the many compliments received from our audiences for the overall experience of warmth, welcome and atmosphere provided by our Front of House and Box Office team and the upgraded reception facilities.
Please see links to the Reviews later in this newsletter.
Table Manners
Our next play, Table Manners by Alan Ayckbourn, will run from 9 August to 3 September 2023. A big welcome to Gavin Critchley who will be directing his first play at Pymble Players.
Table Manners is an entertaining romp about a dysfunctional family gathering filled with compassion, conclusion-jumping and mayhem! It will have you in stitches.
We are fortunate to have a very strong cast and crew who are already up to their bibs in rehearsal and not minding their manners. Bookings open 5 July 2023. For further information, please visit Table Manners — Pymble Players – not to be missed!!
Best wishes to all.
Warren Blood
President
AND THAT’S A WRAP! – Things I Know To Be True
Exclusively licenced by HLA Management Pty Ltd
17 May – 11 June 2023
Written by: Andrew Bovell
Directed by: Racquel Boyd
Auditions were held on 6th February, we started rehearsals on 9th March, and we opened on 17th May. We lost a week of rehearsal to the Easter holidays but not one performance to Covid – and for that, we are forever thankful. The cast and crew of Things I Know To Be True worked hard to bring the production together, and each and every one of us is extremely proud of what we achieved.
I personally experienced great satisfaction when audience members remarked that they couldn’t believe that we are an amateur theatre company. For me, that is proof eternal that amateur only means we don’t get paid – our passion and commitment is the key to our professionalism. The cast and crew have received their well-earned accolades, but here it is important to acknowledge and thank those people behind the scenes – the Publicity team, Front of House team, Box Office and Ticketing team, our PP Committee, the Play Selection Committee and many more committed, talented folk who lent their efforts to make Things I Know To Be True a success. Thank you.
Racquel Boyd, Director
Take a Bow: L-R – Blake Paish (Ben), Nicole Dimitriadis (Rosie), Bob Guest (Bob), Judy Jankovics (Fran), Mitchel Doran (Mark), and Tonia Davis (Pip)
Cast/Crew: L-R standing back – Baz Evans, Diane Howden, Blake Paish, Tonia Davis, Geoff Jones, Nicole Dimitriadis, Mitchel Doran, Michael Williams, and Helen Williams.
L-R seated front – Bob Guest, Racquel Boyd, and Judy Jankovics
Celebrating Success! – Things I Know To Be True
OUR NEXT PLAY – Table Manners
By Arrangement With ORiGiN™ Theatrical On Behalf of Samuel French A Concord Theatricals Company
9 August – 3 September 2023
Written by: Alan Ayckbourn
Directed by: Gavin Critchley
Annie has arranged to spend an illicit weekend away with her sister Ruth’s husband Norman. Her brother Reg and his wife Sarah have been asked to look after their invalid mother and the house without being aware of the real circumstances. What ensues is a dysfunctional family gathering filled with confusion, conclusion-jumping and mayhem! And very little food!!
This entertaining romp will have you in stitches. Not all (illicit) plans are best laid!
A Note from our Director
After working out where all the cutlery and crockery goes, the cast of Table Manners are settling into their characters nicely. Everyone is bringing new and exciting ideas to the process, and there have already been many moments of hilarity which is a great sign when you're putting on a comedy. We're also grateful to Kate, our highly organised SM, who keeps us all focused and brings really nice treats to rehearsals.
Gavin Critchley, Director
Table Manners: Rehearsal with Cast and Crew
Clockwise from left – Gavin Critchley (seated), Tom Sweeney, Diane Howden, Baz Evans, Kate Kelly, Heather Pitt and Justin Corcoran
Diary Date: Final Dress Rehearsal – 8pm Monday 7 August 2023
Pymble Players extends an invitation to all financial and Life members to come to the Final Dress Rehearsal of Table Manners at 8pm on Monday 7 August 2023.
Members News
A reminder to those members yet to renew their current membership. It’s time! Simply go to the PP website https://www.pymbleplayers.com.au/ click on ‘Membership’ and follow the prompts.
This issue of Noises Off highlights Kate Kelly and Liz Lynch and welcomes them both to the Pymble Players Management Committee.
Kate Kelly
Kate was most recently on the PP stage in Rapture – her debut with PP. Here she tells us a little bit of her fascinating background:
What are your roles in the PP Committee?
I was appointed as Secretary at the April 2023 AGM.
What is your performance/theatrical background?
It all started with playing a rabbit, a pig and a bird in the chorus of Bunyip Children’s Theatre production of The Tale of Peter Rabbit when I was about 8 years old! I had an inspirational drama teacher at high school and gained experience as an actor, stage manager, lighting operator and musical director across a variety of productions including Bernstein’s Candide and Aristophane’s The Birds. During high school and early university days, I acted and ASM’d with SA Youth Opera – an amazing opportunity to work with professional directors and crew. I acted with Unley Youth Theatre, Essai Youth Theatre and John Edmund Theatre and co-produced Adelaide’s International Youth Year Cabaret. When living in Beijing in the mid-1990s, I performed in Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce and the title role in the Peking Players pantomime Cinderella. It was an absolute joy to return to the stage, after a very long hiatus, in Pymble Players’ production of Rapture earlier this year.
What is/was your occupation?
After graduating, I worked as a lawyer in Sydney, Taipei, Beijing and Hong Kong, specialising in mergers and acquisitions and China foreign investment. It took me a while to realise that the best way to satisfy my interest in both law and Chinese language was to separate the two (because ancient Chinese poetry is far more fascinating than Chinese foreign direct investment contracts!).
Since abandoning the corporate world some years ago, I have worked in a bookshop, taught Primary Ethics, volunteered with a range of mental health-related organisations and gained a Master of Mental Health. Nowadays I am engaged in mental health research and in a variety of roles at the Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross.
What would you like PP to look like in five years?
I’m the new kid on the block – it’s a little early to offer my views on the future!
Who have been some of your professional/personal role models?
A big influence on my life was Carrillo Gantner, the founder of Melbourne’s Playbox Theatre and (in the late ‘80s) Cultural Counsellor at Australia’s Beijing Embassy. I met Carrillo around the time I was wondering what to study at university, and he inspired me to study Mandarin – a decision that had a major impact on my life.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Party harder! You won’t have the same stamina when you’re older!
What would be your theme song?
Probably a romantic and impossibly difficult to play and densely complicated piece of piano music by Franz Liszt.
Tell us about your achievements (theatrical/performance and/or personal).
I stepped into the lead role in Betti’s The Queen and the Rebels with Unley Youth Theatre two days before opening night, after the actress playing the role had to withdraw due to an accident – it was a huge challenge and so much fun – and 30 years later my husband still likes to quote proudly from the review of the show in the Adelaide Advertiser!!
Liz Lynch
Liz was most recently on the PP stage in Bloody Murder playing a murderous-yet-loyal maid - reinforcing the need for job referee checks and succession planning. Here are Liz’s responses:
What are your roles in the PP Committee?
Assistant Secretary
FOH coordinator.
What is your performance/theatrical background?
Stage managing with Willoughby Musical Society (now Willoughby Theatre Company) and Hornsby Musical Society
Chorus in musicals with Chatswood and Hornsby Musical Societies
On-stage performances in (non-musical) plays with Hornsby Musical Society, The Theatre on Chester, Pymble Players, Hunters Hill Theatre, Short & Sweet and independent theatre groups.
Lighting and sound operator.
What is/was your occupation?
Originally a lawyer
Project manager
Currently various roles within the legal team of an NGO.
What would you like PP to look like in five years?
I would like to see theatre that’s presenting a blend of the old favourites and new innovative theatre. Challenging both cast/crew and audiences. Providing a variety of opportunities and ways for people to engage in theatre (plays/workshops).
I would like it to be fun and inclusive of all abilities and interests.
A training ground for actors, techies, budding directors and designers.
Who have been some of your professional/personal role models?
My Dad – very intelligent and supportive. I learnt about diversity of thought from him.
My Mum – a very independent woman. I learnt to love theatre through her.
From a theatrical perspective – actors like Meryl Streep who continually inhabit different types of characters and focus on storytelling.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Take more chances and give everything a go.
What would be your theme song?
Open a New Window (from Mame).
Tell us about your achievements (theatrical/performance and/or personal).
Professionally – finally working for a Conservation Organisation (it only took 35 years)
Theatrically –Zehra in Influence (a Turkish woman); Mrs Blore in Goodbye Mrs Blore (two-hander); Ruth in Cosi (a woman with OCD); Miriam in Snake in the Grass (dual personality).
Geoff Jones, Membership Manager
ARTISTS AWAY
Todd Beilby and Faith Jessel have been performing in 33 Variations by Moises Kaufman, directed by Jennifer Willison, at Castle Hill Players, The Pavilion Theatre, Castle Hill. Casey Moon-Watton has been undertaking lights and sound design.
2-24 June 2023
David Kirkham, Jan Johnson, and Dave Went are performing in When Dad Married Fury by David Williamson, directed by Catherine Potter at Hunters Hill Theatre performing at Club Ryde, Ryde. Geoff Jones is Sound Designer, and Wayne Chee Lighting Consultant.
16 June – 2 July 2023
Christine Rule is performing in The Peach Season at The Theatre on Chester.
28 July to 19 August 2023
For inclusion in Artists Away, please let us know details of the production in which you are performing or involved by sending information to theatre@pymbleplayers.com.au Attention: Noises Off. We look forward to hearing from you!
REVIEWS – Things I Know To Be True
Things I Know To Be True - This really is a play not to be missed.
Published 18 May 2023 by Fiona Kelly, Stage Whispers
11 roses out of 10.
Every time I see a Pymble Players production I am always immediately struck by the attention to detail with the scenery. When I walked in to see this play, however, I noticed very quickly that there was clearly less decoration on the stage and I thought to myself ‘there’s obviously a reason for that’. Apart from the fact that this play is mainly set in the backyard, the reason for the relatively pared back scenery soon became very apparent: it simply isn’t necessary. The quality of the performances in this production is so high that any superfluous decoration would only be a potential distraction. That is if you can tear your eyes away from the actors.
Pymble Players: Things I Know To Be True - Review by Holky Bramble
Published 20 May 2023 by The Fourth Wall Theatre Reviews
On my first visit to the Pymble Players, I felt like I had discovered a special place. The front of house volunteers provided a warm welcome, and the foyer was wonderfully warm and cozy—a delightful reprieve from the freezing cold outside. This was my first sign that I was in for a wonderful night of theatre.
For Pymble Players production of Things I Know To Be True, director Racquel Boyd has assembled a fantastically talented group of actors who drew me in to the dynamics of the Price family from start to finish. The actors moved seamlessly from lengthy monologue to fast-paced dialogue, right back to lengthy monologue.
THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE – PYMBLE PLAYERS
Published 21 May 2023 by Carol Dance, Sydney Arts Guide
THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE by Andrew Bovell premiered in Adelaide in 2016 with productions soon after in Britain, the U.S. and Sydney. This production by the Pymble Players is a testament to how good an all-volunteer theatre company can be. This is an absorbing production about a ‘typical’ Australian family. Mother (a nurse), father (forced to retire early) and four children who are different in many ways but the same in one way – their reliance on the family, particularly the robust mother. The story is told in a naturalistic style with interludes of monologues. It begins with the father and the four adult children standing side-by-side facing the audience, each describing the moment they wait for a phone call.