Theatre & Musicals in Perth

Tucked away in his quiet attic, his only companions are the characters he has created in his stories. And then one day, Bambert decides to set his stories free, to send them out into the world on little balloons in the hope that they will find a home.

The stories contain instructions: whoever finds them should return them to Bambert, postmarked with a stamp from wherever they landed, so he knows where they should be set. But as each day passes and no stories return, Bambert’s hope begins to fade. Will his stories ever find a home?

Since its premiere in 2016 Bambert’s Book of Lost Stories has charmed audiences across the country and around the globe. This special return season of our Helpmann Award winning production brings Bambert home to Perth once more.

A reminder of how stories connect us to the world and ultimately, the power of kindness.
 

Fremantle Theatre Company (FTC) present a clear breath of fresh air to WA on the tail of Covid with a new voice, at a new space, with an incredible company of artists ready to revitalize the local performing arts scene with a truly international standard production.

THE OTHER PLACE by Sharr White is a beautiful piece of writing that demands true excellence in performance – and FTC have just that, in their stellar cast lead by KATE WALSH with DALIP SONDHI, LUCY KATE WESTBROOK and MARARO WANGAI.

A brilliant doctor watches her world slip through her fingers, unraveling without her - taunted by her daughter, the echo of loss and a whisper of hope. A heart-breaking and uplifting experience that is human to the bone . . . and beyond.

THE magic of Cinderella will cast a spell on you this October as the Wembley Theatre Company brings the classic fairytale to life as a pantomime.

Written by Tony Nicholls and directed by Bryce Manning, the show takes the traditional story and mixes in a range of extraordinary characters including a stepmother full of malapropisms and an unlikely fairy godmother.

Thrown into the mix is a range of jokes, slapstick, puns, songs and laughter as Cinderella journeys from her downtrodden existence to princess life.

“Tony Nicholls’ pantomimes never stray far from the expected plot structure we’re all familiar with,” Bryce said.

“While we know we are watching Cinderella, Tony includes sub-plots, sub-sub-plots, songs and a myriad of characters that make us laugh and cry – but never distract from what we all know will happen.

“The challenge for a theatre director is to find a heartbeat in the script.

“It normally takes four or five rehearsals before the cast is clear and confident with the direction I am taking them.

“It’s then they take ownership of their characters and the play and each actor starts the process of playing a part in this living, breathing thing called theatre.”

Involved in acting, directing and theatre teaching since 1984, Bryce trained as an actor at the University of Western Sydney before moving back to Perth to start his teaching career.

He formed the Wembley Theatre Company in 1996 and has been producing, directing, writing and acting in the company’s annual productions for the past 24 years.

The company has seven pantomimes it performs in rotation and last staged Cinderella in 2014.

“This year’s production will be vastly improved,” Bryce said. “We have new LED lights, stage microphones, stunning new costumes and an impressive smoke machine.”

Cinderella plays at 7pm October 16, 23 and 30 and 2pm October 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 and November 1. Tickets are $17, $12 concession – book at www.trybooking.com/BLKAD.

The pantomime is showing at the Wembley Community Centre, 40 Alexander Street, Wembley.

A PARK bench is the basis of six very different short plays at the Old Mill Theatre this October.

Written and directed by Perth playwright Noel O’Neill, each play features two actors and is presented by Maverick Theatre Productions under the umbrella title A View from the Park.

Passion Play is a comedy about an egotistical, lecherous theatre director who has walked out of auditions for an Easter play about the crucifixion and his agent trying to reason with him.

It’s followed by Daddy’s Little Girl where a dominating father insists on orchestrating his daughter’s wedding – but, underneath, it’s about him not being able to let her go.

In Rules of Engagement, a man (played by O’Neill) is about to propose marriage after receiving some advice from his mother but soon realises his bride-to-be carries a lot of emotional baggage.

A superstitious man meets his long-term partner in Sign Right There and she is under the impression he might move in with her, although he has other plans.

Walking Matilda is a twisted tale of betrayal and deception with the revelation of many secrets when two friends meet.

Rounding out the set is One For Sorrow, featuring two lifelong friends – one is gravely ill and the other has neglected the friendship, so he tries to heal the wounds by lending a hand.

“I like the idea of the park bench because I consider it ‘middle ground’,” O’Neill said.

“It’s not ‘your place’ or ‘my place’ but a free atmosphere where people can either solve their differences or walk away from them.

“I always consider the bench itself to be a character that brings people together in conversation while exposing little pieces of what’s going on inside.”

The main challenge, according to O’Neill, is how to make each play interesting.

“It’s not so much about what the actors are doing but what they are doing to each other with the dialogue,” he said. “That’s where the action really is.

“I try to inject a little comedy into drama and a little drama into comedy because I always feel life is like that.”

Born in Ireland, O’Neill moved to New York in his late teens and appeared in many off-Broadway productions before moving to Perth more than 20 years ago, clocking up numerous awards for writing and directing.

He has previously worked as a lecturer at the WA Academy of Performing Arts and Perth Actors’ Collective and is currently appearing as Watto in the ABC-TV series The Heights.

“The appeal of A View From The Park is the fact you have six unknown situations and there’s s a curiosity to that,” O’Neill said.

“When you present a full play, you have one story and can more or less figure out the ending in most cases.

“But with the park bench plays you have six situations and the audience really has no idea of the outcome each time.”

A View from the Park plays at 7.30pm October 23, 24, 25, 29, 30 and 31 with 2pm matinees October 24, 25 and 31. All tickets are $20 – book at www.trybooking.com/BLLMM.  

The heritage-listed Old Mill Theatre is on the corner of Mends Street and Mill Point Road, South Perth (opposite the Windsor Hotel and Australia Post).

Here to take a tour of tease across our sunburnt state in 2020, the headliner and superstars of PIBF are coming to Perth & regional WA this October!

From the 22^nd of Oct to the 3^rd Nov, feast your eyes upon Burlesque Hall of Fame ‘Bettie Bombshell’ – our 2020 headliner, and a glitter clad bus full or showgirls, drag queens, circus artists and musicians!!

They’ll be heading to Perth central, Katanning, Kalgoorlie, Merredin & Northam to perform in shows, teach in workshops, network at forums – come be part of the fabulousness!

 

Oct 23rd: The Court Hotel (opening night)  https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-tease-factory-perth-international-burlesque-festival-tickets-115555735315?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR1UZBZ73Ov-JwIZCVFhHSGVZt9YRkKSuheY2isPEGJ4xSziz3jscCZ4d4w

 

 

Oct 24th:  The Astor Theatre https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-tease-factory-perth-international-burlesque-festival-tickets-115555735315?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR1UZBZ73Ov-JwIZCVFhHSGVZt9YRkKSuheY2isPEGJ4xSziz3jscCZ4d4

 

 

Oct 29th:  NorthamEarly show:

https://events.humanitix.com/perth-international-burlesque-roadshow-northam

Late show:

https://events.humanitix.com/perth-international-burlesque-roadshow-northam-late-show

 

 

Oct 30th: Merredin https://www.trybooking.com/BLBTJ

 

 

Oct 31st  Kalgoorlie https://sa2.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=AUGOLDFIELDS&event=PIBF

 

Presented by Goolarri Media Enterprises with Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company.

The boom went bust, and now Jono’s locked in a desert mine site’s donga, trapped in debt and a lifestyle that is slowly strangling his soul.

Jono’s wife Mary feels stuck in the high-flying life of the lonely FIFO parent and has decided they’d be better off cutting their losses and moving home to Broome, close to family and her younger sister Janey.

But the old neighbourhood, and her sister, aren’t what they used to be.

Starring Siobhan Dow-Hall and directed by Susie Conte, the famous Norweigan play takes place entirely in one setting - the living room of the main character, Nora Helmer. Nora is often considered one of modern drama's first feminist characters. A Doll's House deals with women, their traditional roles in the family, and the price they pay when they break tradition. This brand new feminist adaptation is told through Nora's voice, in a one woman show. An intimate, painful exploration of a woman's choice to leave her kids in order to survive.

Synopsis:

Nora Helmer once secretly borrowed a large sum of money so that her husband could recuperate from a serious illness. She never told him of this loan and has been secretly paying it back in small installments by saving from her household allowance. Her husband, Torvald, thinks of her as careless and childlike, and often calls her his doll. When he is appointed bank director, his first act is to relieve a man who was once disgraced for having forged his signature on a document. This man, Nils Krogstad, is the person from whom Nora has borrowed her money. It is then revealed that she forged her father's signature in order to get the money. Krogstad threatens to reveal Nora's crime and thus disgrace her and her husband unless Nora can convince her husband not to fire him. Nora tries to influence her husband, but he thinks of Nora as a simple child who cannot understand the value of money or business. Thus, when Torvald discovers that Nora has forged her father's name, he is ready to disclaim his wife even though she had done it for him. Later when all is solved, Nora sees that her husband is not worth her love and she leaves him.

Petrina Bishop is a powerhouse of exceptional musicianship, strength, and raw emotion!

Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions as Petrina showcases her incredible versatility and range, accompanied by one of Australia’s most skilled pianists Mr David Wickham.

Petrina is a powerhouse vocalist that captures the raw vulnerability that Judy always gave. Come hear the songs and arrangements of Judy’s infamous performances at London’s Talk of The Town nightclub.

If you love and adore Judy Garland, this is the show for you!

When Dick Whittington became Mayor of London, he thought he had it all! But after finding local government wasn’t quite what he imagined he needed a new dream. When walking down the West End one evening he looks at the panto posters and noticing a pattern, he realises what he wants to do and where he needs to go…. Australia!

Dick arrives in Sydney and quickly finds becoming an actor isn’t quite that easy. A chance encounter with Australia’s most famous canine (and local Karratha legend) reveals the one place where he can make it. Dick and his new friends set off on an adventure of continental proportions. Will Dick make it to the audition on time, or does someone have other plans?

Dick Whittington Down Under takes audiences of all ages on a hilarious adventure filled with kooky characters, hilarious songs, daring rescues and some terrible puns. Written, produced and cast with an entirely local team, Pitter Pat Productions once again creates a unique experience by and for Pilbara people. Perfect for families, with something for everyone this tale about helping others to realise their potential is not to be missed.

Award-winning director Barry Park is at the helm of the forthcoming GRADS’ production of Mart Crowley’s groundbreaking smash hit play THE BOYS IN THE BAND, which will be staged at The Dolphin Theatre, UWA from 4th to 14th November.

After half a century, back on stage will be the camping, the fighting and laughing and crying, Mart Crowley’s insightful portrait of gay friendship as both endurance test and saving grace.

One of the first productions to put gay lives front and centre, it is about a group of entertaining, angst-ridden, openly gay men who gather for a friend's birthday - which goes horribly wrong.

‘This play has a wide appeal,’ Park says, ‘as it is an engrossing, character-driven story. Older audiences will be reminded about how different attitudes and values were in the 60s, while those who are younger will be intrigued to see how difficult it was to be gay 52 years ago. Many will recognise aspects of themselves in the play, as essentially the play is about how people relate to one other. ‘

Fifty years after it first opened, THE BOYS IN THE BAND finally made it to Broadway, a production that won the Tony Award for best revival, directed by Joe Mantello with a cast that included Zachary Quinto and Jim Parsons. A new film version of the play featuring the entire Broadway cast is on Netflix in September.

Be sure not to miss the rare opportunity to see this deliriously delicious, bitingly bitchy, groundbreaking gay play, which has not been performed in Perth for years!

Tickets are $35, $25 concession (groups of 8+, pensioners, students). Book at: https://www.ticketswa.com/ Enquiries: info@ticketsWA.com Phone: 08 6488 2440 Call between Noon and 4pm on weekdays. The Dolphin Theatre is located within the University of WA with entry from Mounts Bay Road or Hackett Drive. Parking is free. The production is by arrangement with ORIGIN Theatrical on behalf of Samuel French Inc.

It is 1939 and the English Cotswold beauty spot Pokeingham-Softly-on-the-Wold is mourning the death of elderly heiress Rose Stimper, who had made the quiet village her home for almost seventy years.

Miss Stimper, in an act of philanthropy, has bequeathed the Village a large sum of money and left instructions that the villagers must decide how best to spend it. A public meeting has been arranged and the village is buzzing with excitement. Everyone seems to have ideas on how to spend the money and the entire village turns out to attend the meeting at Pokeingham Hall, which has been thrown open for the first time in many years to host the event.

Lord and Lady Pokeingham are all set to welcome you into their home, but beware. All is not as it seems. There are dark forces at work in Pokeingham-Softly-on-the-Wold…

You are invited to dress in the style of the period, as you work together to solve the mystery.

YOU may know of a certain boy wizard who went to wizard school for seven years – but do you know the story of The Puffs, who happened to be there too?

Coming to the Don Russell Performing Arts Centre is the play Puffs by Matt Cox, which also has the alternative title Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic.

The Art in Motion Theatre Company production is directed by Lys Tickner and described as “a play for anyone who has never been destined to save the world”.

A cult hit since first opening Off-Broadway in 2015, Puffs had a record-breaking three-month season in Melbourne in 2018.

“Puffs has a hilarious, friendly and heart-warming tone,” Lys said. “The Puffs are the underdogs of the school, always coming in fourth place.

“It’s a new look at a familiar adventure from the perspective of three new heroes just trying to make it through wizard school.

“The show is an inspired comedy for anyone who has ever felt like a secondary character in someone else’s story.”

The main challenge, according to Lys, is the play’s fast pace.

“Quite a few of the jokes and the comedy would be lost if the pace wasn’t right,” she said.

“And because Puffs is in no way associated with a certain well-known brand, we have to be vigilant about not breaching any copyright laws.”

A member of Roleystone Theatre since 1989, Lys directed her first play – The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – as a 20-year-old in 1993.

She has gone on to direct Alice in Wonderland, Little Women, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Little Shop of Horrors, High School Musical, The Snow Queen and Grease and has been involved in a plethora of productions, either singing, dancing, acting or stage-managing.

In 2018, Lys established the Art in Motion Theatre Company with a group of like-minded people who wanted to put the fun back into theatre.

Earlier this year, she co-directed The Last Five Years at Fringe World, picking up a weekly award in the music and musicals category.

“I haven’t tackled a play for a few years and was introduced to Puffs through the Off-Broadway live recording and could see the challenge in directing such a quick-moving play,” Lys said.

Puffs plays at 8pm November 12, 13 and 14; 2pm November 14 and 6pm November 15. Tickets are $25, $20 concession – book at www.trybooking.com/BLKMC.

The Don Russell Performing Arts Centre is at Lot 13, Murdoch Road, Thornlie.

ARE you never too old to fall in love?

It’s a question explored in a romantic comedy at Melville Theatre, aptly-titled Old Love, written by Norm Foster and directed by Vanessa Jensen.

Divorced man Bud meets the recently-widowed Molly – the wife of his former boss – again after many years, when he comes to pay his respects.

The two narrate the story of their initial meetings and how their lives have now led them to the point of taking a chance on happiness in old love.

Foster is considered Canada’s most produced playwright, known for his humour and insight into the trials and tribulations of everyday life, and is frequently compared to US playwright Neil Simon.

“Old Love features Bud and Molly in the present but also their younger selves 25-plus years earlier,” Vanessa said.

“Having two actors convincingly portray the same character, albeit at different times of their lives, is the main challenge.

“Two other actors also play two important roles each without the aid of major costume changes, which can also be potentially tricky.

“The stage manager plays two minor roles and there are a few other cameo characters, so having a strong cast is imperative.”

First appearing on stage as an eight-year-old and directing her first show at 14, Vanessa has a wealth of theatre experience behind her.

She wrote, directed, stage-managed and acted in various shows at Curtin University’s Hayman Theatre over a four-year period and has staged a plethora of successful productions at the Old Mill and Melville Theatres.

Vanessa has plenty of best director and best play awards and nominations to her credit for shows including Away, Jamie’s Chooks, Twelve Angry Men, Mr Bailey’s Minder, Amadeus, Rabbit Hole and Love, Loss and What I Wore.

“After a difficult year for everyone, Melville Theatre wanted to present a lighter play that would bring a positive end to 2020,” she said.

“Norm Foster is a well-known Canadian playwright who writes warm, funny plays that are readily received by audiences.

“Old Love certainly fit the bill because it is gentle, humorous and it’s underpinning theme is hope.”

Old Love plays at 8pm November 19, 20, 26, 27, 28, December 3, 4 and 5 with a 2pm matinee November 29. Tickets are $23, $18 concession – book at www.TAZTix.com.au.  

Melville Theatre is at 393A Canning Highway (corner of Stock Road), Palmyra.

Join us in celebrating our 2020 season at our annual family picnic at the Subiaco Arts Centre Theatre Gardens. With live music, kangaroo stew, damper, and face painting it’s a fun event for all!

Yarn with the Yirra Yaakin team under the stars and become part of our community.

When: Thursday 19 March 2020
Time: 5.30pm - 8:30pm
Where: 180 Hamersley Road, Subiaco | Theatre Gardens | Subiaco Arts Centre

The box office will be open and tickets for our upcoming shows will be on sale for a discounted price.

BYO Picnic & Beverages

FREE EVENT

Proudly supported by the City of Subiaco

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