Critical Stages organises and manages tours of high quality independent theatre productions in Australia.

A national touring manager, supported by Arts NSW and the Theatre Board of The Australia Council, Critical Stages works with both theatre presenter and theatre maker to create the best outcome possible when touring productions.

STATE OF PLAY

Founded in 2000 by Julian Louis, Jessica Machin and the late Nick Enright, State of Play is a unique company with its strong commitment to sustained performer collaboration in order to create vibrant and accessible work.

State of Play featured in the 2003 Sydney Festival with its original and highly successful production Five Stories High; “theatre at its romping hollering, poignant best” The Daily Telegraph.

CRITICAL STAGES AND ARTS NSW PRESENT

A STATE OF PLAY PRODUCTION

CREATIVE TEAM

JOSHUA LOBB, WRITERAt 14, Joshua was the youngest participant at Interplay ’88, the Second International Young Playwright’s Conference. His plays have been performed by Canberra Youth Theatre, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Shopfront Theatre, Vancouver Youth Theatre and at the Harold Park Hotel. He worked as writer and dramaturg for the Australian Museum’s Theatre Education program and is a founding member of the cabaret group Massabanadeen. His plays include: Broadway Baby!, Shakespeare–the Cabaret!, Daedalus, The Falling as well as Still At Aulis and Wilde Tales for State of Play for whom he has been the writer in residence since 2003. Joshua has a PhD in English from UNSW.

JULIAN LOUIS, DIRECTOR Julian is Artistic Director of NORPA, Lismore and State of Play. He is a graduate of the NIDA Directors course and holds a BA in Theatre and Media (CSU, Bathurst). Directing credits include Associate Director The Underpants, (Company B Belvoir); Director The Meoniti Opera, The Telephone, The Shakespearean Opera Project and The Falling (NSW Conservatorium of Music); Director of Performix and Contact (Australian Theatre for Young People) and Five Stories High (State of Play). Julian has directed many youth theatre projects in North West NSW.

KIRK PAGE, MOVEMENT CHOREOGRAPHERKirk has performed as an actor, dancer, singer, & teacher over the last decade. His choreographic/ movement director credits are as follows: My Skin My Life, Indigenous section of

the commonwealth games opening ceremony, Who Will Save The Day, FLiNG youth physical theatre, Krush for short works, Season 4 On The Floor with ensemble members of Legs On The Wall Physical theatre. Kirk has worked in remote areas as a dance teacher/movement sharer with Croc festival youth dance programme, ‘Nyinka Nyunyu’ arts centre in Tennant Creek and various outreach projects with ATYP.

CARL POLKE, SOUND DESIGNERA circus runaway interested in all things tuneful and noisy, his work encompasses a large variety of theatrical musicality and performance. Companies Carl has worked with include Circus Oz, Legs on the Wall (2002 Canadian Jessie award for best original score), The Flying Fruitfly Circus, State of Play, Griffin Theatre, and Circa. 2006 Helpmann Award nominee, Carl is interested in where music stops, and noise starts.

TOBHIyAH STONE FELLER, SET DESIGNERTobhiyah’s professional Set and Costume Design credits include; This Territory (ATYP); Camarilla (Merrigong Theatre Co.); Tartuffe (Sydney Grammar School); Les Miserables (Alexander Productions); Last of The Knucklemen (Brand X) and Human Resources (Siren Theatre Co.) Costume Design; Midnite (Marian St Theatre for Young People); As Design Assistant; Through the Wire (Sydney festival 2004) and Design Associate Pippin (Kookaburra). Training: BDA (Design) at NIDA, Fine Arts at COFA, UNSW.

The Wilde Tales tour is supported by Mermaid image Gordon Burns. Design Megan Louis.

STATE OF PLAY

CAST

WRITERS NOTE

Wilde’s fairy tales are very intricately told. They often begin like conventional fairy tales, but they all have stings in their tails. There is something under the surface of the nice stories we expect: something more desperate, more dark. They show the way we are all seduced by the idea of falling in love, but are also terrified by it. The hope makes us oblivious to anyone outside love’s bubble, and the fear makes us bitter towards anyone who is in the bubble.

In Wilde Tales we’re asking two of Wilde’s dangerous questions, relevant to his life and our own: how far will we go for love? And, in the end, is love the one thing worth having?

OSCAR WILDE’S STORIES FEATURED IN TONIGHT’S PRODUCTION

The Fisherman and his SoulThe Remarkable RocketThe Birthday of the InfantaThe Nightingale and the RoseThe Star Child

CAST

Chris Baker Julia DavisSean LynchJohnny NasserGwyneth Price

CREATIVE TEAM

Writer/Dramaturg Joshua LobbDirector Julian LouisCostume Design Jo BriscoeSet Design Tobhiyah Stone FellerLighting Design Verity HampsonSound Design Carl PolkeMovement Choreographer Kirk PageStage/Tour Manager Micah JohnsonOriginal songs by Julia Davis

DIRECTORS NOTE

Getting to the heart of the story...

As a company, State of Play puts the performer at the centre of the creative process. Through improvisation, devising, and at times trial and error, we aim to get to the heart of each of the stories in tonight’s performance.

Oscar Wilde’s fairytales are not simple stories for children. Wilde creates a vivid world layered with emotion, beauty and wit. Within the stories the author expresses a longing for the depths of love, but at the same time there is a distrust in the impact of love.

In Wilde Tales we present five stories, The Fisherman and his Soul - told in stages throughout the show - The Remarkable Rocket, The Birthday of the Infanta, The Nightingale and the Rose, and The Star Child.

Originally co-produced by and STATE OF PLAY

CHRIS BAKERChris graduated from the Actors College of Theatre and Television in 1998 and has since worked extensively in film, TV and theatre as an actor and director. His most recent theatre credits include; Madamoiselle Fifi and Don’t Stare Too Much (White Rhino/ Darlinghurst Theatre Company), The Fire Raisers (Tamarama Rock Surfers) and Iphigenia At Aulis (State of Play). His film and television credits include; One and only, Ned Kelly, The Condemned, Kokoda, Love My Way, All Saints and Hell has Harbour Views.

JULIA DAVISJulia’s theatre credits: A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Whoosh/Darlinghurst Theatre), Party Political (Cracker Comedy Festival), Wars of the Roses, The Taming of the Shrew and Much Ado About Nothing (Bell Shakespeare), A Moment on the Lips (Maelstrom/Whoosh), Wilde Tales (State of Play/B Sharp), Elling (B Sharp) and the musical The Magic Faraway Tree (Garry Ginivan Productions). T.V creadits: Love My Way, Home and Away, Small Claims and The Chaser. Radio: Chrissie and Jules, Phryne Fisher Series (ABC Radio). Training: Graduate of WAAPA and The Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

SEAN LyNCHA graduate from Actors’ College, Sean’s recent work includes the original production of Wilde Tales (State of Play/B Sharp), Fire Riser (Fly by Prods), Iphigenia At Aulis (State of Play) and Spurboard (ATYP). For Urban Tales, Sean has appeared in: Friday Night Youthgroup, Masticate, Swallow and You’ll Eat It and You’ll Like It, amongst others. Film and TV work includes: Ascension, Being Boston, The Night We Called It a Day, Ground Hero, Grace, Ned, Garage Days, All Saints, Don’t Blame Me, Young Lions, Head Start.

JOHNNy NASSERJohnny graduated from the National Theatre Drama School in Melbourne in 1995 and has since worked on many theatre and television projects. His most recent projects include: Arabian Night (NIDA), Wilde Tales (State of Play/B Sharp), Vampirella and Schnecke-Nudel (Darlinghurst Theatre Company). He has also performed in the Middle East and Singapore with Loose Cannon Arts. His TV credits include Legacy of the Silver Shadow, Stingers and Simone De Beauvoir’s Babies.

GWyNETH PRICEGwyneth’s most recent theatre credits include The Cherry Orchard and This Little Piggy (STC), How Like an Angel (Railway St Theatre), Loveplay (Downstairs Belvoir), Wonderlands (Hothouse Theatre), Othello- The Clown of Venice (Comediocre), Five Stories High (State of Play), Seven Acts of Love (Bluebird/ Tamarama Rock Surfers), Sadako & the Thousand Paper Cranes (Bell Shakespeare) and The Crucible for the STC. Her film and TV credits include All Saints, Europe and The Hit.

JO BRISCOE, COSTUME DESIGNERIncludes as Designer: October, Mr Bailey’s Minder, Nailed (Griffin), Ruby Moon (STC), Stories in the Dark (ATYP), A Moment on the Lips (Old Fitzroy/ Stablemates), Noir, The Memory of Water (Darlinghurst Theatre Company), La Ronde, Greek Tragedy, Elling, Chicks Will Dig You! (B Sharp), Vertigo and the Virginia (Old Fitzroy). As Costume Designer: Reunion/A Kind of Alaska (STC), On the Case (Legs on the Wall), What the Umbrella Did Next (ATYP), The Suitors (Old Fitzroy). As Set Designer: Flotsam and Jetsam (Jigsaw), Myth, Propaganda and Disaster (Stablemates).

VERITy HAMPSON, LIGHTING DESIGNERVerity graduated from NIDA in 2005. Before attending NIDA Verity specialised in corporate theatre design and technical management. Over the past year she has designed with a number of different directors and producers including Company B, Griffin Stablemates and the Darlinghurst Theatre Company. Verity also teaches lighting design at a number of local institutions. Wilde Tales will be Verity’s first production with Critical Stages.

MICAH JOHNSON, STAGE MANAGERMicah has worked extensively in theatre and music production as a Stage Manager, Production Manager, and Lighting Designer. He is currently Technical Manager of Darlinghurst Theatre Company and his recent projects include Love’s Triumph, The Essential Festival, Laneway Festival, Sam Powers’ Powers of Illusion Tour and The Big Day Out. Micah is excited to be taking such an exciting piece of theatre to a wide range of audiences.

CREATIVE TEAM