The performing arts centre of The University of Sydney – The Seymour Centre has announced its 2014 Reginald season that will once again celebrate the very best in emerging and independent theatre.
The fourth annual season for The Reginald will feature a celebration of Australian work including a fresh twist on the landmark 1970 play The Legend of King O’Malley, the return of Michael Gow’s romantic comedy Europe and a new play from emerging playwright Joanna Erskine, Rosaline.
Rounding out the season is Sport for Jove’s unique take on Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, and the rousing Sydney premiere of the off-broadway musical, Ruthless!
“I am thrilled that this year’s Reginald program again showcases innovation in performance created by some of our most interesting small arts companies, says Tim Jones, Artistic Director of The Seymour Centre.
“This season, we are extremely proud of the focus on local content, with the presentation of three uniquely Australian plays from a selection some of our countries best playwrights. Topped off with a new work from Sport for Jove, and the off-Broadway musical, Ruthless!, 2014 is set to be our best season yet!”
Ruthless!
19 June – 5 July
Winner of the New York Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical, Ruthless! is a razor sharp send-up of the entertainment business, full of witty one-liners, bright, brassy show tunes and ingenious plot twists. Starring Katrina Retallick, Meredith O’Reilly, Margi de Ferranti, Caitlin Berry and musical theatre icon Geraldine Turner as Broadway theatre critic Lita Encore.
A Doll’s House
17 July – 2 August
Leaping off the page, Adam Cook’s new production has strong contemporary resonances for today’s audiences, and promises to be dynamic, passionate and visceral. Hugely controversial when it was first performed in 1879, A Doll’s House has lost none of its power as a bold vision of feminist selfhood and rediscovery.
Europe
10 – 27 September
Michael Gow’s 1987 comedy Europe returns to the Sydney stage after a long absence, skewering the clichés we hold dear about Europe, about Australia and about love. When Douglas meets Barbara, a European actress touring Australia, he is stung by the romance of their festival fling, like the heroes of the oldest love stories. He pursues her flying to Europe, but Barbara is wary of this naïve Australian fan-boy and she has love problems of her own.
Rosaline
1 – 18 October
Enter the dangerous midnight playground of a teenage girl hell-bent on revenge, featuring live film and a powerhouse cast. Joanna Erskine’s Rosaline is a previously untold tale of juicy revenge, reimagining Shakespeare’s classic in the hands of the woman scorned. There’s no iambic pentameter here – this is a gutsy, raw retelling that will leave you breathless.
The Legend of King O’Malley
26 November – 13 December
First produced in 1970, The Legend of King O’Malley heralded the new wave of Australian theatre, setting a tone for theatrical works dealing with Australia’s history. This production will be epic in its scope, satirical in its tone, and polemic in its attitudes. It will draw on bawdy cultural references of modern day revivals, the presentation of war from 20th century cinema, and the international opinions of Australian politics.
Tickets for the 2014 Reginald season are now on-sale. For more information, visit www.seymourcentre.com for details.
Image: Meredith O’Reilly, Katrina Retallick and Geraldine Turner in Ruthless! – by Blueprint Studios