Riverside Theatres announce 2014 Season

Magic Hour editorialWestern Sydney’s premiere performing arts venue, Riverside Theatres, has announced an exciting and diverse program of 17 productions that will make up its Main Season from February to December 2014.

Launching the Main Season is one of the world’s most awarded and famous stage productions that combines a timeless story with unforgettable songs, Annie. From Packemin Productions, the team behind the hit musicals The Wizard of Oz and Hairspray, Annie is directed by Neil Gooding and stars Amanda Muggleton (Prisoner and Hello Dolly) as Miss Hannigan and Rodney Dobson (Wicked, Miss Saigon, The Full Monty) as Daddy Warbucks.

A highlight of the program is the powerful story based on the notorious Parramatta Girls Detention Centre, Parramatta Girls. From award-winning playwright Alana Valentine, Parramatta Girls weaves together the true stories of eight former inmates and pays tribute to their courage, humour, strength and optimism.

Exclusively at Riverside Theatres in October will be the large-scale and highly physical production from the multi award winning company Theatre of Image and acclaimed director John Bell, Monkey…Journey to the West.

Based on China’s popular story of The Monkey King and remembered by generations from the cult 70s TV program Monkey Magic, Monkey…Journey to the West will combine comedy, music, song and spectacular martial arts.

From one of Australia’s most original contemporary playwrights, Vanessa Bates, The Magic Hour is a gutsy one-woman comedy told with dark humour and soulful song stars Helpmann Award winning actor and singer Ursula Yovich (Australia, Jindabyne, The Secret River).

Other highlights include Oz Opera’s new, fully-staged production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, directed by Michael Gow, Circa fuses group acrobatics with intimate emotions with the intoxicating music of the Kronos Quartet to create a symphony of bodies in S, and  Shakespeare is thrillingly explored with passionate, tragic and hilarious results in Ensemble Theatre’s Richard III.

Drawing the 2014 Season to a close is Emerald City, one of the best works by Australian theatre’s beloved craftsman and commentator, David Williamson. Directed by the highly accomplished Lee Lewis for the Griffin Theatre Company, Emerald City lays bare the materialism of the 1980s with razor sharp wit.

Director of Riverside Theatres, Robert Love said, “Each year we aim to tell stories that need to be told; we challenge expectations, we collaborate with the best artists and scour the country for inspiring and surprising work. Our 2014 main season is one of our best yet and we look forward to sharing it with audiences next year.”

For more information and full program, visit: www.riversideparramatta.com.au for details.

Image: Ursula Yovich in The Magic Hour