On this World Premiere Australian Tour, internationally renowned actress Miriam Margolyes brings to the stage some of literature’s best known characters in a passionate discovery of words and music in The Importance of Being Miriam.
Lady Bracknell (The Importance of Being Earnest), Mrs Malaprop (The Rivals), Jane Austen’s Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Pride and Prejudice), Miss Havisham (Great Expectations), and Mrs Corney and Mr Bumble from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, are amongst the unforgettable figures that will be brought to life by the award-winning star of stage and screen.
The Importance of Being Miriam will also feature fascinating insights into Miriam’s love of great literature and its characters, along with personal reflections from her rich and distinguished career and her new life as an Australian citizen.
Anyone who saw Miriam’s breath-taking performance in Dickens’ Women, where she played an astonishing 23 characters, will relish the opportunity to see further examples of the popular actress’s theatrical dexterity in The Importance of Being Miriam.
Those who saw Miriam on a recent episode of the ABC program Q&A will be familiar with her refreshing straight-up, devil may care attitude, sharp wit and hilarious interactions with the host, other celebrity guests, and the audience.
Miriam is joined by her regular collaborator, acclaimed classical pianist John Martin, who will also delight audiences with a selection of popular music and songs. The production will be directed by Peter J Adams, who has also devised stage shows for Sir David Attenborough and Professor Brian Cox.
Miriam Margolyes’ distinguished acting career spans stage, film and television, receiving an OBE in 2001 for her Services to Drama. Her many theatre credits include Gertrude Stein and a Companion and Wicked (London and Broadway), Neighbourhood Watch (State Theatre Company of South Australia) and I’ll Eat You Last (Melbourne Theatre Company). Her one-woman show, Dickens’ Women, successfully toured the world to great acclaim.
Miriam is well known to audiences as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films, Aunt Prudence in the ABC drama Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, as well as her roles in the BBC series Blackadder, where she first came to prominence.
The Importance of Being Miriam
Playhouse – Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne
Season: 19 – 22 March 2015
Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
Dunstan Playhouse – Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Road, Adelaide
Season: 25 March – 2 April 2015
Bookings: www.bass.net.au
Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, William Street, Perth
Season: 7 – 11 April 2015
Bookings: www.ticketek.com.au
Glen Street Theatre, Corner Glen Street & Blackbutts Road, Belrose
Season: 14 – 19 April 2015
Bookings: www.glenstreet.com.au
Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney
Season: 21 – 26 April 2015
Bookings: www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Conservatorium Theatre, Griffith University, South Bank (Brisbane)
Season: 2 – 3 May 2015
Bookings: www.qtix.com.au
Playhouse – Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra
Season: 6 – 10 May 2015
Bookings: www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au
For more information and complete performance schedule, visit: www.beingmiriam.com.au for details.
Image: Miriam Margolyes – photo by Kyte Photography