Music is often described as the universal language, crossing all borders and bridging all divides.
Each year Musica Viva Tasmania uses that language to build bridges across the globe, and takes audiences on a tantatlising tour of different countries and unfamiliar cultures.
Click on 'Book Now' to view concerts at the Hobart Town Hall.
Thu 18 February 2010, 8pm
Fri 19 February 2010, 8pm
Sat 20 February 2010, 2pm & 8pm
Queensland Theatre Company’s very own artistic director and award-winning playwright Michael Gow, gives us a rare insight into the heart and mind of the artist and the inescapable power of memory.
Gifted playwright Roland Henning is trying to convince his sceptical therapist Nina that he doesn’t have writer’s block, it’s just that, well, he can’t write anymore. With Nina’s help Roland reluctantly recalls his primary school days in the outer Sydney suburb of Como and that extraordinary day which shattered his boyhood and plunged him headlong into the dizzy circus of art and life.
But as Roland remains adamant that he is beyond help and will never write again, personal tragedy threatens to permanently derail him. A chance discovery offers Roland a chance of salvation, but will he grasp it or slip back into old habits?
Winner of the 2008 Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work Toy Symphony is a compelling journey of personal self-discovery and regeneration.
One of Europe’s finest Gypsy guitarists from one of the most famous Gypsy families.
Don’t miss the Gypsy guitar legend Lulo Reinhardt direct from Europe with band. Grand-nephew of Jazz legend Django Reinhardt, nephew of the Gypsy violin master Shnuckenack Reinhardt and from a traditionally long line of musicians, Lulo represents one of the most unique voices in Gypsy-Jazz music today.
Lulo Reinhardt is a spontaneous and spirited musician who is led by the guitar into musical voyages of discovery. His curiosity has taken him to southern Spain in search of flamenco roots, and to South America, exploring various musical styles of Latin Jazz. His music reveals his enthusiasm for virtuosity and spontaneity and at the same time, a deep melancholy and nostalgia. Inspiration and feeling of the gypsies are moulded by Lulo into a rhythmic flowing symbiosis of elegance and spirit.
"..the finest concert of acoustic guitar I have ever seen.." - John Shand, The Sydney Morning Herald.
Keating!
Wed 3 to Sat 6 March 2010, 8pm
Music and lyrics by Casey Bennetto.
“ROLLICKING POLITICAL SATIRE…” – The Australian “10/10 IT’S A TRIUMPH” – Sun-Herald “JOYOUS” – Sydney Morning Herald “CLEVER AND SUPERBLY FUNNY” – The Age
4 SHOWS ONLY!
Winner of 4 Helpmann Awards including Best Musical and numerous other awards and accolades Keating! is a real crowd pleaser.
If you like a laugh, if you like seeing politicians lambasted – even if you just like seeing a bloke in a dress… Keating! is the perfect night out for you. Not to mention the fact it is a modern masterpiece of Australian comedy.
Starring Scott Farrow (Les Miserables, Miss Saigon) as the Placido Domingo of Australian politics and directed by Craig Wellington, this is a guaranteed hit. Also stars Chris Hamley, Ian Williams, Craig Wood, Robert Pill and Kristian Byrne with the hottest stage band in Hobart led by Scott Cashion.
The Old Nick Company does it again – bringing the best of new theatre to Tassie.
The Man in Black
Thu 11 March 2010, 8pm
Fri 12 March 2010, 8pm
Sat 13 March 2010, 8pm
An angel on one shoulder... the devil on the other...
Tex Perkins leads The Tennessee Four band in a night of memorable music celebrating the life and times of one of the most incredible singers, songwriters and entertainers ever to grace the stage.
Johnny Cash stood up for the downtrodden, the disenfranchised, the indigenous Americans, the imprisoned and all those who had suffered a raw deal in life.
The Man In Black celebrates Cash’s magnificent music interwoven with the story of his rise to stardom, his fight for survival and his eventual redemption.
Fri 19 March 2010, 5.30pm
Sat 20 March 2010, 11am & 2pm
A mouse took a stroll through a deep dark wood...
Whether your favourite food is roasted fox, owl ice cream, scrambled snake or Gruffalo crumble, you will eat up this delectable tale about adventures of a clever little mouse in a forest full of predators.
After sell-out seasons on London’s West End and Broadway, join in the fun at the Theatre Royal and let your imagination run wild with toe-tapping sing-a-long songs, laughs and fun for big and little kids.
As a tribute to the 70th anniversary of the iconic movie version starring Judy Garland, this much-loved musical is being presented to Tasmanian audiences by the talented, local creative team behind 2008’s acclaimed Beauty and the Beast at the Theatre Royal.
Join us on the ‘yellow brick road’, and ‘somewhere over the rainbow’, for a spectacular, entertaining and fresh staging of this treasured classic as all the colourful characters and unforgettable songs are brought to life.
Great savings on Family Tickets available in Stalls and Dress Circle A & B Reserve seating!!!
Save with a group booking of 10 or more people through the Box Office!
Fiona O’Loughlin
Wed 14 April 2010, 8pm
After waltzing her way through Dancing with the Stars, Australia’s favourite comedy super mum, Fiona O’Loughlin, is kicking up her heels again with her brand new full length show.
Best known for her honest look at family life, Fiona fearlessly presents herself and those around her with unvarnished honesty. Absolutely nothing is sacred! Fiona’s stories will leave you gasping (with laughter)
and looking at your own life in a slightly funnier way.
Hi-5 are planning a surprise party and everyone is invited! Stevie, Casey, Fely, Lauren and Tim want to do something special for their wonderful friend Chats’ birthday. So, they are throwing her a party. It’s a big, fun-filled surprise with heaps of singing, dancing and party games. Get ready to yell “surprise!” and join in with the celebration. Hi-5 Surprise! is the biggest party to ever hit the stage… but remember, don’t tell Chats!
Jump up, dance, and sing as television’s sensational Hi-5 perform all your favourite songs in this brand new live stage show.
* children over 12 months require a ticket.
Charmaine Wilson - Spirit Whispers
18 April 2010 at 2pm
Meet The One: the most talented psychic in Australia. Her gift? Connecting the spirit world with the living. Her calling? To bring people out of darkness. Her passion? Helping those coping with grief. Her name? Charmaine Wilson.
The Winner of Channel Seven's Hit Series The One and Australian Psychic of the Year ... Charmaine Wilson will give her audiences a chance to connect with those who have passed over in order to give messages of peace and love to the living. Having just completed a sell-out tour of Australian capital cities, the remarkable medium brings her special gift back to Hobart. Don't miss Charmaine Wilson - The Spirit Whisperer.
The Wharf Revue
Wed 21 April 2010, 8pm
Thu 22 April 2010, 8pm
Fri 23 April 2010, 8pm
Sat 24 April 2010, 8pm
Celebrating its tenth year and third season at the Theatre Royal, the Sydney Theatre Company’s Wharf Revue is fast becoming a regular must see show on our calendar. Through bad times and worse,
The Wharf Revue team once again bravely go to the pointy end of
the comic schtick with Pennies from Kevin.
Farewell Not-so Great Depression! Put your troubles behind you, cross to the funny side of the street and dance down the road to recovery with a stimulus package of song and satire.
Three lucky fellows back in work have pooled their one-off payments and put on a show!
So slap your thighs and turn off your mobiles for Kevin Potter and the Lower Chamber of Secrets, Canberra’s Got Talent!, The Democrats in Heaven, Amanda Vanstone on her Roman Holiday –
La Dolce Big-Eater!, Penny “K.D.” Wong sings Constant Cave-In and Michelle sings why her guy Obama is the new black!
Originally forming part of the longer work Let’s make an Opera, Benjamin Britten was said to have composed The Little Sweep ‘with a beaming smile’.
This ingenious work, almost unrivalled for its charm, will bring both a tear and a smile. It tells the story of a young chimney sweep,
Sam, his cruel master and dangerous trade, and his attempt to
escape from Iken Hall.
Following the success of Dido & Aeneas in 2009, this performance
by the University of Tasmania’s Conservatorium of Music is sure
to delight.
*The Little Sweep image is supplied by Cathy McAuliffe.
2010 Uni Revue
7 & 8, 10–15, 17–22 May 2010, 8pm
The Old Nick Theatre Company has been presenting live theatre in Tasmania since 1948. Its most infamous show is the annual Uni Revue. Political satire, satirical songs, parody and private parts are just some of the ingredients that keep it a hot ticket item every year. Nothing and no one is safe! With six decades of Uni Revues under the belt, the Company is looking forward to the challenges of making world events, the media, Canberra and Tasmania’s politics and issues more engaging and hilarious than our politicians have so far managed.
If you’ve never seen a Uni Revue before, you need to get out more!
If you have, we know you’ll be part of the 2010 stampede.
And if you think you have the gag to end all gags, why not visit
www.oldnick.org.au and submit a joke for consideration for the
2010 Uni Revue!
Force Majeure’s The Age I’m In is a poignant, witty and revealing portrait of how we inhabit the age we’re in throughout our lives.
Woven together and brought to life by Force Majeure’s distinctive dance-theatre language, a diverse selection of Australians aged between fourteen and eighty offer astonishingly personal responses to a range of emotive issues, creating an intimate and warm-hearted snapshot of the aging process.
Under acclaimed director Kate Champion, this remarkable performance skillfully combines audio visual technology, real-life interviews and a distinctive physical language to take a fresh and humorous look at generational clichés, family interactions and the complexity of human relationships.
The comedians have left the building… for the ultimate comedy road trip. Now in its 12th big year the Roadshow shares the Melbourne International Comedy Festival vibe with punters at the Theatre Royal.
A cast of big Australian names, newcomers and overseas guests prove there’s nowhere a comedian fears to tread.
Thu 17 June 2010, 8pm
For details of schools’ performances visit www.theatreroyal.com.au or telephone (03) 6233 2299 or 1800 650 277 (outside Hobart)
Fifteen-year-old Brydie is fascinated by a TV news story about a girl accused of a shocking act of violence. Is the accused a different kind of girl from Brydie and her friends?
Based on real events that took place in Vancouver in 1997, Joan MacLeod’s bleakly funny, theatrical work delves into the minds of teenagers, their relationships and codes of behaviour.
Inspired by the real-life murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk by high school students, this moving, one-woman production tracks the superficial innocence of Brydie’s childhood as she confronts teenage bullying and moves towards adult responsibility.
The Shape of a Girl offers a sobering glimpse into the tough and complicated terrain of the teenage world with profound insight.
Fri 18 June 2010, 10.00am
Sat 19 June 2010, 10.00am
Dora the Explorer is embarking on an all-new LIVE musical adventure in NICK JR.’s DORA THE EXPLORER LIVE! SEARCH FOR THE CITY OF LOST TOYS.
Join Dora, Boots the monkey, Diego and their friends as they embark on an exciting journey through the number pyramid, the mixed-up jungle and more. Along the way the audience will use their map-reading, counting, musical and language skills to successfully get Dora and friends to the City of Lost Toys.
Grease
Wed 23 June 2010, 12.30pm
Thu 24 June 2010, 9.30am & 12.30pm
Fri 25 June 2010, 8pm
Sat 26 June 2010, 8pm
Come and see Sandy, Danny,
The Pink Ladies and The Burger Palace Boys navigate their way through love, friendship and romance ‘50s style in hip leather jackets and circle skirts, duck tails and white socks.
Including the four top hit songs from the movie, this will be the fourth in a series of popular Year 11 and 12 musical productions presented by Claremont College at the Theatre Royal.
Garry McDonald and Henri Szeps reunite for this award-winning drama about two very different men with one surprising thing in common.
Joseph Halpern is mourning the loss of his wife Flo and taking a few minutes alone by her graveside when he is approached by a stranger, introducing himself as Dennis Johnson. As the two men talk Johnson reveals an affection for Florence that is more than that for a dear, departed friend and in so doing uncovers more than just the secret
of their relationship.
With warmth and wit, Lionel Goldstein’s play explores the complex web of marriage and friendship, secrets and lies, mixing sharp human insight with cracking humour.
Garry McDonald and Henri Szeps are brilliant as these two polar opposites in this touching and funny play about loyalty and betrayal.
Thu 5 August 2010, 5.30pm
Sat 7 August 2010, 11am & 2pm
For details of special schools’ performances visit www.theatreroyal.com.au or telephone (03) 6233 2299 or 1800 650 277 (outside Hobart)
Combining a haunting score and breathtaking physicality, this production will see the heart soar as friendship triumphs.
Magpie is injured in a bushfire but she discovers that riding atop her friend, one-eyed Dog, as he runs through the bush, feels almost the same as flying. ‘Fly Dog fly! I will be your missing eye and you will be my wings.’
Fox arrives and tempts Magpie with an even faster ride. Desire,
loyalty and friendship become confused and after an exhilarating ride, Fox dumps Magpie far out in the desert. Abandoned and alone Magpie begins the long journey home.
In collaboration with Tasmanian Director Kate Gaul and Composer Daryl Wallis, Monkey Baa has created a theatrically inventive adaptation of this timeless fable by Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks.
An unforgettable experience that is as rich for adults as it is for young people.
For details of special schools’ performances visit www.theatreroyal.com.au or telephone (03) 6233 2299 or 1800 650 277 (outside Hobart)
Patch Theatre Company is one of Australia’s best loved theatre companies for children and at last count they had performed to
1.4 million children and their families, locally, nationally and internationally! In 2010 the Theatre Royal is delighted to stage, Special Delivery, Patch’s enchanting visual theatre show for 4-8 year olds and their grown-ups.
Full of wonder, surprise and gentle humour, Special Delivery is a comic fable about a busy deliveryman, a trolley load of boxes and
the world that opens up when a door stays shut. This delightful visual comedy features a mischievous foley artist (sound effects expert) who provides the music and sounds that orchestrate the story.
A world of sound where nothing is said, where work becomes
child’s play and everyday objects are magically transformed.
Don’t miss this one, Special Delivery definitely delivers something special!
Walk from King’s College to the great court of Trinity College on any evening and you will hear a myriad of college choirs along the way singing music from the 15th century to today.
Trinity College Choir is one of the leading mixed-voice choirs in the UK. It showcases works by much-loved English composers alongside
music by some of the most acclaimed composers of today, including Arvo Pärt, John Tavener and younger composers from the Baltic States.
Australia’s finest new choral music – Paul Stanhope’s Deserts of Exile – is also included in this stunning program. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience this exceptional choir perform in the grandeur of the Theatre Royal on its first Australian concert tour.
Program
A cappella and accompanied works from composers from the
16th to the 21st centuries including William Byrd, Gustav Holst,
Herbert Howells, Morten Lauridsen, Robert Parsons, Arvo Pärt,
Henry Purcell, Charles Villiers Stanford, Paul Stanhope,
Thomas Tallis and John Tavener.
Thu 8 July 2010, 8pm
Fri 9 July 2010, 8pm
Sat 10 July 2010, 8pm
Money makes the world go round. This is the bleak truth behind Violetta Valery’s life of champagne, silk dresses and extravagant parties. No matter how she feels inside, when the music plays and the admirer pays, she must perform.
So when she finds herself falling in love, her very livelihood is threatened. Can the beautiful songbird escape her gilded cage? Can she leave her past behind?
La traviata epitomises what the world loves about Italian opera: it is an enthralling story, full of fascinating characters who sing devastatingly romantic music. This new production from Oz Opera, the touring arm of Opera Australia, brings Verdi’s unforgettable music to the stage with an elegant and searching new look at opera’s favourite working girl.
Thu 15 July 2010, 8pm
Fri 16 July 2010, 8pm
Sat 17 July 2010, 2pm & 8pm
This new production of Shakespeare’s much-loved comedy of mistaken identity, deception and desire, includes a surprising twist and a little bit of magic.
Orsino is head over heels with Olivia, but she’s too busy mourning
her dead brother to notice. Meanwhile, her steward is trying to run a strict household while grappling with sexual frustration, and her boozy old uncle is chasing the maid and generally causing trouble. Into this mayhem enter the twins – one male, one female – equally lovable but a little too hard to tell apart…
In Lee Lewis’ retelling of the play, Viola has lost her twin brother, Sebastian, following a natural disaster but can’t search for him until morning. How will she and her fellow survivors get through the night? They’ll put on a show! Using odds and ends they find around the building, along with their own salvaged treasures, the characters ‘play’ Twelfth Night, finding comfort in each other and in the story’s enduring sense of hope.
Fri 23 July 2010, 8pm
Sat 24 July 2010, 2.30pm & 8pm
Heart Matters brings together an iconic line-up of Tasmanian creative energies.
Tasdance, with 31 players from the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, present new dance works by Graeme Murphy and Chrissie Parrott. Both choreographers use notions of attraction, love, health, connection to family and friends or heartbreak as starting points for their creations, and draw on their own and others’ experiences as inspiration.
The program premieres a new musical commission by Constantine Koukias (Artistic Director of IHOS Opera) and Carl Vine’s latest string quartet, in a new version for string orchestra developed especially for this project.
Thu 9 September 2010, 8pm
Fri 10 September 2010, 8pm
Sat 11 September 2010, 8pm
Sun 12 September 2010, 5pm
Back by popular demand!
Inspired by a hot flush and a bottle of wine, Jeanie Linders created Menopause the Musical as a celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived ‘The Change’. Since its first performance, the show has evolved as a ‘grassroots’ movement of women who deal with life after 40 and all the challenges they conquer mentally, physically and spiritually.
Maybe the attraction is the songs that everyone grew up with – The Great Pretender, Only You, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Stand by Your Man, I Will Survive and
20 more – all sung with gusto and all with their ‘new’ lyrics.
Or maybe it is the realisation that there is a wonderful life waiting after ‘The Change.’
Come and see for yourself. We guarantee that you
will leave the theatre uplifted and joyful.
Wed 15 September 2010, 11am & 2pm
Thu 16 September 2010, 11am & 2pm
Tasmania’s own Terrapin Puppet Theatre is Australia’s leading innovator of puppetry-based visual theatre. With a hectic touring schedule in 2010, including performing in Shanghai during World Expo 2010, Terrapin will still find time to bring its newest digital puppetry show The Gatekeeper to the Theatre Royal.
Taking inspiration from the many stories, myths and legends which have gatekeepers, this wonderfully comical story is about two characters who find themselves trying to get past each other; one who stands at the gate and one who wants to get through. What should be a straightforward everyday event unravels into a world of ridiculous situations, involving slapstick, clowning, puppets, magic and acrobatics. You will be transfixed as the set transforms in front of your eyes, changing shapes and morphing with animated projections, merging real puppets and objects with moving images, using Terrapin’s innovative digital puppetry techniques.
Fri 17 September 2010, 8pm
Sat 18 September 2010, 8pm
Listed by London’s National Theatre as one of the most significant plays of the 20th Century, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg is quite simply a modern classic.
Written by one of the UK’s great living writers, Peter Nichols, this thought provoking and very funny play has been loved by audiences worldwide.
Brian (Bri) and Sheila are a young married couple. They care for their daughter, nicknamed ‘Joe Egg’, and are the model of bravery and courage in the face of adversity. Living by the rule that if you don’t laugh you’ll cry, it’s fortunate that Bri is a natural born entertainer. But what lies beneath Bri’s funny lounge room antics? We find out when two unwanted guests start to poke their noses where they don’t belong.
Compelling and heartfelt, the play bubbles along with exuberance, comedy and witty performances.
Wed 3 November at 8pm
Thu 4 November at 8pm
Fri 5 November at 8pm
For details of a special schools’ performance visit www.theatreroyal.com.au or telephone (03) 6233 2299 or 1800 650 277 (outside Hobart)
Bangarra is one of Australia’s most unique and innovative dance companies. Their electrifying and distinctive style tells the stories
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a modern day Dreaming which fuses the sacred myths and traditions of the past with the present.
Described by entertainment guide, Time Off as ‘dance and theatre at its most historical and beautiful’, Mathinna traces the history of a young Aboriginal girl removed from her traditional life, adopted into Western Colonial society and ultimately returned to the fragments of her original heritage. Mathinna became the archetype of the ‘stolen child’ and in this award-winning work, Bangarra Dance Theatre recreates her powerful story of vulnerability and searching in an era of confusion and intolerance.
Without a doubt this poetic, heart-rending work will have a special resonance with Tasmanian audiences.
Tue 9 November 2010, 8pm
Wed 10 November 2010, 8pm
Thu 11 November 2010, 8pm
Fri 12 November 2010, 8pm
Sat 13 November 2010, 8pm
Written by celebrated Tasmanian playwright and performed in the Theatre Royal Backspace, Tom Holloway’s award-winning Red Sky Morning is a very funny, very warm and ultimately heartbreaking play that explores identity, dislocation and the need to connect. Three separate monologues by a father, a mother and their teenage daughter are interwoven throughout the course of one life-changing day.
Red Sky Morning’s form is as intriguing as its content.
The play continues Holloway’s trademark combination of linguistic experimentation with a robust Australian vernacular, pushing the boundaries of theatrical communication.
Wed 10 November 2010, 7.30pm (preview)
Thu 11 November 2010, 7.30pm
Fri 12 November 2010, 7.30pm
Sat 13 November 2010, 1.30pm & 7.30pm
Pauline Melikoff was a Hobart girl in the 1920s with a lot of money but no suitable prospects for marriage. On her grand tour of Europe she met her prince who was handsome, sophisticated… and exiled from his native Russia following World War I. Her extraordinary tale is the inspiration for this new work from Tasmania’s Mature Artists Dance Experience (MADE).
MADE is fast establishing a national reputation for presenting exquisite performances in unique locations, offering audiences an alternative view of contemporary dance theatre and of the mature person as performer.
Princess places the audience up on the stage with the performers. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the glory of the Theatre Royal from behind the proscenium arch.
This show is general admission with both performers and audience seated on the stage.
This is the TaikOz credo: “to beat with every muscle, bone and sinew in our bodies, with an open and joyous spirit.”
Blessings Of The Earth features the full range of TaikOz’s dynamic taiko drums – including the 250kg ôdaiko Grand Drum – as well as a solo dance, Solo from Kaidan: A Ghost Story, choreographed by the internationally acclaimed Meryl Tankard.
The performance also features beautiful melodies for the bamboo flutes, as well as traditional and contemporary songs. As with all TaikOz performances, Blessings Of The Earth can be enjoyed by
all ages.
The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel is a partner of the Theatre Royal and understands the needs of theatre-goers. It offers pre-show dinner packages, with two courses and a glass of wine for $45.
You can book direct with The Old Woolstore on (03) 6235 5355.
.jpg)
