Welcome to the Season

Her Majesty's Theatre & Ballarat Arts Foundation

David Hobson in Concert

Friday 25 February at 8pm

Ballarat's favourite musical son returns for a very special evening of music from opera, music theatre and popular song, including highlights from his three best-selling CD's, French and Italian Arias, Handel Arias, and his latest release featuring songs from movies, Cinema Paradiso.

The multi-award winning Australian tenor and composer David Hobson is one of Australia's best known singers. His legendary performance of Rodolfo in the Baz Luhrmann production of La boheme has been seen by millions in Australia, the UK and the USA.

David appears regularly on stages throughout Australia in a wide range of range of operatic roles, as is featured regularly in popular music concerts, and on television in gala events such as Carols in the Domain and the 2004 AFL Grand Final. David has received numerous prestigious industry awards including a MO Award for Operatic Performer of the Year, and an ARIA Award.

Door Prices Adult $39 Conc $34 Child/Youth/Stud $20
Season Prices Adult $37 Conc $32 Child/Youth/Stud $18

Arts Academy
University of Ballarat

Sweet Charity

Season Dates: Friday 4 March to Saturday 12 March
Her Majesty's Season Night: Saturday 5 March at 8pm

Book by Neil Simon
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Music by Cy Coleman

Director Kim Durban
Choreography David Wynen

Following the success of Kiss Me, Kate and 42nd Street, the talented young stars of the Arts Academy bring you Sweet Charity, the story of an optimistic young woman who not only wears her heart on her sleeve, she's had it tattooed to her arm!

Charity pins all her hopes and dreams on a married man, only to find herself dumped. She vows that she will never let a man take advantage of her. However, one fateful night she finds herself trapped in an elevator with a claustrophobic tax accountant who sweeps her off her feet. This man is different - he actually wants to marry her - but will he still feel the same when he finds out that she works at the Fan-Dango as a dance hall hostess?

Adapted from Nights of Cabiria, a film by Federico Fellini. Songs include "Big Spender," "If My Friends Could See Me Now," and "Rhythm of Life."

Door Prices Adult $29.50 Conc $21 Child/Youth/Stud $14 Family $73
Season Prices Adult $27 Conc $19 Child/Youth/Stud $12

(All performances available except Opening Night)

Sydney Dance Company

Underland

Tuesday 22 March at 8pm

Choreographer Stephen Petronio's Underland is an enigmatic world. Inspired by the tender, bitter-sweet songs of pop balladeer Nick Cave, dancers hurl through space with razor-sharp precision; fiercely energised one moment, strikingly sensual the next.

On its 2003 National Premiere Tour, Underland was received with extraordinary critical and audience acclaim. Described by Petronio as an 'archaeological dig through some of Nick Cave's most beautiful masterpieces', Underland unravels in a series of solos, duets, quartets and asymmetric ensemble formations.

Completing Petronio's vision is a triptych of screens by visual designer Ken Tabachnick and video artist Mike Daly; and subversive costumes by Tara Subkoff - renowned for her fashion label Imitation of Christ. The projected imagery provides a cinematic backdrop for the journey, the mood of which, like Subkoff's costumes, shifts in rhythm with Cave's music throughout this freneticially energised piece.

Stephen Petronio began his dance career as the first-ever male dancer of the acclaimed Trisha Brown Company. He founded Stephen Petronio Company in 1984 and has since become recognised internationally as one of the most innovative choreographers of his generation.

Door Prices Adult $39 Conc $34 Child $20
Season Prices Adult $35 Conc $30 Child/Stud $18

Ensemble Theatre & Christine Dunstan Productions

Flatfoot
by David Williamson

Tuesday 29 March at 8pm

THE RETURN OF THE TITTER, THE CHUCKLE, THE BELLY LAUGH AND THE ROAR... and that's just from the audience!

An hysterical comedy set in Ancient Rome, Flatfoot is a very different play from David Williamson

Comic genius Drew Forsythe plays Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus, who has to convince his producer, Crassus Dives, played by John Gregg that his new play will be a hit and not offend the Roman Censor.

Trouble is, the play hasn't yet been written, but Plautus is not about to tell Crassus that, so he acts it out before the cynical producer, and makes it up as he goes along. He does have a little help from his Greek wife, ex-dancer and seductress extraordinaire, Cleostrata (Tina Bursill).

Director Jonathan Biggins
Set & Costume Design Graeme Maclean
Lighting Gavan Swift

Door Prices Adult $34 Conc $29 Child/Youth/Stud $20
Season Prices Adult $30 Conc $25 Child/Youth/Stud $18

Christine Harris & HIT Productions

The Breath of Life
by David Hare

Tuesday 5 April at 8pm

They have only met once before - the common thread they share exposes both of them in a way they would never have imagined.

The wife meets the other woman - Madeleine Palmer is a retired curator and self-reliant woman living alone on the Isle of Wight. One day she receives a visit from Frances Beale, whom she has only met once before, and who is now enjoying sudden success late in life, as a popular novelist.

The progress of a single night comes fascinatingly to echo the hidden course of their lives, as they sift through their memories, dreams, regrets and decisions, unearthing answers to painful unknowns they would prefer to leave alone. This refreshing slice of real life drama and subtle intelligence will cut right to the heart.

"the act of telling becomes as significant as the act of listening." Bryce Hallett, Sydney Morning Herald

"He lays bare the details of these women's lives with a mixture of cunning and precision that keeps you on the edge of your seat." Charles Spencer, The Telegraph

Cast: Helen Morse (Picnic at Hanging Rock, Caddie)
Director Kate Cherry

Door Prices Adult $34 Conc $29 Child/Youth/Stud $20
Season Prices Adult $30 Conc $25 Child/Youth/Stud $18

Act One

Tuesday 26 April at 8pm

Adapted for the stage by Don Mackay from the autobiography by Moss Hart.

Featuring Simon Mallory and Simon Russell
Directed by Don Mackay

Moss Hart went from a stage-struck kid from the slums to become one of the biggest names on Broadway, writing "The Man Who Came to Dinner" and "You Can't It With You," and directing the original stage productions of "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot."

This new play, based on his autobiography, tells his story from when he flukes a job in a theatrical producer's office to writing his first big hit on Broadway, against all the odds. It is the captivating story of how a young man finally makes a huge success through sheer determination and hard work.

"Utterly fascinating to anyone who loves theatre.....as much suspense as any murder mystery." Green Left Home Page

"There is literally never a dull moment" Inpress

"Simon Russell and Simon Mallory have an infectiously fun time" Sunday Age.

Door Prices Adult $30 Conc $25 Child $18
Season Prices Adult $26 Conc $21 Child/Youth/Student $16

Christine Harris & HIT Productions

My Brilliant Divorce
by Geraldine Aron

Tuesday 3 May at 8pm

If you loved Shirley Valentine you will adore My Brilliant Divorce!

Angela has been dumped by her husband for a younger model: we follow her achingly funny story as she fumbles through the days and the dating scene, rediscovering herself and hoping to find the love of her life!

This irresistibly funny "stand up tragedy" by Irish-born playwright Geraldine Aron was a smash hit for Dawn French on the West End in 2003. Now, the talented Genevieve Lemon (Sweetie, Steaming) stars in the Australian Premiere, directed by Gary Down.

" An irresistible twinkle; great directness, warmth and humour. A lovely play that shines" London Times

Cast: Genevieve Lemon
Director - Gary Down
Lighting Designer - Ean Grieve

Door Prices: Adult: $30 Conc: $25 Child: $18
Season Prices: Adult: $26 Conc: $21 Child/Youth/Student: $16

The Island - Lano & Woodley

Saturday 7 May at 7.30pm & 9.30pm

No food. No shelter. No shortage of hilarious ways to shit each other. All they've got to survive on … is their wits. We'll miss them when they're gone.

The Island is Lano & Woodley's most ambitious and hilarious show ever! After sell out seasons at Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney - it's your chance to see what all the fuss is about.

"The funniest blokes on the planet...Comedy doesn't come better than this...*****" Sunday Herald Sun April 2004

"A fine concoction in debt to some serious talent...a litany of hilariously staged "failed" gags...slapstick silliness of the highest order..." The Age April 2004

"The funniest physical comedians I've ever seen" The Montreal Gazette 2001

Frank: It's just like Lord of the Flies … but without Golem.
Colin: That's Lord of the Rings.
Frank: Hey?
Colin: Golem isn't in Lord of the Flies.
Frank: Exactly. And he's not in our show either.
Colin: So why are we talking about him?
Frank: I'm not sure.
Frank: Maybe we could chew on these palm fronds?
Colin: I think we should try eating these rock-pool creatures. These little anemones.
Frank: With fronds like these, who needs anemones?
Colin: Unfortunately, we can't guarantee that joke won't be in the show, but I reckon it'll be pretty lucky to make it to the second night.

Door Prices Adult: $32 Conc: $28 Child/Youth/Student: $28
Season Prices Adult: $28 Conc: $25 Child/Youth/Student: $25

Ballarat Light Opera Company Inc - Senior Company

The Wizard of Oz
By L. Frank Baum

'The greatest family musical ever written'

Season Dates: Wednesday 18th to Saturday 28 May.
Her Majesty's Season Night: Thursday 19 May at 8pm

With Music and Lyrics of the MGM motion picture score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg
Background music by Herbert Stothart
Book Adaptation by John Kane from the motion Picture Screenplay by arrangement with Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc.

Director: Peter Tulloch
Musical Director: Jamie Ransome
Designer: Damian Muller

Little Kansas farm girl, Dorothy Gale, and her dog Toto are blown away in a tornado and land in a fairyland named Oz, where they meet a very unusual cast of characters - the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion. Together they go on a quest along the Yellow Brick Road to see the Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City, each of them seeking what they want most in life.

The original movie turned L. Frank Baum's story into the one of the best-known and most popular of all time. Now the company that produced Sweeney Todd and Jesus Christ Superstar brings this delightful and magical story to life on stage.

Door Prices Adult: $32 Conc: $22 Child: $17 Family: $85
Season Prices Adult: $30 Conc: $20 Child/Youth/Student: $15

Ballarat Lyric Theatre Inc

Annie

Season: Thursday 23 June - Saturday 2 July
Her Majesty's Season Night: Tuesday 28 June at 8pm

Based on "Little Orphan Annie" by Harold Gray
Book Thomas Meehan
Music Charles Strouse
Lyrics Martin Charnin

Director Wendy Holgate

Annie lives in an orphanage run by the ill-tempered Miss Hannigan. Like the rest of the children, Annie doesn't like the orphanage and hates Miss Hannigan, so she's excited when famous billionaire Daddy Warbucks picks Annie as the lucky orphan who gets to spend Christmas at his mansion.

Fresh from the success of Les Miserables and Chicago, Ballarat Lyric Theatre presents this classic and heart-warming favourite, with the spunky little Annie, the eccentric Daddy Warbucks, the horrible Miss Hannigan, her cocky brother Roosters and his floozy girlfriend Lily.

Songs include "It's the Hard-Knock Life," "Tomorrow," "Little Girls," "Easy Street," and "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.".

Door Prices Adult $32 Conc $22 Child $17 Family $85 Season Prices Adult $30 Conc $20 Child/Youth/Stud $15

Malthouse Theatre

Minefields & Miniskirts

Wednesday 6 July at 8pm

Adapted and directed by Terence O'Connell from Siobhán McHugh's book
Design Catherine Raven
Lighting Design Phil Lethlean
Sound Design Rod Davies
Choreography Alana Scanlan
Director's Associate Ken Moffat

A volunteer, a journalist, a nurse, the wife of a Vietnam vet and an entertainer cross paths at an Anzac Day march during the 1980's. The women are transported back to the 1960's and early 1970's to their youthful experiences in Vietnam into a memory world where rice paddies, paper lanterns and ancient temples team with G.I's, orphaned children and constant bombardment.

Nearly a thousand Australian women played a part in the Vietnam War. Their experiences were extraordinary - and they've now been brought to life in this collage of true stories. The lives of all these women were changed forever by Vietnam. And for many of them it was the most vital and alive they had ever felt.

Minefields and Miniskirts is full of surprises. You'd expect the pain of war in this play, but you should also come prepared to laugh. No bomb ever killed the Australian sense of humour. These are the voices of those who were actually there: ordinary women revealing how they survived a war and discovered what they believed in.

Woven into the script are performances of many iconic songs of the period written by female singer/songwriters including Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Carole King, Buffy St. Marie and Melanie Safka.

Door Prices Adult $39 Conc $34 Child/Youth/Stud $20
Season Prices Adult $37 Conc $32 Child/Youth/Stud $18

Bell Shakespeare Company

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Thursday 21 July at 8pm

… how love can trifle with itself!

An outrageous story of love, friendship and marriage, The Two Gentlemen Of Verona is one of Shakespeare's earliest romantic comedies and will delight audiences with its twists and turns involving the flawed but passionate gentlemen Valentine and Proteus.

Fast moving action and a driving jazz soundtrack underpin this farce about two friends who fall in love with the same woman. Crammed with comic devices: elopement by moonlight, bandits in the forest, cunning disguises and a male friendship that is easily destroyed when an attractive woman gets in the way. The Two Gentlemen Of Verona is a short, sharp comedy poking fun at the romance genre.

Directed by Peter Evans, Bell Shakespeare again draws together an energetic cast for this entertaining classic presented with great clarity and humour. The Two Gentlemen Of Verona will surely entertain with its fun and merriment. .

Door Prices Adult $34 Conc $29 Child/Youth/Stud $20
Season Prices Adult $30 Conc $25 Child/Youth/Stud $18

Christine Harris & HIT Productions

Barmaids

Thursday 4 August at 8pm

Barmaids, a highly hilarious comedy by Australian Playwright Katherine Thomson is the story of two mature barmaids who work at The Arms Hotel in an Australian port town.

New Management at the pub puts the barmaids' jobs in jeopardy, as they see a new breed of karaoke singing, topless barmaids moving in on their territory.

Through this avenue the play looks at the challenges women face everyday in terms of relationships, love, ageing and being valued for their work.

Cast:
Genevieve Picot
Valerie Bader
Director: Gary Down

Door Prices Adult $33 Conc $28 Child $18
Season Prices Adult $29 Conc $24 Child/Stud $16

Christine Harris & HIT Productions

President Wilson in Paris

Thursday 18 August at 8pm

President Woodrow Wilson attended the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, accompanied by his second wife Edith. On the agenda were his ideas for a League of Nations to ensure the peace of the world. However, not all is as it appears.

This intriguing play by Australian playwright Ron Blair is full of twists and turns, keeping the audience entertained, amused and on the edge of their seats as it jumps between Paris and Sydney and between past and present. Blair, inspired by Alfred Hitchock, never lets the audience feel they know where the story is headed. The result is packed with intrigue, deception and surprise.

Since the play premiered in 1973, President Wilson in Paris has been produced numerous times in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. It has also been broadcast.

"You keep the audience as far away as possible from what's actually going to happen" Alfred Hitchcock

Starring
Henri Szeps
Deborah Kennedy
Henry Nixon

Door Prices Adult $34 Conc $29 Child $20
Season Prices Adult $30 Conc $25 Child/Stud $18

OzOpera

Carmen

Tuesday 23 August at 8pm

A soldier, a cigarette-factory worker, a group of smugglers and gypsies together with a bull-fighter make up the cast of one of the world's first operas to tell a story about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Carmen is the ultimate lover. Passionate, determined, strong willed and resourceful, she provides the perfect foil to the weak-minded spineless Don José.

This sizzling new production of Carmen, performed by Opera Australia's renowned touring company OzOpera, is brought to life by the same team that had audiences across Australia laughing, crying and cheering wildly with La bohème.

Richard Gill's new performing version is created by director Adam Cook (Artistic Director, State Theatre Company, South Australia) and designer Stephen Curtis (whose astonishing designs include Lulu for Opera Australia, and the film Looking for Alibrandi), and performed with members of Orchestra Victoria.

Sung in English

Conductor Patrick Miller
Director Adam Cook
Designer Stephen Curtis
Lighting Designer Gavan Swift
With musicians from Orchestra Victoria
English translation by Keith and Emma Warner
Performing version by Richard Gill .

Door Prices Adult $45 Conc $40 Child $25
Season Prices Adult $41 Conc $36 Child/Stud $22

Royal South Street Society

Herald Sun Aria Semi-Final

Thursday 15 September at 7.30pm

Her Majesty's is the venue for one of the higlights of the muscial year in Ballarat, as sixteen semi-finalists in the prestigious Herald Sun Aria compete for a place in the final. This is an opportunity to hear some of Australia's finest young singers performing at their best.

Door Prices Adult $20 Conc $17 Child/Youth/Stud $10
Season Prices Adult $17 Conc $14 Child/Youth/Stud $8

Royal South Street Society

Showcase 2004

Sunday 30 October at 7pm

A fantastic evening of song, dance and drama, shwocasing the incredible variety and artistry presented throughout the Tattersall's 2005 Royal South Street Competitions.

Door Prices Adult $20 Conc $17 Child/Youth/Stud $10
Season Prices Adult $17 Conc $14 Child/Youth/Stud $8

Christine Harris & HIT Productions

Deckchairs

Wednesday 2 November at 8pm

Deckchairs by Jean McConnell is written as five twist-in-the-tail playlets for two women, all set on a seaside promenade. They are by turns funny and poignant.

In Shoppers, two well to do shopaholics have a rather surprising secret. Cruise Missile is a comic discussion about the poeple on a cruise. Dancers wittily dissects the tea-dancing world of two skittish widows. The Guilt Card is a dramatic and emotional story of a sister's blackmail Doggies is an hilarious tale about two very different types of dog-owner. These delightful plays run for approximately fifteen minutes each.

Joan Sydney, the wonderful actress who brought so much pleasure to television audiences Australia-wide in her long-running role of Matron Sloane in A Country Practice, is paired with her sister and accomplished actress Maggie King. These two fine Australian actresses showcase their talents from comedy to drama in these touching and playful stories.

Starring Joan Sydney & Maggie King
Director - Gary Down.

Door Prices Adult $34 Conc $29 Child $20
Season Prices Adult $30 Conc $25 Child/Youth/Student $18

Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow

Thursday 21 April at 8pm

For a stand-up, in your face, knock-you-down good time, don’t miss the finest and funniest of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival live on stage in Ballarat.

Touring Australia for the seventh side-splitting year, the Roadshow line-up, featuring some of the brightest home-grown and overseas guest comedians from the 2005 Melbourne Comedy Festival, will deliver routines that promise to be slick, sophisticated, cheeky, cheesy, irreverent, endearing, engaging and outrageous.

Book your tickets now - the laughs start here.

“A crowd favourite that has audiences coming back year after year because they know the show always delivers on its promise of a night of belly-aching laughter.” Murray Pioneer

“A night of fantastic energy, laughter and enjoyment”. Barossa and Light Herald

This show may contain coarse language, sexual references and material which can offend. It is not recommended for children under the age of 15.

Door Prices: Adult $32, Concession $27, Child $18
Season Adult $28, Season Concession $23, Season Child $16

Promac Productions

The Shneedles

Wednesday 6 April at 2pm

THE SMASH-HIT OF THE MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL REGIONAL TOUR!

Onstage, a lone suitcase stands in its spotlight. The maestro appears - a wizened, scary haired crank - his twitchy, puppy like protégé in tow. As the two artists unwittingly steal the limelight from the magical valise, their simple show turns into a full-scale comic nightmare. Plates fly, inanimate objects come to life, a rubbish bin inhales a man….

Welcome to the world of The Shneedles! Wolfe Bowart and Bill Robison are The Shneedles, an extraordinary duo who combine the raw skills of Acrobat, the rapscallion absurdity of Monty Python and the comic perfection of Buster Keaton into their own unique blend of vaudeville, circus, magic, kooky music, interactive film and riotous physical comedy for audiences of all ages.

They have redefined clowning by bringing a unique combination of grace and humour to the stage as they deal with the deep subjects of life - unrequited love, death and mousetraps in your pants.

"riotous, profound and appealingly dishevelled" ROLLING STONE

"Brilliant…the best physical comedy seen in years" SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

"you will laugh and laugh at the most primitive humour, presented with a rare delicacy and precision" SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Door $13
Season $11
Groups (10+) $11

Garry Ginivan Attractions

Puff the Magic Dragon

Friday 8 July at 6.30pm & Saturday 9 July at 11am

Written by Peter Yarrow & Lenard Lipton
Used by permission of Warner/Chappell Music Australia Pty Ltd & Cherry Lane/Dreamworks Music
Publishing administered by Universal Music Publishing Pty Ltd

MORE MAGIC…MORE MUSIC…MORE FUN!

From the company that brought you Possum Magic in 2004 comes this superb children's musical - Puff The Magic Dragon. Join Little Jackie Paper and Puff, a life size dragon, on this spell-binding adventure into the Magical Land of Honnahlee.

This high energy musical has loads of fun and audience participation, with classic pantomime characters including Dame Lollipop, Sir Gallant - the fearless knight, Uncle Whacko - the zany inventor and the tail-snatching magician Mr Majeeeek!

PUFF says "Hurry, move your tail!"
JACKIE just agrees!

"10 out of 10 and a trunkload of shiny gold stars!" Sunday Herald Sun

"A roaring success!" Canberra Times

Door All tickets $16
Season $13
Groups (10) $12