November 12, 2009

Auckland Theatre Company Announces 2010 Season

Auckland Theatre Company will recreate the giddy glamour of 1930s’ Berlin in 2010 with its production of CABARET in Salon Perdu Spiegeltent, the Company’s very own Kit Kat Klub, just one of the fantastic shows Auckland Theatre Company is offering theatre lovers in 2010.

"The plays that we’re offering in 2010 reflect all that is best about the theatrical experience: great stories and great characters brought vibrantly to life by New Zealand’s finest stage talent," says Auckland Theatre Company’s artistic director, Colin McColl.

First up is Dave Armstrong’s latest work LE SUD, a wickedly revisionist satire that imagines the South Island or "Le Sud" was claimed by the French in 1838 giving rise to its hilarious and somewhat ridiculous diplomatic relationship with the English speaking North Island. Armstrong who has penned THE TUTOR, NIU SILA and KING AND COUNTRY has emerged as one New Zealand’s most original and popular satirists.

In March the Company presents Oscar Wilde’s witty and irreverent THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Set in the 1960s and starring Elizabeth Hawthorne, this production will continue Auckland Theatre Company’s reputation for revamping the classics.

"I always relish the opportunity to work with Elizabeth Hawthorne and I know she relishes the prospect of becoming the formidable Lady Bracknell – that self-acclaimed arbiter of London taste and manners," says McColl.

Ken Duncum’s HORSEPLAY is a forgotten gem of a Kiwi comedy which claims the third spot in the Company’s season. It is a wonderfully original take on literary rivalry, as two of New Zealand’s most eccentric men of letters, James K Baxter and Ronald Hugh Morrieson, clash over horses, women, booze and the nature of the creative act. Simon Bennett, a superb exponent of Duncum’s work, has been enticed away from his busy job as Head of Drama at South Pacific Pictures to whip this bloody funny beast into shape.

Tapping its way on to SKYCITY Theatre’s stage in June is Richard Harris’ prize-winning comedy STEPPING OUT, the perfect heart-warming toddy for cold winter nights. Television talent shows like X-FACTOR, NEW ZEALAND IDOL and BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT just go to show that these days practically anyone has a chance to jump on the fame train. So when the spotlight turns on Mavis Turner’s weekly tap class, excitement and sheer terror go side by side as this bunch of amateur dancers realise that potential fame is only one fabulous tap routine away. After its SKYCITY Theatre season, STEPPING OUT tours to the North Shore, Hamilton, the Hawkes Bay, Taranaki and Tauranga.

In July, wunderkind Dutch director Willem Wassenaar teams up with designer Andrew Foster for a contemporary take on Shakespeare’s enduring story of thwarted young love. Referencing photographers David LaChapelle and Anthony Goicolea, as well as Auckland’s private school culture, this ROMEO AND JULIET is Shakespeare for here and now.

Family has always been central to great American drama. The best work of Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams and Edward Albee revolves around dysfunctional domestic relationships. Now, Tracy Letts joins the club with AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, his savagely funny and compelling indictment of where the American Dream went wrong. This multi-award-winning play has been hailed as an instant classic after its sensational Broadway season and comes sixth in the season, playing in September.

Auckland Theatre Company rounds off 2010 with a divinely decadent party in Auckland’s very own Kit Kat Klub at the Salon Perdu Spiegeltent on the Eastern Viaduct. Audiences will enjoy CABARET director Michael Hurst with its unforgettable show tunes and delicious characters as never before.

As well as this theatrical feast, Auckland Theatre Company’s add-on treats like THE NEXT STAGE festival of plays in development and our YOUNG AND HUNGRY season of work for young people, will provide theatre lovers with a taste of what the future holds.

"The theatre scene in Auckland has never been so lively and we are proud to have been the city’s flagship professional theatre company for the last 18 years," says Auckland Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Colin McColl.

The 2010 season brochure can be downloaded from http://www.atc.co.nz/content/2031/ATC_Final_SUBSbrochure_D07_Web2.pdf.