March 2005

Hannie Rayson

Hannie Rayson is recognised as one of Australia’s most significant playwrights

She is a graduate of Melbourne University and the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). A co-founder of Theatreworks, Hannie has served as writer-in-residence at the Mill Theatre, Playbox Theatre, La Trobe University, Monash University and VCA

Her first major success was Hotel Sorrento, presented by the Lieder Theatre Company in 1993. The play won several prizes including the Australian Writers Guild Award. She was the joint recipient of the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award in 1996 and has won both the Victorian and NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

Hannie’s work includes the highly acclaimed plays Life After George, Falling from Grace and Competitive Tenderness, as well as TV writing credits including Seachange.

Her latest play Two Brothers will be presented as a joint STC/MTC production later this year

Inheritance was first produced by the Melbourne Theatre Company at the Playhouse on 5 March 2003. It went on tour to Sydney later that year.

The Lieder Theatre Company will be staging the first NSW regional production of Inheritance.

Cast

The play is set in and around the fictious town of Rushton in the Mallee country of north-west Victoria.

Time is the present – with flashbacks to the 1930s.

The action of the play moves freely between the Hamilton’s house and barn, Delaney’s house, their verandah’s, yards and paddocks, Rushton’s main street and cemetery, roads into town, the Grand Hotel in Mildura and concluding in Julia Hamilton’s house in Melbourne one year later.

Production

We would like to thank everyone who helped on this production, all those who loaned properties and costumes and especially Michael Connolly Chemmart for advance ticket sales. Thankyou also to Gehls Garden Centre, Goulburn Sale Yards, Rain and Horne Real Estate, Goulburn Power Centre for loan of mower, Bobb Rudd Funerals, Wayne Apps for rigging the harness, and Goulburn Auto Wreckers for Julia’s Honda.

Phillip Brown - Nugget

Yes I would call Phillip a professional actor. Phil is an indigenous storyteller and facilitator of cultural awareness in the ACT. He is regularly employed by The National Museum of Australia to perform and is also currently working with the Canberra indigenous community to establish a local Aboriginal theatre group. Since moving to Canberra 7 years ago from Queensland Phil has run a number of community projects - one highlight being the Peace Corroboree dealing with reconciliation which he produced and directed himself.

Kathy Campbell  - Dibs

Kathy was last seen on the Lieder stage in Come Back to the five and dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and before that in the Australian comedy Hating Alison Ashley directed by Judith Boyd. In 2003 she performed in Old Time Music Hall directed by Stan Henderson. Kathy joining the Lieder in 1993 to perform in Steel Magnolias. Since then she has worked on numerous productions with Chrisjohn Hancock, John Spicer, Judith Boyd and Stan Henderson. Performances include Humpty Dumpty, The Curious Savage, Too Many Cooks, Skirmishes, Hotel Sorrento, House on the Cliff, Dinkum Assorted, On the Bridge which toured to the Czech Republic and UK in 1998, Dark of the Moon, The Farndale Murder Mystery, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Dracula, Pinocchio, Once a Catholic and Forks’n All (a feast for peace).Kathy is on the Lieder Board of Management.

Fiona Churchill – Maureen

Fiona joined the Lieder in 1995 to play in Golden Valley. Since then she has been seen in many productions including the Farndale Murder Mystery, Oliver, Hamlet, Blackrock, Under Milk Wood, Cosi, and On the Bridge where she travelled to the Czech Republic and London in 1998. In 2002 she played Mrs Swabb in Habeas Corpus and in 2003 Kate in Judith Boyd’s canine comedy Sylvia. That year she also performed in two rehearsed reading at the Theatre, The Man Who and The Vagina Monologues. Last year Fiona played the role of Mona in Come Back to the five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and the Rehearsed Reading Minefields and Miniskirts. Fiona has worked backstage as a lighting operator and is currently on the Lieder Board of Management coordinating the charity nights for mainstage productions. In her spare time she likes to ride her horses and let her hair down singing karaoke.

Oliver Doebler – ASM & Lofty Blake

Oliver is an exchange student from Germany, near Berlin, living in Goulburn until June this year. He has spent 3 months attending acrobatic workshops with the Lieder Youth Theatre Company and has just performed in their Acrobatic Fire Show for the Australian Blues Festival in Belmore Park. This is his first time on stage and assisting behind the scenes. Inheritance is drawing one his interest in cooking to prepare and present all the food props for performances.

Ann Gaul- Young Dibs

Ann studies drama in year 11 at Goulburn High School. She has been singing for seven years in choirs and at school and is currently studying 6^th grade flute. Her hobbies include playing bass guitar, indoor soccer and music. She hopes to eventually become a primary school teacher. Inheritance is her first play with the Lieder.

Bruce Gerard - Norm

Bruce was last seen on the Lieder stage wit John Spicer in the highly successful production of A Month of Sundays directed by Stan Henderson. In 2003 Bruce played Sir Percy Shorter in Habeas Corpus and the role of Mezuru in our Foyer Theatre production of La Dispute, which travelled to Tuggeranong Arts Centre for Bastilles Day performances. In 2000 he was seen in John Spicer’s production of Hamlet playing the Gravedigger and First Player. Also at the Lieder Bruce has played Mr Waldo and Butcher Beynon in our 1999 production of Under Milkwood and the King in Stan Henderson’s 1996 production of Humpty Dumpty. For the Argyle Society he has performed in The Merry Widow, Trial by Jury, Sweethearts and Pirates of Penzance.

Chrisjohn Hancock – Director

Chrisjohn has been Artistic Director of the Lieder Theatre Company since 1992. He has directed over sixty productions during that time including Away, Peter Pan, Steel Magnolias, Money and Friends, Dinkum Assorted, Hotel Sorrento, Wind in the Willows, Lord of the Flies, Dancing at Lughnasa, Cosi, Alice in Wonderland, Under Milk Wood, Blackrock, Grimm Tales, Antigone, Gathering the Dust, Summer of the 17th Doll, Oliver Twist, The Removalists, La Dispute, The Lesson, Skirmishes, Indians, Love Letters and Waiting for Godot and The Man Who. He studied acting at NIDA and has worked in professional theatre throughout Australia and in Scotland. For the Lieder Youth Theatre Company he has directed, tufff..., The Happy Prince, Rolly's Grave, Hot Chips and Gravy at the Blackhole Cafe, G’Day Mate, Hot Air, The Vision of Delight, 2 Friendly for 4 Words, Dead One Done and Ubu. Earlier productions include Old King Cole, The Eagle Has Two Heads and Jack and the Beanstalk for the Lieder, Caroline, written by Paul Paviour for the Argyle Society, Hey You, Waterhole and Peace in the Street for the Mustardseed Project, Under the Mask and The Little Prince for Coco Youth Theatre, WA, Nuclear Split for the NT Theatre in Education Team and Zigger Zagger and The Fantasticks for Territory North Theatre Company, NT.

Brian Hill - William

Brian began his performing career with the Goulburn G and S Society in South Pacific and Alice in Wonderland before joining the Lieder to perform in Dick Whittington and John Spicer’s 1975 production of Hamlet. In 1978 he moved to Sydney and did “voice over” for use in CD-ROMs and Web pages as well as recording Social History programs for School of the Air and Distance Education. He worked as assistant Stage manger for the 2000 Olympic Volunteer Training to 35,000 volunteers. In 2003 Brian won a TAFE Excellence Award as Assistant stage manager for the TAFE Quality Awards after 5 years work in this area. He created graphics for the Multimedia presentation at Sydney Theatre Companies Wharf Revue (2003). Moving back to Goulburn Brian operated lights and assisted with set building for A Month of Sundays, then coordinated costumes and stage management for the Youth Theatre production of Ubu. Since then he has performed in Old Time Musical, The Ballad of Mary Ann Brownlow and Friar Tuck in Babes in the Wood. Brian is on the Lieder Board of Management and also assists on production and administrative tasks around the theatre.

Beth Killeen – Young Girlie

Beth moved to Goulburn just over a year ago and attends Goulburn High School year 11and studies drama. She sings in the school choir and enjoys jazz, playing the piano and verse speaking. She has been studying drama at school since year 9 and hopes one day to be a drama teacher. Her other hobbies include indoor soccer, reading, running and singing. This is her first play with the Lieder.

Jessica McKerlie – Brianna

Jessica has been attending Youth Theatre classes and workshops since 2003 and has just performed in the recent Blue’s Festival Acrobatic Fire Show in Belmore Park with the Youth Theatre. Last year she performed in the Youth Theatre’s company-devised show Dead One Done and Blue’s Festival Fire Show and is thrilled that finally she has just learnt to juggle. Jessica studies visual arts and drama at Goulburn High School and plays the bagpipes in the local marching band. For the Lieder Theatre Company Jess has performed in Alice in Wonderland and Humpty Dumpty.

Peter McLaren – Musical Director/composer

Peter is an instrumental tutor in guitar and bass guitar with the Goulburn Regional Conservatorium of Music. Peter is also an examiner in guitar and bass guitar for the AMEB’s Contemporary Popular Music Course. His first show with the Lieder was the 1978 production of Dark of the Moon directed by John Spicer. He has continued his involvement with the Company as musical director and musical contributor to Catherine, Scrooge, Wind in the Willows, Golden Valley, Humpty Dumpty, Dark of the Moon (2000) Forks n’All (a feast for peace), The Beauty Queen of Leenane and Babes in the Wood. He regularly assists with sourcing sound effects and creating and recording sound scapes for Lieder productions.

Jenny Medway –Ashley

This is Jenny’s first mainstage production at the Lieder although she has been involved in the Lieder Youth Theatre since 2003 attending workshops, performing in last year’s Acrobatic fire Show and clowning for community events and in the Argyle Mall. She is currently studying drama in year 11 at Goulburn High School. Jenny performed with the Argyle Musical Society in Princess Ida last year. Her hobbies include singing, playing the piano and eating chocolate.

Doreen Mullen - Girlie

Doreen is a very active member of the Lieder Theatre Company. On stage she has performed in Dracula, Under Milkwood, Alice in Wonderland, Wind in the Willows, Skirmishes, Dark of the Moon, Grimm Tales, Gathering the Dust, G’Day Mate, On the Bridge, Oliver Twist, John Spicer’s Hamlet and our highly successful community peace festival event at St Saviour’s Fork’s n All, Stan Henderson’s magical Old Time Music Hall, The Vagina Monologues, The Man Who…, The Ballad of Mary Ann Brownlow, Minefields and Miniskirts, and Babes in the Wood. Doreen has performed in two films, The Beat Manifesto for the Australian Film and Television School and Dead Letters for Zodiac Films. Doreen prepares the Lieder tickets for each production and when not on stage she coordinates Front of House raffles. She has just had a cataract removed from one eye.

Pauline J Mullen – Julia

Pauline wears many hats at the Lieder, although her official role is as Vice President, Public Officer and coordinator of the Lieder Wardrobe department. Pauline joined the Lieder in 1992 to stage manage Peter Pan and has been an integral part of the Company ever since. She is one of the behind the scene workers who keep the theatre going, coordinating much of the production of the shows. Last year Pauline was seen on the Lieder stage in The Ballad of Mary Ann Brownlow Come Back to the Five and dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and the rehearsed reading Minefields and Miniskirts. In 2003 she played Maureen Folan in The Beauty Queen of Leenane. In 2002 she played Muriel Wicksteed in Habeas Corpus, Kate Mason in The Removalists and Hermione in La Dispute, which toured to Tuggeranong Arts Centre for Bastille Day. In 2001 she performed in John Spicer’s Hamlet, and before that played in Oliver Twist, Wind in the Willows, Dancing at Lughnasa, Under Milk Wood, Blackrock, Gathering the Dust, Dark of the Moon, On the Bridge and The Vagina Monologues. Her Foyer performances include On a Day in Summer in a Garden, Out of the Frying Pan, and The Man Who. She has worked closely with the Youth Theatre Company on their devised performances of 2 Friendly 4 Words and coordinated the costumes and the food hall for Forks’n All (A feast for Peace) at St Saviour’s Cathedral.

Marc first tripped the Lieder boards thirty years ago as a young prince and extra in that Scottish play directed by John Spicer.  The battle scene in the last act had him hooked. In 1999 he played a dock weed in On a Day in Summer in a Garden. Other productions include Dick Whittington, Scrooge, Money and Friends, Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Mr A’s amazing Maze Plays, Indians, and On the Bridge, touring to Mudgee One-Act play festival. Marc was last seen on the Lieder stage in Judith Boyd’s hilarious comedy – Sylvia in 2003. In July of that year he performed in the peace festival coordinated by the Lieder at St Saviour’s Cathedral – Forks n’All (a feast for peace)

John Spicer – Farley

John commenced his stage career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and later appeared in over 100 productions in English Repertory and on tour. A country boy at heart he left the stage for a life on the land and came to Australia with his wife, London and Broadway actress, Mary (Kimber) in what was to prove a partnership lasting 43 years. This included reviving the ailing fortunes of the Goulburn Liedertafel to became the first full-time Artistic Directors of the Lieder Theatre Company. They handed over to Chrisjohn Hancock in 1991 after 20 years and 114 productions. However, since then John has directed six plays at Lieder, appearing for the last time with Mary in On Golden Pond in August 2000. In August 2003 he played the lead in A Month of Sundays directed by Stan Henderson. In 2004 he co-wrote The Ballad of Mary Brownlow with David Cole which was the highlight production of the year performed for the Classic Winter Festival in June.

For Canberra Repertory and Tempo Theatre he directed ten productions and has had feature roles in a number of films and television series including Bodyline, The Right Hand Man, Flying Doctors, and A Country Practice

Josh Waters – Felix
Josh moved to Goulburn from Sydney eight years ago and studied drama in years 9, 10, 11 and 12. In February this year he performed in his second Lieder Youth Theatre Company Acrobatic Fire Show for the Blues Festival in Belmore Park. Partnering up with Idris Stanton and Josh Phillips to form a comedy-juggling trio called the Incredible Incas Josh provided the support act for the recent tour by Graduates of VCA Puppetry Course at the Lieder. Last year Josh performed in Away, Hating Alison Ashley, The Ballad of Mary Ann Brownlow, Dead One Done and Babes in the Wood on the Lieder mainstage. If that wasn’t enough he attended afternoon acrobatic classes and busked with the Youth Theatre at parades and community events throughout the district.

Martin Yeadon – Stage manager

Martin joined the Lieder to stage manage John Spicer’s production of Hamlet in March 2001. Since then he has worked as stage manager on Oliver Twist, Dracula, Once a Catholic, A Month of Sundays, Sylvia, Hating Alison Ashley and Forks n’All. Martin undertakes many of the production roles associated with preparing the shows for opening night and running the backstage during the season. He was part of the team who painted the Lieder Foyer and has recently helped with the rebuilding of the scene dock. Before joining the Lieder Martin was for twenty years a member of the Goulburn Gilbert and Sullivan Society. He is currently building the set for the next Argyle Society Production