Rusty Bugles
Tue, 15 Apr 2003, 08:45 pmGreg Ross6 posts in thread
Rusty Bugles
Tue, 15 Apr 2003, 08:45 pmRusty audiences. Whilst some would argue that professional theatre doesnÂ’t need support on this site, a broader perspective would take into account the reality that many actors in amateur theatre quietly hope one day, to cross over into the professional ranks.
Don’t despair, there’s even hope for middle aged absolute beginners. Why just the other day, no lesser person than Ray Omodei offered me a role … as a boab tree! “Just stand still for a couple of hours, looking fat in the middle with nuts hanging down! You’re a natural.” But I digress.
Rusty Bugles is bloody magnificent. Quintessentially Australian and as relevant now, as it was in the late 1940s. Jake NewbyÂ’s setting and set is a stroke of pure genius and realism. To an ex cattle train driver like me, itÂ’s an authentic bush camp.
The acting is superb, with an eclectic mob of blokes, some with vast professional theatre experience and some just starting out, but hell, all of them kicked off in amateur theatre, when a Jo Marsh, a Sue Lynch, or a Gemma Gurney took a chance on them.
Humour laced with pathos, exposes the larrikin spirit and the path to a concluding powerful sense of the history that has formed our national character. The blokes are so good, I vividly remembered every mining camp and stockyard IÂ’ve ever worked, lived and camped in.
However, in spite of attention from and a deservedly superb review by Ron Banks, audience numbers are down and they are struggling to find ways to bring people into the marquee. Sound familiar? And just as with amateur theatre, the cost of advertising has now reached a prohibitive stage (no pun intended).
TheyÂ’re half way through the season and need four or five capacity audience nights. But more importantly, anyone wishing to turn pro at some stage, needs productions like this to succeed. For the sake of your craft and possible career ambitions, seize the moment, go support them and take a few friends.
I did and IÂ’m going back for another look and to learn a touch more - the thin bloke playing the scraggly eucalypt is magnificent.
Greg Ross
Don’t despair, there’s even hope for middle aged absolute beginners. Why just the other day, no lesser person than Ray Omodei offered me a role … as a boab tree! “Just stand still for a couple of hours, looking fat in the middle with nuts hanging down! You’re a natural.” But I digress.
Rusty Bugles is bloody magnificent. Quintessentially Australian and as relevant now, as it was in the late 1940s. Jake NewbyÂ’s setting and set is a stroke of pure genius and realism. To an ex cattle train driver like me, itÂ’s an authentic bush camp.
The acting is superb, with an eclectic mob of blokes, some with vast professional theatre experience and some just starting out, but hell, all of them kicked off in amateur theatre, when a Jo Marsh, a Sue Lynch, or a Gemma Gurney took a chance on them.
Humour laced with pathos, exposes the larrikin spirit and the path to a concluding powerful sense of the history that has formed our national character. The blokes are so good, I vividly remembered every mining camp and stockyard IÂ’ve ever worked, lived and camped in.
However, in spite of attention from and a deservedly superb review by Ron Banks, audience numbers are down and they are struggling to find ways to bring people into the marquee. Sound familiar? And just as with amateur theatre, the cost of advertising has now reached a prohibitive stage (no pun intended).
TheyÂ’re half way through the season and need four or five capacity audience nights. But more importantly, anyone wishing to turn pro at some stage, needs productions like this to succeed. For the sake of your craft and possible career ambitions, seize the moment, go support them and take a few friends.
I did and IÂ’m going back for another look and to learn a touch more - the thin bloke playing the scraggly eucalypt is magnificent.
Greg Ross
Re: Rusty Bugles
Fri, 18 Apr 2003, 11:48 pmWalter Plinge
Holidaying from Sydney, 3 of us turned up at the door at 7:15pm for Rusty Bugles last night (Wed Apr 17) and got the best tickets in the house (front row middle). All of us thoroughy enjoyed the performance for it's great script, acting & venue. It got a great response from the small audience. We were particularly impressed with the actors warmup which involved a very vocal jogging session around the Esplanade and Bell Tower just prior to the show.
Continuing on from Grants discussion.
I wonder why the Hole in the Wall did not use it?
Maybe their is the opportunity for this website to market itself more effectively on an ongoing basis to the Professional Theatre community.
It should be on the publicity list of every Australian Arts event organisation. Especially since advertising is free. Can this site be enhanced further in any way to help promote professional theatre in Perth since they both depend on each other to a certain extent.
Being a WAAPA graduate in Arts Management (1998 but not currently working in the Arts/Entertainment Industry) I wonder how many of the current Arts Mgt students and Graduates are aware of this site and use it in their marketing and other roles that they undertake during the course or in employment after the course. Is there a mailing list for Arts Workers/Managers/Organisations to subscribe to that can be used to ongoing communications about what this site has to offer to them as it evolves.
The relationship between community and professional theatre is an interesting one. With the dependence of professional theatre on community theatre possibly far greater than the dependence of community theatre on professional theatre.
The challenge is for professional theatre to harness the community theatre scene more. How about something like attempting to organise a community theatre night for a preview performance with a party on stage after the play?
From my experiences in community theatre in Perth last century many community theatre actors are time poor when it comes to finding time to go to professional events.
Sounds like an opportunity for an arts research grant if someone has not already researched this and made recommendations in recent times??
Maybe this or part of needs reposting in a different area for the discussion to continue
Continuing on from Grants discussion.
I wonder why the Hole in the Wall did not use it?
Maybe their is the opportunity for this website to market itself more effectively on an ongoing basis to the Professional Theatre community.
It should be on the publicity list of every Australian Arts event organisation. Especially since advertising is free. Can this site be enhanced further in any way to help promote professional theatre in Perth since they both depend on each other to a certain extent.
Being a WAAPA graduate in Arts Management (1998 but not currently working in the Arts/Entertainment Industry) I wonder how many of the current Arts Mgt students and Graduates are aware of this site and use it in their marketing and other roles that they undertake during the course or in employment after the course. Is there a mailing list for Arts Workers/Managers/Organisations to subscribe to that can be used to ongoing communications about what this site has to offer to them as it evolves.
The relationship between community and professional theatre is an interesting one. With the dependence of professional theatre on community theatre possibly far greater than the dependence of community theatre on professional theatre.
The challenge is for professional theatre to harness the community theatre scene more. How about something like attempting to organise a community theatre night for a preview performance with a party on stage after the play?
From my experiences in community theatre in Perth last century many community theatre actors are time poor when it comes to finding time to go to professional events.
Sounds like an opportunity for an arts research grant if someone has not already researched this and made recommendations in recent times??
Maybe this or part of needs reposting in a different area for the discussion to continue
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