WYONG DRAMA GROUP
1980 - 1989
Below are the Wyong Drama Group's Productions from their fabulous fourth decade.
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THIS FRACTURED CENTURY
A Revue
By Julie Bailey, Pollyanna Forshaw, Linda Fletcher & Various Others
Directed by Julie Bailey, Pollyanna Forshaw and Linda Fletcher
Performed August 1987
This was quite a l-a-r-g-e revue commissioned to celebrate Wyong's Centenary. The direction was mainly the job of Julie Bailey, who came up with the whole idea for the show, but she was also assisted by Linda Fletcher and Pollyanna Forshaw (Murphy). The writing credits were also shared by Gwen Clarke, Ruth Jordon, Laszlo Weidlich and Howard Oxley.
The revue's basis was a journey (perhaps on a steam train) through Wyong's first one hundred years. Certain events were picked out to be dramatised, such as the first train arrival, dances at the boatsheds, barbershop quartets, conscription protests, the opening of the racecourse, the Charleston, the depression, the opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge, the coming of radio, the age of musicals, television, hippies, the rise of women in business, and the America's Cup.
The finalé was a musical number to the tune of New York, New York! (although we sang Wyong, Wyong!)
DIRECTED BY:
Julie Bailey, Pollyanna Forshaw & Linda Fletcher
PERFOMANCES:
CAST (in unknown roles):
Linda Andrew
Julie Bailey
Yvonne Berry-Porter
Karen Britton
Linda Fletcher
Dianne Haber
Mylene Hobman
Ruth Jordon
Margaret McGowan
Maxine Morris
Pollyanna Murphy
Alexa Quinn
Roslyn Sell
Peter Deane
James Fletcher
Dennis Hall
Jamie Lyons
Carl Martin
Ray Noonan
Howard Oxley
Robert Price
Ian Wagstaff
Laci Weidlich
Megan Bambrick
Rachel Fletcher
Sky Murphy
Sophie Murphy
Nathan Sell
Nicole Sell
Christine Sell
MUSICIANS:
Peter Deane, Denis Giles & Joan Sutton
1880's: Train arrives
1890's: Boatshed Dances
1900's: Barber Shop Quartet
1910's: Conscription Referendum Ballot 1916, Racecourse Opens
1920's: Charleston Era.
1930's: Depression, Bridge openings
1940's: Era of radio and World War Il.
- INTERMISSION -
1950's: Age Of Musicals And Television.
1960's: Hippie Happenings .
1970's: Rise Of Women In Business.
1980's: Arnerica's Cup, Centenary Of Wyong.
DEATHTRAP
By Ira Levin
Directed by Clive Gibson
Performed November 1987
This very popular thriller was also made into a movie with Christopher Reeve (Superman) and Michael Caine (The Italian Job). WDG's production was directed by Clive Gibson, who had to step into the role of Clifford in the final week of rehearsal, due to a cast member pulling out. It was a very popular and well-attended play opening in early November 1987.
The play has a large number of twists and turns. A has-been playwright (Sidney Bruhl) who is lecturing at the local university is visited by a student (Clifford Anderson) who has written a brilliant play. They use the circumstances of rehearsing it to scare Sidney Bruhl's wife to death. Eventually, Sidney tries to pinch the entire play from Clifford, present it as his own work, and nearly gets away with it!
DIRECTED BY:
Clive Gibson
CAST:
SIDNEY BRUHL - Brendan Duhigg
MYRA BRUHL - Pollyanna Murphy
CLIFFORD ANDERSON - Clive Gibson
HELGA TEN DORP - Lisa Hill & Roslyn Sell
PORTER MILGRIM - Ray Noonan
WDG JUNIORS
CINDERELLA
A Pantomime
By Betty Astell
Directed by Linda Fletcher, Maxine Morris and Ian Wagstaff
Performed December 1987
Due to a large number of junior members at this time, WDG Secretary, Linda Fletcher started up a WDG Juniors section with the help of some younger members, Maxine Morris and Ian Wagstaff. The production they chose to do (after a mere five weeks rehearsal) was the pantomime Cinderella.
DIRECTED BY:
Linda Fletcher, Maxine Morris &
Ian Wagstaff
CAST:
CINDERELLA - Sky Murphy
STEPMOTHER - Amanda Millard
HENRIETTA - Oliver Weidlich
ERMATRUDE - Matthew Birch
PAGE 1 - Sophie Murphy
PAGE 2 - Jason Belgre
GYPSY - Stephanie Weidlich
FLOWER SELLER - Rachel Fletcher
FAIRY GODMOTHER - Emma Johnson
KING - Jamie Fletcher
QUEEN - Melanie Currie
PRINCE CHARMING - Damien White
PAGE 3 - Sally Peach
BLUEBIRD - Stephen Belgre
VILLAGERS - Heidi White & Other Cast
NARRATOR & VILLAGER - Kellie Belgre
THE HAPPY APPLE
By Jack Pulman
Directed by Pollyanna Murphy
Performed April 1988
This was an interesting play by Jack Pulman that was actually made into a seven-episode television series by Thames Television in 1983, which got a run on the ABC.
The April 1988 production was originally planned to be the musical Lock Up Your Daughters but unfortunately, due to cast members pulling out, it was cancelled, leaving about 6 weeks of preparation for this play.
Pollyanna Forshaw (Murphy) stepped into the breach and offered to direct The Happy Apple. Polly hadn't actually seen the TV show, nor had anyone else in the cast other than Peter Deane.
The play tells the story of Murray, Maine and Spender, an advertising agency of little importance until they discover that their secretary, an under-educated girl called Nancy, has the ability to express exactly what the "person-in-the-street" is feeling.
Instead of having to survey hundreds of people, all they need to do is ask Nancy, and the answer is as good as any (very expensive) survey. If there is an angle they are looking for to promote any product, Nancy can give it to them.
Due to their business success, the agency moves into new premises (calling for quite an intricate set-change after the first Act), and makes a lot of money for Mr Murray the managing partner.
Unfortunately, as a result of her newly-found fame, Nancy becomes educated, starts to read Pelicans, Penguins and Puffins, and loses her gift.
The theme music for the production was Beethoven's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, which was repeated frequently throughout the play, and was the intro and out-tro for the TV series, with lyrics.
DIRECTED BY:
Pollyanna Murphy
CAST:
NANCY GRAY - Linda Fletcher
GEORGE PORTER - Mathew Murray & Dean Joyce
TOM LUGGER - Dean Joyce
EDWARD KENILWORTH- Peter Deane
CHARLES MURRAY - Carl Martin
HAROLD BASSINGTON - Laszlo Weidlich
ANTHEA SPENDER - Julie Bailey
FREDDIE MAINE - Yvonne Berry-Porter
MRS. WHEELER - Margaret McGowan
COMRADE IVANOV - Ray Noonan
Bicentennial Bush Bash
LADY CHATTERLEY'S BUNYIP
By Peter Kocan
Directed by Maxine Morris
Performed August 1988
This is an interesting romp about nothing in particular, with protestors complaining about filth in the theatre (the Society for Stamping Out The Objectionable - SSOTO) and a group of performers led by director Cecile B de Millipede determined to be artistic. It includes typical pantomime roles from Matilda, Percy, Captain Moonlight and Professor Arabella Dogtrap. (Not THE Arabella Dogtrap? No! The other one!).
It was written by our resident playwright Peter Kocan, and directed by Maxine Morris on Saturday 20 August, 1988 as part of our Bi-Centennial Bush Bash.
This was to be our FIRST Annual Bush Bash of a total of seventeen. The last Bush Bash was held in June 2004.
DIRECTED BY:
Maxine Morris
CAST:
CECIL B. DE MILLIPEDE (DIRECTOR) - Peter Kocan
MATILDA - Ruth Jordon
PERCY - Shawn Rix
CAPTAIN NIGHTLIGHT - Laci Weidlich
PROFESSOR ARABELLA DOGTRAP - Julie Bailey
BESSIE - Linda Fletcher
BERTHA - Pollyanna Murphy
SIR CHESTER BULLION - Howard Oxley
HENCHMAN STENCH - Ian Wagstaff
BUNYIP - Maxine Morris
TELEGRAM BOY - Oliver Weidlich
S.S.O.T.O (SOCIETY FOR STAMPING OUT THE OBJECTIONABLE) - Ray Raucher, Gwen Clarke & Margaret McGowan
BUSHRANGERS - Jamie Fletcher & Nathan Sell
WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
By Edward Albee
Directed by Clive Gibson
Performed October 1988
This was produced in October 1988 by Wyong Drama Group to mark the opening of Laycock Street Theatre by invitation from Don Craig. It was directed by Clive Gibson, and featured Pollyanna Forshaw (Murphy), Brendon Duhigg, Adrian Adam and Ruth Jordon.
In the play, Martha and George (originally played by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in the movie) have a strange relationship and play funny games with each other. When they invite Nick and Honey around one evening for dinner, they continue playing their games. It seems Nick and Honey are just as good as Martha and George at "game-playing", and are not at all shocked by their machinations. In fact, they go that little bit further, much to the surprise (and shock) of George and Martha.
DIRECTED BY:
Clive Gibson
CAST:
MARTHA - Pollyanna Murphy
GEORGE - Brendon Duhigg
NICK - Adrian Adam
HONEY - Ruth Jordon
BOEING BOEING
By Marc Camoletti and Beverley Cross
Directed by Ray Noonan
Performed November 1988
Boeing Boeing was produced in November 1988. It was directed by Ray Noonan and introduced David Hobbs to Wyong Drama Group. David went on to direct a number of notable productions for the group in the 90s, and also for Woy Woy Little Theatre.
The play is a typical English farce, where an airline pilot loves his air hostesses to the extent that he is actually courting three of them at the same time - one from America, one from England, and one from France. Everything is okay as long as they are never in the same city at the same time, of course.
Thanks to airline schedules, this has always been the case. I think you can guess what happens, however. The machinations involved in attempting to hide two girls from the other one keeps the pilot and his best friend quite busy indeed.
In the original London performance the main roles were played by Leslie Phillips and Patrick Cargill.
The show opened on 4th November 1988 and closed on 12th November. All shows were at 8pm and, as was the custom at this period, there were no matinees.
DIRECTED BY:
Ray Noonan
CAST:
JANET - Julie Bailey
BERNARD - David Hobbs
BERTHA - Janice Barber
ROBERT - Howard Oxley
JACQUELINE - Pollyanna Murphy (Forshaw)
JUDITH - Lisa Hill
KID STAKES
By Ray Lawler
Directed by Peter Deane
Performed May 1989
This play is the first in the "Doll Trilogy" of Kid Stakes, Other Times and Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, all of which were directed by Peter Deane, uncannily, over a period of seventeen years. This play was initially chosen because it was on the NSW H.S.C. reading list and therefore, it was thought, would bring in a new audience of high school students.
A handful ended up attending, but it was not a substantial number. In fact, we also promoted this to local nursing homes and a couple brought along bus-loads, so we actually managed to attract an audience from the opposite end of the scale we were attempting to woo!
The play is set in the 1930s, and in it, the main characters of The Doll - Roo, Barney, Olive, Emma and subsequently, Nancy (who is missing in The Doll), first meet, and the foundation is laid of the annual summer pilgrimage of the canecutters to Melbourne. It is basically the love-story of Roo and Olive, the couple we know tragically break up seventeen years later. Contrary to most prequels, Ray Lawler wrote The Doll in 1953, and the first two plays in 1973-1974, nearly twenty years AFTER the concluding chapter.
The show programme below also includes some trivia questions concerning the entire 'Doll' trilogy!
DIRECTED BY:
Peter Deane
CAST:
BUBBA RYAN - Rachel Fletcher
DICKIE POUNCETT - Mathew Murray
EMMA LEECH - Robyn Byles
OLIVE LEECH - Joanne Plowright
NANCY WELLS - Ruth Jordon
BARNEY IBBOT - Shawn Rix
ROO WEBBER - Adrian Adam
Bush Bash 1989
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? (1989)
By Peter Kocan
Directed by Maxine Morris
Performed June 1989
The Cast and Director of Who Do You Think You Are? (1989) for the 1989 Bush Bash: Maxine Morris, Laszlo Weidlich, Julie Bailey, Carl Martin, Wyn Armstrong, Roz Sell, Lorrae Kerkhoff and Peter Kocan
This play has been produced by Wyong Drama Group in 1981, 1989, 1996 as well as a cut-down version at the "Us" 50th Anniversary revue (2002). It's quite an old chestnut about a man prone to auto-suggestive interpretations, who can change personality at the drop of a hat. ("Ah, you must be the vicar??").
It was directed by Maxine Morris for the Bush Bash this year (i.e. one night only) and was performed on 29 July 1989. This was to be the second-ever Bush Bash and featured the band The Lantana Brothers.
Unfortunately we have no programme for this one in the archives, in fact, possibly one was not produced. However, if you find a programme for this production, we would be grateful if you could contribute a copy to our archive, by Contacting Us.
However, the poster for the Bush Bash was saved and can be accessed below.
DIRECTED BY:
Maxine Morris
CAST:
LADY BUFFINGTON - Julie Bailey
AMELIA - Lorrae Kerkhoff
DORIS - Roz Sell
THE STRANGER - Peter Kocan
THE VICAR - Laszlo Weidlich
MAN IN THE WHITE COAT - Carl Martin
BRUSH WITH A BODY (1989)
By Maurice McLoughlin
Directed by Howard Oxley and Julie Bailey
Performed November 1989
This was a reprise from 1978 and collaboratively directed by Howard Oxley and Julie Bailey. In it a chimney sweep dislodges a body leading to misunderstandings and surprise. It has a cast of eleven.
