WYONG DRAMA GROUP
2000 - 2009
The noble 'noughties', the first decade of the new millennium, is the sixth decade of the Wyong Drama Group. The list below contains all of the Group's productions from 2000 - 2009.
The table may take a moment to load.
WANTED, ONE BODY
By Charles Dyer
Directed by Val Stanton
Performed April 2000
Wanted One Body is set in England in the gloomy lounge of Greenacres (the home of the late Mr Barraclough). The action takes place over a winter’s afternoon and evening during the 1920s.
The play is a classic mystery of disappearing bodies, sliding panels, howls in the night and lots of laughs. It’s a comedy/thriller which will appeal to fans of both comedy and thrillers, certainly making it a play not to be missed.
The cast of Wanted, One Body (View Full-size Image)
DIRECTED BY:
Val Stanton
CAST:
MISS BARRACLOUGH - Fay Carter
MR BLUNDELL - Marc Calwell
MR NICKLEBY - Duncan Mitchell
TED JOHNSON - Andrew Stanton
MABLE - Helen Schumann
ANNE - Fiona Summerell
AGNES - Jenny Sharrock
DOCTOR BROWN - Carl Martin
MR SORELL - Peter Kocan
Bush Bash 2000
POSITIVELY VILE
By Brenda Bryant
Directed by Fay Carter
Performed 24th June 2000
The play chosen for the Bush Bash in 2000 was Positively Vile, a melodrama written by Central Coast thespian Brenda Byrant, and it was directed by Fay Carter. The date of the night was 24 June 2000.
The cast of Positively Vile (View Full-size Image)
DIRECTED BY:
Fay Carter
CAST:
CHAIRMAN - Howard Oxley
SIR JASPER - John Czerniecki
BELLE - Robert Brown
LAWRENCE - Sarah Brown
LADY MAUDE - Polly Murphy
OLD JOAN - Debbi Clarke
PLACARD MAN - Duncan Mitchell
RUNNING RIOT
By Derek Benfield
Directed by Ron Baker
Performed August 2000
Running Riot was directed by Ron Baker, and opened in August 2000.
The cast and director of Running Riot. Use the arrows to browse through the photos .
Click the images to view them full-size.
DIRECTED BY:
Ron Baker
CAST:
NICOLLETE - Jodie McSweeney
FELIX - John Czerniecki
AGNES PODMORE - Denise Pastor
BASIL TRENT - Brad Williams
BRUCHIK - Hagen Heinrich
MISS HACKETT - Jenny Sharrock
HUMPHREY PODMORE - Peter Deane
PAULINE MARYOT - Vanessa Williams
VISITOR - Simon Lee
PLAZA SUITE
By Neil Simon
Directed by Carol Jordan, Prema Carpenter & Bonnie Bryant
Performed November 2000
Plaza Suite was a collaborative effort, with three directors each taking an act of the play, and directing each one individually. However, there was no doubt that Carol Jordan (vale) was the driving force for the entire production. She took on the role of not only director of her act of the play, but the production designer, programme producer, publicity machine and injector of general energy.
The cast and directors of Plaza Suite. Use the arrows to browse through the photos . Click the images to view them full-size.
The production is well-remembered, especially by the set builders having to meet Carol's exacting standards. But it was fun.
Prema Carpenter and Bonnie Bryant also chipped in with another act each, and bingo, we had a suite of plays to open as Neil Simon's Plaza Suite.
DIRECTED BY:
Carol Jordan, Prema Carpenter & Bonnie Bryant
CAST:
KAREN NASH - Pam Campbell
SAM NASH - John Pastor
JEAN McCORMACK - Jodie McSweeney
WAITER & BORDEN EISLER- Duncan Mitchell
BELLHOP - Kyle Walbank
JESSE KIPLINGER - John Czerniecki
MURIEL TATE - Cathy DeVries
NORMA HUBLEY - Julie Bailey
ROY HUBLEY - Marc Calwell
MIMSEY HUBLEY - Nicole Price
THE ONE DAY OF THE YEAR (2001)
By Alan Seymour
Directed by Peter Deane
Performed April 2001
The play was produced in April 2001 and directed by (your current scribe) Peter Deane. I had previously presented it eleven years ago in 1990 with the same actors playing Alf and Dot Cook (Laci Weidlich and Julie Bailey). Despite the parents being able to be played by actors eleven years older, the younger roles of Hughie and Jan had to be re-cast, and this time they were played by Annishka Oska and Duncan Mitchell.
This play is dedicated in memory of Don Moran. Don played Wacka and would describe the Gallipoli Landing in such detail he would actually be in tears while doing it. It was witnessed by Alan Seymour (who actually came to see the first Saturday Matinee performance).
From left, Annishka Oska (seated), Duncan Mitchell (standing); Laszlo Weidlich; Julie Bailey and Don Moran (vale).
We were deeply saddened to learn that Don passed away within two weeks of closing night. He had been attending medical appointments in Sydney during rehearsals, and actually missed a Dress Rehearsal due to illness, but we had no idea he was that sick.
It's not all bad news, however. I'm really pleased to have given Don the chance to go out on such a high note. He put a lot of effort in to the play, and seemed to be enjoying himself, so good luck to him. It's unfortunate he didn't have the chance to perform more roles.
Use the buttons below to access the show poster, character schema, director's notes, and media releases for this production.
DIRECTED BY:
Peter Deane
CAST:
ALF COOK - Laszlo Weidlich
WACKA DAWSON - Don Moran
DOT COOK - Julie Bailey
JAN CASTLE - Annishka Oska
HUGHIE COOK - Duncan Mitchell
THE FOURTH WALL
By A. R. Gurney
Directed by Ron Baker
Performed August 2001
The Fourth Wall, by A. R. Gurney, was directed by Ron Baker in August 2001. This was billed as "A Musical Play" and included quite a few songs all written by Cole Porter.
The cast and crew of The Fourth Wall. Use the arrows to browse through the photos . Click the images to view them full-size.
DIRECTED BY:
Ron Baker
CAST:
ROGER - Marc Calwell
JULIE - Pollyanna Murphy
PEGGY - Cathy De Vries
FLOYD - Cori Hopper
Norfolk Island Drama Festival
2001
In early October 2001, Wyong Drama Group sent two plays to the Norfolk Island Drama Festival. They were Face the Music by Barry L Hillman and What's for Pudding by David Tristram. What's for Pudding was directed by Ron Baker and performed on 3 October 2001 and Face the Music directed by Fay Carter and performed on 4 October 2001.
The performers, backstage crew and accompanying partners travelled over at their own expense, but by all accounts had a wonderful time.
Whilst on the island, our intrepid investigators had a wonderful time, by all accounts. Below, you can see some photos taken of their time on the island.
Wyong Drama Group members enjoying themselves on Norfolk Island. Click the images to view them full-size.
The Drama Group members who went on the Norfolk Island tour.
Norfolk Island Drama Festival 2001
WHAT'S FOR PUDDING (2001)
By David Tristram
Directed by Ron Baker
Performed 3rd October 2001
What's for Pudding featured Bob Farmer, Julie Bailey, Stephanie Weidlich, John Czerniecki and Ron Baker himself.
Julie Bailey & Bob Farmer.
Julie Bailey, Stephanie Weidlich, Bob Farmer & John Czerniecki.
Bob Farmer, Stephanie Weidlich, Julie Bailey, John Czerniecki & Ron Baker.
Julie Bailey & Bob Farmer.
The cast of What's For Pudding. Use the arrows to browse through the photos . Click the images to view them full-size.
Ron Baker
DIRECTED BY:
CAST (in unknown roles):
Bob Farmer
Julie Bailey
Stephanie Weidlich
John Czerniecki
Ron Baker
Norfolk Island Drama Festival 2001
FACE THE MUSIC
By Barry L. Hillman
Directed by Fay Carter
Performed 4th October 2001
Face the Music featured Pollyanna Forshaw, Pam Campbell, Judith La Forest, Erin Carter, Premalata Carpenter and Debbi Clarke.
Prema Carpenter, Pam Campbell & Pollyanna Forshaw.
Pollyanna Forshaw & Pam Campbell.
Erin Carter, Pollyanna Forshaw, Pam Campbell & Prema Carpenter.
Prema Carpenter, Pam Campbell & Pollyanna Forshaw.
The cast of Face The Music. Use the arrows to browse through the photos . Click the images to view them full-size.
Fay Carter
DIRECTED BY:
CAST (in unknown roles):
Pollyanna Forshaw
Pam Campbell
Judith La Forest
Erin Carter
Premalata Carpenter
Debbi Clarke
THE LAST TANGO IN WYONG SHIRE (March 2002)
A Revue
Directed by Ron Baker
Performed March 2002
The Last Tango in Wyong Shire was produced, along with other selected pieces, for the opening of Wadalba Community School. It was directed by Ron Baker. This was an extra performance for the group to both publicise its fiftieth anniversary, and to use a potential new theatre space, in this new "Community" school.
Cast and Directors of the Revue at Wadalba Community School.
DIRECTED BY:
Ron Baker
PERFOMANCES:
The Last Tango in Wyong Shire - See programme for cast.
French Flies - A monologue read by Patricia Dunbar.
Poetry Reading - By Helen Schumann.
PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE
By Steve Martin
Directed by John Czerniecki
Performed April 2002
Cast and Crew of Picasso At The Lapin Agile.
This was presented in April 2002, and directed by that character of an actor, John Czerniecki. It was John's first foray into directing at the time, having previously acted in dozens of plays over more than a dozen years for the group.
DIRECTED BY:
John Czerniecki
CAST:
FREDDY - James Chambers
GASTON - Hagen Heinrich
GERMAINE - Ruth Jordon
ALBERT EINSTEIN - Marc Calwell
SUZANNE - Susan Reynolds
SAGOT - Michael Middlemiss
PABLO PICASSO - Cori Hopper
SCHMENDIMAN - Alan Rumsey
THE COUNTESS - Marianne Hamilton
THE WOMAN - Prema Carpenter
THE SINGER - David Rowe
Bush Bash 2002
THE LAST TANGO IN WYONG SHIRE (June 2002)
A Revue
Directed by Ron Baker
Performed June 2002
Use the buttons below to see the extra-special programme tray-mat produced as a souvenir of our third last Bush Bash. We also have the poster produced for this the Fifteenth Annual Bush Bash. The Bush Bash was held on Saturday 22 June 2002.
DIRECTED BY:
Ron Baker
CAST:
GORDON - Howard Oxley
JOYCE - Pam Campbell
MARGARET - Fiona Summerell
BERNARD - Shaun Martin
US
GOLDEN JUBILEE PRODUCTION
Pride in The Past - Stepping Out To The Future
A Revue
Co-ordinated by Julie Bailey
Directed and Written by Julie Bailey & Various Others
Performed in August 2002
Cast and Crew of Us.
This revue was in celebration of 50 years of continuous entertainment by Wyong Drama Group. The running order and programme can be accessed using the buttons below.
DIRECTED BY:
Julie Bailey & Various Others
PERFORMANCES:
50 Years Ago - Poem - Read by Helen Schumann.
Early Days Of WDG
'Holiday Eve' (1957) - Millie Sampson, Paul Blenheim, Barry Sampson, Darlene Cole, Jodie McSweeney.
Early State-Wide Festivals
'The String of Amber' (1970) - Directed by Bonnie Bryant.
With Gwen Clarke, Kathy Izzard and Pollyanna Murphy. Bonnie and Gwen were in the original cast.
'No Sex Please! It's a Luxury!' - Tribute to the great tradition of the British farce. Written by Pollyanna Murphy and Pam Campbell (2002). With Angela Bain, Nikki De Vries, Duncan Mitchell,
Denise Pastor, John Pastor and Barry Sampson.
- INTERVAL -
'WDG and the Wyong Centenary (1987) - 'The Master and the Maid' - Performed by the original cast. With Pollyanna Murphy, Laci Weidlich, Ruth Jordon and Howard Oxley.
'WDG and the Bicentenary Tribute to Peter Kocan - 'Who Do You Think You Are? (1981, 1989, 1996)' - Performed by the original cast. Pam Campbell, Susie Reynolds, Miriam Oosten and John Czerniecki.
The Art Of Coarse Acting - 'Henry V' - Duncan Mitchell, Robert Brown, Paul Blenheim and John Czerniecki.
Snippets From Macbeth (1994) - Prema Carpenter, Denise Pastor,
Nikki De Vries, Duncan Mitchell, John Pastor and Pollyanna Murphy.
Stepping Out (1997) - Emmakate de Henau, Michelle Pastor, Angela Bain, Miriam Oosten, Julie Bailey, Pam Campbell, Marc Calwell.
FINALE - Wyong Wyong
The Comedy Trio
The pressures of producing a major production for November were too much for the group, so we decided to get three directors to produce three one-act plays instead. This meant we could prepare for November in much less time than usual (I think this year we only had six weeks of rehearsals before the show went on). The three plays were Darlings, You Were Wonderful, The Dear Departed and Sandcastles on the Beach.
The cast of The Comedy Trio - a set of three one-act plays.
Performed November 2002
Access The Comedy Trio poster and programme below. If you would like to access press releases for this production, please contact us, using the appropriate button below.
The Comedy Trio
THE DEAR DEPARTED
By Stanley Houghton
Directed by Millie Sampson
CAST:
AMELIA SLATER - Cathy De Vries
HENRY SLATER - Duncan Mitchell
ELIZABETH JORDAN - Susan Reynolds
BEN JORDAN - Barry Sampson
VICTORIA - Nina Flint
ABEL MERRYWEATHER - Hagen Heinrich
The Comedy Trio
DARLINGS, YOU WERE WONDERFUL
By Derek Lomas
Directed by Millie Sampson
Prema Carpenter, Miriam Oosten and Marianne Hamilton rehearse for Darlings, You Were Wonderful. This is the highest resolution of this image available.
CAST:
JUDY - Denise Pastor
IRENE - Marianne Hamilton
VANESSA - Darlene Cole
EVE - Prema Carpenter
LESLIE - Miriam Oosten
LIZ - Nikki De Vries
VOICEOVERS - Howard Oxley & Ron Baker
The Comedy Trio
SANDCASTLES ON THE BEACH (2002)
By John McColl
Directed by Pam Campbell
Pam Campbell, Bob Farmer, Darlene Cole and Marc Calwell, from Sandcastles on the Beach. This is the highest resolution of this image available.
CAST:
BUTTER - Bob Farmer
MARGE - Pam Campbell
WESTON - Marc Calwell
TRISH - Darlene Cole
RUN FOR YOUR WIFE
By Ray Cooney
Directed by Pam Campbell
Performed April 2003
Access the programme, poster and biographical notes for Ray Cooney below. If you would like to access press releases for this production, please contact us, using the appropriate button below.
The cast of Run For Your Wife
DIRECTED BY:
Pam Campbell
CAST:
MARY SMITH - Denise Pastor
BARBARA SMITH - Cathy De Vries
JOHN SMITH - Bernie O’Brien
DETECTIVE SERGEANT TROUGHTON - Barry Sampson
STANLEY GARDNER - Howard Oxley
REPORTER - Nikki De Vries
DETECTIVE SERGEANT PORTERHOUSE - Ray Hendley
BOBBY FRANKLIN - Shaun Martin
SANDCASTLES ON THE BEACH (2003)
By John McColl
Directed by Pam Campbell
Performed June 2003
We took this to Canberra Repertory Theatre's 2003 Festival, held at the Southern Cross Club at Woden over the Queen's Birthday Long Weekend (6, 7 & 8 June 2003). I can assure you the performance was incredibly moving.
Weston was originally played by Marc Calwell when done for the Comedy Trio in 2002. He was unavailable for the tour, and his role was taken by Shaun Martin.
DIRECTED BY:
Pam Campbell
CAST:
BUTTER - Bob Farmer
MARGE - Pam Campbell
WESTON - Shaun Martin
TRISH - Darlene Cole
LIFE GOES ON
By Peggy Caine
Directed by Ron Baker
Performed August 2003
The cast, crew and action of Life Goes On. Use the arrows to browse through the photos . Click the images to view them full-size.
If you would like to access press releases for this production, please contact us.
DIRECTED BY:
Ron Baker
CAST:
MINNA - Joan Dalgleish
GABY - Julie Bailey
SOPHY - Pam Campbell
HUGH - Hagen Heinrich
SARA - Jodie McSweeney
THE FARNDALE AVENUE HOUSING ESTATE TOWNSWOMEN’S GUILD DRAMATIC SOCIETY MURDER MYSTERY
By David McGillivray & Walter Zerlin Junior
Directed by Millie Sampson
Performed November 2003
The cast and crew of "Farndale".
If you would like to access press releases for this production, please contact us.
DIRECTED BY:
Millie Sampson
CAST:
MRS. REECE (Playing RÉGINE, PATRICIA BISHOP & MRS. GOODBODY) - Pam Campbell
GORDON (Playing INSPECTOR O'RILEY) - Stuart Mortimer
FELICITY (Playing PAWN & COLONEL KING) - Ruth Jordon
AUDREY (Playing LADY DOREEN, VIOLET BISHOP & JOAN BISHOP) - Denise Pastor
THELMA (Playing DAPHNE) - Susan Reynolds
RITA (Playing ROSE BISHOP, MRS. KING & LETITIA BISHOP) - Helen Schumann
BLITHE SPIRIT (2004)
By Noël Coward
Directed by Denise Cooper
Performed April 2004
Blithe Spirit, by Noël Coward was our first show of 2004 and was directed by Denise Cooper. The show opened on 22 April 2004.
The play was first performed at the Opera House, Manchester in 1941. It is one of Noël Coward's most skillfully crafted and best loved comedies.
In the play, Charles Condomine has arranged a dinner party and séance to help him research his latest mystery book. As he says to his second wife Ruth, he wishes to meet "a real professional charlatan - a complete impostor" on which to base the lead character of his book. To this end, he invites Madame Arcati - psychic, medium, author and general eccentric - to entertain them with her "tricks of the trade".
Unfortunately for everyone, Madame Arcati's tricks work too well and an uninvited guest puts in an appearance - Charles' first wife Elvira - who has been dead for seven years!
It's the wit of Coward, his genius of combining the petty ridiculous with the dramatic, which makes this drama just perfect. Coward's practical views on the supernatural are absolutely irresistible. The play is a must for the occult believer and for the sceptic as well!
The Cast and Crew of the 2004 production of Blithe Spirit. Use the arrows to browse through the photos . Click the images to view them full-size.
The programme and poster for the production, as well as some biographical notes about Noël Coward, can be accessed below. If you would like to access press releases for this production, please contact us.
DIRECTED BY:
Denise Cooper
CAST:
EDITH - Premalata Carpenter
RUTH - Cathy Stone
CHARLES - Howard Oxley
DOCTOR BRADMAN - John Pastor
MRS. BRADMAN - Jenny Sharrock
MADAME ARCATI - Joan Dalgleish
ELVIRA - Christine Vale
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS:
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - Graham Vale
PRODUCTION MANAGER - Wendy Potter
STAGE MANAGER - Ros Ellis
DAY TRIPPERS (June 2004)
Bush Bash 2004
By Jean McConnell
Directed by Millie Sampson
Performed June 2004
Patronage for the Bush Bashes had been distinctly tapering off over the previous four or five years. In 2004 we held the seventeenth and what proved to be the LAST Bush Bash on Saturday 26 June 2004. The play chosen was Day Trippers by Jean McConnell, with Pam Campbell and Denise Pastor, directed by Millie Sampson.
Bush Bashes were originally intended to raise funds for the group. Since we have much larger houses now, we make enough money through producing the shows themselves. Our project at about this time of the year is now a Theatre Festival.
If you would like to access press releases for this production, please contact us.
