Carly Ogborne from Weekend Notes saw the show on opening night and said:

Ah, the Victorians. The history books portray them as puritanical wowsers, but on closer examination you’ll see that they indulged in the same sins and vices as modern day society. They were just better at hiding it.

It’s this hypocrisy that makes for a humorous examination in Front Row Theatre’s latest production, Wilde Life. Using quotes from the work of the Victorian era’s most prolific writer, Oscar Wilde, scriptwriters Anne Grant, Julie Bray and Sue Gough have created an entertaining and witty satire.

The rest of the review can be found here on the Weekend Notes website.

Mark Theodossiou from Australian Actors Network was also in attendance on opening night and had this to say:

Romantically colorful and philosophically humorous as the cast parody beautiful birds in fantasia like costumes in the latest Front Row Theatre’s production of Anne Grant, Julie Bray & Sue Gough’s ‘Wilde Life’, from the works of Oscar Wilde. A contrast of Victorian culture and animated courtship exploring the trials and tribulations of love and romance, while poking innocent fun at marital expectations.

Sonny Clarke from Aussie Theatre attended last Saturday night:

The cast were delightful with standout performances from the multi–talented Julie Bray as the ageing hen, and Ruth Lyons as the breeding hen. Laura Meldon was also marvellous as the juvenile male as he pursued his love interests (himself and the lovely Rosanna Brennan) and Laura also gets the prize for the best delivery of a Wilde one–liner inducing a bursting cackle from the audience. Ed Bone’s ‘mature cock’ erred a little too far on the side of camp but was never–the–less an enjoyable and (at times) creepy old cock!

Production design was well done with a fitting sound track and of course fabulous, award winning costuming by Anne Grant – the bustles proved hilarious characters of their own.

This weekend is your last chance to see Wilde Life before it heads to the Adelaide Fringe (to be performed at the Adelaide Zoo!) – book online, email or by phone 0488 011 219.

Amazing imagery for Wilde Life

Big thanks also go to Michelle Hawcroft, our graphic designer, who was able to take the image and complement it with text for the poster design.

The story – “A Dowager hen, her juvenile charge and a posturing old cock… a study of a species in its habitat – its breeding, management and methods of most un-natural selection.”

Front Row audiences are in for a treat as after our season it will be appearing at the at the Adelaide Zoo in March as part of the Adelaide Fringe.

Tickets are $18 (adult) and $13 (Concession) and available to be purchased securely through our Online Booking page or can be reserved by email to bookings@frontrow.org.au or by phone on 0488 011 219.

Direction & Design – Anne Grant

Writers – Anne Grant, Julie Bray & Sue Gough

Composer/Arranger   – Stephen Cronin

Choreographer – Fiona Berehulak

Winner best design award  Beenleigh  Theatre  Festival 2011 Winner best design award Trans Tasman Theatre Festival 2011

What the critics have said:

Wilde Life

“Completely out of the box, in so many ways! To take Wilde’s words and to revive them in such a comic vein would have been much appreciated by Wilde himself.”

“A fabulous idea. Absolutely impressed by the originality and the insight”

“Completely original, insightful and compelling.”

“Wonderful images, the artistic nature of the pictures created ……concept amazing.”

“Delightful to look at, enjoyable and very entertaining, an outstanding and astonishingly beautiful  production.”

“Costumes brilliantly conceived and executed, stage set elegantly studied and so suitable.”

“Very skilfully played.”

Our 2011 season came to end on Saturday October 29.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made another successful season of shows possible. From the people whose work you see on the stage (writers, directors, actors, stage managers, set builders, set designers, costume designers, lighting and sound operators) to those people who operate largely in the background (publicists, programme & poster designers, front of house ticket desk people, the keepers of the website) it would not be possible without the huge commitment of time and effort.

We’d also like to thank all the theatre lovers who came to our shows this year; we hope to see you all back again in 2012.

Uppity role demands best

The article features Diane O’Beirne, who plays the “stuck-up and stubborn” Miss ffoliot-ffoulkes, discussing her character. Diane also sums up the play succinctly with “It’s about socialistes going on a steamer through the Nile. Without giving too much away, there’s a string of murders that take place on the boat. It’s all very mysterious.” Rod Lumer, who plays Dr Hugh Taylor, was also interviewed and commented on the production and how it is a community event.

The interview can be downloaded here.

Go to our booking page to ensure you have your ticket to Murder on the Nile.

Book now!

Susan Hetherington who is a regular on ABC 612 Spencer Howson’s breakfast program attended and reviewed the show. She gave us a glowing review which can be heard at the link below.

Breakfast with Spencer Howson on ABC 612 (Featuring Susan Hetherington)

Bookings are essential for our ever popular Christie plays. We now offer online payment at our Bookings Page or you can email us at bookings@frontrow.org.au or call on 0488 011 219.

The not so mysterious appeal of Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie’s surfing secret revealed – from the Guardian (29 July 2011) – Christie and her husband on a world tour become two of the first Brits to stand up whilst surfing.
Why Miss Marple Matters – from Persephone (September 8, 2011) – Reaction to the news that Disney is going to recast Miss Marple in a younger vein.
On the trail of Agatha Christie – from the Guardian (1 October 2010) – Photo gallery of the Agatha Christie festival in Torquay, UK. Love the deckchairs!

Please drop us a line if you find any great articles that we should share with our audience and don’t forget to book now for Murder on the Nile!

Based on Agatha Christie’s 1937 novel Death on the Nile, the play follows newlyweds Simon Mostyn and Kay Ridgeway on their honeymoon on the Nile. Throw in Simon’s former love, Jacqueline, who, during the course of the voyage, works herself into a state of hysteria and shoots at Simon. She only wounds him in the knee but a short time later Kay is shot dead. In various film and television versions, Hercule Poirot solves the mystery but in Christie’s original play it is Kay’s guardian, Canon Pennefather, who turns detective. Christie whodunnits are perennial favourites with Front Row Theatre audiences and director Dierdre Robinson brings us this year‘s offering.

It’s a great way to ease into the silly season – especially now that newly refurbsihed Hamilton Hall has AIR CONDITIONING! We also now offer our patrons the opportunity to book and pay online at our Booking Page. Bookings essential for this always popular tradition!

When – Opening Sat 1 Oct at 7.30pm; Friday and Saturday nights till 29th October at 7.30pm; Matinees on Saturday 8th and 22nd October at 2pm.

Madwoman of Chaillot

Front Row Theatre is pleased to support 3B Production’s one off performance of an excerpt of Jean Giraudoux’s Madwoman of Chaillot. This is a chance to see the preview of an entry for the Trans Tasman One Act Play Festival held by the Norfolk Amateur Theatrical Society Inc. The play is directed by Anne Grant who is the designer of the fabulous costume and set for Murder on the Nile as well as starring Front Row regular Julie Bray in the title role of the Madwoman of Chaillot.

The performance is on Friday 23rd September at 7:30pm at Hamilton Town Hall, Corner Racecourse Road and Rossiter Parade, Hamilton. For further information email 3B Productions.

Front Row's latest production

Ben Carey from Weekend Notes in Brisbane saw the show recently and gave it an excellent review (which can be found here).

Once again our excellent director and cast have been praised –

The director, Rena Clark, has done a wonderful job assembling a large and talented cast and bringing the best out of them. Samantha Lan is hilarious as Mertyl, the overly exuberant Christian youth, Victoria Wimsett is great as Fiona, the promiscuous young lady with anger problems and Amelia Batch is right on the money as the tom boy Maxine, whose favourite pastime is tagging trains with her spray can.

Ben finishes his review by summarising the key elements of the play –

The play is delightfully long at just over two hours, with a twenty minute intermission. It’s funny, sad, and does make you think about several contemporary issues in society, but at the end of the day it is a bit of light-hearted fun.

This weekend (Friday 26th and Saturday 27th at 7:30pm) marks the final two performances of this truly original, locally written and produced play so don’t miss your chance to see it! Bookings essential – all the information is at our bookings page.