PLAY TITLE: An Illustrated Talk
PLAYWRIGHT: Nick Perry (UK)
PERFORMANCE DATES AND THEATRE: February 5th-10th, Newtown Theatre
DIRECTOR: Augusta Supple
CAST: Valentino del Toro, Mary Sherman and Grant Moxom

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: I’ll tell you what this play is about, its about a man called Colin! No.. Actually its not, it’s about chickens…. No actually its about leaking taps. Actually, I have no idea…perhaps you can help me?
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BIOG INFO, CONTACTS AND LOCALITY (for writer, director & cast members):

WRITER: Nick Perry
SUBURB (or City/Country): London, England
BRIEF RESUME/CREDITS
Theatre – Arrivederci Millwall (Albany Empire, Samuel Beckett Award winner), Smallholdings (King’s Head Theatre), The Vinegar Fly (Soho Poly), Near Cricket St Thomas, 1919 (Stephen Joseph Theatre). Television – Rockliffe’s Babies (BBC), Tales of Sherwood Forest (Central TV), Clubland (BBC), Hitler’s Bomb (BBC), Nuclear Secrets (BBC). Film – Arrivederci Millwall, Tube Tales, The Escapist.

DIRECTOR: Augusta Supple
SUBURB: Petersham, Sydney
EMAIL: augustasupple@hotmail.com

BRIEF RESUME/CREDITS:’
2007
• I wrote a monthly column for Artshub called “Return to Oz” Detailing the journey returning to Australia after having a theatre career in Canada.
• I’m one of the Sydney reviewers for theatre website: www.australianstage.com.au
• Directed ”Unspoken” by Wayne Tunks for New Theatre’s 75 years celebration: Art is a Weapon”, in which my direction was described as “impressive” by www.aussietheatre.com.au
• My previous Short & Sweet Offering was “Sexual Perversity in Prague” which won the People’s Choice Award , Gala Final, 2007
• When in Canada I assistant directed Uk Director Jon Oram in a production which had 160 cast members called “The Gifts of Time”
• Artistic director of Guelph Youth Theatre 04/06

DESIGNER/ILLUSTRATOR: Barbara Jean Bryce
LOCATION: Ontario, CANADA

BRIEF RESUME/CREDITS:
Selected Design and Assistant Design Credits include:Lettice and Lovage (Guelph Little Theatre) Cinderella (Guelph Little Theatre), Emperors New Clothes (Elora Festival Childrens Theatre Camp), Tryst and Snout (James Gordon), Bell Book and Candle (Touchmark), Hard Scrabble Road (James Gordon) Alone in a Crowded Room (Short Film), Two Steps and A Glass of Water (James Gordon/Sparks of Brilliance), Gifts of Time (Guelph Community Theatre Project), 13 productions for Sue Smith’s Season Singers Theatrical Childrens Choir, 5 productions with Guelph Youth Theatre and numerous projects, events and festivals with Sonic Playground, Musical Adventures for Children.
Barb has Illustrated for “What If Magazine”and for a childrens book about whales which will be published this year.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS:

Besides playing with theatre design Barb enjoys drawing, working with stained glass and practicing Tai Chi. Barb and her husband Ricardo Ramirez live in Guelph with two fantastic grown up kids, an orange dog, an orange cat, and an organic garden.

ACTOR: Valentino del Toro

BRIEF RESUME/CREDITS
Valentino del Toro comes to the role of ‘The Lecturer’ in ‘An Illustrated Talk’ directed by Augusta Supple. With roles in Feature Films such as “To Hell and Back”, “Gabriel” and “Fools Gold” plus starring in the TV Series, Hal & Di McElroy’s “Sea Patrol” and the 2006 series of Bryan Brown’s “Two Twisted” where he starred alongside Jacqueline Mackenzie. Valentino has worked alongside some highly acclaimed directors including Richard Frankland, Shane Abbess, Andy Tennant and Chris Martin-Jones who have provided great inspiration. Recently Valentino made his directorial debut with his film “Love Always xx” starring Bel de Jersey and Ben Raglione. Theatre credits include ‘Side Serve of Shorts’ directed by Marianne Power, and dual roles in ‘As You Like It’ as the Dukes.

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ACTOR: Mary Sherman

BRIEF RESUME/CREDITS
Training:

Singer Dancer Actor – NIDA
Certificate IV Musical Theatre – Nirimba TAFE
Levels 1 & 2 Improvisation – Impro Australia
Grades 1-8 Speech & Drama – Trinity College London

Credits:

“Joseph & His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat” – Director – Penny Presents Charity Performance
“The City Of The Plains” – Mary – CSU Premier, Bob Ellis
“Return To The Forbidden Planet” – Cpt Tempest – MacKillop College
“The Gondoliers” – Inez/Ensemble” – MacKillop College
“Laughter In The Rain” – Soloist – TAFE Graduation Performance, Newtown Theatre
NIDA Showcase 2005 – Soloist – Singer Dancer Actor
Ensemble roles: “42nd Street”, “Little Shop Of Horrors”,”The Mikado”,”Bye Bye Birdie” – Carillon Theatrical Society (CTS)
Voice Overs: Publicity for Western Institute of TAFE – Radio Commercial, Telephone Answering Messages – Allans Music, Mood Media Australia Pty Ltd.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS:
Grew up in Bathurst community: the local newspaper the Advocate used to get lots of pictures of me doing particular things around the area – performing, getting scholarships, being in the Youth Council etc – they might help spread the word through country towns?

– Nirimba Education Precinct – TAFE, I attended that for Music Theatre, perhaps they’d be interested in knowing. (Sarah Matthews-Libke was in charge when I went there)

-Impro Australia might be interested? – Lyn Pierse

-I grew up on a lettuce farm – that might be a funny angle?!! My dad’s a poor lettuce farmer & we had to get out there & work at 5am each morning through our xmas holidays as well as school mornings sometimes… meaning we had a lot of time in the hot sun to explore our creative talents – farm work makes you a little crazy!!

ACTOR: Grant Moxom

BRIEF RESUME/CREDITS
Tom in ‘Away’ by Michael Gow
Roy in ‘Cosi’ by Louis Nowra
Lysander in “Midsummer Nights Dream” by William Shakespeare

2008 – Studying for a Bachelor of Arts at UNSW, majoring in Psychology & Theatre whilst working part time with computers.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS:
Manly Selective High School.
Performing as Lysander in “A Midsummers Night Dream” at Manly in Late February.

SUGGESTED PUBLICITY ANGLE FOR AN ILLUSTRATED TALK
This production, though a maximum of 10 minutes in length in its performance time, has many more hours put into it in rehearsal and preparation…. As all plays do… but this one is unique in that the creative process spans 3 continents, and 3 time zones thus: the key creatives are working on this play 24 hours a day!

Barb in Canada has been preparing sketches and providing ideas since December via the internet: scanning in illustrations, sketches and notes on the design and story.
Nick in Uk has been providing supportive and excited notes on the script and has been in contact with Augusta (Gus: the director) at least once a week. The grand orchestrator of this show is Augusta… who firmly believes, that all plays , short or full length deserve to be the best they can be… and with short and sweet, it allows you to go as big, as creative and in my case as international as I want… because this is a project which is to be enjoyed… for the actors and for all involved…