The Dismissal (musical)

Last updated

The Dismissal
MusicLaura Murphy
LyricsLaura Murphy
Book Blake Erickson and Jay James-Moody

The Dismissal is a musical with book by Blake Erickson and Jay James-Moody and music and lyrics by Laura Murphy. Dubbed "an extremely serious musical comedy", it is a satirical depiction of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. [1] [2]

The Dismissal had a work-in-progress presentation at the Seymour Centre in 2019. [3] It was scheduled to premiere as a Sydney Theatre Company and Squabbalogic co-production, performing at the Canberra Theatre from 9–24 October 2021 and the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre from 29 October to 18 December 2021. [4] However, the production was cancelled in August 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. [5]

Now as a Squabbalogic production, the musical premiered at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre in September 2023 to generally positive reviews. [6] [7] The production is scheduled to run until 21 October 2023. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gough Whitlam</span> Prime Minister of Australia from 1972 to 1975

Edward Gough Whitlam was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975. He held office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), of which he was the longest-serving. He was notable for being the head of a reformist and socially progressive administration that ended with his removal as prime minister after controversially being dismissed by the governor-general of Australia, Sir John Kerr, at the climax of the 1975 constitutional crisis. Whitlam is the only Australian prime minister to have been removed from office by the governor-general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Whitlams</span> Australian rock band

The Whitlams are an Australian Indie rock band formed in late 1992. The original line-up was Tim Freedman on keyboards and lead vocals, Andy Lewis on double bass and Stevie Plunder on guitar and lead vocals. Other than mainstay Freedman, the line-up has changed numerous times. From 2001 to 2022, he was joined by Warwick Hornby on bass guitar, Jak Housden on guitar and Terepai Richmond on drums – forming the band's longest-lasting and best-known line-up. Four of their studio albums have reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 20: Eternal Nightcap, Love This City, Torch the Moon and Little Cloud. Their highest charting singles are "Blow Up the Pokies" and "Fall for You" – both reached number 21. The group's single, "No Aphrodisiac" was listed at number one on the Triple J Hottest 100, 1997 by listeners of national radio station, Triple J. In January 1996 Stevie Plunder was found dead at the base of Wentworth Falls. Andy Lewis died in February 2000.

Genevieve Lemon is an Australian actress and singer who has appeared in a number of Australian television series and international film, including a frequent collaboration with Jane Campion for Academy Award-winning The Piano (1993) and The Power of the Dog (2021), which earned her a Satellite Award as cast member and a Critic's Choice Awards nomination. In television Lemon is best known as Zelda Baker in The Young Doctors, Marlene "Rabbit" Warren in Prisoner and Brenda Riley in Neighbours.

<i>Little Shop of Horrors</i> (musical) 1982 horror comedy rock musical by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman

Little Shop of Horrors is a horror comedy rock musical with music by Alan Menken and lyrics and a book by Howard Ashman. The story follows a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The musical is loosely based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors. The music, composed by Menken in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, "Skid Row (Downtown)", "Somewhere That's Green", and "Suddenly, Seymour".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theatre of Australia</span> Overview of theatre in Australia

Theatre of Australia refers to the history of the live performing arts in Australia: performed, written or produced by Australians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Carroll (actor)</span> Australian actor

Peter John Carroll is an Australian actor and the father of actress Tamsin Carroll.

<i>The Venetian Twins</i> (musical) Musical

The Venetian Twins is an Australian two-act musical comedy. It was adapted from a commedia dell'arte play - I due gemelli veneziani by Carlo Goldoni - and the lyrics were written by Nick Enright; the music was composed and arranged by Terence Clarke.

James Millar is an Australian actor, singer and writer. He wrote the musical drama The Hatpin, the song cycle LOVEBiTES and co-wrote the semi-autobiographical musical A Little Touch of Chaos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Simpson-Deeks</span> Australian actor

Nick Simpson-Deeks is a NIDA-trained Australian actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his portrayal of Archie McMahon in the SBS drama series The Circuit, Rhys Mitchell in Seven Network's Winners & Losers, and James King in the Amazon Original crime series Deadloch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Hocking</span> Australian political science writer and researcher

Jennifer Jane Hocking is an Australian historian, political scientist and biographer. She is the inaugural Distinguished Whitlam Fellow with the Whitlam Institute at Western Sydney University, Emeritus Professor at Monash University, and former Director of the National Centre for Australian Studies at Monash University. Her work is in two key areas, counter-terrorism and Australian political biography. In both areas she explores Australian democratic practice, the relationship between the arms of government, and aspects of Australian political history. Her research into the life of former Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam uncovered significant new material on the role of High Court justice Sir Anthony Mason in the dismissal of the Whitlam government. This has been described as "a discovery of historical importance". Since 2001 Hocking has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lionel Murphy Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keegan Joyce</span> Australian actor and singer (born 1989)

Keegan Joyce is an Australian actor and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seymour Centre</span> Performing arts centre at the University of Sydney

The Seymour Centre is a multi-purpose performing arts centre within the University of Sydney in the Australian city of Sydney. It is located on the corner of City Road and Cleveland Street in Chippendale, south-west of the city centre, in the City of Sydney local government area.

<i>Once</i> (musical) 2011 musical

Once is a musical based on the 2007 film of the same name by John Carney. Like the film, music and lyrics were by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, including the Academy Award-winning "Falling Slowly". The book for the musical was written by Enda Walsh. The musical premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2011, before transferring to Broadway in 2012. The production received eleven 2012 Tony Award nominations, and won eight including Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Book. The musical also won the 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. It has since spawned a London production, with a North American Tour which started on 1 October 2013. In the musical, the cast also serves as the orchestra. A minimalist set is used, including a bar in center stage with chairs lining stage left and right. Exiting cast members simply step to the side of the stage and sit down. They serve as the orchestra from these chairs. The bar is used before the show and at intermission as a working bar for theater patrons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Blair (director)</span> Indigenous Australian actor

Wayne Blair is an Australian writer, actor, and director. He was on both sides of the camera in Redfern Now, and directed the feature film The Sapphires. He played a prominent role in the 2021–2024 drama series Total Control.

<i>Ladies in Black</i> Musical by Tim Finn

Ladies in Black is an Australian musical with music and lyrics by Tim Finn and book by Carolyn Burns, based on the 1993 novel The Women in Black by Madeleine St John.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowan Witt</span> Australian actor

Rowan Witt is an Australian film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for starring in The Book of Mormon, Hamilton, Totally Completely Fine, She Loves Me,Dogfight, Gloria, Into The Woods, South Pacific, Home and Away, and The Matrix.

<i>Six</i> (musical) British musical comedy

Six is a British musical comedy in the style of a pop concert. Its music, book, and lyrics were written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. It is a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, presented in the form of a singing competition. In the show, each of the wives take turns telling their story to determine who suffered the most from their shared husband.

Andrew Cutcliffe is an Australian film, television and theatre actor.

Duke of Edinburgh Assassinated or The Vindication of Henry Parkes is a 1971 Australian play written by Bob Ellis and Dick Hall. It followed Ellis' successful The Legend of King O'Malley.

CIA involvement in the Whitlam dismissal is an allegation that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved in the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, which culminated in the dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.

References

  1. Low, Lenny Ann (12 December 2022). "What's the song and dance about The Dismissal?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  2. "THE DISMISSAL: AN EXTREMELY SERIOUS MUSIC COMEDY announces key cast | News". AussieTheatre.com. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  3. "The Dismissal Cast Announced | Stage Whispers". www.stagewhispers.com.au. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  4. "Sydney Theatre Company announces Act 2 of its 2021 season". Limelight. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  5. Cerabona, Ron (5 August 2021). "It's not yet time for The Dismissal". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  6. Smee, Charlotte (6 September 2023). "★★★★☆: This new musical about the sacking of Gough Whitlam is an Aussie gem". Time Out Sydney. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  7. Tongue, Cassie (6 September 2023). "The Dismissal review – Gough Whitlam musical both delights and drags". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  8. Freeland, Anna (15 September 2023). "'Funnier than Hamilton': Australia's biggest political drama gets the musical comedy treatment". ABC News. Retrieved 17 September 2023.