The Dismissal | |
---|---|
Music | Laura Murphy |
Lyrics | Laura 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]
Edward Gough Whitlam was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from December 1972 to November 1975. To date the longest-serving leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), he was notable for being the head of a reformist and socially progressive government that ended with his controversial dismissal by the then-governor-general of Australia, Sir John Kerr, at the climax of the 1975 constitutional crisis. Whitlam remains the only Australian prime minister to have been removed from office by a governor-general.
Robert Mills is an Australian actor, television host and singer-songwriter. He was one of the finalists from the first season of Australian Idol in 2003. He co-hosted the late-night quiz show The Mint with his childhood idol, J-Dawg, the two would go on to star in the hit show Young Talent Time, and was a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network. Mills took part in the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars, and appeared on Celebrity Apprentice. In 2008, Mills won the lead male role of Fiyero in a production of Wicked, and continued the role when it moved around Australia. He has since starred in a number of popular large scale musical theatre productions. In 2012, Mills was announced as the host of Network Ten's revamped Young Talent Time. He played teacher Finn Kelly on Neighbours from 2017 until 2022. He is engaged to Georgie Tunny from The Project.
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