TELL ME ON A SUNDAY REHEARSALS BEGIN


Jolene Anderson admitted to being nervous before the first week of rehearsals for Tell Me On A Sunday but there was no need – she’s sensational.

After day one, Director Peter Ross was bounding around the office - “She’s funny! She’s really funny! And real, true, fantastic!” 

Steve – our Production Manager – has organised for the set 
to be built in Adelaide and numerous production meetings have ensured the music, set, lighting and, of course, 
wardrobe will all be first-class. (Watch out for a certain long jacket with gold buttons – it’s a personal favourite.)

Stay tuned for more updates as rehearsals continue and the countdown to opening night begins!


 

 
 

THE KOOKABURRA FAMILY IS GROWING


On quite a regular Friday morning at the Kookaburra office, Peter and Peter went exploring. What they found through an illusive side-door in Australian Hall, was the businessman’s version of Narnia – another world with new and shiny Kookaburra-sized offices and (gush) a boardroom!

“I always wondered where that door went,” Peter Cousens said.

Kookaburra is now proud to welcome Emma Caddy, Michael Huxley and Stephen O’Keeffe to the Kookaburra family. Their desks are now in place and they’re busily working away!

Emma joins us as our full-time Publicity and Communications Manager, Michael as Finance and Administration Manager and Steve as in-house Production Manager. Jacquie Gill, our current Administration Coordinator has also been promoted to the roll of Production Coordinator – congratulations Jacquie!

(Please note: although we do love Steve, his office is under the stage. Quite fitting for a Production Manager we feel – but it’s not as gloomy as you may think! We call him “The Phantom”.) 

 
 

5 IN 10 WORKSHOPS WRAP - FOR NOW


We sang, we laughed and we assisted talented Australian musical theatre writers and composers 
to realise their dream – no wonder we’ve all been 
smiling and skipping around the office of late!

Kookaburra took 5 new musicals – The Art Of Smiling, The Silver Donkey, For All It’s Worth, 
Do Good And You Will Be Happy
and In A Pink Tutu – and workshopped them over 10 days with performers, composers, writers, musicians and directors. 

The results were amazing.

5 in 10 gave the writers and directors the chance to see their work literally jump off the page.

Performers were given the chance to do the seemingly unimaginable – perform NEW Australian work for the very first time in a professional context.

The works are so vibrant and engaging that excerpts will be performed in our next Up Close And Musical evening at the Seymour Centre.

HUGE congratulations to all who were involved in the 5 in 10 workshops – you really are stars of the future.

An ENORMOUS thank you also to our supporters Ambassador Theatre Group, Ted Horton of Dewey Horton, Dave Wilkinson and Family, Backrow Productions, Chugg Entertainment, Specific Films, Stephen Found, Media Mayer, Jon Nicholls and The Capitol Theatre. Without you these workshops would never have taken place.

Stay tuned for details on MORE 5 in 10 workshops happening throughout the year!

 
 

PETER & PETER GO TO WAAPA!


A slightly fuzzy and puffy-eyed Peter Ross and Peter Cousens moseyed into Australian Hall on Monday morning after a true whirlwind of a weekend, spanning 8000kms over a mere 16 hours. 

No wonder they were holding their coffees like a newborn.

However it wasn’t long until the Kookaburra offices 
were alive with humming again – this time to show tunes from Oklahoma!, inspired by their visit to the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts’ latest production.

“How was it boys?”

“Oh! Great! Wonderful! Time of our lives! We hope to 
do it ALL the time!” Plonk. “Zzz…”

Despite the coma, we have no doubt they will.

In what is a continuing story of true dedication to the wellbeing and development of musical theatre in Australia, Kookaburra’s CEO Peter Cousens and Artistic Production Peter Ross are forging a personal and interstate partnership between one of Australia’s most elite institutes for the performing arts and Australia’s own musical theatre company.

As well as give performers the chance to have their star shine on our stage; Kookaburra aims to be the first point of call for all WAAPA graduates heading out into the industry and offer real-world advice, an open door policy on resources and general support for young and emerging musical theatre performers and technicians. 

 
 

KOOKABURRA IS NOW ON FACEBOOK


Unashamedly, our mission for the next month is to get Peter Cousens as addicted as we are to our brand new Facebook site – Kookaburra Nest. Now he knows the password there’ll be no stopping him!

Thanks to all of you who’ve become our friend so far – we can’t wait to keep you updated with all our latest news and photos. And of course, if you know of anyone who’d like to be our friend please suggest us!

 
 
 

THE HATPIN TO PERFORM IN NEW YORK - 
CD OUT SOON!
 


From 4000 scripts submitted to the New York Music 
Theatre Festival (NYMF), only 25 were chosen – 
James Millar and Peter Rutherford’s The Hatpin was 
one of them.

The creative team consisting of Kim Hardwick, 
Neil Gooding and Martin Kinnane are now packing their 
bags and heading to New York to be part of one of the biggest Music Theatre festivals in the world.

On stage in New York from September 15th – 25th, The Hatpin will be performed for Broadway’s leading producers, directors and performers and be given the rare and sensational opportunity to move to the main-stage.

Congratulations to all and best of luck!

PLUS...

As you read this, the very first copies of The Hatpin Recording are rolling off the press!

Recorded at Studios 301 at the end of March, the mixing, mastering and artwork is complete. CDs will be on sale in 2 weeks!

Purchases can be made through Neil Gooding Productions by emailing admin@goodingproductions.com

Hold tight for news on store releases!

 
 
 

QUEENIE'S WORKSHOP FOR KIDS


Calling all Kookaburra Kids! Australian musical theatre star 
and comedian Queenie Van De Zandt is running 
“HOW TO AUDITION FOR A PROFESSIONAL MUSICAL – 
A WORKSHOP FOR CHILDREN”
in Brisbane and Sydney.

The workshops offer kids everything they need to know about walking into the audition room and are sure to be hilarious fun!

"Mary Poppins is coming to Australia - so now is a wonderful time to prepare!"

Workshops will be held at the end of June at various performing 
arts venues in Brisbane and Sydney. 

For all details please visit www.queenievandezandt.com

 
 

LOVEBITES AT THE SEYMOUR CENTRE


 


From the team who brought you The Hatpin and whom Kookaburra has recently commissioned, LOVEBITES is a mad-capped comedy about loving, leaving and leaping into the joyful (or not so joyful) unknown.

Written by: Rutherford and Miller
Directed by: Kim Hardwick
Designed by: Martin Kinnane
Starring: Octavia Baron-Martin, Tyler Burness, Sarah Croser and James Millar

Where: Downstairs Theatre, Seymour Centre
When: June 18th – July 12th (Tuesday – Saturday 8pm and Saturday 5pm)
Tickets: $32 - $39
Bookings: 02 9351 7940 or: