Kim Carpenter's Theatre of Image in Pyrmont, New South Wales, Australia | Arts and entertainment

Kim Carpenter's Theatre of Image

Locality: Pyrmont, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 2 8387 3004

Address: 501/22 Point St 2009 Pyrmont, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.theatreofimage.com.au

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• Non-profit organisation
• Arts and entertainment

23.01.2022 The Happy Prince

15.01.2022 ACTORS We have engaged 55 actors over the 30 years many of them more than once. Our Ambassador Hugo Weaving starred as Oberon in my (controversial) production of A Mid-Summer Night's Dream back in the Nimrod Days. Many other actors who either were just starting out or had their careers taking off at the time include the multi-talented Mitchell Butel (now heading up the SA State Theatre Co), Darren Weller (now with his own theatre company in Las Vegas), Darren Gilshenan (too... many to mention), Ben Mortley, Benn Welford, Berryn Schwerdt, Cramer Cain, Matthew Edgerton (just finished up as artistic director of Barking Gecko in WA), Henry Nixon, Ian Bliss, Adriano Capelletta, Aljin Abella, Andrew Doolan, Anthony Taufa, Arky Michael, the late Norman Kaye, Jared Turner, Stephen Jackson, Steve Vella, Stuart Lumsden, Tom Weaver, Walter Grkovic, William Yusic, Matthew Whittet has carved out quite a career since playing a young boy in The Book of Everything. and the Swallows from Happy Prince - Cramer Cain ( a prince in real life!), Tom Weaver, John Leary and Frank Zotter The more experienced actors include all The Happy Princes Ivar Kants, the late Ron Falk, Ron Haddrick, John Koensgen and John Gregg, the wonderful Barry Otto, the late Norman Kaye, John Gaden, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, David Whitney, Tony Poli, Russell Dykstra, Scott Johnson, Sam Devenport, Peter Carroll, Philip Dodd, Pip Miller, Elliott Weston, Nicholas Papademetriou, Paul Gleeson The you also have non-actors who became actors - most notably The Umbilical Brothers David Collins and Shane Dundas North American actors include James Durham, John Koensgen and Frank Zotter

09.01.2022 We get two mentions in Sydney Morning Herald's 2019 dance wrap by Jill Sykes - Brett And Wendy...A Love Story Bound By Art which was a part of Sydney Festival and The Happy Prince for The Australian Ballet's 2020 season playing Brisbane in February, Melbourne in August and Sydney Opera House in November/December (along with an exhibition of my paintings and drawings based on The Happy Prince at The ARO Gallery in William St Sydney - on at the same time)

08.01.2022 CHOREOGRAPHERS All Theatre of Image shows have involved movement. Some have been pure dance pieces such as Pixel & Friends (Powerhouse Museum) and The Empty Lunch-tin (David Malouf). For The AGNSW: White Heat (Arthur Boyd Retrospective), Wanted Pictures, Colours of Desire. The choreographers are: Aku Kadogo, Chrissie Koltai, Debra Batton, Gavin Robins, Lucas Jervies, Michael Whaites, Narelle Benjamin, Pamela French, Rowan Marchingo, Samanatha Chester, Scott Witt, Sue-Ellen Ch...ester The most frequent collaborators are Julia Cotton, Julie-Anne Long - but all have been important to our productions I have also worked with dancers who have gone onto worh as choreographers/directors such as Kate Champion and Rosetta Cook. Before Theatre of Image I had also worked with choreographers - teh most significant being Meryl Tankard and Graeme Murphy (on SDC's Limited Edition). Of course now I am working with Graeme on The Australian Ballet's The Happy Prince for 2020. Rehearsals have already started.

08.01.2022 Thanks to everyone for liking my posts

05.01.2022 A review of THE HAPPY PRINCE BALLET from Dance Australia Oscar Wildes The Happy Prince is a very short allegorical story about compassion versus contempt and greed. At the time allegedly written for children, it also carried a potent message for adults, pointing a finger at the inequities of Victorian England, where the rich were filthy rich and the poor starved to death. Likewise, choreographer Graeme Murphy has endeavoured to appeal to both child and adult in his 90-minute... ballet about the statue of The Happy Prince and the Little Swallow who helps him give to the poor by stripping his statue of jewels and gold. This is a visually striking ballet. Set and costume designs by Kim Carpenter, who also worked with Murphy in adapting the story, are almost cartoonish; simply drawn, they have a skilful clarity that captures the essence of the child-like fantasy of the story. The ballet literally opens with a bang of cannon fire denoting the end of World War II. Emerging from the smoke, townsfolk in ragged greys gather in front of a skewed cut-out set piece of jumbled blue buildings. Its a town suffering the aftermath of war that the ceremonial unveiling of the golden statue of the Happy Prince doesnt ease. In translating the story to dance, Murphy (with Carpenter) has embellished and invented with wit and theatricality. A comic showbiz family of swallows is created for the Little Swallow (Marcus Morelli), a headstrong teen in jeans, who is left behind when the family fly to Australia as Ten-Pound Poms. Morellis startling first entrance on a skateboard interrupts a Tivoli-like chorus line of lissom dancers in green and yellow the Reedettes while the towns Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress (Luke Marchant and Jarryd Madden), are portrayed as over the top caricatures. Madden, in particular, plays the dominating, ego-driven Mayoress with en travesti flare. The score by Christopher Gordon is a delight, underscoring both the fantasy and the drama of the story, and ties perfectly with Murphys choreography, which in the main is dramatically driven. Although sometimes skating close to the kitsch, Murphy also offers tender moments, such as the expressive duets between the Happy Prince (Adam Bull) and the Little Swallow. Nathan Brook as the struggling Artist, with Drew Hedditch (His Doubt) and Dimity Azoury (His Muse), provided another highpoint, while Benedicte Bemet was touching as the fragile Little Match Girl. Another layer of magic is provided by the lighting design of Damien Cooper, together with Fabian Astores projections. Theres much to like about Murphys The Happy Prince, a sophisticated adult morality ballet about the redemptive power of love, and a fantasy ballet for children, and therefore risks appealing to neither audience. DENISE RICHARDSON 'The Happy Prince' moves to Melbourne for a season from August 25 to September 5 and Sydney from November 27 to December 16.

05.01.2022 We get two mentions in Sydney Morning Heralds 2019 dance wrap by Jill Sykes - Brett And Wendy...A Love Story Bound By Art which was a part of Sydney Festival and The Happy Prince for The Australian Ballets 2020 season playing Brisbane in February, Melbourne in August and Sydney Opera House in November/December (along with an exhibition of my paintings and drawings based on The Happy Prince at The ARO Gallery in William St Sydney - on at the same time)

02.01.2022 FEMALE ACTORS In our 30 years we have employed 40 female actors - many for more than one show. Miranda Otto is the most famous and was famous already when she worked with us and Hugo Weaving. Many others were already well established and are still leading successful careers (like Deborah Kennedy - famous the The Yellow Pages TV ad - with the immortal line "not happy Jan"). Many also were just starting out and have gone onto greater things on stage, film, TV, writing and direc...ting - including Kate Mulvany, Yael Stone and Bojana Novakovic Here is the full list: Aileen Huynh, Alison Bell, Amie McKenna, Anne Looby, Bojana Novakovic, Caroline Brazier, Christine Mahoney, Claire Jones, Danielle Jackson, Deborah Kennedy, Elizabeth Maywald, Emily Russell, Felicity Price, Holly Austin, Ivy Mak, Jacqueline Linke, Jacqueline McKenzie, Jane Harders, Jeanette Cronin, Johannah Sonenberg, Julie Forsyth, Kate Mulvany, Kirsty Hutton, Leeanna Walsman, Lena Cruz, Lia Reutens, Liz Deep-Jones, Lucia Mastrantone, Mary Anne Jolly, Michele Stayner, Miranda Otto, Netta Yaschin, Olivia Brown, Rachel Blackman, Romy Bartz, Sandra Eldridge, Yael Stone, Zoe Tuckwell-Smith

02.01.2022 An interview with me on The Stage Show on Radio National today