The season will be October 19th – November 3rd 2012 at the Theatre Royal.

If you are 18 – 30 years old and interested in being on the list email graemepaine@netspace.net.au

Back to the 80′s is the story of a graduating year of William Ocean High School as they live through their senior year and experience the fun, the heartbreak and the loves of growing up. All set to the biggest hits of the 80′s:

Material Girl   * Walking On Sunshine * Centrefold * Kids In America * I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) *Love Shack * Total Eclipse Of The Heart. * Wake Me Up Before You Go Go *Don’t Worry Be Happy * Video Killed The Radio Star * Footloose * Girls Just Want To Have Fun* Mickey* Glory Of Love * Lets Hear It For The Boy * You Give Love A Bad Name * Nine To Five * * Man In The Mirror * Get Outta My Dreams (Get Into My Car) * Lost In Your Eyes* Never Gonna Give You Up *We Are The World * (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life.

Set in the era when actors became American Presidents, when Bubble skirts were cool, when Atari was cutting edge technology and when mobile phones were as big as bricks. The play is from the era that brought the world the Rubik’s Cube, Max Headroom and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Throw in a Star Wars dream sequence, high-energy dance routines, the obligatory 80′s party scene, copious amounts of blue eye-shadow, twenty cans of hairspray and you have a musical that will delight and amuse audiences of any age.

The school this year is being run by some of Hobart’s leading theatrical practitioners and any young people involved should gain maximum benefit.

Director: Darren Sangwell (Most recent production Mikado for G & S Society)

Musical Director: Aaron Powell (Most recent production SPAMALOT TTUT)

Designer: Jon Bowling (Most recent production SPAMALOT TTUT)

Band Simon Reade (Conductor Hobart City Band National A Grade Champions)

Choreographer: Jacquie Coad (Dance teacher Hutchins School and past 4 Summer Schools)

So you can see the school is in very good hands with the cream of Hobart Theatre involved.

Auditions are Sunday 6^th November at 50a Letitia Street and if you are interested in auditioning you should email Graeme paine graemepaine@netspace.net.au

Click here for a pdf document with audition details for the show.

This year the dinner will be held on Saturday 29th October at Salamanca Inn (click for map). 7pm for a 7:30pm start.

The theme this year is Hollywood!

Current Old Nick members are free. Guests are $50/head.

Note that this is an Old Nick private function, not a public function.

RSVP to laura.keegan@auroraenergy.com.au by 22nd October 2011.

Oops...

A short note as to why there have been no updates for a while. I was away for four weeks, and during that time the host company for our site suffered a network attack. To ensure that sites weren’t compromised, they locked out changes. This meant I could not add anything until this process was complete, so things have been a bit broken for a while.

Now, back to our normal schedule…..

Andrea performed in a number of Old Nick productions, as well as numerous productions for other theatre groups. Old Nick members will miss Andrea, and our thoughts turn to Andrew and Gracie.

A formal funeral notice will be in the Mercury tomorrow (Wednesday 17 August). The funeral will be held at St. Mary’s Cathedral at 2pm on Friday 19th August, followed by a gathering at the Theatre Royal.

Chris Hamley has spoken to Andrew and posted the following on the White Room page on Facebook. I’m sure he won’t mind me quoting it here for those who have not seen this:

“I spent a few hours with Andrew last night, he and Grace are surrounded with love and support, and Andrew asked me to pass on a few things.

If anyone would like to visit him, he would LOVE the company, so please feel ok about doing so, he’s not going anywhere

The funeral will be at St Marys cathedral on Friday at 2pm followed by a gathering at the Theatre Royal to share stories and memories. All, and he means ALL, are welcome.

He is determined that after this week, React will continue, bigger and better than ever, as Andrea would have wanted. He is also determined to continue with Richard the 3rd, as Andrea would have wanted, and to make it extraordinary. He is overwhelmed with the messages of support in all forms, and just wants to say a heartfelt thank you.”

The Old Nick Company is on the search for a creative, experienced and respected Director/s for the 2012 Uni Revue.
All applications can be sent to:

oldnick.secretary@oldnick.org.au or posted to

P.O. Box 180
New Town
TAS 7009
Australia

Applications close July 31st.

Something different, something … original.

Underground Magic

Mick and Lara

Here is the crit published in today’s (14 May 2011) Mercury. Not too bad at all. Well done Mick!

Larageddon (Uni Revue 2011)

Old Nick Theatre Company

Theatre Royal, May 13-28,

It’s been a big week for Lara Giddings. First there was all that work stuff. And now Old Nick are blaming her for the ending of the world.

First-time Revue director Mick Lowenstein hangs this year’s Uni Revue on an only-slightly tenuous notion that all the recent global natural disasters have coincided with Lara’s political career. An A-team, led by Will ‘the Hodgmanator’ Hodgman, is mobilised to save us all from Larageddon: The Ultimate Disaster.

Lowenstein structures Larageddon with a strong narrative through-line that’s more plot than theme, and the show hangs together well with still plenty of room for the familiar skit-based non sequitur sketches, jokes and songs. And there are the requisite groan-out-loud puns, running jokes, self-referential and meta comedy, nudie runs, cross-dressers, and North/South taunts and political and pop-culture references.

The humour’s sharp without cruelty, intelligent without weightiness, and, of course, bawdy without apology. It’s a script-based show – don’t expect flashy sets or huge song-and-dance numbers (though there are some middle-sized numbers, and the band, under Musical Director Craig Wood, contribute healthily) – and the writing is enjoyable.

Sophie Tyrrell (Lara) and assistant director Ben Paine (the Hodgmanator) deliver clean, confident performances with plenty of charm, leading a young ensemble cast whose zeal and sincerity make up for what’s occasionally lacking in polish.

I hope it brightened Lara’s weekend.

Anica Boulanger-Mashberg

Just a subtle, friendly reminder …

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!