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Synopsis: ALONE IT STANDS
The David vs. Goliath story of the all-amateur Munster rugby team tackling the might of the All Blacks jumps from modern Irish folklore onto the stage, with as much heart and excitement as any nail-biting rugby match. John Breen’s fast and funny play is a showcase for the cast of six, taking on 62 roles […]
Program: MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL
Discover more about MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL with our digital program. It’s packed full of info about the show including writer’s and director’s notes, cast and creative bios, plus photos and more. DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM Playing 1 Dec – 14 Jan 2024, don’t miss this hilarious comedy set in the wild world of amateur […]
Director’s Note: Mark Kilmurry, MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL
What a joy to work on one of my favourite genres, if it is a genre, of things going wrong. The theatre is fraught with those moments of utter despair where no matter how careful the plan, fate will ensue. There are many plays and films dealing with this area and I think the reason […]
Ensemble Theatre Sandra Bates Director’s Awards 2024 Recipients
We are thrilled to announce Julia Robertson and Miranda Middleton as the 2024 recipients of the Ensemble Theatre Sandra Bates Director’s Awards! Julia Robertson Julia is a multidisciplinary performer, writer, director and producer living on Gadigal land. She is the current Artistic Director of the award-winning devising group, the Little Eggs Collective. As an actor, […]
Program: THE MEMORY OF WATER
Discover more about THE MEMORY OF WATER with our digital program. It’s packed full of info about the show including writer’s and director’s notes, cast and creative bios, plus photos and more. DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM
Director’s Note: Rachel Chant, THE MEMORY OF WATER
It isn’t uncommon for a rehearsal room to feel like a family. As we all know, however, family can mean multitudes – our individual experience of family shapes what this idea means to us. In the case of this team, since day one of rehearsals, we’ve been lucky enough to say that family means safety, […]
Synopsis: MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL
It is the opening night of director-writer Shane Tweed’s new murder mystery, MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL. Seven of the amateur theatre company’s cast are down with the dreaded lurgy. So the Middling Cove Players’ director and two of the remaining actors, and whoever else Shane can co-opt, pitch in to continue the long tradition […]
Writer’s Note: Shelagh Stephenson, THE MEMORY OF WATER
THE MEMORY OF WATER was the first stage play I ever wrote. It was written on spec and subsequently opened at Hampstead Theatre in London. It was successful in a way that absolutely no-one, least of all me, expected. Until then, I’d been writing for BBC Radio Drama, where I thought I could hone my […]
Program: SUMMER OF HAROLD
Discover more about SUMMER OF HAROLD with our digital program. It’s packed full of info about the show including writer’s and director’s notes, cast and creative bios, plus photos and more! DOWNLOAD YOUR PROGRAM On our stage 18 Sep – 14 Oct, don’t miss Hilary Bell’s brand new hilarious theatrical experience about adventure, obsession and […]
Director’s Note: Francesca Savige, SUMMER OF HAROLD
Before our workshop of this play my mother visited. Noticing her 1980s lemon juicer on my kitchen bench, she inquired if I would care to update it. I said “No, I love this one!” Despite the hideousness of this plastic relic, I realised that it held years of memories of growing up cooking with my […]
Writer’s Note: Hilary Bell, SUMMER OF HAROLD
SUMMER OF HAROLD began as a short play, ‘Window, Cricket Bat’ – a co-commission from Griffin Theatre and the Australian Design Centre for Sydney Festival 2022. Performed in the ADC’s gallery space as part of their exhibition Happy Objects, it was inspired by the true adventures of Margaret Woodward, one of the contributing artists, who […]
Video: Watch our 2024 Season Launch
Fresh out the box, Ensemble’s 2024 Season is here! Watch our Artistic Director Mark Kilmurry lift the lid on a year of inspiring stories. Ensemble stacks up ten exceptional plays and one very special event to ensure 2024 is bursting at the seams with fresh new comedy, insightful dramas and re-imagined classics, not to mention […]
Synopsis: SUMMER OF HAROLD
In award-winning playwright Hilary Bell’s SUMMER OF HAROLD, the transformative power of everyday objects threads through three cracking comedic plays about adventure, obsession and hope. Memories of 1984. London. Phil Collins on MTV. Cassette tapes. Janet and her backpacking mate Alison take a summer job as inexperienced housekeepers with the 20th century’s foremost British playwright, Harold […]
Request a 2024 brochure
The launch of our 2024 season is just around the corner and we can’t wait to lift the lid on this spectacular year of theatre! Want to leaf through a copy of the new brochure delivered direct to your mailbox? You’ll need an Ensemble Theatre online login to make your request, which can be set […]
Program: MR BAILEY’S MINDER
Discover more about MR BAILEY’S MINDER with our digital program. It’s packed full of info about the show including writer’s and director’s notes, cast and creative bios, plus photos and more! DOWNLOAD YOUR PROGRAM Bristling with sharp humour and beautiful complexities, don’t miss MR BAILEY’S MINDER. BOOK NOW
Writer’s Note: Debra Oswald, MR BAILEY’S MINDER
Revivals of Australian plays don’t happen very often, so I’m thrilled MR BAILEY’S MINDER is in the Ensemble season. In the twenty years since it was written, I suspect some questions in the play have become even spikier: given that many great writers, artists and musicians have displayed ugly behaviour and damaged their loved ones, […]