When former Queen Bee of the book club Robyn publishes her first novel, the truth about the death of her nemesis, Katie, begins to unravel. Female friendships are tested in this laugh-out-loud, brutally honest, new comedy.
Overview
World Premiere
Everyone has a nemesis. And for Robyn (Kate Raison, TWO), Queen Bee of her long running book club, that nemesis comes in the form of free-spirited and luminous Katie (Chantelle Jamieson, STC’s STILL POINT TURNING: THE CATHERINE MCGREGOR STORY). When Katie is invited to join the group, Robyn’s once steady kingdom is rocked by her exuberance and carefree honesty. Katie is next-level annoying, and Robyn swiftly sets about enacting a plan to eject her from her precious book club, with shocking and unexpected consequences.
Laugh-out-loud funny and brutally honest, KILLING KATIE re-opens the book on female alliances, guilt and the mysterious forces that can either make or break a friendship group. With a hilarious ensemble cast of five extraordinary women, don’t miss Tracey Trinder’s slice of book noir.
Reviews
★★★★ ‘’Extremely moving... sophisticated and entertaining, it’s highly recommended.’’ The Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★ "The company and their director are a solid gold unit in delivering 90 minutes of LOLs, chuckles, gasps, and groans. Recommended." Stage Noise
★★★★ "A riotous night at the theatre for those seeking big laughs and a platter of literary hors d’oeuvres." Theatre Thoughts
"The actors lovingly inhabit their characters, and deploy expert timing and interaction as the dramatic irony doubles the laughs." The Sydney Morning Herald
Cast & Creatives
Tracey Trinder
PlaywrightFrancesca Savige
Francesca holds two degrees in Theatre and Acting from QUT Brisbane, and furthered training at RADA London (Shakespeare), and Shakespeare & Company in the US. In 2015 she received a Globe International Actors Fellowship to train at Shakespeare’s Globe, London. Frankie has pursued directing alongside her acting career since graduating. Experience includes directing SUCH SWEET SORROW for Bell Shakespeare’s Actors at Work; assistant directing ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST, OTHELLO (Sport For Jove); CYMBELINE (Queensland University of Technology) and co-writing and directing Sport For Jove’s youth theatre program THE SECOND AGE PROJECT (2013, 2014 & 2016) as part of their summer outdoor season. A 2010 Churchill Fellow, Frankie travelled to Grahamstown, South Africa to co-direct ROMEO AND JULIET for Ubom Theatre Company, and toured the production nationally to Schools Festivals. As an actor, Francesca has worked with Sport for Jove, Bell Shakespeare, Queensland Theatre Company, Griffin, Parramatta Riverside and the Old Fitz. Frankie is a member of Equity and the proud recipient of a Sandra Bates Director’s Award for 2017.
Warwick Doddrell
Assistant DirectorJane Fitzgerald
Jane is a freelance Sydney dramaturg. Recent work includes THE BIG DRY by Mark Kilmurry (co-production Ensemble and ATYP) and M.ROCK (coproduction ATYP and Sydney Theatre Company). She is one of Ensemble Theatre’s Literary Co-ordinators (shared position). For ATYP she has been a Mentor/Dramaturg for the Fresh Ink writers’ program and at the National Studio, and she has worked on National Script Workshops for Playwriting Australia. For Sydney Theatre Company she has worked as Literary Manager, Artistic Associate and Administrator of the Patrick White Playwrights’ Award as well as Dramaturg on mainstage productions including THE HERBAL BED, VOLPONE and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. She was also a dramaturg on STC’s Blueprints new writers’ program and has worked as a script reader for the Royal Court London, ANPC, Playworks and STC Young Playwrights’ Award. She also works as a Mentor with Year 12 students on HSC creative writing projects.
Valerie Bader
CastChantelle Jamieson
CastBron Lim
CastKate Raison
CastGeorgina Symes
CastTobhiyah Stone Feller
Set and Costume Designer Tobhiyah is a design graduate from NIDA and previously attended the College of Fine Arts UNSW where she studied sculpture, installation and art history.
Set & Costume Design credits include: e-baby, GOOD PEOPLE, MY ZINC BED, BLOOD BANK, BLUE/ORANGE, CLYBOURNE PARK (Ensemble); REPLAY, LIGHTEN UP (Griffin); PARRAMATTA GIRLS (Riverside Productions); ORPHEE AUX ENFERS, DAISY BATES AT OOLDEA (Sydney Conservatorium of Music); VARIANT (Performing Lines); HUMAN RESOURCES (Siren Theatre Co.); MY NAME IS SUD (Blacktown Arts Centre); ANNA ROBI AND THE HOUSE OF DOGS (Tamarama Rock Surfers); PLAYHOUSE CREATURES, BLOOD WEDDING (AADA); CAMARILLA (Merrigong); A VIEW OF CONCRETE (B Sharp). Her multi-purpose set design for Ensemble’s repertory productions MY ZINC BED and BLOOD BANK won the Installation category of the Australian Interior Design Awards 2016.
Tobhiyah is a co-founder of Architecture and Design studio, Stukel Stone and a proud member of the Australian Production Design Guild. For further information visit: www.stukelstone.com
Kelsey Lee
Lighting DesignerDaryl Wallis
Sound DesignerLauren Tulloh
Stage ManagerErin Shaw
Graduating from the Technical Theatre and Stage Management course at NIDA in 2016, Erin has previously worked in the industry as a dresser on GIRL ASLEEP (Belvoir, 2016); stage manager on LITTLE BORDERS (The 505, 2017), MOTH (ATYP, 2017), and LOVE, ME (The 505, 2018); and assistant stage manager on DIPLOMACY (Ensemble Theatre, 2018) and BLISS (Belvoir, 2018).
Erin feels privileged to have worked with such an incredible team on this production and looks forward to the season.
Renata Beslik
Costume SupervisorCOVID Safety Measures
Your safety is our priority so there will be some additional measures in place including checking the COVID-19 vaccination status of all eligible customers before entry and wearing a mask at all times.
If you cannot present proof of full vaccination or a medical contraindication certificate on arrival at the theatre, you will not be permitted access. Every effort will be made to accommodate reasonable exchange or return requests, but full vaccination is a clear condition of entry for all Killing Katie performances. Failure to meet this condition will not automatically entitle you to a refund.
Thanks for your support and understanding.
Special performance dates
Please use the calendar above to select your date and book tickets.
Audio Described
- Thu 24 Feb 11am
- Sat 26 Feb 3.30pm
Please call the Box Office on (02) 8918 3400 to register your interest in an Audio Described performance.
Tactile Tours are available 1 hour prior to Audio Described performances, please contact the Box Office to book.
Q&A Session
- Fri 21 Jan 8pm
- Tue 1 Feb 11am
Free Teen
- Wed 16 Feb 7.30pm
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
“Friendships, rivalries, mystery, hors d’oeuvres… murder – it has all the ingredients. And putting five brilliant comedic actresses on stage together is bound to serve up a deliciously hilarious night at the theatre. I can’t wait to get in the rehearsal room and let the madness begin. We know and love … and hate… these women. They are us, or people we know. And this story could happen to any of us.
Audiences will recognise themselves in these friendships, these disrupted group dynamics. The new person arriving in an established friendship circle and shaking things up… we’ve all been there on one side -or the other! I’m so excited to see the extraordinary Chantelle Jamieson shaking things up on the Ensemble stage. She’s a force to be reckoned with.” – Director Francesca Savige
Photo Gallery
Photography by Lisa Tomasetti
Watch the Trailer
DOWNLOAD YOUR PROGRAM
Discover more about KILLING KATIE with our digital program. It’s packed full of info about the show including notes from Artistic Director Mark Kilmurry and Director Francesca Savige, as well as a synopsis, photos and more!