News

Maude Davey Will Direct Reading of Theresa Borg’s DAME & COMMANDER

Antipodes Theatre Company (ATC) is pleased to announce the final entry in their 2020 Ricochet Reading Series, Theresa Borg’s Dame & Commander. The virtual reading will be streamed live to the ATC Facebook Page on Monday 7th December at 7:00pm and remain available for one week.

A wildly ambitious reflection on the legacy of Australian actress Judith Anderson, Dame & Commander is composed of four playlets that each address a pivotal role from Anderson’s career. Whether conquering the New York stage as Hamlet and Medea, earning an Oscar nomination for Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca, or tapping into Star Trek fandom as the Vulcan High Priestess T’Lar, Anderson’s versatility and impact is brought to surreal life by playwright Theresa Borg. The reading will be directed by Maude Davey (Dance Nation) and features Caroline Lee (Escaped Alone) in the Dame Judith Anderson roles, along with Lucy Ansell (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Dan Witton (Anthem), and Harvey Zielinski (Hir).

Theresa Borg is a singing actor, writer, director and producer. Her professional credits in music theatre and opera include Christine (The Phantom of the Opera), Cosette (Les Miserables), Fosca (Passion) and Musetta (La Boheme). She has written and directed over 30 musicals for young families under international license to Disney, Warner Brothers, Sesame Street Workshop and others. These shows toured nationally and globally. Her direction credits include The Consul at 45 Downstairs, The Light in the Piazza at Arts Centre Melbourne and Sweeney Todd starring Anthony Warlow. Theresa’s play JUMP!, a fantasia on Egon Kisch’s 1934 visit to Australia, was recently read in completion of her VCA Masters of Theatre (Writing).

Antipodes Theatre Company seeks to provide a collaborative and inclusive environment for producing independent theatre in Melbourne. ATC strives for inclusive hiring practices through a commitment to at least 50% of all positions filled by women, ethnically diverse artists, trans and non-binary artists, artists with disability, seniors, or other members of historically or culturally marginalised communities.

Post-show forum: ATC Artistic Director Brandon Pape will moderate a question-and-answer session following the reading. Viewers can submit questions in the comments section.

Dame & Commander

Part of the Ricochet Reading Series

Available on the Antipodes Theatre Company Facebook Page

Premieres on Monday 7th December, 2020 at 7:00pm (video will be available to view for one week)

Free, viewers are encouraged make a tax-deductible donation at antipodestheatre.com

@antipodesarts

Gabi Bergman

Gabi Bergman (she/her) is a Melbourne-based performer and educator, and the current Deputy Editor-in-Chief of AussieTheatre.com. She holds a double degree in Theatre Studies and Film/Screen Studies, along with a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education). A passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity in the arts, Gabi brings her deep love of storytelling to the stage, the page, and the classroom. A lifelong lover of theatre, she spends more on tickets than she’d like to admit. Her most prized possession is her ever-growing collection of theatre programs.

Next International circus collaboration to premiere in Brisbane »

Previous « AussieTheatre Christmas Advent Calendar #3

View Comments

Desley Deacon says:

5 December, 2020 at 10:08 am

As Judith Anderson's biographer I can't wait to see this. Viewers who want to know more of this wonderful Aussie actress, please read my Judith Anderson: Australian Star, First Lady of the American Stage.