Dates
7th April Friday – Gala Night 8 pm
8th April Saturday – 8 pm
9th April Sunday - Matinee 2 pm
12th April Wednesday - 8 pm
13th April Thursday - 8 pm
About the Play
Living with Lady Macbeth
Living with Lady Macbeth uses the device of a play within a play to examine some of the issues of power and ambition invested in the character of Lady Macbeth. Lily is determined to audition for this part, as she is tired of always being behind the scene, of being ordinary and reliable. Disregarding derision from those around her, Lily stuns everyone with a chilling performance of Act 1 Scene V, but finally chooses to do the costumes – not out of defeat, but because she has satisfied her ambition.
Playwright Rob John is a playwright and drama consultant who has been training teachers in drama and theatre for over twenty years. His radio work includes several plays for BBC Radio 4 and many stories and dramatizations for BBC Education. He is a co-author of Inspiring Writing through Drama and play The Spaceman.
Living with Lady Macbeth was first published in 1992.
Director
Alexandra Meerbach is a Board member of Ballarat National Theatre and the Director of Ballarat National Theatre’s latest production Little Women.
Alexandra completed a Bachelor of Performing Arts at BAPA in 1999. Since then she has appeared a few times on screen; participated in various fringe festival shows as either: writer, director, actor and costume or mask designer. She has also experimented with anonymous theatre, immersive theatre and produced the short film Sine which made it to the final of Tropfest.
Alexandra works as a simulated patient for the Royal Women’s Hospital and University of Melbourne and coordinates actors for Deakin University. She teaches Speech and Drama at Ballarat Centre of Music & the Arts (link out to https://www.facebook.com/ballaratcentreofmusicandthearts/); Damascus College & Ballarat Grammar.
Recently Alexandra & cofounder Mary-Rose McLaren, started a choral speaking choir which performed in Ballarat National Theatre’s Who Remembers the Great War?, Ballarat Laneways Festival with The Raven and the witches from Macbeth, at Clunes Book Week & most recently at the Royal South Street Society Competitions. Both are now involved in Mad Swan Productions (link out to https://madswanproductions.com/) which has a vision to create art, (be that theatre, film or installation art), that addresses social and political issues and generates discussions within communities to bring about change. Their latest production is Chatroom.
With Ballarat National Theatre—Alexandra has also performed in The Female of the Species & One Boy's War. She has assistant directed the 2014 production of Chatroom with Mary-Rose McLaren & co-directed Who Remembers the Great War? with Peter Nethercote (link to any of the production pages available).
Tickets
Adult $25
Concession(Students) $20
Member (BNT/U3A/Probus) or Groups of 10 or More $15
Children (under 16) $10
Concessions apply to: Pensioners, Students, Unemployed & Seniors Card-holders.
Bookings
Book online https://hermaj.com/whats-on/ballarat-national-theatre-season
Tickets also available at the door.
Living with Lady Macbeth Cast
All photographs by Gary Hunt
Alexandra Meerbach
Emily Baker
Harrison Baker
Angus Drain
Sam Drew
Lily Theodore
Lisa Hall
Laura Hudson
Zoe James
Quinn Muller
Jennifer Montgomery
Emily Nimmo
Ruby Penhall
Veronica Rogers
Rachael Shelton
Lucy Walters
Macbeth Cast
The 30 minute version! Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders the King and takes the throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia.
Macbeth Character Cast
Alexandra Meerbach
Emily Baker
Harrison Baker
Hannah Connell
John Daykin
Angus Drain
Sam Drew
Lisa Hall
Laura Hudson
Zoe James
Elly Krieg
Tim Harris
Mary-Rose McLaren
Quinn Muller
Emily Nimmo
Ruby Penhall
Veronica Rogers
Serena Rushton
Rachael Shelton
Liana Skewes
Lily Theodore
Rosa Varga-Miller
Lucy Walters
Wherefore Are Thee?
Is made up of four linked monologues—in the first Diana talks about the upcoming auditions for the group’s next production and how she expects to get the lead.
The second monologue occurs after the auditions, when she did not get the part of Juliet as expected and was cast as “Nurse”.
In monologue three she describes how she “inadvertently” dropped a packet of Jaffa Cakes into Juliet’s rucksack when she bumped into her in the supermarket, which resulted in Juliet getting arrested for shoplifting and having to drop out of the production. After much persuasion from the Director, Diana agrees to take over the role of Juliet, purely to save the show, of course!
In the fourth and final monologue, the reviews of the opening night are in and they are far from kind. Diana is not happy and holds the Director entirely responsible, because she never wanted the part in the first place!
Wherefore Are Thee Cast
Alexandra Meerbach
Christine Holmes
Romeo and Juliet
The 30 minute version!
A long feud between the Montague and Capulet families causes tragic results for Romeo and Juliet. Revenge, love and a secret marriage.
Romeo and Juliet Cast
Alexandra Meerbach
Angus Drain
Rosa Varga-Miller
Emily Baker
Harrison Baker
Hannah Connell
John Daykin
Lisa Hall
Christine Holmes
Zoe James
Elly Krieg
Tim Harris
Mary-Rose McLaren
Quinn Muller
Emily Nimmo
Ruby Penhall
Rachael Shelton
Liana Skewes
Lily Theodore
Laura Hudson
Program
Click Here to view the Program
Gallery
