The acclaimed Windmill Theatre Company returns to Murwillumbah Civic Centre on September 5 for its exciting new production, Hiccup!

The South Australian theatre company, already known to audiences with their award-winning puppet works Grug, Grug and the Rainbow and Beep, now present their latest work of art with Hiccup by Jude Henshall and Ellen Steele. Combined with masterful puppets, colourful sets and rollicking music, Hiccup is great entertainment for the entire family.

Hiccup is a hilarious rocking musical extravaganza about working together, finding friendship and curing the hiccups.

It’s a perfect, balmy night in the outback. A sleep-deprived camper, a cheeky quokka and an inventive emu awake to discover a koala has come down with a stubborn, loud case of the hiccups. The three embark on an epic journey through the night that sees them frantically eat, sing and invent their way towards a hiccup cure for koala.

 “Before we started writing Hiccup, we knew we wanted to bring a contemporary Australian perspective to a puppet show for children,” said Jude and Ellen.

 “The American influences from our youth, like The Muppets and Sesame Streetsit in a special place in our hearts. Hiccup gave us the opportunity to bring a contemporary Australian take on what we loved from our childhood and create the show we would have wanted to see as kids. We wanted to speak directly to Australian children and reflect back to them their environment and the incredible animals which inhabit it. As artists, we are passionate about creating new Australian stories as a tool to better understand ourselves and our place in the world.

“Hiccup is about working together and finding new friends in unlikely places. It’s hard to try new things if you aren’t feeling brave, or you haven’t had enough sleep, but if you try your best then sometimes great things happen. Hiccup reminds us not to give up, that a bright new day is just around the corner and new friends are just a “hi’away”.

The exciting soundtrack, produced by award-winning composer Ross McHenry, was recorded on 2” tape to give it an authentic 70s aesthetic.

Windmill Theatre Company is supported by the Government of South Australia and the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.

Hiccup is presented by Murwillumbah Theatre Company at 5.30pm on Tuesday, September 5 at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre Auditorium. Tickets, at $10 for adults or children, are available at www.murwillumbahtheatrecompany.com.au. Or use this link to go straight to Trybooking

 kvfub4bc@murwillumbahtheatrecompany.com.au  Tickets are also available at the door

The return of The Old People Are Revolting will be staged at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre on August 5, 6 and 7. Book at murwillumbahtheatrecompany.com.au

OPERA AUSTRALIA – THE BARBER OF SEVILLE CHILDREN’S CHORUS

It is an exciting time for 16 talented young singers of Tweed Valley’s own Children’s Chorus who will be guest artists for Opera Australia’s mammoth production of Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville”, to be staged at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre on Tuesday, 16 August.

The Barber of Seville’s Children’s Chorus is made up of 16 of the region’s best young vocal musicians, from Murwillumbah and Uki Public Schools, under the mentoring of well-known local teacher, Vikki Armour.

“We are all very honoured and excited to be working with Opera Australia, our premier and world-class opera company,” said Vikki.

Vikki teaches music at both Murwillumbah and Uki Public Schools, including choirs, bands, recorder groups and school musicals. She delights in facilitating quality performance opportunities for her students and is very proud of their commitment in preparation for this performance.

Students underwent a rigorous audition process for inclusion in the ensemble and have been rehearsing since early June. The Children’s Chorus students are loving the challenge of learning to sing in Italian, and they are well focused on ensuring they are confidently prepared for their rehearsal with the Opera Australia Chorus Master a few days before the performance.

This fully staged opera will feature many of Australia’s finest opera singers, lavish sets and a chamber orchestra who will deliver a score that is instantly familiar from movies, cartoons and commercials. The audience will delight in a riotous romp along the road to true love! This is opera at its light-hearted, effervescent best.

The Barber of Seville will be staged at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre Auditorium at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 16 August. Tickets for this world class performance are very reasonably priced at Adult – $70-$90, Child – $50.

Tickets are available from: https://www.trybooking.com/BVZWM or go to www.murwillumbahtheatrecompany.com.au box office. For enquiries, please ring 0439 834 684.

“The Old People are Revolting” will now be staged by the Murwillumbah Theatre Company at TWEED HEADS CIVIC CENTRE – not Murwillumbah Civic Centre which has become the official Flood Relief Centre for the area.

Opening night is Friday 18.3.22 with performances at 7.30pm each Friday and Saturday and a 2.00pm matinee on Sundays from 18th March to 3rd April.

Please help to get the word out about this very funny show! May be just what you and your family and friends need after all the difficulties of recent months with Covid and now floods!

Murwillumbah Theatre Company is proud to announce that two of their long standing committee members, Dianne Robinson and Ken Corbitt have received The Gold Coast Theatre Alliance’s Distinguished Service Awards for 2020- 2021.

Unfortunately, the Alliance have had to cancel the event for the presentations of these theatrical awards three times due to Covid and have now been forced to announce their Awards online at –

https://www.goldcoasttheatre.com.au/awards

https://www.goldcoasttheatre.com.au/hero-wall-of-honour

https://www.goldcoasttheatre.com.au/blog

Congratulations to all awardees!

THE RED HAT AWARD 2020 – 2021

Shirley King – Spotlight Theatre

THE EAGLE YOUTH AWARD 2020 – 2021

Millie Talbot – Spotlight Theatre

Distinguished Service Awards 2020 – 2021

Diana Gibson – Spotlight Theatre

Kay Hawker – Spotlight Theatre

Dianne Robinson – Murwillumbah Theatre Company

Ralph Naudi – Tweed Theatre Company

Ken Corbitt – Murwillumbah Theatre Company

Judith Dautel – Spotlight Theatre Company

Pina Omeros – Spotlight Theatre Company

Julie Burnett – Tweed Theatre Company

Cherie Goosey – Tweed Theatre Company

Ted and Dorothy Henderson – Gold Coast Little Theatre; Gold Coast Theatre Alliance

Lawrie Yakimoff – Gold Coast City Choir; Gold Coast Theatre Alliance

Gillian Crow – Javeenbah Theatre Company

Pamela Payne – Tugun Theatre Company

Duncan Sims – Spotlight Theatre Company; Gold Coast Theatre Alliance

Youth Awards 2020 – 2021

Millie Talbot – Spotlight Theatre Company

Samantha Price – Spotlight Theatre Company

Georgia Beck – Spotlight Theatre Company

KINGSCLIFF HIGH STUDENT TOPS THE STATE IN DRAMA!

Jadzia Wolff from Kingcliff High School has been named as a high achiever in the 2021 HSC results announced today. Jadzia obtained 100% in Drama, topping the state! Wow, that’s amazing and very well deserved. She has performed with MTC in “Beauty and the Beast” and one other pantomime. Congratulations from Murwillumbah Theatre Company!

It’s worth a mention that Jadzia’s mother is Natascha Wolff, who has also performed in several plays for the company, including Gwendolyn in “The Importance of Being Earnest”, Sharon in “Ali Baba” and Joan in “Travelling North”.

And it may come as no surprise that Natasha has an Honours Degree in Performing Arts from James Cook University! Like mother like daughter ….!

Jazia has no doubt wisely chosen to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics, with drama as a hobby!

MTC would like to thank the ITV Tweed Community Initiative Fund for the grant to purchase essential sound equipment, which will help us provide a better listening experience for our audiences.

MURWILLUMBAH THEATRE MOVES OUT OF THE PIGGERY INTO NEW REHEARSAL PREMISES

Thanks to the incredible generosity from two anonymous supporters plus the backing of several local businesses plus ongoing attendance at productions for over 35 years, MTC Inc now has it’s very own storage and rehearsal venue at Unit 23/9 Kite Cres, Murwillumbah.

The future of the performing arts within the creative Tweed Valley is guaranteed with this milestone.

They are enjoying the clean, modern building and are underway with the customizing of the space for all their needs, such as rehearsals and storage of sets, props, costumes and everything else an active theatre company uses.

They look forward to many more opportunities to extend their free "real hands on training" and work experience in the arts and skills of theatre to residents of all ages. Come along and get involved!

To every volunteer who has assisted with the massive task of relocating from the Piggery to the new premises, the committee offer their genuine thanks. Hours of sorting, cleaning, carpet laying, loading, carrying and transporting made this happen!!!!

A very special thanks to Jim and Debbie Dickinson, Mark and Trudie Penman, Bill Larkin and David Crossan.

Finally to our two anonymous benefactors we express these few words of our genuine and lasting gratitude.

"The most truly generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward".

A few photos of MTC members and friends helping with the big move!

Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop Intensive – delivered by the D.I.V.E. Theatre Collective

• MON, 14 DEC 202012:30 PM FRI, 18 DEC 20205:30 PM

Public Act is proud to play host to the Sunshine Coast based applied theatre company: D.I.V.E. Theatre Collective, delivering a THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED Workshop Intensive on the southern end of the Gold Coast this December!

Theatre of the Oppressed is a very influential instrument for individual reflection & social change. First developed by Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal in the 1970’s, TO’s techniques are widely known & practiced around the world as a means to effect transformation in the lives of people & their communities.

In this week-long intensive, we will focus on two theatrical styles developed by Augusto Boal: IMAGE THEATRE & FORUM THEATRE. The workshop includes games & group exercises to develop the physical senses, rhythms, sounds, space awareness, relationships, memory, emotions & imagination.

Through practical activities, discussions & historical overview of Boal’s TO methodology, participants will have an in-depth experience of how Image Theatre & Forum Theatre can be a tool for social reflection, action & change. There will also be opportunities for participants to engage as actors, spect-actors & jokers.

The workshop is led by D.I.V.E. Theatre Collective’s Artistic Director Cesar Genaro, who was born & trained in Brazil, having used & disseminated TO’s techniques throughout his career as an actor & director.

Workshop Cost: $330 / $295 Early Bird (Exp. 28 Nov 2020)

Time: 10am – 3pm AEST

Dates: Mon 14 – Fri 18 December 2020

Location: Kirra Hill Community and Cultural Centre – 1 Garrick St, Coolangatta QLD 4225

BOOK via TryBooking: LINK

For more details, please contact 0422 570 346 or visit www.divetheatre.com