The Sunshine Boys

2000

The Sunshine Boys

About The Sunshine Boys

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2 - 9 Dec, 2000

Venue: The Courthouse Theatre
Genre: Comedy
Playwright: Neil Simon
Director: Andrew Seeary

Cast

Fred Fargher

Willy Clark

Although his name is usually associated with the musical theatre in Ballarat, Fred has still enjoyed a great deal of success with Ballarat National Theatre since his first appearance in one of this company's popular end of year satirical revues a couple of decades ago. When his career path changed direction from the theatre to the television industry Fred's onstage appearances became infrequent, but as the host of the long running Six Tonight and Thursday Night Live on BTV6 (now WIN TV) he became one of the most recognisable faces on Television throughout Victoria and Southern NSW. Occasionally during those years, Fred found the time to mount productions for Ballarat Lyric Theatre and it was these musicals that built his formidable reputation across the State as a Director/Choreographer. In recent years his musical productions for B.L.O.C. have received great acclaim and earned both Fred and that company a host of awards from the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria. B.N.T. lured him back to perform in the multi-award winning Michael Frayn farce Noises Off for which he won the B.J. Best Actor. Then at the invitation of Jenny Tudor Fred directed the female version of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple which starred Jenny opposite Marilyn Chestnut. More recently he has appeared in two plays directed by Julian Oldfield - the Alan Bennett comedy Habeas Corpus and the early Alan Ayckbourn success Relatively Speaking. Fred says that he is delighted to finally be playing someone his own age, the 72-year-old irascible Willie Clark.

Mark Karlovic

Ben Silverman

although a comparatively recent arrival in Ballarat and a welcome recruit to B.N.T, Mark has had considerable on-stage experience. Mainly with the various suburban Theatre companies in the Melbourne area. These include Elwood, Moordialloc, Sunshine, Essendon & Williamstown. Plays he has appeared in include Arsenic & Old Lace, A Toast to Melba, Away, Summer of the seventeenth Doll, The John Wayne Principle. We hope that this is only the first of many appearances he will make with the company.

Julian Oldfield

Al Lewis

trained for the theatre, television and in arts administration at the Old Vic Theatre School, the B.B.C.T.V. Director's course and the Polytechnic of Central London. His professional career spanned several continents and over 250 productions, look him into London's West-end and onto Broadway with a galaxy of international stars in plays, musicals, opera and television. In the UK he ran two regional arts centres whilst his television credits included work on The Bill & Rumpole of the Bailey. Directly before retiring to Ballarat he was Programming Manager at the Victorian Arts Centre in Melbourne. For BNT he has directed and designed many productions, including two with his playing partner tonight Fred Farghar. This is only his second on-stage appearance with B.N.T. the first being in the Noel Coward part in that author's South Sea Bubble. However this is the first time in all these years that he has played an American and he apologises for his lousy Yankee accent.

Michael Cooper

Eddie

has been involved in local theatre for many years, working both on and off-stage with any company who offered him the chance. Although recently appearing in The Sentimental Bloke & Dimboola his chief love is Stage-management. Earlier this year he stage-managed Chess for BLOC. He is a past President of Theatre Movement Inc. for whom he directed several productions. His other favourite job is working alongside his mate Seeary. Sunshine Boys is the seventh major production on which they have collaborated. It is Michael's fourth production with BNT.

Andrew Seeary

Voice of TV Announcer

Tony McGuinness

Patient

has performed in five musicals staged by BLOC. These included the award winning Me and My Girl, in which he played the role of Sir Jasper Tring. With the Beaufort Arts & Theatrical Society he played Wally Carlisle in their production of No Time On. He has been a regular supporter of B.N.T., especially backstage. His most recent on-stage appearance with us was in last years A Voyage Round My Father.

Megan Cooper

Nurse

hailing from Gippsland, Meg spent over a decade both on and off-stage with Latrobe Theatre Co, appearing in both musicals and straight plays. Although this is her first production with BNT; since moving to Ballarat she has appeared with most of the local companies. Theatre Movement - Hating Alison Ashley, Wolf Lullaby & Scenes from a Separation, Ballarat Theatre Co. Sentimental Bloke and earlier in the year she was A.S,M, for Chess at Her Majesty's. She holds a Bachelor of Education from Ballarat Uni, and married Michael in April this year. Having much enjoyed playing the 'bimbo' role in Noises off she welcomes returning to the same territory in this production.

Jill Dunne

Registered Nurse

began her theatrical activities in musicals including The Mikado, My Fair Lady, Sound of Music, Showboat, Mame, Chicago, Boyfriend, lolanthe and such like. Widening her scope to include straight theatre she has since appeared with many local companies in such plays as Seasons Greetings, Taking Steps, Noises off, Shut your ears and think of England, Habeas Corpus, South sea Bubble, Love Child, Dinkum Assorted, Present Laughter, and Nunsense. Many of which have been with BNT. More recently Jill has expanded her horizons even further by appearing as the Nursing sister in the feature film Dalkieth as well as My Brother Jack.

About the Director

Andrew Seeary

A divided passion for performing and visual arts has led Andrew down a variety of paths for which he feels particularly blessed. Currently he is employed as senior performing arts co-ordinator and drama teacher at Damascus College.

A firm believer in the adage 'practice what you preach' he has also been involved in the local theatre scene as an actor, writer, designer and director for the past ten years.

His association with BNT began in 1993 directing One Flew over the Cuckoos nest. The following year he directed Plaza Suite by tonight's author Neil Simon. Locally he has appeared in such plays as Two weeks with the Queen, Hotel Sorrento & The Odd Couple (another Simon!!).

A past Board member of BNT, in 1995 he stepped down in order to concentrate on a personal project to adapt and stage Animal Farm by George Orwell. This eventually came to fruition through Damascus College last year. However during the gestation of this long-term dream he was coaxed out of 'retirement' to stage a highly successful production of Cosi by Louis Nowra for TheatreMovement Inc. Since the age of eighteen Andrew has harbored a wish to stage The Sunshine Boys (Yet another Simon!!) BNT are happy to welcome his return and to help him fulfil another dream.

Crew

Directed by

Andrew Seeary
Stage Manager

Michael Cooper
Asst. Stage Manager

Megan Pinkerton
Lighting

Frank & Leon Hanrahan
Sound

Michael Zala
Set Construction

Frank Hanrahan assisted by the Sunshine crew
Pre Production

Megan & Michael Cooper, Yvonne & Ivan Downing, Jill Dunne, Fred Fargher, Wendy & Gary Hall, Louise McClure, Tony McGuinness, Bronwen Oldaker, Julian Oldfield, Megan Pinkerton, Andrew & Steven Seary, Graeme Walker, Peter Zala.
Foyer

Yvonne Downing
Photography

Helen Irving
Graphic Design

Anne Griffin

Program

Performance Gallery

Reviews

Reviewer - Wendy Holgate

Thank you to Andrew Seeary and Ballarat National Theatre for staging The Sunshine Boys. Pure entertainment from beginning to end.

The show stars two "old boys" (I mean that nicely of course) of the theatre. The very talented duo of Fred Fargher and Julian Oldfield.

The opening scene has decals of light shining on a closed curtain which opens to an old apartment that has been well lived in by a person who has obviously lived by himself for some time. There is music reminiscent of vaudeville days starring Jimmy Durante and Bing Crosby taking us back in time. Slides are shown during the overture "Lewis and Clark" (alias Fargher and Oldfield).

All this sets the scene for a great night's entertainment. Fred Fargher is just brilliant as the slightly dementia suffering, overbearing, grumpy, stubborn, self centred Willie Clark.

I particularly liked the Performance of Mark Karlovic who plays the long suffering Nephew Ben Silverman, also Willie's agent. This role was played with sensitivity.

Julian Oldfield's timing, as usual, is impeccable. His character Al Lewis is the opposite of Willie. He is quiet, clean, immaculate but some times forgetful compared to Willie's brash, harsh aggravating ways. Willie is grumpy and obstinate to the end.

In the words of both men "we don't get on too well”. This is despite having worked together for 40 years.

The two have been brought back together to perform one more show. They have not spoken to each other for 11 Years. Al's mildly annoying habits inevitably send Willie into orbit. In fact neither can resist pushing the other's buttons.

As with most Neil Simon plays this one is sad, hilariously funny, poignant, and pathetic at times but always entertaining. I fell apart with laughter at the bag scene. Good Performances by Megan Cooper as the sexy nurse, Jill Dunne as the registered nurse, Tony McGuinness as the patient and Michael Cooper as Eddie.

The acting is brilliant by everyone. Take a friend, have a cry, have a good laugh, but most of all enjoy excellent theatre.

I'll be back on Monday evening to catch the lines I missed through laughter.

Congratulations Andrew, cast and crew you have a winner.