Ensemble Theatre Announces 2012 Season

As Ensemble Theatre enters it's 54th year, Co-Artistic Directors Sandra Bates and Mark Kilmurry today announced the 2012 season. There's a smorgasbord of choice for audiences with 11 plays on offer.

The first three plays will be directed by Sandra Bates - THE ACT is a rediscovered classic which delves into world history; THE GINGERBREAD LADY, a warm, witty, heartbreaking and life-affirming Neil Simon comedy, and a brand new David Williamson black comedy , WHEN DAD MARRIED FURY which is set right on the religious and political fault lines of contemporary Australia and is "simply David Williamson at his best".

Mark Kilmurry is also directing three plays - David Hare's SKYLIGHT which was a huge hit in the West End and on Broadway, John Logan's RED "a very exciting, brilliant play, deserving of it's wonderful reputation" and a second brand new David Williamson comedy MANAGING CARMEN featuring Garry McDonald and set in the world of football - "it's almost an echo of The Club, going back to that territory that David's very, very good at and knows very well. It's a very funny, very poetic, beautiful comedy about gender and sexual politics."

Mark is also acting in the first production of the year, THE ACT alongside Brian Meegan, Daniel Mitchell and Michael Ross, and he has co-adapted with Anna Crawford the script for our first Special Event, a children's show WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT which is based on the novel by Michael Rosen. Mark is also directing Jamie Oxenbould in the second Special Event for the year - THE SPEAR CARRIER, which was postponed from this year's season due to Jamie "mangling his knee!"

Ensemble is delighted to welcome back director Anna Crawford who directed this year's hit Alan Ayckbourn comedy My Wonderful Day, and last year's Brooklyn Boy. Anna will direct the children's show WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT which will play during the April school holidays - and Becky Shaw a crackling new play by Gina Gionfriddo who writes for TV's Law and Order.

Mark and Sandra are pleased to announce two new directors Nikki Selby and Shannon Murphy, both making their Ensemble directorial debuts. Nikki Selby will direct Danny Adcock and ShaRon Millerchip in A PICASSO by Jeffrey Hatcher - described as " a portrait of the artist as a master of the one-liner" by the New York Times. Shannon Murphy is directing the 2010 Obie Award winning Best New American Play CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION by Annie Baker, featuring Paul Gleeson.

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