Peter Houghton Takes Over as Director for Black Swan Theatre's DAY ONE, A HOTEL, EVENING

BLACK SWAN State Theatre Company regrets to announce that Bruce Beresford has withdrawn as the director of Joanna Murray-Smith's play Day One, A Hotel, Evening. Instead, director, writer and actor Peter Houghton will direct the play for BLACK SWAN.

Peter Houghton has worked extensively in theatre, film and television. He has appeared in some of Australia's leading television shows, including City Homicide, Killing Time, Blue Heelers, Newstopia and the telemovie Little Oberon. Most recently he appeared alongside Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis in Fred Schepisi's The Eye of the Storm, as Richie Benaud in Howzat! Kerry Packer's War and in Winners & Losers.

An award-winning stage actor, director and playwright, he has starred in productions for Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, Playbox Theatre and Eleventh Hour. He wrote and starred in The Colours for MTC. His other works include The China Incident, A Commercial Farce and the multi-award-winning The Pitch for Malthouse Theatre. In 2009, Peter performed The Pitch for BLACK SWAN in Perth.

He directed True Minds by Joanna Murray-Smith, Art & Soul, The Recruit and Hinterland for MTC, Svetlana In Slingbacks and God's Last Acre for Playbox and Noises Off for Marriner Theatres, among other directing credits.

Joanna Murray-Smith stated, "Hugely disappointed as I am not to be working with Bruce Beresford, as both his friend and long-term admirer -- I could not be happier that Peter Houghton is filling his shoes. Peter is quite simply Australia's Comedy Guru -- a walking talking multifaceted genius with regards to making people laugh. Some years ago, he was brilliant as an actor in my play The Female of the Species, but has also written brilliant comic plays of his own which have appeared on our national main-stages, and spent years honing his directorial skills. Everyone wants Pete and lucky for me and BLACK SWAN, we got him!"

Day One, A Hotel, Evening, a story about the romantic entanglements of the well-heeled, is the fourth play by Joanna Murray-Smith presented by BLACK SWAN since 1995. She is Australia's most produced playwright and renowned for her wit and razor-sharp humour.

The creative team for Day One, A Hotel, Evening will include TraCy Grant Lord (Set & Costume Designer), Matthew Marshall (Lighting Designer) and Ash Gibson Greig (Sound Designer/Composer). Peter is currently working on finalising the casting for the play, with Humphrey Bower and Michelle Fornasier joining Roz Hammond so far, and three roles still to be cast.

Day One, A Hotel, Evening will preview from 15 June and open on 19 June. The season runs until 30 June.

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