Cristina in
the Cupboard
by Paul Gilchrist
6 - 17 November 2013 TAP Gallery
With Sinead Curry, Sylvia Keays, Alice Keohavong,
Sonya Kerr, Peter McAllum, Kelly Robinson,
Helen Tonkin and Stephen Wilkinson
Director: Paul Gilchrist
Producer: Daniela Giorgi
Sound Design: Ashley Walker
Stage Manager: Tom Massey
A spellbinding experiment in comic magical realism.
Everyone needs time out.
Everyone needs to get away.
Not everyone does it like this.
Cristina has locked herself away. Join her on a breathtaking inner journey, as she navigates illusion, weathers dismay, and discovers wonder.
Playful and provocative, Cristina in the Cupboard tells of one woman’s quest to live life entirely on her own terms.
"Gilchrist has assembled a strong cast, led by Keays, who delivers a clear
and strongly felt performance and she’s very capably supported by Alice Keohavong as Cristina’s little sister. Kelly Robinson, Sonya Kerr and Sinead Curry
offer vivacious cameos as Cristina’s narcissistic, social media-obsessed friends.
Stephen Wilkinson is a sympathetic Gabriel, flummoxed by Cristina’s withdrawal.
Peter McAllum and Helen Tonkin pair well as Cristina’s parents.
Gilchrist’s text is a rich and frequently humorous one" The Sydney Morning Herald
"the script is poignant and beautiful... the performances are strong and effective...
a timeless work that speaks with intellectual and emotional clarity,
and should be staged every place there is a thinking audience" suzygoessee
"a surprise joy... a must for serious theatre-goers with a sterling cast, some of which
may be household names in the not too distant future. As an audience member
I entered a little theatrical cupboard in a gallery basement,
and left with a feeling of being part of the grand magic of theatre" Sydney Arts Guide
"Once again subtlenuance has intrigued and entertained... insightful and evocative
writing; economically but imaginatively presented with a well chosen
and very convincing cast... it is often side-splittingly funny" South Sydney Herald
"Gilchrist has done a deft job... Stephen Wilkinson has a unique presence on stage and is a treat to watch…. It was great fun and quite impressive to watch her perform. Gilchrist surely has a knack for writing" Dinner and a Show
“I found Cristina in the Cupboard both deeply fascinating and profoundly troubling.
For the eighty five minutes of the show, I found myself mesmerized”
Theatre from the Backseat
"Sylvia Keays provides us a strong performance as Cristina. She has
an ethereal quality that evokes just enough magic, without appearing too whimsical... Erica and Belinda are played brilliantly by Sonya Kerr and Sinead Curry
in an amusing display of one upmanship... Alice Keohavong, Helen Tonkin,
Peter McAllum, Stephen Wilkinson and Kelly Robinson, all give first-rate performances... don't miss this" The Buzz from Sydney
With Daniel Hunter, Sylvia Keays,
Alyssan Russell, Stephen Wilkinson
Director: Paul Gilchrist
Producer: Daniela Giorgi
Design: Rachel Scane
‘You tell every girl you’re an astronaut?’
‘No. Only the ones who say they’re actors.’
Veronica has an audition.
This morning.
But first she has to get rid of the man
she brought home the night before.
But Neil wants to stay.
And wants her to stop.
He loathes her profession,
with a passion shockingly precise and white hot.
Blast off is always the most dangerous moment.
Fiercely funny, Rocket Man is a provocative exploration
of stories and theatre
and their power to rocket us to new worlds.
"Unsettling, wry, dark, rich in humour and tension. Everything a play should be.
And yet, something more. This is original work, it's new, it's distinctively Australian, it should be setting off alarm bells in our literary departments"
5th Wall
"Gilchrist crafts the build up of tension and disquiet very well over the play's
65 minutes... four well shaped performances draw us in" Sydney Morning Herald
"The way playwright and director Paul Gilchrist manages the tension and spark
between the four characters is masterful and fun to watch...
Its characters are whole, affectionately shaded and genuine in a way that
outshines the irony. Performances are sensational" Concrete Playground
"Given the breadth and depth of Rocket Man, it is incredible
that it's only a little over an hour long. Paul Gilchrist successfully
and oh so skillfully waves his audience around so many seemingly conflicting
subjects with the clarity and verve of a ballroom dancer...
It's an enormously clever play... It's a fantastic night of theatre" Lisa Thatcher
"A powerful universal tale... a good night's entertainment
from an energetic and creative company" Stage Whispers
"an engaging show... pointed and entertaining" Theatrefromthebackseat
"utterly convincing, sometimes extremely funny, at at others very moving"
South Sydney Herald
"Rocket Man is an insightful exploration... a well acted, thinking person's play that guarantees a long and intense post performance chat" Alt Media
Rocket Man
by Paul Gilchrist
4 - 14 July 2013 TAP Gallery
Photo credit Zorica Purlija
The Political Hearts of Children
A Multi-playwright Project
11-21 April 2013 TAP Gallery
Written by Alison Rooke, Katie Pollock, Kimberley Lipschus,
Victoria Haralabidou, Benito Di Fonzo, Didem Caia
and James Balian
With James Balian, Mark Dessaix, Rosanna Easton,
Carla Nirella, Kelly Robinson, Kathryn Schuback
and Stephen Wilkinson
Director: Paul Gilchrist
Producer: Daniela Giorgi
Sound Design: Ashley Walker
Stage Manager: Angharad Lindley
Everyone has childhood stories.
They tell us who we were, who we are, and who we can become.
With some of Sydney’s most exciting established and emerging artists
we share childhood’s treasured tales
– tales of humour and wonder,
fear and loss.
Created directly from the personal experiences of the actors,
The Political Hearts of Children is a journey back
to the lost land of childhood.
Join us as we rediscover its secrets.
What can we retrieve?
What must we leave behind?
"Stark white walls. Seven scripts. Seven actors.
Who needs 'big' theatre when 'little' theatre
can be so blindingly brilliant?" Australian Stage
"this show, with such a deceptively simple premise,
is a vastly important piece of theatre...
a rare find for theatre-hunters,
the opening night audience
laughing, crying and so privileged to find insight
into not one but
seven beautiful minds.
I’m going back again" 5th wall
"All seven stories are touching in their own way.
To see each of them performed
by an actor who lived the moment,
let it go,
and turns it into something else
on the stage is thrilling... wonderfully
engaging piece of original theatre" Lisa Thatcher
"a curious set of tales...
Thought provoking certainly,
and young enough at heart
to make it an intriguing (noisy!) little gem" Aussie Theatre
"a beguiling series of childhood memories.
Some are familiar and
some feel like they're from another world,
yet all of them are bewitching...
a beautiful journey that I thoroughly enjoyed embarking on.
This is a wonderful production"
Weekend Notes
"a delightful and charming foray into memories…
the performances were all enjoyable, exuberant and sometimes enthralling…
Well done subtlenuance!" Sydney Arts Guide
Photo credit Zorica Purlija