The year was 1996. Suddenly, after four decades
of relatively peaceful house-dwelling I found myself in a flat
situation,
surrounded by other flatees, flatites, or whatever the appropriate
term is for those so flattened by life they have to move
into a rented unit. It was a life-changing experience. Instead
of
listening to Chopin or Benny Goodman at night I was treated
to expletives in seven different octaves from the unit above.
When I complained I was told to talk softly, I’d wake
their baby up. Someone from somewhere in the block decided
it was their job to clear my mailbox. I’d find my letters
opened and abandoned under the staircase. One night a mad Irish
woman came knocking on every door asking: “Is this where
Michael lives?” I told her I was sometimes known as Michael.
She peered drunkenly into my eyes and told me I couldn’t
be because she didn’t know me. It was all a new experience
for my seven-year-old daughter Jessie, so I bought her a dog
as a sort of solace. We had to secret him in and out at night
so we wouldn’t be kicked out. The landlord, in fact,
was a very gentle Jewish man, who took the frequent trashing
of his units with remarkable tolerance. When I commiserated
with him after one outrage, he favoured me with that time-honoured
Levite shrug and said: “It is not easy being rich.”
The list of iniquities he and we suffered could
fill a novel. Instead, I wrote a play. This play. It is, I
believe, a play
that touches a chord with everyone except Alpha males and
dominatrix women. The two characters, Tim and Diane, are not
based on anyone,
but they could, I believe, be almost anyone. They are loners
doing their best to deal with their loneliness in a city
of teeming millions. Both their lives have contracted, through
no great
fault of their own, to the boundaries of their units. Because
their lives have become so circumscribed they react with
all the more intensity to what happens around them – the
snores, the ranting, the songs, the noises of the vacuum cleaner/TV/radio,
the smells, weird laughter, gnashing of teeth.
Oh, and one other thing. We are dealing with
serious issues here – loneliness, paranoia, obsession, regret. But I believe
the most serious way to deal with serious issues is to laugh….Enjoy.
Tom Bannerman – Set Designer
Tom is a free-lance set-designer and set-builder based in Sydney.
He has designed over 200 productions and built many more
than this. His work was included in the Prague Quadrennial
of 1991,
the last time Australia participated in the Olympic Games
of scenography, and he received a Chief Glug's award for
Excellence
Behind the Scenes (2002). Recent designs include The God
Botherers and Tom and Nicole and Russell and Friends (Darlinghurst
Theatre),
Vincent River, The Carnivores and Mile High (Old Fitzroy
Theatre), Take Me Out, Hamlet and Traitors (New Theatre),
The Crucible
(Seymour Centre), Rashomon (Parade), Homebody / Kabul (Belvoir,
B Sharp) and Influenced (La Mama).
Mick Barnes – Writer
Mick is an Australian writer who in a fit of despondency over
the state of journalism decided to write his way out of newspapers
and magazines and in to theatre. He was a drama critic at the
time and quickly came to learn how demoralising a rotten crit.
can be.
That was about a quarter of a century ago. Since
then his plays have been staged in most of the Australian state
capitals. They
included: The King & Di, premiered Cat & Fiddle Theatre,
Sydney, then Chapel On Chapel, Melbourne, Illawarra Performing
Arts Centre, Wollongong, Glen Street’s Sorlies Theatre,
Sydney. Conspiracy, Cat & Fiddle Theatre, Sydney. Eleven
Eleven, a 12 week season at the Ensemble Theatre, Sydney. R.I.P.
Ripper, Balmain Town Hall, Ratbag Theatre Company, Sydney. The
Runaway Man, La Boite Theatre, Brisbane. Inside-Out, Panorama
Players, Adelaide. Rainbow Requiem for the Australian Writers’ Theatre
starred the late Aboriginal actor Oodgeroo Noonuccle (Kath
Walker) in the lead role. Please Explain, a satirical one-woman
show
starring Aboriginal actor Rhoda Roberts, was a feature of the
Carnivale Festival at Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney. Inquest
on Joe Charles and The Executioners were workshopped by Melbourne
Theatre Company and The Executioners by Griffin Theatre Company,
Sydney.
In a long association with journalism, Barnes has been a television
script writer, has worked on newspapers in Sydney, London and
Brisbane and has contributed to a wide range of Australian
magazines and newspapers as a feature writer, columnist,
investigative
journalist, sports writer and theatre critic.
He is still despondent about the state of journalism world-wide
and at present is working on scripts for three more plays.
Andrew Doyle – Director
Andrew has enjoyed a 25 year career as an actor
and director. He graduated from the Ensemble Studios Acting
School in 1984,
where he studied under the legendary Hayes Gordon. Musical
theatre credits include the national tour of the David Atkins/
Gordon Frost production of Grease, Rasputin at Sydney’s
State Theatre, Dames At Sea at the Sydney Opera House Playhouse
and Otello for Australian Opera. Ensemble Theatre credits include
the trilogy of David Williamson plays : Face To Face, A Conversation
and Charitable Intent (including national tours of the first
two plays ), the Sydney Premiere of Williamson’s Birthrights,
A Shayna Maidel, Star Spangled Girl, Brel In Cabaret and Quartermaine’s
Terms. Andrew’s film credits include Garage Days, My
Husband-My Killer, Bootmen and Dark City, and his television
credits include All Saints, Always Greener, Home and Away,
G.P and Rafferty’s Rules.
For the Ensemble Theatre, Sydney he has directed
Wrong Turn At Lungfish with John McTernan, QED with Henri Szeps,
Stella
By
Starlight with Sarah Chadwick and Kate Raison, Losing Louis
with Amanda Muggleton and Andrew McFarlane, Harp On The Willow
with
Marina Prior and Joan Carden, I’m Not Rappaport with Warren
Mitchell, Vincent In Brixton with Victoria Longley and Johann
Walraven, and the NSW, ACT tour of David Williamson’s
A Conversation in which he also played the central character
of
Jack Manning. He was Assistant Director for the Ensemble Theatre
on Birthrights, The Dock Brief, The Boys Next Door, Japes,
After The Ball, The Price and Travelling North. Andrew was
the Associate
Director at Ensemble Theatre in 2001/2003.
Prior to that Andrew spent 8 years with the Walt Disney Company
firstly as a performer then as Production Manager, Tour Manager
and finally Show Director of numerous touring shows in all
major Australian capital cities and the ASEAN region (Singapore,
Malaysia,
Philippines, Indonesia, China, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand).
Pauline Kingsford-Smith – Stage
Manager/Producer
The Unit 46 company is fortunate to have an experienced stage
manager who is also a budding actor.
Born in a village 30 miles west of London, Pauline with her
husband, Leof, is now based in Sydney and has turned some of
the communication skills she used in the business world to
a blossoming career in the performing arts.
Pauline has previously been a stage manager in Behind Closed
Doors for the Actors Studio, and for Sutton Arts Theatre. She
has put on hold her training in all facets of stage work at
the Actors Studio in Sydney to undertake the current international
tour of Unit 46.
Pauline’s accomplishments on stage and screen, while
still a student, are impressive. Theatre include: Adoration & Sacrifice
in 10 moments and The Irrefutable Light (Short & Sweet
Festival Sydney); Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being
Earnest (The Actors Studio) Blood Relations (Sutton Arts Theatre,
UK) and Hospital Patient, Play Readings for NASA.
Her Film credits include: Feature film Sweet Marshall playing
Erin – Mother (Participate Film School) and About Four
playing Stella, a lady with dementia (Sydney Film School).
Pauline has also held roles in Music DVD, Sparkadia and TV
Commercials
Leof Kingsford-Smith – Performer
Leof Kingsford-Smith’s full CV reads like a roadmap to
acting. Geographically it extends from London’s West
End and English repertory to the Sydney Opera House and a host
of smaller Australian theatres. In almost four decades he has
played everything from Shakespeare to Ayckbourn, Emlyn Williams
and David Williamson in roles ranging from the tragic King
Lear and Mark Antony to The Coroner and Rex in two of Australia’s
hottest TV series; Underbelly II and Home and Away.
Since he graduated from training at the Independent Theatre
(with further training at the Sydney Theatre School and the
Actors Studio) his career has also embraced a steady stream
of film and television work.
A condensed list of Leof’s
theatre roles includes; The Shower, Six Minutes (Seymour Centre),
Dial L for Love (Newtown
Theatre) Our Country’s Good (Darlinghurst Theatre) Twelfth
Night (Acting Factory), Twelfth Night (Sydney Festival / Shakespeare
under the stars) King Lear (Seymour Centre), Roberto Zucco
and The Black Dog (Figtree Theatre, Sydney) Charley’s
Aunt, Bitter Sanctuary, Play it Again Sam, The Day after the
Fair (Sutton Arts Theatre; Birmingham, UK) The Elocution of
Benjamin Franklin (Mayfair Theatre, London) Macbeth, the Opera(Opera
House, Sydney) The Corn is Green and Don’s Party (New
Theatre, Sydney) Sidney, A Touch of Silk, Saturday Sunday Monday,
Zoo Story and The Glass Slipper (Independent Theatre, Sydney)
Film & TV
roles include: Underbelly (Coroner), Home and Away (Rex), The
Bondi Chronicles (Goldman), The 21 Conspiracy
(Professor), The Audition (Cleary), Natural Selection (Preston
Brown), Captain Heroic (Captain Heroic - Lead), Trapped (Max
- Best Actor, runner up), Move (The man - Lead), The Lamp God
(Sven - Lead), Once more (John - Lead), Misgiving (George -
Lead), Nine (Father - Lead), The Visit (Man - Lead), Sanctuary
(Father - Lead), Drama School (Governor), Nine.
Leof is the grand-nephew of one of Australia’s most celebrated
travellers, the pioneer aviator Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith.
Email Leof@kingsford-smith.com
Lucy Miller – Performer
Lucy trained in London after receiving a full 3 year scholarship
to the ‘Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.’ She
spent 2 years working at Riverside Studios, Avondale Theatre
and The Landor Theatre in London on productions such as ‘Vinegar
Tom,’’ Anatol,’ ‘A Dolls House’ and ‘Blithe
Spirit.’ She also performed in ‘Three to Degree’ at
the Bloomsbury Theatre directed by Bonnie Lythgoe. In Australia
she has worked with Night Sky Productions in performances of ‘Twelfth
Night’, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘The
Comedy of Errors,’ and two seasons of ‘A Midsummer
Nights Dream’ in Centennial Park. She has performed in
Young Australia Workshops productions of ‘Shakespeare
On Trial’ for 4 consecutive years performing Shakespeare
to over 200,000 students around Australia. Other productions
include a national production of ‘Snugglepot and Cuddlepie,’ and ‘The
Bamboo Flute.’ She performed in ‘I Love You, You’re
Perfect Now Change’ at Glen Street Theatre. Film/TV includes ‘All
Saints’ and the documentary/drama film ‘The Macdonagh
Sisters.’
Lucy spent 2008 performing in ‘Defiance’ the new theatrical work
at Q Station in Manly and in 2009 she performed in ‘As Bee’s In
Honey Drown’ at the Darlinghurst Theatre.
Erika Laxis - Assistant to Producer & Assistant Stage Manager
Erika Laxis was born in Brazil; she has acted in many school plays where she developed a great love for acting and performing. Prior to leaving Brazil Erika was attending the Administration in International Business course at the University of Cuiaba (UNIC), and was also working as a assistant manager in a hydraulic company (Dipar). She moved to Australia in 2004 with the dream to make it in the International Entertainment industry. Since arriving in Australia, learning the Language and culture has been a priority.
Erika completed the one year course “The power of acting program” at the Actors Centre Australia in June 2007. In that same year she was Miss Wilkinson in the play “Move over Mrs. Markham” with the Lane Cove Theatre company. From there Erika has been in several extra’s roles, supporting and main roles in video clips, student short films and theatre. Erika is currently enrolled at the actor’s studio (casual) where she continues her training. Following her acting passion, Erika accepted the opportunity of becoming the Assistant Producer and Assistant Stage Manager of “Unit 46” where she can utilize her administrative knowledge and gain Australia knowhow of the industry. Erika’s Quote “I believe I am about to experience how to put a great play together, work with a very talented and creative group of actors and crew, that will take Australia’s best writing to the highest International standard”.
