QUEENSLANDER
by Sue Chamberlain
SYNOPSIS
Mish is a social media influencer, well a micro-influencer, but she just knows she can be at the top of her game. Her husband Craig has just got himself an unlikely promotion that could catapult him into an elite political circle. They are primed and ready for the important job of making Queensland great again.
The only thing stopping them is Mish’s family.
Meet the Diamonds: Roz Diamond, an egalitarian University library worker disturbed by the growing tide of censorship and Lenny Diamond, outspoken rapper out on bail and awaiting trial for his anti-patriotic lyrics.
When brother Lenny, plagued by surveillance from the over-reaching police state, takes up residence under his mother’s crumbling Queenslander, and mother Roz takes to hiding her activities, life for Mish becomes increasingly complicated.
Her loyalties are split between her husband’s powerful family and her embarrassingly non-compliant mother and brother. How far will she go to protect her future from them?
A darkly humorous play strapped tightly between frightening truths and vicious lies, ‘Queenslander’ pre-empts a possible future of crumbling human rights, community discord and a very Big Brother.
CAST
Julia Allman
Andrew Warren
Patrick Mays
Madonna Davies
(more details below)
GENRE
‘Queenslander’ is a family political drama set in an iconic ‘Queenslander’ home, in a future besieged by a new political world order where freedom gives way to spurious notions of public security.
RUNNING TIME
Approximately 1 hr 50 min
AUDIENCE INFORMATION
Rated PG: includes mild coarse language, adult themes, staged domestic violence, simulated blood.
Theatrical haze used.
CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM PAGE INDEX
PLAYWRIGHT
Sue Chamberlain
Sue’s journey in writing Queenslander began in 2017 when she attended a Write Sparks script development program at JUTE theatre company. From there, Sue progressed to the Writer-in-Residence program with JUTE, under mentorship of Kathryn Ash, where she continued to hone her skills in script writing while progressing Queenslander, toward production readiness.
With JUTE’s continued support, investment, mentorship, Sue has been able to develop her skills and knowledge in scriptwriting, along with her understanding of the collaborative nature and business processes involved in professional theatre-making.
Over the course of her involvement with JUTE, Queenslander has evolved from a raw idea to a story, set in a near future, that explores some of the complex issues facing families in these interesting times.
In 2018 Sue received a Queenslander RAF professional development grant allowing her to undertake a short course in script writing and, in 2021, along with a small group of international creatives, Sue received an international Creative Power Award, to assist in bringing Queenslander to a production ready standard.
DIRECTOR
Suellen Maunder
DRAMATURG
Kathryn Ash
As JUTE Theatre Company’s Creative Producer, Kathryn Ash is a Cairns-based playwright and dramaturg, working with the company writing development. She is a published playwright, having her scripts selected three times for workshopping within national theatre conferences, with an award-winning play Bag O’Marbles and over 25 produced plays to date including Cake!, Paradise is Singing and Here We All Are. Assembled. She was playwright and writing mentor on an extensive Arts Festival program for Cairns City Council and Commonwealth Games in 2018 and co-writer of a highly acclaimed musical drama of Polynesian, Melanesian, and Indigenous Australian women in Woven by AustrNesia Choir in 2019. In that same year, she worked as dramaturg on the 2019 Matilda Award-Winning play The Longest Minute by Rob Kronk and Nadine MacDonald-Dowd.
During 2020, Kathryn was selected to participate in two national writing projects, Dear Australia for Playwriting Australia and Come To Where I Am by Critical Stages, both of which resulted in online presentation of her work through those two peak playwrighting bodies. She was also the driving force behind JUTE’s award-winning dramaturgical script development program, Enter Stage Write, which operated for 16 years, and opened long-term career pathways for over 25 regional playwrights, and she currently delivers the company’s script development program, Write Sparks.
As a founding member of JUTE and continues her long relationship with a company that has grown to be a regional force in performance writing and theatre production.
ACTORS
Julia Allman
Julia Allman is an actor, dancer and teacher who has recently returned to her tropical roots in Cairns. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in performance studies (QUT), she has engaged as a performer and collaborating artist for a wide range of festivals and theatres in South East Queensland, including La Boite Theatre Company, Brisbane Powerhouse, Metro Arts Theatre, World Theatre Festival and Anywhere Theatre Festival. As a qualified teacher, Julia is a highly energetic teaching artist with a diverse skill set. She seeks to foster a passion for performance in young people by modelling the drive and discipline required to pursue a career in the Performing Arts. Currently, she engages as a primary facilitator for the JUTE Actor’s Studio programs and delivers professional quality dance training to the community with FULL OUT DANCE CROWD. Since her return to Cairns, JUTE has welcomed her as part of their family, including her in creative developments and showcases and supporting her as an emerging writer through their Write Sparks program. Chris and Ines, her actual family, are happy to have her here, too!
Andrew RJ Warren
Andrew, is an emerging actor, writer and multimedia artist. Born in Cairns, raised in Gordonvale and living in Townsville, Andrew’s passion for theatre and art began at a very early age with the likes of drawing pictures and playing pretend. His approach to art has always been derived from an innate desire and talent for expression.
Andrew’s pursuit of theatre began when people in his community suggested that his knack for impressions and memorising of scenes and skits from film and television would make him ideal for something like the dramatic arts. With this advice in hand, he entered Gordonvale State High School’s drama program at 16, Andrew has rarely looked back since.
Andrew began performing on stage in community theatre in 2013 with Tropical Art’s production of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well in Cairns, but moved to Townsville to study a Bachelor of New Media Arts at JCU. After finding the lecture halls to be more stifling than inspiring, he soon left to pursue the life of an independent artist, taking up roles as a writer, director, editor and actor in various projects – even spending some time as a freelance videographer.
In recent years, Andrew has been a mainstay of Full Throttle Theatre’s program in Townsville, performing in Astronomical (2018), Pygmalion (2019), Astronomical 2 (2019), Sweeney Todd (2019), King Ubu (2020), Love & Information (2021), Cosmological (2021).
Andrew was also a lead voice actor with Theatre of Diversion’s Tides, an interactive dramatic podcast that can be found on Spotify.
Andrew wants to thank his parents Rhonda and Stephen as well as his incredible network of friends for their constant support and encouragement in the pursuit of all things creative.
Patrick Mays
Patrick is a primary school teacher who is currently living and working in Bamaga- in
the northern Peninsula area of Far North Queensland. Patrick’s passion is performing
which he has been doing since the age of 8. Patrick is originally from Victoria and
has performed with La Mama theatre company in Melbourne, but he has lived in
Cairns for the past 9 years. he has performed locally with Box Jelly theatre company
and at the Rondo in their productions of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (2016) and
more recently Things I Know to be True (2021). Last year He also had the pleasure of
performing at The Tanks as a back-up dancer for the amazing electro pop duo the
Ironing Maidens. Queenslander is his first production with Jute, he was however
involved in their Write Sparks program in 2020 & is currently in the process of writing
a children’s production.
Madonna Davies
Madonna has been an arts worker and performer in the region for over 30 years. She works with Full Throttle Theatre Company in Townsville, where she directs, performs, coordinates regional tours and facilitates workshops. When not doing this she is the Festival Coordinator for the Palm Creek Folk Festival. Her last show with JUTE was CAKE by Kathryn Ash. She is extremely excited to be working with the JUTE Team again.
SET DESIGNER
Simone Tesorieri
COSTUME DESIGNER
Simona Cosentini
SOUND DESIGNER AND COMPOSER
Tony Brumpton
Tony is a composer, sound designer and academic working in the field of Aural
Scenography. Over his 20-year career he has created works in the fields of theatre,
dance, film, performance and installation art. Some of the companies he has works
with include Jute theatre company, Queensland Theatre, Dead Puppet Society, La
Boite theatre Company, QPAC, Brisbane Festival, Queensland Music Festival, Black
Swan Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Griffin theatre company,
Sydney festival, DeBase theatre company, State Library of Queensland, Centenary
of Canberra Festival, White Rabbit theatre company, I-pin Lin Productions, QUT
Dance, Vena Cava Productions, British Natural History Museum, Thiess. Tony is
currently a Lecturer in Technical Production at Queensland University of Technology,
and is the founder of Tone Black Productions.
LIGHTING DESIGNER AND PRODUCTION MANAGER
Sam Gibb
STAGE MANAGER
Rachel Bradley
Rachel Bradley is a Cairns local and a graduate of The Victorian College of the Arts with a Diploma of Arts in Dramatic Arts, specialising in Stage management, set and costume design, props and set construction and lighting and sound production. Rachel went on to work as Resident Stage Manager for Cabaret Theatre Restaurant Dracula’s for 10 years. Here she developed her skills in theatre production and performance, becoming one of the principal cast members of the show, swapping her overalls and gaffa tape for under-alls and sequins. Dracula’s sponsored Rachel to obtain a Diploma in Makeup Artistry focusing on Special Effects. A makeup artist was born. For the past 25 years Rachel has worked professionally as a Makeup Artist, A Roaming Character Entertainer, Children’s Entertainer, Singer, Songwriter and Musician. Rachel is Owner Operator of Cairns Costume Hire and Makeup and works as an Entertainment Consultant and Arts Facilitator. Life has now come full circle and taken Rachel back to her roots and back to the observatory – Bio Box.
FIGHT DIRECTOR
Andy Fraser
CO-LYRICIST
Buttah
Buttah the verbal wordsmith was an actor before he was a rapper and used to tread the boards of JUTE Theatre over a decade ago. He has been a major figure in the North Queensland hip hop scene since releasing his debut album, ‘The Storyteller LP’, in 2008 and has performed with a plethora of both Australian and international artists including The Hilltop Hoods, Blissneso, Drapht, Seth Sentry and Xzibit to name just a few. Buttah has a passion for working with disadvantaged youth and has facilitated hip hop and lyric writing workshops up and down the East Coast. He recently released his second and third studio albums, ‘City of Sirens – Dawn & Dusk’, winning QMusic video of the year (2019) for his song, ‘Ghost in the Machine’. Buttah… Be Useful Truthful Thoughtul And Happy.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Mick Fuhrimann: promotional photography
Paul Furse: production, rehearsal and performance photos and head shots
SET CONSTRUCTION
Instant Alloy Scaffolding
Just the Man
HAIR AND MAKEUP
As You Like It
SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS
This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland
