Hello
So yep/yay, Groundhog Day is now previewing in London – there’s been lots of fun chat about it – the Old Vic have made this video to look at:
For the next six weeks until 17 September, we’re putting a bunch of super talented actors and musicians (led by the remarkable Andy Karl as Phil Connors) through their very own Groundhog Day. Every. Single. Day. With no exceptions. Except Sundays.
We’d love you to come and see it before the really quite limited run ends in September. You may not get another chance to see it for a long time. (Or you may, but let’s not bank on that).
So grab a ticket before it gets harder to get one after our official premiere on 16 August.
“Late one night, for no particular reason, something stirred in the black mud at the bottom of Berkeley’s Creek…”
Last month, ABC KIDS presented a series of Play School Celebrity Covers in celebration of 50 years on air for the adored children’s series. In Tim’s mini-episode, The Bunyip of Berkeley’s Creek, he reads the inspiring story of an existentialist Bunyip seeking identity.
The star-studded PLAY SCHOOL: FAMOUS FRIENDS is now available on CD & DVDfrom the ABC Shop.
Last night, the glittering 2016 Helpmann Awards ceremony was held at Sydney’s Lyric theatre.
Photo by James Morgan
It was an extraordinary evening for an extraordinary show. Having been nominated for 13 Helpmann Awards, the Australian production of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical converted them into a record breaking 13 wins, including Best Musical!
Tim won Best Original Score in a Musical for his music and lyrics, while Best Female Actor in a Musical went to the eight Australian Matildas who have shared the role of the eponymous hero in Sydney and Melbourne: Molly Barwick, Dusty Bursill, Tiana Mirra, Alannah Parfett, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin, Bella Thomas and Ingrid Torelli.
James Millar scooped Best Male Actor in a Musical with Matthew Warchus winning Best Direction of a Musical.
The rest of the wins, across the other categories, are as follows: Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Daniel Frederiksen Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Elise McCann Best Costume Design in a Musical – Rob Howell Best Scenic Design in a Musical – Rob Howell Best Sound Design in a Musical – Simon Baker Best Lighting Design – Hugh Vanstone Best Music Direction in a Musical – Stephen Amos Best Choreography in a Musical – Peter Darling
Tim and the 8 Australian Matildas. Photo by James Morgan
On Thursday, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Canadian production of Matilda The Musical had its official Opening Night at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto!
Three young actresses alternate playing Matilda, with Hannah Levinson swinging gloriously into action in the title role for the premiere. Jaime MacLean and Jenna Weir make up the rest of the Toronto Matilda trio.
They are joined by the principals (in alphabetical order) Paula Brancati (Miss Honey), Dan Chameroy (Miss Trunchbull), Keisha T. Fraser (Mrs Phelps), Brandon McGibbon (Mr Wormwood) and Darcy Stewart (Mrs Wormwood).
Tickets are on sale for performances up until 16th October, 2016, from www.mirvish.com or by phone at TicketKing at 416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333. (more…)
Ten days to go! In case you missed them, here are a selection of photos of Tim, some of the cast, musicians and creatives in rehearsals for Groundhog Day.
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Matilda The Musicalarrives at the Adelaide Festival Centre in May 2017 to play a strictly limited eight week season. There’s a waitlist now open for tickets – you can sign up here.
Matilda The Musical is currently playing to excited and packed houses at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre, before heading to Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre at QPAC in November 2016, then Perth’s Crown Theatre from February 2017, before swinging back over to Adelaide in May 2017.
Tickets for Brisbane are already on sale and you can sign up to the waitlist for priority access to tickets for Perth and Adelaide when they go on sale. For the best seats to Melbourne performances, at the moment, go to August when booking.
Those of you following the story will know Matilda The Musical was recently nominated for 13 Helpmann Awards and has won over 50 major international awards, including 13 for Best Musical, delighting audiences in London, Australia, on Broadway and on tour around the USA.
Play School, Australia’s longest-running children’s series, is celebrating 50 years on air! Next month ABC KIDS is presenting a series of Play School Celebrity Covers, sure to delight both the young and the young-at-heart. From the 4th July, episodes will air daily on ABC KIDS at 8am and 5pm.
Tim’s mini-episode, The Bunyip of Berkeley’s Creek, is on ABC KIDS at 8am on the 13th July and it will be up on iView shortly after the broadcast.
Here’s a sneak peek at the star-studded line-up who’ll be performing a song or reading a story:
Until we hear the rest of the story, Tim’s apparent existential crisis will remain an enigma…
UPDATE: Click here for a video clip of Tim reading a bit more of The Bunyip of Berkeley’s Creek.
The Helpmann Awards are the premier celebration of Australia’s vibrant live performance industry and Matilda The Musical had quite a night, last night, receiving 13 Award nominations, including Best Musical!
The eight young actresses who’ve played Matilda in Sydney and Melbourne – Molly Barwick, Dusty Bursill, Tiana Mirra, Alannah Parfett, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin, Bella Thomas and Ingrid Torelli – are up jointly for Best Female Actor in a Musical, while James Millar is nominated for Best Male Actor in a Musical, for his performance as the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull.
Tim’s up for Best Original Score in a Musical for his music and lyrics, with the rest of the nominations as follows: Best Direction of a Musical – Matthew Warchus Best Choreography in a Musical – Peter Darling Best Music Direction in a Musical – Stephen Amos Best Sound Design in a Musical – Simon Baker Best Scenic Design in a Musical – Rob Howell Best Costume Design in a Musical – Rob Howell Best Lighting Design – Hugh Vanstone Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Daniel Frederiksen Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Elise McCann
The 16th Annual Helpmann Award winners will be announced at a ceremony on Monday 25th July at the Sydney Lyric Theatre, on the set of Singin’ in the Rain. More details here.
Matilda The Musical is currently on at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre, but must leave in November to start a run in Brisbane, before heading to Perth in February 2017. For tickets and information pop over to www.matildathemusical.com.
PwC £10 Previews tickets for Groundhog Day will be released on Monday 13th June at 12 noon.
Groundhog Day is one of the most ambitious shows ever to have been staged at The Old Vic so there’s a longer preview period than usual with PwC £10 Previews tickets, for a selection of seats in the auditorium, available for performances from 15th to 30th July.
To book your PwC Previews tickets on Monday 13th June either visit the Old Vic box office, www.oldvictheatre.com or call 0844 871 7635.
For some (otherwise sold out) preview dates these are the only remaining tickets.
They will surely fly, so snap them up quick!
For more information on PwC £10 Previews, please take a look here.
The show reunites composer and lyricist Tim, with Artistic Director of The Old Vic Matthew Warchus, choreographer Peter Darling and designer Rob Howell, four of the Matilda The Musical creative team. They have joined forces with writer Danny Rubin to collaborate on this new musical based on his 1993 hit film.
If you’ve not yet seen it, here’s a video of Tim and some of the cast and musicians from Groundhog Day giving a stunning performance of ‘Seeing You‘, as a special taster.
Andy Karl will play Phil Connors, a cynical Pittsburgh TV weatherman sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event in the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Caught in a time loop, he’s forced to relive the same day again and again…and again. As Phil becomes increasingly despondent, is there a lesson being learned and will he ever figure out the secret to break the cycle? (more…)
Performed at the 20th South Bank Sky Arts Awards at London’s Savoy Hotel, ‘Seeing You’ is from the upcoming musical Groundhog Day, created by Danny Rubin (book), Tim (music and lyrics) and Matthew Warchus (director). The arrangement is by Chris Nightingale.
Tim’s joined on stage by some of the cast and musicians from Groundhog Day: Jack Shalloo, Carolyn Maitland, Georgina Hagen, Kieran Jae, Fiona Leggat, Justin Pearson, Rutledge Turnlund, Charlie Brown, Amy May and Andy McGlasson.
Groundhog Day will begin with previews at the Old Vic, London, from July 15th, 2016, with the official opening on August 16th. It will be a strictly limited 10-week season until Saturday 17th September, 2016. For more information visit the Old Vic website.
DreamWorks Animation has named an all-Australian, all-star voice cast for Larrikins, their upcoming musical comedic adventure, for which Tim is writing the music and lyrics, as well as directing with Chris Miller.
Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie, Rose Byrne, Naomi Watts, Jacki Weaver, Ben Mendelsohn, Josh Lawson, Damon Herriman, and Ewen Leslie all join the 2018 feature. Tim will also be voicing a role.
Tim: “I feel so lucky to be working with such a stunning cast. It’s genuinely thrilling to have such talented artists put their faith in this anarchic, slightly nuts Aussie musical!”
Larrikins tells the story of a little bilby who finds himself launched on a musical adventure across the mystical and untamed Australian Outback.
Bonnie Arnold and Mireille Soria (Co-Presidents of Feature Animation): “Larrikins is a smart, hilarious, completely unique animated film that breaks convention as it takes audiences on an unexpected journey into the vast Australian Outback. Tim and Chris have masterfully blended a heartwarming story into the attitude and humor packed into these characters. It’s ultimately a film about being courageous enough to do the right thing for others, even if that sometimes puts you on a course that runs opposite the status quo.”
Larrikins (which is Australian slang for maverick or rebel) is an all-animal rock-n-roll road-movie musical from an original idea written by Harry Cripps and produced by DreamWorks Animation’s Gregg Taylor.
The 58th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were held yesterday at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne.
Tim was awarded the Logie for Most Outstanding Supporting Actor for his critically acclaimed role as, Northern Irish ex-convict, Smasher Sullivan in ABC TV’s The Secret River. The series won the Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Miniseries.
Patrick Brammall accepted the award on Tim’s behalf at the event. Here’s Tim’s full acceptance speech, as shown on the big screen:
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