*** In this unprecedented time, when our industry is in free-fall, we at Watch This are doing our utmost to survive and continue to deliver work for artists and audiences. If you have means, we humbly invite our patrons and supporters to consider a timely tax-deductible donation towards our ongoing operation. This year will be an exceptional challenge for vulnerable independent organisations like ours - many fighting not to go under - so your generous support would go a very long way. ***
Australia's first and only Sondheim repertory company, Watch This is a bold, grass-roots organisation presenting outstanding, sophisticated musical theatre to audiences in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Our ambition and commitment to the highest production/ performance standards attract teams of wonderfully talented artists and creatives.
Heading into our ninth year, we've garnered an enviable reputation in a highly competitive field, boasting twenty-one Green Room Award nominations alongside multi-million dollar commercial and state sponsored productions, with Adrian Li Donni (Pacific Overtures, 2014) and Johanna Allen (A Little Night Music, 2018) winning Best Supporting Actor and Actress respectively. (Check out the latest round of Green Room Award nominations here.) We have also broken ground by successfully touring full-scale musicals to regional centres.
We are passionate about creating exciting, immediate theatrical experiences for theatre-goers. We are also committed to ensuring that these experiences are available to as many people as possible - a philosophy that informs the relatively simple matter of ticket pricing to more complex touring proposals.
Past productions include Assassins, Pacific Overtures, Company, Merrily We Roll Along, A Little Night Music and most recently, Sunday in the Park with George. All projects to date have been made possible by the generosity of the Lyngala Foundation and other visionary individuals/ organisations, including the Opera & Arts Support Group and Robert Salzer Foundation. Since 2016, Watch This has recently been included on the Register of Cultural Organisations - an incredible endorsement of our contribution to the sector.
To Support our dynamic and visionary organisation, we invite you to make a tax deductible donation today!
With lockdown 4.0 upon us, we thought it high time we update our Watch This community on what's been happening behind the scenes since the start of the year.
The biggest change, of course, has been the commencement of our brand new AD team – Dean Drieberg and Mel Hillman – who have hit the ground running with grant applications and preparation for our long-awaited season of Into the Woods. It's finally happening, folks! So if you haven't yet got your tickets, here's the link.
Unfortunately, we've had to say goodbye to Jasmin Vaughns (Cinderella), who has joined the Australian production of Come From Away, and we wish her all the very best! But... we are lucky enough to now have the wonderful Ava Maddon playing the role. You'll hear more about Ava and others over the coming months, when we introduce our cast and creative team on social media. You'll have a chance to get to know all the new faces in the mix, and hear from some of our our Watch This repeat offenders.
We're thrilled that theatre capacity has returned to 100%, which has meant we've been able to release more tickets. So feel free to bring family, friends and anyone who loves musicals, fairy tales... and a touch of magic!
Our digital translation of The Art of Making Art is still live, your 'backstage pass' into creative worlds of our five incredible costume designers - Crisanne Fox, Chloe Greaves, Zoë Rouse, Emily Collett and Rhiannon Irving - with production photography by the wonderful Jodie Hutchinson. View the latest episode here or start at the beginning, to follow in sequence. Each episode is 7-9 minutes and we have been thrilled by the response of our colleagues and peers, including Fortyfivedownstairs, TheatreWorks, Whitehorse Centre, West Gippsland Arts Centre, MTC Education and Drama Victoria. It truly is a love letter to the performing arts at a dark time.