COWARDY, COWARDY CUSTARD
Presented by: Holden Street Theatres Inc.
May 14 - June 1
The Arch
Featuring 'Red Peppers' and 'Hands Across The Sea' by Noel Coward
“"Geoff Revell (George Pepper) and Martha Lott (Lily Ppper) are particularly impressive, showcasing remarkable versatility as they shift between various characters and scenes. Their comedic timing and vocal prowess are noteworthy, making the musical numbers especially enjoyable." - Onyourmarkus.au
“"Goers heads his ensemble with two professional actors, Geoff Revell and Martha Lott. Both are masters of physical comedy and have impeccable timing, seemingly effortlessly mastering vastly different accents and, in Revell’s case, side splitting painful silence that left the audience giggling uncontrollably. I would see the show again just to enjoy Lott ‘clipping the daylight’ out of words like ‘horspitality’." - Jude Hines - Stage Whispers
"Several actors make brief appearances and the standout is Rebecca Kemp, a diva, with a capital D, who has ‘emotional scenes.’ She was just warming up for the next play." - Jude Hines - Stage Whispers
"The joy of this performance isn't in the brittle dialogue, it’s in the physical comedy... There is a wonderful sense of ensemble in the cast, with a great sense of the style of the period. It’s not camp, not camp at all; it’s Coward."
- Ewart Shaw - Broadway World
"...witty and diabolically clever" "Revell’s face is a star – he has few lines as the hapless Mr Wadhurst, but doesn’t really need them – he is a delight to watch." - Arna Ayres White - Barefoot Review
"The audience adored Revell and Kemp’s physical comedy." If you want a ‘jolly good’ laugh, head down to Holden Street and enjoy the joy of Coward’s clever language and the work of a sparkling troupe of actors." - Jude Hines
David Arcidiaco as a Lt Corbett, looks like a 1930’s matinee idol. He is also frivolous and possibly somewhat dim.
...the older wiser male character, a Commander of the Royal Navy, a ‘what ho’ sort of character, beautifully drawn by John Doherty.
Helen Geoffreys is the required ‘vamp’, and having played that sort of character in an earlier production of Hay Fever, I appreciated her beautifully gowned, frivolously sexy and over the top Clare.
Lott, as ‘Piggie’ is an inattentive human bulldozer. Her conversations are on top note, and only occasionally, does she seem to actually communicate with anyone in the room. She is fabulous.
...Christopher Burnham played by Christopher Cordeaux, another Cowardesque handsome young man, Kemp and Revell as the Warhursts, a pucka couple from Malaya.
Directed by PETER GOERS, COWARDY COWARDY CUSTARD will be a stylish, funny entertainment Featuring MARTHA LOTT and GEOFF REVELL with an ensemble of fine Adelaide actors comprising HELEN GEOFFREYS, JOHN DOHERTY, REBECCA KEMP, DAVID ARCIDIACO, BRIAN WELLINGTON, DAVID O’BRIEN, MILLY BOLLEN and CHRISTOPHER CORDEAUX.
Two very funny one-act plays by the great NOËL COWARD - Red Peppers and Hands Across The Sea
RED PEPPERS features two third-class music hall performers trying to do their best and HANDS ACROSS THE SEA is a comedy of extremely bad manners. These two hilarious short plays are originally from Coward’s celebrated cycle TONIGHT AT 8.30.
Our show starts at 8:00pm though,… Oh and 2:30pm and 4:00pm …So, don’t get mixed up!
An Amateur Production By Arrangement with ORIGINtm Theatrical, on behalf of the RIGHTS HOLDER.
Caricature provided by the artist Clive Francis www.clivefranciscaricaturist.com
Tonight at 8.30 is a cycle of ten one-act plays by Noël Coward, presented in London in 1936 and in New York in 1936–1937, with the author and Gertrude Lawrence in the leading roles. The plays are mostly comedies, but three, The Astonished Heart, Shadow Play and Still Life, are serious. Four of the comedies include songs, with words and music by Coward.
One play, Star Chamber, was dropped after a single performance. The other nine plays were presented in three programmes of three plays each. There have been numerous revivals of many of the individual plays, but revivals of the complete cycle have been much less frequent. Several of the plays have been adapted for the cinema and television.
Tonight at 8.30 was first presented in 1935 in Manchester and then on tour in six other British cities, before opening in London and New York the following year.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Coward wrote a succession of hits, ranging from the operetta Bitter Sweet (1929) and the epic Cavalcade (1931), requiring a large cast, gargantuan sets and a complex hydraulic stage, to the intimate comedies Private Lives (1930), in which Coward starred alongside Gertrude Lawrence, and Design for Living (1932). Coward said that after Private Lives, he felt that the public enjoyed seeing him and Lawrence together on stage, and so he wrote the play cycle Tonight at 8.30 as "acting, singing, and dancing vehicles for Gertrude Lawrence and myself".
The main characters, a British couple, Commander Peter Gilpin and his wife Lady Maureen ("Piggie") Gilpin, were widely recognised as caricatures of Coward's friends Lord Louis ("Dickie") Mountbatten and his wife Edwina, who, Coward later said, "used to give cocktail parties and people used to arrive that nobody had ever heard of and sit about and go away again; somebody Dickie had met somewhere, or somebody Edwina had met – and nobody knew who they were. We all talked among ourselves, and it was really a very very good basis for a light comedy." Mountbatten, in mock indignation, called it "a bare-faced parody of our lives, with Gertie Lawrence playing Lady Maureen Gilpin and Noël Coward playing me. Absolutely outrageous...!"
The play displays poor human interaction and nis both comical and tragic. Wealth and entitlement takes the place of basic manners and the telephone and gossip is more important than conversing with those in the room.
The style is heightened interspersed with slapstick comedy.
Info taken from Wikipedia and other online sources.
The Arch at Holden Street Theatres
Holden Street Theatres, 32-34 Holden Street, Hindmarsh, Kaurna Country
Step-free mobility aid access through the main entrance with an accessible bathroom.
Duration: 110 minutes
Evenings:
Tue, 14 May - Fri, 17 May @ 8:00pm
Sat, 18 May 2:30pm & 8:00pm
Tue, 21 May - Sat, 25 May @ 8:00pm
Sun, 26 May @ 4:00pm
Tue, 28 May - Fri, 31 May @ 8:00pm
Sat, 1 Jun @ 2:30pm & 8:00pm
Venue & Bar Open 1 hour before the show starts and stays open one hour after the show ends.
Age Suitability: PG
Adult $33.30
Concession $28.30
Cheap Tuesday $28.30
Sunday $28.30
Preview $28.30
(Incl. Fees)
High Audio Content
Meet the Team
-
Peter Goers
DIRECTOR
Peter Goers is an Adelaide director, actor, designer and occasional playwright. A Fringe Award winner and former Artistic Director of the University of Adelaide Theatre Guild. His production of “California Suite” opened Holden Street Theatres in 2003. He co-directed the opera “Hansel And Gretel” with Dame Joan Hammond, pantomimed Captain Hook in the ballet of “Peter Pan”, taught university drama and directed plays in Istanbul, Turkey and is a prolific and iconoclastic Adelaide theatre director. Favourites of the many shows he’s directed include “A Little Night Music”, “The Glass Menagerie”, “Streetcar”, "Kiss Of The Spider Woman”, “The Christian Brothers” and “Amadeus”. As an actor his favourite roles are Elwood P. Dowd in “Harvey”, Gerald Popkiss in “Rookery Nook”, the Emperor in “Amadeus” and playing opposite Martha Lott in “California Suite”. Goers is a celebrated ABC Radio broadcaster and frequent entertainer who has appeared more than a thousand times throughout Australia including the Theatre Royal in Tasmania. He has performed eight solo shows for the Holden Street Theatres Fringe and is the author of two memoirs, “Maddening, Self-Indulgent Crap” and “In The Air Of An Afternoon Almost Past” published by Wakefield Press and is a Distinguished Alumni of Flinders University. In 2013 he was honoured by the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to community, broadcasting and the arts.
-
Geoff Revell
PERFORMER
Geoff graduated from Flinders University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1978, majoring in Drama Performance and English. He has worked with various companies over the years, including Troupe, Magpie Theatre in Education, STCSA, MTC, Playbox, Arena, The Church, Red Shed, Patch, Junction, Urban Myth, Bakehouse, Vitalstatistix, Flying Penguin, Red Phoenix and Windmill.
Geoff was a Helpmann Award nominee in 2010 for Windmill’s production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’. This is his first production with Holden Street Theatres Inc.
-
Martha Lott
PERFORMER
Is a founder and the Artistic Director of Holden Street Theatres and multi-award winning actress and producer. She has worked as actor, director and producer in Australia and the UK and has appeared in many plays such as 'Private Lives' by Noel Coward, 'Califonia Suite' by Neil Simon, 'The Removalists' by David Willamson, 'Death of a Salesman' and 'Trojan Women' at the State Theatre Company SA, 'The Mistress' by Arnold Wesker which toured to the Edinburgh Fringe and plays in SA and 'Bash' by Neil LaBute. Martha took a break from the stage and returned in 2019/2022 with'Grounded' by George Brant, and in 2021 performed her own work 'That Boy'. More recently Martha Starred in the highly celebrated production of 'LOOPED' by Matthew Lombardo as Tallulah Bankhead and ‘night, Mother by Marsha Norman. Her most recent film and television credits include 'Storm Boy' and 'The Stranger'.
Marthalott.com
-
David Arcidiaco
PEFORMER
David Arcidiaco, a graduate of Flinders Drama Centre, embodies the essence of versatility as an actor and dedicated educator.
His journey has led him abroad, into the world of theatre education within the vibrant city of Milan, which ignited a passion for merging education and performance.
Returning to his roots in Adelaide, David continues to contribute to the local arts scene. As the Puppet Program Coordinator for SA and the NT within Camp Quality's esteemed Puppet Education Program, he finds fulfillment in creating meaningful experiences for children battling cancer, their parents and peers. David's commitment to inclusivity and advocacy shines through his collaborations with ActNow Theatre and No Strings Attached Theatre for Disability, amplifying diverse voices on stage.
David has participated in productions such as Adelaide Festival's "Angelique" and the Adelaide Fringe's "Bunyip Aristocrats" and has appeared in the AMC+ original series "Firebite". Notably, David co-created and performed in the award-nominated show "Workmates" at the 2023 Adelaide Fringe. Looking ahead, David can be seen in the upcoming Adelaide Film Festival headlining film, "With or Without You".
-
MIlly Bollen
PERFOMER
-
Christopher Cordeaux
PERFORMER
Christopher Cordeaux is an avid supporter and lover of the performing arts. He’s passion started from early childhood and was expanded as he studied Theatre whilst boarding at Geelong Grammar School. He further pursued an interest and understanding of the entire industry surrounding performance by studying Film and Television production in Victoria prior to the Covid Pandemic. Since then, he has been represented and studied Acting & Performance under Ann Peter’s of SA Casting for 4 years. Recently, Christopher performed for Holden Street Theatres in the Adelaide Fringe production of ‘Hamlet in 15 Minutes’, where he played the titular role of Hamlet, leading an incredible ensemble of cast members for 82 performances which received a 5 star review. Tonight he’ll be performing as Alf in Red Peppers & Mr Burnham in ‘Hands Across the Sea’ by the phenomenal playwright Noel Coward.
-
John Doherty
PERFORMER
John Doherty has intermittently balanced the roles of Head of Drama at Westminster School, freelance playwright, screenwriter, actor, and Acting teacher for twenty years. John was last on stage in Junglebean Productions extraordinary 2009 Fringe Production of Neil La Bute's "Autobahn."
Johns tv and film credits go back to Sara Dane in 1982, Glass House, Wastelander Panda: Exile, Here I Am, Broken Hill, Azadi, McLeod's Daughters, Selkie and River Kings. When Peter Goers approached Joh, he jumped at the opportunity to play Commander Peter Gilpin, RN in this Holden Street Theatres Production, and is thoroughly enjoying being back on stage with a wonderful cast.
-
Helen Geoffreys
PERFOMER
Helen trained at the Adelaide Centre for Performing Arts, and the Elder Conservatorium of Music, Adelaide University. Stand out theatre roles include Hedda in Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler “ , Immaculata in “Miracles” (awarded ATG best female performance ), Cherry in “Cosi” , Nora in “A Doll’s House”, Barbara in David Williamsons “A Conversation”, Leslie in Allan Bennett’s “Her Big Chance”(Festival of One), Sheila in “A Chorus Line”, Sandra in “Beautiful Thing”(awarded Critic’s Circle emerging artist award), Maureen in “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” ( ATG nominated for best female performance), Izy in “Izy and Willow” written and composed by Helen Geoffreys (awarded best children’s production Oscarts), Paige in“DINNER” (awarded ATG’s best female performance) and Barbara Weston in Tracy Letts’ “August: Osage County” ( awarded ATG best female performance )
-
Rebecca Kemp
PERFORMER
Rebecca's recent theatre highlights include playing Margo Channing in St Jude's 'All About Eve, performing in Independent Theatre’s production of Seagull as Arkadina, and co-directing with Robert Bell the critically acclaimed 'Ink' for the UATG. Other theatre highlights include playing Queen Elizabeth II in ‘The Audience’ with Therry Theatre, Lady MacBeth in ‘MacBeth’ with Independent Theatre, Lady Elizabeth Pembroke ‘ in The Madness of King George III” with Adelaide Repertory Theatre, Lizzie in UATG’s ‘Seventeen’; Mrs Allonby in Adelaide Repertory Theatre's A Woman of No Importance, Miss Blake in Red Phoenix’s Blue Stockings, and Sybil Birling in Therry Theatre’s production of ‘An Inspector Calls’. Rebecca is delighted to be involved in her first production with Holden Street Theatres and embracing her comedic roots again under the direction of Peter Goers, and is very grateful to be working alongside such a stellar cast and crew.
-
David O'Brien
PERFORMER
David marked his return to the stage proper after 34 years in Adelaide Fringe 2024.
Spent entire Fringe attempting to fold a fitted sheet in Holden Street Theatre Company’s production of Peter Goers’ Hamlet in 15 Minutes.
Reviews were good! So David’s been asked back to play wonderfully self absorbed ciggie grifting Musical Director Bert Bentley in Red Peppers.
In his 34 ‘lost’ years David never left the arts.
There was BA (Hons) in Drama at Flinders University. BA (Journalism) at University of South Australia. 31 years as an Arts Journalist and Critic. Member, Adelaide Critics Circle. Smattering of stage and film cameos; Andy Packer and Brant Eustice’s ‘Theatre is Dead’, David Ross’ ‘The Australian President’ and Andy Petrsuvics’ ‘New Hotel Riga’ for SALA 2023.
There will be more shows! No more fitted sheets!
-
Brian Wellington
PERFORMER
After a lengthy "sabbatical", Brian returns to the Theatre.
With a lengthy background in Directing & Acting - including Stage, TV & Film; Brian was also co-Founder of The Fringe: albeit that much of thar was lost with the passage-of-time. He was also Chairman of Adelaide's premier theatre; The Adealide Theatre Group at the erstwhile Sheridan Theatre.
The smell of the crowd, and roar of the greasepaint, has finally drawn him back to the stage arena.
-
Gary Anderson
SET DESIGNER
-
Jonathan Holds
STAGE MANAGER
-
Harry Ferguson
LIGHTING TECH
Harry Ferguson - a dedicated 16-year-old student with a lifelong passion for theatre lighting. Harry has been honing his skills in lighting design and has already served as a lighting operator for several theatre groups, including The Adelaide Repertory Theatre, The Therry Dramatic Society, Actually Acting, Red Phoenix Theatre, and Theatre Bugs. Harry also has some design credits to his name. Harry was recently the Head Technician for The Arch at Holden Street Theatres Fringe 2024. Currently, Harry is studying Technical Production at TAFE SA.
-
Ariel Dzino
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Ariel is thrilled to be assisting in the Holden Street Theatre’s COWARDY, COWARDY CUSTARD. Ariel studies at The Actors Studio Adelaide under Tony Knight and is in her third year of a BCA (Acting) at the Flinders Drama Centre.
MORE…
CLIVE FRANCIS
The kind Caricaturist.
We wrote to Clive to request the use of his image of Coward for our marketing and he kindly said yes and asked if we could acknowlege him…
Little did we know who we were talking to. …
To read more and see his incredible work click HERE
”It was while I was rehearsing a television version of Caesar and Cleopatra that Alec Guinness spotted me crouched in a corner scribbling. When he discovered that I was actually lampooning members of the cast he looked at me suspiciously and graciously declined to view. So it was hugely gratifying when fourteen years later he selected my design for the cover of his autobiography, Blessings in Disguise. Mind you not every actor has relished the way I’ve brush-stroked their delicate features into objects of derision. Rex Harrison reacted simply with: ‘You bugger!’…”