WILD THING
A tale of sea eagles and pole dancing, of children and childhood dreams, of religion and rock ‘n roll. Most of all this is a tale of friendships that have stood the test of time. Until now. Jackie, Elizabeth, Frances and Susan become besties at high school and find freedom in Swinging London a decade later. After that they carve out very different lives for themselves and don't see each other as often, but always meet up once a year for the "Musketeer’s dinner".
But this year is different. Past sixty, older but no wiser, the most radical member of the group is in crisis. To offer their support, the "Musketeers' dinner" take Jackie back to her country home for a weekend – to relax and let their hair down. What could possibly go wrong? What follows tests their friendship, their morals and their courage as never before.
And a final twist will change their lives forever.
Di Smith in association with Arts on Tour. WILD THING: Written by Suzanne Hawley
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WILD THING Trailer
Meet the Cast
Di Smith – 'Jackie'
Di Smith has enjoyed a varied and highly visible career as an actor on screen and on stage with the Sydney Theatre Company, MTC, Malthouse, SATC, commercial productions and musical theatre. She travelled for ten years on The Great Outdoors for Network Seven and appeared in many of Australia's best-known television dramas, from The Restless Years, to Redfern Now’s telemovie Promise Me. She is best known and well-loved as Dr Alex Fraser in the series A Country Practice. She will appear in the upcoming Wellmania for Netflix, and has just completed filming on The Fall Guy, for Universal Pictures.
As producer, she has worked with writer/director Matt Day on short film. The Mother Situation (2017 Tropfest Winner, Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actress). Perry (2016 St Kilda Film Festival, Palm Springs Film Festival), Charlie’s Mum (2015). She also produced the TV pilot Subject to Change (2014). For stage, she produced and performed Peeled by Catherine Strickland at Adelaide Fringe 2014, River of Arts Festival NSW, and a season at Brown’s Mart , Darwin.
Di Adams – 'Susan'
Di most recently appeared on stage in the 2020 production of Wicked Sisters for Griffin Theatre, Australian Open for Bub & the 2019 production of Trevor for Outhouse Theatre, both at KXT. Other stage credits include: for Apocalypse Theatre Company/Old 505: All My Sleep and Waking; for Bell Shakespeare: King Lear; for Ensemble Theatre: When Dad Married Fury; for Mophead Productions/Red Line Productions at the Old Fitz: The Humans; for New Theatre: Parramatta Girls; and for Sydney Theatre Company: The Crucible, Tartuffe. Di has worked extensively on screen, with her most recent film credits including: All God’s Creatures, Cherith, Help Me, Rust Bucket, The Turning, The War Room, The Water Diary; and on television, credits include: for BBC UKTV: Top of the Lake: China Girl; for Foxtel: Secret City; for Network Ten: Wake In Fright; for SBS: The Principal; for Stan: The Other Guy. Di has also voiced numerous characters in children’s television series: for ABC: Sally Bollywood: Super Detective; for Nine Network: Seaside Hotel; for Seven Network: Raggs; and for Stan: Alice Miranda Friends Forever. Di is currently filming While the Men Are Away for SBS, a drama about the Australian land army in WWII. Di has been a proud member of Actors Equity since 1983.
Katrina Foster – 'Frances'
Since graduating from NIDA, Katrina has worked as an actor across all mediums including theatre, film and television. Most recently she completed Wild Thing for Flightpath Theatre and a national tour of I Want to Know What Love Is with Queensland based The Good Room concluding the production at Sydney’s Darlinghurst Theatre. Previous to that Katrina appeared in Dream Home, directed by David Williamson, for Ensemble Theatre in Sydney and in Mum’s the Word and Mum’s the Word II: Teenagers, both playing to audiences across Australia. She has worked across all states, for all major theatre companies, including Sydney Theatre Co, Melbourne Theatre Company, Ensemble Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Belvoir, Queensland Theatre and State Theatre Company of South Australia. Her television credits include While the Men are Away, Rake, Sea Change and All Saints. Katrina is currently filming While the Men Are Away for SBS, a drama about the Australian land army in WWII. She has also worked as a television writer and script editor for many years, as well as a dramaturg and lecturer in scriptwriting, dramaturgy and storytelling.
Katrina Foster – 'Frances'
Since graduating from NIDA, Katrina has worked as an actor across all mediums including theatre, film and television. Most recently she completed Wild Thing for Flightpath Theatre and a national tour of I Want to Know What Love Is with Queensland based The Good Room concluding the production at Sydney’s Darlinghurst Theatre. Previous to that Katrina appeared in Dream Home, directed by David Williamson, for Ensemble Theatre in Sydney and in Mum’s the Word and Mum’s the Word II: Teenagers, both playing to audiences across Australia. She has worked across all states, for all major theatre companies, including Sydney Theatre Co, Melbourne Theatre Company, Ensemble Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Belvoir, Queensland Theatre and State Theatre Company of South Australia. Her television credits include While the Men are Away, Rake, Sea Change and All Saints. Katrina is currently filming While the Men Are Away for SBS, a drama about the Australian land army in WWII. She has also worked as a television writer and script editor for many years, as well as a dramaturg and lecturer in scriptwriting, dramaturgy and storytelling.
Lewis Fitz-Gerald – 'Geoff' (and everyone else)
Lewis Fitz-Gerald’s long career began in Bruce Beresford’s acclaimed feature film Breaker Morant. More recently seen in Janet King, Pine Gap, The Secrets She Keeps and many more, Lewis has been nominated for both his work as actor and documentary maker. He has also directed television drama for every Australian network.
Lewis has worked for most major Australian theatre companies including Nimrod, Belvoir, the STC and MTC and has appeared in London’s West End. As its inaugural chair, Lewis helped found Belvoir Street Theatre’s acclaimed Company B. He has served in various capacities as board member, assessor or jury member for many arts organisations including Actors Centre Australia, the AFC, ADG, AFI and NSWFTO, and lectures in Screen Studies at the University of New England. Wild Thing marks a reunion with NIDA colleagues Diane Smith and Katrina Foster, whose last collaboration, Shorts at The Wharf, marked the first opening of the Sydney Theatre Company’s Walsh Bay venue.
Tony Poli – 'Marco/Michael'
Tony is a NIDA Acting graduate. His film and television credits include Underbelly II: Tale of Two Cities, Teenage Kicks, Devils Dust, Carla Cametti PD, Satisfaction, All Saints, Stingers, Home and Away, Phoenix, Secrets, Murder Call, G.P. and Two Fists One Heart.
He has worked for the many theatre companies across Australia with productions including most recently The Italians at downstairs Belvoir. Other productions include Sirens, Pentecost, Rome & Juliet, The White Devil, for The Sydney Theatre Company. As You Like It, Romeo & Juliet for The Melbourne Theatre Company. Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer’s Night Dream for Bell Shakespeare, The Club, Emma- Celebrazionne and Taming of the Shrew for The State Theatre Company of South Australia. Mano Nera for the Queensland Theatre Company. A Little Like Drowning, Bang at Belvoir St, The Kid, The Heartbreak Kid for the Griffin Theatre Company. Etta Jenks at the Darlinghurst Theatre. The God of Hell at The Old Fitz. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest for Sport For Jove and The Shifting Heart for White Box.
Reviews:
“ ..this play has a beating heart; this play will remind you of your own pulse under your skin, steady and true but not forever, not promised." - Cassie Tongue, Sydney Morning Herald
“Celebrates the profound importance of friendship. Four enchanting actors give supple characterisation to Hawley’s ultimately endearing and empowered women.” - Richard Cotter, Sydney Arts Guide
Credits:
Director Kim Hardwick
Writer Suzanne Hawley
Set Design Tom Bannerman
Costume Design Robert Bayliss
Lighting Design Martin Kinnane
Sound Design Patrick Howard
Composer Leonardo Bosi
Production Photography Lisa Tomasetti
Cast
Jackie Di Smith
Susan Di Adams
Frances Katrina Foster
Elizabeth Helen O’Connor
Geoff/(and everyone else) Lewis Fitz-Gerald
Marco/Michael Tony Poli
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When
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Wednesday, 10 May 2023 | 08:00 PM
- 09:25 PM