In Conversation

An acclaimed musician of great versatility, Roland Peelman has established a reputation as one of Australia’s most innovative musical directors. Originally from Belgium, he’s been active in Australia for over 30 years as a conductor, pianist, artistic director and mentor to composers, singers and musicians alike. He’s worked with Opera Australia, been artistic director of The Song Company, and is now artistic director of the Canberra International Festival of Music, which is on from the 28^th of April until the 7^th of May.

In this conversation, Roland shares his ongoing vision for the festival and tells some light-hearted stories from his long career, including from his childhood in a Belgian village.

A man whose name is now synonymous with Australian theatre, David Williamson shot to prominence in the early 70s with Don’s Party and The Removalists and never looked back. He is so prolific that it’s hard to imagine anyone in this country who hasn’t seen one of his works, whether it’s plays like The Club, Emerald City, or Soulmates or his screenplays which include Gallipoli and The Year of Living Dangerously.

His 2010 play Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica is playing now at the Ensemble Theatre, with Glenn Hazeldine and Georgie Parker reprising their roles from the original production. In this conversation, David talks about this production and tells stories from his long and illustrious career, giving some great insights into his writing. He recalls what Australian theatre looked like when he was starting out and how it has developed since.

An actor who has graced the stage both here and internationally, Philip Quast is the winner of three Olivier Awards for Best Actor in a Musical, unsurprising when you consider he is widely regarded as the definitive Javert from Les Miserables. He’s also well known for his roles in Sunday in the Park with George, South Pacific and Mary Poppins, and he’s performed innumerable Shakespeare plays plus seminal works such as Death of a Salesman.  

He is bringing his one-man show, Philip Quast: The Road I Took, to the intimacy of the Ensemble theatre, for 6 shows only from the 19^th to the 29^th of March. In this special edition of In Conversation, Philip shares stories from his remarkable life, from his childhood on a farm near Tamworth, the somewhat unorthodox audition technique that secured him the role of Javert, and working with Stephen Sondheim. He also provides fascinating insights about teaching his craft to the next generations of performers at NIDA.