CLAUDEL

In an exclusive Australian premiere, CLAUDEL is a thrilling combination of narrative, dance, sculpture and music, reimagining the story of one of the world’s greatest and most misunderstood artists, Camille Claudel.

Written and directed by acclaimed playwright Wendy Beckett and choreographed by the internationally celebrated Meryl Tankard, CLAUDEL explores the life of the highly talented and rebellious young sculptor and her complex relationship with legendary artist, Auguste Rodin.

Set in 1880s Paris, this haunting drama unflinchingly questions the notions of genius versus madness and the consequences for those who chose lives that are deemed too different for society to tolerate.

Don’t miss this strictly limited engagement at the Sydney Opera House from April 23 2021.

Originally Presented by Pascal Productions for Festival OFF d’Avignon and L'athénée Théâtre Louis–Jouvet

 

 

 

CREATIVE TEAM

Written and Directed By Wendy Beckett

Choreography by Meryl Tankard

Assoicate Director Cristabel Sved

Original Scenic Design by Halcyon Pratt

Projection and Video Design Régis Lansac

Original Costume Design by Sylvie Skinazi

Orignal Lighting Design by François Leneveu

Australian Production Lighting Design by Matt Cox

 

 

For more information CLICK HERE

 

 

Wendy Beckett

Director & Playwright

Wendy Beckett's theoretical knowledge is as great as her creative talent: having studied literature, psychology, and science, Wendy Beckett enriches her plays with all of this knowledge. She has written over twenty-five plays and directed over forty. She is also the author of biographies, books, academic studies and radio plays written for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. A selection of her books and writings can be found among the collections of the National Library of Australia. At the age of twenty-two, she established her own theater company "Colors Inc" in Adelaide where she managed a team of fifty people. For 10 years she has been creating, directing and producing her own pieces and the quality of her work has prompted several prominent Australian artists to collaborate with her. One of the major axes of his research is to explore artistic possibilities, psychological themes, and political questions through the creation of biographical work.

Meryl Tankard

Choreographer

Internationally acclaimed for the emotional punch packed into her bold choreography, Meryl Tankard is one of Australia's finest contemporary artists. As a director, choreographer and writer, her work has been staged in Europe, UK, USA, Asia and Australia, and includes co-productions with the Sydney Opera House, a full-length ballet Wild Swans for The Australian Ballet, musicals for Disney on Broadway and Andrew Lloyd Webber on the West End. Meryl created the opening section Deep Sea Dreaming for the Sydney Olympics Games Ceremony 2000 and has been commissioned by some of the world’s most dynamic companies including Lyon Ballet and Netherlands Dance Theatre.

Beginning her career as a dancer with the Australian Ballet Meryl went on to become one of Pina Bausch's principal soloists with the ground-breaking Wuppertaler Tanztheater, creating roles in Café Muller, Kontakthof, 1980, Arien, Walzer, Bandoneon etc In 1989 she founded her own dance company in Canberra, synthesizing a range of influences and styles to create her own unique dance theatre style. As Artistic Director of Adelaide-based Australian Dance Theatre (1993-1999) Meryl transformed the company into a leading International company with her diverse range of full-length works including Furioso, Possessed, Aurora, Rasa, Inuk, Songs with Mara.

Since 2000 Meryl has been working as an independent artist and in 2010 began focusing on film direction, graduating from Australian Film Television and Radio School where she made two short films Mad and Moth.

Her documentary Michelle's Story, commissioned by ABC TV and 2015 Adelaide Film Festival, won the Adelaide Film Festival Audience Award for Best Short Film and Screen South Australia awards for Best Short Film, Best Documentary and Best Soundtrack.

In 2017 Meryl was awarded the prestigious Jim Bettison Helen James Award for her contribution to the community.

In 2018 Meryl choreographed Claudel for Theatre de LAthenee in Paris and remounted her acclaimed production Furioso for Sidi Larbi Cherkaouis Royal Ballet of Flanders.

For the Adelaide Festival in 2019 Meryl created two works : Two Feet, a full-length solo work for acclaimed Russian ballerina Natalia Osipova, and Zizanie for Restless Dance Theatre (for performers with and without disability)

In 2019, Meryl was honoured with an Officer of Australia for her distinguished services to the performing arts. Most recently she was commissioned by the National Art School to direct and choreograph Skin Deep as part of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Meryl is currently developing a script for a feature film.

www.meryltankard.com

Cristabel Sved

Associate Director

Cristabel Sved has worked professionally as a director, dramaturge, performer and teacher for over twenty years. She has collaborated with some of Australia’s leading arts organisations and practitioners to develop scripts and new performance works, direct theatre productions, and deliver programs for theatre companies, educational institutions and community arts and cultural development organisations.

Cristabel is a founding member of the award winning Darlinghurst Theatre Company, and of Milk Crate Theatre, a company that uses performing arts to change the story of homelessness. She held the Artistic Director at Milk Crate Theatre between 2015 and 2016, was an Associate Artist at Belvoir Street Theatre (2010-2011) and the inaugural Resident Director at the Griffin Theatre Company (2009-2010).

As a director, Cristabel has worked with the Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir Street Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, Stalker, Australian Theatre for Young People, Milk Crate Theatre, National Institute for Dramatic Art (NIDA), Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Carriageworks, Sydney Festival, Red Stitch Actors’ Company, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, The Victorian Museum, The Maritime Museum, University of Western Sydney and Playwriting Australia. Her Sydney Festival production of Alice In Wonderland was nominated for Best Production for Children and Young People in the 2018 Sydney Theatre Awards, and toured throughout NSW.

Cristabel’s qualifications include a Post Graduate degree (Directing) from NIDA, a BA in Performing Arts (Theatre) from Theatre Nepean, and a BA Honours (Performance Studies) from the University of Western Sydney.

CAST

Camille Claudel Imogen Sage

Auguste Rodin Christopher Stollery

Madame Claudel Tara Morice

Paul Claudel Mitchell Bourke

Suzanne Henrietta Amevor

Jessie Melissa Kahraman

Dancer Dorothea Csutkai

Dancer Cloé Fournier

Dancer Kip Gamblin

 

 

Imogen Sage

Camille Claudel

Imogen Sage is a graduate from the BA Acting course at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Coming from a theatre background she has performed both in Australia and internationally. Her theatre credits in Australia include; Woyzeck + Marie (co-devised, HYSTERIA) The Astral Plane (Belvoir 25A), and her Melbourne Theatre Company debut, Hay Fever. Her international credits include Rebecca (Kneehigh Theatre / Emma Rice), Measure for Measure (Wanamaker Festival / Shakespeare’s Globe), The School for Scheming (Orange Tree Theatre) and Three Sisters (Pleasance Theatre London).
Imogen's screen credits include The Man Who Knew Infinity, Doctors, and her short film The Understudy, which she also wrote and which had a successful run on the international festival circuit. She will be making her feature film debut as the lead in Dark Noise directed by Clara Chong.
She has also narrated numerous audiobooks, including The Dictionary of Lost Words, We Are Wolves, and 44 Tiny Secrets.

Christopher Stollery

Auguste Rodin

Christopher Stollery is a graduate of NIDA and of AFTRS. He has played Hamlet opposite John Bell, sung with Tim Minchin in a musical (This Blasted Earth 2004), performed with John Cleese at the Sydney Opera House (Just For Laughs, 2012) and toured theatres of Europe with Cate Blanchett (Gross und Klein for Sydney Theatre Company, 2012) danced the choreography of Meryl Tankard (VX18504) and directed Steve Smith, the test cricketing legend, in a TVC. He was Sydney Theatre Award nominee for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Ear to the Edge of Time (Sport for Jove, 2018) Of Mice and Men (Sport for Jove 2015) and won for his performance in Killer Joe (2009).
Other theatre credits include Hurt, Mark Colvin’s Kidney, Death of a Salesman, The Power of Yes, Ruben Guthrie (Belvoir Street Theatre); Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Our Town, The Vertical Hour (Sydney Theatre Company); City of Gold (QTC & Griffin); Speaking in Tongues, October (Griffin Theatre Company); His Girl Friday (Melbourne Theatre Company); Good People, Great Falls, Harp on the Willow (Ensemble Theatre). Chris was a TV series regular on Wild Boys, Sea Patrol, The Flying Doctors and recently featured in the ABC comedy drama series Frayed in the role of Terry Harris. Other television credits include Soul Mates (series I&II), Top of the Lake: China Girl, House of Hanock, The Moody’s and the upcoming Wakefield.
His feature film credits include The Nightingale, Truth, Last Cab to Darwin, Predestination and The Rage in Placid Lake.
He has also written and directed many short films that including ‘dik” and “No Budget” that have won over 30 awards internationally.

Tara Morice

Madame Claudel

A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Tara has worked extensively in theatre, film and television for over 30 years. Her first film out of NIDA was Baz Luhrmann's STRICTLY BALLROOM for which she was nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Award (BAFTA), an Australian Film Institute Award (AFI) and a Film Critics Circle award. She was named Australian Star of the Year at the 1995 Gold Coast Film Awards. She has also appeared in PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY, REACHING DISTANCE,DANCE ACADEMY:THE MOVIE, ORANGES AND SUNSHINE, HILDEGARDE,MOULIN ROUGE, RAZZLE DAZZLE:A JOURNEY INTO DANCE, CANDY, HOTEL SORRENTO, METALSKIN and many short films including the OSCAR nominated MIRACLE FISH. Tara will next be seen in Benjamin Millepied’s CARMEN.
Her many television credits include the award-winning DANCE ACADEMY, ANSWERED BY FIRE, MCLEOD'S DAUGHTERS, SALEM'S LOT, AFTER THE DELUGE, GRASS ROOTS, LOOT, MY HUSBAND MY KILLER, DOGWOMAN, A DIFFICULT WOMAN, WATER RATS, WINTER and PLAYSCHOOL. On stage, Tara has performed for the Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir, Bell Shakespeare, Griffin and Ensemble Theatre Companies, the Queensland Theatre Company and the Malthouse Theatre and has been nominated for a Victorian Green Room and a Helpmann Award for her work in musical theatre.
Tara wrote, produced and directed the documentary MY BIGGEST FAN, which premiered at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and screened on SBS. As a singer, Tara recorded TIME AFTER TIME for the STRICTLY BALLROOM soundtrack and a new version for Baz Luhrmann's album SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY.

Mitchell Bourke

Paul Claudel

Mitchell Bourke is an acting graduate from WAAPA. He has appeared on stage in the Australian premiere of This Bitter Earth at New Theatre and Sport for Jove’s Measure and Measure and The Servant of Two Masters. His screen credits include Series 1 & 2 of ABC/Matchbox Productions’ The Heights. While training, Mitchell was the recipient of the Burton Awards for his portrayal of the titular role in Shakespeare’s Richard II. Mitchell has starred in the award winning short film Carnal Privilege and appeared in notable productions of Present Laughter, Three Sisters and The Tempest, which went on to tour internationally.

Henrietta Amevor

Suzanne

Henrietta Amevor is a Sydney Based Ghanaian actor who made her professional stage debut playing Naome in Outhouse Theatre’s The Rolling Stone, directed by Adam Cook. Henrietta’s further theatre credits include playing Chioma in Bontom's The House at Boundary Road Liverpool, directed by Jessica Arthur.
Henrietta has also participated in multiple play developments such as the Belvoir's Artist’s at work shutdown residency with Greendoor Theatre, for the development of Chika Ikogwe's Chioma’s Party, Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s development of Kirsty Maillier’s The Zap, and most recently the development and public reading of a new work titled The Yam Corsage for Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta’s playwriting festival True West. Henrietta also just made her screen debut in the Stan Original Series, BUMP playing the role of Talia alongside Claudia Karvan.
Off stage, Henrietta is a University Student. She studies International Relations and International and Global Studies at the University of Sydney. With this degree, she aims to continue her current work within the field of advocacy, to advocate for the affairs of African people both here in Australia and across Africa.

Melissa Kahraman

Jessie

Melissa Kahraman graduated from NIDA in 2019. During her time at NIDA, Melissa performed in AH, TUZENBACH, ROBERTO ZUCCO, and GOD OF CARNAGE, directed by Judy Davis. Since leaving NIDA, Melissa performed as Gabrielle York in WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING. Other theatre credits include DELILAH BY THE HOUR, A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM, SUITCASES, BAGGAGE & OTHER SYNONYMS, THE APARTMENT, and THE WATCH DOG.
Melissa’s TV credits include AUSTRALIA ON TRIAL: THE MOUNT RENNIE OUTRAGE, and TRIPLE ZERO HEROES. She has appeared in short films such as ROB A RUSSIAN, LET ME LOVE YOU, THREE SMALL REBELLIONS, and SARAH’S JIHAD. Melissa also appeared in web series, DAVE AND THEO.
In 2020, Melissa was awarded the prestigious Leslie Walford Award to finance the first stage of a feature film that she is writing and producing about her life growing up in Melbourne’s Turkish Community.

Dorothea Csutkai

Dancer

Dorothea is versatile performer dancing and acting on stage, film and commercials. As a dancer Dorothea has had the opportunity to work extensively with Opera Australia performing in productions such as Sir David McVicar’s Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni - choreographed by Andrew George; Benedict Andrews’s Marriage of Figaro, choregraphed by Lucy Guerin; Gale Edwards’s Manon Lescaut as well as multiple revival productions of Rigoletto and The Barber Of Seville. Dorothea has been a featured cancan dancer in the annual Opera Gala for multiple years. Other dance credits include corporate events Hordern Pavilion and Doltone House for companies such as McDonalds.

Film and TV credits include Dance Academy, various TV commercials including Hahn Super Dry and Cadbury and short films and music videos. Recently Dorothea has expanded her skills to include aerials most notably performing in sold out shows at Sydney Fringe Festival.

 

Cloé Fournier

Dancer

Cloé Fournier is a French-born Australian multi-disciplinary artist currently based in Sydney. She works as a dancer, physical theatre performer, aerialist, choreographer, movement director, actor, dramaturg and curator.

Cloé graduated from the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Saint-Etienne in ballet and contemporary dance studies. She continued her dance studies at the Université Lumières Lyon 2, focusing on the Merce Cunningham Technique with Kilina Cremona. During her academic training she performed in works by choreographers Lionel Hoche (Cie Mémé Banjo), Kilina Cremona and Yuval Pick (ISR).

Her curious mind and hunger for challenge, have driven her to expend her skills by training in aerial dance (harness) and by becoming a Contact Improvisation practitioner. Her new passion for martial arts is also informing her approach to movement allowing her to inject her developing knowledge of judo into her practice.

Cloé has performed in major international festivals in Australia (Art & About, Sydney Festival, Adelaide and Sydney Fringe) and overseas (Rubaboo Aboriginal Festival (CAN), Santiago A Mil (CHL), Ulica (PL), Riverside Festival (UK)...) for companies and independent choreographers/directors: Branch Nebula, Legs On The Wall, Stalker Theatre, Strings Attached, The Living Room Theatre, Martin del Amo, Kay Armstrong, Nick Atkins, Younes Bachir, Michal Imielski (PL), Patrick Nolan, Michael Pigott, Kathryn Puie, Meryl Tankard, Laura Turner, Vicki Van Hout and Dean Walsh amongst others. She has collaborated with international visual artists such as Nick Cave (USA), Marina Debris (AUS/USA), Nasim Nsar (AUS/IRAN) and Alexis Teplin (USA/UK).

She also holds a Bachelor of Arts and Foreign Languages (translation) and is a TKYM Yoga instructor.

www.cloefprojects.com and www.cloefournier.com

 

Kip Gamblin

Dancer

Kip Gamblin commenced his training in dance, theatre and drama at The McDonald College of Performing Arts and later at the Australian Ballet School. His dance credits include principal dance roles with Australian Ballet, Western Australian Ballet, Sydney Dance Company and Royal Opera Covent Garden, along with solo performances with Barbara Streisand and Kylie Minogue.

Kip’s theatre credits include The Interview with Tamarama Rock Surfers and The Bodyguard The Musical playing the infamous role of Frank Farmer the bodyguard. Film credits include Baz Lurhman’s Moulin Rouge and Bruce Beresford’s Maos Last Dancer.

Television credits include three years on Home and Away where he won the TV Week Logie Award for the Most Popular New Male talent, two years in London on the BBC Drama Casualty, two years on Channel 7’s All Saints, Channel 9’s Tricky Business, season 2 and 3 of ABC’s Dance Academy and four years on the long running Australian Drama Neighbours.