Audition Notice > Tom Fool

Hoy Polloy presents the Australian premiere of

Tom Fool
Written by Franz Xaver Kroetz
Translated by Estella Schmid and Anthony Vivis
Directed by Beng Oh

Overview
On the surface Otto Meier’s world exudes cool German efficiency. Underneath his world is about to explode. Haunted by the minutiae of his work environment he dreams of a better life for himself and his family. A daring and compelling drama, Tom Fool focuses on the everyday lives of ordinary working-class people and takes us back to the moment when women changed the rules of the game. Tom Fool is a new translation of Franz Xaver Kroetz's superb 1978 play Mensch Meier – showing that life at its most ordinary is never far away from disruption, chaos and violence. The Scotsman described Kroetz as charting this story of breakdown with a wonderful, rich yet cold-eyed hyperrealism that is his hallmark.

Audition Information
• Auditions are by appointment only.
• Dates: Sunday, 18 January 2009 and Monday, 19 January 2009
• To make an appointment please contact the director on 0412 224 968 or send expressions of interest, CVs and head shots by email to beng.tom@bigpond.com

Roles
Otto
"The husband, average and about 40, likes to smoke and drink, rather nervous, erratic, in his best moments he appears almost elegant." Would suit actor in his late 30s to 40s.
Martha
"The wife, average and about 40, very honest and practical." Would suit actress in her late 30s to 40s.
Ludwig
"Their son, a nice fellow of about 15, looks more like his father than his mother, shy and silent, listens a lot but says little." Would suit actor in his late teens to 20s.

Rehearsal Information
• A play reading is scheduled for week commencing 15 February 2009
• The rehearsal period will be from 2 March 2009 - 30 April 2009
• There will be a minimum of three rehearsals scheduled per week.
• A rehearsal schedule will be confirmed upon the production being cast.

Season Information
• Preview: Friday, 1 May 2009
• Season: 2 – 23 May 2009
• Tuesday to Saturday 8.15pm
• Sundays 5.00pm
• Venue: Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre, corner Sydney & Glenlyon Roads, Brunswick

News > Radio 3CR Curtain Up Gongs 2008

Radio 3CR Curtain Gongs are awarded to shows, performances and technical that made an impact with the Curtain Up review team in 2008 – 100 productions were viewed.

Hoy Polloy received the following Radio 3CR Curtain Up Gongs 2008 for:

How To Disappear Completely And Never Be Found
written by Fin Kennedy
directed by Paul King
featuring David Passmore, Tory Rodd, Michael F Cahill, Glen Hancox and Helen Hopkins

The Real Thring
written by Barry Dickins
directed by Wayne Pearn
featuring Michael F Cahill

Annoucement > Season 2009

Hoy Polloy announces Season 2009:

Tom Fool
Written by Franz Xaver Kroetz
Translated by Estella Schmid and Anthony Vivis
Directed by Beng Oh
Venue: Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre, Brunswick
Preview: Friday, 1 May 2009
Season: 2 – 23 May 2009

On the surface Otto Meier’s world exudes cool German efficiency. Underneath his world is about to explode. Haunted by the minutiae of his work environment he dreams of a better life for himself and his family. A daring and compelling drama, Tom Fool focuses on the everyday lives of ordinary working-class people and takes us back to the moment when women changed the rules of the game. Tom Fool is a new translation of Franz Xaver Kroetz's superb 1978 play Mensch Meier – showing that life at its most ordinary is never far away from disruption, chaos and violence. The Scotsman described Kroetz as charting this story of breakdown with a wonderful, rich yet cold-eyed hyperrealism that is his hallmark.

Purgatorio
Written by Ariel Dorfman
Directed by Ben Starick
Venue: Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre, Brunswick
Preview: Friday, 7 August 2009
Season: 8 – 29 August 2009

What if the only person who can save me is the one I have hurt the most?
Are the crimes I have committed unforgivable?
And if there is no forgiveness, how do I move on with my life?

Ariel Dorfman’s Purgatorio questions the complexities of human relationships, intention and identity. Exploring justice, vengeance and redemption, Purgatorio asks if one person can trust another and ultimately themselves. Confined in a nameless, timeless place, a man and woman confront each other with their past truths. They must come to terms with who they genuinely are and decide if their love is strong enough to overcome pain and betrayal. Both characters try to force the other to accept their guilt, but are they willing to accept their own?

The Cat's Paw (presented with the Melbourne Writers’ Theatre)
Written by Christine Croyden
Directed by Wayne Pearn
Venue: Carlton Courthouse Theatre, Carlton
Preview: Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Season: 17 September – 3 October 2009

The night cats are out on the streets of St Kilda – another girl is pushed from a car. She picks herself up and staggers precariously into the dark on her four-inch heels. A mysterious woman offers her help under the gaze of an unlikely angel. A bewildered man crosses her path and struggles to connect with her. Confused and desperate, she’s forgotten everything she wants to remember and can only remember what she wants to forget. Christine Croyden’s confronting yet touching play, The Cat’s Paw, is a response to raunch culture and its biggest benefactor – the ever expanding, billion dollar sex industry.

11 Paterson St
Written by Bryan Davidson Blue
Directed by Suzanne Chaundy
Venue: Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre, Brunswick
Preview: Friday, 13 November 2009
Season: 14 November – 5 December 2009

Sex, death and things of war – this is an explosive tale of love and survival; of apathy and rebellion; of repulsion and endearing wit. Bryan Davidson Blue’s savage black comedy explores primal emotions, where brutal, brittle characters clamber to breathe and love in a hellish and vivid world. We watch. Watch as arbitrary war blasts the nuclear family. This is in-yer-face theatre: a disarmingly funny and violently messy tale of victims and heroes, growing up gay, rural mentalities and enduring love. Welcome to 11 Paterson St.

Stay tuned for details regarding subscriptions to Season 2009.