Bad Blood Blues at Chapel Off Chapel

Bad Blood BluesThe Australian premiere of the play Bad Blood Blues will open at Chapel off Chapel’s The Loft Theatre from the 11th November 2011 for a three week run.

Directed by Chris Parker (Resident Director Avenue Q, Ass Director CabaretJohn & Jen), and starring Glenda Linscott and Blessing Mokgohloa, this powerfully intense and totally engrossing new play is a finely balanced and engaging debate about the West’s use of African “guinea pigs” in the search for an HIV cure.

Bad Blood Blues is by British Playwright Paul Sirett and has been dubbed an edge of your seat drama. Set in Africa, the show follows Clare (an Australian academic) and Patrice (a young office worker who says he’s applying for a place at UCLA) and the personal relationship between the two.

This seventy minute play, first performed in London (2009), is filled with both ideas and humour leaving the audience moved and stimulated at the conclusion.
Bad Blood Blues follows Manilla Street Productions’ critical successes last year with Starting Here, Starting Now at the Arts Centre Blackbox and premiere of Another Opening, Another Show at Chapel off Chapel.

Manilla Street Productions is excited to bring this powerful and thought provoking play to Melbourne audiences.

BAD BLOOD BLUESTHE LOFT, Chapel off Chapel
15 Shows only, Friday 11th – Saturday 26th November 2011
Adult: $45 Concession $39
Book at chapeloffchapel.com.au or ph: 8290 7000

Glenda Linscott

Glenda is an actress with extensive experience in film, television, theatre and radio. She is best known to audiences for her role as ‘Rita Connors’, the bikie chick in Prisoner, for which she won a Penguin Award for Best Actress, and also as Dr. Imogen “Tootsie” Soames in Murder Call. In 2011 she appeared in Channel 9’s Underbelly Files: Infiltration, and as ‘Lily Patterson’ in Channel 7’s brand new series Winners and Losers.On stage she has worked for many companies around Australia and has played lead roles in Australian national tours. Theatre highlights include: Shirley Valentine, Steaming, Daylight Saving, Terence Rattigan Double Bill with Paul Eddington, Angels in America and Women of Troy for the Sydney Theatre Company, Communicating Doors, Crimes of the Heart and Dinner with Friends for the Marian Street Theatre. Speaking in Tongues, Season of Shorts, Pushin’ up Daisies for Griffin Theatre Company and in Melbourne Shadow Passion at Chapel off Chapel.

Blessing Mokgohloa

Born in Zimbabwe, Blessing moved to Australia aged 19. Since then he has split his time between Melbourne, where he studied, and London, where his immediate family has taken residence. Blessing has featured in a number of short films including Dit is Ek (This is Me), Born and Razed, Everyone’s Children and the web series, Prison Pals. Blessing has also made a number of television appearances including roles in Neighbours and Elephant Princess. Blessing’s theatre credits include performances in Refugee Realities at Gasworks, directed by Graham Pitts and the Screen Actors Extravaganza at the Geelong Performing Arts Centre.

Christopher Parker – Director

Christopher Parker trained at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Chris played Booby Childs in Crazy For You at the State Theatre in Melbourne and was Resident Director of the Australian production of Avenue Q which toured around Australia and New Zealand. Chris directed Manilla Street Productions’ Another Opening, Another Show at Chapel off Chapel in 2010. Chris toured nationally with David Williamson’s play The Club, and created the role of Alec for the World premiere of Sideshow Alley. He has performed in Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, and King Oedipus for Complete Works Theatre Company, After the Beep, and Shane Warne The Musical for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and in 2005 was nominated for “Best Newcomer” by the Sydney Theatre Awards for his performance in the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Summer Rain. As assistant director, Chris worked with Terence O’Connell on Cabaret, and John & Jen, which received a green room award nomination for best musical in 2009. Chris also worked with Gary Young on The Production Company’s production of Mame, and was the Director of the Australian premiere production of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World in 2001.

Paul Sirett – Playwright

Paul Sirett has written seven productions for Theatre Stratford East. These include Come Dancing for which he co-wrote the book with Ray Davies, The Big Life (which also transferred to the West End), A Night in Tunisia, Worlds Apart, Crusade and Jamaica House. Paul has worked as Literary Manager of Soho Theatre and Dramaturg of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Awards include Best Off West End Production What’s on stage (Come Dancing), Best Play Pearson (Worlds Apart), Best Comedy Time Out (This Other Eden) and nominations for TMA, Evening Standard and Olivier Awards for The Big Life.

Erin James

Erin James is AussieTheatre.com's former Editor in Chief and a performer on both stage and screen. Credits include My Fair Lady, South Pacific and The King and I (Opera Australia), Love Never Dies and Cats (Really Useful Group), Blood Brothers (Enda Markey Presents), A Place To Call Home (Foxtel/Channel 7) and the feature film The Little Death (written and directed by Josh Lawson).

Erin James

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