Hats Off returns to Brisbane August 23
Next week Hats Off BrizVegas returns for an amazing one night only concert featuring a star studded line up of Australian musical theatre, comedy, dance and cabaret performers, all donating their time and talent to help raise much-needed funds for The HOPE Fund.
Next week Hats Off BrizVegas returns for an amazing one night only concert featuring a star studded line up of Australian musical theatre, comedy, dance and cabaret performers, all donating their time and talent to help raise much-needed funds for The HOPE Fund.
One of the highlights of Hats Off BrizVegas 2010 will be a special one-off performance of The Prisoner Sketch aka The Return of Frankie Doyle, written by Paul Dellit and Kelly LeFever (who won an AWGIE Award for Best Mini Series Screenplay for her work on the SBS television series The Circuit) – which is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the popular 70s/80s TV series Prisoner.
When the classic cult Grundy television series Prisoner started on Channel 10 back in 1979 (yes it really has been that long), one of the lead characters who made a major impact on audiences was the tough lesbian inmate Frankie Doyle.
Although the character was only in the series for the first year, many fans still count Frankie Doyle as one of the most popular and influential characters from the Australian TV series.
Now some thirty-plus years later actress Carol Burns will re-create her infamous TV persona Frankie Doyle in a special one-off performance at the Playhouse of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
Directed by Karen Crone, The Prisoner Sketch will also feature some of Brisbane’s very familiar actresses including Penny Everingham as Lizzie Birdsworth (originally played by the late Sheila Florence) Karen Crone as Doreen Burns (originally played by Collette Mann); Sue Dwyer as Joan ‘The Freak’ Ferguson (originally played by Maggie Kirkpatrick, now appearing in Wicked) and Amy Ingram, fresh from her acclaimed role in QTC’s production of Fat Pig, as Roo Morgan (originally played by Brisbane actress Sally McKenzie); and Penny Farrow as the obligatory non-speaking extra – Prisoner # 2.
One of Prisoner’s toughest characters, Frankie Doyle, comes back from the dead to help boost the ratings for the show, which has been running on television now for 30 years. Some things have changed at Wentworth Detention Centre – but not much.
Hats Off BrizVegas will also see performances from the cast of Mamma Mia! featuring Anne Wood, Michael Cormick and David Sommerville; along with two of Queensland’s favourite tenors Luke Wilson and Gregory Moore; Radio and Television personality Ian Maurice; the cast of Harvest Rain Theatre Company’s Jesus Christ Superstar; sensational aerialist Mark Winmall; the award-winning Oscar Theatre Company; the multi-talented Divas; the cast of Handle With Care; the high energy dance moves of Velocity; and many more!
Proceeds from this concert will benefit The HOPE Fund to assist people living with HIV/AIDS.
Hats Off is at the Playhouse, QPAC on Monday, August 23. Tickets are $40. Bookings: 136 246.