Cast: Sue Ingelton (“Adelaide Hills”), Evelyn Krape (“Fanny ‘Granny’ Hills”), Fay Mokotow (“Antigone Hills”), Max Gillies (“Fitzroy Hills”), Bill Garner (“Sandringham Hills”), Robert Meldrum (“Clifton Hills”), Tony Taylor (“Winston Hills”) and Buz Leeson (“David Hills”). Photos: Larry Meltzer. Choreography: Lorry Clark and Bob Thorneycroft.
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Posted in Alternative theatre, APG, Australian Performing Group, Australian theatre, Live theatre, Plays, Pram Factory Theatre, Theatre History
Tagged 1975, Bill Garner, Buzz Leeson, Evelyn Krape, Fay Mokotow, Larry Meltzer, Max Gillies, October, Robert Meldrum, Sue Ingleton, The Hills Family Show, Tony Taylor
Cast: Sue Ingelton (“Adelaide Hills”), Evelyn Krape (“Fanny ‘Granny’ Hills”), Fay Mokotow (“Antigone Hills”), Max Gillies (“Fitzroy Hills”), Jack Weiner (“Bluey Hills”), Bill Garner (“Sandringham Hills”), Robert Meldrum (“Clifton Hills”) and Tony Taylor (“Winston Hills”). Jon Hawkes as “Albert Alps, manager”.
Presented by THE VICTORIAN ARTS COUNCIL, 31/5/76 – 26/6/76
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Cast: Evelyn Krape (“Fanny Hills”), Bill Garner (“Sandringham Hills”) , Max Gillies (“Fitzroy Hills”), Fay Mokotow (“Antigone Hills”), Tony Taylor (“Winston Hills”), Jack Weiner (“Bluey Hills”) and Laurel Frank (“Mona Vale”). Photographs: Brendan Hennessy.
In FRONT THEATRE from 5/5/77-12/6/77
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In 1977 several members of the Australian Performing Group (APG), together with Marius Webb, a radio producer at the Australian Broadcasting Commission, put together a series of radio programs titled “Domestic Contradictions”.
Just before the program was due to go to air (June 1977) the series was banned by ABC management. But after protests by a “prominent actors group” and after making some “minor alterations and deletions”, the program was re-instated (July 1977).
“Domestic Contradictions” was written by Bob Daly and Bill Garner (APG members) and Peter Dickie (an anti-capitalist political cartoonist). Publicity and the show’s narrator described it as:
“… the continuing story of a rare experiment in building socialism in one room – the Blue Hills of collective living.”
The performers/voices from the APG were Max Gillies, Evelyn Krape, Fay Mokotow, Bill Garner and Tony Taylor, and the music was by Jack Weiner of the APG.
Two years after “Domestic Contradictions” went to air on the ABC, Greig Pickhaver of the APG (who went on to be HG Nelson) said the program was “the Pram’s most ambitious and successful radio exercise” (The Perambulator, Jan 1979).
Most of this information about the program comes from newspaper reports in The Age and its radio and TV guide, The Green Guide, copies of which appear below.
Although reportedly a nine-part series, copies of twenty episodes can be found on the YouTube channel of VancePackardTV (whoever that is!). I have prepared a schedule of those 20 episodes with links to the YouTube videos. See below.
Note: “Domestic Contradictions” was also broadcast on Melbourne’s community radio station 3 CR
Posted in Alternative theatre, APG, Australian Performing Group, Australian theatre, Community Radio, Pram Factory Theatre
Tagged 20 episodes, ABC, APG, Australian Performing Group, Bill Garner, Bob Daley, Domestic Contradictions, Evelyn Krape, Fay Mokotow, July 1977, Marius Webb, Max Gillies, Peter Dickie, Pram Factory radio, radio, Tony Taylor, YouTube
“Back To Bourke Street” was staged by the Australian Performing Group on several occasions and at several venues. (More information to come.) This poster advertises a return season of 7 late-night shows, three at La Mama theatre and four at the Pram Factory, in September 1977. The show was devised by Claire Dobbin, Libby Drake, Eveyn Krape and Tony Taylor.
“The Hills Family Show” was arguably the most popular and critically acclaimed theatre production by the Australian Performing Group. (More memorabilia from this production will be posted on this site later.)
The fact that the APG recorded a version of the Hills Family Show for radio seems to have been overlooked in written accounts of the APG.
(Additional comment May 2020) Furthermore, I’ve searched the internet thoroughly but cannot find a copy of audio of the show.
The in-costume recording took place at the Pram Factory Theatre in Carlton on Saturday, 3 July 1976. (Max Gillies’ injured arm is real!) I believe the recording was aired on community radio station 3CR, Melbourne. Over the next few weeks I will be posting here my 20 exclusive photos of the event. (I’m almost certain that I was the only person at the event with a camera.) Peter J Keenan 25/6/2014.
Updated 22/10/2021: Max Gillies played Fitzroy Hills; Sue Ingelton played Adelaide Hills; Tony Taylor played Winston Hills; Fay Mokotow played Antigone Hills; Robert Meldrum played Clifton Hills; Evelyn Krape played Fanny ‘Granny’ Hills; Bill Garner played Sandringham Hills; and Jack Weiner played Bluey Hills. Jon Hawkes was Albert Alp, manager of the Hills Family.
Updated 22/10/2021: All of my photos are now posted. Number of photos posted to 8/9/2014 = 15. Number of photos posted to 22/10/21 = 20.
Photo 16 (below) – Max Gillies, Sue Ingleton, Tony Taylor, Fay Mokotow, Robert Meldrum, Evelyn Krape & Bill Garner
Photo 17 (below) – Tony Taylor
Photo 18 (below) – Robert Meldrum, Fay Mokotow, Jack Weiner, Evelyn Krape, Bill Garner & Max Gillies
Photo 19 (below) – Robert Meldrum and Bill Garner, making sounds
Photo 20 (below) – Sue Ingleton
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Posted in Alternative theatre, APG, Australian Performing Group, Australian theatre, Live theatre, Pram Factory Theatre, Theatre History
Tagged 1976, APG, Bill Garner, Evelyn Krape, Fay Mokotow, Hills Family Show, Jack Weiner, Jon Hawkes, Lloyd Carrick, Max Gillies, photos, Pram Factory, radio recording, Robert Meldrum, Sue Ingleton, Susy Potter, Theatre, Tony Taylor
This is the second brochure prepared by the Actors Agency run by the APG . It was prepared in 1975 and contains photographs and short biographies of the following actors, with a page allocated to each:
Joe Bolza, Eileen Chapmen, Jane Clifton, Roz deWinter, Claire Dobbin, Bill Garner, Neil Giles, Max Gillies, Sue Ingelton, Evelyn Krape, Wilfred Last, Yvonne Marini, Robert Meldrum, Fay Mokotow, Greig Pickhaver, Carol Porter, Susy Potter, Michael Price, Tim Robertson, Tony Taylor and Bob Thorneycroft.
Posted in Alternative theatre, APG, Australian Performing Group, Australian theatre, Live theatre, Pram Factory Theatre, Theatre History
Tagged 1975, actors, APG, Australian Performing Group, Bill Garner, Bob Thorneycroft., Carol Porter, Claire Dobbin, Eileen Chapmen, Evelyn Krape, Fay Mokotow, Greig Pickhaver, Jane Clifton, Joe Bolza, Max Gillies, Michael Price, Neil Giles, photographs, Pram Factory, Robert Meldrum, Roz deWinter, Sue Ingelton, Susy Potter, Tim Robertson, Tony Taylor, Wilfred Last, Yvonne Marini