" Music is what love between human beings should be"
                   
This cry of anguish from my character Roy signals the frustrations he feels as he attempts
to still his emotional turmoil in the production of his beloved opera "Cosi fan Tutte". They
are the frustrations a large portion of the population probably feels as they deal with broken
marriages and difficulties in relationships. (Boy, I'm getting a bit deep, aren't I?)
But this play, while it does deal with "issues", is also very funny, as this group of mental
patients, with virtually no theatrical experience, struggle to put on an opera, and deal with
their relationships with one another.
Even though some people may call them "nutters", they are no different to many other
people. My character Roy's annoying and aggressive behaviour is no "worse " than that of
other annoying and aggressive people I have met (particularly in the workplace), and it is my
challenge, as well as that of the other actors, to bring out the humanity of these characters.
Tonight we began to learn to sing the opera, and, as a non-singer, I think I identify with the
mental patients to do something out of my comfort zone. Watching me, trying to sing, might
be funny in itself!
So, come along, to see this show, to be amused, and perhaps challenged too.

Here we see the photographer photographing of the performing of Cosi; which
saw poor Ruth thrown into a quandary as she tried to work out which (if any)
was real and which (if any) was an illusion. Not to mention pure Doug who was
thrown onto the floor and ‘mounted’ by Cherry on the assumption that he had
lit yet another fire!! But, a fun day was had by all, as the cast acted out various
scenes for the Cosi publicity shots.
By Jeannie Gee (Ruth)

So…. another night of rehearsals as we inch closer to March’s performance!
Tonight we spent time on several scenes from Act 1 of Cosi, and also started to
dabble with some of the costumes for the play’s final scenes.

All of us are trying very hard to move off of script so that we can have our hands free to wave about as we see fit. What many people don’t realise is that as an ensemble cast, we each have to learn virtually all lines of the play, not just our own, so we know exactly when to speak and when to move. Lewis is one of the main characters in Cosi, and though he has very few long passages of text to deliver at a time, he speaks very frequently throughout the play and is on stage for almost every moment of Cosi. This means I have to really concentrate on what the other actors are saying and be sure to keep in the moment with them.

It’s tricky but I enjoy the challenge. 

Tonight we continued to work on Act One polishing both Scene 1 and 2 and
putting our heads down to work on Scene 3. In only these short scenes we
have already become aware of Roy’s flamboyant enthusiasm which daunts
the naive Lewis who should watch out for Cherry's growing obsession. All the
patients (characters) react and mix together as they thrust themselves (or are
pushed by Roy) into the French farce, which is Cosi. As a cast we are developing
our characters from week to week and are becoming a tight knit ensemble, in
particular Aston who was enjoying all the special attention and quite literally
hands on directing from Christine Firkin. As the process continues I am both
confident and excited about the quickly approaching opening night in March.
By Darcy Green (Doug)

The photograph here depicts the excitement of our third rehearsal. Ruth (Jeannie Gee) has just contemplated the merits of a good coffee and yearns to learn the steps to stardom. Cherry (Therese Bean) only has stars in her eyes for Lewis (Aston Campbell) and Julie (Jacqui Wilson) just wants a trip to the stars... though watch out for Zac (Benjamin Von Sperl) who really should stay off that Lithium. On this night, the ladies discovered the magical properties of mating bug life as they got down and personal with the locals. Nick (Matt Edwards) caught up with Lucy (Shaelee Rooke) in the dark, while Roy (Darrell Hoffman) revealed some startling revelations. Lewis discussed the potential of getting down and personal with his kissing rehearsal schedule with few complaints from the intended recipients... and Nick discovered the unbearable lightness of being gripped by a raging Henry (David Villanti). But look out for Doug (Darcy Green)... in our mysteriously prophetic rehearsal space... let's just hope no one sets fire to the dunnies!

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 This is a night in the theatre that works both as entertainment and as world class drama. This play really has it all!

David Kary- Sydney Arts Guide

“A strong central acting ensemble portrays the inmates of the institution credibly, with sensitivity, generally balancing well on the fine line that could so easily take them over the top”.

Neil Lichfield – Stage Whispers

“ The entire cast played their parts wonderfully and convincingly, with no one person lacking…  I would highly recommend a night out to the theatre to experience this play”.

By Nini  -Weekend Notes