I've Just Worked On...

God's Ear

by Jenny Schwartz

Pursued by a Bear's  production of Jenny Schwartz's stunning play God's Ear at the Reginald Theatre (the old Seymour Downstairs space). A darkly funny and profoundly moving theatrical vision by a brilliant new American playwright. When Mel and Ted’s son dies, the couple discover the ways in which language sometimes is inadequate when dealing with loss.

I was called in to perfect their American accents. The cast were all very talented and dedicated, meaning I could get very specific - which is great to do, not just for me but for the actors as well. Their hard work on every aspect, and the director's detailed guidance, really paid off.

Directed by Jonathan Wald, produced by Jocelyn Brewer, and with an amazing cast comprised of Natasha Beaumont, Julian Garner, Victoria Greiner, Helen O'Leary, Kieran Foster, Cam Knight and Gael Ballantyne. The season ran Thursday 10 Nov to Saturday 3 Dec with previews Thursday 10 and Friday 11 Nov.  

Victoria Greiner, Gael Ballantyne, Kieran Foster and Natasha Beaumont. Photo Bob Seary

I was very proud to have rated a mention for my work in one review which said "Nick Curnow as dialect coach has done an absolutely superb job - you almost believe the cast is American, which is a massive achievement." Stage Whispers by Whitney Fitzsimmons

Other reivews for the show were resoundingly positive:

Jason Blake in the Sydney Morning Herald

Aussie Theatre by Felicity Burke

Primate Perspective by Steve McGrathCrikey.com by Lloyd Bradford Skye

FBi Radio by Nick Hose

Kevin Jackson's Theatre Diary

I've just worked on...

Women, Power & Culture: Then and Now
"Dreaming of a Kiss on a Pier"
at the New Theatre

OBIE Award winning playwright Suzie Miller penned a short work for the New Theatre's season of short plays Women, Power & Culture: Then and Now called Dreaming of a Kiss on a Pier all about the sort of conversations which men never have. I've was cast as one of these men, who fears his new date may be turned off by his manscaping and isn't sure if he should text her or wait for her to call first - she was weird on the phone.

The season was comprised of brand new especially commissioned works by some of Australia's leading and emerging female playwrights, directed by some of Sydney's top and most innovative female directors, telling the stories that lie behind the triumphs and struggles that mark women’s contribution to our political, social and cultural life.

Dreaming of a Kiss on a Pier was directed by Alice Livingston with the rest of the cast comprised of Wade Doolan, Radek Jonak, Paul-William Mawhinney and Nadim Kobeissi. All people I was thrilled to be working with. The season ran in repertory from 26 October until 5 November at the New Theatre, Newtown.

Review on Sydney Arts Guide

Review on Australian Stage

Photo by Bob Seary.

I've just worked on...

Catch of the Day
at Macquarie University

A satrical short by graduating film students having a dig at all the tired old tropes of horror films. I did the voice over narration in a dispassionate and pompous Received Pronunciation, and then the dry American voice of an instructional tape.

Written and directed by Patrick Feary, produced by Lee-Ann Simon. 

I've just worked on...

Apt 304
at SAE/Qantm College

Dean Francis, director of 2010 horror-thriller feature Roadtrain (and 2005 short Boys Grammar which I remember auditioning for!) lead a class of professional students near graduation from Sydney's SAE Institute and Qantm College to create a sit-com TV pilot called Apt 304. I was cast as Cousin Gabe - an unstable drug-addled ex-roadie genius who can only communicate through song. Shot on a full sound stage set with three simultaneous camera angles at the College in Sydney's Surry Hills.

Directed by Jordan Flemming, and produced by Bob Carey. A screening is planned for Friday October 14th at Hoyts Broadway.

I've just worked on...

Four Flat Whites in Italy
by Roger Hall


Ensemble Theatre in Kirribilli's premiere of Four Flat Whites in Italy by New Zealand's answer to David Williamson, Roger Hall. Directed by Sandra Bates, with the cast Sara Bovolenta, Adriano Cappelletta, Sharon Flanagan, Mary Regan, Michael Ross & Henri Szeps. I gave the cast some pointers on the distinctive New Zealand sound. Challenges here as always are keeping it real - here in Oz we invariably send the Kiwi accent up to the extreme, so it's often good to differentiate the stereotype from the extreme which gives rise to it, and then start to pull back to find the real. Strange though it may seem the relatively simple transposition of TRAP, DRESS, and KIT (what amounts to a chain shift) can be hard to accurately realise - couple with this a cast including a UK native and a Kiwi native who's ironed out their NZ vowels through living in Australia and we had a few challenges to have fun with!
I had three sessions and the cast were all lovely people and both very receptive and perceptive.All managed to realise the sound to varying degrees of consistency. Michael Ross, who had the most to say as the play's narrator, did an especially good job maintaining the accent. 
I attended the opening night with the playwright, my father (a Kiwi himself) and mother - so no pressure. But I had some lovely compliments. Roger himself said the best compliment he could give was that he "didn't notice" and was very pleased.

A review from AustralianStage says "If you like a good kiwi accent, then this is the play you have been waiting for!" 

Sharon Flanagan and Michael Ross from Four Flat Whites in Italy. 

Four Flat Whites... opened on Friday 16th September 2011 and continues until Saturday 22nd October at the Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli.

I've just worked on...

Drake the Amazing.
by Andy Hyman

Drake the Amazing at Sydney's vibrant Darlinghurst Theatre, as part of their double bill of plays by Andy Hyman with La Dispute, directed by John Kachoyan. Cast was Andrew Johnston, Nicholas Papademetriou, Scott Sheridan and Kate Skinner.

Set in a traveling circus in the America of 1911, I kept an eye in rehearsals on the actors' American dialects, watching out for dark L's, yod-coalescenses, and the always interesting tomORrow vs tomAHrrow.

I've just worked on...

At Any Cost? 
by David Williamson & Mohamed Khadra

Ensemble Theatre in Kirribilli's premiere of David Williamson's new collaboration with Mohamed Khadra entitled At Any Cost? I helped cast member Tyler Coppin smooth out the creases in his Australian accent - even after living here for a few decades his native American still pokes through. A consummate professional and award winning talent - a privilege to work with! 

The cast of At Any Cost?, directed by Sandra Bates.

As a general rule (and please note this is completely separate from my private sessions with Tyler) Americans seem to have difficulty with the Australian GOAT diphthong - especially before nasal consonants as in words like only, own, or home. Aussies use much less lip rounding and the first part of this diphthong tends to be much lower and more fronted than the round American sounds - closer to a TRAP vowel. Also final plosive consonants can be a challenge - we don't tend to give them a lot of release, and especially in connected speech they are either voiced or run together with following consonants. 

Also DRESS vowels need less space, especially before voiced consonants - as in bed, when, them, well.

One of the most useful images I have found to use with any non-Australian attempting our General Australian accent is to imagine a plate in the mouth, keeping the lips spread and the jaw close.

Official Website Launched!

www.nickcurnow.com

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(c) 2011 Nick Curnow, all rights reserved.

Headshots - Blueprint Studios

Taken at Blueprint Studios, in Leichhardt by the enormously talented Kurt Sneddon. Highly recommended.

Headshots - Kiren Photography

New headshots by Kiren Photography

"Canary" by Jonathan Harvey @ The New Theatre Sydney - Feb 2nd - Mar 5th 2011

My feature length directorial debut:

"Canary" by much loved British playwright Jonathan Harvey opened at the New Theatre in Sydney on February 2nd to rave reviews. Closes March 5th.

Starring:Peter McAllum, Alice Livingstone, Peter Flett, Emma Louise, Damian Sommerlad, Conrad Le Bron, Caleb Alloway, and Matthew Hyde.

Set Design: Tom Bannerman
Lighting Design: Spiros Hristias
Sound Design: Rhys D Webb
Costume Design: Marissa Dale-Johnson
Stage Manager:  Amy Cook


SX News "A Beautiful Tribute" (Interview with Jonathan Harvey)
REVIEW: OzBabyBoomers
REVIEW: DNA Magazine
REVIEW: SameSame.com.au
REVIEW: Kevin Jackson Theatre Reviews
REVIEW: ArtsHub
REVIEW: Curtain Call

 Can I kiss you Billy?

Will you help me...?

You'll never look more beautiful. 

TOBY: Well go on then. 

RUSSELL: What? 

TOBY: Fuck me.

When it's raining letters, you'll know. 

Dear Diana, do you really want to go down in history as the Patron Saint of Sodomy? 

I don't like that word "permissive"... 

(Photography by Bob Seary)