University of Adelaide Alumni and Current Students Present Harold Pinter's NO MAN'S LAND, Now thru Aug 16

The Theatre Guild is delighted that their August production of No Man's Land by Harold Pinter features both a past and the newly-elected Chair of the Theatre Guild in its small cast of four.

Life member John Edge - a former University of Adelaide staff member and Chair of the Theatre Guild from 1992 to 2008 - plays 'Hirst', a wealthy poet haunted by his past, who has descended into a "no man's land" of writer's block, alcoholism and possible dementia. He is looked after by two younger men, 'Briggs '(Jonathan Pheasant) and 'Foster' (Matt Houston), who protect him from himself and those who might try to take advantage of him - such as the failed poet' Spooner' (Michael Baldwin), whom 'Hirst' meets in the pub one night and drags home for a nightcap.

Despite enjoying his retirement from both the University and the Guild, John was easily persuaded to tread the boards of the Little Theatre stage again. John says, "I've never played Pinter, so that was a challenge I welcomed and am enjoying very much. He's a very tricky writer, and has written a wonderful character in Hirst, full of surprising shifts of mood and attack."

University of Adelaide Director, Office of Services and Resources, Jonathan Pheasant, was elected to the position of Chair of the Theatre Guild in June. Despite the pressures of a rewarding yet demanding job, busy family life with three young children, not to forget his role as U10 soccer coach, Jonathan still finds time to indulge his passion for theatre. Recently seen as 'Paris' in the Guild's highly successful production of Romeo and Juliet, he follows that role as 'Briggs', 'Hirst's' bodyguard and general factotum. Jonathan says "I'm so proud to be the new Chair of the Guild and thrilled to be part of another wonderful Theatre Guild production, surrounded by incredibly talented and experienced cast and crew. The Theatre Guild has an exciting few years ahead as it plans for its 80th anniversary in 2018."

Director Warwick Cooper, currently teaching Drama at A C Arts, says "Pinter's text uses word play to transform - fact into fantasy and fantasy into fact. The characters perform with the comic awkwardness of Woody Allen, the vaudevillian absurdity of Samuel Beckett, the spiced wit of Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward and between the helter skelter of words come the famous Pinter pauses, the trademark silences ..."

As they partake in a battle of words onstage, offstage it's all smiles and support and the passing on of a wealth of knowledge of Theatre Guild productions. Joining them in their reminiscing are Set Designer Max Mastrosavas, a past Drama Lecturer at the University of Adelaide, and fellow cast members Michael Baldwin, a veteran of many Theatre Guild shows for which he has both acted and directed, and current student Matt Houston, who was seen in Holy Day last October and brings a fresh and youthful vibrancy to the conversations.

Performances will be at Little Theatre, The Cloisters, University of Adelaide on Saturday the 2nd, Tuesday through Saturday the 5th-9th & the 12th-16th of August at 7.30pm.

Tickets are $28/$23 and can be purchased at www.adelaide.edu.au/theatreguild.

For further information and review tickets, contact melanie.hibberd@adelaide.edu.au or call 8313 5999.

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