Photo Flash: First Look at Australian Theatre Company's LA Premiere of HOLDING THE MAN

Writer, actor and activist Timothy Conigrave's best-selling memoir (winner of the United Nations Human Rights Award for Non-Fiction and listed as one of the "100 Favorite Australian Books" by the Australian Society of Authors) is one of Australia's great love stories. The stage version by Tommy Murphy captures all its special magic. Producers Nick Hardcastle and Nate Jones launch their newly formed Australian Theatre Company with the Los Angeles premiere of Holding the Man, featuring an all-Australian cast and directed by veteran Hollywood acting coach Larry Moss. Opening night is May 10 at the Matrix Theatre. Scroll down to see some photos from the production!

The course of teenage love rarely runs smooth, but it is a white-water adventure if you are a gay boy in an all-boys school in 1970s Melbourne with a crush on the captain of the football team. Despite the odds, Tim and John fall in love and for fifteen years their relationship survives everything life throws at it - the separations, the discriminations, the temptations, the jealousies and the losses - until the only problem love can't solve threatens to part them. The play's title refers to a transgression that incurs a penalty in Australian rules football.

Highly theatrical in style, Holding the Man runs the gamut from absurdism to magical realism (including unique puppets designed by Alex "Jürgen"Ferguson) to naturalism to farce to deep drama. It is a celebration that speaks across generations, sexual preference and culture.

"There's a great deal of character work involved in a play like this where the actors must play a variety of parts," Moss continues. "Acting is about transformation and Holding the Man is full of that. I've taught Down Under for the past four years and fell in love with the passion and commitment the Australian acting community has for the theater. There is a depth of talent that the world is only just beginning to recognize."

The all-Australian cast of Holding the Man includes Nate Jones (Australian stage production of A Chorus Line and feature film Restraint) as Timothy Conigrave and Adam J. Yeend (Australian stage productions of The Hurting Game, Chain of Fools, The Girl from the West of the City; lead in the Australian feature film Offing David; Lifetime's Liz & Dick, World Music Independent Film Festival Best Actor nomination for Alchemy, lead role in upcoming An American Piano) as John Caleo. Taking on multiple roles are Cameron Daddo (best known in Australia as the host of Perfect Match and for mini-series The Heroes, Golden Fiddles, Tracks of Glory, Bony, Beaconsfield andPacked to the Rafters; and in the U.S. as a regular on series such as She Spies, Hope Island, F/X and Models Inc.); Luke O'Sullivan(Australian theater credits include Alan Ball's All That I Will Ever Be, Elizabeth Coleman's Almost With You originating the lead role of Dan, and the U.S. tour of The Silver Donkey); Adrienne Smith (Australian TV movie Dangerous Remedy and series including City Homicide, Blue Heelers, Neighbours, The Secret Life of Us and We Can Be Heroes); and Roxane Wilson (recurring roles on popular Australian TV series such as Home and Away, Out of the Blue, The Alice and Stingers).

Holding the Man smashed box office records for Australia's Griffin Theatre Company when it premiered in 2006, garnering three "Best Play" awards including the New South Wales Premier's Literary Award, Australian Writers' Guild Award (AWGIE) and Aussietheatre.com Award. The production went on to complete four sold-out seasons in Sydney at the Sydney Opera House and Belvoir, then moved to the Brisbane Powerhouse and Melbourne Theatre Company before opening in London's West End. Last year, La Boite Theatre Company brought the original production back to Brisbane for yet another run.

Set design for Holding the Man is by John Iacovelli, lighting design is by Jeremy Pivnick, sound design is by Cricket S. Meyers and costume design is by Shon LeBlanc. Nick Hardcastle, Nate Jones and Mike Abramson produce for the Australian Theatre Company.

Holding the Man opens on May 10 and continues through June 29, with performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The second and last preview performance takes place tonight at 8 p.m. General admission is $34.99. The Matrix Theatre is located at 7657 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046 (west of Stanley Ave., between Fairfax and La Brea). For reservations and information, call 323-960-7735 or go to www.holdingtheman.us.

Photo Credit: Suzanne Strong

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