Tonight, eighteen Illawarra actors from five theatre and entertainment companies will share the stage in the seventh annual night of improvisation, fun and friendship. Marching under their company’s banner, each group will field a team of three or four actors who are challenged to create new scenes from the audience and impress the judging panel – and strive to take home the trophy and be crowned 2012 Playmates champions.

Returning in 2012 are last year’s triumphant winners Roo Theatre Company from Shellharbour. Another all boys team who have back-to-back titles firmly in their sights. David Rienitis returns with some new faces, including the talented Adam O’brien and Daniel Stefanovski.

Roo’s battle with the warriors from Stanwell Park will be something to watch for, with the team from S.P.A.T hungry for their first Playmates victory. Fielding an impressive team lead by team captain Rebecca Barrow, alongside Playmates regular Cameron Campbell and Bernadette Le Mesurier, the group is set to wow the crowd, and go completely SPAT-tastic!

Taking the leap from Stand Up to theatre is Wollongong Comedy, with the hilarious Martin Henchion standing in as team captain. With the aid of the outrageous pair of Bryan Goddard and Adam Armitt – Wollongong Comedy are out to have a lot of fun and take the big risks! And with two Irishmen in the same team, the Wollongong Comedy team are sure to wreak havoc.

The Kerr siblings, Evan and Charlotte, will put their sibling rivalry aside and unite against their rivals under the banner of The Drama Studio alongside the very funny Eamonn McNamara and Elizabeth Ray. All eyes will be on this team, who were outstanding on the one and only training rehearsal last Sunday. This team may be tough to beat!

Also returning for their seventh Playmates will be the University team, this time with a young and exciting trio made up of both current second year performance students Lauren Killey and Claire Fenwicke alongside the gifted Aiden Cairns, a graduate of the Faculty of Creative Arts. These future stars will be keen to show the others how its done!

The stage is set, the battle lines have been drawn and now it is time for the Players to risk all for your entertainment and pleasure. Be sure to get yourself to the Wollongong City Diggers Club tonight and join in the fun and laughter.

Let’s play, mates.

“Playmates is possibly one of the greatest things to bridge together all theatre companies. Community theatre is all about friendships and love of theatre. It’s wonderful when we can all come together and have a night full of laughs and great entertainment. Playmates is more than a night of competition, It’s a night of FUN and showcasing individual and group talents.” – Josif Jovanovski, Artistic Director Roo Theatre

“Sometimes you have to do something even if its wrong.” – Bryan Goddard, Wollongong Comedy

“Let the games begin.” – Wayne Turner, President Stanwell Park Arts Theatre

We are very excited to have three talented judges joining Playmates Illawarra in 2012.

 Olav Lehmann has been involved in performing and producing theatre in the Illawarra for decades. This well loved individual has been a regular Playmates judge since its inception in 2006, also administers the popular Theatre in the Illawarra website – the central online resource for Illawarra theatre news, show advertisements, reviews, photography and casting notices all over the NSW South Coast. Click here to check out Olav’s website, and subscribe for bi-monthly theatre news and notices.

Deborah Mulhall is an award winning stage playwright and life member of Wollongong Workshop Theatre. Deb has been kept very busy, taking on many roles including judging co-ordinator for Sydney Fringe and Short+Sweet Sydney as well as being resident playwright at Manly’s Factor Space Theatre Company and is a current committee member of the New Theatre in Newtown.

Rupert Degas is a world class actor fresh of the boat from London and now living in Sydney. He is better known to four year olds as Scrambler from Bob the Builder. He is an actor, voice-over artist and impressionist. Someone once said the elasticity of his voice is akin to that of Jim Carrey’s face.

Read more about Rupert here!

Playmates is fast approaching, with our teams finalising their casts for this exciting production. Teams are starting to fill up, and it is looking like all our group’s are going to be putting on a fantastic show for our audience. Bookings have started coming through nicely, so make sure you book your tickets now to secure your seat to this one night only comedy sensation.

Unfortunately, the much anticipated inclusion of NSW’s oldest running community theatre group Nowra Players will have to wait another year. This small group of passionate theatre makers are not able to field a team this year, with many demands on their talent involved with upcoming productions in Nowra. We look forward to having you with us another time, and wish you all the best with the rest of your 2012 season!

We will be announcing the new theatre company this week, but we are hoping to welcome Bulli’s Black Diamond Players. Stay tuned!

In casting news, Playmates is again fielding a host of the Illawarra’s finest. Brother and Sister pair Evan and Charlotte Kerr will be joining fellow graduates of The Drama Studio Elizabeth Ray and Eamonn McNamara. Wollongong Comedy are fielding an exciting team including Craichouse Comedy Club co-founder Martin Henchion with partners in crime Bryan Goddard and Adam Armitt who are looking to take the trophy home in their first year. But watch out everyone for the ambush from the north, with Stanwell Park Arts Theatre (SPAT) pumped after a great turnout to their Playmates try-out, with Cameron Campbell, Bernadette Le Mesurier and the electric Rebecca Barrows hungry to record their first Playmates victory.

The very talented Toby Davis and Lauren Killey head up the University team who are again out to impress after the team’s strong performance in previous years, but all eyes will be on reigning champions Roo Theatre who are raging hot favourites to win back-to-back. The boys from Shellharbour are pumped, and with returning actors Adam Higgins and David Rienits joining good friends Adam O’Brien and Daniel Stefanovski – the boys from Shellharbour will be hard to stop.

The 2012 Playmates may well be the closest contended battle yet. Look out for the complete cast list being released over the weekend.

It is our great pleasure to announce the major charity that will be supported by this year’s Playmates.

Four actors from six South Coast theatre and entertainment companies will be sharing the stage in the annual showcase raising funds and more importantly awareness for local groups doing wonderful things in the local community.

One such group is the Denny Foundation, who are an impressive local Health Promotion Charity. The Denny, who have a broad outreach and philosophy are currently expanding their StreatBeat service, which is a targeted information and support service for youth, families and adults on the streets in the Illawarra. They are a passionate group who help to alleviate hunger on the streets, including taking their services to several areas in the Wollongong and Shellharbour region.

Along with the donation of all proceeds from Playmates 2012, the Playmates cast and crew will be looking to spending an evening with the Denny Foundation, as well as several other local charity groups supporting individuals and families on the streets.

Read all about the Denny Foundation at www.dennyfoundation.org

Read more about Denny’s Street Beat

If you would like to be involved in joining us spend an evening with a local charity group, please contact Luke at luke@blackboxtheatre.org

Black Blox Theatre Company & The Black Blox Co-operative, is a NSW South Coast theatre company focusing on a vast variety of theatre styles. From improvisation and devised theatre to mainstream, contemporary and classical forms.

Founded by Wollongong based actor/director Luke Berman, Black Box aims at sourcing the best of the Illawarra for exposure in Sydney.

Our next production is Playmates Illawarra on September 15, 2012 at the Wollongong City Diggers Club. Inspired from the television series Whose Line Is It Anyway? – Playmates is a one-of-a-kind showcase, bringing together actors from over six different theatre groups in the Illawarra region to promote the variety and strength of talent being produced on NSW’s South Coast.

But keep an eye out for our thought provoking comedy Think Tank which will be available free, streamed live here on the Black Box wordpress site.