Young but not naïve teacher Lucy (Glynis Stokes) is hoping to make a difference in her new school, but soon discovers the staffroom is worse than the classroom.
Belittled by conservative teacher and senior slut-shamer Bronwyn (Emma Wood) and ignored by supervisor and ‘innovation’ cheerleader Clara (Elaine Noon), Lucy finds an unlikely friend in the antisocial and all-round offensive Paul (Brendan Kelly).
But Paul knows something no one else does and it goes to the rotten core of the system – a system of suspicious promotions and orders from above.
Add an authority-obsessed teacher with Pokémon toys (Marti Ibrahim); a disgruntled Mandarin teacher who’s forced to teach PE (John Kelly); and a post-retirement and past-caring Maths teacher (Liz Bradley), and the staff room is a hive of cynicism and workplace politics.
That is until an unknown whistle-blower publishes a revealing blog about the school, forcing Principal Julian (Rob de Fries) and his sidekick Deputy George (Arran McKenna) to start a witch hunt. Who would be unsatisfied enough with their job to betray the leadership? Basement interrogations and grappling with the internet ensue.
Featuring uncensored school reports and sex on desks, The Art of Teaching Nothing is unmissable comedy for anyone who ever wondered what went on behind the closed doors of the teacher’s staff room.
Began her theatrical career at Canberra Rep 40 years ago with Ross Macgregor as Artistic Director who later was part of the formation of The Australian Film and Television School and The Actors Studio in Sydney. Has directed and performed for Canberra REP, papermoon, Centrepiece Theatre, Everyman Theatre, The Players Company , The Q and Free Rain. Has won the Critics Circle Award for directing Angels in America, two CAT Awards (best director and best play) for Entertaining Mr Sloane for the Players Co., Best Actress twice at the Wagga Festival that was. Worked extensively with the late Ralph Wilson where she received an education in abstract and classic works. Most recently directed To Kill a Mockingbird for Free Rain. Delighted audiences in A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Jordan Best at The Q, wowed them as Clairee in Steel Magnolias, directed by Jordan Best at REP, and have enjoyed critical acclaim in August Osage County directed by Cate Clelland for Free Rain.
Recently directed Tuesdays with Morrie for the Q Theatre. Acted in a very successful season of The Crucible earlier this year, followed by Casanova and most recently Much Ado About Nothing, all at Canberra REP.
Rob’s theatre experience stretches over 25 years, mainly in Goulburn and Canberra. He has performed in many shows in Canberra theatre companies.
Recent appearances have been in Calendar Girls, Out of Order, Speaking In Tongues and Memory of Water for Canberra Rep, Breaker Morant and Ides of March for Everyman, and Caravan at The Q. He has performed in local playwright Bruce Hoogendoorn’s The Reluctant Shopper and Warts & All.
He also performed in three pieces for Budding Theatre’s Nothing Is Sacred and Unwrap Me in 2014.
For three years, through Canberra Repertory, he ran a short play competition for monologues and duologues, called “The ‘Logues”. He has directed at Canberra Rep and at The Q, and been a judge, actor and director for Short and Sweet and Crash Test Drama.
Rob’s next project is Rep’s Don’t Dress For Dinner in November/December.
Brendan is an actor born, raised and trained in Canberra. He has performed in theatre, film and advertising in leading and supporting roles. He has attained an Advanced Diploma in Performance from his studies at CADA. Brendan is ecstatic to be performing alongside such talented and entertaining actors and creatives in Kirsty Budding’s first full length play; he feels lucky and honoured to play his part in this show.
Past shows have included:
Theatre: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Honest Puck Theatre, 2015), The Reluctant Shopper (Long Run Productions, 2013), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Queanbeyan City Council, 2013), The Mousetrap (Queanbeyan City Council, 2012).
Film: Me and My Mates vs the Zombie Apocalypse (Declan Shrubb/Sanguineti Media, 2015), Blow Up (Christian Doran/John Frohlich, 2012), The Real (TV Pilot) (Luke McGrath/Nick Delatovic, 2013).
Emma Wood has been involved in theatre for as long as she can remember, and currently works as a Drama and English teacher at Narrabundah College. Her most recent performance was her CAT nominated role as Ruth in Canberra Repertory’s Blithe Spirit in 2014. Other award nominated performances in her former home of Newcastle included roles in The Accused, Speaking in Tongues, When the Rain Stops Falling and Pygmalion at Newcastle Theatre Company, also in Stooged Theatre’s The Removalists, her CONDA winning performance in Born Yesterday as Billie, and The Importance of Being Earnest (Ballarat). She also received a prestigious Victorian Musical Theatre Guild Award for her role as Grace in Annie with Ballarat Lyric Theatre.
Emma’s first play, Water Child, received audience and critical acclaim in Newcastle, including being awarded Best New Play at the 2012 CONDAs. Her second play, Mr Bennet’s Bride, has been produced twice and recently toured Canberra. Emma has also enjoyed directing and producing, with highlights being The Vagina Monologues and Of Mice and Men.