Don Reid (playwright) was a permanent member of the Ensemble Company for 25 years, performing in, or directing, well over 30 productions. Don has performed for all the major theatre companies across Australia and enjoyed extensive work in television, film and radio. In 1993, to much critical acclaim, Don wrote and performed at Wharf 2, his one-man play, A Whimsical Fellow, based on the Australian poet John Shaw Neilson. In August 2005 his play Navigating Flinders premiered with a six week season at the Ensemble Theatre. Recently, Don has been seen as Samuel Beckett in Justin Fleming’s Burnt Piano, also at the Ensemble, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk for B Sharp and the award-winning Australian feature Men's Group now available on DVD. CODGERS was inspired by his real life get-togethers at the gym with his card-carrying codger mates.
Wayne Harrison (director) has recently directed: the Australia Plays Broadway concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, Justin Fleming’s Origin at Somerset House in London, Mom’s Remixed at the Arts Club in Vancouver and the Gala opening of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. In 2008 he directed Andy Griffiths’ Just Macbeth for the Bell Shakespeare Company; Don Reid’s award-winning comedy Codgers for Steady Lads; and the Spiegelworld productions of Absinthe and Desir which opened in New York last August and moved to Las Vegas late in 2010. He also wrote and directed the inaugural Australia Plays Broadway concert at the Lincoln Center in New York. From 2005-2007 Wayne was the Creative Director of the New Year’s Eve Celebrations on Sydney Harbour. His other 2007 directing credits included Absinthe for Spiegelworld in New York and Miami, the Helpmann Awards for Live Performance Australia, and Continental, a new musical about Steve Ostrow, Bette Midler and New York’s famed Continental Baths. Wayne was the Director of the Closing Ceremony for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. That year he also directed Peter Quilter’s End of the Rainbow, starring Caroline O’Connor, in Sydney and for the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, Two Weeks with the Queen for Windmill Performing Arts, and the Helpmann Awards. In 2005 he directed The Return of Houdini for the City Theatre in Reykjavik, Sunset Boulevard for The Production Company in Melbourne (Green Room Award, Best Director) and End of The Rainbow at the Sydney Opera House and The Arts Centre in Melbourne. From 1999-2002 Wayne was the Creative Director of SFX/Back Row and Clear Channel Entertainment (Europe). Based in London, he was part of the producing team behind the productions of Gumboots, Tap Dogs, Slava’s Snowshow, Mum’s the Word and Fosse (Europe). He was the director of Mum’s the Word in Montreal, Vancouver, New York, London, Glasgow, Dublin and for the three UK touring productions. From 1990 to 1999 Wayne was Director/CEO of Sydney Theatre Company. Among the forty STC productions he directed were: The Normal Heart, A Little Night Music, Shadowlands, Into the Woods, The Gift of the Gorgon, Much Ado About Nothing, Two Weeks with the Queen, Dead White Males, Heretic, Medea, Amy's View and the Julie Anthony musical, Lush, which he also co-wrote. Wayne observed that being in the CODGERS rehearsal room “was like looking into the future…”
Nicholas Dare (designer) graduated from the Bachelor of Dramatic Art in Design at NIDA in 2001 and he has since designed set and costume for a range of theatre productions in the commercial, subsidised and independent sectors. His credits include: set designs for the award-winning Honour Bound, directed by Nigel Jameson for Sydney Opera House; set and costumes for the run-away hit Hedwig and the Angry Inch for Showtune Productions, starring Iota; designing set and costumes for Griffin Theatre Company’s Louis Nowra trilogy, The Emperor of Sydney, The Marvellous Boy and The Woman With Dog’s Eyes; for Ensemble Theatre Halpern and Johnson, Trying, They’re Playing Our Song and Losing Louis; and production design for Edmond and Dealer’s Choice, both produced by Albedo Theatre and directed by Craig Illot. He has worked as an assistant designer on several productions including Boy From Oz and Dame Edna: Back With A Vengeance and continues to work on Priscilla, the Musical. He has also art directed and production designed a number of short films and TVCs. Earlier this year Nicholas designed sets and costumes for the Melbourne Theatre Company’s production of Lovesong and he recently did the set design for The Pillowman at Company B Belvoir Street. He simultaneously designed CODGERS and Shakespeare’s R & J for Riverside. Since then, Mary Stuart for the Ensemble and the feature film Don’t be Afraid of the Dark. Codger? That’s what imagination is for…
Nicholas Higgins (lighting designer) studied production and lighting design at WAAPA, coming from a background in the computer industry. He holds ‘triple threat’ qualifications as a lighting designer, photographer and production manager, helping realise projects as diverse as art exhibitions, short films and symphony concerts. But Nick is most happy when working in a creative capacity on the visual elements of a production, whether as a director of photography, or as a lighting or multimedia designer. During recent years, he has lit over 30 theatre, puppetry, dance and opera productions, both in Sydney and Perth. Recent designs include Madam Butterfly for Simply Opera/Riverside, The Lady AOI for Black Swan Theatre, Muttaburrasaurus for Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, The Feather Surfers for Barking Ghecko, Rabbit for Buzz Dance Theatre, Anna in the Tropics at Downstairs Belvoir, King Lear for Studio Company/Riverside, Mary Stuart for the Ensemble, and Lotte’s Gift, Inside Out and The Gruffalo for CDP. His theatrical photography can be viewed at www.nicholashiggins.com.au. Nick suspects he is well on the way to codgerhood but he fully intends to rage against the dying of the light!
Grant Dodwell (Steady Lads) is a professional actor, writer and producer with over three decades of experience in theatre, film and television. He is best known as Dr Simon Bowen in A Country Practice. Recent film appearances include the ensemble feature Men's Group seen around the country from November 2008, which won Best Film, Best Script and, for Grant, Best Actor at the 2008 IF Awards. Grant has combined his experience in theatre and film, working in both corporate and community areas, by dramatising direct research into live and DVD scripts, written to target workplace and behavioural change. He will be on stage at the Ensemble in Rain Man opposite Alex Dimitriades from April 2010. Grant is resigned to his status as a ‘pre-codger’.
Fiona Press (Steady Lads) has played with most of the major theatre companies across the country in a wide variety of roles, often touring extensively. Her screen work includes the film Waiting for which she received an AFI award for Best Supporting Actress and she has recently been seen opposite John Malkovich in Disgrace, from the novel by J.M. Coetzee. Fiona served a term on the board of Griffin Theatre Company and was a long-serving script assessor for the ANPC. She was a judge of plays and scripts for the 2006 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. The company has dubbed her “Mother Codger”.
Christine Dunstan (Christine Dunstan Productions) is one of Australia’s most experienced independent producers whose career in the theatre spans more than 40 years. She has worked throughout the world as a producer and production manager and has supervised many major theatre productions. Christine founded CDP in 1993. CDP specialises in ‘boutique’ theatre of the highest quality. Renowned for reflecting touring expertise, productions by CDP are seen in theatres throughout Australia, in capital cities as well as in metropolitan, regional and remote communities. Recent tours include Toni Lamond: Times of My Life, The Carpenters from Kempsey and Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks which won the 2007 Helpmann Ward for Best Regional Touring Production. CDP has also toured to the Edinburgh Festival, London International Theatre Festival and to New Zealand. Christine is the recipient of three Drover Awards for touring excellence and, in addition to Codgers, CDP has three tours on the national circuit in 2010: Inside Out, Lotte’s Gift and The Gruffalo. Uber-codger.
Noel Hodda (dramaturge) has been a constant in the script’s development, providing invaluable support. With over thirty years experience as an actor, writer, director and teacher, Noel was a foundation member of The Riverina Theatre Company and his play The Secret House remains a classic among Griffin’s early productions. Noel hopes to enter old age with most of his teeth, all of his marbles and with his sense of humour intact.
