Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Friday 14 December
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
The courtroom: the ultimate arena for dramatising issues of justice and morality, and a stage where the most admirable and most despicable elements of human nature are performed in equal measure. And there’s no doubt that the law and entertainment are a perfect mix – our screens just wouldn’t be the same without lawyers battling it out between commercial breaks.
So, tonight, to close our 2012 season, the Wheeler Centre brings you a splendid double bill: two very different events, each presenting the letter of the law in all its glory.
Geoffrey Robertson, QC is one of the most formidable and original legal minds of our age. He’s famous for his quick-witted, rubber-reflexed Geoffrey Robertson’s Hypotheticals, and many landmark cases over the decades, including defending Julian Assange and defining ‘terrorism’.
And before Law and Order spawned a hundred spin offs, there was one perfect little movie. The Oscar-nominated 12 Angry Men has been called the original courtroom drama. Australian film-maker Adam Zwar will direct a live staged reading of this classic, with twelve Australian actors – both men and women.
So whether your taste in legally-themed thoughtfulness tends towards stirring oratory from legal superstars or theatrical playfulness, this double bill has it all. Why not attend both for a big night out?
Geoffrey Robertson
The Oz obscenity trial. Defending Julian Assange and Salman Rushdie. Establishing journalists’ right to protect sources. Defining ‘terrorism’ for the first time. Calling for the Vatican to be treated as a ‘rogue state’ until it stops protecting paedophile priests.
These are just some of the landmarks in the career of renowned human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson, QC, one of the most formidable and original legal minds in the world.
‘I started, in a sense, acting for the underdog and using the law as a way of … letting the underdog run free,’ he has said.
Geoffrey writes and broadcasts regularly on international legal issues. He creates Geoffrey Robertson’s Hypotheticals for television and ethics education.
As a UN Appeal judge, he has ruled on the illegality of conscripting child soldiers and the invalidity of amnesties from war crimes.
Mullahs without Mercy, Geoffrey’s new book, argues that international law is the only weapon which can be used to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. In it, he demonstrates, with chilling examples, why Iran cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons triggering a local and possibly global war.
Tickets for this session only have now booked out.
12 Angry People
Adam Zwar directs a reading of the classic American film, presented in a distinctly Australian accent.
Twelve actors will inhabit the roles of twelve unnamed jurors (a cross-section of society) trapped in a sweltering New York courtroom, as they debate the innocence of a slum boy accused of killing his father. Their verdict must be unanimous – and if guilty, he will be sentenced to death. Eleven jurors are quick to condemn him, but one holds out, determined to carefully consider the evidence.
This production will be a live staged reading of the film script, with some of Australia’s most experienced actors – both men and women – inhabiting the famous roles.
12 Angry Men, a co-production between screenwriter Reginald Rose and Henry Fonda, was nominated for three Oscars, and has lived on as a perfectly formed tribute to the ideals of the western justice system – a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.
Film guru Roger Ebert calls it ‘as meticulous as an Agatha Christie thriller’ and IMDB has listed it as one of the best films of all time.
Directed by Adam Zwar, and featuring: Nadine Garner, Beth Buchanan, Lachy Hulme, Steve Bastoni, Ash Zukerman, Paul Denny, Patrick Brammall, Joy Mitchell, Kate Jenkinson, Cindy Waddingham, Bert Labonte and Leah Vandenberg.
To book for this session only, click here.
Note: There will be an intermission of one hour between the two sessions.
Featuring
Leah Vandenburg
Leah graduated from WAAPA in 1993. Her theatre credits include Grace for the Melbourne Theatre Company, Criminology for the Arena Theatre Company, The Country for B Sharp @ Belvoir Street; The Perfumed Garden, The Taming of the Shrew; and for Tamarama Rock Surfers, A Clockwork Orange and Love and Understanding. She is also a regular presenter on television’s Playschool.
She has recently appeared on the ABC’s Agony Aunts, Southern Star Production’s Tangle as Elle, and prior to this, was seen as Annie Blythe on Sleuth 101 and as Lara in the ABC series East of Everything.
For her role as Anne in Stupid Stupid Man (series 1 and 2), Leah received a 2007 ASTRA nomination of ‘Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female’. Her other television credits include Claire in the Seven Network‘s The Murray Whelan Series, Dr Jane Bowen in MDA and Meera in Grass Roots (series 1 and 2) for the ABC, and Wendy in the Burberry Productions/BBC co-production Bootleg.
Leah’s film credits include Sarita in Jewboy (Porchlight Films) and Lanni in Erskineville Kings (Underground Films).
Nadine Garner
One of Australia’s most respected actors, Nadine Garner’s career has spanned film, television and theatre for more than 25 years. Nadine is most recently known for her leading role in the successful Seven Network drama, City Homicide.
Her other television credits include The Henderson Kids, G.P., The Flying Doctors, Class Act, Boys From the Bush, Blue Water High and Raw FM for which she was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama.
Nadine’s feature film credits include Ana Kokkinos’ The Book of Revelation, Darren Ashton’s Razzle Dazzle and Amanda Jane’s The Wedding Party which opened the 2010 Melbourne International Film Festival and earned her a New York City International Film Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1988, Nadine won the AFI Award for Best Actress for her role in Don McLennan’s Mull and in 1995, she received a Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Supporting Actress and an AFI Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in Metal Skin.
Nadine has also worked for many of Austalia’s theatre companies performing both contemporary and classical pieces.
In 2013, Nadine will star in the new ABC series, The Dr Blake Mysteries, alongside Craig McLachlan.
Lachy Hulme
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Paul Denny
Paul Denny is an actor whose career has spanned over two decades, traversing roles in films, on television and on stage. He was nominated for a 2010 AFI Award for his role as Bob in the successful first series of ABC-TV’s Lowdown. He reprised the role in the recently screened second series of Lowdown.
Other television roles include Offspring, Australia on Trial, Neighbours, Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War, Upper Middle Bogan, Hawke, Rush, Wilfred, Dirt Game, Satisfaction, Blue Heelers, The Love of Lionel’s Life, Finding Hope, The Day of the Roses and Medivac.
He has appeared in feature films such as Last Dance, Under the Radar, Hildegarde, Joey, Waste and Rats and Cats.
Paul has 20 years of theatre credits. Highlights include Realism, Helicopter (Melbourne Theatre Company), Richard II, Mrs Warren’s Profession, Fred, Dirt, The Fortunes of Richard Mahony (Queensland Theatre Company); Richard III (Bell Shakespeare/Queensland Theatre Company), Johnno (Derby Playhouse, England/Brisbane Festival/La Boite Theatre); Cosi, Romeo and Juliet and Blackrock (La Boite Theatre). He recently performed in independent production of Reasons to be Pretty (Theatre Works).
Paul was awarded multiple Matilda Awards for his performances in The Removalists, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg and Scar.
Beth Buchanan
Over the last 30 years Beth Buchanan has worked extensively as an actor in Television, Film and Theatre.
Beth has worked for Playbox (now The Malthouse Theatre), MTC and La Mama theatres in Melbourne.
Beth has performed the role of Rita in series I & II of Lowdown other TV credits include the semi-regular role of “Susan Croydon” (over 10 years) on Blue Heelers and in the telemovie The King playing the role of Val Wesley. In film she has appeared in the The Hard Word and Hamlet.
Beth continues to be involved as an ensemble performer of Ranters Theatre Company and has done since its' inception. With the company she has performed in numerous productions both here and overseas including tours in Europe and the UK, productions include Features of Blown Youth, St Kilda Tales, Roulette and The Wall.
Geoffrey Robertson
Geoffrey Robertson QC is founder and head of the world’s largest human rights practice, in London. He has prosecuted Hastings Banda, defended Julian Assange and acted for Human Rights Watch in the proceedings against General Pinochet.
He served as the first president of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (which indicted Charles Taylor) and as a ‘distinguished jurist’ member of the UN’s Internal Justice Council. He has argued landmark cases at the European Court of Human Rights and The Hague war crimes tribunals, and has held office of Recorder (part-time judge) for many years in London.
His books include Crimes Against Humanity – The Struggle for Global Justice; The Tyrannicide Brief (the story of how Cromwell’s lawyers mounted the first trial of a head of state); Statute of Liberty and an acclaimed memoir, The Justice Game. He is a Master of the Middle Temple and a Visiting Professor at the New College of the Humanities. In 2011 he was awarded the New York Bar Association’s prize in international policy and law.
He lives in London.
Joy Mitchell
Joy’s directing career was a natural progression from a prolific and successful acting career. As a young actor she shared the stage with many national and international celebrities such as Googie Withers, John McCallum, Frank Thring, Reg Livermore, Mary Hardy, Patricia Kennedy and Bryan Brown.
She went on to enjoy a distinguished acting career playing leading roles at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre, Comedy Theatre, The Malthouse, Melbourne Theatre Company and appearing in television shows such as Homicide, Matlock Police, The Sullivans, Cop Shop, Prisoner, Blue Heelers, Neighbours and Snowy River.
In 1989 she was selected to participate in the post graduate director’s course at Drama Studio London. Subsequently she was invited to direct Jean Genet’s The Maids at the Edinburgh Festival a production which scored rave reviews and was transferred to The Rose Theatre London. Other UK credits include Tom Cone’s Cubistique for London’s Theatre Technic and Strindberg’s The Stronger for The Latchmere.
Since returning to Melbourne she has directed plays at The Malthouse, The George Fairfax Studio at the Victorian Arts Centre, La Mama and Chapel Off Chapel. These assignments included Portrait of Vincent, The Carer featuring Bud Tingwell, Joanna Murray-Smith’s Flame and Ron Elisha’s Controlled Crying for the Seymour Centre Sydney. Steven Snell’s play Keeper for the Castlemaine State Festival and Rebecca Lister’s play If I Should Die Before I Wake at Chapel off Chapel, and subsequent regional tour. She also directed Wilfred’s/Lowdown’s Adam Zwar in Kissing for Australia for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Joy was recently seen performing in the ABC’s Lowdown series.
Patrick Brammall
Patrick Brammall has an extensive list of television credits including Rush, The Librarians, All Saints, East West 101, Canal Road, Home and Away, At Home with Julia, The Alice, Lowdown and the sketch comedy pilot, Some Say Love for UKTV. In 2010, he portrayed Kim Beazley in the Australian telemovie, Hawke.
In 2011, Patrick made his feature film debut in Leon Ford’s critically acclaimed Griff the Invisible opposite Ryan Kwanten, which screened at the Toronto and Berlin International Film Festivals.
He has appeared in numerous stage productions including Bruce Beresford’s acclaimed season of Moonlight and Magnolias, Clybourne Park, The Importance of Being Earnest, Peter Evans’ The Ugly One by Marius von Mayenburg, and Jennifer Flowers’ Apologia, all for the Melbourne Theatre Company. He has also starred in As You Like It, The Comedy Of Errors and Just Macbeth! for the Bell Shakespeare Company and Death of a Salesman for Belvoir Street Theatre. Just Macbeth! toured to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it received a Herald Angel Award. In 2011, Patrick made his first appearance for the Sydney Theatre Company in The White Guard.
In 2006, Patrick was awarded The Philip Parsons Young Playwright Award with John Leary for co-writing The Suitors, which is currently being developed for television. The subsequent writing commission led to the production of Vital Organs, which enjoyed a season at B-Sharp in 2007. He also worked as assistant director alongside Neil Armfield for Company B’s production of Peribanez.
In 2012, Patrick will be seen in ABC’s new comedy series A Moody Christmas and the multiplatform comedy series, The Strange Calls.
Adam Zwar
Adam Zwar is a multi award-winning actor, writer and producer. He is best known for co-creating and starring in the Australian comedy series Lowdown (ABC, BBC4) and Wilfred (SBS), which was formatted in Russia and the US. More recently, Adam created the popular Agony series (ABC) – which is currently in its 5th season. Selected acting credits include Party Tricks, Rake, Howzat, as well as feature films The Wedding Party and Rats and Cats.
Zwar is currently producing various titles for High Wire Films, alongside business partners Amanda Brotchie and Nicole Minchin.
Cindy Waddingham
Cindy Waddingham is an actor who has appeared in television series including Lowdown, Wilfred, Rush and Blue Heelers. She enjoys playing music, tennis, old-fashioned dancing and riding other people’s horses without their permission.
Steve Bastoni
One of Australia’s most accomplished actors, Steve' string of film and television credits include the Golden Globe nominated On The Beach. He became a household name as ‘Angel’ in Police Rescue and has starred in numerous TV productions including The Magistrate, South Pacific, the award winning mini-series Blue Murder and Underbelly The Golden Mile.
Steve’s theatre credits include the Company B production of Threepenny Opera, the Cameron Macintosh production of Oliver under the direction of Sam Mendes and Ben Elton’s Popcorn. Steve’s most recent theatre production was Barassi, in which he played the title role to critical acclaim. Earlier this year, he performed in Everynight, Everynight at Gasworks, a revival of Ray Mooney’s gritty prison play which opened to rave reviews.
His film credits include Heartbreak Kid, 15 Amore (AFI nomination), Matrix Reloaded, Macbeth (M), and Suburban Mayhem. This year, Steve will be starring opposite Sam Worthington in the surf drama Drift.
Ashley Zukerman
Ashley Zukerman graduated from the VCA in 2006. He is best known as Snr. Cnst. Michael Sandrelli in Rush which earned him a Logie nomination for Most Outstanding New Talent.
He has also appeared in HBO’s miniseries The Pacific, ABC’s Lowdown and The Slap, Fox Network’s Terra Nova and independent feature films Blame and Bushweed.
Theatre credits include The History Boys and The Hypocrite for MTC, This Is Our Youth for Inside Job Productions, of which Ashley is a founding member, and BC for The Hayloft Project for which he received a Green Room Award for Best Male Supporting Performer.
Kate Jenkinson
Kate graduated from WAAPA in 2004 winning the Nigel Rideout Award. In 2005 Kate was nominated for the Best Newcomer Award for her role as Julia in Zastrozzi for Black Swan Theatre Company.
She has appeared on Thank God You’re Here, Canal Road, Forgotten Cities, Newstopia, Bogan Pride, Rush, Satisfaction, Tangle, Whatever Happened to That Guy?, Wilfred II, Lowdown and City Homicide.
Kate was a regular on the Channel 10 comedy series The Wedge from 2005 to 2007, and played lead roles in the hit series Killing Time and The Straits.
On stage, Kate has appeared in Don Juan in Soho for MTC, Secret Bridesmaid’s Business, and in 2010 played Elaine Robinson opposite Jerry Hall in The Graduate. 2012 has seen Kate in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Agony Aunts and House Husbands. She also continued her roles in Offspring and Lowdown and has been filming the upcoming Time of Our Lives for ABC-TV, as well as shooting the feature film Fatal Honeymoon directed by Nadia Tass.