Our History
Mr Herod's Christmas Pageant
Dec 1978
Venue
La Boite Theatre, Brisbane
Producer
La Boite Theatre
Director
Jennifer Blocksidge
Playwright
John O'Toole
Cast
Joe Woodward, Victoria Cardiff, Kerry Williamson, Robert Gore, Craige Cronin, Robbie Warwick, Jackie Conn, Chris Willems, Gregory Silverman, Maureen Owen, Keith Avent, Rosemary Pares, Shirley Gilkins, Rosanne Joyner, Stephen Billett, Simon Denver, Ian Thomson, Keith Fleming, Ted Chicoteau, Helen Forsyth, Joan Docwra, Elizabeth Davis, Rod Tyson, Greg Van Dam, Brett Gudmann, Steve Vale, Kim Theo-Harris, Jenny O'Neill, Janice Quinn, Julie Yates
Costume Designer
Luigi Forzin
Set Designer
Luigi Forzin
Lighting Designer
Shirley Williamson
David Wade
Sound Designer
Leigh Wayper
Courtesy John O'Toole
Mr Herod’s Christmas Pageant by John O’Toole
John O’Toole’s new work Mr Herod’s Christmas Pageant directed by Jennifer Blocksidge presented a political spin on the traditional nativity story.
It was written and workshopped during O’Toole’s term as writer-in-residence at La Boite, made possible by a grant from the Literature Board of the Australia Council. Whilst admitting there were flaws in the show, theatre reviewer Don Batchelor saw it as “a richly resonant piece of writing whose implications have been disturbing me since I saw the show … La Boite continues to serve us well by challenging our preconceptions, even quite sacred ones”.[i]
Writer: Christine Comans
[i] Theatre Australia, Feb. 1979.
#Gallery
Courtesy John O'Toole
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