Simon Hemming has held many roles with the Latrobe Theatre Company over almost 25 years, but has never directed a show with the company until now.
The company will premiere its latest show Sweet Charity this weekend, which Mr Hemming said would be packed with big orchestral numbers, ’60s stylised dancing and “full-on entertainment from the moment the curtain goes up right through to the grand finale”.
“Over the last few years, a few of my peers have said to me ‘why don’t you have a go [at directing]’, so I’ve received a lot of encouragement,” Mr Hemming said.
“I thought, with this particular show, given my signing, dancing and orchestral background, a big musical like this is something I could handle.
“I suppose it was the application of my experience as an actor, and when I transcended to the [role] of director I was able to put myself in the actors’ shoes. I could relate to what they were going through and how they were feeling at different stages of the process.”
With a background playing musical instruments in orchestras, acting, stage managing and basically doing anything there is to do with musical theatre, Mr Hemming said he had a “good eye”.
“The orchestra are part of the big numbers. The two big scenes are Big Spender in the Fandango Ballroom and the orchestra fits really well into that … and the same with the Pompeii Club … and the orchestra really holds the whole number together,” he said.
“And the reason we have this big 23-piece orchestra on stage instead of stuck in a room upstairs is because I love the big band sound and I wanted to capture that.
“In terms of the sets, my vision was to have a very open stage with minimal sets and the cubes, or the modules, those modules move to various spots throughout the show.
“They are working in a four metre by nine metre floor space, so there could be 19 people on stage in that space all dancing at the one time. We rehearsed them in a space that size.”
Mr Hemming said Sweet Charity would take the audience on a journey. “I think the importance of the story of a girl who just wants to be loved, her choices in men don’t always work out the way they should,” he said.
“It is a good, fun show … it highlights life in the ’60s [and] has a real strong ’60s feel to it. The music, the choreography, Bob Fosse who is a famous choreographer, and the moves in a lot of the big dance numbers are specialist Fosse.
“It is very stylised in terms of the movement and structure, [there is] lots of precision.”
For more information about Sweet Charity or to book tickets, phone the Latrobe Performing Arts Centre box office on 5176 3333 or visit latrobe.vic.gov.au.
