Interview with Alan Burrows, Director of High Society
I sat down with Alan Burrows, Director of High Society and asked him a few questions about our current hit show...
What drew you to High Society?
With all the musicals we have produced over the last 8 years in conjunction with Malvern Theatre Company, I have tried to strike a balance between shows that would appeal to music theatre performers, be able to be staged on the relative confines of the Lilydale and Malvern stages and also appeal to our loyal theatre audiences. With “High Society” we appear to have got that balance right. We have a talented cast, a production beautifully designed by David Dare that together with lovely costumes and lighting that creates real magic on the stage. Throw in the music of Cole Porter and the fact that the show was a hit as a film and we appear to be on a real winner. The Malvern season, albeit in a smaller theatre, was a complete sell out and our season at Lilydale is tracking towards 90% plus!
As director, what was your vision for High Society?
As with all musicals with multiple scenes design and flow are paramount, so together with our designer David Dare I have attempted to create a production that is almost cinematic, one that moves with no interference with the change of scene and one where the audience is transported seamlessly from one scene to another.
What do you hope the audience gets out of watching High Society?
At the Athenaeum we always try to give our audiences a variety of theatrical offerings, with “High Society”, the audience will get the chance to see a classic piece of music theatre with a wonderful score by Cole Porter, that is sure to entertain.
Thanks for chatting with me today, Alan.
If you haven't booked tickets yet, I recommend you do so quickly, as Alan says, High Society is selling fast. You can even meet Alan and the cast and crew after the show over a glass of Chandon. We look forward to seeing you!