shows > Australia Vs. South Africa

How did this play happen?

In 2000, Zeal Theatre's Tom Lycos and Stefo Nantsou were performing their production "THE STONES" at festivals in Monterey & San Diego, USA. South African performing duo Ellis and Bheki were performing their show "SQUARK" at the same festivals. The two teams saw each other's work and enjoyed each other's similarities of style, sense of humour and social analysis. The two teams got to know each other a bit, had a few laughs, and went their separate ways.

In 2004, this time at a festival in Calgary, Canada, the two teams met again, saw each other's shows again, got to know each other a little better, had a lot more laughs, and there was a wild idea about the possibility of working together some time in the future, and, again, they went their separate ways.

In 2006, after numerous successful seasons of Zeal Theatre shows at their Wharf 2 Theatre, the Sydney Theatre Company commissioned Tom & Stefo to write a new play. They remembered a certain wild idea and decided to see if it could be achieved.

Ellis & Bheki were delighted by the opportunity of a co-collaboration with the Zeals, and in February 2007, Tom & Stefo flew to Durban with a concept outline for a play called "AUSTRALIA vs SOUTH AFRICA" about nationalism, sport, media panic & racism. For ten days the four boys work-shopped the story and theatrical ideas, created characters and scenarios, formalized a structure and then, once again, went their separate ways.

Returning to Oz, Tom & Stefo wrote a first draft of the play, e-mailing occurred back and forth across the Indian Ocean, the odd phone call here and there, until finally in early July 2007, the boys from Durban flew into Sydney and rehearsals began in earnest at the Sydney Theatre Company. "AUSTRALIA vs SOUTH AFRICA" premiered at the Wharf 2 Theatre on July 30, 2007, some seven and a half years after the boys first met in Monterey.

The play's successful international collaboration led to it being presented by Barking Gecko Theatre for the Perth Festival in February 2008, and was selected to be performed at the ASSITEJ World Congress in Adelaide in May 2008.

The premiere performance in South African will be the Grahamstown Festival in June 2008.

Cheers to wild ideas!

artist biographies

Bheki Mkhwane

Tom Lycos

Tom was born in Aberystwyth, Wales, grew up in Canberra, Australia. After two years performing with Dutch company KISS, Tom joined Sidetrack Theatre (1985-'88). He then played the lead male role in Jane Campion's film "SWEETIE" before joining Circus Oz. In the early 90s he was busy playing in two stage musicals as well as performing with Melbourne Theatre Company, Arena Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Melbourne Workers Theatre, Back to Back Theatre and Kinetic Energy and being a co-deviser/actor in the Burning House production of "THAT EYE THE SKY". In 1996, Tom joined fellow ex-Sidetracker Stefo Nantsou and Zeal Theatre and has since co-created 6 original productions including the world-renowned "THE STONES", and most recently "GRONKS" & "TABOO" which were commissioned by the Sydney Theatre Company in 2006 & 2007.

Ellis Pearson

From an early age, Ellis devoted himself to a wide range of pursuits including painting, creating music, inventing contraptions and performing as a magician. The Weekly Mail & Guardian in South Africa has described him as ‘a post-modern renaissance man'. He studied graphic design, painting and sculpture for nine years before completing a two year course in mime, movement and theatre at the renowned Ecole Jacques LeCoq school in Paris. Since 1992, Ellis has worked regularly with Bheki Mkhwane in dozens of productions which have toured worldwide, he has directed numerous plays, has had 2 one-man art exhibitions, has won two major film acting awards, and built a couple of houses as well.

Stefo Nantsou

Stefo was born a Novocastrian Macedonian. He co-founded the Ship-O-Fools Clowns in 1980. He performed/directed/co-wrote plays for Freewheels & Sidetrack Theatres before founding Zeal Theatre in 1989. He has since created, performed or directed over 100 original productions around the world, including "TATAU" (a co-production with New Zealand's Pacific Underground), "THE STONES" (performed over 1000 times worldwide, & produced in over 20 countries), "BOOMERANG" (with Danish company Teatret Neo) & "CSATÁROK" (with Kolibri Theatre in Budapest, Hungary). In 2005, Zeal Theatre received the prestigious ASSITEJ President's Award for ‘outstanding service to the theatre for young people industry'.