Chris Baldock

Hi everyone and thanks for visiting!

www.mockingbirdtheatrics.com
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For those of you who may be new to Mockingbird Theatre, we produced our premiere Melbourne production in The Loft at the wonderful Chapel Off Chapel in Prahran in 2012 It was a restaging of Chris Baldock's direction of the 2005 production of The Laramie Project which won the prestigious Victorian Green Room Award for Best Independent Production. It was staged as a "calling card", if you will. It was to show Melbourne that Mockingbird Theatre was a company striving for the highest quality in the Melbourne Independent Theatre scene.

 To say that the production was a critical success would be an understatement. If you go to https://www.mockingbirdtheatrics.com/the-laramie-projectyou will see for yourself just how incredible the response was. Of course we then had to do the "second album" and so our follow-up was Joe Penhall's Blue/Orange. Again, the response from all who saw it was overwhelming- and with the subsequent productions of How I Learned to Drive, Equus, Kiss of The Spiderwoman, The Temperamentals, The Judas Kiss and Quills, we continued to be humbled by the support and recognition for what we are trying to achieve.

Reviews from previous Mockingbird productions:

…this is a fantastic production of a monumental play…. A magnificently touching and powerful show, and a magnificent debut for the fledgling company which promises a tremendous future in store for them.” – Theatre Press

“The real star, however, is director Chris Baldock, whose confident aesthetic and minimal mise-en-scene give this production much of its power. Stark, assured and controlled, his direction emphasises the play’s quiet dignity, stripping away histrionics and big gestures to focus on the raw pain at the heart of this unforgettable story of small town prejudice and murder.” – Arts Hub

"One of the best shows I've ever seen EVER....Do yourself a favour. It's a night out you'll never forget...It's a very powerful show...about love, about respect, about hate, about the human condition. I cannot speak highly enough about it....If you give out 10 stars, I'd give it 11" - 3AW

 
"After a stunning debut with their acclaimed production of The Laramie Project, Mockingbird Theatre Company continues their winning streak with the equally impressive showing of Joe Penhall’s Blue/Orange. This three-person play provides fantastic opportunities for the skilled actors of the company in its complex exploration of themes of mental illness, racism, colonialism and culture...The three actors are all equally brilliant, and director Chris Baldock has done a fantastic job of choreographing them into shifting patterns of empathy and aggression which make them simultaneously sympathetic and antagonistic. ...A wonderful and thrilling night of contemporary theatre" - Theatre Press

"With Blue/Orange, Joe Penhall’s 2000 award winning play, Mockingbird Theatre clearly emphasises its commitment to excellence and lays down the gauntlet to other theatre companies. What’s more, Chris Baldock cements his position as an exciting director poised to take on all comers...This is theatre of the highest order that deserves to be seen by all lovers of good drama." - Stage Whispers

 
"Director Chris Baldock’s new independent company Mockingbird Theatre are continuing to bring famous contemporary scripts to audiences who already love the works and introducing some incredible writers to new audiences...It’s a stunning work that’s uncomfortable and uncomfortably liberating to watch and Baldock’s production is one that’ll stay with you long after you’ve left the theatre." - Aussie Theatre

 
"This is theatre at its finest; an astonishing collaboration of text, performance and direction. To be prosaic, it’s bloody marvellous...Never have I seen it played with such intensity, power, rawness and vulnerability...Director Chris Baldock does not aspire to main stage and compromise – only to excellence, and raising the bar with every production. I am in awe of his vision...Its haunting beauty will stay with you for….well, until the next Mockingbird production. If you see one play for the rest of the year, make it Equus." - Stage Whispers

"...Mockingbird Theatre’s staging of this superb play would not be what it is without Baldock’s superlative vision. His consummate direction.... see re-enactments rolling out seamlessly before us, as Martin probes and prods; there is not one stilted moment. Above all however it is his ingenious ability to draw us hook, line, and sinker, into both Alan and Martin’s most intimate sanctums that is utterly breathtaking. Sir Shaffer should see this, see how Baldock must have fulfilled his theatrical object in every intricate way. And so should all of us." - To Dad With Love

"Do whatever you need to do to get a ticket to Mockingbird Theatre's 'Equus'. Buy, steal, borrow, beg...This is a play not to be missed. It will leave you feeling moved, uneasy, exhausted and very much alive. Extraordinary." - Weekend Notes

"Mockingbird Theatre have created an exceptional piece of art that will have you question your own conviction when it comes to true love. Both disturbing and beautiful, Equus is a deeply moving performance" - Australian Stage

"Chris Baldock's superb direction ensures Shaffer's script, with flashbacks, reenactments and the main action in an English psychiatric hospital, flows seamlessly, in continuous action...Equus is riveting, powerful theatre. Don't miss it." - Melbourne Observer

"This production is a perfect fusion of astute direction, fearless acting and beautiful writing. Chris Baldock's golden touch seems to bring out the best of his cast......Mockingbird are to be commended for yet another amazing show." - The Theatre Nerd
 

"Mockingbird Theatre present another powerful production of an important play, Argentinean writer Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spiderwoman, confirming the company’s blooming reputation as theatre-makers of calibre. ....the whole Mockingbird Theatre crew have put together a memorable and very, very moving show." - Artshub

"Mockingbird Theatre has done it again with another spellbinding drama excellently presented under the inspired direction of its founder, Chris Baldock....The quality of the acting is quite stunning." - 3MFM

"Well it appears that Mockingbird Theatre company have done it again. Their latest production of Manuel Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman is a heartfelt piece that once again brings together the combined skill and talent of a wonderful script that is incredibly well acted, under the direction of the wonderful Chris Baldock...Chris Baldock's direction is simply a stroke of genius. He clearly has a profound understanding of the material and has handled the more difficult moments with care and precision." - The Theatre Nerd

 
"Director Chris Baldock delivers a highly polished production that is full of style and substance, balanced with an underlying sense of humour that punctuates the historical and at times political nature of the script...Once again, Mockingbird Theatre have proven they are a force to be reckon with within Melbourne’s independent theatrical scene, providing audiences with thought provoking and for some, confronting narratives. They have certainly set the bar high with The Temperamentals, making for a great and exciting year of theatre." - Australian Arts Review

 
"Melbourne’s Mockingbird Theatre has quickly earned a reputation for presenting poetic yet radical, cutting edge drama....the repertory company has gone all-out with their most ambitious, confronting and powerful production to date." - Theatre People

"...Oh, if only all theatre companies were as brave as Mockingbird. Good theatre should be more than just entertaining, it should be always evocative and, when possible, provocative and even confronting. Director Chris Baldock doesn’t shy away from any of these in his production of Doug Wright’s seldom-performed gasp-a-minute play Quills, about the (fictitious) last days of the infamous Marquis de Sade in Charenton asylum....(Baldock) has added an ensemble of ‘Lunatics’ to the asylum, a brilliant visionary stroke...." - Stage Whispers

“…Quills might be Mockingbird Theatre’s most ambitious production to date….As usual, the quality Mockingbird stamp can be seen overall in Quills.” - Theatrepress

“…Chris Baldock’s direction in naturalistic acting and the skills of this group of talented actors are both outstanding….Overall this production of Quills is ambitious and certainly suggests that the Mockingbird Theatre has a wealth of talent within its ranks.” - Artshub

"... In a major coup for Mockingbird Theatre, Wright personally granted the independent company special permission to perform his script....Melbourne’s Mockingbird Theatre has quickly earned a reputation for presenting poetic yet radical, cutting edge drama....the repertory company has gone all-out with their most ambitious, confronting and powerful production to date." - Theatre People

ABOUT MOCKINGBIRD THEATRE

So who and what exactly are we? Mockingbird Theatre is an exciting theatre company, led by reknowned director Chris Baldock, bringing discerning audiences the best text-based contemporary and modern classic plays from around the world. Utilising the talents of the brightest experienced and emerging theatrical talents, Mockingbird Theatre will ensure that its audiences are moved, thrilled and entertained.

Our goal is to firstly serve the playwright and secondly our audience. With egos and attitudes thrown away, what we aim to create is some theatrical magic that will touch the mind and the soul. Collecting a talented group of artists along the way who share a deep mutual respect of each other and the work we present, we hope that our process is infectious and affirming. As we go from strength to strength, we trust that you will come and share some of the adventure with us.

Great plays. Great actors. Great stories.

So now we look ahead to a new era of Mockingbird Theatre.

Since moving to Canberra in early 2017, Chris has quickly established his name as a director of note having won Canberra Theatre Critics and CAT Awards for his first production here, A View From The Bridge and received acclaim for his direction of Strictly Ballroom, Oh What A Lovely War!, and 42nd Street as well as his performance as Hector in Everyman's award-winning The History Boys.

He has also established Mockingbird Acting Studios which went from 1 class to 8 in less than a year and continues to grow each term as a highly reputable acting school for actors and directors. From the school, the Mockingbird Student Ensemble (MuSE) has been born which will showcase the talents of both the acting and directing students.

WHAT NOW?

Now it is time for Canberra to witness the magic of a Mockingbird production and for this vibrant, artistic city to have, what is destined to be, a high quality theatre company producing exciting, outstanding work for discerning theatregoers on a regular basis, while providing work for the talented artists in Canberra.

To get us going, we need your help. We want you to be a part of Mockingbird's much-anticipated Canberra launch.

We have a season at the Courtyard Studio to present the Canberra premiere of David Hare's The Judas Kiss. The Canberra Theatre Centre is keen to establish a relationship with Mockingbird and feel a remounting of this incredible play will be much-loved by the theatre-going community.

In order to pay for initial costs - theatre hire, rights and publicity - we are offering different tiers of contributions that will give you seats to the show (and future productions if desired) and other benefits. You will also be a Friend of Mockingbird and have access to exclusives that will not be available elsewhere. You will be part of the decision making process as we endeavour to make this YOUR theatre company - a thriving, vibrant company that Canberra can be proud of.

ABOUT THE JUDAS KISS:

'An emotionally rich drama illuminated by Hare’s customary insight and humanity' –The Globe and Mail

In the spring of 1895, Oscar Wilde was larger than life. His masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest, was a hit in the West End; he was the toast of London. But Wilde’s dangerous philosophy leads him on a path to destruction. The Judas Kiss describes two pivotal moments on that path: the day Wilde decides to stay in England and face imprisonment for gross indecency, and the night, after his release two years later, when his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie), for whom he risked everything, betrays him.

With a quiet but burning sense of outrage, David Hare presents the consequences of taking an uncompromisingly moral position in a world defined by fear, expedience and conformity.

THE TEAM:

Director: Karina Hudson

Assistant Director: Alexandra Pelvin

Cast:

Liam Jackson

Patrick Galen-Mules

Arran McKenna

Cole Hilder

Meaghan Stewart

Benjamin Russell

and

Chris Baldock as Oscar Wilde

Reviews from Mockingbird's Melbourne production of The Judas Kiss:

"The challenging, changeable role of Wilde is played to perfection by Chris Baldock, who simply nails the part, capturing beautifully the witty and charming bravado of the man prior to his arrest, and the pained, tortured soul thereafter....The Judas Kiss is another fine example of why Mockingbird Theatre continues to fire along with the big guns...this production is one of Melbourne’s not-to-be missed theatrical experiences." - Theatre Press

"In The Judas Kiss, as history has proven, the casting of Oscar Wilde is everything – and in Chris Baldock, we have a perfect incarnation. Baldock is simply mesmerising, and in the play’s punishing second act when he is cruelly confined to a chair, he is even better. The temptation for an actor to show off in this magnificent role must be overwhelming, but Baldock is in complete control – emotionally, vocally and physically....There is much to contemplate after witnessing a creative undertaking on this vast scale from an independent theatre company, and Mockingbird Theatre are to be commended to taking it on, and winning." - Stage Whispers

"Director Jason Cavanagh's excellent production of David Hare's The Judas Kiss at Theatreworks in St Kilda tonight completely confounded my modest expectations...Chris Baldock as Wilde gives an amazing, mesmerizing performance in a difficult role. Oscar Wilde was a charmer known as the greatest raconteur of his age, whose erudite quips and vast knowledge set many a table and theatre on a roar. Baldock captures not only Wilde's brilliance, but also his sensitivity, anger and the sense of the pathos he felt in his own situation, quite an accomplishment....It is not often one leaves a theatre after two and a half hours feeling as fresh and energized as I did tonight. This is a production highly recommended and is not to be missed." - Crikey

"Chris Baldock's performance as Oscar Wilde is nothing short of a tour-de-force. He is practically on stage the entire play. He never misses a beat and his performance moves from the introspective, lovelorn Wilde, to a broken man who clearly has nothing left. Baldock's experience as an actor is evident, particularly in act two, where he is confined to a chair. He delivers every line with delicious relish and the audience is clearly transfixed. It would be quite easy to take the character into larger than life territory, however, Baldock keeps a lid on it, never becoming caricature...." - The Theatre Nerd

"Yes Mockingbird, well done! This is the calibre of show I have come to know and love from this exciting young company...The main role of Mr Wilde was played by the masterful Chris Baldock, who managed to bring to life the wit and stinging timing for which Wilde and his works are notable for. Baldock’s timing both with the comedic moments and dramatic were stunning and he was truly a pleasure to watch on stage. ..." - Popculture-y


11 PERFORMANCES ONLY!

Directed by Karina Hudson

When:
Preview: Thursday 26 July at 7.30pm
Opening Night: Friday 27 July 2013 at 7.30pm
Saturday 28 July at 2pm and 7.30pm
Tuesday 31 July - Saturday 4 August at 7.30pm
Saturday 4th August at 2pm
Sunday 5 August at 5pm

Where:
Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra City

Tickets: $45 Full / $35 Concession and Groups of 10 or more /
$25 Mockingbird Students
$30 - Preview

$20 all tix - Tuesday 31 July
Student Rush: $25 half an hour prior to performance

 (+ Booking Fee)


REWARDS

Our rewards are designed to reward you! Tickets to shows are what theatregoers want. These rewards allow you to save money while also helping our cause. You may also have the pride in knowing that you have started what will hopefully be Canberra's most exciting new theatre company. You may also have other ideas to help us - venues, marketing etc. We would love to hear from you!


SUMMARY

So from $1 to $1000 and beyond, whatever you can give will be greatly appreciated. Everything over our target will assist us in our ultimate goal of paying our team and help establish a Mockingbird Ensemble. Your contribution, in no small way, is helping us get there. We thank you in advance for your support and hope you will enjoy contributing to the continued success of this exciting theatre company. We look forward to giving you the best quality plays and productions we can and can't wait to shake your hand at The Judas Kiss.

Thank you

The Mockingbird Theatre Team

The Canberra Theatre Centre is not cheap! This will allow us to cover venue hire, rights, publicity and period costumes. We want as many people to see this wonderful play as possible. This will also mean we can pay our actors and production team from any profits as well as allowing us a fund to continue producing quality productions for Canberra audiences. Future productions planned for 2019 are When The Rain Stops Falling and Holding The Man.

Estimated Budget costs: 

Canberra Theatre Centre - $4200

Rights - $1500

Publicity - $2000

Costumes/Furnishings - $1500

Set - $1000

The biggest challenge is getting the word out about the play to Canberra audiences an establishing an audience base here in Canberra. When Mockingbird started, we agreed that we would only succeed if we managed to get the generalpublic excited about our shows. We managed to do this quickly and hope to repeat that success in this vibrant city.