Biddies

Biddies

Written by Don Reid
Directed by Wayne Harrison

Five ordinarily marvellous women find themselves back in their school classroom plying their needles in a good old-fashioned session of “stitch and bitch”.  Their confessions are frank, their rivalries intense and their jokes outrageous.  Accidentally locked in the classroom, with nothing but ingenuity, Adora cream wafers and a bucket to get them through the crisis, unknown reserves come to the fore. Released from their own constraints, they rediscover their capacity to love, forgive - and take control. If you can’t beat 'em, join 'em!

You’ll laugh till you cry as some of Australia's most beloved actresses bring this delightful new comedy to the stage..

Cast includes:

MAGGIE BLINCO
Maggie’s extensive career spans four decades, with leading roles in Australian film, television and theatre. Her most recent stage appearances have been the tour of Embers for Hot House Theatre and STC, Kiss Me Like You Mean It and The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Maggie has starred in many productions for Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Playbox, Belvoir, Nimrod and Griffin.
Her television appearances include All Saints, Blue Heelers, White Collar Blue, Above The Law, McLeod’s Daughters and Escape Of The Artful Dodger and she has appeared in many feature films including Crocodile Dundee 1 & 2, Cheek To Cheek, Flirting, The Man Who Sued God and The Night the Prowler.

ANNIE BYRON
A NIDA graduate with a career that spans over 30 years, Annie’s recent highlights include Australian tours of Calendar Girls, The Nargan and the Stars, Yibiyung, Embers; and international tours of The Age I’m In and STC's production of Hedda Gabler with Cate Blanchett. Also for STC, Annie appeared in Before/After, Bed and The Cripple of Inishmaan. She has worked with Q Theatre, Belvoir, Griffin, The Ensemble and HotHouse.
Her TV appearances include The Sullivans, A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors, Backberner, Home and Away, Always Greener, All Saints, Stingers, Murder Call and the TV mini-series Postcard Bandit. On film Annie appeared in My Mother Frank, Muriel’s Wedding, The View From Greenhauen Drive, Doin’ Time for Patsy Cline (for which she was nominated for an AFI) and Fran for which she won the AFI for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

VIVIENNE GARRETT
Vivienne Garrett is a NIDA graduate who has worked with the major theatre companies in Australia. Vivienne's career spans decades from iconic TV series like Number 96, Matlock Police, Homicide, Mother & Son to Haydaze, Ship to Shore, Minty and more. From early days at The Old Tote, STC and Nimrod she has starred in Dusa Fish Stas and Vi, The Dybukk, Top Girls, Extremities, The Crucible, On Our Selection, many works by Shakespeare and The Vagina Monologues. Vivienne has lived and worked in Perth for many years and her work there is extensive. She won the WA Swan Gold Award for Outstanding Female Actor for her portrayal of Eleanor in Dead Funny and was nominated for Best Female Actor for Live Acts on Stage, Equus and The Clean House. Most recently she appeared in When the Rain Stops Falling for Black Swan Theatre Company, Lebensraum at His Majesty’s Theatre and Checklist for an Armed Robber and The Lonely Hearts for Deckchair Theatre. Vivienne has starred in two one woman shows – The Death of Minnie and Witchplay, devised and directed Breaststroke, a stage play which she later adapted for radio, and she has directed 26 short stories for ABC Radio. A university lecturer with a BA in Drama, Vivienne has lectured at the West Australian Academy for the Performing Arts and at Notre Dame and Edith Cowan Universities.

DONNA LEE
Donna's theatre credits started at 9 years of age when she appeared in J.C.Williamson's productions of Noel Coward's Sail Away followed by their revival of Annie Get Your Gun. Other theatre credits since have been Fiddler On The Roof, Gypsy, Jesus Christ Superstar, Showboat, They’re Playing our Song, Dames at Sea, Stepping Out, Summer Rain, Crimes of the Heart and Oklahoma! for which she won a Green Room Award playing the role of Ado Annie. She was again nominated for a Green Room Award for her portrayal of Madame Thenardier when Sir Cameron Mackintosh produced his 10th anniversary production in 1998 of Les Miserables, and again for her role as the Dubbo Housewife in the 2007 Australian Production ofMenopause The Musical. Donna is the 6th generation in her family to carry on the show business tradition. Her father was Frank Cleary, a juggler and variety performer on the Tivoli Circuit, and her mother was Gloria Dawn, one of Australia's foremost music theatre performers. Donna is an established cabaret performer, and has been honoured with two Mo Awards for her cabaret work. In 2009 Donna appeared in High School Musical - Live on Stage! in the role of Ms Darbus, for which she received her third Mo Award Nomination.

LINDEN WILKINSON
Linden has worked extensively on the Australian stage and in major film and television productions. Most recently, she worked with the Chicago based Steppenwolf Theatre Company production August Osage County for Sydney Theatre Company, the Seymour Centre in The Good German, and Ensemble in Life Support and Daylight Saving. Other theatre credits include work for STC, MTC, Marian St, Griffin, QTC and Q Theatre. Film credits include The Monkey’s Mask, Looking for Alibrandi, Thank God He Met Lizzie and With Mother and on television she has appeared in Packed to the Rafters, Home and Away, Murder Call, Water Rats, Police Rescue, GP, A Country Practice, Prisoner, Cop Shop, The Sullivans and the acclaimed television mini-series The Leaving of Liverpool, Come in Spinner and Seven Deadly Sins – Pride.

JULIE HUDSPETH
Julie has more than 35 years experience across theatre, television and film. She has appeared on stage many times for Ensemble Theatre, with recent productions including David Williamson’s Nothing Personal and Mary Stuart with Greta Scacchi. Other theatre highlights include Speaking In Tongues for Perth Theatre Company, and Capricornia, Wild Honey and The Blind Giant is Dancing for WA Theatre Company, along with appearances for many other major companies including Nimrod and at Belvoir. Julie’s television appearances include Sons & Daughters, Home & Away, Always Greener and Love My Way, and she has also appeared in feature films includingBlackfellas and Shame.