CANBERRA Repertory is celebrating its 80th birthday next year and its 2012 season will be all about people.

And what a lot of friends this grand dame of the theatre has!

One of Rep’s younger friends is the enormously successful Ed Wightman, a former Rep Theatre Players Scholarship winner, who won the ANU University Medal for Drama, then studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Wightman will direct the comedy, “The Memory of Water” by Shelagh Stephenson.

The first play will be Duncan Ley’s revival of the late John Spicer’s adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice.”

Ross McGregor, long-time Rep director returns to direct “Speaking in Tongues”, Andrew Bovell’s AWGIE-award winning play, the basis of the film “Lantana.”

Another old friend, Tessa Bremner, will direct “The Venetian Twins”, Nick Enright and Terry Clarke’s Aussie take on Goldoni’s play of the same name. Then actor-director Angela Punch-McGregor will stage “Lost in Yonkers”, by Neil Simon.

Veteran director Corille Fraser will be staging “Improbable Fiction” by Alan Ayckbourn as her 30th year as a main stage show for Rep.

HOT upon Rep’s came Free Rain Theatre’s announcements. It’s obvious that the musical currently rides high in director Anne Somes estimation.

They’ll do “Chicago” at The Q in February, “Cats” at the ANU Arts Centre in July and Neil Gooding’s “Back to the 80s – The Totally Awesome Musical” in September.

Jarrad West will direct “The Velveteen Rabbit” as part of Free-Rain Frolics in January, Cate Clelland will stage John Patrick Shanley’s play “Doubt” in April and  Liz Bradley will direct Christopher Sergel’s adaptation of “To Kill A Mockingbird” in October-November.

Subscriptions to any of eight different packages for Rep’s season to 6257 1950 or www.canberrarepertory.org.au
Bookings for Free Rain to 6257 2700.