Nimrod Theatre Company is an Australian theatre company.
The Nimrod Theatre Company, commonly known as The Nimrod, was an Australian theatre company based in Sydney. It was founded in 1970 by Australian actors John Bell, Richard Wherrett and Ken Horler, and gained a reputation for producing more "good new Australian drama" from 1970 to 1985 than any other Australian theatre company.
The company's original theatre located in Nimrod Street, Kings Cross is now home to Griffin Theatre Company. The company moved in 1974 to Belvoir Street, Surry Hills, but retained its original name. From 1981 to 1988 it also played in the Seymour Centre theatres. The company ceased operations in 1988.
Subsequently, the Surry Hills venue became known as the Belvoir Street Theatre.
Alumni
Notable Nimrod alumni include: Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis, Colin Friels, Hugo Weaving, Barry Otto, Mel Gibson, Donal Gibson, Jacki Weaver, Baz Luhrman, Bill Hunter, Max Cullen, Angela Punch McGregor, Robert Coleby, Wendy Hughes, Robyn Nevin, Noni Hazelhurst, Jon Blake, Ruth Cracknell, Bob Maza, Michael Caton, Bruce Spence, Max Gillies, Warren Mitchell, Simon Burke, John Hargreaves, Ivar Kants, Gillian Jones, Kris McQuade, Ray Meagher, Chris Haywood, Mark Lee, Tina Bursill, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Max Phipps, John Wood, John Clayton, Peter Sumner, Peter Whitford, Cornelia Frances, Jean Kittson, Lynette Curran, Paul Chubb, Kate Fitzpatrick, Drew Forsythe, Nick Enright, Helen Morse, Diane Craig, Robert Grubb, Peter Carroll, Carole Skinner, Catherine Wilkin, Peg Christensen, Gary Day, James Elliott, Henri Szeps, Kerry Walker, Anna Volska, Robert Menzies, Sally McKenzie, Julie McGregor, Judi Farr, Nancye Hayes, Margo Lee, Robin Ramsay, Melissa Jaffer, Reg Gorman, Jon Ewing, Heather Mitchell, Harold Hopkins, Cathy Downes, Michele Fawdon, Ron Haddrick, Deidre Rubenstein.
Productions
1970 Year Title Cast & crew 1970 Biggles Writers: Michael Boddy, Marcus Cooney, Ron BlairDirector: John BellCast: John Hargreaves, Anna Volska, Michael Boddy, Drew Forsythe, Peter Rowley, Jane Harders, Ken Horler, Mervyn Drake, Robert Ellis
1971 Year Title Cast & crew 1971 Act Without Words Writer: Samuel BeckettCast: Andrew McLennan, Michael Rolfe 1971 Endgame Writer: Samuel BeckettDirector: Ken HorlerCast: Stephen Costain, Jane Harders, Andrew McLennan, Michael Rolfe 1971 Macbeth Writer: ShakespeareDirector: John BellCast: Gillian Jones, Arthur Dignam, Nico Lathouris, Robyn Nevin, Terry O'Brien, John Paramor, Margaret Cameron 1971 The Roy Murphy Show(double bill with Customs and Excise) Writer: Alex BuzoDirector: Richard WherrettCast: John Clayton, Jacki Weaver, John Wood, Martin Harris, Andrew McLennan, Marcus Cooney 1971 Customs and Excise(double bill with The Roy Murphy Show) Writer: Jack HibberdDirector: Ken HorlerCast: John Clayton, Lynette Curran, Jacki Weaver, John Wood, Martin Harris, Andrew McLennan, Jenne Welsh 1971 Duke of Edinburgh Assassinated or The Vindication of Henry Parkes Writers: Bob Ellis & Dick HallDirector: Aarne NeameCast: Bob Hornery, Max Phipps, Carole Skinner, John Wood, Victor Marsh, Alan Tobin 1971 Shadow Puppets Director: Larry EastwoodCast/Puppeteer: Richard Bradshaw 1971 After Magritte Writer: Tom StoppardDirector: Larry EastwoodCast: Max Phipps, Carole Skinner, Jacki Weaver, Martin Harris 1971 The Removalists Writer: David WilliamsonDirector: John BellCast: Don Crosby, Chris Haywood, Max Phipps, Carole Skinner, Jacki Weaver, Martin Harris 1971 Hamlet on Ice Writers: Michael Boddy, Ron Blair, Marcus CooneyDirector: Aarne NeemeCast: Rory O'Donoghue, Grahame Bond, John Derum, Kate Fitzpatrick, Bob Hornery, Lex Marinos, John Wood 1971-72 Flash Jim Vaux: A Ballad Opera Writer: Ron BlairDirector: John BellCast: John Gaden, Jonathan Hardy, Bob Hornery, Sheila Kennelly, John Wood, Terence Clarke, Jane Harders
1972 Year Title Cast & crew 1972 Alfred the Incredible Sheepboy Writer: David Williamson 1972 Measure for Measure Writer: ShakespeareDirector: John BellCast: Garry McDonald, Anna Volska, John Wood, Jane Harders, Kevin Jackson, Michael Long, Brendon Lunney, Edward Ogden 1972 Shadows of Blood Writer: Helmut BakaitisDirector: Rex CramphornCast: Kate Fitzpatrick, Bob Hornery, John Wood, Martin Magee, Jane Harders, Peter Andrew 1972 Rooted Writer: Alex BuzoDirector: Ken HorlerCast: Kate Fitzpatrick, Gerard Maguire, Helen Morse, Max Phipps, Katy Wild, David Lawton 1972 On Yer Marx: Bigotry V.C.(double bill with Housey) Writer: John WoodDirector: Aarne NeameCast: Diane Craig, Max Cullen, Nick Enright, John Wood, Chris Haywood, Denny Lawrence, Lex Marinos, Carole Skinner, Terry Bader, Barry Lovett 1972 On Yer Marx: Housey(double bill with Bigotry V.C.) Writer: John WoodDirector: Aarne NeameCast: Diane Craig, Max Cullen, Nick Enright, John Wood, Chris Haywood, Denny Lawrence, Lex Marinos, Carole Skinner, Terry Bader, Barry Lovett 1972 Arthur Writer: David Cregan 1972 Dazzle Writer: Michael Cove 1972 The Sweatproof Boy Writer: Alma De GroenDirector: Richard WherrettCast: John Morris, Rilla Scott, Joseph Hasham 1972 Basically Black Writers: Bob Maza, Gary Foley, Ron Blair, Jim Crawford, Ken Horler, John Huston, Bill ReedDirector: Ken HorlerCast: Gary Foley, Bob Maza, Bindi Williams, Aileen Louisa Corpus III, Zac Martin 1972 The Last Supper Show Writer: Michael BoddyDirector: Aarne NeemeCast: Max Cullen, John Derum, Jonathan Hardy, Carole Skinner, John Wood, Terence Clarke
1973 Year Title Cast & crew 1973 Kaspar Writer: Peter HandkeDirector: Richard WherrettCast: Chris Haywood, Lex Marinos, Philip Sayer, Andrew Sharp, Berys Marsh 1973 The Tooth of Crime Writer: Sam ShepardDirector: John BellCast: Reg Livermore, Chris Haywood, Michael Caton, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Anna Volska 1973 Prison 73: The Chocolate Frog (double bill with The Old Familiar Juice) Writer: Jim McNeilDirector: Ken HorlerCast: Max Cullen, Kevin Leslie, Roger Newcombe 1973 Prison 73: The Old Familiar Juice(double bill with The Chocolate Frog) Writer: Jim McNeilDirector: Ken HorlerCast: Don Crosby, Max Cullen, Roger Newcombe 1973 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Writer: Ray LawlerDirector: Richard WherrettCast: Bill Hunter, Reg Gorman, Melissa Jaffer, Marion Johns, Maggie Blinco, Rosalie Fletcher, Dennis Grosvenor 1973 President Wilson in Paris Writer: Ron BlairDirector: John BellCast: Max Cullen, Anna Volska, John Krummel 1973 Hamlet Writer: ShakespeareDirector: John Bell, Richard WherrettCast: John Bell, Brian Blain, Max Cullen, Arthur Dignam, Margo Lee, Anna Volska, Roger Newcombe, Ken Lawrence, Terence Clarke 1973 Kookaburra Writer: Michael CoveDirector: Simon HopkinsonCast: Peg Christensen, Lloyd Cunnington, Jenny Brown 1973 Tom Writer: Alex BuzoDirector: Richard WherrettCast: Serge Lazareff, Anna Volska, Jacki Weaver, Sandra McGregor, Roger Newcombe, Jeanie Cullen 1973 A Hard God Writer: Peter KennaDirector: John BellCast: Gloria Dawn, Gerry Duggan, Tony Sheldon, Frank Gallacher, Graham Rouse, Andrew Sharp, Kay Eklund 1973-74 The Marsh King's Daughter Writer: Hans Christian AndersenDirector: Rex CramphornCast: Gillian Jones, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Ralph Cotterill
1974 Year Title Cast & crew 1974 Kookaburra Writer: Michael CoveDirector: Richard WherrettCast: Chris Haywood, Robyn Nevin, Peter Carroll, Maggie Dence, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Simon Burke, Martin Vaughan, Elizabeth Chance, Ron Hackett 1974 The Bacchoi Writers: Bryan Nason, Ralph TyrrellDirector: John BellCast: Jon English, Jeannie Lewis, Peter Carroll, Drew Forsythe, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Anna Volska, Peter Chambers, Roger Newcombe, Julia Lyndon, Sharon Murphy 1974 How Does Your Garden Grow? Writer: Jim McNeilCast: Robyn Nevin 1974 The Seagull Writer: Anton ChekhovDirector: Richard WherrettCast: Peter Carroll, John Bell, Peter Collingwood, Ruth Cracknell, Drew Forsythe, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Anna Volska, Jacki Weaver, Maggie Blinco, Lloyd Casey, Tom Farley 1974 Jesters Writer: Michael CoveDirector: Richard WherrettCast: Peter Carroll, Tony Llewellyn-Jones Anna Volska, Shirley-Anne Kear, Colin Taylor 1974 Coralie Lansdowne Says No Writer: Alex BuzoDirector: Ken HorlerCast: Jude Kuring, John Orcsik, Berys Marsh, Robert Newman, Donna Akerste, Lloyd Casey, Kevin Howard 1974 The Ride Across Lake Constance Writer: Peter HandkeDirector: Richard WherrettCast: Peter Carroll, Christine Amor, Kate Fitzpatrick, John Hargreaves, Anna Volska, Elizabeth Chance, Maree D'Arcy, Larry Eastwood, Alexander Hay 1974 My Foot, My Tutor Writer: Peter HandkeDirector: Richard WherrettCast: Chris Haywood, Peter Carroll 1974-75 Well Hung Writer: Robert LordDirector: Ken HorlerCast: Peter Carroll, Chris Haywood, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Bill Hunter, Mary Ann Severne, Peter Corbett, Maggie Blinco
1975 Year Title Cast & crew 1975 Jesters Writer: Michael CoveDirector: Brent McGregorCast: Peter Carroll 1975 Much Ado About Nothing Writer: ShakespeareDirector: John BellCast: Ivar Kants, Peter Carroll, Drew Forsythe, Robert Alexander 1975 Richard III Writer: ShakespeareDirector: Richard WherrettCast: Ivar Kants, Peter Carroll, John Bell, Melissa Jaffer, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Robert Alexander, Deborah Kennedy 1975 Ginge’s Last Stand Director: Ken HorlerCast: Peter Carroll, Chris Haywood, Robyn Nevin, Kate Fitzpatrick, Bill Charlton 1975 No Man’s Land (double bill with Crossfire) Writer: Jennifer Compton Director: Ken HorlerCast: Cornelia Frances, Barry Hill, Helen Boggis, Stuart Campbell, Elizabeth Chance, Elisabeth Crosby 1975 Crossfire(double bill with No Man’s Land) Writer: Jennifer Compton Director: Ken Horler 1975 You Want it Don’t You Billy? Writer: Bill ReedDirector: John BellCast: John Gaden, Robyn Nevin, Christy Hak, Maurice Tarragano 1975 Perfectly All Right Writer: Alma De GroenDirector: Richard WherrettCast: Ben Gabriel, Melissa Jaffer, Serge Lazareff 1975 The Joss Adams Show Writer: Alma De GroenDirector: David AllenCast: Andrea Barge, Keith Gallasch, John McFadyen, Mary-Jane Saunders 1975 They're Playing Our Song Writer: Jennifer ComptonDirector: Richard Wherrett 1975 The Floating World Writers: John Romeril, Ken HorlerCast: Michael Caton, Ray Meagher, Craig Collinge, Les Foxcroft, Laurence Hodge, Marion Johns, Francis Yin 1975 Who Do They Think They Are? Cast: Paul Daneman 1975 The Austral Muse Cast: Grahame Bond, Carmen Duncan, Lionel Long, Garry McDonald 1975 Singles Writer: Bill ReedDirector: John BellCast: John Gaden, Robyn Nevin 1975 Kennedy's Children Writer: Robert Patrick 1975-76 Mates and Brothers: Mates(double bill with The Christian Brothers) Writers: Ron Blair, Peter KennaDirector: John BellCast: Don Crosby, Jon Ewing, Peter Fisher, Maggie Blinco 1975-76 Mates and Brothers: The Christian Brothers (double bill with Mates) Writer: Ron BlairDirector: John BellCast: Peter Carroll
1976