''The Venetian Twins'' is an Australian two-act

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

. It was adapted from a ''

commedia dell'arte Commedia dell'arte was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Theatre of Italy, Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is a ...

'' play - '' I due gemelli veneziani'' by

Carlo Goldoni Carlo Osvaldo Goldoni (, also , ; 25 February 1707 – 6 February 1793) was an Italian playwright and librettist from the Republic of Venice. His works include some of Italy's most famous and best-loved plays. Audiences have admired the plays ...

- and the lyrics were written by

Nick Enright Nicholas Paul Enright AM (22 December 1950 – 30 March 2003) was an Australian dramatist, playwright and theatre director. Early life Enright was born on 22 December 1950 to a prosperous professional Catholic family in East Maitland, New So ...

; the music was composed and arranged by Terence Clarke.

Production history

''The Venetian Twins'' premiered on 26 October 1979 in the Drama Theatre of the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

. The

Nimrod Theatre Company ''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 Wherret ...

production was directed by John Bell and designed by Stephen Curtis for the inaugural season of the

Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre ...

. It starred

Drew Forsythe Drew Forsythe (born 23 August 1949) is an Australian actor, singer, writer, and comedian. He has appeared on film, stage, and television, as well as in satirical sketch comedy television programs. Early life Born in New South Wales to newsage ...

as the twins, coloratura soprano Jennifer McGregor (for both of whom their rôles were specifically written). Tony Sheldon, Tony Taylor, Jon Ewing (as Pancrazio, the villain), and others. The 1981 Sydney remount by

Nimrod Theatre ''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 Wherret ...

at the York Theatre,

Seymour Centre The Seymour Centre is a multi-purpose performing arts centre within the University of Sydney, located in the city of Sydney, Australia. It is located on the corner of City Road and Cleveland Street in Chippendale, south-west of the city ce ...

featuring most of the original cast - although reduced from ten to nine - toured to Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne and Geelong. The 1990 Brisbane production by the Royal Queensland Theatre Company - directed by

Bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

, designed by Curtis, and starring Forsythe, all for the third time - also played seasons in Sydney and Melbourne. Other notable productions include those of the

State Theatre Company of South Australia The State Theatre Company of South Australia (STCSA), branded State Theatre Company South Australia, formerly the South Australian Theatre Company (SATC), is South Australia's leading professional theatre company, and a statutory corporation. It ...

featuring Paul Blackwell (Adelaide 1996 and Melbourne),

Queensland Theatre Company Queensland Theatre, formerly the Queensland Theatre Company and Royal Queensland Theatre Company, is a professional theatre company based in Brisbane, Australia. It regularly performs in its own Bille Brown Theatre and the Queensland Performin ...

featuring

Mitchell Butel Mitchell Patrick Butel (born 10 February 1970) is an Australian actor, singer, director and writer. He is best known for his work in theatre, including musical and opera productions. He was the artistic director of the State Theatre Company of ...

(Brisbane 2004).,AusStage listing for 2004 Queensland Theatre Company production
AusStage. Retrieved on 4 May 2014 and Sydney's New Theatre in 2012, featuring Jay James Moody. It is frequently produced by schools and amateur theatre groups.

Reception and awards

The 1991 Melbourne season was nominated for nine Melbourne

Green Room Awards The Green Room Awards are Australian peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, theatre companies, independent theatre, musical theatre, contemporary and experimental performance, and opera. The awards, which were established in ...

for music theatre: Production, Direction (John Bell), Set Design (Stephen Curtis), Costume Design (Stephen Curtis), Male Performer in a Leading Role (Drew Forsythe), Female Performer in a Leading Role (Helen Noonan), Male Performer in a Supporting Role (both Jonathon Biggins and Dennis Olsen) and Female Performer in a Supporting Role (Tara Morice). For the 1997 Melbourne season, Paul Blackwell was nominated for a Green Room Award for Male Artist in a Leading Role in music theatre. For the 2004 Brisbane production,

received the 2005

Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Musical Sir Robert Murray Helpmann (né Helpman) (9 April 1909 – 28 September 1986) was an Australian ballet dancer, actor, director, and choreographer. After early work in Australia he moved to Britain in 1932, where he joined the Vic-Wells Ballet (no ...

. Also nominated were Bridget Boyle ( Best Female Actor in a Musical), Sandro Colarelli ( Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical) and Robert Kemp (both Best Scenic Design and Best Costume Design).

Publications

The script was published by

Currency Press Currency Press is a leading performing arts publisher and its oldest independent publisher still active. Their list includes plays and screenplays, professional handbooks, biographies, cultural histories, critical studies and reference works. H ...

, Sydney, in 1996, and the vocal score by Fitzroy Press some time later. The work has been a set text for the NSW Higher School Certificate English and Drama courses.

Larrikin Records Larrikin Records is a record company founded in 1974 by Warren Fahey. Larrikin started as an independent label and was sold in 1995 to Festival Records. Artists who have released albums on Larrikin include Eric Bogle, Sirocco, Mike and Michelle ...

released a cast recording of the 1981 production. The five-player instrumentation is: flute doubling guitar; clarinet; trombone; percussion, including tubular bells; and piano. The manuscript of the libretto and lyrics, and related papers, are held by the

Australian Defence Force Academy The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) is a tri-service military academy that provides military and Tertiary education in Australia, academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ...

.Enright, Nicholas / Papers (Aus. Defence Force Academy)
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References

*''John Bell: The Time of My Life'' by John Bell, 2003, Allen & Unwin, p. 138. {{DEFAULTSORT:Venetian Twins, The 1970s Australian musicals 1979 musicals Adaptations of works by Carlo Goldoni Musicals based on plays Works based on Menaechmi Musicals set in Venice