The Hayes Theatre Company – John McRae Photography & Studio

October 14, 2024October 17, 2024

Flat Earthers – world premiere at the Hayes Theatre

On now at the Hayes Theatre, Sydney, Flat Earthers, a brand new musical that is not just a kaleidoscope of colour, but a wacky adventure into (cyber) space and time.

Production shots of the dress rehearsal are an important tool for promotional purposes for any show. They are also reproduced in the program that is sold on performance nights at the theatre, creating a valuable document of the cast, lighting and staging of any particular production. In the case of “Flat Earthers: The Musical”, due to difficulties with my scheduling for the dress rehearsal, I was actually photographing the first public performance. This meant I was limited in my movements, since I normally have the freedom to move throughout the auditorium when photographing a performance. As a photographer, you want to vary the angles and you constantly search for striking lighting effects. That said, you usually work more at the front/centre of the stage, because the show is constructed that way … you want to mirror the audience viewpoint.

Book & Lyrics Jean Tong & Lou Wall
Songwriting Lou Wall & James Gales
Music Production James Gales
Director Declan Greene
Musical Director Jude Perl
Choreographer Fetu Taku
Set & Lighting Designer Brockman
Costume Designer Emma White
Sound Designer, Associate Video Designer & Animator Daniel Herten
AV Content Creator Xanthe Dobbie
Stage Manager Anastasia Mowen
Sound & AV Assistant TK Abioye
Sound Operator Em-Jay Dwyer
Intimacy Coordinator Chloë Dallimore
Musical Dramaturg Clemence Williams
Casting Director Rhys Velasquez
Assistant Set Designer Lochie Odgers
Assistant Stage Manager Grace Sackman
With Michelle Brasier, Lena Cruz, Manali Datar, Milo Hartill, Manon Guderson-Briggs, Mel O’Brien, Shannen Alyce Quan, Zarif

To book tickets or see more info: Click here

April 17, 2024May 2, 2024

“Tell Me On A Sunday”

Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend a dress rehearsal at the Hayes Theatre for Tell Me On A Sunday, the upcoming Sydney production of the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black. As a lover of theatre and photography, I was thrilled to be able to help stage some behind-the-scenes moments of the talented cast and crew in action.

Capturing these moments on camera was a privilege, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to document the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in bringing this show to life. I look forward to seeing the finished performance starring Erin Clare on opening night in Sydney. I know that audiences are in for a real treat with this stunning production of Tell Me On A Sunday.

Tell Me On A Sunday commenced performances at the Hayes Theatre this weekend, taking audiences back to the heady days of New York City in the late Seventies and featuring some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most hummable, emotionally engaging, touching and melodic work.

Working with lyricist Don Black, Lloyd Webber’s song cycle tells the story of a young Englishwoman navigating a new life – including work, culture and love – in New York City.

It includes the classic songs Take That Look Off Your Face, Tell Me On A Sunday, Nothing Like You’ve Ever Known, Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad, It’s Not The End of the World, Come Back With the Same Look In Your Eyes and Let’s Talk About You, among many others.

This musical features a knockout performance from Erin Clare as ‘The Girl’ and is directed by Blazey Best, with Musical Supervision by Guy Simpson. This is a unique piece of musical theatre featuring a multi instrumentalist six piece band on stage.

Cast and Creatives

Starring Erin Clare
Director Blazey Best
Musical Supervisor Guy Simpson
Musical Director David Gardos
Associate Director Lisa Callingham
Lighting Designer Kelsey Lee
Sound Designer Tom Brickhill
Stage & Company Manager Krystelle Quartermain
Assistant Stage Manage Hana Barn

Check out the review in Australian Stage

March 14, 2024March 27, 2024

Zombie The Musical – at the Hayes Theatre

Zombie! The Musical! has just opened at the Hayes Theatre in Sydney. I photographed a series of production images at the dress rehearsal for this world premiere in early March.

Here’s a text from the web-site of the Hayes Theatre with a brief explanation of the genre-bending show …

Sydney, Australia. It’s the turn of the 21st century, and a dedicated community theatre troupe are frantically rehearsing in the final hours before their big opening night. Little do they know that beyond the walls of the theatre, a highly infectious disease is rapidly spreading through the city – turning its victims into full-blown zombies. Will humanity take its final bow, or can the power of musical theatre save the friggin’ world?

From the creator of The Lovers, this brand-new Australian musical wields a genre-blending original score and a fast-paced, farcical script that combines two of the most subtle forms of storytelling: traditional musical theatre and cult-classic zombie films.

I must say I loved shooting scenes from this madcap production. With comic timing, Zombie! The Musical! includes optimism, ambition and impending doom. The music is fabulous, the cast were captivating and the whole thing is both fun and off-the-scale in terms of its energy and inventiveness. I think it’s a great production, guaranteed to entertain. I intend to return again, so I can better enjoy the ride without my camera. To book tickets, visit the Hayes web-site.

Cast & Creatives
Starring Natalie Abbott, Tamsin Carroll, Chelsea Dawson, Nancy Denis, Adam Di Martino, Ryan Gonzalez, Stefanie Jones, Drew Livingston and Monique Sallé
Director Darren Yap
Musical Director Damon Wade
Choreographer/Assistant Director Chiara Assetta
Set Designer Nick Fry
Costume Designer Esther Zhong
Lighting & Projection Designer Verity Hampson
Sound Designer David Grigg
Dramaturg Brittanie Shipway
Fight Director Tim Dashwood
Wig, Hair & Makeup Designer Hayden Tee
Video Associate Maddy Picard
Intimacy Coordinator Chloë Dallimore
Stage Manager Bronte Schuftan
Assistant Stage Manager Jessie Byrne
Wig, Hair & Makeup Design Assistant Ashleigh Grace
Sound Operators Sam Ducker & Keith Muir
Music Copying Gianna Cheung & Damon Wade
Arrangements Laura Murphy
Orchestrations Laura Murphy & Steven Kramer
Additional Orchestration Steven KramerMusicians: Maia Hopf (deputy musical director), Graham Hunt, Jonathan Lim, David Stratton

Here’s a couple of reviews…..to see what the critics think:

J Wire TimeOut

SMH Limelight