theatre – John McRae Photography & Studio

December 12, 2024December 15, 2024

Fun shooting a new look for Sharon Calabro

Sharon Calabro is one of Australia’s finest and most respected Singers and Cabaret performers and moreover, she is a wonderful human being who is both professional and loads of fun to work with.

It was time to for Sharon to update her promotional imagery going forward. So we organised a studio shoot before Christmas and the summer period which is when Sharon is quite busy.

Joining us on the team was Alex Divanis who is an extremely talented make-up and hair artist with extensive experience in the industry. He has not long returned from living overseas.

Alex decided to style Sharon’s hair differently for this shoot. Normally Sharon sports a fringe, but for these images Alex flicked the hair back off the forehead…it worked really well and Sharon was super happy with the result.

It was a great moment of all of us working together to create something special and I look forward to sharing more of the results in a future post. For now I’ve included a couple of unedited proofs as a teaser.

October 18, 2023October 20, 2023

Nancye Hayes shines in Sondheim’s, “A Little Night Music” at the Hayes Theatre

Stephen Sondheim’s acclaimed and seductive musical farce, A Little Night Music, opens tonight at the Hayes Theatre in Sydney.

Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, Sondheim’s A Little Night Music is a wonderfully witty and deeply moving romance, exploring desire, passion and regret. IN this new Sydney production directed by Dean Bryant, the audience is swept away by classic songs like “A Weekend in the Country”, “The Miller’s Son” and the iconic and pensive “Send in the Clowns”.

I ventured to the Hayes Theatre for the final dress rehearsal last week to photograph dramatic moments of the players on stage. Although most of my attention was on capturing the best images, I couldn’t help being carried away to Sweden in the 1900, caught up in the drama of the suspicious trysts and love triangles of these engaging characters.

Desiree Armfeld (Blazey Best) with Count Carl-Magnus Malcom (Josh Robson) with Frederick Egerman (Leon Ford) hiding in the corner.

I loved seeing Nancye Hayes on stage as the stylish doyenne, Madame Armfeldt. She certainly defines stage-presence with panache.

If you are in Sydney, I suggest you see this magnificent performance…..a great night out, witty, entertaining, clever use of language, with captivating music and lyrics. Playing until November 11, 2023 Book here:

More production and rehearsal images below…..

September 11, 2023September 16, 2023

A Little Night Music – at the Hayes

Hayes Theatre Co has announced the cast for the acclaimed Stephen Sondheim musical A Little Night Music, which opens in October. Winner of five Tony Awards including Best Musical, A Little Night Music is a wonderfully witty and deeply moving romance, exploring desire, passion and regret.

As previously announced, Australia’s favourite leading lady and namesake of Hayes Theatre Co, Nancye Hayes plays the role of Madame Armfeldt. The recipient of many industry awards, including three Lifetime Achievement Awards, three Helpmanns, four Green Room, two Glugs and a Mo, Nancye Hayes AM takes on her favourite role for the third time in her illustrious career.

Members of the cast and crew came to my studio to capture a promotional image for their media efforts. We photographed each cast member separately firstly and then set up a group shot for the final capture.

Kiana Daniele, Leon Ford, Nancye Hayes, Blazey Best and Jeremi Campese to star in *A Little Night Music*

For more information on this wonderful production and the entire cast and crew see the following link: A Little Night Music – Limelight

*Portrait of Nancye Hayes taken during the photo session in my studio with the cast of “A Little Night Music”.*

September 28, 2022October 26, 2022

La Cage Aux Folles in Sydney

La Cage Aux Folles will be playing in Sydney at the Concourse at the end of November. Tickets available at Ticketek here:

Directed By Cameron Menzies
Musical Direction by Craig Renshaw
Choreography by Veronica Beattie George
Production Design by James Browne
Lighting Design by Karen Norris
Wigs and Make-up Design by Drew-Elizabeth Johnstone
Sound Design by Anthony Lorenz

The iconic Paul Capsis will be joining an all-star cast including Michael Cormick to delight Sydney audiences. We captured some images of Paul at the studio recently in preparation for the production. Here are some behind the scenes shots of Paul getting ready for publicity imagery. As always it is a joy to work with Paul. His ability to make you laugh is unsurpassed.

Paul in makeup with Vincent Wang (MUA), watched on by La Cage Aux Folles producer David Hawkins

November 20, 2021November 21, 2021

Qween Lear as part of the Sydney Festival – Ruled by drag qweens, fuelled by love.

I was asked to produce imagery for the production of Qween Lear which will be one of the headlining performances in the 2022 Sydney Festival. So along with Dee Dee as a fierce Sydney drag identity, we set up a photo-shoot in the mens toilets of the Cricketers Arms pub in Surry Hills to promote this immersive theatrical performance. As part of the festival programme, Qween Lear will take place in the Hordern Pavilion, itself the site of so many parties in the age of excess and ecstacy.

Part rave, part theatrical extravaganza, Qween Lear explores the demise of Sydney’s party era through the tale of an ageing drag matriarch played by Minnie Cooper (AKA Aaron Farley), abdicating her nocturnal throne. Set over one night around the turn of the millennium and stacked with Australia’s fiercest performers, a dazzling light show and throbbing original score, it’s a joyous love letter to the legends and legendary stories of Sydney’s lost nightlife.

The story of Sydney’s nightlife is inseparable from its queer history. Sparked by the 1978 Mardi Gras protest, the birth of house music, and a flourishing queer counterculture, our fair and feisty city gained an untouchable reputation for hedonistic nightlife in the eighties and nineties. Hordern Pavilion parties were the red-hot and sweaty epicentre of this fantasy world of love, fetish and house music. Now it will the home of a queer version of the Shakespearean tragedy King Lear.

Producer, Adam Lowe (ALG – art and culture events management), prompts Dee Dee on set.

Sydney Festival Guide, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 November, 2021

Post-show Exhibition: At the conclusion of the Qween Lear performance in the Hordern Pavilion, ticket holders are invited to a free digital photography exhibition representing some of Sydney’s most iconic parties from the late twentieth century. This project has been proudly supported by the Powerhouse Museum.

Book your tickets here: https://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/events/qween-lear

February 11, 2018May 30, 2022

Hayes Theatre – The Room Upstairs

I had the pleasure of photographing production shots for the “Off Broadway” sensation, “The Room Upstairs”.

I would certainly recommend treating yourself to a night of pure entertainment and head to the Hayes Theatre….details below.

Music, Book and Lyrics by Max Vernon

Presented by Invisible Wall Productions and Sugary Rum productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co

Directed by Shaun Rennie
Musical Direction by Nicholas Griffin
Choreography by Cameron Mitchell
Set Design by Isabel Hudson
Costume Design by Anita Yavich
Lighting Design by Trent Suidgeest
Sound Design by Neil McLean

Australian PremiereCast includes Henry Brett, Thomas Campbell, Nick Errol, Ryan Gonzalez, Martelle Hammer, Anthony Harkin, David Hooley, Markesha McCoy, Madison McKoy and Stephen Madsen

The View Upstairs pulls you inside the UpStairs Lounge, a vibrant 70s gay bar in New Orleans. The forgotten bar regulars come to life when a young fashion designer from 2017 buys the now abandoned space and is transported back in time. He gets to know the joys and struggles of this community and in turn learns about his place in the world.

From the opening piano chords of this Off-Broadway sensation, the five-piece band and cast of ten blast into the glam rock world of the 1970s. In our ever-changing world, this show looks at the then and now to explore our ideas of love, regret, defiance and resilience. The music will give you goosebumps, the story will make you both laugh and cry. See why Ru Paul said the show was “FABULOUS! It was fantastic.”

January 10, 2014May 30, 2022

Purse of the Mummy

Loads of fun shooting with Liesel Badorrek and Annabel Lines for their promotional image for a new show they were performing. We ended up with a great image.

Below are some of out takes of the proceedings…….

PERFORMANCE AND BOOKING DETAILS