Black Books by Blak Yak

Hi, Blak Yak, in association with KADS, will be holding auditions for its upcoming season of Black Books on Sunday the 25th of Feb at the Blue Room in Northbridge, from 9 to 2. The three lead roles have already been cast, Blak Yak was going to do Black Books last year, we held the auditions, cast the play and then for various reasons had to put it on hold, but there's still a bunch of great roles available. Nick Donald, recipient of last year's Best Director trophy at Dramafest, will be directing. He's looking for a talented, dedicated, group of actors (both male and female) who can play multiple roles. Performances will be in Kalamunda at the Town Square Theatre. For more information check out http://www.theatre.asn.au/audition/2007/black_books There's still a few audition times available, so if you're interested please contact me either at melissamerchant@aapt.net.au or on 0404913018. Melissa Merchant

Did Black Yak hold auditions for the original season (one act season)? I know a number of people who wanted to audition for the three main roles but were unable to because it was not advertised and when they inquired about it, were told the parts had already been filled. I am not criticising your auditioning methods, however, you will struggle to get people to audition for the smaller roles if you bar then from trying out for the main characters. On another note – Do Black Yak produce anything other than British sit-coms?

Firstly, there's no C in the Blak. Blak Yak produced Steve Martin's The Underpants last June and Picasso At The Lapin Agile the year before. They've also done Ben Elton's Popcorn, numerous Terry Pratchett plays and Can't Stand Up for Falling Down won Best Play at the Southwest Drama Festival in 2002. I'm sure there are many others that can be added to this very partial list.

Blak Yak is renowned for pre-casting

I understand where you're coming from Daniel; it can be very hard to get people to audition for a show where the three main roles are cast. What happened was this; Blak Yak wanted to do a season of TV comedies presented on the stage. The original idea was one episode each of Red Dwarf, Coupling and Black Books. I tried for months to get the rights but failed to do so prior to the auditions for the one act season. As a result, we auditioned Coupling and Red Dwarf with Black Books in mind. In the end, we got the rights, but too late to be able to produce anything decent in time for the season. This is a decision, which I made (as I was intending to direct) after informing the actors that they were cast. So, when we got the go ahead to do a full-length production of Black Books this year, we went with the actors who had been cast last year. That being said, there are some fantastic roles available and I think people would be doing themselves a disservice by not auditioning because they can't read for the leads :) As for the British sit-com thing, we do tend to do a lot of them, yes (Red Dwarf, Coupling and Men Behaving Badly) but we also do a lot of other kinds of plays (check out http://www.blakyak.uniting.com.au/showlist.html). It's just that our adaptations from other mediums (books, film and TV) seem to be very popular. They also carry with them different challenges and tend to be a lot of fun for the casts and crew. Of course, anyone wanting to bring something new is always welcome . . .

Brad, I'm very sorry you feel this way, I would be interested to find out why. Please feel free to email me at melissamerchant@aapt.net.au to discuss why you feel that "Blak Yak is renowned for pre-casting". Melissa

Sounds like someone's scared to discuss it in a public forum.

So where was the opportunity to audition for Black Books in this audition notice?: Red Dwarf and Coupling Auditions Melissa Merchant | 21/07/2006 - 14:21Australia | Billboard Bulletins Hi Everybody, Just wanted to draw your attention to the fact that Blak Yak is holding auditions for our upcoming one act season. We've managed to secure the rights for both Red Dwarf and Coupling (yay for us . Auditions will be on Sunday July 30th at 10am at the Blue Room. Bookings are essential, and can be made by contacting Melissa (that's me) at melissamerchant@aapt.net.au or on 0404 913 018. All shows will be auditioned on the same day and people are welcome to audition for more than one role. Performances will be held on September 13, 14, 15 and 16 at Hackett Hall, Draper Street, Floreat. For more info, check out http://www.theatre.asn.au/audition/2006/one_act_plays_coupling_and_red_dwarf Thanks. Melissa Merchant

"As a result, we auditioned Coupling and Red Dwarf with Black Books in mind" I thought I was clear about that. We did not advertise auditions for Black Books because we did not have permission to do the play. We got permission after the auditions. Everyone who auditioned for Red Dwarf and Coupling were also considered for Black Books (before you point it out, no we didn't advertise that either). Three people stood out at those auditions as being perfect for the play. I needed to cast Black Books very quickly if I was going to be able to make it work in time, so there was no time to hold another set of auditions. In the end there was no time to put the play together as a one act. I really am sorry if anyone feels they've missed out or that Blak Yak has been in anyway underhanded. We've tried to be open and honest about this. As for being scared to debate this publicly, I am genuinely interested to hear why Brad thinks this way. Now, I have no problems doing this publicly, I just thought Brad might feel more comfortable discussing his opinions privately.

Melissa, Thank you for responding to my inquiry. My sit com comment was merely an off the cuff comment. Although, I do realise you do a lot of screen adaptations, which I have mixed feelings about, you also produce some wonderful plays. I thoroughly enjoyed Picasso At The Lapin Agile. My suggestion to the committee is to advertise your auditions thoroughly. This will assist the club in two ways. 1) Actors will know when they are on and not be disappointed to find out that auditions have passed without their knowledge. Several of the actors who wanted to audition for the main roles are very talented and this confusion may prevent them for auditioning from further productions. 2) It will also change the image of the Blak Yak. Brad mentioned that Blak Yak is renowned for pre-casting. Whether that is true or not, there are people in the theatrical community who have this mindset about your theatre company. You want Blak Yak to be an open, community theatre so that people want to audition for your shows and are willing to support it by watching your productions. Best of luck in 2007, Daniel.

So will Dylan Moran be visiting you and the play when he is in Perth for his tour? We have tickets to see his stand up show in late April. Co-incidence??

The guy playing Bernard went to school or something with Dylan Moran; shame he always mubles when he acts.

I think that Melissa's explanation is quite reasonable and quite frankly I congratulate her and Blak Yak for being completely up front and honest about it, at least it shows more intestinal fortitude than other clubs that pre-cast and then go through the motions at sham auditions to make it seem "fair". "Would you like some cheese and crackers to go with that whine?" Food for thought. R ;-)

I wish I could audition for Black Books :(

Who mumbles? Dylan Moran or the guy who's playing him in Blak Yak's version? If it's the guy playing Bernard in Blak Yak's version he mumbled his way to an adjudicator's certificate in last year's Dramafest for an outstanding comic performance. Having seen Bryn Coldrick in Blak Yak's "Coupling" I have to stick up for him and say I found his performance extremely well acted. Granted his (very genuine) Irish accent comes through strongly but then I guess that helped him gain the part of Bernard in BB as well. By the way, Bryn's audition was his first for Blak Yak as was mine. I'm therefore a little surprised that there has been all this hullabaloo about Blak Yak pre-casting. By my count some 6 of the actors in their One Act season had never been on stage for Blak Yak previously. Finally, yep, it's a coincidence. The season and it's timing had been decided prior to Dylan Moran's appearance in Perth having been advertised. Whilst it would be brilliant if he turned up I think it's doubtful - more dosh to be had doing his own stage appearance I'd wager. I'm looking forward to the stage version of Black Books and I hope people come along with an open mind. There is a review forum available for those to pass comment on plays they've seen. I guess I would suggest we reserve comment on actors and their performances until the play has actually commenced. We may all be pleasantly surprised. Just one person's opinion.....

Good to see Melissa Merchant's partner also jumping to Blak Yak's defence.

Where exactly did I leap to Melissa or Blak Yak's defence? You mean the bit where I pointed out some facts about the the successful auditionees in the last production? Um...that's kinda irrefutable. I tried to find fault with Blak Yak believe me - I was one of the unsuccessful auditionees - but dammit, their credentials were in order on this one. And besides, if you read my post it was not really motivated by any need to defend Blak Yak (am I actually a member Melissa?). I really just thought some of the arguments lacked balance and I thought the attack on Bryn's acting was in particular rude and cruel Karen (is that your real name?). Daniel put forward some constructive feedback but your comment was uncalled for. If I called you, for example, a "hit and run forum anarchist" (which I'm not)on the basis of two posts, would you not take offence at that? That'd be just plain rude. Irregardless of whose partner I may be I'll be damned if I'll sit by and not say something where I strenuously disagree. Capiche? Check out Daniel's posts. Inquisitive, questioning, POLITE, well balanced arguments. You didn't see me leap to Blak Yak's defence then did you? Perhaps you and "Brad" could be a little more prepared when you enter a debate instead of just flinging dirt in such a scattergun manner? I for one would love to know why you both felt you're entitled to be so rude and expect to get away with it? Fie on you. Melissa, our secret's out, someone's noticed we're always at gig's together. Damn their eyes

They're renowned for pre-casting Robert :)

Just realised - Karen and Katrina - two separate people (or are they?). Regardless, my comments apply to all who think rudeness and sarcasm are tools to be used in this forum.

"Hitting", "raw" and "nerve" spring to mind right about now...

...are words that apply to those who post under pseudonyms. Get over yourself. Come back when you can act like an adult.

Like 'Fawlty Towers' or 'Vicar of Dibley' or 'Blackadder' why do them in the first place. Nobody does them right anyway! The trouble with sitcoms is that the lead characters are so identified with the comic actor playing the role that any other production is second rate. It's like doing the 'Dead Parrot' sketch without John Cleese and Michael Palin or a stage production of 'Carry on Cleo' without Sid James doing the dirty laugh. It's crap. An example was Blak Yak's awful production of 'Red Dwarf' some years back. The TV show's lead character was some little scouse guy with a rasterfarian haircut. So how does Nick Donald play him? Well like Shane Warne - f**king awful. It's a shame really. Blak Yak used to do some classic productions like 'Amadeus' and 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and now they resort to this. Judging from a lot of negative reviews especially with their second instalment, you might think that Blak Yak would be put off by this, but no, they're at it again. So how will Blak Yak treat us this time. Well how about an Ocker playing Dylan Moran's character, or some Chinese guy with one leg playing Bill Bailey's character. I think I'll pass on that one. :(

Why perform the same plays over and over again, then, hmmm? How many times has The Importance of Being Earnest been done now, then?

That would be the Red Dwarf that came third in the 2003 Finley Awards, right? (http://www.theatre.asn.au/comment/reply/27542/31364#comment-31364) Here are the main results from last night's Finley Awards, held at the Kalamunda Performing Arts Centre. PLAYS: 1. KADS for 'Johnny Belinda' 2. Old Mill Theatre for 'Out of Order' 3. Blak Yak for 'Red Dwarf' And reviews like these, you mean?: (http://www.theatre.asn.au/node/10463 ) RED DWARF, BLAK YAK THEATRE INC., KALAMUNDA PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE: Well done to casti, crewi and director of Blak Yak's Red Dwarf. I'm not a huge sci fi fan so I haven't seen or heard much of Red Dwarf before, but that is (thankfully) irrelevant as far as this production goes. Apparently the first script of the series was used so it was easy to follow and a great introduction to the characters. Lots of light humor and cartoony silliness! The use of pre-recorded and 'live' video was a little bumpy, but very clever. Sadly, there were a few technical hitches in the first act, but the casti carried on admirably. Kalamunda PAC is CAVERNOUS so please, please PROJECT!! I'm always being told this anyway, but particularly when I've been on stage up there! The lack of volume is, of course, particularly noticable when some actors are miked and others aren't. However, I never missed a word from about half-way back which is, given the high ceiling and vast stage, a commendable effort. I believe most writers choose to create a screenplay over a stage play for good reasons. It is difficult to do a snappy scene change unless lighting cues are spot-on and, sadly, cross-fades and close-ups aren't possible on stage. This is something that seems to cause trouble when a screenplay or tv script is adapted for stage. With our amateur theatre budgets and limited rehearsal time, I think its worth keeping in mind limitations as far as effects go. Well written and imaginative script with smooth comedic dialogue. Delivery is important and I feel an essential element of comedy is timing and pace. All cues need to be snatched without pause. Lister, Rimmer and Holly worked well together as a reluctant trio, each character well-defined, 'bouncing' off each other nicely. Perhaps a little caffeine or jelly beans back stage for some energy wouldn't go astray though, boys! But, as I said, it ain't easy to sail on by those nasty technical gremlins when they rear their ugly heads. Maybe you should also beware of picking up on each other's tempo, although the contrast between the laid-back, slovenly Lister, and the fussy, manic Rimmer was still crisp. Neat, simplistic costumes that clearly served their purpose as uniforms, and a simple change of shirt for Lister every now and then was a great way of demonstrating his lack of conformity. A seti of fangs and some clever posturing made a convincing highly-evolved Cat! The bunks, a closely placed table and a well-defined patch of light were all that was needed to effectively convey the cramped, military style quarters the two principal characters shared. Although the flats are, of course, only background, the fact that they were not clearly painted I found strangely distracting. I feel that if a little more effort had gone into the seti, simplistic or otherwise, it would have enhanced the feel of a lost and aging space craft so much more. Remember that the audiencei is looking upon the whole scene from a distance, and Kalamunda is HUGE! I feel even a simple seti needs to give the appearance of filling the space so that we aren't given the impression of watching a show through a telescope. The other casti members were extremely giggle-worthy! Elements of trademark Blak Yak Pratchett townsfolk snuck in there... don't think I didn't notice!! And I must have heard about half a dozen audiencei members say how adorable they found Cat to be! He was also nicely distant from the other characters (just like a cat) while at the same time still fitting into the quirky ensemble. More highly enjoyable light-hearted weird stuff from Blak Yak. Great work all. I feel it was a 'jolly good' choice for me to see as first show after a long hiatus from 'am dram'. Go see it guys, its worth the trip up that darn hill! ~Tracey. previous forum topic | next forum topic | email this forum topic | 156 reads Re: Red Dwarf Author: Julia Dalby (not verified) Date: 20/10/2002 - 19:18 TS's review has critiqued the show far more eloquently than I ever could. I too would ask the casti to really concentrate on PROJECTING!!!!!! Speak UP y'all! Almost every line is a winner, the people up the back need to hear them. You are in constant contest with a sound system which reminds one of a harriet jump jet engine, but hey, don't let that put you off! The pace on both the nights I saw it, was for the most part, good. Perhaps a few Red Bulls/cocaine suppositories before Act 1? It gets there, but starting big would certainly seti a nice trott for the rest of the show. I'm beginning to think our Alex has some comic genius hidden in depths of his being. His wonderful facial expressions and general annoying twat presence, lend a lovely geeky (it's a legitimate theatrical term! Look it up!)edge to the hapless Rimmer. At times I wanted to reach up on stage and bitch slap him with his clip boardi. Tosser. The scouse git who plays Lister in the series WISHES he could be the feckless slobby bastard Nick Donald molests us with in his portrayal. Jee-zuz, he's revolting! I LOVED the boiler suit Look, by the way! The expression Hubba Hubba comes to mind. The ubiquitous Holly was played quite beautifully by Dr Jarrod Buttery. The image of him on screen was projected, however I couldn't shake the feeling that he was looking down my top..... And such an angelic face!! One would almost believe the man behind it WASN'T a depraved lunatic.... Chris Thomas gives great Cat. Terrific costumes, although we now all have a pretty good idea what religion you are, from the one-piece outfit in act two.......goodness! I would love to see more manic smiling and laughing from this character however. Oh, and the brushing of the chest hair was one of my personal highlights. The remainder of the casti worked well with the leads. One in particular made my jaw drop from the minute he came on though........Scott Northover as Confidence. He is a bloody SCREAM! Exactly how talented do these Northover people need to be? I ask you in all sincerity.... Technical gliches will always be a part of life with these types of productions. Sadly, when all the gizmos don't do as they should, the entire show suffers. This play is particularly reliant on the tech stuff, and it seems to be it's biggest downfall. This aside, it is a great laugh! Congradulations to Tim and his casti and crewi! A top little night of entertainment, and you've only got three more nights to see it!!! So GO! Go on! J x Re: Red Dwarf Author: rc (not verified) Date: 21/10/2002 - 22:23 I saw Tim's first adaption of Red Dwarf as a one act play and really enjoyed it, and so was looking forward to the extended version and as predicted did, was not dissapointed. Technical difficulties are to be expected in any show that involves technology. Let's face it you cant beat a human, and being a big fan of the series it fits in with the actual space ship Red Dwarf which always has it's gliches. The acting was smegging brilliant. The casti do an excellent job of portaying the characters of the series, and yet still able to add their own touch to their character. In some parts, sitting nearer to the back, I found that it was a little hard to hear. But you can still get the general gist. Other then that the whole play is excellent. Keep up the good work guys, looking forward to the sequel....

Walter Plingelooking at evidence Man wrote: 'That would be the Red Dwarf that came third in the 2003 Finley Awards, right?' Yes, that was in 2003 before the Finley Awards system was overhauled to a more balanced and impartial system so really that doesn't count. I also noticed the unsolicited anonynmous emails heaping praise as well -hmmm... I do remember Indieperth's scatching review of the second one though. Nice try 'Walter Plingelooking at evidence Man'. I'm still looking for the evidence though.

It's great to see such a lively discussion going on. Some valid points, some not so valid points - but I think the general census is, if I may generalise, is that Blak Yak need to rethink their public image. As, I mentioned before, I think the problem lies in the publicity from this theatre establishment. Their shows are not heavy promoted enough. I rarely know when Blak Yak is performing, so, simply put – I don’t go. Their performance venues change frequently, so it is hard to discern a geographic location to the company. Yes, that is important, because I don’t want to keep finding out where this nomad theatre is performing every time. I am aware of their situation and I have no resolution to this problem – I am just voicing my concern. Another issue I would like to raise is the ratio of screen (big all small) adaptation being presented by this company. I want to see theatre, not a lesser, theatrical version of my favourite sitcoms and films. Contemporary theatre establishments are a product of modernity. When they arose in the bustling metropolises of Europe, they were new, innovative and exciting. It deviated away from traditional theatre styles and wanted to tell modern (of the day) narratives about everyday life. In summary, modern theatre is supposed to be, but rarely is in Perth, about presenting new ideas and styles. Sure, if you can present an adaptation in a thought-provoking manner – I am all for it. But if it is just a simulation (copy) of that adaptation, who in the right mind wants to pay 15 dollars to see that when they can get the original and much better version from the video store for a few dollars? I have seen a few productions at Blak Yak. The adaptations I’ve seen offered my little, but the other ‘plays’ I have seen were great and I would love to see more productions in that vein. Also, how about some original works? The life blood of theatre. I once considered Blak Yak to be the avant-garde of the local community theatre - A theatre wanting to experiment and push the boundaries. But are you guys pushing the boundaries? No. In fact, I know of a specific, original script that was sent to you in the last few months, of which you didn’t even contact the author about. It’s common courtesy to write a formal letter informing the playwright if their submission was unsuccessful. And here I am reading on this thread that Blak Yak is interested in original work. Well, I certainly missed the boat on that one.

So what you're really saying is that every Finley Award issued in 2003 and every year before is completely worthless? Indieperth... what a wonderful website that was, dying in the arse just six months after its launch. Says it all really. It was patently obvious that reviewer wasn't even familiar with Red Dwarf as a television show. I think you'll find some of those reviews were written by people who could easily be tracked down. As for "unsolicited and anonymous" is that the pot calling the kettle black somewhat?

I suspect they do these adaptations because they actually get bums on seats and allow the theatre to continue whereas some of what you describe above gets very small audiences. As for publicity, gee, your Pride & Prejudice show was so well-covered wasn't it? I think not...

http://www.theatre.asn.au/node/10634 Black Yak Theatre’s RED DWARF II – Kryten Review by Jason Mercer. To be sent to Better Than Life Magazine. Perth, Western Australia. 2nd April 2004. Being a huge Red Dwarf fan, I was fortunate to catch the “Last Ever” production of Black Yak Theatre’s “Red Dwarf II-Kryten”. Entering the Maylands Sunroom theatre I donated a dollar to get a program guide. First impressions were good; the title “The Diary of Arnold J.Rimmer BSC,“ was crossed out and replaced with “Red Dwarf Kryten, The Programme.” Inside was Arnolds opening lines, “I have decided to keep a journal……. alongside Napoleons War Diaries and the Memoirs of Julius Ceaser.” Amongst the programme guide was “July 17, Aunty Maggies Birthday and November 25, Gazpacho Soup Day. It was well done and seti the mood by putting a smile on everyone’s face before watching the play in the sold out theatre. Grant Naylor Production approved the play. Kudos for GNP being very un-Disney like in allowing these things to go ahead. No black suited Lawyers ruined our play by walking on stage like some Moscow siege, locking up Bambi, cuffing Snow White and tossing the 7 Dwarfs into the rear of a Black Maria. The seti was a scanner room on the left, a large screen for Holly in the middle and the sleeping quarters on the right. Faithfully painted in red and Ocean Grey, or was it Military Grey??? The seti was cheap, tacky and obviously wood painted to look like metal…. exactly faithful to the show! Nick Donald who also played a bearded Lister (hard to get used to) wrote the script and cleverly mingled lines and scenes from the first 7 series to make the episodes, ‘Kryten,’ ‘White Hole’ and ‘The Last Day’ seamlessly intermingle. A few jokes were updated and australianised, such as the “small moon shaped exactly like Kylie Minogues Bottom.” This not only gave a genuine Red Dwarf feel to the experience but also was like watching an old series I or II episode for the first time, as you didn’t know if the next line would be from the series or if a completely new line would be added. And the new lines were as faithful to I or II as you could hope for. Rimmer was just like Chris Barrie’s character to a “t” Alex Jones must have studied him diligently and he got the body movements, too loud voice, over posturing and even the facial expressions perfectly. (If you need a young Rimmer for the movie GNP, look no further than Alex Jones) Lister had a beard and an Australian accent but I got used to it quickly and he simply became Lister the slob. Much better than the American muscle bound hero in the failed pilot. What the hell were the yanks thinking of? The Cat was white and played by Chris Thomas who I believe must have dreamed of this part since childhood! The guy was so enthusiastic in his role it came through as instantly entertaining and believable. If you asked me before I never would have thought a white guy could do it so well. Holly, like Lister also sported a beard, and delivered his jokes deadpan style, which aint easy. It was another facial incarnation of our favourite senile computer. Kryten was cleverly wearing a tux, white gloves and had his face painted silver. Believe it or not, this actually worked well. My only niggle with Scott Northover’s Kryten was that he was styled on the David Ross version, and it worked well in the Kryten episode scenes, but later on I longed for the Robert Llewellyn style Canadian ‘droid.’ I suppose I may be harsh here, as he had many lines in the play, but he paused a little to long before delivering them, which didn’t work as well later on when the lines required speedy delivery. Another spot on character was “Talkie Toaster’” voiced by Barry Carpenter. I just loved the Cat and Toaster rehearsing for their song and Toaster coming in on the Wheeeeaaa, instead of the Wheeeeo, was one scene that should never have been deleted. Special effects were fantastic, and awful which made them hilarious. Holly’s screen was used for various events and best of all, the solar system where Lister Played pool with planets. The Planets looked suspiciously like papier-machet balls painted different colours and the stars looked like starfish covered in tin foil. Red Dwarf was squashy red shaped blurry thing with a hydrogen scoop nose and cardboard eggcups for engines. When Lister hit the cue a “fuse” burned on one planet. I swear I saw a stick painted black manoeuvre the planets around each other until the white hole was blocked out. It was a brilliant moment during the show, and the audiencei laughed all the way through, especially when Red Dwarf was zoomed in on and focused in close up. Yep, it WAS a garden gnome (dwarf) painted red with a nose cone and engines with a big cheesy smile. Classic stuff. There were so many characters, Hudzen 10 with an Arnold Schwazenegger accent (Adam Shuttleworth) Jim and Carol (“Jim, I’m dying!”) in black and white classic cinema (Gareth and Sarah Sambridge) Ms Reaper (Julia Dalby) Olivia Darby, Melissa Merchant and Jane Peacock were the Nova 5 Crewi and one of them was the “Jane Fonda as Barbarella” droid for Kryten’s last day party. Grrrrrrr! (Don’t waste your money on the Marylyn Monroe droid, go for the Jane Fonda!) There was so much packed into the two hours yet it went so fast. I hope that others will pick up where Black Yak left off and continue making Red Dwarf into a Play. It was a great night and Congratulations to ALL the hard working people at Black Yak and thanks to GNP. It wasn’t a play about Red Dwarf, it WAS Red Dwarf!

You guys. Theatre's all about choice surely. You all seem bent on shoving your own ideas about "what is theatre" down other people's throats. What's the matter with adapting a TV show for stage? Kudos to Nick Donald I reckon - what a job! Why shouldn't he try his hand and then perhaps, with some newfound confidence - eventually write his own stuff? And besides, they all had MASSIVE fun doing it and if some other people wanted to have a bit of fun watching their product - terrif! Theatre is all about live performance and so you choose to see what you want to see and let other people watch what they enjoy. Adaptations of adaptations on film are thrust upon us every new season release but people still flock to see them. Why should theatre be any different? Keep up the creativity Blak Yak and thanks for bringing us product that other groups don't - wherever that next show might be!

Blak yak are possibly the most prolific independent company in Perth - always got stuff on the go !! Would you all agree?? Thoughts??

'Blak yak are possibly the most prolific independent company in Perth - always got stuff on the go !!' Well yes and no. They only do about four plays a year if that. They do some contemporary classics like the above mentioned 'Amadeus' and 'One Flew Over'. Now they seem to have a knack of doing adaptations of TV sitcoms. Not sure if that is a wise move.

OMG! Ok, I can't comment on everything that has been written here, but I can address a few of the issues raised. As far as adaptations go, we do them to make money. Sorry if that sounds crass and materialistic, but it's the truth. They are generally inexpensive to stage and always get the biggest audiences. Not only that, our adaptations tend to bring a wide range of people to the theatre. They come for the Black Books, the Pratchett, the Red Dwarf or Coupling, or Men Behaving Badly or Dead Poet's Society, Human Traffic or The Last Supper (all of the things we have adapted for the stage in our 13 year history) but then some of them come back for the other plays. That being said, we love doing all sorts of plays (as long as it's something most other companies won't do). Submissions are happily accepted, we want new plays, we crave new directors, we love new actors, anyone and everyone are welcome. Daniel, I have no idea who has submitted a new play to us and not heard back. I have not received anything. Who did they send it to and when? I know we had a read through earlier this year for a new work by a local author that we are very keen to stage. As for our publicity issues, all suggestions are more than welcome. We send press releases to papers, along with publicity pics. Sometimes they print them, sometimes they don't, we have no control over that. We print posters which are put up all over the metro area, we print postcards and distribute them far and wide. We post on Theatre Australia, we put info on our own site, we send material to other theatre companies (and some then place the material in their foyers for which we are eternally grateful)what more can we do? There is much, much more I could write, but Murray wants his computer back (yes that's right, my boyfriend, now you all know, hands up everyone who cares?). Let me finish this by saying that although I may sound a little defensive, I'm actually thrilled that people care enough about Blak Yak to continue writing about us, be it good or bad. For theatre to succeed in WA people need to care, they need to feel passionately about it. Come and see Black Books if you're interested. See it if you liked the show and want to see how it translates to the theatre, see it if you've never heard of the show but you like a good comedy, see it if you like watching award winning actors (Bryn Coldrick, who is playing Bernard, won the earlier mentioned certificate for comic acting at last year's Dramafest, Sherryl Spencer, who is playing Fran, won Best Actress a few years ago and Tim Edwards, playing Manny, won Best Supporting Actor) at work. Or don't, it's up to you really. Melissa Merchant

...otherwise Melissa will use my computer indefinitely and I have nerd things to do on it (compile DVD want lists, browse Aint It Cool News, track down that obscure Simpsons reference) and because you all insist........oh....damn....sorta given away who I am haven't I? It seems a bit silly but then again, if I am compiling DVD lists I guess people in glass houses....... PS The Karen Elliot pseudonym was brilliant! That shows intelligence. You MUST be a Blak Yakker. Hmmmmmmm

No, still no idea who you are - a tosser?

Can someone please explain to me the meaning of the verb "to muble"?

and I'd say that you've had a lot of nasty things to say to people who have never done you harm and to myself who has opened his home to you in the past. Oh yes, I know who you are "Elliot" and "Karen" (and probably Brad and Katrina). Should I start posting clues? That'd be fair surely? If you kept pressing my buttons, I'd be entitled to press yours. If you catch my drift. Here's a clue for ya buddy - pseudonyms only work if you don't give away enough clues in your posts that you obviously know the person you're attacking very well. From there it's just a matter of knowing who may have a motive - however childish it may be. Ah, don't worry - I'm not gonna unmask you. You know I know. That's good enough for me. Given you have such a low opinion of me, if there is ever a future function at my house to which you'd normally be invited, feel free to stay at home. Wouldn't want you becoming a tosser by association. ;)