Latest news with #TheCastle
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Backstage drama feeds the comedy in ‘The Understudy'
'We are always looking for new collaborators,' says Elias, 'but they have to be ready and willing to roll with the punches.' Advertisement The company, which is also distinguished by its 'pay-what-you-can' policy for all performances (which keeps their productions accessible), mounts three productions each season, two in the fall and winter at the Boston Center for the Arts and one during the summer at Club Café. Advertisement ''The Understudy' is our fifth summer production here,' says Elias. 'It's a fun place with a great vibe, and the Club Café staff have been wonderful partners. The room encourages us to create a more immersive theater experience for our audiences.' And while the Club Café space doesn't have the bells and whistles of traditional theaters (there's a limited lighting grid and no wing space), award-winning actor and director Paula Plum, who has worked with the company since their inaugural season, says Hub has a team that makes magic happen. 'Lighting designer Emily Bearce has worked wonders with limited instruments, Justin Lahue has created evocative projections for the walls of the theater, and Peyton Tavares's set is very flexible,' she says. ''The Understudy' has a kind of 'Play That Goes Wrong' vibe,' says Elias, 'so our creative solutions to three set changes and exits and entrances through the audience add to the fun.' The action takes place at an understudy rehearsal on the stage of the Broadway premiere of a newly discovered play by Franz Kafka. Jake (Cristhian Mancinas-García) is a B-list action film actor trying to boost his credibility with the Broadway gig. He shares the stage with the never-seen Bruce, a megastar who makes 10 times Jake's salary. Harry (Kevin Paquette), an actor struggling to find work, has been cast as Bruce's understudy, but also happens to have jilted the stage manager weeks before their wedding six years ago. 'I have been so excited by the on-stage chemistry between the two men,' Plum says. 'That's not always something you can predict, but Cristhian is very skilled at physical comedy and Kevin's reactions increase the humor.' Advertisement As the characters work through the scenes in the absurdist Kafka play (which appears to be a cross between 'The Castle' and 'The Trial') the two build a begrudging friendship. This places even more pressure on Roxanne, who is trying to stay calm through the chaos created by a stoned board operator while navigating the emotional upheaval caused by Kevin's appearance and Jake's interest in her. Rebeck's script doesn't shy away from drama with a capital D, and the absurdity of a life in the theater. Plum says that beneath the humor lies real insight into 'what it really means to deal with an acting career. There's a lot of heartbreak and disappointment,' she says. A speech where Harry claims he's not bitter 'exposes all the anxiety and neuroses of lots of actors.' Navigating all the emotional extremes might seem to demand a firm directorial hand, but Plum says she follows her instincts, and Elias describes it as 'adjusting the barometer.' 'Really,' says Plum, 'when you have great actors, my role becomes making sure the technical aspects of the play work smoothly.' As she looks ahead to more Hub seasons, Elias says three shows a year feels right, despite growing audience interest in Hub's work. 'In the early days, people would come to the show because they knew someone in it, 'she says. 'Now, more and more, I'm seeing repeat customers, people who came to one show and want to see what we are doing next. That's gratifying.' That word-of-mouth success is something that anyone would be lucky to understudy. THE UNDERSTUDY Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston, at Club Café, 209 Columbus Ave, Boston, July 19-Aug. 2. Tickets are pay-what-you-can. Audiences receive 20% off Club Café food bill. Advertisement
Courier-Mail
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Bizarre way Stephen Curry landed his role in The Castle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Movies. Followed categories will be added to My News. Stephen Curry has revealed the bizarre way he landed his role in the iconic Aussie movie, The Castle, saying it was the result of 'pure dumb luck'. The actor, best known for playing the quietly optimistic Dale Kerrigan, opened up about his casting during an interview to promote his role in a new Uber Green campaign. Curry was only 20 years old when he landed a role in the film after catching the eyes of Jane Kennedy and Rob Sitch from Working Dog (the production company that made the movie). Working Dog's Michael Hirsh, Santo Cilauro, Jane Kennedy, Rob Sitch and Tom Gleisner. 'They'd cast the whole film but they hadn't cast my character,' he recalled. 'Then, all of a sudden, while they're (Sitch and Kennedy) sitting there on their couch talking about who they're going to get to play Dale Kerrigan, an ad came on.' The TV commercial was a lighthearted one that Curry had filmed a year earlier for the TAC (Transport Accident Commission), and clearly both Kennedy and Sitch were impressed by what they saw. 'They had no idea who I was,' Curry said. 'The next day I had the script (for The Castle) in my hand. 'It was pure dumb luck.' Anthony Simcoe, Stephen Curry and Michael Caton have reunited for a new Uber Green campaign. Picture: Uber Green Almost 30 years later, Curry has reunited with castmates Anthony Simcoe and Michael Caton in a new Uber campaign, promoting the rideshare company's EV offering. 'Uber Green is the same price as an Uber X, but they're all electric vehicles … so you can save the planet and still get there on time in a nice, whisper quiet ride,' he told The cultural impact of The Castle The 1997 movie is full of memorable lines, including 'tell him he's dreaming', 'how's the serenity?' and 'this is going straight to the pool room'. They're lines that people have been repeating to Curry for more than 25 years, although not always accurately. 'Usually they get it wrong,' the actor said. 'Someone came past on a bus and all I heard was, 'how's the serendipity?'' Another line that people often misquote? ''Dad, I dug a ditch,' I've heard numerous times,' Curry laughed. The Castle cast. Other fun facts about The Castle A few months ago, the Working Dog team who made The Castleshared some little known facts about the film during a Q+A event at HOTA on the Gold Coast. One of the most surprising was that they rejected an offer for a remake involving a Hollywood megastar. 'I think there was an offer to remake it in the United States with Tom Hanks playing the main role and it was going to be set next to O'Hare Airport in Chicago,' Working Dog's Santo Cilauro said. 'I think they wanted to make the lawyer the main character and that he had to return to university to study law to do a constitutional case in the Supreme Court,' Cilauro recalled. The Working Dog team's response … tell em they're dreamin! Originally published as Bizarre way star landed his role in The Castle
News.com.au
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Bizarre way star landed his role in The Castle
Stephen Curry has revealed the bizarre way he landed his role in the iconic Aussie movie, The Castle, saying it was the result of 'pure dumb luck'. The actor, best known for playing the quietly optimistic Dale Kerrigan, opened up about his casting during an interview to promote his role in a new Uber Green campaign. Curry was only 20 years old when he landed a role in the film after catching the eyes of Jane Kennedy and Rob Sitch from Working Dog (the production company that made the movie). 'They'd cast the whole film but they hadn't cast my character,' he recalled. 'Then, all of a sudden, while they're (Sitch and Kennedy) sitting there on their couch talking about who they're going to get to play Dale Kerrigan, an ad came on.' The TV commercial was a lighthearted one that Curry had filmed a year earlier for the TAC (Transport Accident Commission), and clearly both Kennedy and Sitch were impressed by what they saw. 'They had no idea who I was,' Curry said. 'The next day I had the script (for The Castle) in my hand. 'It was pure dumb luck.' Almost 30 years later, Curry has reunited with castmates Anthony Simcoe and Michael Caton in a new Uber campaign, promoting the rideshare company's EV offering. 'Uber Green is the same price as an Uber X, but they're all electric vehicles … so you can save the planet and still get there on time in a nice, whisper quiet ride,' he told The cultural impact of The Castle The 1997 movie is full of memorable lines, including 'tell him he's dreaming', 'how's the serenity?' and 'this is going straight to the pool room'. They're lines that people have been repeating to Curry for more than 25 years, although not always accurately. 'Usually they get it wrong,' the actor said. 'Someone came past on a bus and all I heard was, 'how's the serendipity?'' Another line that people often misquote? ''Dad, I dug a ditch,' I've heard numerous times,' Curry laughed. Other fun facts about The Castle A few months ago, the Working Dog team who made The Castle shared some little known facts about the film during a Q+A event at HOTA on the Gold Coast. One of the most surprising was that they rejected an offer for a remake involving a Hollywood megastar. 'I think there was an offer to remake it in the United States with Tom Hanks playing the main role and it was going to be set next to O'Hare Airport in Chicago,' Working Dog's Santo Cilauro said. 'I think they wanted to make the lawyer the main character and that he had to return to university to study law to do a constitutional case in the Supreme Court,' Cilauro recalled.
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The cast of The Castle don't look like this anymore! Stars of iconic film look unrecognisable in Today show segment
The Castle stars looked unrecognisable as they reunited on Wednesday, 28 years after the film hit Aussie screens in 1997. Stephen Curry, Michael Caton and Anthony Simcoe sat down with Nine's Today show on Wednesday to discuss their new gig - a partnership with Uber Green - while also reminiscing over the iconic '90s flick. The trio have all greyed since the film first premiered; however their humour hadn't changed a wink as they chatted to Richard Wilkins over a pint at The Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre in Marrickville. Caton and Curry also now sport salt and pepper bushy beards and moustaches. Looking back on the iconic Aussie film, the trio couldn't believe how the film was still so relevant after all this time, especially considering it only took 11 days to film. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'All those lines from the film have become such a part of the vernacular that the next generation of people coming through don't even know they're quoting the film,' Stephen, 49, revealed. Reflecting on the film's popularity 28 years on, Caton, 81, said that no one could've predicted the cult status it achieved. 'We all knew it was a great script. Great scripts have come and gone and the films have done nothing. This, this just surprised us all,' he said. Simcoe, now 56, chimed in, saying: 'When it took off, I was almost in disbelief about the impact that it had. 'I'd done a few films before that and usually it's your girlfriend, your mum and dad and your next door neighbour who sees it. 'And here, all of a sudden, you've got something that people not only watched at the time, but to have something that people remember 25-something years later...' The Castle recently made its way back into headlines after critics of the 1997 film linked its plot about a blue-collar family trying to save their home from being acquired by developers to Australia's current housing crisis. Taking to X, a critic slammed the beloved hit comedy that made household names Eric Bana, Michael Caton and Stephen Curry. 'The film that did irreparable damage to urban planning in Australia,' complained the keyboard warrior about the film that launched one-liners like: 'Tell 'em they're dreamin'.' The angry critic then explained that the film was 'a convergence towards self entitlement and hypocrisy, a surrender to urban sprawl and sitting on a motorway two hours a day.' Another joined in the strange pile-on against the film. '[1997] Literally when the housing boom took off. Coincidence?' they added on the X thread. Originally released in 1997, The Castle is a comedy about a blue collar family who battle with developers. The ultra-low-budget film went on to gross $11 million at the Australian box office. The film's creators Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, and Jane Kennedy later made another comedy classic The Dish, in 2000.
Time Out
24-06-2025
- Business
- Time Out
These are the 8 suburbs close to Sydney's CBD where house prices are under $2 million
Longing to own a house within 10 kilometres of Sydney's CBD and still have change from $2 million? Most Sydneysiders might quote Darryl Kerrigan in The Castle and say, 'Tell him he's dreaming!' But this need not be a pipe dream. A recent SMH article says a few city-fringe suburbs still offer homes under $2 million – but not for long. Two interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia this year – and the possibility of more – mean there's an influx of buyers trying to get a slice of Sydney's affordable(ish) property pie. Says Dr Nicola Powell, Domain's Chief of Research and Economics: '...as we see rates being reduced further, it will provide more momentum for the housing market. That will boost buyer sentiment and confidence as mortgage rates continue to fall. We won't see a price boom, but we will see growth, particularly in those sub-$2 million prime locations.' Location, location, location: we're talking inner-city suburbs like Redfern, Erskineville, Leichhardt and Newtown. These areas offer a taste of inner-city life, with terraces and townhouses that bring charm, character and convenience – plus a (relatively) cost-effective median house price under $2 million. In Erskineville, agents are reporting up to 40 groups at open homes – double what they were seeing just a few months ago. Good homes on good streets? Expect four to six serious buyers fighting it out at auction. Buyers range from first-home hopefuls to investors and knockdown-rebuilders. Here's where median house prices currently stand: So why the sudden urgency? Buyers remember what happened the last time interest rates dropped – demand spiked, and house prices surged. They're keen to get in now, while the door's still open. The only things giving some would-be buyers pause are cozzie livs, which is still hitting hard, and political and economic uncertainty overseas – particularly in the USA. Still, for many Sydneysiders, the lure of inner-city living without completely breaking the bank is proving too tempting to ignore. And Plus, .
