POPPY – the life and art of Jean Cocteau
Poppy premiered on 12 April 1978 at Sydney’s Theatre Royal and was Graeme Murphy’s first full-length work for Sydney Dance Company (it was later restaged in 1987 and 1991). Performed to a score by Carl Vine, its original production had visuals and set design by George Gittoes and Gabrielle Dalton and puppets by Joe Gladwin. Subsequent revivals have featured additional designs by Kristian Fredrikson.
Based loosely on events in the life of the French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist & filmmaker Jean Cocteau, the work featured in its original cast Graeme Murphy as Cocteau and Janet Vernon as Madame Cocteau. Murphy has called the work ‘a Cocteau-esque poem’.
More on POPPYThesis: ‘A study of a connecting thread with the Ballets Russes’
Featured Video (previous page): trailer featuring the 1991 revival of Poppy in which Graeme Murphy performs as Jean Cocteau
Video Tab above:
Jean Cocteau speaks to the year 2000, subtitled – 1962
1978 Version
GRAEME MURPHY as Jean Cocteau
ACT I
SCENE I – In a Field of Poppies
Mme Cocteau
JANET VERNON
Cocteau as a child
JOHN HULL
SCENE II – The Schoolroom
Dargelos
ROSS PHILIP
Schoolboys
PAUL MERCURIO
BRETT MORGAN
GIDEON OBARZANEK
DALE PENGELLY
CARL PLAISTED
STEVEN STUGGITT
SCENE III – The Cabaret
Contesse Anne De Noailles
JANET VERNON
Raymont Radiguet
BILL PENGELLY
Barbette, the Aerialist
DAVID PRUDHAM
Can-Can
GIDEON OBARZANEK
TAMASSIN NOLAN
NIKKI O’SHEA
Parisian Society
THE COMPANY
SCENE IV – Backstage at the Ballet Russes
Ballerina
LOUISE DELEUR
Serge Diaghilev
ALFRED WILLIAMS
Ninjinsky, the Dancer
BRETT MORGAN
Ninjinsky, the Soul
DAVID PRUDHAM
Ninjinsky, the choreographer
PAUL MERCURIO
Tamara Karsarvina
CATHERINE GOSS
The chosen Maiden in 'Le Sacre du Printemps'
GEORGIA SHEPERD
with THE COMPANY
SCENE IV – Radiguet’s Death
Raymont Radiguet
BILL PENGELLY
The Angel of Death
CYNTHIA LOCHARD
Mourners
THE COMPANY
ACT II
Nurses
LEA FRANCIS with
LOUISE DELEUR
KATHRYN DUNN
CATHERINE GOSS
TAMASSIN NOLAN
NIKKI O’SHEA
JAN PINKERTON
GEORGIA SHEPHERD
Galahad
BILL PENGELLY
The Angel of Death
CYNTHIA LOCHARD
Death’s attendant
GIDEON OBARZANEK
DALE PENGELLY
Orpheus
CARL PLAISTED
Eurydice
GEORGIA SHEPHERD
Oedipus
ROSS PHILIP
Jocasta
JANET VERNON
Merlin
ADRIAN BATCHELOR
Guinevere
LOUISE DELEUR
The boys from 'Le Livre Blanc'
PAUL MERCURIO
BRETT MORGAN
GIDEON OBARZANEK
DALE PENGELLY
CARL PLAISTED
DAVID PRUDHAM
ALFRED WILLIAMS
Choreography and Artistic Direction
GRAEME MURPHY AO
Creative Associate
JANET VERNON AM
Music
CARL VINE
Design
GEORGE GITOES
GABRIELLE DALTON
Additional Design
KRISTIAN FREDRIKSON
Puppets
JOE GLADWIN
Lighting Design
RODERIK van GELDER
After the 1987 Lighting Design by
JOHN DRUMMOND MONTGOMMERY
The Video
OB Supervisor
WARWICK JOHNSON
Technical Director
GREG ROBERTS
CCU Operators
CATHY CONWAY
PAUL REMATI
Camera
CHRIS BITCON
PHILIPPE CHARLUET
BOB FRANKEL
JOHN LEAHY
JOHN THORNTON
PAUL WARREN
Audio Director
STEVE BEST
Vision Switcher
DANEILLE HUNTER
Graphics
YAJA
Producers
CHRIS BOLLARD
PHILIPPE CHARLUET
Executive Producer
PAULINE WEBBER
A Video Directed and Edited by
PHILIPPE CHARLUET