18 April 2013
Reports about Philip Quast's public Masterclass at the Seymour Centre yesterday have been unanimously enthusiastic, coming from both the Actors Centre Australia students involved and the from the non-participating audience. Find a detailed report by Lauren (audience member) on the PQG Board.
UPDATE: One of the participating students has also shared her thoughts and feelings about the masterclass in her personal blog.

24 March 2013
In the framework of his activities as one of the tutors for the "Performing Musical Theatre" Module at the Actors Centre Australia, Philip Quast will be holding an open class on 17 April 2013 at the Seymour Centre in Sydney. ACA is offering a limited number of complimentary places to attend the event as observers/non-participating members of the audience. For more info check the latest ACA Newsletter (scroll down). Many thanks to Judith for the alert.

6 February 2013
The 10 episodes of the Australian TV mini-series Colour in the Creek (1987) are now available on DVD via the ABC Shop. This family drama, where Philip Quast plays the character of Barney, is based on Margaret Paice's Depression-era trilogy novel by the same title.

1st February 2013
Philip Quast, Gale Edwards and Nancye Hayes will be guest tutors in a 12-week "Performing Musical Theatre" Module starting on 18 February 2013 at the Actors Centre Australia in Sydney. Martin Crewes and Margi de Ferranti will be full-time tutors for this Module, during which students will "discover how to approach each song from a technical point of view, without compromising the dramatic integrity of the scene and understand the different performance styles within the musical theatre genre."
Entry is by audition only.

19 January 2013
The PQG is delighted to announce that Philip Quast has been appointed Artist in Residence at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney for 2013.
The Artist in Residence program is supported by the Seaborn Broughton and Walford Foundation.
As Artist in Residence, Philip Quast will be working with all three years of full-time courses, both in the acting stream and music theatre stream, as well as observing and participating in voice classes and acting classes. "I am fascinated to study how young actors and language are being influenced by the rate of techological advances".
The PQG wishes Philip Quast every success in his exciting new job!

21st December 2012
TV alerts for our readers both in the UK and in Australia: the Midsomer Murders episode 'Ghost of Christmas Past' featuring Philip Quast is going to be repeated tomorrow Saturday 22nd December on ITV3 (UK) and ABC1 (Australia). Thanks to Judith for the UK alert!

22nd November 2012
We are sorry to announce that due to unforeseen circumstances Philip Quast will no longer perform in the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of The Other Place, by Sharr White. The play's run, an Australian premiere, has been confirmed at the Playhouse Theatre, Arts Centre, in January - March next year, with David Roberts now playing the role of Ian.

20 November 2012
A newly remastered DVD version of the Tenth Anniversary Les Misérables concert has been released today in the US (Region 1 only, for the time being), with extra bonus material:
- a never-before-seen interview footage with producer Cameron Mackintosh, composer Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyricist Alain Boublil;
- a one-hour documentary Stage by Stage - The Making of Les Mis;
- a 12-page commemorative booklet;
- replica ticket from the 1995 London after-party.
Check our Shopping Page for purchase details. The remastered DVD will hopefully be available for Region 2 (Europe) and Region 4 (Australia) soon.

3rd October 2012 UPDATED
Philip Quast is among the 99 signatories (including Geoffrey Rush, Gale Edwards, Tony Sheldon, Nancye Hayes) of an open letter to members of Live Performance Australia to express their concern about LPA’s unexpected termination of the Live Theatre Agreement, which gave priority to Australian performers in the casting process of stage productions in Australia. The text of the letter and the full list of signatories can be found at this link (check also the the photo gallery section on the same site). 40 casts of recent or current Australian shows (including Mary Poppins, Yes, Prime Minister & His Girl Friday) have also passed a resolution.
You can learn more about this crucial campaign by visiting the Live Theatres website, and actively contribute by signing their petition.

1st October 2012
A short video introduction of Sharr White's The Other Place is now available on the Melbourne Theatre Company YouTube Channel: director Nadia Tass and actress Catherine McClements briefly describe the themes and challenges of this production. Philip Quast is going to play the role of Ian, Juliana's (Ms McClements) husband.

15 September 2012
His Girl Friday closes today in Melbourne after a short but successful run at the Playhouse Theatre. Philip Quast will now enjoy a short break before starting rehearsals in December for his next engagement, always at Melbourne Arts Centre, ie Sharr White's new play The Other Place (see news item below).

23rd August 2012
The PQG is delighted to announce that Philip Quast will appear early next year in Sharr White's new play The Other Place, once again at the Playhouse Theatre in Melbourne. The production, which is part of the 2013 Season of the Melbourne Theatre Company, will be directed by award-winning film director Nadia Tass and will run at the Arts Centre from 26 January to 2 March 2013. More details about the play, which will première on Broadway just a few days before, can be found at this link.

21st August 2012
Philip Quast was one of Jon Faine's special guests on the radio programme Conversation Hour on 774 ABC Melbourne earlier today. The 20-min interview, one of his best EVER, is now available in podcast format at this link (drag the cursor to the second half of the audiofile).
You can also find a picture of Philip and the other guests on today's programme, Neil Cole and Hugo T Armstrong, at this link. A big THANK YOU to Mia for her precious assistance regarding this update.

16 August 2012 UPDATED
It's Press Night day for His Girl Friday in Melbourne. On behalf of the PQG, a huge "chookas" to Philip Quast and all the cast & crew involved in this production.
While waiting for the first reviews to appear on the various Australian media, check our His Girl Friday page for the most recent links to an ...overdose of new production photos published on the MTC and other websites. Enjoy!

12 August 2012
We have added the full cast list (with individual roles) to our His Girl Friday page. Check also the latest Media Release concerning the production, which also includes further details about the show's creative team. More to come soon!

11 August 2012
Chookas to Philip Quast and all the cast & crew of His Girl Friday, which starts previews tonight at the Playhouse Theatre, Melbourne. Stay tuned for more features about this exciting production in the days to come.

3rd August 2012
Don't miss a fantastic interview (plus photos!) with Philip Quast published in tomorrow's (sic) The Age newspaper. Lots of interesting points about his career in general and his forthcoming role of Walter Burns in His Girl Friday. The full interview is available at this link. Enjoy!!

30 July 2012
The first official snapshots the cast of His Girl Friday in rehearsals at the Arts Centre, Melbourne, have just been uploaded on the Melbourne Theatre Company website. Another "eloquent" photo of Philip Quast in his new Walter Burns role has also been published in the digital edition of today's The Age newspaper. To avoid any risk of copyright infringement, we'll just link to it for the time being. Enjoy!

9 July 2012
Rehearsals for His Girl Friday have just started in Melbourne. The PQG Team wishes all the Melbourne Theatre Company cast and crew the most fruitful and rewarding rehearsal time before the show's opening on 11th August at the Playhouse Theatre.

10 June 2012
Today marks the end of Philip Quast's engagement with the 2012 Australian Tour of Yes, Prime Minister, which started in late January in Melbourne. After a fully-deserved break, in mid-July Philip will join the company of His Girl Friday in Melbourne to prepare his new exciting role of Walter Burns.

31 May 2012
Yes, Prime Minister opens today in Perth for a 2-week season at the His Majesty's Theatre. This is going to be Philip Quast's final venue for this year's tour, with his very last performance as Sir Humphrey Appleby on 10th June.

18 May 2012
The cast & crew for His Girl Friday in Melbourne later this season is shaping up nicely, including a couple of 'Old Friends' from past productions. Check out our brand-new His Girl Friday Page, containing plenty of useful infos and links about this much-anticipated Melbourne Theatre Company production.

1st May 2012
After months of patient waiting the Australian Children Music Foundation website has been updated with some great material from the Dueting it for the Kids Gala concert which took place at Sydney's State Theatre in August 2011 and featured Philip Quast - together with Marina Prior & Debra Byrne - among its many guest stars. Check our brand-new Dueting it for the Kids Page for some UNMISSABLE links to photos & videos related to the event.

4 April 2012
Yes, Prime Minister opens today in Sydney for a 6-week season at the Sydney Theatre. This morning Philip Quast & Mark Owen Taylor were the special guests at ABC Breakfast. The 8-min interview also includes a delightful "live taster" of the incredibly fast dialogue between Sir Humphrey and the Prime Minister in the play.

30 March 2012
UNMISSABLE videoclip, recently made available on The Theatre Show YouTube channel, featuring Philip Quast & Mark Owen-Taylor during their recent visit to Parliament House in Canberra, and including a splendid rendition of one of Sir Humphrey's famous monologues. Enjoy!!

18 March 2012
Busy times for the Yes, Prime Minister cast! This time Philip Quast and Mark Owen-Taylor were interviewed on the ArtSound channel during the weekly Dress Circle programme. You can listen to the two interviews on our Audio Interviews Page. HUGE thanks to Gregor for his invaluable technical assistance.

14 March 2012
Philip Quast and Mark Owen-Taylor were interviewed early this morning on Breakfast with Mark Parton, on 1206 2CC "Talking Canberra" radio channel. The excerpt from the programme containing their interesting 8-min conversation with their host is available for your listening pleasure on our Audio Interviews Page.

13 March 2012
Earlier today Philip Quast and Mark Owen-Taylor were the Special Guests in the Visitors' Gallery of the House of Representatives in Canberra. They were officially welcomed to Question Time by the speaker Peter Slipper and loudly cheered by the politicians (listen to the audioclip). A photo of the two smiling "distinguished guests", can be viewed here. Finally, the Canberra Times has a feature about the event in its 14 March issue. Enjoy!

10 March 2012
The Melbourne season of Yes, Prime Minister comes to an end today after 47 performances at the Comedy Theatre. The tour will resume in a few days' time in Canberra, where it will run at Canberra Theatre Centre from 21st to 31 March.
In the meantime, don't miss the latest mesmerizing interview with Philip Quast published by the Australian Arts Portal ArtsHub (thanks for the update to Lynne & Gregor!)

6 March 2012
Booking for the Melbourne Theatre Company production of His Girl Friday opens today for non-subscribers. The 1930s classic, which will also star Pamela Rabe, will run from 11 August to 15 Septebmer 2012 at the Playhouse, Arts Centre, Melbourne.

4 March 2012
The complete Series 2 of the 1996 ITV drama The Governor, starring Janet McTeer and featuring Philip Quast in the role of her boyfriend Simon Lennox, will be released in the UK on 4 June 2012. The DVD set is available for pre-order on Amazon UK. Thanks to Judith for the update!

1st March 2012
Several Yes, Prime Minister "memorabilia" are now available via Playbill Australia. Items available for online purchase include the show's programme and script, as well as mugs, T-shirts & tea towels carrying quotes from the play. Cool stuff!

15 February 2012
The Melbourne season of Yes, Prime Minister has now officially been extended to 10 March 2012. Tickets for the final weeks are on sale via the usual Ticketmaster link. Dates & booking details for all the other stops of the Australian tour can be found on the official Yes, Prime Minister website.

3rd February 2012
As announced, after yesterday's Australian premiere of Yes, Prime Minister the first features are starting to appear on the web: don't miss a very good media-call interview with the three leads published by TheatrePeople.
Meanwhile, AussieTheatre has just uploaded an extensive Photo Gallery (by David Wyatt) of the cast onstage, including several shots of a rather dashing Sir Humphrey. More coming soon!

2nd February 2012
Yes, Prime Minister opened today at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne. Stay tuned to the PQG over the next few days for the latest media coverage and reviews.

2nd January 2012
Rehearsals for Yes, Prime Minister start today in Melbourne, VIC, where the show will open on 2nd February (previews from 31 January). Find here an excellent factsheet about the show, including photos and biographies of the four leads.

21st December 2011
Check on the Yes, Prime Minister page a new link to the Press Launch Photo Gallery including many stills from last September's photo shoot in Sydney. Please note that for Copyright reasons the photos are password-protected (Premium Feature). Read our F.A.Q. to find out how to access them.

18 December 2011
Congratulations to Philip Quast for his nomination in the (newly-created) category of "Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical" for the 2011 Sydney Theatre Awards. Verity Hunt-Ballard, Matt Lee and the show Mary Poppins have also received nominations. The Awards will be presented at a gala ceremony in Sydney on 16 January 2012. Find the full list of categories and nominees here.
Mary Poppins has also recently won the Metro M Award for People's Choice for Best Show.

30 November 2011
DON'T MISS for anything in the world the brand new Yes, Prime Minister promo, featuring clips from the photo shoot which took place in the luxurious settings of the Observatory Hotel in Sydney at the end of September, including interviews with the cast and director of the forthcoming Australian touring production.

22nd November 2011
The Devil’s Double is released today in DVD (Region 1) & Blu-ray in the US. UK (Region 2) release is scheduled for 26 December 2011. The movie will also be available for digital download via iTunes (geographical restrictions may apply).
The DVD/Blu-ray features the following bonus material: Behind-the-Scenes featurette, Making Of featurette, Audio commentary with Lee Tamahori, Interview with Latif Yahia.
The movie will be released in Australian cinemas in March 2012.

9 November 2011
Good news for friends living in Western Australia: you won't be able to see Philip Quast perform as Mr Banks when Mary Poppins transfers to Perth in March 2012, but he will be well within reach on another stage, His Majesty's Theatre's, performing in Yes, Prime Minister shortly after, from 31 May to 10 June 2012. Tickets are not on sale yet.

2nd November 2011
Sony Entertainment Television (Sky channel 157) will air the Holby City episode "Pride Before a Fall" - featuring Philip Quast in the role of an airline pilot - on Thursday 24 (at 6:45pm) & Friday 25 (at 1:45pm) November 2011. The episode will also be available in full on the Sony TV website - for free and also outside the UK - from 24 November and during the following 7 days. Many thanks to R. for the alert!

31 October 2011
Further details have been released today about the Yes, Prime Minister Australian Tour. The show will run at Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, from 21 to 26 May 2012. Tickets will go on sale on 14 November 2011 through BASS. (Source: AdelaideNow)

30 October 2011
Philip Quast has now left the production of Mary Poppins and is enjoying a well-deserved holiday before a busy year 2012 ahead. The role of Mr Banks will be played by his understudy Adam Murphy until the new official Mr Banks, Simon Burke, takes over. Also, the official Mary Poppins website has recently updated its cast list, introducing 4 new members of the company: David Spencer has replaced Troy Sussman as Von Hussler; Jodie Harris has taken over Christina Tan in the role of Glamour Doll; Jennifer Peers has replaced Anna Lee Robertson as Miss Lark and Glen Oliver is succeeding Justin Anderson as Toy Soldier.

29 October 2011
Check out the official Australian Yes, Prime Minister website for a new... irresistible headshot of Philip Quast as Sir Humphrey. Also, Caroline Craig has now been confirmed in the role of Claire Sutton, the Special advisor to the Prime Minister.

16 October 2011
Don't miss a charming interview with Anthony Jay & Jonathan Lynn, writers of Yes, Prime Minister, published in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald, plus a new - even more charming - photo of the 3 leads. The Melbourne run of the show has just been extended to 26 February 2012.

12 October 2011
The Honourable Schoolboy, the radio adaptation of John le Carré's novel, which features Philip Quast in the role of an Australian journalist, will be repeated on BBC Radio 4 Extra next Monday 17 & Tuesday 18 October. Check the above link for exact timings. Many thanks to R. for the alert!

8 October 2011
The Devil’s Double is going to be released in DVD and Blu-ray on 22 November 2011 in the US and on 26 December 2011 in the UK. Both versions are already available for pre-order through Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

27 September 2011
A busy and exciting year ahead for Philip Quast in his native Australia. Soon after the end of his Yes, Prime Minister tour (see News below), he will appear in the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of the 1940 screwball comedy His Girl Friday, at the Playhouse Theatre from 11 August to 15 September 2012. Philip will star - opposite Pamela Rabe - in the role of Walter Burns, the hard-edged newspaper editor played by Cary Grant in the original Howard Hawks movie.

22nd September 2011
We can now officially disclose that Philip Quast will leave the cast of Mary Poppins at the end of the Sydney run. But he won't be offstage for long: in January 2012 he star in the Australian Premiere of the stage adaptation of the BBC comedy series Yes, Prime Minister, playing Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby. More details - including a fantastic photo of a very fit PQ - on Theatre People, Stage Whispers and Aussie Theatre.

21st September 2011
Two important changes in the cast of Mary Poppins have just been announced on the StageWhispers website: Verity Hunt-Ballard is taking a break until the end of the Sydney run and "veteran Mary" Scarlett Strallen has now taken over the lead role (becoming the only performer who has played Mary on 3 different continents). Also, Marina Prior will be replaced by Pippa Grandison in the role of Winifred Banks from 28 September 2011.

14 September 2011
4OD, Channel 4's video-on-demand website, has recently re-released the full Ultraviolet Series (6 episodes). Sadly only viewers living in the UK can play the online videos, which are available at this link.

17 August 2011
A great opportunity for our friends in Sydney to enjoy the music of Mary Poppins free of charge: if you buy a copy of the Sun-Herald newspaper this Sunday 21st August you will get an exclusive 8-track edition of the Australian Cast Recording CD for free. Subscribers can also download the album from iTunes from tomorrow 18 August to 1st September 2011. Enjoy!

16 August 2011
Next Monday, 22nd August, Philip Quast and Marina Prior will join over 40 other Australian stars in the gala charity concert Dueting It For The Kids at the State Theatre, Sydney. The fundraising concert is organised by the Australian Children's Music Foundation, which runs a variety of creative events to provide music equipment and tuition to disadvantaged and Indigenous youth across Australia. Philip and Marina will perform, for the first time together on the same stage, 'How Could I Ever Know' from The Secret Garden. Tickets available from Ticketmaster.

15 August 2011
Ticketmaster Australia has just released the last batch of tickets for Mary Poppins, confirming that the final night of the show's Sydney season at the Capitol Theatre will be on 17 December 2011, after exactly 8 months of successful running. The show will transfer to Brisbane in early 2012, although some cast changes are expected.

14 August 2011
Here's a weekend treat for all our readers who are not based in Australia: a brand-new Ready, Steady, Cook page, including all the details and some exclusive videoclips of the Celebrity episode aired last month on Channel TEN which featured Philip Quast and Marina Prior as special guests. Many many thanks to DB for recording and sending over the episode!

10 August 2011
The Devil’s Double is released today in UK cinemas (find one near you here - while our US friends can check showtimes here). The movie's publicity campaign over the past month has been astounding, and kudos to its star Dominic Cooper for giving hundreds of interviews and always sounding so "fresh" when talking about his role. Also interesting to learn that Philip Quast enjoys a double role too, playing both Saddam Hussein and his body double Faoaz Al-Emiri.
Find lots of new links on our Devil's Double page and Interviews page. More official reviews coming up soon.

1st August 2011
Congratulations to Philip Quast for winning his first Helpmann Award in the category of "Best Actor in a Supporting Role"
In a star-studded ceremony last night at the Sydney Opera House Mary Poppins won a total of 8 Awards, including Best Musical. Check all the winners on the Helpmann Awards website and read a report of the event at this link.

31 July 2011
On the eve of the the Helpmann Awards, to be held tomorrow evening at Sydney Opera House, the Theatre People website has published an interesting "crystal-ball feature": the article's author sees Philip Quast as the front-runner for the Supporting Actor Award "due to the double whammy of sensational performer playing by far the most interesting 'supporting' role. If the show wasn't already named after the flying nanny it would be called George Banks."
Read the full article here. And why not enter the site's Helpmann Awards competition, with the possibility of winning a copy of the Mary Poppins original Australian cast recording.

29 July 2011
The Devil’s Double is released today in the United States. So many features about the movie have been published on the Internet over the past couple of weeks, it's been impossible to keep track of them all. However, we recommend checking our PQG Page for the most prominent ones, especially the latest videoclips. Further reviews are likely to be published in the days to come as soon as the movie is released in other parts of the world.

28 July 2011
Today's performance of Mary Poppins was cancelled in the middle of Act One because of a machinery breakdown - Philip Quast himself had to call a show stop because of safety concerns at the beginning of one of his scenes. The Capitol Management has confirmed that performances will resume regularly tomorrow and for the rest of the week. More details about today's incident can be found on the Musical Insider website.

25 July 2011
Disney Theatrical, producers of Mary Poppins, have officially confirmed the show's transfer to Brisbane at the end of the year, with previews starting on 27 December 2011 at the QPAC's Lyric Theatre (Opening Night on 6 January 2012). Some cast changes are expected. More details on AussieTheatre.com and on the QPAC's official website.

15 July 2011
The Devil’s Double's official website has recently been revamped, including a HD trailer and some new material and photos. A new UK website is also available, with a richer photo gallery, including a hi-res photo of Philip Quast as Saddam Hussein. The movie is going to be released on 29 July in the US, on 12 August in the UK, Ireland & Russia and on 21st September in Belgium, the producing country. (Many thanks to Judith for spotting the UK Gallery)

6 July 2011
We are... sorry to report that Philip lost the "cook off" against Marina on yesterday's Ready, Steady, Cook Celebrity episode - and sadly it's not possible to revert the verdict by public voting. Our Australian readers can watch again Monday's episode at this link, while international ones can view PQ's and Marina's respective menus here.

5 July 2011
Congratulations to Philip Quast, who has been nominated (in the Best Supporting Male Actor in a Musical category) for a Helpmann Award. Verity Hunt-Ballard, Matt Lee, Marina Prior and many creatives of the Australian production of Mary Poppins, plus the show itself, have also received nominations. The Helpmann Awards celebrate the best in Australia's live entertainment and performing arts, with performances from the finest productions of the year in contemporary music, theatre, musicals, opera and ballet. Read the full list of nominees on AussieTheatre.com. The Awards Ceremony will take place on 1st August 2011 at the Sydney Opera House, when Philip Quast will also present an Award.

4 July 2011
More details have now been released regarding today's special celebrity episode of Ready, Steady, Cook on Channel TEN, featuring Philip Quast and Marina Prior. Philip's Capsicum Team will be busy preparing a menu of "grilled pork and Jicama salad, spicy Jicama chips and rhubarb with zabaglione" while Marina's Tomato Team will be creating a chicken-based menu. Check more details - and a lovely picture of today's Teams - on the programme's website.

28 June 2011
Don't miss the latest interview with Philip Quast and Marina Prior on ABC Radio, now available in podcast format. Philip and Marina were Paul Bevan's special guests on today's Drive programme and talked about their shared experience as "the parents" in Mary Poppins, their respective artistic backgrounds and their views about the current Australian theatre scene.

21st June 2011
Philip Quast and Marina Prior are among the celebrity contestants appearing in the new season of the popular Australian cooking show Ready, Steady, Cook on Channel TEN. The episode featuring Philip & Marina competing in the 20-minute challenge will be aired on Monday 4th July 2011 from 2pm to 3pm.

17 June 2011
The Devil's Double is going to have a Gala screening on 20th June in the framework of the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival, which opened yesterday. The movie's general release in cinemas is scheduled for 29th July in the US and 12 August in the UK.

18 May 2011
Many thanks to our readers for sending new references to Mary Poppins-related material to be found online. Even if you don't see any new entry on this page, please keep in mind that we update our Mary Poppins Page as well as the Reviews Page almost daily with new items and links, so do check out regularly for the little icon!

10 May 2011
Philip Quast's Live at the Donmar album is now available to download in MP3 format from all the major digital sellers worldwide. Check the PQG's SHOPPING page for all the relevant links.

9 May 2011
There are strong rumours going around in the Australian press according to which Mary Poppins is likely to continue "her" journey northwards in 2012. Brisbane's Lyric Theatre has indeed been mentioned as the next possible stop-over for "the magical nanny" after the Sydney season, which should end around Christmas. No official update from Disney as yet.

7 May 2011
According to an article about the current musical theatre boom in Australia published in today's The Australian, Mary Poppins is "the nation's hottest show" at the moment, having opened in Sydney this week with the highest advance booking since The Lion King in 2003. The same article also discloses some details about the show's future prospects, suggesting that it "will leave Sydney before Christmas and be staged in other capitals".

6 May 2011
The first reports from Sydney after last night's opening of Mary Poppins are unanimously enthusiastic, the show got a huge standing ovation and some said that this new opening in Sydney was even more triumphal than the Melbourne one. Find a 10-min Opening Night webstream at this link (which includes some magical clips from the live show) and keep checking our Press pages for the latest reviews, interviews & articles.

5 May 2011
Mary Poppins opens today at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney. Chookas to the whole cast and crew from the PQG, we anticipate that this new Press Night is going to be as memorable and thrilling as the Melbourne one last year. Don't miss a few links to new Poppins-related videoclips on our show's page.
To celebrate the show's opening the rooftops of London will be projected tonight onto Sydney's Town Hall (6pm-midnight), where the opening night party is going to take place, with the clock tower becoming Mary Poppins' magical umbrella.

1st May 2011
Check our Audio Interviews page and enjoy snippets of interviews with Philip Quast, Marina Prior & Debra Byrne at last month's Press Launch in Sydney and broadcast earlier today on the programme Dress Circle on ArtSound.fm, Canberra's music and arts Radio Channel. The programme's page also features a few photos of the rehearsals and cast taken on the day.

26 April 2011
The Devil’s Double's website is finally up and running. Not much material has been added yet, but do click the link to the new Yahoo Movies trailer, including some glimpses and dialogue featuring Philip Quast as Saddam Hussein. The movie has been rated "R for strong brutal bloody violence and torture, sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and pervasive language".

20 April 2011
The cinema blog Ain't It Cool has disclosed the alleged new poster for The Devil’s Double, which should accompany the movie's general release in the US & Europe in July-August 2011. You might want to wear your sunglasses before viewing the hi-res version of the poster in question...

18 April 2011
According to Latif Yahia's website and other online sources (including FilmDates.co.uk), The Devil’s Double will be released in the UK on 12 August 2011. Many thanks to Medic One for the alert.

17 April 2011
The Sydney season of Mary Poppins kicked off with a full house today at Capitol Theatre (incidentally, this was the 300th performance). The show is currently booking to the end of July, but the rumour goes that it's likely to gradually extend until the end of the year.

13 April 2011
Check out our Mary Poppins page for links to new interviews with the cast (including Philip Quast!) and videoclips after yesterday's Mary Poppins Media Call at Capitol Theatre in Sydney. More media coverage coming up soon.

12 April 2011
Verity Hunt-Ballard and Matt Lee, who play the lead roles of Mary and Bert in Mary Poppins, were interviewed earlier today on the Breakfast programme of ABC Radio National. You can view again to the 10-min clip, including some music from the newly-released cast album, at this link.

8 April 2011
According to its Facebook Page, The Devil’s Double now has a release date: 29 July 2011, though no details are given about the exact countries where it's going to be shown. More details as soon as we get them.

4 April 2011
Special Mary Poppins offer from Ticketmaster Australia! If you book a ticket for a Wednesday or Thursday evening performance between 11 May and 16 June you will get a free copy of the newly-released Cast Recording of the show (you'll collect your copy from the Capitol Theatre's Box Office on the night). The offer is available only via this Ticketmaster page between 11 and 30 April 2011.

3rd April 2011
The cast members of the Australian series Bed of Roses are among the nominees in the "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" category for the Equity Ensemble Awards. The Awards will be bestowed later this month on the basis of the votes cast by all the members of the Equity Foundation, the organisation which covers media, entertainment, sports and arts professionals across Australia. You can currently watch online the entire last episode of Bed of Roses ('Raucous Angel') at this link.

2nd April 2011
Kudos to the official Mary Poppins website for their speedy update of the show's cast list for the Sydney run. Check on the PQG page all the new "Janes" & "Michaels".
Busy times for the whole cast even during their preview period: on 30 April the show will have a special charity night in support of the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation. The ticket price includes champagne and refreshments before the show and a souvenir program. More info at this link.

1st April 2011
After a hugely successful 8-month run, during which the show enthralled over 500,000 theatregoers, Mary Poppins closes today in Melbourne. No holidays for the cast & crew though, who are moving to Sydney next week, ready to start rehearsals at the Capitol Theatre on Monday 11th, with a new set of "Janes" and "Michaels". Full details coming soon.

21 March 2011
Congratulations to Philip Quast and the cast and creatives of Mary Poppins for scooping up almost every possible award in the Musical Theatre category at the 28th Green Room Awards, which were held today at the Famous Spiegeltent in Melbourne. The full list of Awards is available on the Stagewhispers website.

21 February 2011
"A world-class recording that every fan of Mary Poppins should own". That's TheatrePeople.com's final verdict about the newly-released Mary Poppins Cast Recording. Apart from the outstanding quality of the Album, the reviewer also raved about the 36-page booklet accompanying the CD, containing "all the lyrics to the show with stunning souvenir photos on every page".
On the "live" front, the Sydney season of Mary Poppins has now extended to 31 July 2011.

20 February 2011
We strongly recommend visiting the Universal Australia page for the new Mary Poppins Cast Recording, where you can listen to 30-second audio samples of every track of the album (including lots of precious Mr Bank snippets). You can also purchase single tracks or the entire album for digital download (in mp3 format). Enjoy!

19 February 2011
Kudos to Latif Yahia for uploading onto his YouTube Channel a 8-min clip showing various scenes from The Devil’s Double, currently featured at the Berlin Film Festival. Take the time to read Mr Yahia's intro too, where he praises Philip Quast's performance as Saddam and mentions that he too played a double role.
Please note that some images shown in the flip are rather distressing to watch.

18 February 2011
The Australian Cast Recording of Mary Poppins has been released today in Australia and according to the initial feedback it's an absolute treat. Visit our Shopping Page to find out how to purchase it depending on your home country (please note that release dates vary from country to country). As soon as the PQG Team receive their copy some short clips will be uploaded on our Samples Page.

16 February 2011
Finally catching up with a few updates concerning The Devil’s Double, currently featured at the Berlin Film Festival, including a 50-min press conference in Berlin, two newsreels from Belgian TV (watch out for the odd glimpse of PQ/Saddam...) and a couple of reviews. Still no official trailer, but stay tuned!

15 February 2011
Congratulations to Philip Quast, who has been nominated (in the Featured Role category) for a Green Room Award. Verity Hunt-Ballard, most of the creatives of Mary Poppins and the production itself have also received nominations. The Green Room Awards recognise the world-class Musical Theatre, Cabaret, Dance, Theatre and Opera productions staged in Melbourne each year. Read the full list of nominees on the TheatrePeople website. The Awards Ceremony will take place on 21st March 2011.

11 February 2011
The Devil’s Double will have its European Premiere tonight at the Berlin Film Festival. The official site is currently down, which bodes well for the forthcoming release of a revamped version. In the meantime, many thanks to Judith for finding and sharing the link to another stunning photo of Philip Quast as Saddam Hussein which was recently published on the IMdB.

9 February 2011
The cast of Mary Poppins made a short trip to Sydney yesterday to meet the media before the show's transfer to the Capitol Theatre in April. Stage Whispers magazine has uploaded a small photo gallery on their Facebook page. Stay tuned for further info.
UPDATE: Find here the latest report from Aussietheatre.com.

2nd February 2011
The PQG is delighted to finally confirm the forthcoming release of the Australian Cast Recording of Mary Poppins. The 23-track album was recorded live over five nights in Melbourne in October 2010 and will be available online and in stores from 18 February 2011. Congratulations to BIGWentertainment.com.au, the first online store to list the album.

29 January 2011
Following the devastating floods in Queensland, funds were collected from audiences attending recent performances of Mary Poppins. Over 57,000 AUD were collected, which will be donated directly to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal in Queensland to aid flood victims. For anyone else that would like to contribute please visit the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal donation page. (Source: Mary Poppins Page on Facebook)

28 January 2011
On 14 February 2011 at the Melbourne Recital Centre, members of the cast of Mary Poppins, including Verity Hunt-Ballard, Matt Lee & Debra Byrne, will join other stars of Australian theatre in Theatre Aid - Flood Relief, a special charity event to raise funds for the Victorian and Queensland Food Appeals. Ticket includes entry to After Show Party with Cast.

27 January 2011
Variety and ScreenDaily report that, after days of frantic negotiations between The Devil’s Double representatives and "multiple suitors", the acquisition deals for the movie are now finalised: Icon has acquired the distribution rights for Australia and New Zealand, while Lionsgate will cover the North American market. In other words, The Devil’s Double should "come to a theatre near you" very soon!
ALSO: check plenty of links to new photos of the cast, reviews and interviews on the movie's main page.

25 January 2011
The Honourable Schoolboy, the radio adaptation of John le Carré's novel, which features Philip Quast in the role of an Australian journalist, will be broadcast on ABC Radio National (Australia) on two consecutive Thursdays (27 January & 3rd February), as part of the weekly Airplay programme.

24 January 2011
According to various press sources, Corsan, the Belgian Company which handles the distribution of The Devil’s Double, has received various bids from UK and Australian buyers. All English-speaking sales are expected to be closed before the movie's European Premiere at Berlin’s Film Festival next month.
ALSO: catch the very first clips from the movie in the Premiere coverage on Euronews.

23rd January 2011
While waiting for early reactions from the Sundance Festival after yesterday's World Premiere of The Devil's Double, please check our movie's page and enjoy the first photo of Philip Quast as Saddam Hussein - which we were not allowed to publish until the film's release. HUGE THANKS to Mr Latif Yahia for his kindness and trust.
A photo gallery of the cast members who attended the Premiere, plus director Tamahori, can be found at this link.
UPDATE: First reviews are out! Check our Reviews Page.

22nd January 2011
The Devil's Double has its World Premiere today at the Sundance Film Festival (Premieres section, screenings on selected dates until 29 January). There seems to be a good buzz about the movie (which was also screened for a selected audience in Belgium yesterday) and rumours about an imminent worldwide release are taking shape.
UPDATE: Watch an in-depth interview with director Lee Tamahori at this link.

3rd January 2011
The Devil's Double is going to be showcased at the 61th Internationale Filmfestspiele in Berlin (Panorama section) in mid-February 2011. The Panorama section includes new works by well-known directors and gives an overview of trends in art-house world cinema.

1st January 2011
New photos have been added to the Gallery section of the revamped official The Devil's Double website (sadly none of Philip Quast as Saddam Hussein so far). A review has also recently been posted on a movie blog (scroll down till you get to the movie's title).

For earlier news check out the News Archive Page