President Wilson in Paris
By Ron Blair
2005 National Tour
August 5 – November 12, 2005 – 13 week tour to 32 venues in VIC, ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, WA
Nunawading, South Morang, Wangaratta, Tuggeranong, Ballarat, Portland, Warrnambool, Bayswater, Swan Hill, Shepparton, Taree, Coffs Harbour, Gladstone, Caloundra, Redcliffe, Brisbane, Mackay, Adelaide, Pakenham, Wagga Wagga, Parramatta, Dubbo, Sale, Traralgon, Colac, Hamilton, Ringwood, Perth, Esperance, Albany, Mandurah & Moora.
A production by Christine Harris & HIT Productions
This 2005 tour of President Wilson In Paris by Ron Blair starred Henri Szeps, Henry Nixon and Deborah Kennedy.
President Wilson In Paris is an intriguing comedy thriller inspired by the films of Alfred Hitchcock. The action begins when President Wilson and his wife Edith are visiting Paris to attend a Peace Conference where Wilson will introduce his groundbreaking idea for a League of Nations. When an intruder appears in their hotel room, it throws up all sorts of questions about the President and his wife. Are they really who they seem to be? What exactly are they up to? As the plot unravels the action switches between Sydney and Paris, keeping the audience guessing until the final line of the play has been delivered.
Reviews
“Henri Szeps gave a great interpretation of President Wilson, capturing the accent with ease, has great stage projection and where called for changed his voice to suit the moment. An interesting play with a very unusual twist and the story is not what it seems to be. A real mystery with a touch of comedy thrown in. A show to watch for when it comes to your local Performing Arts Centre.“
Peter Kemp – Stage Whispers, Victoria Senior, Anything Goes (FM Radio 83.3), VIC, 08/05
“President Wilson, played with clarity and gusto by Henri Szeps, is often funny and perhaps as bizarre as the real Woodrow Wilson was. It’s a situation in search of an ending, really. The punch lines, whether macabre or witty, are all rewarding. It’s a very good cast for the job, and directed by a real actor’s director in Jennifer Hagan.“
Tim Lloyd, The Advertiser, SA, 09/05
Cast
Edith Wilson: Deborah Kennedy
Colonel House: Henry Nixon
Woodrow Wilson: Henri Szeps
Creatives
Playwright: Ron Blair
Director: Jennifer Hagan
Designer: Jamie Clennett
Lighting Designer: Michele Preshaw