2023 - death in the pantheon

Images by Tobias Moore.

World premiere at 107 Projects Redfern, Redfern, as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival, 7 and 9 September 2023

A murder mystery comedy set amongst the Greek gods. When one of the gods is murdered, Athena must play detective and catch the culprit before the pantheon tears itself apart from infighting!

Writer and Director: James Hartley
Assistant Director: Neil Parikh
Cast: Atlas Adams, Brenton Amies, Shiva Chandra, Natasha Cheng, Bendeguz Devenyi-Botos, Susan Jordan, Jessie Lancaster, Cam Ralph, Kat Tait, Dean Tuttle
Full programme available here.

Theatre Thoughts gave the production 4 stars and wrote “A heightened murder mystery comedy that provides a solid hour of laughs...

The work begins with Ares, god of bloodlust, performed by Atlas Adams. He’s over the top and cartoon like, he’s the butt of most jokes and has great comedic pace. Susan Jordan performs the role of Hera, she and Adams bounce off each other with the most magnetic of chemistry. The two of them presented hilarious, caricature like performances which reminded me of the ancestors from the cartoon version of Mulan. Natasha Cheng enters the stage in a white toga playing the main role of Athena. Her stillness and calm, clear characterisation juxtaposes the cartoonish comedy, which is very much needed to ground this giddy, frivolous work.

Dean Tuttle plays Zeus, he’s gruff and dry humoured, alongside Brenton Aimes who performs a very silly Hermes. Cam Ralph plays Poseidon, dressed like a pirate and equipped with a wonky trident, he brought great frivolity to this spirited character. As Dionysus, Kat Tait was hilariously pessimistic and stern in their manner. Jessie Lancaster was charmingly obnoxious and melodramatic as Aphrodite alongside Shiva Chandra as Hephaestus and Bendeguz Devenyi-Botos as Hades.

The writing is silly, easy to follow and very entertaining; the laughs around me were constant. The cast have wonderful ensemble skills, a very cohesive consort which helps to manage the constant high volume, high intensity nature of the work...The work was very busy, almost dizzying, and so jam packed with jokes I feel like I’d need to see it again to appreciate it properly. Death in the Pantheon is a very entertaining, fast paced murder mystery comedy.”

2020 - The mona lisa five

Images by Kodie Amos. Design by Aileen Fang.

World premiere at the Pop Up Stairs Theatre, Redfern, 30 September - 4 October 2020

Five thieves.
One painting.
Zero brains.
It is 2019. Five thieves have stolen the Mona Lisa and are celebrating at the castle of the mastermind. Little do they know that one of their own has stolen it for themselves. A dark murder mystery comedy where everyone is poised to stab——either each other or the camembert if someone would just pass the cheese board around...

Editors: Atlas Adams and James Hartley based on dialogue recorded by Atlas Adams, Alice Furze, Tommy Green, James Hartley, and Jessica Murphy
Director: James Hartley
Designer: Aileen Fang
Lighting and sound: KAZE Productions
Theatre designer: Aileen Fang
Cast: Brenton Amies, James Hartley, Debbie Neilson, Cam Ralph, and Emily Tighe
Special thanks to Jed Clarke and Tom Whittle
Full programme available here.

Sydney Arts Guide wrote “What we have is a night of comic mayhem. The cast of five - Brenton Amies, Debbie Neilson, James Hartley, Cam Ralph and Emily Tighe - play their outlandish characters well, the show’s humour is endearing and there are some twists and turns to look out for.”

Reviews by Judith wrote “Absurdly proud of its improv roots and embracing a highly arched silliness with gusto, it’s a production with laugh out louds, headshaker groans and not a few titters as the cast hurtle around, joyously untethered by traditional theatrical trappings...Hartley has a mean way with whacks of silent suspicion and gives his cast just enough rope to stay within the production’s very clearly conceptualised style.

With fabulous ensemble flair, each of the actors has the whole picture well defined despite some of the wild tangents that the plot heads off on - dragging a happy audience with it. If the show loses its grip on the watchers towards the end, the surprising finale pulls us all back into the small room which the cast has made their own. Debbie Neilson, she of the aforementioned red dress, has filled the air with an outrageous vapid cackle, but not too much; Brenton Amies has potty-mouthed his way into our hearts; Emily Tighe has swirled deliciously with a glorious line in side-looks; Cam Ralph has used a sneering height to down-nose, manipulate and belittle and James Hartley’s harrumphs of privilege and stupidity have rounded out the five who, mind you, maintain manners and stiff upper lips at all times...

There’s clever dialogue, the first belly laugh which is related to their fear of the unfed, is a cracker throwaway and there are many more to be had.  Added into the mix is some physical comedy chaos, ‘Oh fuck! My knee’ only just escaping from the melee, to draw another guffaw from me.   I also had a bit of sly pleasure in not twigging to the ending.  Considering how much theatre I see, I should have guessed the dastardly perpetrator.

The Mona Lisa Five is terrific fun.  It’s theatre made on a budget with enthusiasm and skill.  And well done to Upper Crass for taking the initiative to pop-up some theatre in such an entertaining fashion.”

Night Writes wrote “Hartley’s farcical mystery script is rife with innuendo and outright crass humour that satirises the genre as much as the social elite...The cast present a strong comedy ensemble with excellent comic timing and a keen eye for the balance between humorous over-dramatics and ham-fistedness. Brenton Amies plays Bertram, the outlier of the group who suffers both from his unrequited love of Claudia (Debbie Neilson) and his PTSD...but Amies manages to provide the majority of the narrative’s forward momentum. Neilson is a recognisable British rose, too posh for her own good, and in hopeless need of more attention. Emily Tighe as Millicent is a stand-out for her refined representation of the ignorance of privilege. In particular, Tighe and Neilson’s combined cattiness against the men, who they treat as oblivious playthings, is a juicy treat from the production.
Design by Aileen Fang sets the rambling shambles of an evening in Lord’s smallest castle on plush lounges and under the steady gaze of Lord’s father’s portrait, hung pride-of-place. A plethora of bottles of alcohol and mismatched silver drinkware propagates the show’s physical humour as much as it serves to punctuate the characters’ carelessness; knocking over drinks and misplacing bottles galore.

The Mona Lisa Five is a knotty comedy spun from a highly improbable premise for absolute silliness...the commitment of the cast makes the night an overall devilishly messy good time.”

2020 - This modern coil

Images by James Hartley. Design by Rose Montgomery.

A new Australian play by James Hartley.
Two soldiers stuck in no man's land try to survive the landmines before they annoy each other to death. A dark comedy in the vein of Waiting For Godot and Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead.

Writer and Director: James Hartley
Designer: Rose Montgomery
Lighting and sound: KAZE Productions
Theatre designer: Aileen Fang
Cast: Shayan Askari and Edward Frame
Special thanks to Jed Clarke and Tom Whittle
Full programme available here.

Theatre Travels wrote “Actors Shayan Askari and Edward Frame (Zachary) have great chemistry as a pair, with a great understanding of each other as performers. This is seen in the way the dialogue flows freely, and their love for each other as brothers in arms is enjoyable to watch. They carry this two-hander well between them, and we feel as if we are sucked right into their little world, just the two of them, in this vast, unforgiving minefield.

In a pop-up theatre space, the set is usually the first thing to be compromised, but designer Rose Montgomery took this in her stride, bringing us an intimate set littered with pebbles and dried brush. This not only brought us quickly into Booker and Zachary’s world but filled the space with fantastically hollow and uneasy sounds as the soldiers crunched through the ground and tested their luck with the mines.

Pitched as a dark comedy, This Modern Coil presents us with punchline after punchline...This Modern Coil presents some really interesting concepts that stay with you long after you leave the theatre.”

Night Writes wrote “The two actors maintain a camaraderie throughout their disagreements and repeating deaths and bounce well off the mix of musings and memories they present to each other while waiting. Frame is the straight-faced of the two, choosing no-nonsense reasoning...Askari, on the other hand, plays a romantic, passionate Booker who approaches the world with more wonder than his conservative friend. His performance built a broad, open characterisation that was at times unpredictable. Both offer solid performances...”

Reviews by Judith wrote “This Modern Coil is a revisiting of a one-act play in absurdist style which was done at the Sydney Fringe a few years ago and the offering is a lovely escape...

The world around them is created quickly by Writer/Director James Hartley with the edges well defined in the writing.  That is not to say that this intimate two hander lacks scope, they know there is an out-there there!  The story will loop around on itself and reverberate, with the reiterated sequences having an odd comfort to them for such a fractured telling.  Each little scene stands alone and becomes more meaningful as we get to know these characters...

Askari gives Booker a chatty and pragmatic demeanour when we first meet him, but there is a questioning and somewhat spiritual soul inside his lightheartedness and Askari brings this out as he moves through the piece.  Frame does a great deal of listening as Zachary and it is very well executed with the emotional connection clear and the cynic firmly engaged.  Hartley’s choice to never break the fourth wall is an excellent one especially when sections reprise and Zachary and Booker have big questions to ask of their world.  Both of the cast also negotiate the required periods of stillness with extremely good physicality.   That could get boring fast but the actors have a deft way of keeping the space moving...

This Modern Coil has much to recommend it and is deserving of your attendance for some funny situational and character humour, some laugh out loud (please!) nonsense and no small measure of existential crisis.  And I can’t say it enough … every show is a good show especially when it involves a sequence of interpretive dance!” 

Sydney Arts Guide wrote “With everything on a life and death balance, it’s the very cerebral, philosophical, and sometimes humorous banter between the two men that makes this very deftly written play. Hartley directs his play well. The play showcases two really good performances by Shayan Askari and Edward Frame...Try and catch this very well performed and cleverly written play before it closes.”

2019 - Ibsen Improvised

Images by James Shepherd and James Hartley.

World Premiere at Flow Studios, Camperdown 8 June 2019
The bad house. The revenant. The secret vice. Come watch seven actors perform and play with the archetypes, themes, and ideas of one of the greatest modern playwrights Henrik Ibsen. With the help of the audience the performers will create a 60 minute dramatic play before your eyes.

Creators: Atlas Adams and James Hartley
Director: Scott Parker
Cast: Brenton Amies, Alice Furze, Rosemary Ghazi, James Hartley, Katherine Poulsen, Lewis Scamozzi, Emily Tighe
Musician: Kathryn Roberts Parker
Special thanks to Sam Haft, Sydney Actors Association, and Lonie Foote

Theatre Travels wrote “there wasn't any chink in the armour at all. Most impressive was how the show didn't fall into the trap of relying solely on comedy. There were very effective moments of drama, particularly in the climax. The company work off each other flawlessly and quite frankly the show didn't feel improvised 99% of the time.

On questioning the team afterwards, it turns out all they rehearsed was the structure. Understandably so, considering the theatrical conception.

The cast and creatives set themselves a monumental task here, a huge gamble that paid off in the best way possible. They plan to do an entire season down the line, which is cause for celebration and something all theatergoers should endeavour to see. Without a doubt, this is a form of entertainment which should be further developed and seen the world over.”

The Buzz From Sydney wrote “the Upper Crass gang are taking awful liberties with Ibsen and the result? You have to see it.”

2018 - Fragments

Images by Angelica Madani. Design by Priyanka Martin.

World Premiere at the Pioneer Theatre, Castle Hill 14-17 November 2018
with the support of the MPS Travel+Tours Award, Capital Arts Patrons’ Organisation, and Creative Partnerships Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund

A new Australian play by Maura Pierlot.
Raw and real. Follow eight teens as they try to find hope and their sense of self in the face of adversity. A performance that will make you think and get you talking.

Director: James Hartley
Designer: Priyanka Martin
Stage Manager/Assistant Director: Gundega Lapsa
Cast: Naomi Belet, Tom Burt, Garyth Holfter, Katie Regan, Lewis Scamozzi, Adrian Sit, Brittany Young, and Antonia Zappia

Mick Donedee (producer) wrote he “was delighted to see a group of talented up-and-coming young actors tonight at the new Pioneer Theatre, Castle Hill, taking on the challenge of performing monologues about personal struggles with problems at home, school and their own self-image and insecurities. I particularly enjoyed the writing of playwright Maura Pierlot who crafted a range of characters we could identify and empathise with. It makes us realise that we probably all have some vulnerabilities that could easily lead to mental health issues if we hide them to gain social acceptance. Congratulations to James Hartley who we know well for his comedy but he directs these monologues with great sensitivity.”

Denise Tart (author) wrote “A cast of eight young actors brought to life a series of moving and often haunting monologues, each dealing with different aspects of youth mental health. The performers hailed from across the country, some with more experience than others, but each gave convincing and compelling performances, particularly given they were all older than the actual characters.

The direction, in the hands of James Hartley, was confident, yet subtle. He coaxed performances from his cast that spanned hilarious to heartbreaking. The decision to keep all the characters (students from the same high school) onstage throughout to witness each monologue was strong. It placed each story firmly in a ‘real’ world and underlined how important the gaze of their peers can be for many young people. The classmates all sat, stood or crouched in the shadows listening to one another, adding dynamism to what could have otherwise been quite a static format. The production was enhanced by a simple, but evocative, even whimsical, set and lighting design.”

2016 - this modern coil

Images by James Hartley. Design by Ara Nuri Steel.

World Premiere at the Erskineville Town Hall as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival, 9-10 September 2016

A new Australian play by James Hartley.
Two soldiers stuck in no man's land try to survive the landmines before they annoy each other to death. A dark comedy in the vein of Waiting For Godot and Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead.

Director: James Hartley
Designer: Ara Nuri Steel
Cast: Atlas Adams and Tommy Green

Suzy Wrong wrote "Intelligent, humorous and charming, James Hartley’s This Modern Coil explores our relationship with mortality, through a process that is inevitably philosophical, for an existentialist work that is simultaneously universal and challenging.

The writing operates at several levels of intellect, with some moments proving to be more accessible than others, but even at its most demanding, performers Atlas Adams and Tom Green are able to provide a sense of authenticity that keeps us engaged in their cerebral drama. Both men are gregarious and charismatic, effortlessly funny in a show that is almost always entertaining. Their impressive chemistry secures not only our attention, but also our empathy. They are very likeable characters that never fail to let us see ourselves reflected in all their anxieties and fantasies.

Hartley’s own direction of the work is accomplished, with effective manufacturing of tension through much of the piece...Set and costume design by Ara Steel is creatively and proficiently rendered...There is a depth to This Modern Coil that is very admirably courageous, and balanced with a confident sense of comedy and storytelling, we are lured into a meaningful exchange about the biggest and hardest questions of life, only without the usual feelings of intimidation and alienation.”

The Buzz From Sydney wrote “This Modern Coil intelligently draws inspiration from Schrödinger’s famous theory highlighting the absurdity of multiple-state-physics and then connects it to the modern-day infinite universe theory to blur the lines between what is real and what is simply imagination. With such complicated themes, the dialogue sacrifices a degree of realism but as long as you are prepared to give the play a high level of focus, you’ll be kept interested instead by the cleverly contemplative writing style.

Ara Steel’s set design is impressive in its simplicity, building a stage out of only cardboard that still conveys the quiet, looming danger of a warzone...both Green and Adams are incredible as they present the personification of optimism and pessimism. They are both equally charismatic and charming in their opposing characterization and do a tremendous job...This is a genuinely clever, thought provoking and well-performed play.”

Sydney Arts Guide wrote “for me the enjoyment was in the wit and the characters and the seemingly infinite variety of endings possible each time there was an ending. It’s very funny in places and well interpreted by Atlas Adams as the disarmingly naïve optimist, Booker and Tom Green as the poet and thinker, Zachary.

The actors really have a great rapport from the first time we see them. We immediately understand that they have spent a long time together in war and peace. They have shortcuts to communication and silences are ever-present. As Booker, Adams has a ready smile and a childlike enthusiasm. His physical and emotional foil, Green‘s Zachary is stoic and long suffering. Both actors have good command of the physical aspects of the role and there is some very clever static physical comedy. The cat in the backpack reaction was a highlight for me. They bring voice work with variety and carry and have an excellent command of tempo, a skill honed by their improv work. Green will sometimes react to Adams’ perfectly placed gormless Booker statements with sharp reports or with exasperated silence.

Director James Hartley has guided his cast well through the minefield of inaction and quiet, what actors often call “death on stage, right?”. He has them hold quite a few times and whether the stillness is empty or replete, it has clearly conveyed meaning. Nor does he allow them to overplay the comedy. The wit is all character based and much of it is laugh out loud. But there is a beauty that he allows them to wander into as well...Hartley is also the writer of the piece and it is well plotted, not too obscure and has thematic balance.”

2016-2012 short plays

Short+Sweet Sydney, the largest short play festival in the world:

2016 - “The Bridge Builders” by Simon Godfrey, directed by James Hartley, with Tommy Green and James Hartley. Top 80.

2015 - “So Says the Sea” by Rachel Welch, directed by James Hartley, with Alex Cubis, Aleks Mikic, Petrie Porter, and Maddy Stedman. Top 80, People’s Choice Showcase. Suzy Wrong wrote that “direction is also a highlight in Rachel Welch’s “So Says The Sea”. James Hartley finds nuance in a deceptively simple script, and portrays surprising depth in just ten minutes. His cast is a strong one, especially Petrie Porter and Aleks Mikic who both impress with committed and meaningful interpretations of what could have been quite plain characters.”

2015 - “A Bug’s Rights” by James Hartley, directed by James Shepherd, with Bendeguz Devenyi-Botos, Tommy Green, and James Hartley. Top 80, People’s Choice Showcase.

2014 - “Level 2” by Mike McRae, directed by James Hartley, with Marie Chanel, Bendeguz Devenyi-Botos, Tommy Green, and Ellen Williams. Top 80, Gala Finals. Sydney Arts Guide wrote “thank goodness that the short play “Level 2” was performed before interval on Friday night! I was ready to leave the theatre after the first four plays, and then this brilliant piece, written by Mike McRae, blew my mind! This play is refreshingly original! It was directed with finesse by James Hartley, and performed by a talented team of actors who worked as a tight ensemble...I can’t possibly recreate the hilarity of this play in this review; you will just have to see it at the Grand Final on 23/3/2014 at the Seymour Centre. I will be very surprised if it is not selected!”

2013 - “The Fox and the Hunter” by Simon Godfrey, directed by James Hartley, with Tommy Green and James Hartley. Top 80, People’s Choice Showcase, Gala Finals, Best Director, Best Writer, Best Actor (Green). Shit On Your Play wrote that “the night's winner surely has to be “The Fox and The Hunter” written by Simon Godfrey, directed by James Hartley and performed by Hartley and Tom Green. This was by far the most engaging and skilled piece on offer. Actors managed to tilt the audience's expectations many times throughout the play's allocated 10 minutes and I see a bright future for these young men.”

2012 - “Rebel Hell” by James Hartley, directed by James Hartley, with Elena Burger, Jimi Elwell, David Hines, and Brian Webb. Top 100. Sydney Arts Guide wrote “If you like you’re humorous biblical history, you’ll love REBEL HELL, a delightfully mundane corporate hell where demons Mammon, Belphegor and Asmodeus are as commercially jaded and occupationally unsatisfied as your average Joe working in an office. Complete with teenage Satan with braces, this ticks all the boxes.”