Tuesday, April 6, 2021, 11:00 EET (GMT +02:00)
Australia
Director: Brett Brown / Australia
Actor: Alina Mangra
Episode: Day 10. Story 4
about the Director
Brett Brown
Brett Brown is an internationally acclaimed actor and baritone. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he also holds a Licentiate in Singing from the Australian Music Examinations Board, is a Fellow of the Guild of Musicians and Singers, and a Fellow of The Institute of Arts and Letters (London).
As an actor, Brett’s film credits include the Academy Award winning The Theory of Everything.
On stage, Brett has played leading roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s Globe, the BBC and Wise Children.
His West End credits include: Dear World directed by Dame Gillian Lynne; the leading role of Ben in Fishskin Trousers, a role written for him by award-winning playwright, Elizabeth Kuti; and Man in Rather Lovely Thing (Soho Theatre).
Off West End credits include: Winterlove (Omnibus); Tiresias (Bloomsbury Festival); Last Seen (Almeida); Coalition: Westminster Side Story (Theatre 503); Oh! What a Lovely War (Haymarket, Basingstoke); The Poetry Show (UK Tour); Gentleman (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Despatches (The Drill Hall); Last Easter (GBS Theatre), and his solo production of Phaedra (London Festival of Emerging Artists).
Brett has represented Australia with his award-winning solo production of Shakespeare’s Henry V at the Gyula Shakespeare Festival, Hungary; Ostrava Shakespeare Festival, Czech Republic; Gdańsk Shakespeare Festival, Poland; York International Shakespeare Festival, United Kingdom; Itaka Shakespeare Festival, Serbia; Craiova International Shakespeare Festival, FEST(in) pe Bulevard Festival, Romania; and Midsummer Scene Festival, Croatia.
His international Shakespearean performances include Hamlet (ZeroPointMotion, Gangdong Arts Centre, Seoul, South Korea); Hamlet (Hamletscenen, Kronborg Castle, Denmark); Macbeth (Little Angel Theatre); The Tempest (Lightwork, Gdańsk, Poland); and Dream On (Cooltour, Ostrava, Czech Republic).
As a singer, Brett’s repertoire spans the Baroque to present day, with his recitals including Brett Brown sings Handel; Bach’s Ich Habe Genug; Vivaldi: Lovers and Warriors; To Sleep Perchance to Dream; Postcards and You Say You Want A Revolution.
He has performed with Opera Australia in Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, The Magic Flute, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. For OperaUpClose Brett created the role of Schaunard in their Olivier award-winning production of La Bohème.
In 2019 Brett sang the world premiere of Unexpected News by celebrated American composer Nico Muhly with the Omega Ensemble in Sydney’s City Recital Hall. ABC Classic later released Unexpected News as a studio recording.
Recently, Brett was a Guest Artist for Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra’s digital concert series 5@5 with Camerata, and played the leading role of Banjo Paterson in their award-winning production of When the World was Wide (QPAC, Empire Theatre).
Brett is a recipient of the Ian Potter Cultural Foundation, Ars Musica Australis, Opus 50 Charitable Trust, and The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust.
Read more at www.brettbrown.com.au
about the actor
Alina Mangra
Alina Mangra graduated from the Arts Department, University of Craiova in 2003 and, a decade later, she obtained her Ph.D. in Theatre from the National University of Theatre and Film U.N.A.T.C Bucharest for her thesis On the Limit Situation in Contemporary Actor’s Performance.
From 2003 to 2013, she worked at the ”Anton Pann” Theatre in Râmnicu Vâlcea and then, until 2017, Alina combined her artistic activity at the „Anton Pann” Theatre and the „Marin Sorescu” National Theatre in Craiova with different international projects, working as a guest teacher in France, a participant within conferences and workshops in Europe, and a trainer within the AUF Festival (L’Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie).
As a member of the Craiova National Theatre’s artistic team since 2017, Alina Mangra has been shortly included in the cast of the current season’s productions, thus securing her position on the posters of many performances in the theatre’s current repertory.
The actress Alina Mangra’s talent, perseverance and vivacity have created the premises of her collaboration with both Romanian and international reputed directors as well as with young emerging directors.
In the current season, Alina Mangra can be seen in the performances of Gaițele – directed by Alexandru Boureanu, In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play – directed by Dragoș Alexandru Mușoiu, Monstrul nisipurilor – directed by Irina Crăiță-Mândră, Bătrânul și eutanasierul – directed by Vlad Drăgulescu, Ajax. An Essay on Dementia – directed by Mihai Mănuțiu, Ciuf și Ciuf în spațiu – directed by Vlad Drăgulescu, Operațiunea Marte – directed by Dragoș Alexandru Mușoiu, Vești bune. Final – directed by Alexandru Dabija, Talk Radio – directed by Bobi Pricop, Where Is My Soul? – directed by Norbert Boda.
Alina Mangra states about herself: I have been practising this job for as long as I can remember. This is what I wanted to be, this is what I am, and I do not know whether I will ever want to do something else. I have worked for important roles but I am interested in jewels, i.e. key roles in a performance, not necessarily main roles. My favourite directors are Alexandru Dabija and Cristi Juncu. The motto that guides me in my job is: To be on stage is a privilege, and we should treat this matter accordingly.
