Selected highlights of our projects’ reviews and Incognita’s press coverage to date.
Cast of A Little Rain Must Fall. L-R: Rebecca Nunn, Joanna Goodchild, Zara Balfour, Sally McLean and Aki Omori (1997)
Shakespeare Republic Season Two Ensemble Members – Billy Smedley, Wahibe Moussa, Michala Banas, Alan Fletcher, Christopher Kirby, Sally McLean, Nadine Garner, Shane Savage, Phoebe Anne Taylor, Falon Ryan and Stephen Costan (2017)
Cast of Chasing Pegasus: A Play in Ten Chords. L-R: Tanya McCall, Sarah Penn, Charity Shaw, Kathleen Ronchi, Hannah Fox, Bridget Neval, Michael Clayton, Ross Ryan, Sally McLean, Peter Flaherty and Jennifer Hansen. Photo by Yanni Dellaportas (2006)
A LITTLE RAIN MUST FALL (FILM)
“… a tightly written and superbly acted piece that explored the difficulties of being a twenty-something living in London in the last throes of the 20th Century. Very similar to the Australian television series “The Secret Life of Us” (which aired here on Channel 4 in 2001), this film is funny, touching, absorbing and confronting. The relationships between the characters are raw and realistic – sometimes disturbingly so.”
Sara Angel
IMDB.com
SHAKESPEARE REPUBLIC: #LOVETHEBARD (WEB SERIES)
“… polished, beautifully made series from director/producer Sally McLean … a fine use of the platform and, more importantly, a very fine adaptation of the Bard … Shakespeare Republic is put together with grace and wit. An assortment of actors do terrific work making the (non-dumbed down) dialogue accessible, prying it open with great care and skill.”
Luke Buckmaster
THE GUARDIAN
CHASING PEGASUS (THEATRE)
“… strong performances from a cast containing many familiar faces from Australian television … engaging … insightful … if you’re in the mood for some dramatic theatre with interesting characters, inspiring stories and a feel-good, uplifting message, Chasing Pegasus provides an ultimately engaging hour of theatre.”
Luke Troynar
3RRR-FM
Yolanda Ovide as “Juliet” in Shakespeare Republic: #AllTheWebsAStage (The Lockdown Chronicles) (2020)
Alesha Bellairs as “Mary”, Sally McLean as “Elsie” and Kathleen Ronchi as “Emily” during a performance of P.S. I Love You (2004)
Shakespeare Republic ensemble members, Billy Smedley, Dean Haglund, Christopher Kirby, Sally McLean, Falon Ryan with crew Shaun Herbertson, Tim McCormick, Abramo Peghini and Jessica To at the Incognita end of year celebration holding up their Best Ensemble Award from Bilbao Seriesland (2017)
SHAKESPEARE REPUBLIC: #ALLTHEWEBSASTAGE (THE LOCKDOWN CHRONICLES)
“If you haven’t seen the #AllTheWebsAStage series I can’t recommend it highly enough. Smart, poignant and brilliantly crafted in lockdown by Sally McLean and a fantastic cast and crew. Brilliant short films of Shax (sic) speeches exquisitely shot in black and white – little slices of cinema that capture the mood of 2020 perfectly … they really are like Shakespearean Pringles: once I press play, I just can’t stop!”
Benjamin Broadribb
Editor, ‘Action is eloquence’: (Re)thinking Shakespeare
P.S. I LOVE YOU (THEATRE)
“… entertaining … for some of the audience it brought back many memories … very satisfying evening with emphasis on authenticity with costumes, furnishings and radios … A very successful evening with a great audience appreciation.”
Peter Kemp
STAGE WHISPERS
SHAKESPEARE REPUBLIC (WEB SERIES)
“After an amazing run of gathering up awards everywhere they went, Season Two of the Shakespeare Republic series will be appearing over 2017. These are beautifully produced soliloquies from Shakespeare’s most famous characters, interpreted by a wide range of talented actors.”
Anna Kamaralli & John Galea
SHAKESPEARE TWENTYSCORE
Members of the Speaking Daggers cast and crew at the Opening Night of The St Kilda Film festival where the film was an official selection – L-R: Billy Smedley, Tim McCormick, Michala Banas, Sally McLean, Shaun Herbertson and Thanassi Panagiotaras
James Buckley as “John” in A Little Rain Must Fall (1997)
Cast of Season One of Shakespeare Republic – L-R: Ben Steel, Michala Banas, Alan Fletcher, Rowena Hutson, Sally McLean and Billy Smedley (2016)
SPEAKING DAGGERS (FILM)
“It’s lucky film and theatre aficionado Sally McLean has a passion for the Bard’s work … Speaking Daggers shows the best of Shakespeare.”
Angela Perez
BE MELBOURNE
A LITTLE RAIN MUST FALL (FILM)
” … immensely enjoyable … wonderfully realistic … refreshing … The cast played their well defined characters superbly without exception … (the dramatic events in the film) were handled both by the cast and writers with skill and sensitivity.”
Lori Jacobs
BBC FILM
SHAKESPEARE REPUBLIC (WEB SERIES)
“McLean’s combined expertise is on full display in Shakespeare Republic, which features both a critical eye and ear to Shakespeare’s text, and high production values for a series of this kind … Shakespeare Republic disrupts and refracts traditional approaches to Shakespeare’s plays … the vignettes are themselves a metaphorical gauntlet thrown down to the viewer, daring them to imagine what a full production in this world might look like.”
Tony Tambasco
Borrowers And Lenders: The Journal of Shakespeare And Appropriation
LIST OF PRESS COVERAGE
Some of our press received to date. See links directly below for full project specific press coverage.
- To see the full press coverage for Shakespeare Republic: #AllTheWebsAStage (The Lockdown Chronicles) (2020), click here.
- To see the full press coverage for Shakespeare Republic (2015-2018), click here.
- To see the full press coverage for Chasing Pegasus (2004-2006), click here.
TELEVISION
Melbourne Weekender segment, Channel 7 Melbourne, September 2006
RADIO
Preview of Shakespeare Republic, The Act of Storytelling, September, 2015
Art Smitten Interview, SYN FM, August 30, 2015
JOY 94.9FM “Escape Pod” Program Interview, October 11, 2014
ABC Radio774 “Overnights” Program Interview, August 19, 2014
BBC Radio 3 “Free Thinking” Program Interview (UK), May 6, 2014
RPP FM “Sugar n’ Spice” Program Interview, October 24, 2013
REVIEW: Chasing Pegasus (a play in ten chords), 3RRR, October 2006
ABC Radio Interview, Sally McLean’s ABC Radio Interview with Derek Guille, ABC774 July 2004
PRINT
Shakespeare Republic, We are moving stories, April, 2016
Ben Steel as Shakespeare’s Juliet, Kuriositas.com (UK), October 25, 2015
Alan Fletcher takes on Shakespeare, Neighbours News, Tenplay, September 4, 2015
Australia’s Shakespeare, The Shakespeare Blog (UK), September 1, 2015
Crowdfund this!, Lee Zachariah’s Very Own Web Page, August 15, 2014
The amazing life of QE’s wartime athletics coach, The Elizabethan (UK), July 31, 2014
A Life Unexpected: The Man Behind The Miracle Mile, Running Divas, July 29, 2014
The Future is in the Past, RUN Magazine (Singapore), November 11, 2013
Bob & Judy to feature in ‘doco’ A Life Unexpected, 3RPP-FM, October 25, 2013
Documentary profiles an unsung hero, IF Magazine, July 23, 2013
Wide shot at rare life,The Stonnington Leader, July 24, 2012
Taking a look at Franz Stampfl, Live For The Run (USA), June 28, 2012
Roger Bannister, Chris Chataway, Ulick O’Connor in “A Life Unexpected”, Bring Back The Mile (USA), May 19, 2012
Sally’s home to make a new movie, Mornington Life Magazine, March 10, 2012
Der unbekannte Gigant, ÖLV Nachrichen (Austria), November 18, 2011
Dunera Boy, Franz Stampfl: The Movie, Club Troppo, July 7, 2011
REVIEW: Chasing Pegasus (A Play In Ten Chords), Theatre Australia, October 2006
Chasing Pegasus, The Mail, October 2006
Experienced cast strikes a chord, The Leader, October 2006
Star cast in fringe hit, The Standard, October 2006
Pegasus wings into Mt Martha, The Mail, October 2006
Breaking Showbiz News: ‘Chasing Pegasus’ at Mt Martha, Melbourne Observer, October 2006
REVIEW: Theatre that makes you think, TheatreAlive, October 2006
Neighbours Stars Take to the Stage, Neighbours.com, October 2006
Chasing Pegasus (a play in ten chords), Arts Hub Australia (Feature Article), October 2006
Black Book Interview, “M” Magazine, The Sunday Age, October 2006
Theatre & Shows To See, “M” Magazine, The Sunday Age, October 2006
My Family Album, The Sunday Herald Sun, September 2006
Cheeky actor gets scream role, Free Press Leader, September 2006
From a different script, The Age Green Guide, September 2006
Chasing Pegasus (a play in ten chords), Metro News, September 2006
Jen Hansen’s Chasing Pegasus, Ros Reine’s Gossip, August 2006
“Whispers” Column, The Sunday Herald Sun, July 2006
Quick flick set for Cannes: a fairytale film journey, The Weekender (Front Page & Feature Story), March, 2005
Brigit and Benny off to Cannes, The Mail, March 2005
Writer’s Chance, The Leader, July 2005
Acting Up Returns, The Mail, December 2005
Playing for attention Pt. II, Arts Hub Australia, December 2005
Playing for attention Pt. III, Arts Hub Australia, December 2005
REVIEW: ‘Till The Boys Come Home (as PS I Love You), Stage Whispers, October 2004
REVIEW: ‘Till The Boys Come Home (as PS I Love You), Reviewed by Peter Kemp, August 2004
Hearts on the line, The Weekender (Front Page & Feature Story), July 2004
Keeping home fires burning, The Age, July 2004
Love story set in wartime, The Leader, July 2004
World Premier of “PS I Love You”, The Mail, July 2004
Life during wartime now a hit on stage, The Weekender, July 2004
Chasing Pegasus at Mt Martha House, The Mail, December 2003
Screenwriters hooked, The Leader, November 2003
Now’s the time to act up, The Weekender, October 2003
Chance to act up on film, The Independent, October 2003
REVIEW: Chasing Pegasus (a play in ten chords), Tara Wilkins, Theatre Talk
Forever Chasing Funds, The Age, February 1998
Super Star Coup For Sally, The Flier, October 1997
British Acting Star Lends Support, The Standard, October 1997
British Star Actor Lends Support, The Leader, October 1997