WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO JOIN US IN THE CLUB!
For more than 30 years, Lynne McGranger has appeared in Channel 7’s long running serial, Home & Away, as the irascible ‘Irene Roberts”.
In 2014 she was acknowledged as a TV legend when she became the longest serving female cast member of any scripted Australian TV show.
Showing her versatility, she was also runner up on the 14th Season of
For more than 30 years, Lynne McGranger has appeared in Channel 7’s long running serial, Home & Away, as the irascible ‘Irene Roberts”.
In 2014 she was acknowledged as a TV legend when she became the longest serving female cast member of any scripted Australian TV show.
Showing her versatility, she was also runner up on the 14th Season of Dancing with the Stars that year.
In 2020 she put her time in covid-lockdown to good use, penning her first memoir, ‘Acting Up’, which was published and released by Echo Publishing in late 2021.
Born and bred in Sydney, Lynne graduated as a primary school teacher from the Riverina College of Advanced Education in 1975, and as fate would have it, also won the Best Actress award at the college Drama Festival that same year. She taught for several years afterwards but it was only a matter of time before she decided to follow her true passion of acting.
Before joining Home and Away full time in 1993 Lynne had written, choreographed and performed in numerous productions, from comedy and drama to cabaret and musicals, both on television and on stages across Australia. She had received critical acclaim for her stage roles in Harold Pinter's 'The lover" and 'Honey' an award winning play based on Bryce Courtenay's 'Smokey Joe's Cafe'. Lynne also regularly travels to England to perform in pantomime.
WAYNE SCOTT KERMOND as JIMMY BIGELOW
Wayne Scott Kermond is a ‘born-in-the trunk’ fourth-generation performer of Australian Vaudeville lineage. A virtuoso of Musical Theatre, Comedy, and Cabaret.
Wayne’s introduction to professional musical theatre was at the age of 11, playing a tap-dancing sailor in Gypsy. He has gone on to star in many m
WAYNE SCOTT KERMOND as JIMMY BIGELOW
Wayne Scott Kermond is a ‘born-in-the trunk’ fourth-generation performer of Australian Vaudeville lineage. A virtuoso of Musical Theatre, Comedy, and Cabaret.
Wayne’s introduction to professional musical theatre was at the age of 11, playing a tap-dancing sailor in Gypsy. He has gone on to star in many musicals such as Barnum, Oliver, Jonah Jones, Uninetown, Guys & Dolls, Pirates of Penzance, A Chorus Line, Chicago, Wicked, We Will Rock You, Hairspray, Anything Goes, The Producers, Singin’ in the Rain, and most recently Opera Australia’s season of Westside Story.
Wayne has conceived and starred in cabaret shows such as Candy Man, Jive Junkys, Smoke & Mirrors, Kermond 3 Gen Variety Show, Spiegelesque and most recently Short & Sweet.
His Film credits include Heroes, Kings in Grass Castles, and Happy Feet 1 & 2. He’s a Script Writer and sought-after Director of Musicals, Cabaret and Corporate Events.
Wayne is the reciprocate of numerous awards including a Green Room Award, Mo Award - Musical Theatre Performer of Year, two-time Helpmann Award nominee, and a converted Pick of the Fringe Award - Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Wayne’s unique talents, blend with his show business heritage to make him an extraordinary Australian Talent.
Andrew has enjoyed a storied career in Australian theatre and television. The depth of his acting and comedic talent has seen him in big demand by prestigious theatre companies with numerous roles for Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Theatre Company, Nimrod Theatre Company and Griffin Theatre Company; National, New Zealand and Singapore tours of
Andrew has enjoyed a storied career in Australian theatre and television. The depth of his acting and comedic talent has seen him in big demand by prestigious theatre companies with numerous roles for Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Theatre Company, Nimrod Theatre Company and Griffin Theatre Company; National, New Zealand and Singapore tours of the Musical ‘Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story’ and most recently David Allen’s ‘Mad For You’ for Ad Hoc Theatre Company.
His love of entertainment...and his fabulously expressive face has also seen him performing in many shows for young people with Theatre South and more recently national tours of ‘Pete the Sheep’ for Monkey Baa. His published adaption of Norman Lindsay’s ‘The Magic Pudding’ was produced by MSTYP and companies around Australia.
Andrew's television credits include ‘Home and Away’, ‘A Country Practice’, ‘All Saints’ (Channel 7), ‘Water Rats’ (Channel 9), ‘Rake’, ‘ Janet King’, ‘Fireflies’ (ABC), ‘Prisoner’, ‘Land of Hope’.
He has played a variety of roles, real and fictional including Henry Lawson, Polonius, Winston Churchill, Oberon, Breaker Morant, a dog, a kangaroo and a sheep. This will be his first Grandparent.
He dabbles in harmonica and ukulele whenever he gets the chance.
Meredith has been a professional entertainer for 40 years. In 2024, her 40th anniversary year, she is excited to be touring Sydney, NSW and Victoria with Wendy Harmer and John Field’s new smash hit musical,The Grandparents Club.
She played Grandma Addams in The Addams Family at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre. She was nominated for Helpmann & Gre
Meredith has been a professional entertainer for 40 years. In 2024, her 40th anniversary year, she is excited to be touring Sydney, NSW and Victoria with Wendy Harmer and John Field’s new smash hit musical,The Grandparents Club.
She played Grandma Addams in The Addams Family at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre. She was nominated for Helpmann & Green Room Awards for her role Hold Me-Touch Me in Mel Brooks’ The Producers ( Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane) and was nominated for a Glugs Award playing Sylvia St Croix in Ruthless, Sydney.
In recent years she was in Opera Australia’s productions of My Fair Lady (directed by Dame Julie Andrews, u/study Mrs Higgins) &The Sound Of Music (u/study Frau Schmidt-which she played for 6 weeks in Sydney)
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Other highlights include the first Aust/NZ tour of Les Miserables, Love Never Dies (directed by Simon Phillips & Graeme Murphy- u/study Mme Giry), Hello Dolly! (national tour), Chess (u/study Florence), The Rocky Horror Show (Magenta alternate). She appeared in Gypsy (directed by Nancye Hayes-Tessie Tura) and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (Smitty), both in Melbourne. She played principal roles in the Australian productions Karaoke the Musical, Life Force and King Of The Air (in concert at City Recital Hall, Sydney).
Meredith performs regularly with jazz pianist Peter Locke & trio; Big Band, Horns Plus and occasional guest appearances with the Dan Barnett Big Band. Meredith’s cabaret, Curtains, about her showbiz ups and downs was seen at Sydney’s Glen St Theatre, Q Theatre & The Bondi Cabaret Festival in 2019/20. In 2019-2023 Meredith performed 4 sold out cabarets at Sydney’s “Claire's Kitchen”. Her next appearance there with Peter Locke is on Friday Oct 25, 2024.
She has appeared in TV dramas, commercials, corporate films and voiceovers. She's hosted radio shows & also narrated audio books for Vision Australia for 10 years.
Welcome to The Grandparents Club!
A brand-new, original Australian musical comedy that celebrates the wonderful world of grandparenting.
Just show your grandparent ID to Club president and mine host, Jimmy Bigelow and you’re in for a night of fabulous, five-star entertainment.
It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet of stand-up, send-up and song in the Club’s famous bar, café and spa with regulars Jeff, Liz and Maria. And everyone’s a winner in Jimmy’s karaoke, trivia and bingo in the plush surrounds of the Club’s cabaret rooms!
This is a show that's been written especially for our often overlooked and underappreciated army of grandparents. Where would we be without them? Grandparents are “grand”. It’s in the name!
Written by Australian comedy legend Wendy Harmer and featuring the music of multi-award winning composer and Music Director John Field, this 90-minute revue is performed by a stellar cast led by Lynne McGranger (Home and Away), Wayne Scott Kermond, Meredith O’Reilly, and Andrew James.
As Wendy Harmer shares: “Grandparents aren’t what they used to be. It’s been such fun to upend the old stereotypes of grannies in aprons making scones and grandpas tinkering away in sheds.
Today’s grandparents are adventurous, engaged and no longer ‘invisible’. They play a vital role in modern family life. But one thing never changes … the deep, abiding bond between loving grandparents and their adored grandies.”
Not just a musical; The Grandparents Club is an invitation to join a club where everyone is part of the grand adventure of life and of course, what happens at the Grandparents Club stays in the Grandparents Club!
Grands and Great Grands from all walks of life across the nation are invited to join the club from the 30th of May to the 4th of August.
(c) Wendy Harmer
Luke is an award- winning Actor and Director. A graduate of The University of Western Sydney and the Actors College of Theatre and Television, Luke has forged a successful career in both musical theatre and straight drama, as well as being highly sort after as a director.
Credits include the national tour of Peter Pan Goes Wrong, The Play
Luke is an award- winning Actor and Director. A graduate of The University of Western Sydney and the Actors College of Theatre and Television, Luke has forged a successful career in both musical theatre and straight drama, as well as being highly sort after as a director.
Credits include the national tour of Peter Pan Goes Wrong, The Play That Goes Wrong, both for Lunchbox and Jon Nicholls, Brigadoon for Production Company, Machu Picchu for State Theatre Company of South Australia, Pinnochio for Windmill and Sydney Theatre Company, Threepenny Opera for Malthouse and Sydney Theatre Company, 25th Anniversary production of Les Miserables for Michael Cassel and Cameron McIntosh, Annie and Dr Zhivago both for GFO, Avenue Q for Arts Asia, Assassins for Neil Gooding, Dirty Dancing for Jacobsens, Titanic for Seabiscuit and Guys and Dolls for Dennis Smith.
Directing credits include Thank you for being a Friend for Neil Gooding and Matt Henderson, Annie and Les Miserable for Riverside Theatre, Songs for a New World (Melbourne and Sydney) for Blue Saint, Giggle and Hoot Live show for ABC and Live Nation, In the Heights (Hayes and Sydney Opera House) for Blue Saint and Sydney Opera House, Resident Director for Peter Pan Goes Wrong and Resident Director for Shrek the Musical for GFO. Luke was the Resident Director on the national tour of Cinderella for Crossroads and Opera Australia.
Most recently, Luke directed a new production of Grease the musical for John Frost and Crossroads which is currently touring Australia.
Wendy Harmer is one of Australia’s best-known humourists.
Her writing and performance skills have brought her success in a wide variety of mediums – as an author, radio broadcaster, TV host, playwright and stage performer.
Her memoir LIVES MY MIRROR TOLD ME was released in November last year.
As a stand-up comedian she performed her one-wom
Wendy Harmer is one of Australia’s best-known humourists.
Her writing and performance skills have brought her success in a wide variety of mediums – as an author, radio broadcaster, TV host, playwright and stage performer.
Her memoir LIVES MY MIRROR TOLD ME was released in November last year.
As a stand-up comedian she performed her one-woman shows LOVE GONE WRONG, PLEASE SEND MORE MONEY and UP LATE AND LOVING IT at the Melbourne and Edinburgh comedy festivals, in London’s West End and the Sydney Theatre Company.
Wendy enjoyed huge popularity leading Sydney radio station 2Day FM’s top-rating Breakfast Show from 1993 – 2004 and was the co-host of ABC’s 702 Sydney morning show from 2016 -2021.
She is the author of seven books for adults, including the best seller FAREWELL MY OVARIES. She has also written for young adults and children. Her much-loved fairy character PEARLIE IN THE PARK, is the star of 17 books, which have sold more than a million copies world-wide. The stage musical of PEARLIE IN THE PARK toured nationally in 2007.
Wendy has penned two plays for young adults. She also wrote the libretto for LAKE LOST, a Baz Luhrmann production for Opera Australia.
She has hosted, written and appeared in a variety of TV shows including ABC’s GILLIES’ REPORT and THE BIG GIG and a documentary series STUFF.
Beginning her career in journalism as a teenager, Wendy has continued to be a regular newspaper and magazine contributor with myriad publications.
Wendy and her husband Brendan have two children and live on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Sho
John Field has enjoyed phenomenal success as a multi-award winning composer. His talents as a 'musical hooks genius' have seen him write more than 450 songs for global kids sensational The Wiggles and advertising jingles for companies as far afield as Brazil, Germany, the U.S and Russia.
John’s career highlights have also included the pen
John Field has enjoyed phenomenal success as a multi-award winning composer. His talents as a 'musical hooks genius' have seen him write more than 450 songs for global kids sensational The Wiggles and advertising jingles for companies as far afield as Brazil, Germany, the U.S and Russia.
John’s career highlights have also included the penning of two full scale Musicals for grown ups and ten Top 40 hits for much loved party band, THE COCKROACHES.
John's achievements have been recognised with numerous awards for Gold and Platinum album and DVD sales; the APRA International Achievement Award and the APRA Award for the Most performed Screen Composer Overseas.
Lyndi Adler is a seasoned Creative Producer in theatre, film, and publishing, with over 25 years dedicated to musical theatre. Her diverse experience spans script reading and development, dramaturgy, production and technical management, directing, and publishing, reflecting her deep passion for the live arts.
In 2006 and 2007, Lyndi devise
Lyndi Adler is a seasoned Creative Producer in theatre, film, and publishing, with over 25 years dedicated to musical theatre. Her diverse experience spans script reading and development, dramaturgy, production and technical management, directing, and publishing, reflecting her deep passion for the live arts.
In 2006 and 2007, Lyndi devised and directed the stand-up comedy theatre show "One Night Stand," which played to sold-out audiences in venues such as the Capitol Theatre Sydney, the Civic Newcastle, and the Townsville Civic Centre. She has been an Australian Partner on Michael Cassel’s production of "Kinky Boots" and has collaborated on numerous major productions both internationally and in Australia. Her commitment and creativity have earned her recognition and respect in the industry.
Lyndi's involvement in film includes her role as Associate Producer for "Three Dollars" (2005) featuring David Wenham and Frances O’Connor, and as Producer for "Prey" (2009) starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte.
Her theatre production credits are notable, including "Death and the Maiden" (West End, 2011) as Associate Producer, "The Man In The Attic" (Eternity Playhouse, 2018) as Production Manager, and "The God of Isaac" (Eternity Playhouse, 2019) as Producer.
Before the pandemic, Lyndi co-produced a prospective Australian production of the West End hit "Everybody’s Talking About Jamie," in partnership with Nica Burns (Nimax Theatres), Garry McQuinn, and the Sydney Opera House, which was unfortunately shelved. She also co-produced "Stars of International Ballet," an international ballet ensemble project, with Century Entertainment as the producing partner and ballet director Maina Gielgud AO.
In 2022, as a director of the Friends of the Australian Ballet Gala committee, she produced and directed a celebration and farewell event for outgoing artistic director, David McAllister AM.
More recently, in 2019, Lyndi collaborated with Maree Kirkland-Morris to develop and co-produce "The Nannas and The Poppas," a musically driven program for pre-schoolers airing on ABC Kids TV. Together, they also created a series of children's storybooks titled "Toodle the Cavoodle."
Throughout her 35-year career Maree has Created, Directed and Produced an enormously diverse slate of broadcast, recorded, book and live performance content. Along the way, she has also assisted the careers of some of Australia’s most successful performers and writers.
In 1983 Maree and her partner Tim assisted John Williamson in re-launc
Throughout her 35-year career Maree has Created, Directed and Produced an enormously diverse slate of broadcast, recorded, book and live performance content. Along the way, she has also assisted the careers of some of Australia’s most successful performers and writers.
In 1983 Maree and her partner Tim assisted John Williamson in re-launching his country music touring career taking him from corner hotel bookings to sell out shows at Sydney’s State Theatre. In 1988 Maree and Tim launched their first record label, True Blue Records, (through Sony) assisting the careers of The Bushwackers, Bullamakanka, and a host of other country music performers.
In 1992 Maree stepped into the world of children’s entertainment, working with Play School superstar Don Spencer - a highly successful partnership that saw Don selling out three shows a day Australia wide to his adoring fans for more than a decade. Maree went on to assist The Hooley Dooleys in both the creation and Production of their phenomenally successful recording, touring, merchandising and broadcast content for both the ABC and Foxtel.
In the year 2000 Maree was invited to create and produce the highly successful ABC For Kids Events and ABC Family Events for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a concept that saw major properties such as Bananas in Pyjamas, Blinky Bill, Thomas the Tank Engine and The Hooley Dooleys share the stage in the Sydney Opera House, the Victorian Arts Centre, the Myer Music Bowl and to capacity houses Australia wide.
In 2010 Maree began managing the song writing interests of John Field and their collaboration has seen the staging of John’s full scale musicals throughout Australia and New Zealand, the release of two books for children through Scholastic Press, and John’s involvement as composer on numerous advertising and broadcast projects.
Maree’s highly successful partnerships with ABC Kids and ABC Commercial also continue to this day. In 2006 Maree created and produced SplashDance, a music dance series that brought some serious ‘cool into pre-school’ and in 2019 Maree created The Nannas and The Poppas broadcast and live performance concept, once again for the ABC.
It was The Nannas and The Poppas that brought Maree and Lyndi Adler together as co-producers in 2020, working together to fully explore the wonderful world of Grandparenting.
A graduate of The Australian Ballet School and a member of the Dancers of The Australian Ballet and Sydney City Ballet company, Leanne was trained in all forms of dance.
Leanne is NSW and Australian Champion in Irish dancing and has her TCRG and ADCRG qualification.
Leanne entered the Musical Theatre world and toured nationally with SUGAR B
A graduate of The Australian Ballet School and a member of the Dancers of The Australian Ballet and Sydney City Ballet company, Leanne was trained in all forms of dance.
Leanne is NSW and Australian Champion in Irish dancing and has her TCRG and ADCRG qualification.
Leanne entered the Musical Theatre world and toured nationally with SUGAR BABIES/ NINE/ EVITA/ The World’s Greatest Dance Spectacular /HUNTING OF THE SNARK and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
Leanne was the Original Choreographer of The Wiggles and was a part of all DVD’S /TV Series /Live Shows and The Feature Film as choreographer and performer.
Leanne has also choreographed for the highly successful ABC Kids series SplashDance and The Nanna’s and Poppa’s and has subsequently overseen the adaptation of each show's choreography to the live stage.
Leanne is Co-Principal of The Halloran Dance School and has had students travelling and working internationally at The Moulin Rouge / Classical Ballet Companies and as Lead dancers in Riverdance and Lord Of The Dance .
ALL SHOW ENQUIRIES: Maree Kirkland-Morris and Lyndi Adler The Grandparents Club Pty Ltd maree@thepeakagency.com.au lyndi@jaronach.com.au
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