Picasso at the Lapin Agile

by Steve Martin

Directed by Tim Long

Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso - two of the most influential minds of the 20th century... just imagine if they had met! Well, as luck would have it you don't need to imagine it, as the wonderful imagination of Steve Martin (yes, the Steve Martin!) has brought their meeting to us. This fictitious and often hilarious meeting takes place at "The Lapin Agile" (a very real cafe in Paris' Montemarte district famous for the many artists that frequented it in the early 20th century), and involves a wonderful and colourful cast of characters. As the two men engage in a battle of ideas about probability, lust, artistic integrity, and the future, the play moves with ease between the breezy and the profound. But when great minds such as these meet, there are normally three that gather... so who will be the third? A cocky young American? Perhaps a mysterious (and familiar) visitor from the future? With all of this taking place on Christmas Eve, perhaps there's a hint there? Well, there's only one way to find out - make sure you don't miss Beaumaris' final season for the year, Picasso at the Lapin Agile!

Steve Martin, one of the most diversified performers in the motion picture industry today, has been successful not only as an actor, but also as a writer of and performer in some of the most popular movies of recent film history. Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Steve Martin's first full-length play, was originally workshopped at the Playbox theatre in Melbourne, before opening at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre then moving on to Los Angeles (where it was the longest-running show in the history of the Westwood Playhouse) and to New York with critical and audience acclaim. It later played in Australia (at the Playbox in 1997 - interestingly in the same season as "Remember Ronald Ryan" - Beaumaris' first show this year!), with Shane Bourne in the lead role as Freddy the barman. Reports of a film adaptation are currently doing the rounds, to be directed by Fred Schepisi and with a cast rumoured to boast the likes of Kevin Kline, Ryan Phillippe, Steve Martin, Juliette Binoche and Tobey Maguire.

Performances:

Thursday 25 Nov, Friday 26 Nov, Saturday 27 Nov
Thursday 2 Dec, Friday 3 Dec, Saturday 4 Dec
Thursday 9 Dec, Friday 10 Dec, Saturday 11 Dec