Leaping into the breach.
THE AUSTRALIAN. 
26th March 1999. 
By: CATHERINE TAYLOR 

The sudden withdrawal of John Waters from the play Art will cost at least $40,000 according to producer John Frost, who 
says he will have to reshoot a television commercial and publicity photographs as well as reprint brochures featuring 
Waters's replacement, Geoff Morrell.

"I can't recoup that. It is a loss we have to write off and it just means that on opening night no one will be drinking 
Dom Perignon," says Frost.

Frost and co-producer James Erskine launched a lightening-fast international search to replace Waters after learning on 
Sunday night -just 19 days before opening night in Sydney that he would quit the show because of illness. Morrell was 
hired on Tuesday.

But Frost admits the controversy surrounding the show -which began with anger from union members over the casting of 
British actor Tom Conti in one of the three roles -has helped to heat up the box office.

"While all this has been going on, ticket sales are just going up and up and up," 

Frost says. The play, which opens for previews on April 3, has so far sold more than $1 million worth of tickets.

British actors Tom Courtenay (who originated the part in the London production) and Nigel Havers were considered to 
replace Waters, Frost confirmed, as were Australian actors Richard Roxburgh, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson, Hugo Weaving 
and Colin Friels.

In the end it was Morrell a stage actor of vast experience, also known for his role as Fisk in TV series Murder Call - 
who had the right mix of talent and availability, minimising disruptions to rehearsals.

"We realised we couldn't get a big star in time and we thought we have an actor who looks right, has a profile in the 
theatre and a small television profile. Let's go with that," says Frost. "If we had waited longer, it would have been 
damaging to the production and probably to us financially." 

Morrell had not even finished reading the script before turning up for his first meeting with director Rachel Kavanaugh 
and the cast on Wednesday.

"I am excited and obviously there is a nervous edge," he says. "The most difficult thing is discovering the material 
and finding the character. That is now my biggest task . . . but I feel I'm pretty well equipped for a situation like 
this." 

Indeed, the part -for which Morrell has had to pull out of a production at Sydney's Ensemble Theatre -is a situation 
he has faced before. In 1993 Morrell took over from Frank Gallagher in a Sydney Theatre Company production of Death 
and the Maiden with just one week to go until opening night.

Kavanaugh says Morrell's presence has already nudged the play in new directions.

"Like good actors do, they adapted and played together very quickly, which was very very encouraging for me." 

Actor DavidWenham says: "We are well aware of the situation and we are not going to let the play collapse. It's 
about friendship and relies on a dynamic between three different people. Obviously John and Geoff bring different 
things to the part and that's great. I can come to the play fresh again now." 

Art will be recast for its Melbourne season, possibly giving Waters a second chance to play the role.