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CAPSIS
Starring: Paul Capsis
Accompanied on grand piano: Aron Ottignon
Director: David Bonney
Musical Direction & Arrangements Paul Capsis & Aron Ottignon
Clothes: Wayne Cooper
Additional script material: David Bonney & Louise Fox
Graphic Design: Slade Smith
Photography: Harold David
Originally commissioned and produced by the Sydney Opera House.

Paul Capsis
Paul Capsis is one of Australia’s most acclaimed and successful cabaret and concert artists. In 1993/94 he performed his unique one-man show Pack of Divas at the Adelaide Comedy Festival and in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In 1995/96 his show Burning Sequins toured to Hong Kong, Edinburgh, Auckland and Australia. In 1997 Whole Lotta Capsis was seen at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Wellington Arts Festival and Glendi Greek Festival. In 1998, Paul performed In the Barrie Kosky directed Burlesque Tour for the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and the Melbourne Festival. The following year he performed Paul Capsis Alive at the Metro Theatre in Sydney, Perth International Festival of the Arts, and the Hong Kong Fringe Festival. In 2002 Paul performed with Aron Ottignon in Capsis Vs Capsis in The Studio at Sydney Opera House. Capsis Vs Capsis went onto win a 2002 Helpmann Award for Best Live Music Presentation.

A return season in Vienna of the hit Boulevard Delirium directed by Barrie Kosky saw Paul build his international reputation and followed on from a season of Volpone with Sydney Theatre Company in 2002. His powerful stage roles have also included Caucasian Chalk Circle and Cockroach Opera for Company B Belvoir St Theatre, Playgrounds for the Sydney Theatre Company and Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui for the Melbourne Theatre Company.

On screen Paul was nominated for an AFI ‘best Actor’ award for his role in the film Head On and won a Sydney Film Critics Circle Award. He has also made guest appearances in the television Pizza and Crash Palace and has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest for SBSTV. In 2002, Paul collaborated with the internationally acclaimed dance company DV8 Physical Theatre for their Olympic Arts Festival production Can WE Afford This/The Cost of Living. This production also toured to London and Hong Kong.

Aron Ottignon
Aron is one of the most talented jazz pianists currently playing in Australia. He won the award for New Zealand’s ‘Most Outstanding Jazz Musician under the age of 25’ when he was only 11 years old and went onto record with his own jazz trio at the age of 14. In 1998 he recorded with the Jason Jones Quartet, which was voted New Zealand CD of the year. In 1999 he performed solo at the Monterey Jazz Festival in the United States and in the same year Aron settled in Sydney where he was quickly accepted into the jazz community. He has performed with such luminaries as Jackie Orzascki, James Morrison, Jonathan Swartz, John Pochee and Tina Harrod. Aron plays regularly with Lloyd Swanston and Felix Bloxsom in the Aron Ottignon Trio. The group have a regular spot on the Side On Café` and appeared in the 2001 Sydney Festival’s Jazz in the Domain. In 2002 Aron accompanied James Morrison in the Taronga Zoo’s Jazz Series, performed at the Sydney Festival Bacardi Latino Festival and accompanied Paul Capsis in Capsis Vs Capsis in The Studio at the Sydney Opera House. After the huge success of Capsis Vs Capsis Aron has continued to accompany Paul in performances at Dream Home, the Basement and at The Famous Spiegeltent as part of the Melbourne Festival. Aron has also been a featured solo performer at Opera On The Beach on Australia Day 2002, performed at Wine Banc’s Latin jazz and jazz jam nights and with the Aron Ottignon Quartet as appeared regularly on the ABC TV jazz series ‘Pulse’.

David Bonney
David studied acting at the Victoria College of the Arts and script editing at AFTRS. He has acted with major companies including Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company and Playbox. He directed Jamie & Vanessa’s Nude Revue for the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, script edited Tyler Coppin’s Lyrebird – Tales of Helpmann for the Adelaide International Festival of the Arts and subsequent world tour and in 2002 directed the Helpmann award winning production Capsis Vs Capsis at The Studio, Sydney Opera House. He has worked as dramaturg to Garry Stewart on Australian Dance Theatre’s Birdbrain, Plastic Space and most recently The Age of Unbeauty. David’s work as art director, stylist and writer regularly appears in national and international magazines. He is fashion editor for Sydney Magazine YEN. In 2002 David played the pivotal role of ‘Gavin’ in Tony Ayres’ award winning film Walking On Water.