The White Guard (STC 2011)

The White Guard was a production of Mikhail Bulgakov's The White Guard produced by the Sydney Theatre Company. It was performed at the Sydney Theatre from June 7 – July 10 2011. It was directed by Andrew Upton and starred Jonathan Biggins, Miranda Otto and Patrick Brammall.

On Tour
The production did not go on tour physically. Following the lead of theatre companies such as New York's The Metropolitan Opera and London's National Theatre, The White Guard was broadcast as a cinema transmission. From 7 July 2011, it played in cinemas in Byron Bay (NSW), Brisbane (QLD), Port Augusta (SA) and Devonport (TAS). Sydney Theatre Company's General Manager Patrick McIntyre highlighted the benefits of a cinematic transmission, namely its capacity to reach regional areas and the chance to explore the artistic and technical possibilities of transmitting a theatrical performance digitally. He said, "The potential returns in terms of audience development, regional access and the ongoing strength of the industry in the digital age make this something we must actively pursue."

Resources

 * Pre-production Resources - Sydney Theatre Company-produced education resource including production themes, synopsis, historical and social background of the play, as well as educational exercises.