THEATRE WORKS
SEASON 2021
1
THEATRE
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4. Acknowledgement of Country
38. Jungle Bungle
5. Foreward
40. Bent
6. TW Glasshouse
42. Love You Bitch
44. Jesus Queen of Heave
12. Blackbox Cafe
46. Mara KORPER
14. Fringe Replanted
48. Betty
16. The Love of the Nightingale
50. Season 2021
18. Ring, Ring!
50. Singing Swallows
20. And Then She Became a Chair
52. When the Rain Stops F
22. Alibi or Someplace Else
54. The Darkening Sky
24. Very Nice Pot Plants to Purify the Air and Enrich Your Life
56. Animal Farm
26. Kerosene
58. Phantasmagoria
28. The House on Fire at the Edge of the World
60. ProphetX
30. Spot
62. The View From Up Her
32. Glasshouse Season 2021
64. Paper Stars
32. Common Dissonance
66. WellBless
34. We’re Probably Really Really Happy Right Now
68. Creative Development Showi
36. Voldemort and the Teenage Hogwarts
10. Glasshouse App
2 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
68. The Owl & The Albatro
E WORKS
021
en
Falling
69. Herd
70. Festivals
70. Melbourne Fringe Festival Hub
71. Radical Acts by She Writes
72. Artists in Residence
72. Associate Artists
73. She Writes
74. First Nations Writer in Residence
75. Companies in Residence
76. Support Theatre Works 77. Vanguard Donors 78. Staff and Board 79. Theatre Works Partners
re
ings
oss
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Theatre Works respectfully acknowledges the Yalukit Wilam Clan of the Boon Wurrung. We pay our respect to their Elders; past, present and future. We acknowledge and uphold their continuing relationship to this land. Land on which Theatre Works has lived and worked for the last 40 years. Stolen land which was never ceded. To our First Nations artists and technicians. To our First Nations audience members. To the broader BIPOC community. We hear you and we stand with you. We acknowledge that we have not been perfect in the past. We acknowledge our hand in the systems of oppression and ongoing racism. We acknowledge that Theatre as a practice and as an institution is exclusionary. We will get better and learn more. We will never speak for you. We will actively seek new ways to PROFILE more BIPOC artists in a culturally safe manner. We will create an environment and programs that are not only safe, but welcoming for BIPOC audience and communities. We will not just hold space but make space for you. We will make reparations. Black Lives Matter. Aboriginal Lives Matter.
4 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
WELCOME
2021
Welcome to Season 2021, a year that promises to be full of fresh starts and innovation, of transformations and revitalisations, but mostly - 2021 will be a year defined by one word: hope. Of course, 2020 was a brutal year for the arts. And while we struggled with the impact COVID-19 had on the industry and our organisation, we also put our heads together to find a way forward - to innovate so that we could thrive instead of merely survive. We made the most out of 2020. What started as creative problem solving when faced with COVID-19, a reduced capacity and no end to restrictions in sight, has blossomed into a fully functional, COVID-safe transformation of the entire venue. Building Glasshouse has been a massive effort, but of course, every penny, every drop of sweat and every hour put into this installation is worth it to know that our audiences, our staff, our crew and our artists can not only return to Theatre Works, but feel safe on and off the stage. Not wanting to stop there - we redesigned the foyer - which will be opening as Theatre Works’ Blackbox cafe and bar very soon. For the artists that work with us, you’ll be excited to know that we’ve also redone the green room out the back with a new floor, a production laundry and a shiny new toilet and shower area backstage. Outside of the visible venue renovations, we have also been tremendously busy behind the scenes. When COVID struck, we made the heartbreaking decision to cancel the entire of our remaining 2020 season. We are deeply aware that creatives, cast and crew had already invested their own funds, resources and an immeasurable amount of time and energy into these projects, so we made the decision to reschedule and reprogram all of those works into 2021. Our resident artist programs thrived in an online space, and will carry over into 2021 with new, physical opportunities. In 2021, our companies in residence will be presenting readings, developments and - in one case - a full season of work developed in 2020. The She Writes collective will carry over from 2020 to present a new writing festival in May, and we will continue our ground-breaking Associate Artists program in early 2021. The Theatre Works team has also expanded, and we go into the new year stronger than ever. We launched our first producing bootcamp scholarship in partnership with Milke Productions which was awarded to First People’s producer Sermsah Bin Saad. We have also appointed the aforementioned Briony Dunn as the Literary Development Manager, Steven Mitchell Wright as Artistic Associate and Brittanie Shipway as our First Peoples’ Resident Dramaturg and Writer. We are a little team with a big dream and everyone here is working way above and beyond. While we are lucky to receive some funding and support - we are still falling through some of the cracks and receive a disproportionate amount of funding in relation to our output. It’s a tough reality but one that we remain optimistic about shifting in 2021 as we continue to support radical acts of hope and imagination in all things we do. Dianne Toulson General Manager / Creative Producer THEATRE WORKS
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6 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
77
GLASSHOUSE
Glasshouse is an intimate in-the-round setting for chamber performance of all genres and forms. 12 custom made booths put the comfort and safety of the audience and performer at the forefront without compromising the experience at the theatre. Patrons are able to book exclusive perspex booths for themselves and their guests. Glasshouse allows audiences to invite the people they would trust in their house to ours. The innovative Glasshouse site design and the works programmed within are shaped specifically to bring the community back together, to allow audiences to look across the room at other people, to look directly in the eyes of the performers and know that they are connected through cultural experience. They are connected in this time and space but they are also safe. Staggered seating times, contactless ticketing systems, hospital grade cleaning before and after each show are all in place to ensure maximum audience safety and comfort. The in-the-round format allows for audiences to look at each other and share the theatrical experience in the most communal way possible while being able to relax and know that their health is our number one priority. The perspex walls not only protect the audience but keep the performers, crew and front of house staff safe. The TW Glasshouse mobile device app provides direct communication with the audience from ticket sale, to theatre entry and seatings, drink/food or merchandise purchasing and order reconciliation. The app will also serve as a check in device in adherence to Covid-Normal guidelines, collecting guest details for Covid-safe tracking purposes.
8 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
GLASSHOUSE
Glasshouse allows YOU to invite the people YOU would trust in YOUR house to ours.
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GLASSHOUSE APP
Explore the 2021 season, book your tickets, stay up to date with safety info, order food and drink, check in on arrival and chat directly with Theatre Works staff all from the TW Glasshouse App! To download, simply head to our webiste: theatreworks.org.au and click the link that says “Click Here to Download the Glasshouse App” From there, you’ll be directed to download the Wix app, where you can sign up with Google, Facebook, Apple ID or email. Learn more about each show presented in Glasshouse in 2021 by browsing the “Events” tab. From there you can book a booth or share the event with your friends to get a group together! After you have your tickets, head over to the “Menu” tab to pre-order beers, wines, snacks and cheese platterse for your booth. After you’ve paid, you can either collect your drinks on arrival or have them waiting for you inside the theatre. If you have any questions, feel free to open a dialogue with the in-app chat system, where TW staff will be able to help you with your query. Upon arrival, use the app to check in at the venue, and use the chat function to let our Front of House staff know when your entire group has arrived. Then, we’ll be able to show you into your Glasshouse booth, which will be lit up for you and your friends / family.
10 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
GLASSHOUSE
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BLACKBOX CAFE BLACKBOX For the last 40 years, the Theatre Works foyer has only ever been active as a box office and bar in the evenings when we have shows on in the theatre. However, throughout 2020 and over the course of Melbourne’s two major lockdowns, the Theatre Works team has come together to leave our own mark on our historic building. We are incredibly excited to launch the Theatre Works Blackbox Cafe on December 2nd, 2020, with the Blackbox Beer Garden launching in early 2021. A plan to overhaul and revise the foyer space as a cafe-hub project was in its infancy in early 2020, but due to the impact of COVID, the planning and launch of this initiative was postponed. However, the Theatre Works team made the most of a dire situation (a dead theatre space) to initiate the vast renovation of the unused foyer. Undergoing a complete redesign, the Theatre Works front of house is now completely unrecognisable and totally revitalised. The cafe will activate Theatre Works throughout the day, engaging more with our local community while the sun’s up, instead of exclusively as an evening affair. It will be a much-needed space for south-east artists to meet and gather, as well as a destination for local St Kilda residents and tourists. Operating with a social enterprise model, Blackbox will provide paid work and hospitality training/experience to artists within our direct community. Hospitality is often the go-to industry for those who work within the arts, but proves problematic with the demands of rehearsals and life in general as an independent artist. The Theatre Works Café Hub will actively embrace those artists and implement operating hours, rostering systems and workplace ethos that not only allows flexibility but enables artists to be actively working on their own practice while employed.
12 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
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JANUARY 2021
Theatre Works’ Glasshouse activates for the first time as a covid-safe summer festival destination with a full program of new, experimental and/or emerging theatrical works embracing risk and innovation. The eight Selected works will be an exemplar of new ideas, new thinking, artistic experimentation and rigorous creative investigation. Gather a group of friends, book a booth now via the Glasshouse App, and come see bold new theatre in seats unlike any you’ve experienced before. We’d love to see you. It’s been way too long.
14 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
F R I N G E
Originally scheduled for 2020’s Melbourne Fringe Festival in October, the eight shows that make up January’s Fringe Replanted Festival were programmed by TW’s 2020 Associate Artists in conjunction with General Manager, Dianne Toulson and Artistic Associate, Steven Mitchell Wright. These new works were pulled out of the 2020 programming due to the effects of COVID-19 on our venue, and replanted in January 2021 in a world-first format.
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RE P L A N T E D
THE LOVE OF THE
NIGHTINGALE
16 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
5 - 9 Jan
the love of the nightingale BY TIMBERLAKE WERTENBAKER | DIR BY SIMRAN GIRIA
A mythological tale, The Love of the Nightingale, explores the love of two sisters, truth and betrayal. This stylised work written by Timberlake Wertenbaker is a contemporary feminist adaptation of a Greek myth. It follows Philomele, a bright and curious woman who battles tyranny and crosses oceans all for her sister. Told in the form of a visual poem, Simran Giria delves deep into the haunting beauty of Wetenbaker’s gentle and horrific words. Through striking imagery, The Love of the Nightingale reveals a world that is not as far from us as we would like to believe. It manipulates theatrical form with elements of poetry, puppetry and chorus, using stylised movement to evoke the songs from all those who have been ignored. Beautiful, wild, and mysterious - this is a world that is both comforting and on edge. Anything can happen. A looming cloud. Darkness and light. Foreshadowing and underlying forces lead to a final act. And with this act, the world retaliates and revolutionizes. Everything shifts.
Directed & Produced by SIMRAN GIRIA Production Manager GEORGINA BRIGHT Stage Manager CAITLIN MURPHY Sound Designer BIANCA MONTAGNER Lighting Designer GEORGIE WOLFE Set Designer VEDAT BAKISH Costume Designer KIRKY KIRKMAN Performed by GRETEL SHARP EMLYN SUGDEN MONIQUE MARANI LUCAS RINDT LUCY PATERSON NIKOLETA ALEXIADOU ELLY D’ARCY AMANDA DHAMMANARACHCHI
Can our voices give us the power to fight injustice and reveal the secrets of the world?
Come to me, come to me, tell me the secrets of the wine-dark sea.
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18 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
5 - 9 Jan
WORLD PREMIERE
RING RING, RING! RING BY EBONY RATTLE AND ELLEN WILTSHIRE | PRESENTED BY VIRTUAL WAITING ROOM
Morning, 1963. Five strangers wake up in different places in different areas of the world, ready to start their day in their regular lives, undertaking the mechanical routine that human beings do to provide themselves with a sense of purpose. Their entire world falls apart when they find themselves removed from their comfortable environments and placed in an endless void of nothing: the only thing they have is each other’s company and the looming threat of nothingness. Ring, Ring! dissects the concepts of modern humanity and how it intersects with technology and questions how we create intimacy in the digital world.
Written & Directed by EBONY RATTLE ELLEN WILTSHIRE Costume Designer PETRIA HOGARTH Cinematographer VERITY JOHNSON Sound Designer ALEX MRAZ Performed by BRAD BEARD KAYA BYRNE MADELEINE MAGEE CARR ALICIA EASAW-MAMUTIL SHAMITA SIVA
Ring, Ring! expands on the concepts of isolation, purgatory, and how “staying apart keeps us together” to present a piece that is socially distanced and intimate simultaneously. The audience is invited to join the characters in a wild romp through the darkest recesses of their mind as they try to navigate through their “new normal” and attempt to bring a sense of normalcy back into their lives. The show brings together an amalgamation of technologies including filmmaking, sound design and choreography, discarding traditional theatre practices to assist in dissecting the concepts of modern humanity and how we create intimacy in the digital world.
A wild romp through the darkest recesses of the mind as we try to navigate a “new normal”. 19 19
20 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
13 - 16 Jan
WORLD PREMIERE
AND THEN she became a chair BY MICHELLE MYERS
Provoked by a personal story of loss, this total theatre work is an abstract expedition into the bewildering realms of human behaviour when confronted with the inevitable, yet wholly unfamiliar, event of death. Set in the purgatory of a seemingly eternal waiting room, with time both heightened and warped, AND THEN SHE BECAME A CHAIR follows the complicated process of losing a loved one.
Created & Performed by MICHELLE MYERS Dramaturgy, Associate Direction & Lighting Design JAHMAN DAVINE Sound Design ANDREW STARK
Part confessional text, part fabricated memory and part kitsch hallucination, the work recreates a wretched attempt to constrain the chaos and exhaustion of grief into something polite, palatable and coherent.
AND THEN SHE BECAME A CHAIR Paradise awaits
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ALIBI 22 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
13 - 16 Jan
WORLD PREMIERE
ALIBI OR SOMEPLACE ELSE Alibi or
A PLAY ABOUT MY LIFE RIGHT NOW BY THE POP ARTIST, WILLING | PRESENTED BY WILL HANNAGAN
SOMEPLACE ELSE
Stars in his eyes, a derelict ageing twink moves to London on a theatrical whim. Chaos ensues, his life descending into an intoxicating vortex of chemsex and delusion. His gateway to this treacherous world is the mysterious PC, an international man of mystery, a money launderer and a fraud. He promises fame but delivers breakdown. Meanwhile the people are revolting, on a scale we’ve never witnessed before, and it is his relationship with Nick, the young revolutionary, that just might save him.
Script, Sound Design, Original Songs & Performance by WILLING Directed by SIENA STONE Set & Costume Design by ALEXANDRA MCCLOUD GIPSON
Alibi is a new play by the recording artist and theatre maker Willing whose past dramatic outings include The Gathering, Gaga V Assange and Pop | Press. Known for his horny bangers and devastating ballads, Willing returns to the stage with his first theatrical work in years. A series of soliloquies ordered in a patchy attempt at linearity with original sounds and songs by the artist himself. Alibi or Someplace Else is a play for a society in crisis. His most confessional piece, it is also Willing’s most dishonest, for the central concern is the magnetism of the theatrical lie in a world that is done with truth. But at its heart this is a love story. A queer romance that swings from violence to tenderness in moments, dealing with issues of addiction, punishment and ultimately the radical act of forgiveness.
“Theatrically offbeat and fantastically diverse, Willing is a one-man groove factory.” The Soundcheck 23 23
VERY NICE
POT PLANTS
TO PURIFY THE AIR AND ENRICH YOUR LIFE 24 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
20 - 24 Jan
WORLD PREMIERE
VERY NICE POT PLANTS TO PURIFY THE AIR AND ENRICH YOUR LIFE BY KARLA LIVINGSTONE-PARDY AND ZACHARY SHERIDAN
Born from the strange socio-political moment we’re living in, VERY NICE POT PLANTS TO PURIFY THE AIR AND ENRICH YOUR LIFE (henceforth referred to as POT PLANTS) is an absurd, psychedelic comedy about connection and interdependence. Join a few humans and many living pot plants on a wild ride back in time to the days of disco, free love and booty shorts. Here you’ll meet Anne, a scientist trying to prove plants can talk. With lots of big hair and irreverent dance numbers, you won’t want to miss this new Australian work from emerging, already awardwinning makers. POT PLANTS marks the first collaboration between current VCA Master of Theatre (Directing) students and theatre makers Karla Livingstone-Pardy and Zachary Sheridan. Karla is a writer and director from Melbourne who was the recipient of the Melbourne Fringe Best Emerging Writer Award 2018 and the Robert MacDonald MTC Professional Development Award 2017. Zach is an emerging theatremaker from Adelaide and a graduate of WAAPA. In 2019, he was the recipient of Best Play as part of WAYTCo’s 24 Hour Play Generator, the South Australian State Theatre Company and Flinders University Young Playwrights’ Award, and The Blue Room Theatre Judges’ Award.
Created by KARLA LIVINGSTONE-PARDY ZACHARY SHERIDAN Produced by ERIN LOCKYER Markeing & Publicity DASHA ROMANOWSKI HANNAH DISHER Stage Manager RAVENNA BOUCKAERT Sound Design ALEX TURLEY Lighting Design HARRIE HOGAN Set & Costume Design CASEY HARPER-WOOD Choreography HANNAH DISHER Performed by IBRAHIM HALAÇOGLU JULIA KOK ISHA MENON TESS METCALF LUCINDA VENTIMIGLIA
“The show is full of youthful enthusiasm and a script that is one of a kind” Fourth Wall Media on “Quokka Apocalypse” 25 25
KEROSE
26 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
20 - 31 Jan
WORLD PREMIERE
ENE
KEROSENE BY BENJAMIN NICHOL | STARRING IZABELLA YENA
‘He’d been shoving her around for a while now. I knew that. Sometimes she’d tell me, sometimes not, but I could always tell when they’d had a blue. But she was my girl and sometimes things were better left unsaid.’
Written & Directed by BENJAMIN NICHOL Co-Created & Performed by IZABELLA YENA
Well-meaning, teenage misfit Millie comes home from work one day to discover her old childhood friend Annie bruised and bloody on her doorstep. Millie picks her up, dusts her off and puts her in the bath. Lying in bed together, the two reminisce on a childhood that occurred a lifetime ago and recall an old promise to care for one other ‘until the end of the earth, no matter the cost and no matter the collateral.’ As Annie sleeps, Millie vows to honour her friend in the one way that seems fair; revenge. Set in the outskirts of metropolitan Melbourne, kerosene is a relentless and unsympathetic character study exploring the ways in which society perceives and trivialises acts of female violence. It is a homage to the blind loyalty that accompanies lifelong friendships and the realities of what it means to grow up young, quiet and forgotten in modern day Australia. Following the precedent set by stylistically similar productions such as Simon Stephen’s Sea Wall, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag and the critically acclaimed Theatreworks season of Swansong, kerosene embraces the power of simple, solo storytelling in creating an intimate, absorbing and powerful theatrical experience. No set and no props - just one woman telling a story about protecting and caring for her best friend in the only way she knows how.
no matter the cost, no matter the collateral
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THE HOUSE ON FIRE
AT THE END OF THE WORLD
28 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
E
LD
20 - 24 Jan
WORLD PREMIERE
the house on FIRE AT THE END OF THE WORLD BY NEYLON & PEELE
Elizabeth is young at heart and filled with imagination. When all that she loves is put in danger, the most mystical of opportunities presents itself, taking her on a journey filled with madness, fantastical whimsy, self discovery and coming to terms with what it means to be human. ‘The House On Fire at The Edge of the World’ is a breathtaking new Australian musical, interwoven with the beating heart of contemporary folk music. Live music, dance and a dazzlingly suspicious upside down kingdom take centre stage in this captivating live experience that will take you to another world and back. Inspired by musicals such as ‘Hadestown’ and ‘Once,’ The House On Fire at The Edge Of The World is experimental music theatre at its most ambitious. Inventive stagecraft, a score that sings of the joy and pain of being human, and inventive storytelling come together to make a fairy tale for our modern time.
Book, Music & Lyrics by CONOR NEYLON JACKSON PEELE Directed by JACKSON PEELE Musical Direction CONOR NEYLON Choreography ZOEE MARSH Stage Manager ANNIE GLEISNER Lighting Designer GABRIEL BETHUNE Music Supervisor PATRICK JAFFE Performed by LUISA SCROFANI AIV PUGLIELLI KAYA BYRNE AHILA NAVARATNAM JOANNA HALLIDAY CONOR NEYLON MIRO LAURITZ
After a sell out season of their musical ‘The Beep Test,’ up and coming musical theatre writers Neylon and Peele are back to prove the power and importance of the Australian musical in a world premiere that makes us all celebrate the power of imagination and lust for life in the darkest of times.
“heart-warming, side-splitting, mostly clean, good-natured fun.” Seesaw on “The Beep Test” “I laughed, smiled and even found myself feeling a little emotional.” Perth Happenings on “The Beep Test” 29 29
SPOT
30 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
27 - 31 Jan
WORLD PREMIERE
SPOT BY FABIO MOTTA
Spot is an original solo theatre show that explores a contemporary immigrant journey through wicked satire, wild physical comedy and unforgettable characters. Performed by Fabio Motta and co-devised and directed by John Tummino and movement director Zya Kane.
Created & Performed by FABIO MOTTA Co-Devised & Directed by JOHN TUMMINO Movement Director ZYA KANE
It’s the story of 8 year old migrant, Mario, and his devilish alter ego ‘Spot’. Mario dreams of becoming a ‘very good English actor’ and one day to even be tackling Shakespeare, but with no grasp of the english language and no one to support his dreams, he’s in a... ‘spot’ of bother! Spot explores through humour the difficulties of trying to find a place to fit in, when all you feel is out of place. The show examines themes of separation trauma, the difficulties of displacement, the language barriers and the deep sense of loss that are an inevitable part of leaving everything you know and love for the hope of a brighter future.
SPOT Based on true events, this story presents the questions of whether Australia really is the inclusive, multicultural place it believes itself to be.
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32 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
WE’RE PROBA REALL HAPPY NOW
17 - 27 FEB
WORLD PREMIERE 2020 reprOgram
BY ELLEN GRIMSHAW | PRESENTED BY PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT THEATRE CO (PSA CO.)
Volatile, unpredictable, hilarious, and filled with wrath, We’re Probably Really Really Happy Right Now is looking at the madness of a culture soaked in ludicrous toxicities ranging from capitalism and misogyny to tall poppy syndrome and racism. Inspired by performance art, classical music, and experimental dance choreography such as Pina Bausch and Reza Abdoh, WPRRHRN liberates us from gender binaries and compliance and is out of order. It has to be because society is! This is an incendiary reaction to conformity! This play highlights the absurdity of the current environment we live in politically and socially. We are all dying to laugh at how absurd some of our power figures are and how absurd the notion of power is, now more than ever. To see the ludicrously and hypocrisy of our current political state is indeed called for and we need to make art that seeks change and equality. The future is now. Making change comes through powerful action. Visceral, physical, musical, high octane satirical theatre involving some of the most skilled actors in Melbourne, is how we know how to and how we want to evoke real change.
Written by ELLEN GRIMSHAW Director SARAH VICKERY Assistant Director DASHA 97’ Stage Manager KAITE HEAD Assistant Stage Manager CLAUDIA HOWARTH Sound Designer & AV designer JUSTIN GARDAM Lighting Designer GABE BETHUNE Set Designer JOSIE WAGSTAFF Creative Access Consultant JO DUNBAR Producers ELLEN GRIMSHAW KAITE HEAD & PSA CO. Supported by THE CITY OF MELBOURNE COVID-19 ARTS GRANTS
Surreal, non-linear, dynamic, feminist – WPRRHRN rejects tired relationship narratives, social stereotypes and conventional, gender-binary characters and psychologically-driven action. Instead it shows in detail how chaotic the real world is, from thirteen very different personas’ perspectives trying to survive in a war zone of ignorance.
E ABLY LY REALLY Y RIGHT
“Ellen has a willingness to try anything at script level and it’s really thrilling” Keith Gow on ‘Just Us Girls - What’s a Girl?’ 33 33
WE’RE PROBABLY REALLY REALLY HAPPY
WE’RE PROBABLY REALLY REALLY HAPPY RIGHT NOW
VO
34 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
5 mar - 4 apr
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
2020 reprOgram
voldemort and the teenage hogwarts MUSICAL PARODY | PRESENTED BY SALTY THEATRE
Before Voldemort was He Who Must Not Be Named, he was just Tom Riddle, another moody teen that couldn’t talk to girls. Join Tom and his Hogwarts classmates on a hilarious musical adventure packed with magic, hormones and more than a few murders. This is a Harry Potter musical parody that is sure to leave you spellbound! From the co-creators of ‘Thrones! The Musical Parody’ comes their latest smash parody extravaganza! After two hugely successful back-to-back seasons at The Edinburgh Fringe and The King’s Head in London, VOLDEMORT AND THE TEENAGE HOGWARTS MUSICAL PARODY is being introduced to Australian audiences for the first time ever by Salty Theatre, Red Hot Productions and Theatre Works.
VOLDEMORT AND THE
TEENAGE HOGWARTS
Produced by SARAHLOUISE YOUNGER ASHLEY TAYLOR Written by FIONA LANDERS RICHIE ROOT ZACH REINO Music by SCOTT PASSARELLA Directed & Choreographed by MIRANDA MIDDLETON Assistant Direction & Choreography SARAHLOUISE YOUNGER ASHLEY TAYLOR Musical Direction by DAVID YOUINGS Performed by LALA BARLOW, ALEX DONNELLY, JAY HAGGETT, EMILY HANSFORD, STEPHANIE JOHN, JONATHON SHILLING, GUILLERMO URRA Stage & Production Manager ANDREW HUGHES Set & Costume Design MADELINE NIBALI Sound & Lighting Design CAIDEN DE WIN Production Concept Design SARAHLOUISE YOUNGER ASHLEY TAYLOR Associate Artist BRONWEN COLEMAN Dance Captain / Swing GEORGINA CHARTERIS Photos and Videos by AARON WALKER
“It is a wizarding-world extravaganza, FLourished with unforgivable curses, witty humour and muggle-worthy entertainment. A must see for Harry Potter fans.” VoiceMag.uk 35 35
JUN
36 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
JUNG
6 - 17 apr
WORLD PREMIERE 2020 reprOgram
NGLE BUNGLE JUNGLE BUNGLE
FAMILY FRIENDLY
BY CRAIG CHRISTIE | PRESENTED BY VTM PRODUCTIONS AND NO MATES PRODUCTIONS
It’s a new day and a new school for Oliver, and making a new friend when he meets Claire in the school ground doesn’t help him with the feeling that nothing is as it should be. Even when Claire agrees to show Oliver home at the end of the school day and then stay and play for a while things still aren’t right. And they are about to get much worse. Somehow they find themselves a lot further away from home than either of them could ever have imagined! Here they were in a jungle, without supplies, a mobile phone or a map, and only Oliver’s crazy compass, which has a mind of its own, to guide them. How were they ever going to get out of this place and find their way home? Oh and did we mention that they were being followed?
Written by CRAIG CHRISTIE Directed by JAMES COLEY Producer & Stage Manager VITO MIDOLO Lighting Designer NICK GLEN Development Cast HEATHER CHENEY RYAN QUINN
Join Claire and Oliver on an exciting musical safari created to engage the young and young at heart in a magical adventure. JUNGLE BUNGLE explores the theme of fear of the unknown while celebrating friendship, individuality and imagination.
“A toe-tapping delight… The perfect theatre introduction for adventurous little ones!” Comedian Sammy J
GLE BUNGLE 3737
38 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
19 - 22 APR
BENT
WORLD PREMIERE
BENT
BY REUBEN JAMES | PRESENTED BY VARIATION THREE
Created as a response to the ongoing political debate on LGBTQIA+ lives, ‘Bent’ is a stirring exploration of what it means to be queer in today’s world.
In this contemporary work, Variation Three’s ensemble of six queer artists take us on their journey, and explore how their joy, their pain, and their love, have all been influenced by the voices around them. Through their interlocking of moving bodies, the stories of queer Australians are shared with audiences, pushing for reflection, and a change in perception.
Created by REUBEN JAMES Performed by REUBEN JAMES JACKSON FISCH MEG FERRIER MARA GALAGHER CASEY HARE KAITLIN MALONE Supported by BASE! CREATIVE SPACE GRAVITY DOLLS
Created by Reuben James, ‘Bent’ is a unique fusion of circus, dance, and visual art, and questions the divide between artistic fields. It explores what happens when the barriers are removed, and the arts combine on a bare stage. With great strength and vulnerability, the cast of ‘Bent’ dance, tumble, and paint in an ongoing exploration of queer life. At the heart of the performance, they leave no room to question queer lives, focusing instead on what is possible when accepted, and cherished, just as all lives should be.
exploring queer lives
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LOVE YOU BITCH 40 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
22 - 28 APR
WORLD PREMIERE
LOVE YOU BITCH BY STAGE MOM
LOVE YOU BITCH
‘Everytime a friend succeeds, I die a little’ - Gore Vidal Jem, Ella and Harry are friends. Best friends. Whip-smart underachievers side-eyeing their late twenties, their friendship is fuelled by pop music, gay meme accounts and a healthy cynicism about everyone and everything around them.
Written by ALBERTO DI TROIA Directed by HANNAH FALLOWFIELD Performed by ALEX THEW MORE TBA
Now Jem is moving to New York. On the eve of his departure, he invites Harry and Ella to his parents’ beach house for a final hurrah. The usual. Cheap wine, expensive pizza, and bad movies. But now, Jem’s sudden commitment to his own personal growth threatens to rip apart the delicate threads that have tied them together for years. Can they face a world without each other? Or worse - a world where one of them doesn’t need the others? Gather the people who know you too well for this hilarious, moving and deeply relatable play about friendship and finding (or losing) your way in the world. You might just not be able to look them in the eye afterwards... A cutting look at intimacy, insecurity and the secret meaning of Kylie Minogue’s Spinning Around. With love and kisses from Stage Mom, the award-winning team behind Midsumma smash hit Truly Madly Britney.
“A queer, pop-culture odyssey that takes camp subversion to the extreme. If you’re offended at the drop of a hat, you should give it a miss, although it will be your loss.” The Age 41 41
JESUS QUEEN
OF HEAVEN
42 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
jesus queen of JESUS HEAVEN BY JO CLIFFORD | PRESENTED BY BEN ANDERSON
QUEEN
Join Queen Jesus for a revolutionary queer ritual in which bread is shared, wine is drunk, and familiar stories are reimagined by a transgender Jesus.
Written by JO CLIFFORD Directed by KITAN PETKOVSKI Producer BEN ANDERSON Performed by KRISTEN SMYTH Composer RACHEL LEWINDON Set & Costume Design BETHANY J FELLOWS Lighting Design KATIE SFETKIDIS Photo by SARAH WALKER
This unique show combines theatre with storytelling and ritual to produce a rare and beautiful reflection on the life of Jesus, a transgender one, and a provocative meditation on a more truthful and generous interpretation of her words. It imagines Christianty’s message of love extending to embrace all those traditionally excluded because of their sexuality or gender. Lyn Gardner called it “moving and infinitely graceful” in the Guardian; the Archbishop of Glasgow called it “an affront to the Christian faith”; and the play has been attracting praise (from those who have seen it) and condemnation (generally from those who have not) ever since it opened in 2009.
OF HEAVEN
N
30 APR - 8 MAY
At the epicentre of an anti-censorship and human rights movement in Brazil, Jo Clifford’s legendary play is still touring South America two years after its triumphant arrival. In 2021, Queen Jesus will make her Australasian debut as part of Midsumma Festival with Kristen Smyth in the iconic role. “one of the most remarkable journeys in recent theatre history” The Scotsman “reafFIrms everyone’s right to live free of discrimination and prejudice… A humane, mischievous and loving solo show” The Guardian 43 43
MARA KORPER 44 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
MARA KO
M
12 - 22 may
WORLD PREMIERE 2020 reprOgram
KORPER MARA KORPER BY JAYDE KIRCHERT | PRESENTED BY CITIZEN THEATRE
MARA KORP An exciting, feminist sci-fi theatrical experience, Mara KORPER is set in a futuristic world where gender is obsolete and the flesh must remain whole. This brilliant and terrifying new theatrical work explores themes of extremism, gender and body image in a dystopian future, picking up where Orwell and Huxley left off. Fusing experimental sound and technology with absurdist expressionism, Mara KORPER is on the cutting edge of experimental feminist theatre.
Writer/Director JAYDE KIRCHERT Composer ANTHONY LYONS Music Director IMOGEN CYGLER Designer STU BROWN Lighting Designer CLARE SPRINGETT Costume Designer AISLINN NAUGHTON Producer ASHLEIGH MORRIS Assistant Director & Associate Producer STEPH CLARE-COVER Cast includes JORDAN BARR EMILY CARR KAYLA HAMILL FREYA PRAGT Supported by FACULTY OF FINE ARTS & MUSIC (VCA) UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
MARA KORPER
“moving and nuanced...featuring elegant design and emotionally charged performances.” The Age on ‘When The Light Leaves’ 45 45
46 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
9 - 19 JUN
BY JULES ALLEN
‘Betty’ is a complex and unfiltered exploration of the Mother/Daughter relationship; revealed at a time when the Mother’s inhibitions are being compromised by her decline into dementia. Although never close, the daughter now finds herself in the challenging position of trying to care for her.
BETTY
BETTY BETTY
WORLD PREMIERE
Written by JULES ALLEN Directed by JULIAN DIBLEY-HALL Performed by IRIS WALSH-HOWLING
As we weave through this unpredictable landscape we are brought face to face with the harrowing nature of old age and decline and the urgency this places on the many unanswered questions of the past. The fabric of their relationship is smashed open and within it the trademarks of inherited family trauma, cultural assimilation, loneliness, abuse, blame and misunderstanding are laid bare. A harrowing tale of a Mother’s unresolved traumatic childhood and the impact this then has on her daughter and her daughters choices in life. The script is unapologetic, candid and incredibly humorous. The hilarity adding a much needed contrast to the weight of such loss and tragedy.
“This show is intense, unFIltered and accessible. There is a visceral sense of reality to the characters...A fantastic small scale production with an excellent cast and a crucial message.” Kryztoff Reviews “Jules Allen is a playwright with enormous potential. Her debut play, ‘Slipped through the Cracks’ was award winning and absolutely stunning. [Her work] is deeply truthful and nuanced.” Hannie Rayson 47 47
SI
48 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
22 JUN - 3 Jul
WORLD PREMIERE 2020 reprOgram FAMILY FRIENDLY
INGING SWALLOWS SINGING SWALLOWS BY ROMI KUPFER
“A storyteller can attempt to tell the human tale, can remind us that the swallows still sing around the smokestacks.” – Jane Yolen. A beautiful and symbolic representation of a storytelling experience that cannot be replicated. An early start to understanding the Holocaust, connecting to young peoples lives through voice recording and visual storytelling. Singing Swallows is a physical theatre performance telling stories from four Holocaust survivors. The audience experiences all sound through individual headphones, which they are given at the beginning of the performance. Through these headphones, each Holocaust story is shared by the voice of a young person, as the survivors the stories are based on were of young age during the Holocaust. In between the verbal storytelling, the performers on stage activate the recyclable set, bringing to life the personal experiences heard through the headphones.
Created by ROMI KUPFER Producer ROMI KUPFER Assistant Producer TALIA MEYEROWITZ-KATZ Performers ROMI KUPFER SOL FELDMAN FLORA FELDMAN Sound Designer JUSTIN GARDAM Lighting Designer JOHN COLLOPY Original performer and education consultant TAMMY COHEN Voiced by RAYMOND KUPFER ZAC MAIDENBERG JASMINE FILER ELLIE GOLDENBERG NOAH GOLDENBERG
Singing Swallows will have audio description and open captions.
“As our Holocaust survivors are aging, soon we will not have their voices to tell their stories. I believe that Singing Swallows address the need of our community to keep on telling the stories, and reconnect our youth with our Jewish history.” Tali Barr Waanders | Bialik College, Co-ordinator of Hebrew & Jewish Studies Primary and Early Learning Centre 49 49
WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING
WHEN THE RAI
50 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
WH
14 - 31 JUL
IN STOPS FALLING
2020 reprOgram
WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING BY ANDREW BOVELL | PRESENTED BY IRON LUNG THEATRE
Alice Springs. 2039. A fish falls from the sky - it still smells of the sea. It’s been raining for days, the apocalypse looms ever closer and Gabriel York knows something is wrong. When the Rain Stops Falling unfolds like a puzzle to be solved. Told through the interconnected stories of two families over four generations; between a prediction in London 1959 and its outcome in Australia eighty years later. This intricate, multi-layered story explores betrayal, abandonment, destruction, forgiveness and love. Where damage to the planet serves as a metaphor for the damage inflicted from generation to generation. Writer Andrew Bovell (Lantana) has created an epic and powerful piece of magic realism, which ask the question: do we have the capacity to address the damage of the past in the future?
Directed by BRIONY DUNN Performed by HEATHER BOLTON LUCIE CHAIX NICHOLAS DENTON ESTHER VAN DOORNUM FRANCIS GREENSLADE MARGARET MILLS ALEX PINDER Lighting Design CLARE SPRINGETT Sound Design JAMES PAUL DARRIN VERHAGEN Stage Manager NATASHA MARICH Production Manager JULIA LANDBERG
Winner of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award and the Green Room Award, 2008, and the Sydney Theatre Award for Best New Australian Work in 2009. Touring August 2022 | Including a full season at Whitehorse Centre “A gloriously written and gripping script that is dramatically unpredictable and yet piercingly beautiful…” ArtsHub
HEN THE R “...A stunning, gut-wrenching piece of theatre. once seen it will never be forgotten...” Adelaide Theatre Guide
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THE
52 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
4 - 14 aug
WORLD PREMIERE
E DARKENING SKY
the darkening sky BY RICHARD MURPHET | PRESENTED BY THE DARKENING SKY ENSEMBLE
In the late 1960s, on a car trip into the Dandenongs, Heather tells her 9 year-old son, Jamie, that she has to leave him with his aunt, and that she will never return. In the early 1980s, another car, weaving crazily through the streets of Richmond, whisks away Chantal, the woman Jamie loves, leaving him stranded on the footpath. He never sees her again. What links these sudden and terrifying events? What do they tell Jamie about his life and about the hidden history of Melbourne’s political underground? The Darkening Sky is a play of personal loss, obsession and dedication. It suggests a hidden history for Melbourne over the decades of the 1960s and 1980s: people, struggles and events not included in standard historical accounts. The play inhabits the worlds of political operatives, criminals, drifters and politically passionate youth. The inner suburbs of Melbourne are major players in the unfolding events: their streets, houses, apartments, train stations and parks carry their past inhabitants and events still in them – irrevocably alive.
Written & Directed by RICHARD MURPHET Set & Costume Design ELOISE KENT Lighting Design KRIS CHAINEY Composer, Sound Design & Instrumentalist ADRIAN MONTANA Performed by BRIAN LIPSON NATASHA HERBERT TOM DENT MATT CONNELL OLIVIA MONTICCIOLO MARK TREGONNING ANNIE LAST ADAM PIERZCHALSKI
“This is what the theatre can be... And those engaged in the craft should see and remember this. productions such as this that may be all we have left to sustain communities in that desire to express the inexpressible.” Melbourne Theatre Blog on ‘The Absence of Knowing’ 53 53
ANIMAL FARM
ANIMAL FARM 54 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
18 - 28 AUG
WORLD PREMIERE 2020 reprOgram VCE PLAYLIST
ANIMAL FARM BY THE BLOOMSHED AFTER GEORGE ORWELL
Why do we to suffer? There is only one answer: MAN. We are being robbed of everything. One of the most brutal stories ever told. Written by one of the most incisive and subversive writers of the twentieth century. Adapted by The Bloomshed, George Orwell’s fierce critique of power is funnelled through a contemporary context that sees political oppression, extremism, misinformation and food production erupt into an all-out assault on our contemporary political landscape. Animal Farm is a highoctane mess of punk-protest, political allegory and epic theatre with a rhythm beaten out on abandoned grain silos.
Adaptation by JAMES JACKSON ELIZABETH BRENNAN Directed by DANIEL LAMMIN Dramturg JUSTIN GARDAM Lighting Design JOHN COLLOPY Set & Costume Design NATHAN BURMEISTER Performed by EDAN GOODALL EMILY O’CONNOR JAMES MALCHER Produced by SOPHIE ASHKANASY Photo by ALEKSANDR CORKE
If you want to make an omelette, you’ve got to crack some eggs.
“The Bloomshed have established themselves FIrmly as experts in reanimating older texts, bastardising classic texts to create cutting, political contemporary theatre.” Theatre People
“Political theatre dredged from the crisis of late capitalism.” The Age
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56 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
31 AUG - 11 SEP
WORLD PREMIERE 2020 reprOgram
phantasmagoria phantasmagoria BY BERNADETTE TRENCH-THIEDEMAN
What do you do when you find out your father tried to kill your mother? a) Forgive him, move on and love him despite the fact? b) Erase him completely from your memory? or c) Employ a spirit medium and have a few words with him. Briony chose option c) and this play is the result. Based on a true story, Phantasmagoria is a play that explores the complex relationship between a woman and her violent father long after he has passed away. Briony unearths her father’s childhood experiences in Sri Lanka, his brutal World War 2 history in Burma, migration, alcoholism, and his families eventual escape from him. Using a lens of magic realism, the work plunges beneath a seemingly everyday domestic space to reveal family secrets, hauntings and complex emotional landscapes.
Written by BERNADETTE TRENCHTHIEDEMAN Directed by CATHY HUNT Performers / Devisors DAN GORONSZY JOSEPH LAI MYFFY HOCKING BERNADETTE TRENCHTHIEDEMAN Dramaturg EMILIE COLLYER Lighting & Multimedia Design CAITLIN OVERTON Artwork, Puppetry Design & Animation BERNADETTE TRENCHTHIEDEMAN
Travelling back and forth through time and space, Phantasmagoria is a sensorial feast flavoured with grief, love, loss, absurdity, surprise and a generous dose of magic. Dynamic and sensitive performance, comedy, puppetry and evocative animated imagery give physical life to the liminal realm of ghosts and the unseen.
“beautiful storytelling... with puppets, projections and an original score that illustrates the continual contrast between fantasy and harsh reality.” Theatre Press on ‘The Divination Agency’
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PROPHETX
58 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
PROPHETX BY THE DANGER ENSEMBLE | PRESENTED BY THE DANGER ENSEMBLE & BACKBONE
PROPHETX is a spectacle of misfit, a love letter to those whose lives speak truth to authority despite the consequence. It is an epic, surreal and irreverent remix of the story of Tiresias – an ancient outsider, an archetypal other, the genderfluid and queer seer who features in The Bacchae, Oedipus Rex, Antigone and The Odyssey. The Danger Ensemble who are known for their highly visual and physical works further their exploration of contemporary form and modern tragedy with PROPHETX.
PROPHET
15 - 25 SEP
Writer / Performer CHRIS BECKEY Director / Designer STEVEN MITCHELL WRIGHT Lighting Designer BEN HUGHES
With a boutique cast of some of Melbourne’s finest performers
Tiresias’ life spanned seven generations, living as man and woman, counsel to mortals and gods alike, existing in this world and the underworld, both celebrated and punished for knowing and seeing too much. Historically, like many queer figures Tiresias has been merely a supporting character, a dramatic device, and a footnote but PROPHETX positions Tiresias as the central figure in their own drama and asks: what is the cost of seeing? what is the pain of knowing? what is the weight of living? PROPHETX builds on The Danger Ensemble’s examination of ancient myth and history following in the footsteps of In God We Trust (Groundling Awards for Best New Play and Best Direction), Children of War (Laboite Indie), i-War (Queensland Theatre Company and Brisbane Festival) and CALIGULA (JWCOCA, Gold Matilda Award for Design).
“a theatrical experience unlike anything else on stage at the moment.” Australian Stage
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THE VIEW FROM UP HER
60 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
RE
20 - 30 OCT
WORLD PREMIERE
THE VIEW FROM UP HERE BY FIONA SPITZKOWSKY | PRESENTED BY THE VOICE IN MY HANDS
Eva and Lily have returned to the farm following a catastrophic fire season. The family home has burnt to the ground, the fences have melted, the neighbours have fled and the animals have perished. Maggie, the matriarch, is living in a caravan on the blackened earth where the house once stood tending her new vegetable garden and refusing to leave her land. Painful family histories are revealed that force questions and confrontations to the surface. How much can this family ask of one another amidst the ashes? Tackling the lived realities of a world increasingly affected by global warming and the impacts on our experiences of family, The View From Up Here reflects and raises questions about the tapestry of our Australian zeitgeist. This theatrical experience investigates how we might find hope in one another in order to face tomorrow together.
Written by FIONA SPITZKOWSKY Director JULIAN DIBLEY-HALL Performed by JOHN MARC DESENGANO CHANELLA MACRI ANDREA MENDEZ EMILY TOMLINS Production Design JAMES LEW Lighting Design JASON CRICK Sound Design & Composition JESS KEEFFE Assistant Director HARRIET WALLACE-MEAD Producer HOT MESS PRODUCTIONS
THE VIEW FROM UP HERE In the ashes everyone’s been scorched. Family, survival and legacy in the aftermath of disaster. 61 61
PAPER STARS 62 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
PAPER STARS
3 - 13 NOV
WORLD PREMIERE
PAPER STARS
PAPER STARS
BOOK BY GRACE CHAPPLE AND MIRANDA MIDDLETON MUSIC AND LYRICS BY LUKE BYRNE PRESENTED BY SALTY THEATRE
Everyone knows her as the woman who created Mary Poppins, but who was P.L Travers before she became famous? Paper Stars is a new Australian musical which theatricalises the early career of one of Australia’s most successful storytellers. Inspired by true events (yet told with a healthy spoonful of imagination), it follows the intrepid Helen Lyndon Goff as she leaves home – with just a feather and a carpet bag – to forge a career for herself in London. While she successfully reinvents herself as P.L Travers, and finds the inspiration to write her world-famous novel, she must also deal with some baggage from her past… With a whimsical book by Grace Chapple and Miranda Middleton, and an original score by Luke Byrne, Paper Stars is a story about learning how to cope in a dark world, and finding magic in real people and things, rather than fantasy.
Produced by SALTY THEATRE as part of THE HATCH LAB Residency Program Directed by MIRANDA MIDDLETON Musical Direction by DAVID YOUINGS Choreography MADELINE PRATT Set & Costume Design by MADELINE NIBALI Producers ASHLEY TAYLOR SARAHLOUISE YOUNGER Production & Stage Manager ANDREW HUGHES Photos & Videos by AARON WALKER Paper Stars logo by NORFOLK DESIGN CO.
“In order to fly, you need something solid to take off from” - P.L. Travers, OBE
“What may not be as familiar to a Melbourne audience is the world of Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, workshops and theatre festivals. In Melbourne, opportunities to see lesser-known musicals in a good theatre with a solid cast and production values are not as frequent as somewhere like NYC… That was until Salty Theatre came onto the scene.” You Should See It Melb 63 63
WELLBLESS
64 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
1 - 11 DEC
WORLD PREMIERE 2020 reprOgram
BY DEBRA THOMAS & ELLA ROTH BARTON
Wellness guru, Juniper, is hosting a conference with her fitness-obsessed sister, Ava. With sold-out sessions offering everything from clean eating, Polga™ (yoga-styled pole dancing) and crystal healing, and millions of Instagram followers flocking to see them, the sisters look set to take their brand WellBless – wellness when you are #blessed – to entirely new heights. But when Instafamous cancer-patient Maha – who has rejected traditional treatments to follow Juniper’s wellness program – dies onsite, Juniper’s empire looks set to unravel. With the discovery of Maha’s body meaning the end of their incoming millions, the sisters work together with their panel of ‘experts’ to concoct a story about Maha’s complicity in her own death by choosing the path of chemotherapy and filling her body with ‘toxins’. With journalist Mindy Flores asking all the questions Juniper should be asking about her own program, the sisters must work quickly to hide the truth. This darkly satirical comedy examines the parasitic world of wellness, a trillion dollar industry that preys on vulnerable women.
WELLBLESS
WELLBLESS
Written by DEBRA THOMAS ELLA ROTH BARTON Directed by KELLIE TORI Performed by ELLA ROTH BARTON, DEBRA THOMAS, JESSICA HACKETT, JOSEPH LAI, ANDREA MENDEZ, LAUREN STEINER Dramaturg SAFFRON BENNER Sound Designer JAMES COLE Lighting Designer CAMILLE BORTZ Set Designer KELLIE TORI Costume Designers DEBRA THOMAS ELLA ROTH BARTON Costume Construction LAURA DE LONGH Prop Designer BRYNNA LOWEN Set Builders RALPH ALEXANDER AND LUKE LENNOX Photographer LUKE LENNOX
“Meticulously plotted and sophisticated in its use of form, this is a play of both craft and inspiration.” Andrew Upton (Former Artistic Director Of Stc) On Patrick White Award-Winning Play ‘The Man’s Bitch’ By Debra Thomas 65 65
CREATIVE DEV
THE OWL AND THE ALBATROSS BY PARIS BALLA
How the hell are you meant to figure out who you are while the world is on fire around you? The year is 2023. The sky is filled with smoke and for a kid with asthma, you haven’t got a chance in the city. So you get sent to live with your grandad, a boring old man who lives in a lighthouse by an ocean filled with rubbish and a baby albatross with no one to look after them. So you fight for justice. But how are you meant to fight when the adults who can make a difference don’t care at all? And how can you possibly save the world when you’re barely staying afloat yourself? Owl and the Albatross is a play for anyone who has ever felt lost, for those who haven’t been heard, the adults who don’t listen and for anyone waiting for a light to guide them home. Creative team: Paris Balla, Sarah Branton and Ryan Hamilton
66 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
VELOPMENTS
HERD BY WRECKEDALLPRODS IN COLLABORATION WITH CREATIVE AGENCY
I turn my head You turn your head We turn our heads Do you worry that away from the middle The same thing will happen to you?
CREATIVE DEVELOPM
Two writers, one composer/dramaturg, one director/dramaturg and five performers with a musical bent engage with ideas of queer community, herd immunity, pandemics and queerness. Springing off Lachlan Philpott’s 20-year-old play Bison, this new work expands outwards, both formally and in terms of its vision of the queer herd, to produce a queer cantata, or Q(u)antata. When and how do many voices become one? What are the possibilities of communal narratives and how do we tell them? When does group become herd? Creative team: Alyson Campbell, Meta Cohen, Peta Murray, Lachlan Philpott 67 67
FESTIVALS
MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL HUB In October, explore the Southside of Melbourne Fringe Festival as we celebrate the diverse, the queer, the strange and the unexpected as we host double and triple-billed events every night across the festival. With an open call-out in 2021 for all artists and performance companies to apply for our Fringe Hub, there has never been a better time to think about getting involved with Theatre Works.
30 SEP - 15 OCT
Image: BIRDOIR (2020 - Ira Luxuria + Six Inches Uncut) Image by: Jack Dixon-Gunn
68 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
FEST
RADICAL ACTS BY THE SHE WRITES COLLECTIVE
For one week, when Autumn meets Winter, the Theatre Works building and grounds will be overrun by the fourteen She Writes writers, as theatre makers meet audiences to intimately discuss the radical act of playwriting and these uproarious, heart-wrenching, explosive, political, poetic and exhilarating new works in a series of readings and dialogues. It will be the event to warm your winter so don’t miss it.
24 May - 4 JUN
TIVALS
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ASSOCIATE ARTISTS In 2021, Theatre Works continues its groundbreaking Associate Artist Program dedicated to emerging artists, giving them the opportunities to engage in their artistic process and extend their professional networks. Each year, the program attaches emerging artists from various disciplines to a Theatre Works production in line with their field to give them invaluable, direct experience with practising theatre-makers. The Associate Artist Program will also feature masterclasses and workshops with high-profile artists and a direct focus on developing each associate’s own practice and career paths as individual artists. Towards the end of the year, the associates will be pitching their very own creative projects to the Associate Artists group, with Artistic Associate, Steven Mitchell Wright and TW General Manager, Di Toulson, on the panel, who will provide feedback. As part of their project planning, the artists will also be learning about grant writing, budgeting, marketing and publicity. A public, nation-wide callout for applications will be issued in early 2021.
RESIDENT AR 70 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
SHE WRITES The She Writes Collective is Theatre Work’s two-year development program for emerging and mid-career female-identifying Writers of all performance forms. The three garden beds of the Collective are Creativity, Connection & Community. Writers can Create throughout the program, buoyed by Workshops in craft and supported by a Dramaturge graduate of the VCA Masters program. They make career Connections and plan their pathways by learning from visiting industry guests. They are part of a Community of other writers from which a sense of belonging and future collaborations may grow. In 2021, the second year of the program includes group writing workshops, creative developments, pathways to getting plays on desks, AND - drum roll please - a celebration of new playwriting and playwrights in our New Writing Festival - Radical Acts. For one week, when Autumn meets Winter, the Theatre Works building and grounds will be overrun by the fourteen She Writes writers, as theatre makers meet audiences to intimately discuss the radical act of playwriting and these uproarious, heartwrenching, explosive, political, poetic and exhilarating new works in a series of readings and dialogues. It will be the event to warm your winter so don’t miss it.
RTISTS
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RESID
BRITTANIE SHIPWAY FIRST NATIONS DRAMATURG / WRITER IN RESIDENCE
A graduate from NIDA and the Lee Strasberg Institute (New York), Brittanie is an actor, singer, writer, dramaturg and story teller. She is most well-known for her appearance on The Voice, where she turned all four chairs in her Blind audition. Brittanie recently won grants from the Australia Council of the Arts, Create NSW and Belvoir: Shutdown Residency to workshop her autobiographical play A Letter For Molly. Her other creative credits include writing short stories for ABC’s Radio National, lyricist for the Hope Development Project’s Coburg: Melbourne, Assistant Director at Old 505’s Mercutio & The Prince Of Cats, and composer of original music in Sport For Jove’s recent production of Othello. She has workshopped many original Australian works, including STC’s Muriel’s Wedding (Rhonda), and New Musicals Australia’s Evie May: A Tivoli Story (Evie May). Her recent credits include Kay in The Sapphires, Lauren in Kinky Boots, Mary in Jesus Christ Superstar, Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, and Sport For Jove’s Othello and Rose Riot.
72 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
COMPANIES IN RESIDENCE DENT ARTISTS The planned on-site support for our 2020 Companies in Residence had to be adapted to an online environment due to the restrictions caused by COVID-19. The resident artists were been supported through the development/creative process through online script development and strategic company/collective profile planning. We are excited to announce we have extended the company-in-residence experience to include support throughout 2021 to further the development of each company’s new work through play readings, showings and even a full festival season.
THE STRONGER | IRON LUNG THEATRE Iron Lung Theatre are developing August Strindberg’s The Stronger. With original translation and adaptation by WAAPA and Calle Flygare (Sweden) graduate, Julia Landberg, The Stronger be a world premiere on the Theatre Works stage. Written in 1889, The Stranger is a fascinating study of the shifting power between two women and a potential affair one had with the other’s husband.
MILAN 1880 | DEAFFERENT THEATRE Deafferent Theatre is developing a theatrical exploration of Milan 1880; a watershed moment of the language deprivation that the sign language communities all over the world face today. Deafferent Theatre are investigating the creation of a post modern piece of theatre that mirrors the artifice of the Berlin Wall; one side is the utopia of sign language; and the other side is the ongoing effects of language deprivation. What happens when that wall crumbles?
LOVE YOU BITCH | STAGE MOM A multi-disciplinary performance collective led by director/dramaturg Hannah Fallowfield and writer/ dramaturg Alberto Di Troia, Stage Mom will premiere their new work, Love You Bitch at Theatre Works as part of Midsumma Festival 2021 after development throughout 2020. Love You Bitch is a cutting look at intimacy, insecurity and the secret meaning of Kylie Minogue’s Spinning Around.
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SUPPORTING RADICAL ACTS OF HOPE AND IMAGINATION Since 1980, Theatre Works has been a creative hub and a dynamic incubator where emerging and established artists can develop their ideas, works and careers. A vital space for thousands of artists exploring unique perspectives and creative approaches. Each year, Theatre Works supports over 500 artists, 35 productions and numerous artist development programs. We proudly build new audiences for the theatre sector by attracting over 17,000 audience members annually, with a large, diverse program. But 2020 has been different. It’s been hard, incredibly hard on artists. COVID-19 has decimated the industry and we need your help to bring our stage back to life in 2021. We are weaponising our optimism with our ambitious plans for the future, investing in an array of creative and professional development opportunities to reignite the sector alongside our annual production season. Please join us in making these dreams a reality. Everyone’s circumstances are different, but we welcome every level of support. Rest assured, no matter what you give, every little bit helps.
How can you donate? Credit Card: theatreworks.org.au/your-support/donate/ Cheques payable to: Theatre Works PO BOX 1205 St Kilda VIC 3182
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DON
VANGUARD DONORS A massive thank you to all of our Vanguard donors and their invaluable support throughout 2020. Members of the Vanguard Program are courageous, forwardthinking people with a passion for new work and creative risk-taking. This dynamic group underpins the activity of Theatre Works and are an intrinsic part of the Theatre Works community. Through their annual contribution of $100 or more, Vanguard members provide the stability and sustainability we need to flourish. This cherished relationship allows Theatre Works to pursue uncompromised creative excellence and plan strategically for the future. Vanguard Members also enjoy a personal relationship with Theatre Works, with intimate access to our creative development through exclusive events and regular communication. We invite you to join this community of influential and adventurous supporters.
For more information please contact: Kirsty Hillhouse Development Manager Development@theatreworks.org.au 0414 347 335
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TEAM THEATRE WORKS STAFF & BOARD BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lauren O’Dwyer (Chair), Annie Bourke, Sharon Lacy, Richard Phillips, Ness Harwood Dianne Toulson - General Manager/Creative Producer Adam Gardner - Box Office/Marketing/Graphic Design Steven Mitchell Wright - Artistic Associate Kirsty Hillhouse - Development Manager Rachel Bostock - FOH Manager Jacinta Anderson & John Collopy - Venue/Technical Managers Briony Dunn - Literary Development Manager Brittanie Shipway - First Peoples’ Resident Dramaturg/Writer Anne Henderson - Finance Administrator Greg Clarke - Venue Operations Manager Ryan Hamilton - Marketing Associate
FOH TEAM Ben Nichol Erin Pattison Elizabeth Millington Jordan Stonier-Watson Natalie Gardner
VANGUARD DONORS AMBASSADORS ($5000+) Ros Willett CHAMPIONS ($2500 - $4999) Michael Nossal & Jo Porter Richard Phillips GUARDIANS ($1000 - $2499) Alison Richards Anne Donegan Christopher Reed Graeme Lewsey Kate Lesser Mike Lawrence Michael Anthony Lee Paul Loney Richard Keddie Rosemary Walls Sharon Lacy Tanya Gerstle ADVOCATES ($500 - $999) Alex Lasry Amanda Bede Annie Bourke Danila Durante Dianne Toulson Elizabeth Leslie Greg Day Jenny Ryssenbeek
Julie Kantor Julie and Michael Landvogt Lauren O’Dwyer Loraine Little Margaret Pagone Melissa McShane Natasha Norton Ness Harwood Rhyll Dorrington Sid Larwill Wendy Lasica SUPPORTERS ($100 - $499) Adam Krongold Alice Benson Ally Deacon Alex Anderson Alyson Campbell Anonymous Anonymous Antony Zajicek Carolene Gwynn Cathy Collins Chris Mier Chris Jeffares Christopher Chaundy Colette Leber Colin Clarke Dan Clarke Danielle Prowse David Pledger Dr Anne Marshall & Gordon Beattie
76 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021
Fiona Mahony Fiona Pattern Geoffrey Court Heather Bolton Helen Donnard Houston Ash Jason Graig Jeremy Press Julian Dibley-Hall Karen Cosson Kaylene O’Neill Kevin Nelson Kirsty Hillhouse Klara McMurray Leharna Black Louise McCrossin Lucinda Burgess Lynda Kelly Meg Upton Megan Zerafa Merryn Anstee Michael Kingston Michelle Casey Nancy Black Nicole Beyer Olivia Satchwell Peter Burch Peter Spitzkowsky Peter Watson Ray Liggett Rinske Ginsberg Roslyn Varley Steven Milton
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14 Acland Street St Kilda VIC 3182 Australia [PO Box 1205 St Kilda South 3182] Bookings: (03) 9534 3388 Office: (03) 9534 4879
theatreworks.org.au 78 THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2021