Theatre Works 2022 Season Brochure by Theatre Works

THEATRE WORKS SEASON 2022

Theatre Works respectfully acknowledges First People’s sovereignty and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and storytelling by Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to the many clans and language groups in Victoria, to their elders past and present, and acknowledge the strength and resilience of all Aboriginal peoples. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 4. Foreword 5. Mission + Vission + Values 6. Blackbox 7. Explosives Factory 8. She Writes Collective 9. Associate Artists SEASON 2022 10. Mullet Fest 12. Masha in Translation 13. Shakespeare Aliens 14. A Material Reckoning 15. Whitenoise:12 Ghosts 16. St Kilda Big Lost Band 18. Now:Here 19. The Beep Test 20. Midsumma Festival Hub 21. SOLID 22. 5 Stars 23. Long Live the King 24. SLUTNIK™ 25. W O E 26. ACEtravaganza 27. Closet Drama 28. promiscuous/cities 29. The (Sour Glitch) Two-Step Refusal 32. Betty 34. First Stories Festival 36. Phantasmagoria 38. Radical Acts Festival 40. The Darkening Sky 42. No Ball Games Allowed 44. Comedy Festival Hub 45. Former Gifted Child 46. Spot 47. Not Today 48. Live Production Workshops 50. SEASON 2022 CALENDAR 52. When the Rain Stops Falling 54. A Hundred Words for Snow 56. LOW 58. The View From Up Here 60. Owl and the Albatross 62. Every Lovely Terrible Thing

64. All the Rage 66. RADAR 68. Caligula 70. The Marvellous Life of Carlo Gatti 72. MEDEA: Out of the Mouths of Babes 74. SENSER 76. Little Legends Festival 78. Melbourne Fringe Festival Hub 80. Day After Terrible Day 82. The Mentor 84. HERD 86. Shows In Development 87. The Stronger 88. Politics Aside 89. Dodgeball Named Desire 90. The Dream Room 91. Beau Wants to be a Billionaire 92. Acting Life 93. The Countdown 94. Donate 95. Vanguard 96. Our Supporters 97. Partners & Sponsors 98. Team Theatre Works

FOREWORD Welcome to TW Season 2022, Theatre Works is an artist-first organisation and we exist to support emerging, established, local and national artists as they achieve their vision on stage with as little compromise as possible. We encourage risk-taking and live for new ideas. In 2022, we bring a lot of our history with us both metaphorically and literally; the return of programming not yet realised, new programs, new artists and works, and perhaps most importantly more hope. Hope is not a passive waiting. It is a longing, a desire, a need and an action. It is a radical investment in a better future. We are deeply aware that creatives, cast and crew invest their own funds, resources and an immeasurable amount of time and energy into projects, and so we have committed to reschedule all of the 2020 and 2021 postponed shows in future programming if that is the artists’ wish. This includes our new Fringe alternative Mullet Fest (the other side of Fringe) programmed to kick-start our 2022 season in January. Stories shared on the Theatre Works stage are legendary and its story tellers are bold. TW Season 2022 traverses diverse performance styles and rigorous creative methodologies across all genres, investigating unique perspectives and creative approaches but they all sit under one or more of these three categories: Urgent stories: works that have to happen now, that can’t wait. Ambitious works: projects that dream big and make no excuses for their scope. Future thinking: works exploring or in pursuit of the future of theatre/performance in 4 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

BY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DIANNE TOULSON form, content, process and/or audience engagement. Our artist development programs continue to thrive and in 2022, our Companies in Residence will be presenting readings, developments and - in one case - a full season of work. The She Writes Collective’s Radical Acts Festival initially scheduled for May 2021 will be delivered in March 2022 and we are thrilled to continue our ground-breaking Associate Artists Program for emerging creatives. Theatre Works’ inaugural First Stories Festival, an initiative run #ByMob4Mob, will empower First Peoples emerging writers and storytellers to find their voice in their own way - with the support and mentorship of renowned Aboriginal artists. These initiatives are only made possible with the generous support of our donors. If you have an idea about how you can support one of our development programs, please get in touch – we would love to have you around for a cuppa. In 2022 our new space will explode onto the scene (pun intended). Located around the corner from our Acland St location, Explosives Factory will be our second home for workshops, residencies and more intimate performances. With almost 50 shows confirmed and a few more to be announced, our 2022 season is here to be explored, experienced and enjoyed. Live. If you would like to support Theatre Works and future generations of independent theatre-makers, please: 1) book tickets in advance and, 2) bring your friends! We look forward to welcoming you back. Dianne Toulson Executive Director

THEATRE WORKS MISSION Theatre Works fills a vital niche in the Australian cultural landscape as an artistic home and destination for the ambitious, the new and the distinguished.

VISION To be the Australian epicentre of independent theatre and independent theatre makers by investing in, empowering and supporting artists of all experience, identity, background and aspiration to make ambitious works that reflect, redefine or reimagine contemporary Australia and contemporary Australian theatrical practice.

VALUES Artist over Art We believe in creating safe opportunities and environments for artistic and professional development in pursuit of individual artists and companies’ own definitions of success. Empowering Risk We believe that the future is defined by those who challenge the status quo. As such we partner with companies and artists that push the boundaries of content, form or scale. Creative Freedom We get out of the artists’ way. Sustainable Practice We value the longevity of our organisation, partnering artists and their careers, our planet and our art form. We prioritise the mental and fiscal health of our organisation and partnering artists. Diversity and AntiRacism We believe in a theatre and a theatre sector that is a true representation of the diverse world in which we live. We actively seek to create opportunities and pathways for marginalised communities.

BLACKBOX

caFE, BAR and OUTDOOR STAGE Blackbox Cafe & Bar opened in early 2021 conceptualised not just as a revenue stream but as a way of giving work to artists, to increase Theatre Works’ visibility in the local area and to develop face-to-face relationships with our neighbours. Blackbox has become a home for artists to socialise, meet and connect, and our neighbours have enjoyed the interaction with an operational theatre. Our engagement and profile within our local area has grown exponentially translating to increased donations and ticket sales. We kept open throughout lockdowns greeting St Kildians every morning with good take away coffee and a smile behind our masks. During Summer, our Acland Street forecourt will be activated even further, transforming into an outdoor stage for up to 60 patrons. Keep an eye out in the program for Mullet Fest and Midsumma Festival shows lighting up the Blackbox stage. OPENING HOURS MONDAY - FRIDAY 7:00 AM - 1:00PM SATURDAY 7:30 AM - 1:30PM CLOSED SUNDAYS & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 6 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

EXPLOSIVES FACTORY NEW PERFORMANCE / REHEARSAL SPACE In 2022 our new space will explode onto the scene. Pun intended. A space once used to manufacture fireworks, our second venue is just as much a part of St Kilda history as Theatre Works itself. Located around the corner from our Acland St location, Explosives Factory will be a versatile workshop, studio and development space complete with accommodation, a bathroom and kitchen facilities. This space will be the home of our new residency program RADAR (Regional Artist Development and Accommodation Residencies) and will provide year round rehearsal space to our partnering artists, be activated as a 60 seat versatile performance venue for our festival programming and if needed provide a smaller and more intimate venue for works less suited to our main space. EXPLOSIVES FACTORY ADDRESS 67 INKERMAN STREET REAR OF THRIFTY LINKS HARDWARE TRAM ROUTE: 67 STOP: Inkerman St/St Kilda Rd #34

SHE WRITES COLLECTIVE

Since 2020, Theatre Works has facilitated the She Writes Collective for femaleidentifying playwrights, which will continue with a new cohort commencing in 2022. Participating writers include a cross section of gender diverse, culturally diverse, emerging and mid-career writers of performance across a range of age groups and abilities, at varying stages in their playwriting practices. We work on an idea-to-page-to-stage process where writers accepted into the collective bring an idea they wish to craft into a play, and they develop the play during the two years. The She Writes Collective enables female writers of performance to develop their playwriting craft in workshops and masterclasses, to increase their knowledge of process via industry Q&As, build a community with other writers including alumni, discuss intimately the act of playwriting in a series of meet ups and reading sessions, grow connections and foster relationships with industry and practising artists, receive organisational support and guidance, have access to space for creative developments and readings, receive mentoring and dramaturgical support, take part in the Radical Act Festival where their writing will be shared with audiences, receive one-on-one mentoring and meet a range of professional artists working across Australia.

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ASSOCIATE ARTISTS In 2022, 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 artists from various disciplines to a Theatre Works production in line with their field of enquiry to give them invaluable, direct experience with practising established theatre-makers. The Associate Artist Program features masterclasses and workshops with high-profile artists and a direct focus on developing each associate’s own practice and career paths as individual artists. This program provides one of the few opportunities in Australia for directors, makers and emerging creative producers to acquire the skills and contacts necessary to make the transition into the professional theatre industry. Closely mentored by Artistic Associate Steven Mitchell Wright with guest sessions from a diverse array of industry professionals and experts, Q and As, and practical units from a cross section of industry topics including producing, grants writing, budgets, financial models, touring, marketing and PR. A public, nation-wide callout for applications will be issued in December 2021.

MULLET FESTIVAL | 10 - 22 JAN 10 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

10 - 22 JAN

THEATRE WORKS EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

BLACKBOX OUTDOOR STAGE

MULLET FEST

FRINGE ON THE OTHER SIDE Originally scheduled for 2021’s Melbourne Fringe Festival in October, the shows that make up January’s Mullet Fest were programmed by TW’s Artistic Associate Steven Mitchell Wright in conjunction with Executive Director, Dianne Toulson. These new works were postponed from the 2021 program due to the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on our venue. The seven works will be performed across our three stages: Theatre Works, the outdoor stage adjoined to our revamped forecourt at Blackbox Cafe / Bar, and Explosives Factory - the new performance and rehearsal space on Inkerman Street. Mullet Fest photography by Andrew Bott

MULLET FEST

MASHA IN TRANSLATION by Roxana Paun Trifan | 10 - 13 Jan SHAKESPEARE ALIENS by Keith Gow and Rob Lloyd | 11 - 15 Jan A MATERIAL RECKONING by Dr Mohammed Taha | 13 - 22 Jan WHITENOISE: 12 GHOSTS by Kathleen Mary Fallon and Maryanne Lynch | 14 - 16 Jan ST KILDA BIG LOST BAND Presented By The Acland Street Traders Partnership | 15 Jan NOW:HERE by Crunch Theatre Company | 18 - 22 Jan THE BEEP TEST by Neylon and Peele | 18 - 22 Jan 11

10 - 13 JAN EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

WORLD PREMIERE

MASHA IN TRANSLATION BY ROXANA PAUN TRIFAN PRESENTED BY BOOK OF DREAMS THEATRE

This performance tests the boundaries of intercultural theatre expression, confronting the audiences with challenging concepts as displacement, exile and identity through a case study: the iconic character of Masha in Chekhov’s Three Sisters. The narrative is focused on the sense of dislocation and displacement experienced by actors when performing in a foreign language and from a text that is itself a translation. Masha in Translation is an example of intercultural communication across time, languages and borders. This is in many ways a story of many journeys, using much more than words to connect the past and the present, to break the ‘silence’ and sometimes to correct misunderstandings.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - ROXANA PAUN TRIFAN Roxana Paun Trifan is a professional theatre and film actor, PhD candidate in Theatre Performance at Monash University. She has worked for companies such as National Theatre in Romania, Teatro Stabile ‘Giuseppe Verdi’ in Italy, MUST Theatre, La Mama Theatre, Theatre Works and Book of Dreams Theatre. Her research is focused on transmigrant theatre practices and Anton Chekhov. 12 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

CAST Roxana Paun Trifan Jim Daly ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Alex Menglet STAGE DESIGNER Peter Mumford CHOREOGRAPHY/ PRODUCTION MANAGER Michele Mcnamara ORIGINAL MUSIC Reuben Daamen AV DESIGNER Gianluigi Rotondo MARKETING MANAGER/ PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Alex Bartaska GRAPHIC DESIGNER & MARKETING ASSISTANT Thomas Emerson ARTISTIC ADVISORS Joey Hitten, Jaime Dorner, Pamela Arkin, Andreas & Olga Rotondo

11 - 15 JAN

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE

SHAKESPEARE ALIENS BY KEITH GOW & ROB LLOYD | PRESENTED BY ROB LLOYD PRODUCTIONS

You’ve seen Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet done in a myriad of ways. But there is only one version of James Cameron’s ALIENS! (Well, okay, there’s also a director’s cut.) Never, though, has it been told as if from the pen of William Shakespeare. With people and puppets! Here ye and come forth for an intergalactic story of Queens, battles, sleep & dreams! For Shakespeare never wrote a story with more guns, Than this tale of Ripley and the Aliens.

WRITER Keith Gow DIRECTOR/ PRODUCER Rob Lloyd PROPS/PUPPETS Donna Prince CAST Cassandra Hart, Elysia Janssen,Danny Mcginlay, Brad Allen, Rik Brown, Zac Rose, Lore Burns, Seon Williams and Corey Glamuzina PUPPETEERS Pete Davidson Allanah Sarafin Paris Balla

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - ROB LLOYD Rob has been working as a professional performer for over 20 years. He is the Lloyd half of comedy duo Innes Lloyd. His Doctor Who themed solo show Who, Me. celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. On TV, Rob stars in the ABC Me series Bertram Poppingstock: Problem Solver. Rob is excited/relieved to get this passion project of his finally in front of a crowd.

13 - 22 JAN BLACKBOX OUTDOOR STAGE

WORLD PREMIERE

A MATERIAL RECKONING

BY DR MOHAMMED TAHA | PRESENTED BY MOMO & COMPANY

Meet Dr Mohammed Taha. Inventor, scientist, wineenthusiast, sought-after dinner guest, and destroyer of worlds. It’s 2021 bitches and change is not coming: it’s here, and it’s for Mohammed Taha. Take a seat and enjoy an evening of light comedy, conversation, and devastation as they settle their accounts with the world and exchange sparkling wit with your charming and eccentric host Teddy Darling. A 60-minute sit-down comedy talk show breaking into Theatre Works’ new outdoor venue. Questions will be welcomed, racism will not.

ABOUT THE ARTIST - DR MOHAMMED TAHA Dr Mohammad Taha (They/Them) is a writer, aspiring filmmaker, co-chair of the Victorian chapter of Queers in Science, and an award-winning researcher at the Melbourne School of Engineering. They are an advocate for the rights of queer people in general, and queer people of colour in particular. 14 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

CREATED BY Mohammed Taha and Teddy Darling

14 - 16 JAN EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

WORLD PREMIERE

WHITENOISE:12 ghosts BY KATHLEEN MARY FALLON & MARYANNE LYNCH Who remembers where they were …? Whitenoise:12 Ghosts crawls into the death chamber of White Australia’s memory banks and pulls out a pretty little mess. Lindy Chamberlain: Been there, done that. Mamdouh Habib: Been there, done that. First Gulf War: Seen it all before.

WRITER AND PERFORMER Kathleen Mary Fallon PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR Maryanne Lynch

But what about how much we think we are savvy but living in the grip of the spin of the 24-hour news cycle, the prevalence of fake news and the avalanche of information on media platforms? Whitenoise:12 Ghosts excavates the violence of overwhelming power through three iconic events and drags it into the bloody today. ABOUT THE ARTISTS - KATHLEEN MARY FALLON Kathleen Mary Fallon’s latest book is A fixed place: the long and short of story. As the white foster mother of an Indigenous son she wrote a feature film, Call Me Mum, a novel Paydirt and a play, Buyback. Working Hot won a Victoria Premier’s Prize. She wrote the libretti for Matricide – the Musical and a concert piece, Laquiem, performed in The Studio at the Sydney Opera House. She lectured in creative writing at the University of Melbourne for eight years and holds a PhD (UniSA).

Portrait by Liz Walker

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ST KILDA BIG LOST BAND | 15 JAN | MULLET FEST

ST KILDA BIG LOST BAND

15 JAN

O’DONNELL GARDENS

PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ACLAND STREET TRADERS ASSOCIATION

Here’s your chance to play in the biggest band you’ve ever seen! All are warmly welcome to join this rollicking rock and roll adventure - young and old, beginners and seasoned pros - when it hits O’Donnell Gardens, St Kilda on the 15th of January. The Big Lost Band debuted as part of the 2019 Lost Lands Festival. In only four rehearsals over the weeks leading up to the gig, the core creative team pulled together a 136 strong band of musicians made up of families who were attending the event. 70% children and young people. Playing 20 drum kits, 40 guitars, 10 basses and assorted whistles, saxes, keyboards, buckets and coconuts. Plus a big choir. It was a massive hit. Over two week-long visits the key creatives will recruit a 75 strong team of mostly young people – who can range from absolute beginners to young guns – and rehearse up a set of songs. One day before the gig at O’Donnell Gardens the touring band members arrive and the whole band attend an epic rehearsal. The following day a pretty much guaranteed huge audience experience rock heaven.

DIRECTOR Ian Pidd MUSICAL DIRECTOR Daniel Smith PRODUCTION MANAGER Dawn Holland SUPPORTED BY Acland Street Traders Association

ABOUT THE ARTIST - IAN PIDD Ian Pidd is a freelance director of theatre and festivals, based in Melbourne, Australia. His practice swings between programming festivals (The Lost Lands, The Falls, Junction, The Village, Moomba), directing theatre (We Are Lightning, various Polyglot projects, Snuff Puppets, Back To Back, Men Of Steel) and creating and directing participatory “things” (Unconformity’s The Rumble, Dark MOFO’s Ogoh Ogoh, Dookie Earthed). Ian has a side hustle directing community music projects including The Big Day In Project in aged care which was acknowledged at the 2021 Green Room Awards. The Big Lost Band was a created as part of his role as AD of The Lost Lands Festival. 17

18 - 22 JAN EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

NOW:HERE BY CRUNCH THEATRE COMPANY

There’s nowhere to go and not much time to get there. NOW:HERE is the debut event for Crunch Theatre Company. This abstract performance that explores the ravages of the passage of time, inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht, this performance burrows into the most animalistic of impulses, the most intense anxieties and the most alien absurdities to pose the question; are we on the path to nowhere or have we already arrived? Are the sands of time a metric of our opportunity, or the very element that will grind our gears to a halt?

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - CRUNCH THEATRE COMPANY Crunch Theatre Company is an emerging company in the Melbourne scene making abstract, explorative theatre that isn’t focused on providing our audiences with an escape. Founded in 2019 by members of the Deakin University graduating class, Crunch Theatre’s work has been critically recognised, winning the Industry Standard Ensemble Work award at the Deakin Catalyst Festival. Despite several pandemic related setbacks, everyone at CTC has displayed incredible resilience, showing a professional and personal determination to deliver this work to theatre goers. We hope that our passion for performing, our focus, discipline and drive shine through to our audience and showcases how CTC strives for a reputation of high quality, engaging contemporary theatre. 18 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

CREATED AND PERFORMED BY Amber Davies, Cameron Gergely, Lewis Stanley, Woody Greene

18 - 22 JAN

THEATRE WORKS

THE BEEP TEST BY NEYLON & PEELE

The class of Year 7C have been training hard for the annual Beep Test. Hearts will be broken and friendships destroyed in the ultimate quest for glory! The Beep Test is a fast paced, comedic, over the top new Australian musical by upcoming musical theatre writers Neylon & Peele. Inspired by the drama and chaos that was school Beep Tests, the work combines all the pain and glory of being in Year 7 with some knock your socks off singing and tight choreography! In 2019, the work was the winner of the prestigious Julie Michael Cabaret Award. In 2020, it was a finalist for the Martin Sims Award, which recognises ‘the best new Western Australian Work that is destined to succeed on the world’s stage.’

DIRECTION, BOOK AND LYRICS Jackson Peele MUSIC DIRECTION, MUSIC AND LYRICS Conor Neylon STAGE MANAGEMENT Annie Gleisner LIGHTING DESIGN Gabriel Bethune ASSISTANT DIRECTION Tiana Catalano

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - NEYLON & PEELE Conor Neylon and Jackson Peele are a passionate Australian Musical Theatre writing duo. In 2021 they presented a sell-out season of their musical The House On Fire at the Edge of the World as part of Theatre Works Replanted. Their previous work includes the musicals Kate, Gus & The Other Kids, The Beep Test, and Beau Wants to Be a Billionaire.

MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL HUB | 23 JAN - 13 FEB

23 JAN - 13 FEB

MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL HUB

In 2022, Theatre Works Midsumma Hub will be bigger than ever with shows across 3 performance spaces. A truly queer program that embraces and celebrates the whole rainbow community. Non-binary pantomime, lesbians in space, drag kings, asexual variety shows, the trans masculine experience, non-binary escape rooms and so much more... We’re thrilled to have commissioned these Midsumma hero artworks from illustrator, animator and tattoo artist Cynthia Sobraty (aka @plasticmessiah - they/them). These artworks will be available for purchase at Theatre Works during Midsumma as well as some QUEER AF merchandise. 20 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

25 - 29 JAN EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

WORLD PREMIERE

SOLID BY CASPER PLUM

SOLID is a visually staggering, contemporary imagebased ensemble work that investigates masculinity and the body through cis and transmasculine perspectives. In a society that expects masculinity to be cold, hard, and fixed, lead artist Casper Plum brings us this observation on movement and stillness, sex and gender, as told through queer, trans and cis bodies. Drawing on their own experiences of masculinity, Plum and his team bring fluidity into the gender binary and expose the limitations of conventional masculinity through interactive installation, visual imagery, self inquiry, and playful cliche. It will be frisky, sweaty, energetic, dark, robust, confronting and visceral: a deep examination of gender and the pervasive myths that surround it.

DIRECTOR / DESIGNER / LEAD ARTIST Casper Plum COLLABORATOR / MENTOR / SUPPORT Cassandra Fumi SOUND DESIGNER Ivy Luo COLLABORATOR / MENTOR / SUPPORT Tennessee MynottRudland

Special thanks to performers of the ensemble

ABOUT THE ARTIST - CASPER PLUM Casper Plum is a 17 year old trans artist living, studying and working in Naarm/Melbourne. His art practice focuses on contemporary art, performance, set design and photography. Casper has performed in a number of theatre productions including Book of Exodus P2, We All Know What’s Happening (Adelaide, Sydney and European tours), The Mermaid & Body of Knowledge (Australian and European virtual tours). 21

25 - 29 JAN

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE

5 STARS BY KISSING BOOTH A lovesick playwright and the beautiful actor who rejected him attempt to make art from the dismay. An officially fascinating trans artist makes his theatrical debut. The most handsome guy in your year twelve drama class just got cast in something absurd. Applause attempts to prove its value. This play is a love letter to theatre that your psychologist would advise you to write but not to send. Set against the backdrop of Melbourne’s theatre scene, this is the world premiere of an excellent play about how important it is to be beautiful and interesting and sexy and talented and nice. Theatre might be the worst thing you’ve ever done to yourself. ABOUT THE ARTIST - KISSING BOOTH Kissing Booth’s work fixates on the darker regions of the contemporary human experience, while never losing its taste for sweet glittery gayness. We have a focus on queer Australian texts, the relics of traditional romance, the state of modern masculinity, and the epidemic of heartache. Producing work since 2013, we strive to bear witness to the amorphus notion of being a queer Australian today. 22 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

DIRECTOR Dominic Weintraub WRITER Jake Stewart CAST Joel Beasley Kurt Pimblett Jake Stewart Harrie Hogan

25 - 29 JAN BLACKBOX OUTDOOR STAGE

WORLD PREMIERE

LONG LIVE THE KING BY A LITTLE LIFE THEATRE Long Live the King is a political drag cabaret based on Shakespeare’s Richard the Third. Jealous Richard of Gloucester wants to be King of England and uses manipulation and deceit to achieve his goal. He murders his brothers, nephews and any opposition to become King Richard III. Long Live the King takes and flips the traditional Shakespearean narrative of Richard III and features an ensemble of drag king artists - glitter beards and all - to exposed the pitfalls of powerful men brought to their knees, hegemonic decline, deceit, betrayal and manipulation on the path to glory.

CREATED BY Claire Holland

Long Live the King uses music, movement, 21st century political blundering and elaborate costumes to explore the missteps of men in power in the Australian and international political landscape set against the drama, theatricality and betrayal of the Shakespearean world. ABOUT THE ARTISTS - A LITTLE LIFE THEATRE Founded in 2021 and based in Canberra, A Little Life Theatre works to make inclusive, inspiring and engaging theatrical experiences that cater to individuals of all ages, experiences and abilities. The company works collaboratively to make new works of theatre using movement, music and text. We aim to create work that is high quality, celebratory of diversity and ambitious in breadth and scale. 23

1 - 4 FEB

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE

SLUTNIK

BY FLICK | PRESENTED BY FLICK FLICK CITY

Part lip-sync, part fighting montage, part open mic night… SLUTNIK™ is a queer glitterbomb of an event detailing the final fortnight on Earth of the International Fleet of Lesbian Space Cannibals. There’s 14 days ‘til liftoff, and motherboard has initiated very important and very importantly gay training before their intergalactic travels. They’ve not given away their liftoff location… but rumour has it that wherever they are, they’re living on the flesh of selected political officials. Produced by award-winning production company, Mira Ball Productions, SLUTNIK™ will be showcased by a bold collective of up-and-coming artists. This show is made by queer people, for queer people.

ABOUT THE ARTIST - FLICK Flick is an interdisciplinary artist living and working in Naarm (Melbourne), currently completing their Master of Theatre (Dramaturgy) at the VCA. They are at their happiest in any creative space where the energy is the marriage between (biodegradable) glitter bombs and intellectual chaos; think conspiracy theories in go-go boots and political revelations covered in sequins. 24 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

WRITER Flick DIRECTOR Tansy Gorman DESIGNER Caitlin Johnston PRODUCER Mira Ball Productions CAST Vitoria Hronopoulos Olivia Mcleod Anastassia Krstevska Jett Chudleigh Veronica Pena Negrette

2 - 5 FEB EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

WORLD PREMIERE

WOE

BY NIGHT GARDEN THEATRE

W O E hits the back of the throat like a shot of pure absinthe. Wound tighter than a spring, this work mashes classic gothic horror with the fast and dirty world of cyberpunk and modern dystopia, if Guillermo Del Toro directed Ghost in the Shell.

WRITTEN, DIRECTED & PERFORMED BY Isha Menon and Meg Taranto

A young queer woman struggling under the weight of modern patriarchy and capitalism is suddenly gasping for air in the whirlpool of Ophelia’s final moments, ripped from her own psyche to bear witness to Ophelia’s steady march to the willow tree. Writhing between worlds and drowning in the confluence of their descents into madness, the two women discover that despite the centuries that cleave them apart, neither can breathe for the shame that chokes their lungs, poured down their throats by a society that would rather see them dead. ABOUT THE ARTISTS - NIGHT GARDEN THEATRE Together, Isha and Meg are Night Garden, a creative duo that make work that is fierce, feminist, queer and on the edge of nightmare. Through the surreal, the magical and the downright uncanny, we bring stories that live on the fringes centrestage and shine a spotlight on the things that haunt our waking hours with pathos and biting humour.

5 - 6 FEB

THEATRE WORKS

ACEtravaganza BY ARTEMIS MUÑOZ & NIKKI VIVECA

ACEtravaganza is a variety show featuring Melbourne’s best asexual and aspec artists curated by comedienne and poet Nikki Viveca (Asexual Healing) and theatre and cabaret artist Artemis Muñoz (Asexy: Proud To Be Me). This show puts the invisible orientation centre stage in a joyful celebration full of story, song and more! The work is presented entirely by aspec artists, reflecting a perspective seldom seen on stage. More than a show, in a queering of the variety night tradition ACEtravaganza is also a community gathering, visual arts showcase and big ol’ ace party! Featuring first-time creatives alongside established artists, ACEtravaganza explodes stereotypes about the asexual community and boldly claims space for a group that is often erased from representations of queerness. ABOUT THE ARTISTS - ARTEMIS MUÑOZ & NIKKI VIVECA Artemis Muñoz is a multidisciplinary artist, passionate about access and representation in the arts. Their theatre writing was showcased in First Stage (MTC and Emerging Writers Festival 2020). Nikki Viveca is a multidisciplinary artist working in poetry, standup, theatre, improv and burlesque. She won the 2019 Midsumma Poetry Slam and was a runner up for the 2019 Melbourne Spoken Word Prize. 26 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

PRODUCED AND HOSTED BY Artemis Muñoz & Nikki Viveca

8 - 13 FEB BLACKBOX OUTDOOR STAGE

WORLD PREMIERE

CLOSET DRAMA BY DAN GRAHAM AND OLIVER ROSS

Anon can’t find the words for his relationship with gender, sexuality, and masculinity, and he’s not ready to make his own.

DIRECTOR Dan Graham WRITER & DESIGNER Oliver Ross

Using patchworked Shakespeare, he explores and roadtests his identity as a gay trans man, moving from his living room to the coasts of Illyria and Ancient Rome. Drawing from Twelfth Night, Coriolanus and the broader Shakespeare canon, Closet Drama is part queer reading, part dating sim, inspired by the process of adaptation and the balencing act of visibility and privacy. ABOUT THE ARTISTS - DAN GRAHAM & OLIVER ROSS Dan Graham is a Theatre Director and a Disability Advocate with a particular interest in access support for neuro-diverse performing artists. Studying theatre at the University of Tasmania, he currently is a board director for Arts Access Australia and a regular peer assessor for the Australian Council for the Arts. Focused on trans and neurodiverse storytelling, Oliver Ross has worked on over 100 creative projects as a writer, dramaturg and designer. Studying English, Theatre and Ancients Worlds at the University of Melbourne, he was company manager for MUSC, and runs the reviewing website Shakespeare Oz.

9 - 13 FEB

THEATRE WORKS

AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

PROMISCUOUS / CITIES BY LACHLAN PHILPOTT | PRESENTED BY WRECKEDALLPRODS & VCA They’ve written endless songs about this city. Can you feel the street’s pulse, how it rushes through your veins like a drug? He’s in trouble, she’s falling in love, they’re cheating, she’s trapped and he’s alone. But keep moving since we mustn’t fall behind. Stay connected- don’t want to miss out. promiscuous/cities composes a symphony of a night in a big city where each of us is frantically maintaining the myth of ourselves we’ve created. Yet underneath the vision of us we peddle on social media – like! – there is an aching distance between us. Playwright Lachlan Philpott asks: How can we know a city when we don’t even know ourselves? This Australian premiere is performed by a group of actors just graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts, who made the show – and did their entire training – for no live public audience. It’s hard to think of a group more attuned to the play’s concerns with the relationship between online and embodied life, connection and missed connections.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - WRECKEDALLPRODS wreckedAllprods is a queer performance collective formed in 2000 when Alyson Campbell and Lachlan Philpott met on a community outreach program for at-risk young people in the LGBTQI+ community. Their work is distinct because of its queerness, the complex subtlety of its aesthetic and because it reflects an interest in going back as much as going forward. 28 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

WRITER Lachlan Philpot DIRECTOR Alyson Campbell SOUND DESIGNER/ DRAMATURG Meta Cohen LIGHTING DESIGNER Emma LockhartWilson SET DESIGNER Leon Salom COSTUME DESIGNER Casey Harper-Wood

9 - 13 FEB EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

THE (SOUR GLITCH) TWO-STEP REFUSAL BY AUDLEY ANDERSON & HAZ LUGSDIN

The (Sour Glitch) Two-Step Refusal is a vicarious nonbinary escape room experience, where wordplay is foreplay, sense is nonsense, clues are costumes, and the escape is in the doing. With players and protagonists, They and Them, you are locked in an 80’s corporate office workroom. Beige, banal and bereft. The printer is broken, the plants are wilting, the water cooler drips slowly. No colleagues are in sight. There’s been a murder on the workfloor.

PERFORMERS AND CO-CREATORS They: Audley Anderson Them: Haz Lugsdin

They (and Them) have one hour to solve the mystery and make an escape.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - AUDLEY ANDERSON & HAZ LUGSDIN Audley Anderson (they/them) is a trans-media performer, creator and emerging theatre maker creating works that are speculative, euphoric and a bit gross. Haz Lugsdin (they/them) is a trans-masculine writer, performer and theatre maker. Haz’s modus apparatus is characterised by gusto, ego and innuendo. Together they are developing a practice of non-binary making to make sense of their genders and nonsense of the rest. 29

30 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

MAINSTAGE

SEASON 2022

BETTY | 16 - 26 FEB 32 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

16 - 26 FEB

BETTY 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. 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.

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE 2021 REPROGRAM

WRITTEN & CREATED BY Jules Allen PERFORMED BY Jules Allen Sally Mckenzie PRODUCTION DESIGN Claudia Mirabello SOUND DESIGN Daniella Esposito LIGHTING DESIGN Jason Crick STAGE MANAGER Ashleigh Walwyn DRAMTURG Iain Sinclair PRODUCED BY Lauren Bennett PUBLICITY BY Eleanor Howlett Sassy Red Pr PHOTOS BY Underground Media

ABOUT THE ARTIST - JULES ALLEN Jules Allen, although only new to the world of playwriting, is already turning heads. Her debut play, Slipped Through The Cracks, won a multitude of awards and caught the eye of renowned playwright Hannie Rayson. Jules draws on her many lived experiences to form the landscapes of her plays. Jules’s professional career as a humanitarian, both in Australia and Internationally, was recognised in 2017 when she was awarded Alumnus of the year at Southern Cross University. 33

34 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

FIRST STORIES FESTIVAL | 28 FEB - 7 MAR

FIRST STORIES FESTIVAL

28 FEB - 7 MAR

The week-long inaugural program in early 2022 aims to empower emerging First Peoples writers to find their voice in their own way. Each of the 5 selected writers will bring a dream project to work on throughout the week, with the opportunity to share with the group, get dramaturgical advice for their piece, and explore new methods to inspire their writing practice. Participating writers, including regional and interstate artists, will be paid MEAA rates for their time. The festival is led by industry professionals Brittanie Shipway and Sermsah Bin Saad, and will feature sessions from esteemed creative mentors including Jane Harrison, Mitch Tambo, Uncle Jack Charles and Kamarra Bell-Wykes.

ARTIST DEVELOPMENT

FESTIVAL DIRECTOR Brittanie Shipway (she/her) PRODUCERS Sermsah Bin Saad (he/him) Lauren Bennett (she/her) MENTORS Jane Harrison (she/her) Mitch Tambo (he/him) Uncle Jack Charles (he/him) Kamarra Bell-Wykes (she/her) PHOTOS BY Underground Media

“It is important to focus on the next generation and make sure storytelling can flourish.” - Wesley Enoch ABOUT THE ARTIST - SERMAH BIN SAAD & BRITTANIE SHIPWAY Sermsah Bin Saad is known for his work in theatre, television, film, festival circuit, opera, dance and choreography. Above all his artistic achievements, Sermsah values his heritage. A proud Nyikina man from the Kimberley’s, he believes in ‘Liyan’ a saying springing from his hometown of Broome/Derby Western Australia meaning connection to country, spirit and your instinctual knowledge. Brittanie Shipway is a proud Gumbaynggirr and Turkish woman. Best known for turning four chairs on The Voice (Season 3), Brittanie is a graduate from the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (Musical Theatre), and delights in storytelling as an actor, singer, writer and dramaturge. 35

PHANTASMAGORIA | 2 - 12 MAR 36 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

2 - 12 MAR

THEATRE WORKS

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. Phantasmagoria 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 family’s 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. Travelling back and forth through time and space, dynamic and sensitive performance, comedy, puppetry and evocative animated imagery give physical life to the liminal realm of ghosts and the unseen.

WORLD PREMIERE 2020 REPROGRAM

WRITTEN & CREATED BY Bernadette TrenchThiedeman DIRECTED BY Cathy Hunt PERFORMERS / DEVISORS Meg Dunn, Elnaz Shehsgelani, Bernadette TrenchThiedeman and Yuchen Wang DRAMATURGY BY Emilie Collyer ARTWORK, PUPPETRY DESIGN AND ANIMATION BY Bernadette TrenchThiedeman SOUND DESIGN BY Justin Gardam and Marlon Grunden PHOTO BY Jack Dixon-Gunn

ABOUT THE ARTIST - BERNADETTE TRENCH-THIEDEMAN Bernadette Trench-Thiedeman is a multi-disciplinary artist who uses writing, performance, puppetry, animation, painting, sculpture. Her work is concerned with multi-voiced narratives, complex histories and the role that memory plays in the understanding of identity. Her practice explores the transformation of the everyday through magic realism and anthropomorphism, subversive absurdity and creating atmospheres of wonder and surprise. She uses writing and artmaking as a political act of unearthing hidden histories and imagining possible futures. 37

38 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

RADICAL ACTS FESTIVAL | 5 - 6 MAR

RADICAL ACTS

FESTIVAL READINGS BY THE SHE WRITES COLLECTIVE

9 writers |10 plays |7 directors | 17 actors in 37 roles| For 2 days in the theatre of readings and dialogues. When Summer turns to Autumn turn to the She Writes Collective to provide a sneaky peak inside their new work in a series of play readings with professional actors and directors. Climb inside each writer’s mind when they discuss intimately the radical act of playwriting, how they go about it, why they do it, and the unique genesis for each of their works in the series of dialogues to accompany the readings. The Collective will take over Theatre Works’ new space the Explosives Factory for 2 days of heart-wrenching, captivating, dangerous, political and poetic moments of theatre. See excerpts of these resident writer’s new plays before they hit Australian stages as fully formed beasts.

5 - 6 MAR ARTIST DEVELOPMENT

FESTIVAL DIRECTOR Briony Dunn (she/her) FESTIVAL COORDINATOR Julia Landberg (she/her) SHE WRITES COLLECTIVE Maja Aminita (she/her) Lauren Anderson (she/her) Paris Balla (they/them) Laura Collins (she/her) Caitlin Doyle-Markwick (she/her) Bumpy Favell (she/they) Emma Gibson (she/her) Meegan May (she/her) India Alessandra (she/her) Vivian Nguyen (she/her) Vanessa O’Neill (she/her) Eddie Pattison (they/them) Sarah Louise Younger (she/her) PHOTOS BY Underground Media

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - THE SHE WRITES COLLECTIVE She Writes is a writing and performance program for emerging or mid-career female-identifying playwrights. This program offers participating writers support networks and professional development to generate the next wave of unique performance writing. Theatre Works has partnered with the Victorian College of the Arts for this project, pairing a resident writer with a VCA dramaturgy student to work together on a new piece of writing. She Writes offers an invaluable opportunity for our resident writers and VCA dramaturgy students to actively collaborate with the industry in developing a new generation of dynamic new performance works. 39

40 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

THE DARKENING SKY | 16 - 26 MAR

16 - 26 MAR THE

DARKENING SKY BY RICHARD MURPHET PRESENTED BY VICTORIAN THEATRE COMPANY

A contemporary neo-noir thriller spanning seven decades and set in the inner suburbs of Melbourne, The Darkening Sky is the latest premiere work from renowned playwright Richard Murphet. Bringing together some of our finest local artists and arts makers, The Darkening Sky interweaves lives from the past and present in a desperate bid to solve the unexplained disappearance of two women. In the warm and familiar surrounds of his local cafe/ bar, Jamie has managed to build a life of peace and solitude for decades. Now thrust unwillingly into reconstructing troubled memories, his belief in the calm surface his childhood crumbles – surrounded by elements from a past he didn’t even know existed. At the same time a detective is handed a Cold Case involving the disappearance of a young woman in the 1980s. Chasing answers to this mystery unearths a web of political intrigue, violence, and sacrifice. The Darkening Sky is an electrifying and all engrossing new Australian work. 90 minutes of non-stop action, not to be missed.

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE 2021 REPROGRAM

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Richard Murphet SET AND COSTUMES BY Eloise Kent LIGHTING DESIGN BY Kris Chainey COMPOSER, SOUND DESIGN, INSTRUMENTALIST Adrian Montana FILM DESIGNER AND CINEMATOGRAPHER Jak Scanlon STAGE MANAGER Rain Shadrach PRODUCED BY Lauren Bennett Samara Barr PERFORMED BY Matt Connell, Tom Dent, Edwina Wren, Anthea Davis, Brian Lipson, Rebekah Hill, Adam Pierzchalski and Mark Tregonning PUBLICITY Eleanor Howlett Sassy Red Pr PHOTOS BY Chelsea Neate

ABOUT THE ARTIST - RICHARD MURPHET Richard Murphet has been writing, directing and creating contemporary forms of theatre for the past 4 decades. His plays have received productions throughout Australia and internationally. Murphet was Head of Drama at the VCA (20072009) and Head of Postgraduate Studies (1996 – 2006). He was awarded a PhD from University of Melbourne (2017), and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Greenroom Awards (2017).

42 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

NO BALL GAMES ALLOWED | 30 MAR - 9 APR

NO BALL GAMES ALLOWED

30 MAR - 9 APR

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE

BY KRISTEN SMYTH

NO BALL GAMES ALLOWED explores the world near the bottom of a series of high-rise towers, a world where a young woman disappears and her life is remembered by her mother, a life of moments and opportunities that were never fully grasped, that could have been different. Kristen Smyth’s new post-dramatic play speaks to regret and family trauma, and encourages us to examine our true selves, and ask how much do we really know of our loved ones and their inner lives? Under the direction of Kitan Petkovski (The Gospel According To Jesus, Queen Of Heaven), Smyth’s poetic text is supported by a cinematic backdrop of original film and an epic score composed by Robert Downie and Rachel Lewindon.

WRITTEN BY Kristen Smyth (she/her) DIRECTED BY Kitan Petkovski (he/him) PERFORMED BY Kristen Smyth (she/her) & Mia Tuco (she/her) COMPOSITIONS BY Robert Downie (he/him) & Rachel Lewindon (she/her) SET & COSTUMES BY Chantal Marks (she/her) LIGHTING DESIGN BY Katie Sfetkidis (she/her) FILM BY Kristen Smyth (she/her) PRODUCED BY Ben Anderson (he/him) PHOTOS BY Cameron Grant, Parenthesy (he/him)

ABOUT THE ARTIST - KRISTEN SMYTH Kristen Smyth’s work explores an evolving trans dramaturgy of moving beyond and through an emotional experience. Her approach involves creating a world, placing the audience in that world and then shaking them about, moving them around in order to challenge and disturb their thinking. Kristen’s work is inherently political - she has been a senior political adviser and strategist for Senators Bob Brown and Richard Di Natale and worked with Professor Pat McGorry for three years successfully lobbying Federal and State governments to invest in youth mental health. 43

MELB. INT. COMEDY FESTIVAL | 30 MAR - 23 APR

30 MAR - 23 APR

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL FESTIVAL HUB

It’s no secret that Theatre Works loves a good belly laugh. For 2022, we have selected top notch acts to fill our Explosive Factory and Theatre Works stages with the return of the 2021 sold-out charmingly subversive hit SPOT by Fabio Motta, the world premiere of comedy-cabaret FORMER GIFTED CHILD by Ashton Turner and the Victorian premiere of the almost-one-woman-show NOT TODAY by Ally Morgan. See you at the theatre for a drink and a giggle! 44 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

30 mar - 2 apr EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

WORLD PREMIERE

FORMER GIFTED CHILD BY ASHTON TURNER

A recovering teacher’s pet finding her way in a world without stickers, grades or wet day timetables.

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY Ashton Turner

Do you love gold stars? Were you “a joy to have in class”? So was Ashton Turner. Ashton was one of those “gifted children,” who spends most of her time wondering when she’ll live up to all that “potential” she apparently once had. Former Gifted Child is a brand-new one-woman cabaret with an original score that examines our idea of success through the eyes of someone who was once destined for it. Join writer/performer Ashton Turner for an intricate weaving of story and song into a performance that is clever, quirky, and candid. ABOUT THE ARTISTS - ASHTON TURNER Ashton (she/her) is a singer, pianist, performer and composer from Melbourne. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from Monash University and has studied voice in both Italy and New York City. Her previous projects include “Therapy” (The Butterfly Club) and “Sofa, So Good” (Netflix & Chill Cabaret). Ashton is also a musical director, having worked on RENT (UMMTA), In the Heights (OCPAC), and 13 The Musical (Soundworks). 45

5 - 15 APR

EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

SPOT

BY FABIO MOTTA Spot is the comedic story of a young migrant, Mario, and his devilish alter ego Spot. Mario dreams of becoming a ‘very good English actor’, and to one day 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! This original solo show explores a contemporary immigrant journey through wicked satire, wild physical comedy and unforgettable characters. Performed by Fabio Motta and originally co-devised and written with John Tummino, and movement direction by Zya Kane. “A brilliantly crafted performance wrapped with comic wit... the laughter rolled continuously... An instantaneous standing ovation from absolutely everyone!” - Weekend Notes (2021)

ABOUT THE ARTIST - FABIO MOTTA Fabio Motta is an actor, clown and teaching artist who had the fortune of performing and devising theatre in Australia, Italy and the United states. He was a conservatory company member at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (Garrison, New York). He trained at the Accademia Teatrale Veneta (Italy) in Commedia Dell’Arte, at HB studio in New York, 16th Street Actors Studio and with clown master Philippe Gaulier, Giovanni Fusetti, Chris Bayes and Zack Fines. 46 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

CREATED BY Fabio Motta ORIGINALLY CODEVISED AND WRITTEN BY John Tummino and Fabio Motta MOVEMENT DIRECTION BY Zya Kane MUSIC BY Munro Melano PHOTOS BY Adriano Vittorio

19 - 23 apr

THEATRE WORKS

NOT TODAY

BY ALLY MORGAN | PRESENTED BY ROGUE PROJECTS Ally Morgan can barely ride a skateboard, let alone navigate the ups and downs of her 20s. As if losing her job wasn’t enough, she battles constant climate anxiety and an increasing awareness of her own mortality. So, she muddles through the messiness the best way she knows how. By singing really loud about it. An almost-one-woman-show, Not Today is a frank, funny, emotion-charged cabaret about trying to make the most of life while you can. Featuring her entirely original score, Ally will take you on a bumpy ride through life as a not-yet-famous 26-year-old.

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY Ally Morgan DIRECTED BY Miranda Middleton PRODUCED BY Robbi James For Rogue Projects PRODUCTION DESIGN BY Grace Deacon

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - ROGUE PROJECTS Rogue Projects is an award-winning theatre and film producer, creating new works in Sydney and Melbourne. Established in 2015, ‘The Rogues’ make art with a commitment to seeking out great talent, nurturing it, and to holding the door open for the artists without opportunity. They look for new and old stories that are not on our stages, foster long-term relationships with writers, seeking out opportunities to help them develop their work. 47

10 - 16 APR

THEATRE WORKS ARTIST DEVELOPMENT

SUMMER SCHOOL

LIVE PRODUCTION TECHNICAL SKILLS WORKSHOP Theatre Works has engaged with some wonderful arts professionals to deliver a summer school for budding technicians, there will be workshops in sound, lighting and sets. Each discipline will be allocated a 2 day block for delivery, modules will be based on the training package CUE 30415 – Certificate III in Live Production Services and will include • Use carpentry tools and equipment • Assemble and maintain sets • Develop basic audio skills and knowledge • Explore the use of colour • Install and test lighting equipment • Develop basic lighting skills and knowledge • Undertake live audio operations • Carry out measurements and calculations • Install and disassemble audio equipment

MENTORS INCLUDE: DAWN HOLLAND (SHE/HER) - FACILITATOR Dawn has enjoyed and is very passionate about her career in the arts, she has been in the arts for over 40 years, working in sound design, stage management, production management and education and training. Dawn lectures in all technical aspects of music and theatre and has been involved with the early careers of many young people and the training of youth at risk. Dawn has recently completed her own training in Mental Health First Aid and is an advocate for Support Act and Entertainment Assist who are fighting very hard for the many people in our industry who are struggling due to the pandemic.

48 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

BRONWYN PRINGLE (SHE/HER) - LIGHTING Bronwyn Pringle is a Melbourne/Naarm based Lighting Designer. She has worked around Australia with companies such as ArtPlay, NICA, Ilbijerri, MTC, Australian Theatre of the Deaf, Jolt Arts, Black Hole Theatre, Outback Theatre for Young People and more, working on projects ranging from large festivals to small developmental pieces in venues around the world. She co-founded the company Making Space, to create opportunities for design driven, immersive works that engage in the tactile qualities of live experience, while prioritising a sustainable design. Her work also has a strong focus on art that engages with social justice. Bronwyn received the 2020 Green Room Award for technical achievement, and has previously received Green Room Awards for alias Grace (Malthouse Theatre) and Letters from Animals (Here Theatre/SRWT) plus numerous nominations, and two Melbourne Fringe Festival Design Collaboration awards. She holds a Masters in Design for Performance from the University of Melbourne.

DAVE ANGELICO (HE/HIM) – SETS Dave has been involved in amateur and professional theatre since the age of 15. Starting in the crew for a community musical in the suburbs of Melbourne, he was instantly hooked and has worked his way around many theatres in the area! Dave gained experience in most roles backstage (and some minor roles on stage!) and has made an effort to understand the needs and wants of every department of a production. With such a broad experience base and also being a qualified carpenter Dave has been well equipped to build for large scale events, immersive shows and highly detailed work, all the way to school musicals and plays. Dave has a strong creative drive, and a passion to inspire creativity in the next generation of theatre makers!

JOHN O’DONNELL (HE/HIM) – SOUND DESIGN With a natural affinity for music and an uncompromising approach to production design John has enjoyed plenty of success delivering high fidelity audio for live theatre and concerts. His commitment to sound is enhanced through his affiliated business, Funktion One Australia, a design, distribution and installation company, dedicated to extremely high-quality sound systems for performance venues. John’s sound design projects have included: The Shadow Electric Outdoor Cinema, countless Melbourne International Jazz Festivals, 7 Songs to Leave Behind for the Melbourne Festival, A Little Night Music, My Fair Lady and Sweeney Todd for Opera Australia, The Australian Art Orchestra with soloists Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Paul Kelly and Deb Conway, Voices by Phillip Glass, Australian tours with Yvonne Kenny, Taikoz, and Gurrumul, productions with William Yang, Genevieve Lacey, Paul Grabowsky, Robyn Archer, Katie Noonan and Joe Lovano. John is also a passionate member of The Black Arm Band having produced the sound on all their live shows over the last 10 years, both locally and overseas. 49

SEASON 2022 2022

JANUARY

MASHA IN TRANSLATION

BB TW

FEBRUARY

ACE

WHIT

PROMISCUOUS/CITIES

WOE

SOUR GLITCH CLOSET DRAMA

TW EF

MATERIAL SLUTNIK

MARCH

SHAKESPEARE ALIEN

PHANTASMAGORIA FIRST STORIES FESTIVAL

RADICAL ACTS

BB TW

APRIL

NO BALL GAMES ALLOWED GIFTED CHILD

SUMMER SCHOOL TECH TR SPOT

BB TW

MAY

WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING A HUNDRED WORDS FOR SNOW

BB TW

JUNE

OWL AND THE ALBATROSS

EF BB TW

JULY

ALL THE RAGE

RADAR

BB TW

AUGUST

MEDEA: OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES THE MARVELLOUS LIFE OF CARLO GATTI

BB TW

SEPTEMBER

SENSER

EF BB

OCTOBER

MELBOU

BB TW

NOVEMBER

MELBOU DAY AFTER TERRIBLE DAY

EF BB TW

DECEMBER

EF BB

50 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

HERD

CALENDAR 15

TENOISE

TW = Theatre Works EF = Explosives Factory BB = Blackbox Outdoor Stage 23

NOW:HERE

5 STARS

THE BEEP TEST

SOLID

RECK.

MATERIAL RECK.

LONG LIVE THE KING

BETTY FSF

THE DARKENING SKY

BALL GAMES GIFTED CHILD

RAINING

NOT TODAY

WHEN THE RAIN STOPS

THE VIEW FROM UP HERE LOW

EVERY LOVELY TERRIBLE THING

ALL THE RAGE

CALIGULA

MEDEA

LITTLE LEGENDS FESTIVAL LITTLE LEGENDS FESTIVAL LITTLE LEGENDS FESTIVAL

URNE FRINGE

URNE FRINGE THE MENTOR

HERD

52 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING | 27 APR - 14 MAY

WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING

27 APR - 14 MAY THEATRE WORKS

2020 REPROGRAM

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 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, After Dinner, Anthem) has created an epic and powerful piece of magic realism, which asks the question: do we have the capacity to address the damage of the past in the future? First performed in 2008, the play has become increasingly relevant as the world faces the impacts of climate change and global warming. “All these years later, Bovell’s play has only gained in eminence and power. Some of the work’s technical brilliance is awe-inspiring.” - TimeOut Melb (2021) “Not one to miss if you enjoy thought provoking, captivating storytelling.” - Theatre Travels (2021)

WRITTEN & CREATED BY Andrew Bovell DIRECTOR Briony Dunn CAST Heather Bolton, Lucie Chaix, Esther Van Doornum, Francis Greenslade, Darcy Kent, Margaret Mills And Alex Pinder LIGHTING DESIGNER Clare Springett SOUND DESIGNER Darrin Verhagen PRODUCTION MANAGER Julia Landberg STAGE MANAGER Natasha Marich SET DESIGNER Greg Clarke COSTUME DESIGNER Betty Auhl MOVEMENT DIRECTOR Cory Derrick ASSOCIATE ARTISTS Kimberley Heberley & Stephanie Ghajar PRODUCERS Esther Van Doornum, Hugh Owens, Paul Pandelis, Kathryn House, Liz Dunn And Linda Herd

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - IRON LUNG THEATRE Iron Lung is a Melbourne-based independent theatre company founded by co-artistic directors Briony Dunn and Esther van Doornum. They produce classic and contemporary Australian, American and European text based work and create theatre of imaginative daring and emotional depth. 53

54 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

A HUNDRED WORDS FOR SNOW | 2 - 7 MAY

a hundred words for snow

2 - 7 MAY EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

BY TATTY HENNESSY DIR. BY GAVIN ROACH

A Hundred Words for Snow is an epic, coming-of-age story, about being an explorer in a melting world. Rory’s dad was an explorer. Well, not literally. Literally, he was a geography teacher. But inside, she knows, that’s who he really was. And when he dies suddenly in an accident, Rory knows she needs to make one last expedition. With a plastic compass and Dad’s ashes at her side, Rory sets off in the footsteps of all the dead beardy explorers before her, to get Dad to the North Pole. Before Mum finds out they’ve gone. Written by UK playwright and director Tatty Hennessy, who travelled to the Arctic Circle on a research trip, this one-person play earned acclaim across the UK.

WRITTEN BY Tatty Hennessy DIRECTOR/PRODUCER Gavin Roach PERFORMER Eddie Pattison LIGHTING DESIGNER Spencer Herd SOUND DESIGNER Connor Ross STAGE MANAGER Andrew Hughes PHOTOS BY Underground Media

“Warm, witty and wonderful.” - The Stage

ABOUT THE ARTIST - EDDIE PATTISON Eddie Pattison is a Queer Melbourne based, Actor, and Theatre Maker. Graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts as part of the 2016 Acting and Theatre Practice company, Pattison has gone on to focus heavily on performing and creating new queer works, especially those that centre queer joy. Pattison is a Green Room Award winner (2019, Baby Bi Bi Bi), Melbourne Fringe People’s Choice Award winner (2018, Baby Bi Bi Bi), and Melbourne Fringe Best Cabaret nominee (2018, Baby Bi Bi Bi). Pattison is currently writing their first solo comedy show Just Super, an hour of standup and theatre about how to tell the future according to the science of Superforecasting. 55

LOW | 17 - 21 MAY 56 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

17 - 21 MAY

LOW

EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

WORLD PREMIERE

BY DANIEL KEENE PRESENTED BY VICTORIAN THEATRE COMPANY

Emma and Jay are lovers, isolated and outcast from society. Money is scarce and the streets are dark and unforgiving. Desperate to prove themselves and change their fortunes, they take the law into their own hands. They’re good at it. They soon become one of Melbourne’s most notorious and dangerous criminal couple..The power is intoxicating and they enjoy taking what isn’t theirs… with heartbreaking consequences. Told through 28 poems, this dark and poetic love story tells the tale of two outcasts trying to claim their place in Australian society. The text is weaved together with an original score that underpins the emotional journey of the young, isolated narrators.

SOUND DESIGNER & COMPOSER Thomas Kunz GRAPHIC DESIGNER Chelsea Neate LIGHTING DESIGNER Jak Scanlon PRODUCER Samara Barr CAST Veronica Thomas Matthew Connell PHOTOS BY Underground Media

As the struggle of isolation is widely felt, now more than ever, Daniel Keene’s LOW (written in 1990), travels through time and grabs us by the heart. LOW is a tale that comes from and belongs to Melbourne’s streets. Although the characters find themselves in dire circumstances, it is ultimately a story of hope. ABOUT THE ARTISTS - VERONICA THOMAS & MATTHEW CONNELL A Melbourne local, Veronica has been an avid performer since the age of seven. An accomplished dancer and cellist from an early age, she then found her calling in acting, performing in various productions and short films, before being accepted into the VCA. Matthew is an acting graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts. He has had extensive training in film, onstage and in theatre development. His full credits are available on the Theatre Works website. 57

58 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

THE VIEW FROM UP HERE | 18 - 28 MAY

THE VIEW FROM UP HERE

18 - 28 MAY

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE 2021 REPROGRAM

BY FIONA SPITZKOWSKY PRESENTED BY THE VOICE IN MY HANDS

In the ashes everyone’s been scorched. Family, survival and legacy in the aftermath of disaster. 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. This project is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and the City of Port Phillip.

WRITTEN & CREATED BY Fiona Spitzkowsky DIRECTOR Julian Dibley-Hall CAST John Marc Desengano, Chanella Macri, Emily Tomlins PRODUCTION DESIGN James Lew & Claudia Mirabello LIGHTING DESIGN Jason Crick SOUND DESIGN & COMPOSITION Jess Keeffe ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Harriet Wallace-Mead DRAMATURGY Liv Satchell STAGE MANAGER Ashleigh Walwyn PRODUCER Hot Mess Productions PHOTOS BY Underground Media

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - THE VOICE IN MY HANDS VIMH (the voice in my hands) produces bold original new work and pursues risk, rigour and care in everything it does. VIMH is an independent theatre company based in Melbourne. We make new work that sits in liminal spaces and imagines alternative ways of being together. We have a community gathering practice, making spaces where experimentation feels safe, where artists feel supported, and where practice is rigorous and inclusive. 59

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OWL AND THE ALBATROSS | 1 - 11 JUN

OWL AND THE ALBATROSS

1 - 11 JUN

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE VCE PLAYLIST

BY PARIS BALLA PART OF THE VCE DRAMA STUDIES PLAYLIST

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?

WRITER/DIRECTOR Paris Balla DIRECTOR/ DRAMATURG Sarah Branton SOUND DESIGNER Callum Cheah PRODUCER Ryan Hamilton PHOTOS BY Underground Media

Written for early secondary students, Owl & The Albatross is a love letter from queer young adults who missed out on seeing their stories growing up—stories with queer kids who don’t like being told who they are and what their name is and now they have something to say.

ABOUT THE ARTIST - PARIS BALLA Paris is a non binary playwright, academic, educator and plain old silly goose with a passion for theatre for young audiences. They are currently undertaking a PhD at Monash University exploring joy and collaborative storytelling in theatre as a tool to empower queer youth. When not studying, Paris and their work have been found on stages, schools and festivals around Victoria. Paris hopes their work may help build a future that can be better than the present and to build and cherish the relationships and moments that we have in front of us. 61

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EVERY LOVELY TERRIBLE THING | 15 - 25 JUN

every lovely terrible thing

15 - 25 JUN

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE

BY ADAM FAWCETT PRESENTED BY LAB KELPIE

Welcome to the Coleman household – where crisis follows disaster after catastrophe. Widowed matriarch and ‘retired grandmother’ Jerica dreams of selling her dilapidated home and getting away from her family. Grandson Coop avoids talking about his newly diagnosed medical condition by courting the sexually fluid handyman tasked with repairing Jerica’s house. His conservative father Charles prepares to run for a safe Liberal seat, dragging everyone along for the ugly ride, while his wife Phoebe doesn’t know what she wants anymore, except that it’s probably not Charles.

PLAYWRIGHT Adam Fawcett PRODUCER Lauren Bennett CAST Lyall Brooks Sharon Davis Eddie Orton PHOTOS BY Underground Media

And then Britta – Jerica’s estranged daughter, Charles’ twin sister and Phoebe’s former best friend – walks through the door and demands to be heard. A new Australian play exploring the lives of six characters across three generations of one family, Every Lovely Terrible Thing embraces the chaos of modern life to examine why families stay together... and what happens when they can’t.

ABOUT THE ARTIST - ADAM FAWCETT Adam Fawcett is an emerging regionally based playwright who chooses to prioritise the representation of queer stories in his work. His debut play, Become The One, was awarded the 2018 Playtime Award for New Queer Writing and presented at the 2019 Midsumma Festival, while his second full length work, Every Lovely Terrible Thing, was a finalist for the 2021 Midsumma Queer Playwriting Award. 63

ALL THE RAGE | 28 JUN - 2 JUL 64 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

ALL THE RAGE

28 Jun - 2 Jul THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE

BY DAN X. HARRIS

When Mel decides to turn his struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) into a stand-up comedy routine, it seems the lemons are finally turning into lemonade – until his ex, Mags, appears in the audience and wants to reconcile – as part of the routine. Love has never felt so much like heckling in the world premiere of this darkly hilarious slice of ramped-up life. This world premiere of All the Rage draws on interviews with people with lived experience of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and is unique in its focus on some of the more humourous aspects of this mental health diagnosis. The two composite characters represent a cross-section of issues related to living with BPD, including relationship struggles, trauma, impulsivity and emotional overwhelm. The play is just one of a number of research-related performances written by Daniel X Harris, with the aim of better sharing the less stereotypical experiences of those from minoritarian communities.

PLAYWRIGHT Dan X. Harris CAST Joanne Davis Jason Geary SOUND DESIGN Moses Carr DRAMATURG Rebecca Lister PRODUCER Lauren Bennett PHOTOS BY Underground Media

ABOUT THE ARTIST - DAN X HARRIS Professor Daniel X Harris (they/them) is a playwright, dramaturg, videographer, performance poet and academic based in Melbourne. Dan has worked as a playwright and workshop leader for Playworks, the Australian National Playwrights’ Centre and in the USA at NY Theatre Workshop, New Dramatists and the Young Playwrights’ Festival. Dan has an MFA and BFA in Playwriting/Screenwriting from New York University, is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Associate Dean, Research & Innovation (RMIT University) and is the founder of Creative Agency Research Lab, a transdisciplinary network of artists, educators, researchers, and health professional dedicated to sustainable social change. 65

RADAR | 3 - 9 JUL 66 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

3 - 9 jUL EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

ARTIST DEVELOPMENT

RADAR

REGIONAL ARTIST DEVELOPMENT AND ACCOMMODATION RESIDENCIES

In 2022 Theatre Works will launch our inaugural Regional Artist Development and Accommodation Residencies (RADAR) program to be hosted in our new venue Explosives Factory. This program includes accommodation, space, technical support, artistic mentorship and cash for regional artists. This program has been tailored to create touring pathways between regional artists and venues, and inner-city organisations through curated development showings and brokered meetings and conversations. RADAR will also offer opportunities for skills development and skills exchange between city slickers and country dwellers. The residencies will run for a minimum of a week and can host up to 10 artists on-site. For larger projects alternative accommodation partnerships can be discussed. Applications for RADAR will open for regionally based theatre artists of all levels of experience and artistic inquiries early in 2022.

CALIGULA | 13 - 23 JUL 68 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

13 - 23 JUL

CALIGULA

THEATRE WORKS

BY BURNING HOUSE AFTER ALBERT CAMUS

2020 REPROGRAM

The mad Emperor Caligula rules over Rome. People are murdered, robbed and hanged on a whim. Caligula’s horse is the leader of government. Rome’s future is held hostage, reality itself is up for grabs and there are ears everywhere. And Caligula is dressing up as the goddess of Love and singing about it. Burning House brings Ancient Rome to life in a wild cross between American Psycho and RuPaul’s Drag Race in this massive play. Twelve actors bring this anarchic, volatile world to life in Melbourne’s professional premiere, by a company that has been making a name for delivering high octane, intense adaptations of classic plays. It is an epic showdown between stoicism and nihilism in a play bursting with poetry, violence, sadness and love. There will be blood. And glitter.

CO-PRODUCER / DIRECTOR Robert Johnson CO-PRODUCER Jessica Doutch PRODUCTION MANAGER / STAGE MANAGER Isabella Strada SET DESIGN Riley Tapp LIGHTING DESIGN Tom Bonser DRAMATURGY Lore Burns CAST Paul Armstrong Jake Matricardi Liliana Dalton PHOTOS BY Underground Media

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - BURNING HOUSE Founded in 2016, Burning House as a not for profit theatre company dedicated to bringing bold interpretations of rarely performed classic texts to audiences. Artistic director, Robert Johnson’s practice covers new adaptions of classic texts, new writing and contemporary opera, with a focus on themes of violence, legacy, cultural conflict, the concept of the individual and the idea of transcendence. His work explores the human spirit at the very edge of extremity and endurance, creating powerful new works from old texts or new, working across several languages to make bold, contemporary performances. 69

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THE MARVELLOUS LIFE OF CARLO GATTI | 3 - 13 AUG

THE MARVELLOUS LIFE OF CARLO GATTI

3 - 13 AUG EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

WORLD PREMIERE

BY CASSANDRA-ELLI YIANNACOU

PRESENTED BY WILDEFANG PRODUCTIONS

Carlo Gatti introduced ice cream to Victorian London, but this isn’t about him. This is about a physicist in 1983, a psychologist in 2017, a piano-playing Victorian era ghost, ice cream, quantum gravity, Elton John, and feeling alone in the universe. In their respective apartments, in their respective times, alone a psychologist and a physicist fear for their sanity, because whoever lives above them has been playing Liszt on the piano nonstop, the only problem is they live on the top floor. As one Christmas takes a turn as a betrayal is revealed. When we’re moving across time, can binding a found family across the ages change our future?

PLAYWRIGHT Cassandra-Elli Yiannacou DIRECTOR Chris Hosking COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER AND DRAMATURGE Dr. Laura Hartnell CO-DRAMATURG Glenn Saunders PHOTOS BY Underground Media

This bleak comedy takes a look at the delicate things that barely hold us and the universe together, the deafening pain isolation and the phenomenal power of ice cream.

ABOUT THE ARTIST - CASSANDRA-ELLI YIANNACOU Cassandra-Elli Yiannacou is an award-winning Greek-Cypriot writer. She’s a playwright of two site-specific seasons at La Mama, and has staged six plays in Melbourne. In 2018 she was longlisted for the Richell Prize, and shortlisted for the Max Afford Award in 2016 for her play Loose Teeth. Her short story was a fiction winner of the Ultimo Prize and was published in the anthology, Everything, All At Once by Ultimo Press. In 2021 she was commissioned by Paines Plough and Critical Stages to write for Come To Where I Am – Australia. 71

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MEDEA: OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES | 25 JUL - 20 AUG

MEDEA: OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

30 JUL - 13 AUG THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE

DIRECTED BY STEVEN MITCHELL WRIGHT A THEATRE WORKS PRODUCTION

MEDEA: Out of the Mouths of Babes is Theatre Works’ new production based on Euripides’ Medea as recalled and reimagined from the fantastical minds of her (allegedly?) slain children. History is told by the victors, and myths preserved by those in power, but perhaps it is the youngest that grip the hardest truths? Medea, arguably one of the darkest tales Western theatrical canon, is given a fresh and surprisingly playful rebirth as told from the point of view of its undoubtedly most important characters: Medea’s children. This daring amalgamation of theatrical forms plays out like a surreal living music video with film projection, live feed and song.

DIRECTOR Steven Mitchell Wright (he/him) VIDEO ARTIST Chris Bennett, Underground Media (he/him) DESIGNER Hahnie Goldfinch (she/her) LIGHTING DESIGNER Ben Hughes (he/him) STAGE MANAGER Brooke Simmonds (they/she) PHOTOS BY Underground Media

Developed by the Theatre Works’ award-winning creative team and a council of children, who through a guided workshop process will refract Euripides and his ancient characters to form the basis of the script, the design and theatrical language of the work. ABOUT THE ARTIST - STEVEN MITCHELL WRIGHT Steven Mitchell Wright is the Artistic Associate at Theatre Works and a freelance theatre director, he has directed works for The Danger Ensemble, La Boîte Theatre Company, Brisbane Festival, The American Repertory Theater, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Amanda Palmer, The Dresden Dolls and more. Steven is a Gold Matilda Award Winner for his direction of A Doll’s House by Lally Katz after Ibsen, and his direction and design of The Danger Ensemble’s CALIGULA. Steven specialises in contemporary and experimental theatre, contemporary devising methodologies and he is one a handful of specialist teachers in the Suzuki Method of Actor training in Australia. 73

SENSER | 7 - 17 SEP 74 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

7 - 17 sep

SENSER

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE

BY BRITTANIE SHIPWAY A THEATRE WORKS PRODUCTION

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy… Ava lives in a neoliberal world where everyone is watched by Guardians and music has been censored out of existence. Three generations into this new age, the people around her are content with the silence. Ava however, can’t help but hear music everywhere she goes. Determined to share the soundtrack of the past, she opens up an illicit underground cabaret bar, much to the chagrin of her ever-present Guardian. But in her world, you wouldn’t dream getting caught singing… Follow Ava and her Guardian on an immersive journey of self-discovery, where she uncovers the wonders of song and the memories they make. An exploration of the consequences of morality, SENSER is a reminder of the whimsy we’d miss in such a possible future.

WRITTEN BY Brittanie Shipway DIRECTION & DRAMATURGY BY Miranda Middleton CAST Luisa Scrofani Adam Noviello PRODUCED BY Lauren Bennett and Brittanie Shipway PHOTOS BY Underground Media

ABOUT THE ARTIST - BRITTANIE SHIPWAY Brittanie Shipway is a proud Gumbaynggirr and Turkish woman. Best known for turning four chairs on The Voice (Season 3), Brittanie is a graduate from the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (Musical Theatre), and delights in storytelling as an actor, singer, writer and dramaturge. Her passion for new Australian work has seen her workshop many original theatre projects, most notably Sydney Theatre Company’s Muriel’s Wedding (Rhonda) and New Musicals Australia’s Evie May: A Tivoli Story (Evie May). Her play A Letter For Molly is debuting at Ensemble Theatre in 2022 under the directorial helm of Ursula Yovich. She is currently a resident dramaturge for Theatre Works First Nations Initiative and is writing a musical called Yellow Rock, to encourage the celebration of Gumbaynggirr culture. Brittanie’s play A Letter For Molly will debut at Ensemble Theatre in 2022 under the directorial helm of critically acclaimed artist Ursula Yovich. 75

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LITTLE LEGENDS FESTIVAL | 19 - 30 SEP

19 - 30 SEP

THEATRE WORKS EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

BLACKBOX OUTDOOR STAGE

LITTLE LEGENDS CHILDREN’S THEATRE FESTIVAL

Theatre Works’ Children’s Festival program will spark the imagination of our next generation through inclusive stories, dance moves, music and art. The festival encourages children to be critical thinkers with curious minds, whilst making them laugh, gasp or cry (then laugh some more). Full program to be announced in 2022.

78 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

FRINGE FESTIVAL HUB | 6 - 23 OCT

6 - 23 OCT

THEATRE WORKS EXPLOSIVES FACTORY

BLACKBOX OUTDOOR STAGE

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 across our three unique performance spaces. With an open call-out in 2022 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. Already scheduled to light up Explosives Factory is WHERE MY ACCENT COMES FROM (pictured left) by İbrahim Halaçoğlu - a solo narrative piece that will recount stories of his migrancy in Melbourne with original music. At Theatre Works, Vivienne Walshe’s acclaimed play THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE (pictured above) will make its Melbourne debut. WA-based company Feet First Collective draws on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth while juxtaposing Australian voices and poetry.

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DAY AFTER TERRIBLE DAY | 1 - 12 NOV

DAY AFTER TERRIBLE DAY

1 - 12 NOV

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE

BY THE DANGER ENSEMBLE

Based on the true story of South African born Sydney woman: Eliza Emily Donnithorne, jilted on her wedding day and found 30 years later still clad in her bridal gown - the wedding feast uneaten and mouldered to dust. Day After Terrible Day is a new work by the awardwinning contemporary theatre provocateurs, The Danger Ensemble that collides Aussie larrikinism with Victorian era restraint. It is a backyard bbq wedding, a parlour show, a decomposition time-lapse and a stillborn baby shower. A mash up of theatrical forms examining the micro and macro of catastrophe and asks can we or how can we as individuals, families and societies rebuild our futures after significant destruction? A break up, a flood, the death of a lover, a nuclear explosion?

DIRECTOR/DESIGNER Steven Mitchell Wright (he/him) LIGHTING DESIGNER Ben Hughes (he/him) CO-DESIGNER Hahnie Goldfinch (she/her) PERFORMERS AND DEVISORS Chris Beckey (they/them) Eidann Glover (they/she) Deborah LeiserMoore (she/her) Polly Sará (she/her) PHOTOS BY Underground Media

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - THE DANGER ENSEMBLE The Danger Ensemble are an award winning Australian contemporary and experimental theatre company founded in 2007. The company had their debut at Edinburgh Fringe Festival that year collaborating with Amanda Palmer in a sell-out season in the World Famous Spiegeltent. This led to subsequent international tours throughout the Americas, Canada, Europe, the UK and Australia. Since returning to Australia in 2009, the company has been pursuing the development of contemporary form and audiences. 81

THE MENTOR | 16 - 26 NOV 82 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

THE MENTOR

16 - 26 NOV THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE

BY JOSHUA WHITE PRESENTED BY BRAVO ARTS

Amanda Redfern, a one-time Hollywood star, has spiraled in her later years. When twenty-something actor, Jordan Ridley, turns up at her doorstep to be coached by the renowned veteran, the up-and-comer gets more than he bargained for. The unlikely pair discover a vastly different set of perceptions across themes of sexism, ageism, respect, consent and mental health. They find their methodologies as actors are fueled by vastly different lived experience. THE MENTOR is driven by a mature female voice, juxtaposed against an idealistic male perspective. It highlights that socially, equality and equity are still values that haven’t been achieved. It demands that we consider how we treat the most vulnerable, and how we examine our own privilege.

FEATURING Amanda Muggleton as Amanda Redfern PLAYWRIGHT Josh White DIRECTOR Christian Cavallo STAGE MANAGER Ashleigh Walwyn LIGHTING DESIGNER Harrie Hogan PRODUCTION DESIGNER Thomas Bevans

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - BRAVO ARTS Bravo Arts is an emerging performing arts producer with a focus on fostering opportunities for early career artists through the creation of new and existing socially conscious and ambitious works. Based in Geelong Victoria, Bravo Arts works across Wadawurrung and Wurundjeri land and seeks out opportunities with artists and spaces across regional and metro Victoria.

HERD | 30 NOV - 10 DEC 84 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

30 NOV - 10 DEC

herd

THEATRE WORKS

WORLD PREMIERE

BY WRECKEDALLPRODS

When and how do many voices become one? What happens when they do? When does group become herd? And how do we tell communal stories for an endlessly heterogeneous group of people? HERD is a new work of queer music theatre. Springing off Lachlan Philpott’s 21-year-old play Bison, this new work expands outwards, opening up from its original metaphor for the gay male herd to consider herding and herdlike behaviours, kinship, discrimination and isolation in the wider LGBTQIA+ community. HERD lays claim to queer history, insisting it be visible and seeking to memorialise those lost to stigma, illness, violence and ignorance. An unapologetic provocation for our times, HERD sharply examines what it means to be part of ‘the queer community’. Are we all in it together?

DIRECTOR/ DRAMATURG Alyson Campbell (she/ her) COMPOSER/ DRAMATURG Meta Cohen (she/her or they/them) WRITERS Peta Murray (she/her) and Lachlan Philpott (he/him) LIGHTING DESIGNER Bronwyn Pringle (she/her) PERFORMERS Ross Anderson-Doherty (he/they)Maude Davey (she/her) Ibrahim Halaçoglu (he/him) Willow Sizer (they/she) PHOTOS BY Underground Media

WORKS IN DEVELOPMENT

WORKS IN DEVELOPMENT As the epicentre for Australian independent theatre, Theatre Works invests in the development of new work. Our year-round development program enables independent artists by providing a supportive space to question, explore, learn and most importantly – make sense of the world today – as they create new work. Theatre Works firmly holds its place in the arts eco system as a unique performance co-producer. We commission, develop, produce, program and promote some of the most exceptional independent theatre Australia has to offer and we proudly stand alongside artists at every step of their artistic journey. 86 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

IN DEVELOPMENT

THE STRONGER BY IRON LUNG THEATRE

Iron Lung Theatre will be developing August Strindberg’s The Stronger as part of their Company in Residence position with Theatre Works. The original translation and adaptation by WAAPA and Calle Flygare (Sweden) graduate, Julia Landberg, will be a world premiere on the Theatre Works stage! Written in 1889, The Stronger is a fascinating study of the shifting power between two women and a potential affair one had with the other’s husband. A beautiful and twisted theatrical imagining of hysteria confused by the patriarchal push upon the wounded womb, set in Madeleine Albright’s hell: for women who don’t help other women. A 135 year old two-hander play by one of the fathers of modern theatre explores Queen Bee and mean girl behaviours with a chorus of 5 female actors embodying the text of one character. The process will involve a creative development to explore a new way of rehearsing for Iron Lung and a public showing in the latter half of 2022. ABOUT THE ARTISTS - IRON LUNG THEATRE Iron Lung is a Melbourne-based independent theatre company founded by co-artistic directors Briony Dunn and Esther van Doornum. They produce classic and contemporary Australian, American and European text based work and create theatre of imaginative daring and emotional depth. 87

IN DEVELOPMENT

POLITICS ASIDE BY VIVIAN NGUYEN (SHE WRITES COLLECTIVE)

Olivia Lee is expected to retire at the end of her tenure as a celebrated Chinese-Australian politician. Through a shocking blindside that rocks Parliament, Olivia bets against all odds for the biggest seat - risking her career, relationships and livelihood. Politics Aside is a quest of empowerment and the inevitable harm of reclamation in a place entrenched with systemic pushback.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - VIVIAN NGUYEN Vivian Nguyen is an Asian-Australian playwright and actor, whose works explore race and class struggle. Her debut play was shortlisted for the Patrick White Playwright’s Award, and others were published as part of ATYP’s National Studio with Currency Press. She is an alumnus of Melbourne Theatre Company’s First Stage Program and was accepted into the Malthouse Besen Writers Group. 88 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

IN DEVELOPMENT

Dodgeball Named Desire BY THE BLOOMSHED

Green Room Award nominated dodgeball team Bloomshed go up against the Kindness of Strangers in a high-octane Battle Royale, the ultimate test of resilience. Get drenched in the sweat of these Titans of the court as they compete for the heart of ageing Southern Belle Tennessee Williams. You will get hit with balls. ABOUT THE ARTISTS - THE BLOOMSHED The Bloomshed have been making and developing agitprop political work since 2014. Their most recent creative developments include, Bad News (Commissioned by Common Rooms x Melbourne Fringe), The Futurological Congress (Commissioned by Platform Arts) and Animal Farm (Commissioned by Platform Arts x Theatre Works). In 2020, Bloomshed were artists in residence at Platform Arts, where they developed Paradise Lost, which was transformed into a radio play during lockdowns and received five Green Room Award nominations. 89

IN DEVELOPMENT

THE DREAM ROOM BY RACHEL NAPARSTEK

Written during lockdown, Rachel was inspired by the isolation she was feeling. The Dream Room is a semi-autobiographical musical featuring original music and lyrics. In her room, Rachel dreams and interacts with multiple characters including The Queen, Patrick Swayze and Freddie Mercury. Each character inspires her to fight back against the dreaded Coronavirus (a villain who torments her within her room). The Dream Room features epic dream sequences (including an escape to Hollywood) and ultimately encourages us to follow our dreams. ABOUT THE ARTIST - RACHEL NAPARSTEK Rachel is a proud Jewish creator, and is in her element on the stage. She’s a playwright, director and performer. Rachel has performed with the Purim Shpiel Community Theatre for multiple years and is a member of the Liron choir. She takes singing lessons and has completed acting courses with the Acting Performance Studio. Rachel volunteers with La Mama and Salt Pillar and was a member of the Malthouse Vanguard Program. She works as a Front of House team member with Chapel Off Chapel and The National Theatre. Rachel plays the piano and dreams of being on stage with Patrick Swayze and Ken Jeong. 90 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

IN DEVELOPMENT

beau wants to be a billionaire BY NEYLON & PEELE

Life isn’t going well for Beau, until an appearance on the game show Who Wants to Be a Billionaire sends Beau’s world spiralling out of control in a clash of identity, family, love and grief. This new musical in development is a whacky, farcical over the top comedy packed to the brim with humour and heartache in contemporary Australia.

IN DEVELOPMENT

acting life BY RANTERS THEATRE

Ranters Theatre will engage well known Melbourne performer, Natasha Herbert, to create ACTING LIFE, a solo performance that examines the thin line separating the act of performing from the act of living. ‘Counting rehearsals, I have put on a coat approximately 5,000 times, cried over 3,500 times, much more than in my ‘real’ life, sat on a chair almost 6,000 times, lost a child at least 10 times, danced over 400 times, and died 7 times…” Taking a specific time frame, the rehearsal period of an un-named theatre work, ACTING LIFE investigates the process of ‘creating a role’ and the intersection with real-life experiences over the same time frame. The work dissects the ‘act of performing’ asking questions around authenticity and the multiplicity of everyday life. ABOUT THE ARTISTS - RANTERS THEATRE Ranters Theatre is a group of Melbourne based artists that have been making work together since 1994. The work has been presented in theatres, inside homes, in gardens and on the streets. Each project is made as a response to the social and psychological contexts of contemporary living and acts as a kind of reframing of the everyday experience. Their work plays with the habitual languages of performance and is centred around the singular question of ‘how we perform ourselves.’ 92 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

IN DEVELOPMENT

THE COUNTDOWN

BY LAUREN ANDERSON AND MEEGAN MAY (SHE WRITES COLLECTIVE)

The Countdown is a flaming family dramedy about multiple generations of mistakes. When a family comes together over New Years to finally scatter the ashes of their late father in a quiet ceremony, they are shocked to find out that matriarch BARB has thrown one of her famous NYE parties to mark the occasion – and the whole town is invited. If only a catastrophic bushfire wasn’t also on the guest list…

ABOUT THE ARTISTS - LAUREN ANDERSON AND MEEGAN MAY Lauren Anderson and Meegan May are writers, producers and wives to be. Meegan has worked extensively in TV development (Seven Studios, Guesswork Television) while Lauren has written for kids comedy Kitty is not a Cat and hit reality series Australian Survivor. They’ve recently started co-writing theatre and it’s the best. They started off with a short work for Theatre Works in 2019 as part of Green Room Award winning She Is Vigilante. The Countdown marks their first full length play and is being developed through Theatre Works She Writes program (with initial support from Creative Victoria). Their Audio project Starship Gold Star has received funding from Creative Victoria, the City of Melbourne, and Moreland Council. 93

DONATE 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 the last couple of years have 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 2022. 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? Scan the QR code below to make a donation and join our Vanguard Donor program!

94 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

VANGUARD A massive thank you to all of our Vanguard donors and their invaluable support throughout 2021. Members of the Vanguard Program are courageous, forward-thinking 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 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: Dianne Toulson Executive Director gm@theatreworks.org.au 95

OUR SUPPORTERS VANGUARD DONORS

AMBASSADORS ($5000+) Chantal Marks Abraham & Helen James Family Christopher Chaundy Foundation Christopher Reed Claire StonierKipen CHAMPIONS David Hanna ($2500 - $4999) Dianne Ellis Michael Nossal & Jo Porter Dina Mann Don King GUARDIANS Dr Anne Marshall ($1000 - $2499) Edwina Wren Adam Krongold Eleanor Mackie Alison Richards Elizabeth Luscombe Annie Bourke Fiona Mahony Geoffrey Conaghan and Fiona Patten Mathew Erbs Fiona Menzies Michael Lawrence Gail Veal Michael Kingston Graeme Robinson Roger Hatten Greg Day Rosemary Walls Gregory and Alice Erdstein Tim Wildash Foulcher Holly Austin ADVOCATES Houston Ash ($500 - $999) Imogen Sturni Angelo Delsante Isla Carboon Charles Hackman Jaklene Vukasinovic Debbie Dadon Jane Cameron Dianne Toulson Jane Kent James McCaughey Jason Craig Julie and Michael Landvogt Jenny Ryssenbeek Keith Oderberg Jeremy Press Liz Schell Jesse Gerner Loraine Little Jessica Luu Melissa McShane Joanna Baevski Nancy Black Joanne Woods Pamela Macklin and Vic Zbar Joanne Holo Vivienne Halat Johanna Verberne John Corkish SUPPORTERS John Allen ($100 - $499) John Betts Alida Milani Josephine Daly Alison Bell Julia Butler Alyson Campbell Julian DibleyHall Andrew Walker Julie Copeland Ann Tonks Karen Cosson Anne Donegan Kate Foord Anne Gasko Kaylene ONeill Antony Zajicek Kim Ho Bryan North Kristine Whorlow AM Cath Taylor Leonie Dodds Catherine Collins Lester Johnson Catriona Sinclair Linda Herd 96 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

Linda Thompson Louise O’Dwyer Lyall Brooks Lynne Burgess Maja Amanita Marian Anderson Marina Farnan Matylda Jaworski Megan Zerafa Melanie Etchell Meredith Sussex Merryn Anstee Michael Pearce Michael Lidiker Michael Smith Michael Anthony Lee Michele Lee Ness Harwood Nicole Beyer Olivia Satchell Peta Murray Peta Downes Peter Tedford Peter Spitzkowsky Peter Winspur Phil Haeusler Richard Watts Richard Zimmermann Rino del Zoppo Robert Buckingham Rodney Charls Roger Hodgman Ros Willett Rosaria Forlano Rose Capp Roslyn Varley Scott Tunaley Serge Thomann Snowe Li Steve Brown Sylvia Voigt Tanya Gerstle Thomas Wright Tom Gutteridge Tony Ayres Tricia Wheelahan Turi Hollis Vanessa ONeill Wendy Lasica Zoltan Kiss

PARTNERS & SPONSoRS GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

philanthropic PARTNERS

SHE WRITES PARTNERS

TICKETING PARTNER

BEER PARTNER

publicity PARTNER

WINE PARTNER

CORPORATE SPONSOR

SOUND/AV PARTNER

Lighting PARTNER

distribution PARTNER

USHERING PARTNER

DIGITAL MARKETING PARTNER

VENUE PARTNER

PRESENTATION PARTNER

TEAM THEATRE WORKS The Board of Theatre Works provides robust governance in an adaptable, agile, competitively challenging environment. Representing diversity of views and skills, artistic connections, and networks, our Board supports art and creation that continues to surprise and experiment and navigates unchartered pathways for independent and maker artists.

BOARD

LAUREN O’DWYER

ANNIE BOURKE

SHARON LACY

NESS HARWOOD

KRISTEN SMYTH

ANDREW SPENSER

(she/her) Chair

(she/her) Treasurer

98 | THEATRE WORKS season 2022

(she/her) Board Member

(she/her) Political Strategist

(she/her) Board Member

(he/him) Board Member

STAFF DIANNE TOULSON

ADAM GARDNER

(she/her) Executive Director / Creative Producer

(he/him) Box Office / Marketing / Graphic Design

ANNE HENDERSON

BRIONY DUNN

(she/her) Finance Administrator

(she/her) Literary Development Manager

STEVEN MITCHELL WRIGHT (he/him) Artistic Associate

KITAN PETKOVSKI (he/him) Creative Associate

LAUREN BENNETT

BROOKE SIMMONDS

BRITTANIE SHIPWAY

PARIS WILLIMENT

(she/her) Associate Producer

(she/her) Dramaturg / Writer in Residence

(they/she) Venue Operations Manager

(they/them) Front of House Coordinator

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

Theatre Works 2022 Season Brochure

Articles inside

Vanguard

The Countdown

Our Supporters

Donate

Acting Life

Beau Wants to be a Billionaire

Dodgeball Named Desire

The Dream Room

Politics Aside

The Stronger

Shows In Development

Day After Terrible Day

Melbourne Fringe Festival Hub

RADAR

Every Lovely Terrible Thing

Live Production Workshops

Former Gifted Child

Comedy Festival Hub

Radical Acts Festival

First Stories Festival

The (Sour Glitch) Two-Step Refusal

W O E

Long Live the King

Closet Drama

ACEtravaganza

5 Stars

Midsumma Festival Hub

Now:Here

Whitenoise:12 Ghosts

A Material Reckoning

Mullet Fest

Shakespeare Aliens

Blackbox

Foreword

Associate Artists SEASON 2022

She Writes Collective