Theatre Works Program Feb-June 2013 by Theatre Works

theatre works program february - june 2013

The best results come with experience Warwick Gardiner 0438 308 555 Lucinda Catchlove 0412 931 933 St Kilda Office 9534 1400 stkilda@greghocking.com.au greghocking.com.au

GARDINER

A WELCOME FROM

CREATIVE PRODUCER

DANIEL CLARKE

Welcome to Theatre Works’s February - June season. This is my second year of programming our uniquely transformative space. Our core goal is to support independent artists develop and present performances for you! We program world-class works by established artists alongside some of the newest voices on our stages. As our curatorial capacity develops, a part of our season will always remain an accessible venue for those young artists who can only learn by actually putting on a show. This season we have two companies from NSW; LOcREaDO Dance Company with Split Personalities and Arthur presenting the return season of their award winning show Cut Snake, The season brings together three works that have been internationally lauded; No Child…by Nilaja Sun, Palace of the End, and in an exciting collaboration with Red Stitch, Penelope. Mutation Theatre returns to our stage with the long awaited Melbourne premiere of Love Me Tender by one of Australia’s most extraordinary writers, Tom Holloway. We are thrilled that local playwright, Wayne Tunks, will present the world premiere of his new play Flame Trees here in St Kilda. We welcome two new companies to the mix who will present Swan Dive and Suitcases, Baggage & Other Synonyms. Finally we are very excited to have Melbourne Playback Theatre in residence here for two weeks as they develop their new show, Portraits. I hope that this season entertains you but if it can move you, make you think about different ‘CLARKE SEEMS TO HAVE QUITE SUDDENLY TRANSFORMED THEATRE perspectives, leave you questioning, WORKS INTO A CREATIVE POWERHOUSE, OFFERING A HOME TO SOME provoked and energised, even better! See you at the theatre soon!

OF MELBOURNE’S MOST INTERESTING ARTISTS’ Alison Croggon, theatre notes

GETTING HERE Location: 14 Acland Street, St Kilda (corner of St Leonard’s Avenue)

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Car parking: Parking is at a premium in St Kilda. We recommend arriving early and leaving yourself plenty of time for parking. Alternatively, you could use the paying car park at the Prince of Wales Hotel which is located on the corner of Acland and Fitzroy Streets or in the council run car park next to Luna Park in Shakespeare Grove.

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Public Transport: Theatre Works is easily reached by public transport. Train and bus services provide regular stops and pick-ups within the Fitzroy and Acland Street shopping precincts, both just a short walk from Theatre Works.

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Tram: 16, 79, 96 & 112 Buses: 600, 606, 623 & 246

Door: The Box Office opens 45 minutes before the start of the show. Unless SOLD OUT, a number of tickets are available at the door each night. Please note tickets to Penelope can also be purchased through Red Stitch over the phone on (03) 9533 8083 or you can visit redstitch.net

Phone: Bookings can be made by calling (03) 9534 3388 between 10am-3pm, Monday to Friday.

BOOKING INFORMATION Internet: Secure online credit card bookings can be made 24 hours a day by visiting theatreworks.org.au Please bring your proof of payment to the theatre.

14 ACLAND ST ST KILDA

THEATREWORKS.ORG.AU

SPLIT PERSONALITIES Presented by Loredo Malcolm and LOcREaDO Dance Company

Loredo Malcolm comes to Melbourne with a wealth of dance experience including Broadway’s The Lion King, Hairspray, Wicked and Chicago. A star of So You Think You Can Dance, Loredo has choreographed this stunning new work with 16 of Australia’s most talented emerging and established dancers. SPLIT PERSONALITIES bravely explores the lives of two people as they unravel the impact that negativity has had on their lives since childhood. Can they suppress the pain they feel through their love for each other? How close are they to losing control? Using his life experiences of growing up in Jamaica Loredo has created a work of both physical and emotional impact.

‘An extremely emotional show, fantastic Dancing and costumes and a talented young group of dancers. Worth Seeing’ Dancehub Australia

Directed by Loredo Malcolm Choreography by Loredo Malcolm, Rebekah Mansueto and Rebekah Vulic Lighting Design by Angela Cole Sound Design by Nadia Tornese

12 Feb – 1 6 Feb at 7pm 17 Feb at 5p Tickets fro m m $30 plus b f

With Loredo Malcolm, Diana Ricks, Rebecca Mansueto, Nicole Taylor, Mitchell Hatton and Rebekah Vulic locreado.com.au

DIVINE TEMP TATION..! MR VINACEOUS IS A PROUD SUPPORTER OF THEATRE WORKS

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www.vinaceous.com.au VICTORIA NELSON WINE CO T 03 9486 0744

LOVE ME TENDER

victorian PREMIERE

by Tom Holloway

Presented by Mutation Theatre in association with Theatre Works On scarred earth, amongst blackened trees, a community gathers to try to understand what has happened. They grapple with their memories, and try to make sense of it all. In the midst of the chaos, a father searches for his daughter. How do we carry on when our world falls apart? A powerful vision of the beauty and brutality of contemporary Australian life, Tom Holloway’s extraordinary play explores our response to catastrophic bushfires, the challenges of being a parent, society’s sexualisation of pre-teen girls, and the significance of love when faced with tragedy. Directed by Patrick McCarthy, multi-award winning independent company Mutation Theatre present the Victorian premiere of this important work by one of Australia’s most talented playwrights.

‘A resonant play that confirms Holloway as among the best stage writers in the country right now’ Jason Blake (The Sydney Morning Herald)

‘Completely enchanting...if this is the new generation of theatre makers, the future is looking good’ Alison Croggon (theatre notes) on Mutation Theatre Written by Tom Holloway Directed by Patrick McCarthy Dramaturgy by Brienna Macnish Set Design by Ashlee Hughes Lighting Design by Lisa Mibus Sound Design by Tommy Spender Costume Design by Zoe Rouse

20 Feb – 2 Tues - Sat Mar a Tickets fro t 8pm m $15 plus bf

With Brendan Barnett, Matthew Epps, Sarah Ogden, Nick Pelomis and James Tresise

mutationtheatre.blogspot.com

Image by Sarah Walker

CUT SNAKE

by Dan Giovannoni, Amelia Evans and Paige Rattray Presented by Arthur in association with Theatre Works Kiki, Bob and Jumper are best friends with extravagant and idiosyncratic dreams. Kiki wants to dance the tango on Mount Kilimanjaro with a bearded lady, Jumper is in love with a snake called Trix and Bob’s an ordinary bloke who might just hold the secret to time travel. A tale about growing up, dying young, and being extraordinary no matter what. With a diverse bag of influences, including cabaret, slapstick, Tina Turner and David Lynch, Cut Snake is highly physical - think cabaret, slapstick, acrobatics and sock puppets as well as cameo appearances from Jesus and John Lennon. An entertaining, moving and life-affirming theatrical experience that takes the audience on an extraordinary trip outside the auditorium. Cut Snake played sold out seasons at the 2011 Sydney and Melbourne Fringe Festivals, winning a Melbourne Fringe Award for Best Emerging Writers. It was also nominated for Melbourne Green Room Theatre Awards for Best New Australian Work and Best Independent Ensemble.

‘CUT SNAKE is mad. Hell mad. I loved it. ARTHUR harnesses a highly physical style to a narrative drenched in comic excess. It has a World According to Garp feel, and is up there with the craziest stories about grief ever told…It’s a joyous, poignant, and incredibly funny ride’ THE AGE

Written by Amelia Evans, Dan Giovannoni Directed by Paige Rattray Produced by Belinda Kelly Composed by Tom Hogan With Julia Billington, Catherine Davies & Kevin Kiernan-Malloy Cut Snake is on the VCE playlist arthurproductions.com.au

25 Feb - 9 Mar at 7p No show 3 m &4 Tickets fro Mar m $20 plus b f

FLAME TREES

world PREMIERE

by Wayne Tunks

Presented by Tunks Productions Who needs that sentimental bullshit anyway? – Flame Trees, by Cold Chisel After a sell-out La Mama season this year (Fag Boy & The Married Guy), Tunks Productions returns with this emotive world premiere from acclaimed dramatist, Wayne Tunks (The Subtle Art of Flirting / 37 Ways To Say I’m Gay). Tess left her small country town in the back of a police wagon after confessing to lighting a fire which devastated the town and killed her best friend. Years later, she’s back and most of the town are not happy to see her. Flame Trees is the story of one woman’s fight for redemption. Flame Trees is a modern Australian drama about fire and the fear it brings.

‘The unfolding sophistication of Tunks’s very promising career is a rewarding phenomenon to behold’ Australian Stage

Directed by Perri Cummings Sound Design by Lachlan McMullin Lighting Design by Siobhain Gainey Produced by Wayne Tunks and Hannah Gott

6 Mar – 1 Tues - Sat 6 Mar at 10 Mar at 8pm Tickets fro 5pm m $15 plus bf

With Sarah Berryman, Matthew Candeland, Hannah Gott, Sally McLean, Wayne Tunks and Neighbours star and Logie Nominee James Mason in his theatrical debut. tunks.com.au

PENELOPE

AUStralian PREMIERE

Edinburgh Fringe First Winner 2010

by Enda Walsh

Presented by Red Stitch Actors Theatre in association with Theatre Works “I have given myself to a possibility of love with you! But you have turned me into this, you have reduced me, Penelope… to a fat man in SPEEDOS”. Four well oiled male suitors - the last remaining in the legendary battle for the heart of Queen Penelope - rehearse their entreaties in the hope that one of them will be chosen before her husband, Odysseus, returns from battle to destroy them all. Powerhouse Irish playwright, Enda Walsh, has produced a captivating and hilarious meditation on masculinity and human endeavour. A funny, irreverent tragicomic burlesque!

‘A truly original theatrical voice’ The Guardian

‘Extravagantly imaginative’ The New York Times

‘Mr. Walsh’s rich and strange contribution to the field is in its own subversive class’ The New York Times

‘The delicate interplay of knockabout comedy, verbal humor and philosophical themes is superb… a box full of brilliant shards’ The Sunday Times

Written by Enda Walsh Directed by Alister Smith Design by Peter Mumford With Dion Mills and Matthew Whitty

redstitch.net

20 Mar - 1 3 Wed to Sa Apr t 8pm Sun 6:30p m & Sat at 4p Tickets fro m m $27 plus bf

SUITCASES, BAGGAGE & OTHER SYNONYMS Presented by Nick of Time Productions as part of Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Five friends, countless opinions and ultimately one destination. A whimsical, original musical comedy you can’t miss. Meet the Actor, the Singer/Waitress, the Jazz Musician, the Aspiring Comedienne and the Gay Man. Five friends, one apartment, countless opinions and ultimately one destination. It proves a hard task to organise an overseas trip, or at least this is the case for these friends. Are they really friends, though? Friend or foe? Foe or toe? Toe or tow? You could say that they are easily distracted. They would each agree. These five young talents came away from a sell-out season during the 2012 Melbourne Fringe Festival. Prepare yourself for a night of uncontained laughter.

‘The quirks of each character had the audience in stitches’

17 Apr – 2 0 Ap at 8:00pm r Tickets fro m $15 plus bf

Australian Works

‘A very creative and funny piece’ Theatre People

Composed and Musically Directed by Barnaby Reiter Devised and performed by Hannah Daniel, Casey Dolcetta, Sarah Jackson, Melissa Kahraman and Barnaby Reiter

SWAN DIVE

world PREMIERE

by Julia Sutherland

Presented by What’s On? Production Company Inspired by the poetry of Leonard Cohen and Ani DiFranco The only way free is straight down Jay goes to the coast. To be alone. To drop the costume of his perfect life. His 20 year self-made career. His high-rise apartment. His stunning wife. Crystal’s terrified of water. Won’t go within miles of an ocean view. Safe in the city. Working overtime. All the time climbing walls. It’s what we do. Jay goes away three or four times a year. But there’s no other. No. ‘The coast is clear’. The ocean is his solitude. His mother. His reflection. His whore. Enter Suzanna Santiago. Whirlwind gypsy who is all this and more. Where do you go when you’ve climbed to the top, and the rules and the glass have been flipped around? What do you do when you stare out to sea. And you see that the only way free is straight down? Written by Julia Sutherland Directed and Designed by Paul Watson Lighting Design by Jason Bovaird With Fran Middleton and Julia Sutherland

25 Apr – 3 May at 8pm 4 May at 5 No Show 3 pm Tickets fro 0 Apr m $25 plus bf

Herald Sun

Australian Stage

ArtsHub

The Age

NO CHILD... by Nilaja Sun

Presented by Theatre Works A master-class in performance, this show will sell out! After 8 standing ovations and selling out almost every show of the 2012 Melbourne Festival season we are thrilled that Nilaja Sun will return to Theatre Works in May. After years of teaching in some of New York’s toughest schools, Nilaja Sun decided to turn her experience to creating No Child..., a mesmerising solo show that, with pep and humour, depicts the battle-ground that US public education has become. No Child... has blazed its way across stages in the US and Europe, flooring audiences and critics with its honesty and energy, and igniting debate with its searing portrayal of a public school system in crisis. A brilliant revelation of the disparities that lie at the heart of America, No Child... is an incisive portrait of a broken system and a rallying cry on behalf of an entire generation.

‘She is electrifying. No Child... is in a class of its own’ Herald Sun

‘...theatre in its purest form, delivered with passion, intelligence and integrity’ Australian Stage

Written and performed by Nilaja Sun Directed by Hal Brooks Lighting realistion by Richard Vabre No Child… is on the VCE playlist Image by Melissa Friedman

07 May - 1 Tues-Sat a 9 May Wed & Thu t 8pm rs at Sun at 5 1pm Tickets fro pm m $35 plus bf

PALACE OF THE END

AUStralian PREMIERE

by Judith Thompson

Presented by Daniel Clarke in association with Theatre Works A blistering and unforgettable play, Palace of the End is a triptych of monologues that tell the stories of three people forever impacted by the wars in Iraq: PVT. LYNNDIE, a U.S. soldier convicted of abusing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison; DR. DAVID KELLY, the British weapons inspector who allegedly committed suicide after being involved in a government scandal, and NEHRJAS AL SAFFARH, a leading member of the Communist Party of Iraq who suffered the greatest of losses during the Baathist coup that led to Saddam Hussein’s rise to power. Incendiary and haunting, this is searing theatre.

Winner of the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award and the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize ‘Thompson’s triptych combines the most penetrating images of the Iraq war…close to perfection’ The Guardian

‘a compelling night of political theatre’

The List

‘immensely powerful’ The Scotsman

Written by Judith Thompson Directed by Daniel Clarke Design by Eugeeyne Teh Sound Design by Russell Goldsmith With Eugenia Fragos (The Slap, Dead Europe) and Hannah Norris (My Name is Rachel Corrie) danielclarke.com.au Image by Sarah Walker

5 – 16 Ju Tues - Sat a n t 15 Jun at 28pm 16 Jun at pm Tickets fro 5pm m $25 plus bf

PORTRAITS

world PREMIERE

Presented by Melbourne Playback Theatre Company

PORTRAITS will paint a poetic and deliciously human picture of Melbourne through the theatrical transformation of the personal stories of its visitors, residents, leaders and workers. Melbourne Playback Theatre Company draws stories from their audience to shape a live performance that illuminates the diversity, complexity and beauty of the individual narratives that make up this community. What emerges is a funny and revealing performance enriched by the company’s well-honed skills as a physical ensemble. Based on a conviction that both individuals and communities deepen and grow through the opportunity to exchange and explore stories, a playback theatre performance creates a bridge between the individual and their community. For over 30 years, this highly skilled group of actors and musicians has used the ritual of storytelling, the inspiration of improvisation and the alchemy of theatre to express both the universal and the personal.

‘...seethes with breath-catching moments of insight and an unscripted emotional intelligence...’ The Age 2011

‘Enriching and fun… the ensemble operates like a well-oiled machine, the improvisation is terrifically skilled’ The Age 2012

For information on public workshops visit melbourneplayback.com.au Photo & image by Jennifer Parlanti

29 Jun at 8 30 Jun at 6 pm Tickets fro pm m $18 plus bf

THEATRE WORKS

THE BRIDGE DONOR PROGRAM After 30 years of staging hundreds of productions and supporting thousands of actors, producers, directors, designers, stage managers and so many other artists that have come through our doors, we have launched our BRIDGE donor program. To put it simply, we need your help! 20% of our funding comes from people like you and we simply would not be able to exist without our donors, big and small. Theatre Works is more than a venue; we are a not for profit organisation passionately committed to enabling artists to achieve their creative dreams, bridging the gap in the industry where independent creative artists can work on a viable scale and emerging artists of exceptional skill can hone their craft. We give artists the opportunity to take risks, create, develop and stage their productions here in St Kilda where we are such an intrinsic part of the cultural landscape. There are six levels to the program and every donation helps, whether it is $2 or $20,000. All donations above $2 are tax deductible. To make a donation visit our website theatreworks.org/support - or contact the General Manager, Dr Mark Crees (gm@theatreworks.org.au), for more information, including bank details for direct deposit. And let us take this opportunity to thank you for your support of independent theatre in Australia, the engine room of tomorrow and the creative risk-takers of today.

To partner with us in enabling creative artists to achieve their creative dreams, become a: (1) Supporter ($25-$499)  (2) Advocate ($500-$999) (3) Guardian ($1,000-$4,999)  (4) Champion ($5,000-$9,999) (5) Ambassador ($10,000-$19,999)  (6) Visionary ($20,000+)

choose where you would like to see your donation directed towards: (1) Theatre Works mentoring program  (2) Theatre Works creative development program (3) Theatre Works productions (4) Theatre Works general

Theatre Works Limited ABN 38 005 776 483 is endorsed as a tax-deductible gift recipient (Item 1) under section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, and for tax concessions as a charitable institution.

ANNOUNCING OUR 2013 SELECTED WORKS PRODUCTIONS:

night maybe

8 – 25 August 2013

by Kit Brookman A Stuck Pigs Squealing Production Presented by Theatre Works and Sassy Red Productions

You’re already lost. What’s a bit further? Tom abandons his sister Sasha by the side of the road. She plunges headlong into the night. As she hunts him down she peels back the layers of their shifting relationship, past gender, sexuality and both their bodies. Stuck Pigs Squealing has a nationally and internationally recognised reputation for creating exceptional theatre, and memorable experiences for audiences. night maybe is a funny, vicious and disturbing free-fall through the subconscious. Directed by Luke Mullins Designed by Mel Page Lighting Design by Richard Vabre With Tom Conroy, Brian Lipson, Marcus Mckenzie and Sarah Ogden

SUMMERTIME IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN A Sisters Grimm Production Created by Ash Flanders and Declan Greene Presented by Theatre Works and Sisters Grimm

7 – 16 Novembe r 2013

The South will fall, and so will her pride... In the greatest love story ever told. Georgia. 1861. A faded Southern belle returns to the family plantation after ten years away from home. But where has she been? Why did she run? And what secrets are buried in the ol’ greenhouse? After a sell-out, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 2012 season (...in a shed in Thornbury), Theatre Works is proud to present the Melbourne return of Sisters Grimm’s punk-camp Civil War epic. BEST THEATRE (Small Stage) – 2012 Timeout Magazine Awards Set Design by Sisters Grimm, Marg Horwell Lighting Design by Katie Sfetkidis With Olympia Bukkakis, Agent Cleave, Genevieve Giuffre, Peter Paltos FUNDING BODIES

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council its arts funding and advisory body