After a triumphant inaugural year in 2009, Next Stage will return in 2010 with four full productions and four Rough Drafts. The experiments may be a little different but we’re certain that the work undertaken in this theatrical laboratory will be every bit as risky and exciting as it was in its first year.
As the artform development arm of the Company, Next Stage exists to give emerging artists, smaller companies and experimental work a platform. It’s a space that enables us to foster innovative ideas, mentorships and bold new aesthetics. The collaborative year that was 2009 proved fruitful so we’ve rolled the theme over into 2010 and will present our season in partnership with friends both new and old.
The year will begin when we team up with The Border Project (Highway Rock ‘n’ Roll Disaster) to create a radical new version of the play that spawned a legacy of theatrical superstition… Shakespeare’s Macbeth (there, we’ve said it). In cohort with The Residents this Adelaide collective will not only tempt fate but will positively woo it, when they perform Vs Macbeth; a show that incorporates every accident, error and catastrophe that occurs from the first rehearsal to the final curtain.
Next up, Next Stage renews its relationship with Griffin Theatre Company. After a successful collaboration on Ross Mueller’s Concussion, we now turn our shared attention to another extraordinary emerging writer, Anthony Weigh and Like a Fishbone. Deploying a masterful control of emotional suspense, this new work is a fascinating meditation on truth and memory, to be staged in Wharf 1.
Also in Wharf 1 will be Tusk Tusk, a remarkable new drama penned by the rising star of British playwriting, Polly Stenham. This is a play that features three massive, challenging roles for child actors so we’ve enlisted the help of the Australian Theatre for Young People who will partner with us as co-producer.
The final show in the Next Stage year will take us back into Wharf 2 where Melbourne-based collective,The Suitcase Royale, will delight us with The Ballad of Backbone Joe. This rag and bone band of three has gained cult status with their unique brand of junkyard theatre. We’re delighted to welcome them onto The Wharf (in fact, we like them so much that we might not let them leave!) where they will mount this darkly comic musical journey through a medley of theatrical and cinematic genres.
Throughout 2010 we’ll continue to host Rough Drafts. These week-long creative developments give theatre makers the opportunity to experiment: to try out new ideas, new ways of working and new collaborations. At the conclusion of each we invite you to a free, one-off showing. What you see at this event will be a work-in-progress – a unique chance to delve into the creative process and ask questions of the artists.
If you are interested in the Next Stage program, join our Next Stage email list by choosing this option on your Booking Form or signing up here or become our friend on Facebook.
