Drawing from award winning playwright Rebecca Lister’s own experience of losing a family member to suicide, along with real stories of 50 other individuals directly impacted by suicide, Anvil Productions presents 2:20AM at the Richmond Theatrette for a limited season from 29 August 2018.
Based on real events, 2:20AM takes us into the lives of four ordinary people, all bereaved by suicide, who meet as strangers at a creative writing class and are forced into a reluctant bond. Together they grieve, laugh, behave badly, and reveal far more about themselves than they bargained for.
In Australia, deaths from suicide are more frequent than those from traffic accidents. It’s a sobering reality that very few in this country (or the world) are not touched by it in some way. In 2016, 2,866 people died from suicide in Australia, more than double the number of people who died on Australian roads.
Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 44, and the second leading cause of death among those aged 45 to 54 (Causes of Death; Australia 2016, ABS).
“Suicide is not an easy subject to talk or write about,” explains playwright and Anvil Productions Co-AD Rebecca Lister. “People choose to take their own lives for a myriad of reasons and it can be painful, complex and devastating for their loved ones.
“2:20AM is based on a series of interviews conducted with those bereaved by suicide, plus my own experiences as both a bereaved community member and the facilitator of numerous writing classes. It shines a light on the torment, bewilderment, and inspiring resilience of those left behind after suicide.”
Directed by Hallie Shellam and featuring Joanne Davis, Zoe Ellerton Ashley, Michael Treloar and Izabella Yena, 2:20AM is a contemporary drama that directly tackles the subject of suicide with truth and humour, and pulses with the credibility of lived experience.
Founded in 2015 by writer/director Rebecca Lister and actor Joanne Davis, Anvil Productions is committed to making contemporary, issue-based theatre that attracts non-traditional theatre going audiences. Past works include Snapshots, Bits and Pieces, Am I Happy Yet?, HERE, Betrayal in a Valentino Frock, IDentity Film Festival and Resting Bitch Face.
2:20AM
Richmond Theatrette, 415 Church Street, Richmond
Season: 29 August – 9 September 2018
Information and Bookings: www.anvilproductions.com.au
Image: Joanne Davis – photo by Sarah Walker