After a sold out season at La Mama’s Explorations 2017, Chronic returns for a full season in 2018. In the aftermath of a fire that gutted the Melbourne theatrical icon on Faraday Street, despite the tragedy ‘the show must go on’ for Melbourne’s underground impressive array of independent theatre companies.
Chronic is a conspiratorial comedy or a comedy of conspiracy or an homage to a history teacher obsessed with Dr Strangelove or the recapitulation of time spent on nightshift looking up 9/11 videos.
Chronic is partly set within the subterranean world of Melbourne. It involves a character based on a mash of Mick Dundee and David Icke. The female characters have rhyming names. Nuclear war is dealt with – wittily. Cricket is mentioned – tragically.
Chronic is the first coherent work by Coburg playwright Milton and the directorial debut of David Sweeney. The play begins in a hardware store when Cliff Young, student of Law, meets Meaghan, student of humanity, born of eyes. Surrealist, hilarious and compelling, this is an important event for any Melbourne theatre lover.
Thanks to the generous support of the arts community this production has been moved to Guild Theatre, Union House at the Melbourne University Parkville Campus. The cast of Chronic are hoping that another sell-out season will help the stricken ‘mother of Melbourne independent theatre’ and have pledged a higher than usual percentage of ticket sales will go directly towards rebuilding the theatre loved by one and all.
Director: David Sweeney Featuring: Zachary Kazepis, Belinda Jenkin, Jane Barry, Pia Omeadhra, Sonia Marcon, Nicola Darcy, Alistair Ward, Kieran Rodriguez Costumes: Juliet Bennie Lighting Design / Technical: Jacqueline Glen Sound Design: Lee Stout Stage Manager: Sam Hornstein Assistant Stage Managers: Nicola Chan, Laura Barnes
Chronic
The Guild Theatre – Union House, University of Melbourne, Parkville
Season: 27 June – 1 July 2018
Information and Bookings: www.lamama.com.au
Image: Eric George