Darlinghurst Theatre Company has unveiled an impressive 2016 season to be staged at the iconic Eternity Playhouse. Showcasing three contemporary Australian works, a timely revival of a great Australian play, a landmark UK drama and a seminal American comedy, the program is rich in vision and broad in appeal.
The season opens with the Olivier Award-winning drama The Pride presented as part of the 2016 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Then, Patricia Cornelius’ Savages is an exacting investigation of masculinity inspired by a true story. Nick Enright’s A Man with Five Children explores the power of media and the cult of celebrity and Broken is a haunting story of resilience that will resonate deeply with many Australians. The world premiere of Remembering Pirates is a profound and beautiful exploration of human memory and rounding off the season is David Mamet’s comedic masterpiece A Life in the Theatre.
Darlinghurst Theatre Company Executive Producer Glenn Terry credits an artistically diverse season to the company’s unique method of developing their programs. “Each year we do a public call out and ask artists to put forward their production concepts,” says Glenn.
“Our approach comes with added ingredients that you just can’t buy. It comes with passion and drive, with artists working on projects that they are intrinsically connected to. For me this is the gold and makes for the strongest connection between audience and performance.”
“Our 2016 season is rich in vision, ideas and theatricality. Above all, it’s passionate and I feel it’s our best season to date.”
THE PRIDE
Written by Alexi Kaye Campbell | Directed by Shane Bosher
5 February – 6 March
Two stories shift from 1958 to the present and back again. In the first, Oliver and Phillip fall for each other but are forced to be strangers to desire and themselves. In the other, the rainbow-stickered present, anonymous sex and empty style collide with the human heart. Alexi Kaye Campbell’s Olivier Award-winning The Pride is a remarkable reflection on our times, our past and society’s journey.
SAVAGES
Written by Patricia Cornelius | Directed by Tim Roseman
1 April – 1 May
Inspired by a true story, award winning playwright Patricia Cornelius’ Savages is a searing comedy about what drives some men to behave so badly. Four mates board a cruise ship for the trip of a lifetime. They’re in bad need of a break and determined to leave life’s baggage behind. In pursuit of freedom and a good time, they begin to spiral out of control. What is lurking in each of them… is it something savage?
A MAN WITH FIVE CHILDREN
Written by Nick Enright | Directed by Anthony Skuse
3 June – 3 July
Gerry is a documentary maker who sets out to capture the lives of five children on film. One day a year, every year, until they turn 21. As the children’s hopes and heartaches are played out on national TV, questions are raised. Is Gerry an observer or is the camera distorting their lives? As long as it makes for good television, he just keeps on filming. Nick Enright’s insightful drama about the power of media and the cult of celebrity is more relevant now than ever.
BROKEN
Written by Mary Anne Butler | Directed by Matt Edgerton
29 July – 28 August
A near fatal car crash on an isolated road in the Australian Central Desert traps Ash in her car. Ash is rescued by a stranger, himself a broken man. He’s about to leave his wife Mia, who’s keeping a deep secret of her own. As the fateful night unfolds, three worlds collide, scattering shattered pieces along the way. Broken is a haunting story of resilience, survival and hope that taps straight into the heart of the Australian landscape.
REMEMBERING PIRATES
Written by Christopher Harley | Directed by Iain Sinclair
16 September – 16 October
The famed children of Peter Pan have all grown up. Wendy’s expecting her first child, John’s a jaded history teacher and Michael’s never around. Each remembers childhood adventures of pirates, treasure and magic. But memory is a tricky thing. Was it just make-believe or could it have been real? And now adulthood is full of pointless responsibility. If only Peter Pan would return. Darlinghurst Theatre Company presents the world premiere of an extraordinary new work, Remembering Pirates.
A LIFE IN THE THEATRE
Written by David Mamet
4 November – 4 December
Stage veteran Robert and young up-start John are struggling to share a dressing room and the spotlight as they perform roles from the sublime to the completely ridiculous. Between murderous critics, lifeless audiences and other actors’ egos to contend with, there’s just got to be an easier way to make a living. A Life in the Theatre is David Mamet’s “love letter to the theatre” – a comedic masterpiece about people who spend their lives pretending to be other people.
2016 Subscriptions and single tickets are now on sale. For more information, visit: www.darlinghursttheatre.com for details.
Image: The Pride, Savages and Remembering Pirates – photos by Helen White