A bittersweet love story between a fox and a lonely teenage boy, Griffin Theatre Company presents Rita Kalnejais’ First Love is the Revolution in an Australian premiere season at the SBW Stables Theatre from 1 November 2019.
Rdeca’s whole family have fleas. Her mum is pushing her into making her first kill, a snivelling mole, before she’s ready. Basti is being bullied at school by kids who call him a shrimp. His dad is too busy flirting with the neighbour to be of any real help. Beneath the light of a full moon, Basti captures Rdeca, and so begins a starcross’d romance between hunter and prey.
Rita Kalnejais (BC, Babyteeth) makes a blood-spattered return from London with a wild-hearted story that’s blisteringly funny, provocative and just plain freaky. First Love is the Revolution is a twisted fairy tale in the style of the Brothers Grimm, complete with blood, gore and a whole lot of chicken feathers.
Directed by Artistic Director Lee Lewis, Sarah Meacham (The Wolves) plays the anthropomorphic fox with Bardiya McKinnon (East West 101) as the boy. They are joined by Amy Hack (Shabbat Dinner), Rebecca Massey (Kill Climate Deniers), Guy Simon (Jasper Jones), and Matthew Whittet (Mary Stuart).
“This is a play about hunger and desire,” says Lewis. “It’s Romeo and Juliet pushed to deranged extremes, where the unlikely sweethearts are a 14-year old boy and a young fox with brutal birthrights. It’s the perfect play to take us out to Christmas in 2019.”
“Quite the most ingenious piece of theatre I’ve had the pleasure to watch in a long time… a cult hit in the making.” – Evening Standard
Director: Lee Lewis Featuring: Amy Hack, Rebecca Massey, Bardiya McKinnon, Sarah Meacham, Guy Simon, Matthew Whittet Designer: Ella Butler Lighting Designer: Trent Suidgeest Composer & Sound Designer: David Bergman Stage Manager: Khym Scott
First Love is the Revolution
SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross (Sydney)
Season: 6 November – 14 December 2019 (previews: 1 – 5 November)
Information and Bookings: www.griffintheatre.com.au
Image: First Love is the Revolution (supplied)