One of Melbourne’s most highly respected independent theatre companies, The Artisan Collective return to the Gasworks Arts Park Theatre this November with the premiere season of Requiem For Dalinka.
May 1945, far east Poland. Rumour has is that the war is coming to an end. Concentration camp Dalinka holds only four surviving prisoners; a quartet of Klezmer musicians who have been spared so that they might provide entertainment for the SS soldiers. Desperate to stay alive, they plot to overthrow the Nazis. Will the allies arrive in time? Or will the “Final Solution” be implemented before there’s any chance of escape?
A highly accomplished musician, Peter Marks is the son of a holocaust survivor and has worked closely with Ben Pfeiffer, Artistic Director of The Artisan Collective to develop this story for Melbourne audiences. A collaboration made all the more powerful with Ben being of German decent, Requiem For Dalinka is a culmination of months of work between two people who have a deep connection with the story, for varying reasons.
Combining a superb cast of actors, powerful live music and a tale you’d never believe if it wasn’t true, this new Australian work explores the perseverance and fragility of the human spirit, music as food for the soul, and the boundaries of allegiance in some of the most extreme circumstances known to man.
A company well-known for presenting and supporting new Australian work, The Artisan Collective continue that tradition with this interdisciplinary work; incorporating live music, physical theatre, and film. Inspired by a real-life story, Requiem For Dalinka is set to be a riveting theatrical experience.
Director: Ben Pfeiffer Performers: Steve Turner, Luke Mulquiney, Katya Shevtsov, George Lingard, Tim Wotherspoon, Grant Foulkes, Matt Furlani, Zak Zavod Set Design: Jeminah Alli Reidy Sound Design: Nick Culvenor Lighting Design: Ben Morris Costume Design: Lauren Urquhart
Requiem For Dalinka
Gasworks Theatre – 21 Graham Street, Albert Park
Season: 12 – 22 November 2014
Bookings: (03) 9699 3253 or online at: www.gasworks.org.au
For more information, visit: www.theartisancollective.com for details.
Image: courtesy of The Artisan Collective