Providing a glimpse into a teenage Australia that feels like a foreign country, Sugarland is a haunting new play commissioned by Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), that will make you pause, make you smile, make you wonder how much can be real.
Erica’s Dad is in the RAAF so her life gets a transplant every few years. Now she’s in year eleven she’s stopped trying to fit in. What does it matter; she’ll be out of there in a few years anyway. Nina’s good at school but that’s not important.
She needs a house to live in. And she needs it soon. She’s been living at her Auntie’s so she can go to school in town, but that’s not working out. The only thing Erica and Nina have in common is the music they listen to. Sometimes that’s enough.
In 2011, playwrights Rachael Coopes (Art House) and Wayne Blair (The Sapphires, Bloodland, The Gods of Wheat Street) engaged in a series of residencies in the town of Katherine (NT). The aim was to create a story that would allow audiences around the country to gain a personal understanding of what life is like growing up in remote Australia.
Iconic composer and actor David Page (Bangarra Dance Theatre) makes his directing debut collaborating with ATYP’s Artistic Director Fraser Corfield, Sugarland heralds a new age for the company. It will be the first completely professional production staged solely by ATYP in over 30 years.
ATYP is excited to present the world premiere season of a brand new Australian work inspired by the young people of Katherine in the Northern Territory. Prior to its Sydney season, Sugarland was presented back to the community of Katherine before opening at the Darwin Festival.
Directors: David Page & Fraser Corfield Featuring: Narek Arman, Michael Cameron, Rachael Coopes, Elena Foreman, Hunter Page-Lochard, Dubs Yunupingu Writers: Rachael Coopes with Wayne Blair Set Design: Jacob Nash Costume Design: Ruby Langton-Batty Lighting Design: Juz McGuire Sound Design: Guy Webster
Sugarland
ATYP Studio 1 – The Wharf, Pier 4/5, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay (Sydney)
Season: 27 August – 13 September 2014
Bookings: (02) 9270 2400 or online at: www.atyp.com.au
For more information, visit: www.atyp.com.au for details.
Image: Zan Wimberley © ATYP 2014
