A wry comedy about two suburban couples who have more in common than just their identical homes and the same last name, Red Stitch Theatre presents the Australian premiere of Will Eno’s The Realistic Joneses from 29 April 2017.
Meet Bob and Jennifer Jones, a middle aged man and wife who have found contentment in a small town in view of a spectacular mountain. As magnificent clouds pass in the evening sky and an owl hoots in the distance, their peace is disturbed by the sudden arrival of John and Pony, a younger couple who have rented the house next door – and are also called Jones.
What seems on the surface like a series of ordinary encounters becomes a moving look at the people who live next door, the truths we think we know about ourselves, and the secrets we never imagined we might share.
Julian Meyrick (Dead Centre / Sea Wall) will direct Will Eno’s poignant look at everyday people dealing with their own mortality. The production will feature Red Stitch ensemble members Ella Caldwell and Sarah Sutherland alongside guest actors Neil Pigot and Justin Hosking. With set & costume by Greg Clarke, lighting design by Bronwyn Pringle, and composition & sound design by Ian Moorhead.
Will Eno is one of America’s most exciting playwrights, whose play Thom Pain (based on nothing) was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 2005. The Realistic Joneses appeared on Broadway in 2014, where it received a Drama Desk Special Award and was named Best Play on Broadway by USA Today. Other works by Eno include: The Flu Season, Oh, the Humanity and Other Exclamations, Middletown (Red Stitch, 2015), Title and Deed, The Open House, and Wakey, Wakey.
“For all the sadness woven into its fabric, The Realistic Joneses brought me a pleasurable rush virtually unmatched by anything I’ve seen.” – The New York Times
Director: Julian Meyrick Featuring: Ella Caldwell, Sarah Sutherland, Justin Hosking, Neil Pigot Set and Costumes: Greg Clarke Lighting: Bronwyn Pringle Composition and Sound: Ian Moorhead Stage Manager: Natasha Marich Assistant Stage Manager: Dylan Lines
The Realistic Joneses
Red Stitch Theatre, Rear 2 Chapel Street, St. Kilda
Season: 29 April – 28 May 2017
Information and Bookings: www.redstitch.net
Image: Justin Hosking, Ella Caldwell, Neil Pigot and Sarah Sutherland feature in The Realistic Joneses – photo by Teresa Noble