Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again – LA Times TV listings, 1998
This might not sound like The Wizard of Oz, but it is. Think about it. The Wizard of Oz is in our collective psyche as much as any fairy tale or Greek tragedy. In this production, director Adena Jacobs distills the pivotal moments into stark images of theatrical invention.
In her trademark style, Jacobs conjures the striking symbols at the heart of The Wizard of Oz: female rites of passage, the trauma of exile and the all-consuming desire to be someone else. Jacobs collaborates with Ralph Myers (set designer), and THE RABBLE’s Kate Davis (costume designer) and Emma Valente (lighting designer) to create visual magic.
But be warned, this is not a straight-up adaption of the novel. Expect to be thoroughly surprised. Imagine extravagant feasts of hyper-saturated coloured light, music and lavish costumes in an episodic, dream-like fantasy.
With a cast featuring singers Paul Capsis (The Caucasian Chalk Circle), Luisa Hastings Edge (Walking Into the Bigness, Malthouse Theatre) and Emily Milledge (Good Person of Szechuan, Malthouse Theatre), music is an integral part of this theatrical experience, featuring familiar songs and new music composed by Max Lyandvert.
This stark and sublime re-imagining is a theatrical poem about innocence, grief and the terror of growing up. Leave the kids at home for this radical reimagining of one of our most beloved myths.
Director: Adena Jacobs Featuring: Paul Capsis, Luisa Hastings Edge, Anca Frankenhaeuser, Melita Jurisic, Eileen Kramer, Emily Milledge, Jane Montgomery Griffiths Set Designer: Ralph Myers Costume Designer: Kate Davis Lighting Designer: Emma Valente Composer & Sound Designer: Max Lyandvert
The Wizard of Oz
Belvoir Theatre, 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills
Season continues to 31 May 2015
Bookings: or online at: www.belvoir.com.au
For more information, visit: www.belvoir.com.au for details.
Image: The Wizard of Oz – photo by Brett Boardman