Taking place 10 years after the harrowing events of the Salem Witch Trials in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Boutique Theatre invite Melbourne audiences to a tale of redemption and love with their Australian premiere season of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s Abigail/1702 at Victorian Trades Hall from 14 July 2016.
This next instalment finds lead accuser Abigail Williams (who sent twenty people to their deaths) living under an assumed name on the outskirts of Boston. Quietly striving to atone for her sins.
When a handsome stranger arrives claiming to be a sailor in need, Abigail takes him in and long-dormant passions awaken within her. Love starts to blossom between the two, but their contentment is short-lived. Someone else is coming for Abigail. Someone who has been looking for her since she danced in the woods of Salem.
Not written as an intended sequel to the 1953 classic, Director Elizabeth Millington talks about Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s piece, and what’s on offer. “Audiences can expect a moving and poetic script woven through a magical and disturbing world,” says Millington.
“Witches are real, evil is tempting and the Devil watches you in your sleep. This is a very sensual play filled with compelling visuals and rich characters. It is an elegant balance between the beautiful and the macabre, allowing audiences to immerse themselves in the bewitching world of Abigail, and her search for redemption.”
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is an American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the television series Glee, Big Love and Riverdale. His plays include: The Mystery Plays, Say You Love Satan, Based On A Totally True Story, Good Boys and True, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Doctor Cerberus. Other theatre credits include: It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman (revised), Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (script rewrite), and American Psycho.
Boutique Theatre is a Melbourne-based independent theatre company which creates work that is inventive, local, relevant, and disruptive. The company launched in 2012 and has since gone on to produce six international and Australian works, whilst developing a Writer’s Program, Workshop Program and housing an ensemble of Creatives. This latest season adds to their growing stable of productions, that promises to be another stellar offering.
Director: Elizabeth Millington Featuring: Emma Caldwell, Rob Gaetano, Joshua Simos-Garner, Samantha Hill, Kieran Law, Pat Moonie, Jessica Tanner Assistant Director: Michaela Bedel Set and Costume Design: Nick Casey Lighting Design: Clare Springett Sound Design: Mischa Grünenberg Technical Coordinator: Samantha Cunningham Producer: Tegan Jones Assistant Producer: Saran Jones
Abigail/1702
Old Council Chambers – Victorian Trades Hall, 54 Victoria Street, Carlton
Season: 15 – 30 July 2016 (preview: 14 July)
Information and Bookings: www.boutiquetheatre.com.au
Image: Emma Caldwell features in Abigail/1702 – photo by Bodie Strain