A new Australian Black Comedy written by five-time Green Room nominated, award-winning musical theatre actress and musician, Chelsea Plumley, Beautiful Highness will be presented at Chapel Off Chapel from 17 May 2023.
Inspired by Plumley’s family, the play celebrates the incredible grit and determination it takes to live with a mental health diagnosis and crystallises just how important a sense of belonging is for those people who often only experience stigma and discrimination.
Beautiful Highness is an intergenerational, heart-warming story that is unsentimental and at times, laugh-out-loud funny.
Shelley – a spunky, wise-cracking battler – lives with a soundscape of non-stop voices plaguing her every waking minute. The only relief comes from weekly visits to see her kids – who live with their Nana – daily phone calls to her siblings, and really, really loud music.
ARIA Award-Winning Artist, James Roche, of Australian Duo Bachelor Girl, has composed the original music and sound design; giving the audience a first-hand experience of the voices a person living with Schizophrenia hears.
The production is partnered with ANZACATA – the peak professional association for Creative Arts Therapies in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. An outreach arm exists to offer free tickets to staff, clientele and carers working in the mental health domain.
Against the backdrop of the mental health needs impacting the world, Beautiful Highness is a raw insight from one family’s decades-long experience and a play for the times.
“Audiences will be exposed to the intimate heart of a family undergoing tremendous challenges through the prism of love and laughter,” said Playwright Chelsea Plumley.
Director: Sara Grenfell | Featuring: Michelle Stayner, Petra Glieson, Tanya Schneider, Angela Kennedy, Anthony Scundi, Jessica Faulkner and child actors, Jasper McDonald Parsons and Alistair Herbert | Dramaturg: Peter Houghton | Set & Costume Designer: Christina Logan-Bell | Lighting Designer: Shane Grant | Composer & Sound Designer: James Roche | Playwright: Chelsea Plumley | Producers: Cherian Jacob (Cicero’s Circle), Matt Sheehan (3AC) and Chelsea Plumley
Beautiful Highness
The Loft – Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
Season: 18 – 28 May 2023 (preview: 17 May)
Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au
For more information, visit: www.beautifulhighness.com for details.
Image: Beautiful Highness Painting (detail) by Richard McLean