Griffin Theatre Company has revealed the line-up for Batch Festival 2019 – a three-week fiesta of category-defying performances from some of the freshest and most inventive talent in the country at the SBW Stables Theatre in Kings Cross from 26 April – 11 May.
Showcasing a theatrical tasting menu of powerful, playful and provocative performances from an exceptional crop of storytellers, poets, comedy artists and non-traditional performance makers, the Batch line-up includes:
- Tales of an Afronaut by Melbourne-based poet wani Le Frère – an evening of spoken word poetry that pays tribute to the incredible lineage of storytelling embedded deep within the black/African diaspora.
- The world premiere of Lady Tabouli by James Elazzi – an unflinching look at a life desperate for freedom, truth and a little more mascara featuring Paul Capsis.
- The award-winning, binary smashing extravaganza Lou Wall’s Drag Race by Lou Wall- featuring Melbourne’s fiercest and freshest Drag Royalty.
- Never Let Me Go by Adriano Cappelletta – a powerful new work which chronicles the history of the AIDS epidemic in Sydney from the early ’80s. Featuring a soaring ’80s soundtrack performed by an A Cappella choir.
- Don’t Knock Your Granny by Older Women’s Network NSW Theatre Group – the socio-political parody cabaret which brings elder abuse out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
- The premiere of a new work by Aanisa Vylet (The Girl/The Woman), Sauvage (WILD) is a mashup of primal female storytelling, drums, belly dancing, physical theatre and song.
- The smash-hit of Bondi Feast 2018: You’ve Got Mail by Ang Collins and Sarah Hadley – a weird and wild satirical rom-com featuring Ella Prince, Christopher Ratcliffe and Sophia Campion.
- You’re Safe till 2014 by theatre maker David Finnigan (Kill Climate Deniers) – which is like the strangest David Attenborough documentary you’ve ever seen, told through sounds, stories and beats.
- Unite Project – (ongoing) by Todd Fuller – the compelling animation that celebrates same-sex love and marriage equality which will be projected onto Griffin.
“2019 is full of tough questions, hopeful visions, queer reclamations, political provocations, subversive humour, staggering theatrical ambition and some truly magical performance makers,” said Batch Festival co-curator and Griffin Artistic Associate, Phil Spencer. “Basically, everything you want from a festival of new work.”
“This program will build on the wildly successful and open-hearted energy that our inaugural festival offered up to audiences. Come for a taste of genre-busting theatre, take a punt on something you’ve never heard of, lend your ear to the new crop of Australian writers and stay for the buzzing atmosphere that we promise to whip up in the foyer.”
The 2019 Batch Festival takes places at the SBW Stables Theatre in Kings Cross from 26 April – 11 May. For more information and full program, visit: www.griffintheatre.com.au for details.
Image: You’re Safe Till 2024 – photo by Leanne Dixon