Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre has revealed its 2014 Season to an enthusiastic audience in its renamed venue, The Coopers Malthouse.
In launching the season, Artistic Director, Marion Potts said: “We at Malthouse Theatre seek to create an opening, a space within the abstract world of ideas, emotions and inspiration that invites our audience in.”
“This kind of theatrical ‘aperture’ reveals the space that actors play in, and where we join them for an hour or two of imagination and invigoration.”
The 2014 season comes out all guns blazing as the narcissism of reality television and the ‘Who Weekly’ world of celebrity marriage come under fire in Simon Stone’s version of the classic Hollywood tale The Philadelphia Story.
Pressing ethical questions that cross cultures and globally unite us emerge in Meng Jinghui’s (Director, National Theatre of China) take on Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechuan.
Meng comes to The Malthouse as part of the Directors Exchange Program, bringing his invigorating avant-garde approach that has wowed international audiences is sure to provide an exciting and dynamic exploration of a theatre classic.
Closer to home, the brutality of the Melbourne streetscape holds us momentarily hostage – and then accountable – in Peta Brady’s poetic new work Ugly Mugs, a compelling portrait of Melbourne’s sex workers on the streets of St Kilda.
Explorations of Australian identity and the elusive holy grail of hope and desire are refracted through two very different major Australian works: Patrick White’s classic Night on Bald Mountain and Iain Grandage’s brand new opera of Tim Winton’s The Riders. As two of Australia’s major literary heavyweights, both productions will explore two very different Australias and the characters within them.
There is also great heart and humanity in our 2014 season: alongside the strains of Aboriginal writer Richard Frankland’s acoustic guitar, the exquisite harmonies that underscore and complement his big-hearted yarns will be showcased in Walking into the Bigness; Roslyn Oades’ unique audio work Hello, Goodbye & Happy Birthday will unite 18 and 80-year-olds (and everyone in between!) by celebrating these great bookends to the adventure of life.
Lucas Jervies’ version of Roald Dahl’s The Witches will make the old feel young and the young squeal and scream with delight; Alirio Zavarce’s The Book of Loco will charm and then indulges the madness in us all.
Finally, Paul Capsis stars in the Sisters Grimm’s Calpurnia Descending – a cheeky, subversive and totally audacious end-of-year treat.
THE RABBLE have been announced as the 2014 Company in Residence. From their independent work, through to Orlando (Helium 2012) and their deeply provocative version of Story of O, they are a company which asserts its theatricality and daring in everything it tackles.
THE RABBLE will present a re-imagined Frankenstein – part traditional gothic horror and part homage to the aesthetics of alchemy, the resulting experience proves nothing is so painful as great and sudden change.
“As the end of 2013 appears on the horizon, we look forward to 2014 – a new year already filled with enlivening theatre,” says Marion Potts, Artistic Director.
“In 2014 we at Malthouse Theatre will continue our quest to provoke and challenge in our own irreverent way. It’s going to be a fantastic season, the breadth of which is only supported by the depth and currency of the issues that will be raised.”
It was also announced that the unique former brewery site will adopt a new name, The Coopers Malthouse in a significant multi-year naming rights with Coopers Brewery.
For more information on the 2014 Season, visit: www.malthousetheatre.com.au for details.
Image: The Book of Loco
