La Boite Theatre will present a star-studded new production of Michael Gow’s timeless Australian classic play, Away, as the final mainstage production in the company’s 2021 season at the Roundhouse Theatre from 25 October 2021.
The sparkling new in-the-round production is directed by multi award-winner Daniel Evans (The Tragedy of King Richard III, Cinderella) and stars newcomer Reagan Mannix as Tom in his professional debut alongside nine of La Boite’s Artist Company members: Emily Burton, Will Carseldine, Giema Contini, Sean Dow, Billy Fogarty, Roxanne McDonald, Christen O’Leary, Ngoc Phan, Bryan Probets and Kevin Spink.
Set in 1967 against the backdrop of an Australia recovering from the Vietnam War, three families pack their cars for Christmas at the beach, where a freak storm forces their respective vacations to fall apart and intersect.
La Boite CEO & Executive Director Zohar Spatz described Away as a play that “every Australian can relate to”. “Michael Gow’s Away is a modern masterpiece and one of our country’s most loved and iconic plays,” said Spatz.
“Funny and very moving, it prompts us to consider what is ultimately most important in our lives, which couldn’t be more timely. With Daniel Evans at the helm and an ensemble company of Queensland’s finest actors, audiences can look forward to a witty and wonderful escape to welcome in the summer,” said Spatz.
Daniel Evans said the 10-strong company would take audiences on a nostalgic journey from a suburban school hall to the Gold Coast’s iconic glitter strip, with plenty of secrets, seduction and good summer vibes along the way.
“This is a play filled with everything you need for a brilliant night in the theatre – deeply-felt characters, Shakespearean magic, bittersweet Summer romance and a rollicking 60s soundtrack,” said Evans.
“Plays like Away are what make us fall in love with theatre for the first time or all over again. This one bristles with life and death, joy and pain, love and loneliness, awakenings and awkwardness, the things we hold onto and the things we can’t let go of – for better or for worse,” said Evans.
Michael Gow is an award-winning playwright whose works include The Kid, Away, Furious, Europe, Sweet Phoebe, Toy Symphony, Live Acts on Stage, 17 and Once in Royal David’s City. His plays have been performed in Poland, the Czech Republic, Vietnam, Japan and all over the US.
Michael has been Associate Director of Sydney Theatre Company (1991 – 1993) and Artistic Director of the Queensland Theatre Company (1999 to 2010). He has directed for all the major Australian theatre companies as well as Opera Australia, Australian Theatre for Young People and the Lincoln Centre’s New Visions New Voices programme.
Michael’s awards include two NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, two Sydney Theatre Critics Circle Awards and an AFI Award for writing the ABC miniseries Edens Lost.
Director: Daniel Evans | Featuring: Emily Burton, Will Carseldine, Giema Contini, Sean Dow, Billy Fogarty, Reagan Mannix, Roxanne McDonald, Christen O’Leary, Ngoc Phan, Bryan Probets, Kevin Spink | Set & Costume Designer: Sarah Winter | Lighting Designer: Ben Hughes | Sound Designer: Brady Watkins | Choreographer: Liesel Zink
AWAY
La Boite’s Roundhouse Theatre, 6-8 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove (Brisbane)
Season: 29 October – 13 November 2021 (previews: 25 – 28 October)
Information and Bookings: www.laboite.com.au
Image: The Cast of AWAY – photo by Dylan Evans