A hilarious and heart-breaking new play, Occasional Combustible Disaster, will set the brand new Loading Dock Theatre at Qtopia Sydney ablaze as a red hot team of creatives come together to examine the fallout inevitable in all nuclear families.
Developed with assistance from Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta, Occasional Combustible Disaster, is a debut outing for playwright and producer Daniel Cottier (they/them) who has spent the majority of their career behind the curtain.
Cottier has penned a touching look at the perfect small town family and what happens when mental health and gender diversity grow into a new generation. “I wrote this play for folks who feel out of place in the spaces that they grew up in. It’s about returning to a place that formed you and attempting to do your part to make it a little better,” said Cottier.
The story follows Freddy Ambit, who has been told over and over that he has his whole life ahead of him. In two days he finishes his HSC and turns 18, but before that he needs to make a choice: turn himself over to the police to be tried as a minor or live with the guilt of a deadly secret for the rest of his life.
The surprise return of his non-binary sibling and the constant bickering of his mother and father about schoolies, bananas and Lapland can’t distract Freddy from the searing hot fuse burning down in his mind.
Up and coming star Nicholas Cradock (he/him) will originate the role of Freddy off the back of starring in the Emmy award winning ABC series Hardball. Cradock is no stranger to the theatre lights having been in mainstage productions of Les Miserable and Dream Lover. It is truly exciting to have such a talented young person leading the show, he really is one of a kind and audiences will not doubt be blown away.
After an impressive turn as Scorpius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Nyx Calder (they/them) returns to the Sydney stage in the role of Liv, Freddy’s non-binary sibling. The cast is rounded out by Richard Hilliar and Hester van der Vyver as Jim and Beth, Freddy’s parents who are about to embark on a new adventure once their nest is empty after 25 years of marriage.
This production will also be the directorial debut of Sydney Theatre Award winner Benjamin Brockman (they/them) who will be leading an exciting creative team of queer and non-binary artists and technicians.
Andy Johnston (he/him) of Dandy Films will produce alongside Cottier. “My last time producing theatre in Sydney was the revival of Tommy Murphy’s Strangers In Between back in 2018. It’s so exciting to be back in town bringing this incredible queer story to life in a brand new queer venue!”
“The Qtopia Sydney stage may be one of Sydney’s newest theatrical destinations but already it has told stories that represent the richness of the LGBTQIA+ community,” said Artistic & Programs Director, Carly Fisher.
“To have this story come to Qtopia Sydney and be the first show in the 2024 season that is a completely newly developed script is a great privilege as it speaks to the intersection of Queerness and Mental Health and the need to destigmatise both.”
“We are proud to offer a stage to members of the community with exciting new works to share and to amplify the voices of Sydney writers like Dan,” said Fisher.
Occasional Combustible Disaster
The Loading Dock Theatre – Qtopia Sydney, 301 Forbes Street, Darlinghurst
Season: 3 – 10 August 2024 (previews: 1 – 2 August)
Bookings: www.humanitix.com
For more information, visit: www.danielcottier.com.au for details.
Image: Hester van der Vyver, Nyx Calder, Nicholas Cradock and Richard Hilliar star in Occasional Combustible Disaster (supplied)