After a successful premiere season at Melbourne Fringe 2023, Jaya Berged and her diverse cast of talented theatre newbies are back with a bigger, quirkier, and even more thought-provoking version of The Axe in the Ceiling at The Motley Bauhaus this October.
Adapted from the Grimm Brothers’ household tale, Clever Else, Chhaya is a playful, imaginative woman who has always lived as she’s been taught to. Hunar is a responsible, self-reliant man who has always done what is expected of him. A marriage is arranged.
Their relationship begins with an axe in the ceiling, and peaks with a bird net in a corn field. Their journey together rocks their individual stability and reveals gaps in their self-image, compelling them to reflect on what they want and whether they have what it takes to get it.
Written and directed by Jaya Berged, The Axe in the Ceiling is a story of vulnerability, human connection, villain-less antagonism, resilience, and rising from the ashes. It is performed in waves of absurdity, realism, comedy, romance and philosophical reflection.
This production provokes deep thought and holds up a mirror to our own relationships, but is ultimately a show that offers hope and validates our individual experiences in the world.
“The Axe in the Ceiling is exactly what Melbourne Fringe is about: originality, charm and community. Well-written and packed full of laughs, it’s a hidden gem in the festival”– Guy Webster, Australian Arts Review
The Axe in the Ceiling
The Motley Bauhaus, 118 Elgin Street, Carlton
Season: 12 – 20 October 2024
Information and Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au
Image: The Axe in the Ceiling Ensemble – photo by Tom Noble