This May, Melbourne audiences are invited to witness powerhouse actor Jane Montgomery Griffiths in the renowned one woman play Jean Cocteau wrote to be unactable, The Human Voice.
A woman lies dead. A telephone rings. Her last chance to speak to an ex-lover. Awakening from this limbo she holds the receiver to her temple.
She must look after the man she loves, even if it grinds her into the fetid rot of systemic power that wreaks havoc on her body. But what will it take to break the cycle and work her way out? Will it kill her… or free her?
Directed by Briony Dunn, this compelling new translation by Iris Gaillard is set in a patriarchal purgatory for women who need to try harder at looking after their men.
A recent addition to the 2022 Theatre Works line-up of shows and events, The Human Voice spotlights this systemic control in a unique and impressive manner.
“I’m really intrigued to explore the subsumption of self in order to keep others happy,” explains Director and Theatre Works Literary Manager Briony Dunn.
“When I read Cocteau’s monologue – which he wrote as a challenge to an actor because he thought it was impossible to perform, it spoke to me with great clarity. I had a vision of how to do it. It was the piece I had been looking for.
“One of my favourite parts of the show is when the text elevates to operatically mythic proportions. It’s an incredibly exciting last minute addition to the Theatre Works 2022 season,” said Dunn.
One of Australia’s longest-running independent theatres, Theatre Works is constantly reinvigorating and reimagining the sector by providing a hotbed for artist and audience development.
They strive to champion artists and work that embrace difference and celebrate risk, working to provide a platform for marginalised conversations and voices.
The Human Voice will be the first production within the organisation’s new 2022 model, blending coproductions with produced works throughout the year.
Director: Briony Dunn | Featuring: Jane Montgomery Griffiths | Lighting Design: Niklas Pajanti | Sound Design: Darrin Verhagen | Costume and Set Design: Hahnie Goldfinch Writer: Jean Cocteau | Translation and dramaturgy: Iris Gaillard
The Human Voice
Theatre Works – 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
Season: 6 – 14 May 2022 (previews: 4 – 5 May)
Information and Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au
Image: Jane Montgomery Griffiths – photo by Laura May Grogan