Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?

Theatron Group Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?From one of the most critically acclaimed playwrights of the 20th Century, theatron group is proud to present the first production of Edward Albee’s masterpiece Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? since his passing earlier this year.

This award winning play with it’s intense, engaging and dynamic dialogue will be brought to life under the direction of one of Sydney’s most exciting new directors, Shane Bosher with Nicholas Papademetriou and Deborah Galanos taking on the iconic roles of washed-up College Professor George, and his volatile and seductive wife Martha. Rounding out the cast, Christian Charisiou and Adele Querol star as the young, college couple Nick and Honey.

Immortalised by the Academy Award winning film adaptation, the story is unwittingly familiar: when New England College veterans invite the unsuspecting new couple over for a nightcap, the all-night drinking session erupts into a nightmare of revelations fuelled by ‘fun and games’.

When Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf debuted in 1962 it was amusing, enthralling and shocking for theatregoers with its brutal view of marital discord. Generations later, it is as powerful today, as it was back on Broadway in the sixties. Staged at The Greek Theatre, Marrickville, the intimate space casts the audience as voyeurs, promising an up-close-and-personal encounter with George and Martha.

Edward Albee was an American playwright known for works such as The Zoo Story (1958), The Sandbox (1959), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962), and A Delicate Balance (1966). Three of his plays won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (A Delicate Balance, Seascape – 1975, Three Tall Women – 1994), and two of his other works won the Tony Award for Best Play (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – 1963, The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? – 2002).

His works are often considered as frank examinations of the modern condition. His early works reflect a mastery and Americanization of the Theatre of the Absurd that found its peak in works by European playwrights such as Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, and Jean Genet. His middle period comprised plays that explored the psychology of maturing, marriage, and sexual relationships.

Younger American playwrights, such as Paula Vogel, credit Albee’s daring mix of theatricality and biting dialogue with helping to reinvent the post-war American theatre in the early 1960s. Later in his life, Albee continued to experiment in works such as The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? (2002). Albee passed away in September of this year.

“The work has an intensity, a demoniac misery, a ferocious humour….no one can remain indifferent to its power, its resilience of ideas and its range of language.” – The Sunday Times

Director: Shane Bosher Featuring: Christian Charisiou, Deborah Galanos, Nicholas Papademetriou, Adele Querol

Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
The Greek Theatre – Addison Road Community Centre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville
Season: 30 November – 17 December 2016 (previews: 25 – 29 November)
Information and Bookings: www.trybooking.com

Image: Nicholas Papademetriou and Deborah Galanos feature in Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?