The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek — La Boite

Overview

Laughter can't solve all of the world's troubles, but it can provide a decent way of momentarily coping with weighty topics — the advance of climate change and the onset of mass death included. That's one of the operating theories behind The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek, anyway. And if it seems like those topics aren't usually the subject of jokes, the play takes its black comedy cues from In Bruges and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri's Martin McDonagh.

Written by Kathryn Marquet and staged for the first time ever from February 10 to March 3, with La Boite the production's world-premiere venue, The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek tells the tale of George, an environmental scientist trying to save the Tasmanian Devil. Making a difference is all she has dreamed of since she was a girl, and she's not going to let the chicken-obsessed ranger Harris stop her from trying.

"I'd rather laugh than cry," says Marquet of her approach. Her script was developed through Playlab, which helps support new work from Aussie playwrights, while actress Emily Weir takes on the show's starring role.