Win Tickets to see Alan Ball at the Sydney Opera House

Amongst the perfectly manicured lawns, Lucky's Liquors, Wal-Marts and red front doors of American culture, Alan Ball sees something both deeply disenchanting and incredibly optimistic. It's these conflicting sensibilities that make his screenplays so hauntingly eloquent, whether they deal with a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, a family-run Los Angeles funeral home or a race of vampires living uneasily in small-town Louisiana. His candidly provocative television series True Blood, for instance, is not so much about Twilight-esque resistance as it is about indulgence, hate crimes, bloody murders and mass orgies.

On September 8, Alan Ball will lay bare his own brutally cynical and achingly romantic mind through a talk at the Sydney Opera House. Alan Ball: Vampires, Death and the Mundane is a discussion of Ball's creative process, and promises to be no less seductive and no less engaging than a naked Mena Suvari writhing around in a bunch of roses. And to inject some straight up hilarity into his idiosyncratic brand of black humor, Ball will be conversing with comedian, writer and super fan Wil Anderson. Make a night of it with a pre-theatre dinner and drinks — and be wary of those not indulging.

To win one of five double passes to see Alan Ball at the Sydney Opera House this Thursday, just make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name through to [email protected]