Overview
Theatre lovers, prepare for a busy 2017. Belvoir has revealed their next season — and whether you're keen to see the newest productions, witness welcome returns once again treading the company's boards or check out a few old favourites, there's something in the lineup for all stage aficionados.
When it comes to the former in Artistic Director Eamon Flack's second year in charge, his own directorial efforts rank among the most exciting announcements. Based on a 1677 play by Aphra Behn, a contemporary of Shakespeare who is widely considered the first woman to make a successful career from playwriting, The Rover is a battle of the sexes comedy that also brings actor Toby Schmitz back to Belvoir. And for something completely different, Ghosts revives Henrik Ibsen's revered work, as well as the creative team behind 2014's acclaimed The Glass Menagerie.
Next on the must-see list is Anne Washburn's Mr Burns, a Post-Electric Play — and yes, the title of the post-apocalyptic musical extravaganza is a reference to The Simpsons' character. It follows a troupe of wanderers acting out classic episodes of the animated sitcom we all know and love, and comes to Sydney from New York's Playwrights Horizons, as does performance artist Taylor Mac's new take on a dysfunctional family play, Hir.
Falling into the reunions category is Mark Colvin's Kidney, which is set in the world of phone hacking and marks the long-awaited re-teaming of Holding the Man's Tommy Murphy and David Berthold. As far as new stagings of beloved productions are concerned, prepare for an encore of The Dog / The Cat, the rom-com two-parter penned by Brendan Cowell and Lally Katz that's not just for pet owners. And that's not all, with all-ages fave Jasper Jones returns after opening the 2016 season. Given that a film based on Craig Silvery's best-selling novel is also due to hit cinemas next year, the timing couldn't be better.
For audiences keen to experience the rest of the program, 2015 Brisbane Festival thriller Prize Fighter aims to knock out crowds down south, actor and playwright Katie Beckett embarks on a road trip in Which Way Home, and Guru of Chai tells the tale of a tea-seller in a story that's loosely based on an Indian fairytale. Tom Ballard will also be stopping by to give a comedic lecture about the history, cost and future of Australia's asylum seeker and immigration policies, former Australian Idol winner Casey Donavan stars in Barbara and the Camp Dogs, and Lally Katz pops up again with the personal exploration Atlantis, as directed by Girl Asleep helmer Rosemary Myers. Yep, expect to spend a whole heap of the next year at Belvoir.
To see the full Belvoir 2017 program and to book tickets, visit the Belvoir website.
Images: Daniel Boud.