Beyond The Neck

Have you ever pelt a pomegranate? For those of you who have dared might agree that it is possibly one of the fiddliest fruit to peal. Firstly, it is kinda funny looking. The thick skin would throw a lot of people. From the outside, it looks a little dry. Only the curious would dedicate the time to hack away at the husk to uncover the ruby fruit which lies beneath. Behold the plump red cells that burst with flavor. Much like the pomegranate, uncovering Melbourne takes curiosity, time and a spark of an adventurous spirit to truly discover the gems that make up this city.

The Red Stitch happens to be one of these gems. Since late 2001 the Red Stitch has emerged as one of Australia’s most highly regarded Independent Theatre Companies and has brought to stage some truly inspired and groundbreaking contemporary pieces of theatre. The Red Stitch is to actors, directors and writers what a petri dish is to bacteria. It is a platform providing essential nutrients, encouraging growth and the development of something beyond beautiful.

 

“Each character is placed differently in the event and subjected to their own personal circumstances”

 

Next up in the incubator and premiering for the first time in Victoria is Tasmanian playwright Tom Holloway’s 2008 AWGIE Award-winning Beyond The Neck. Set in the aftermath of the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre, where a gun-man left thirty five murdered and a further twenty people injured, Holloway delves into the tricky task of unpicking the individual experiences of loss, tragedy and trauma. Set ten years after the tragic event, their stories are delivered through four principle characters. Each character is placed differently in the event and subjected to their own personal circumstances however their monologs are delicately interwoven creating a juicy crocheted web.

 

This is not one to be missed. Soon after its debut in 2007, Beyond The Neck was chosen to be included in the Royal Court Theatre’s International Young Playwrights’ Festival in London.

 

The Red Stitch can be found folded neatly behind Chapel Street and is well worth the visit.

 

Previews:  Wednesday 14th March & Thursday 15 March

Season:     Friday 16th March – Saturday 14 April (not Monday or Tuesday)

Times:        Wednesday – Saturday, 8pm

Sundays, 6.30pm

Matinees:    Saturdays, 4pm

 

Bookings:    http://www.redstitch.net/

Price:          $27.00 – $39.00 ($20.00 student, $15.00 rush)

Venue:        Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Rear 2 Chapel St, St Kilda

Tagged Beyond the Neck, Port Arthur, Red Stitch, Tom Holloway