THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS POWER PLAYS FIVE NEW SHORT PLAYS BY MELISSA BUBNIC, MICHELE LEE, NAKKIAH LUI, HANNIE RAYSON AND DEBRA THOMAS

CAST DIRECTOR PRODUCTION MANAGER VANESSA DOWNING PAIGE RATTRAY SALLY WITHNELL ANTHONY GEE DESIGNER STAGE MANAGER MICHELLE LIM DAVIDSON DAVID FLEISCHER TIM BURNS STEVE RODGERS LIGHTING DESIGNER ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER URSULA YOVICH ROSS GRAHAM SHANNYN MILLER COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER VENUE TECHNICIAN STEVE TOULMIN MAX WILKIE VOICE COACH JESS CHAMBERS 1 HOUR 40 MINUTES, NO INTERVAL THIS PRODUCTION PREMIERED AT WHARF 2 THEATRE ON 22 SEPTEMBER 2016

PRODUCTION PATRON REBEL PENFOLD-RUSSELL IN CONVERSATION: DIRECTOR PAIGE RATTRAY

Who are the five writers of Power Plays comedy and a touching narrative about and what do they each bring? sisterhood to our show. She has a great nose for character and an interest in the We chose writers who represent a range of way political issues impact everyday lives experience and perspectives. – exploring how camaraderie between women can bridge differences in class and Hannie Rayson, one of Australia’s leading power. playwrights, needs no introduction. We haven’t seen her work at STC for a few A graduate of Stephen Sewell’s Writing years, so it’s really exciting to be working for Performance program at NIDA with her. She’s wonderful at tapping and recipient of STC’s Patrick White into middle class self-loathing. This is Playwrights' Award, Debra Thomas is about the way intergenerational conflict an exciting new talent. Interested in is fuelled by disagreements over social the power inequality between men and responsibility and personal entitlement. women, her writing is full of rage about the harassment of women online and how I worked with Melissa Bubnic last year it clearly stems from a casual devaluing when I directed her play Boys will be boys. of women in the real world. She’s written Her writing is fierce in every way and she’s a revolting male character that Steve played loose with the ‘comedy’ brief for Rodgers, who usually plays nice guys, is Power Plays, coming up with a very black having a wonderful time bringing to life. comedy. I love her dark humour and the different, meaner flavour that it brings to With power as a guiding theme, how do the evening. Her play is a tongue-in-cheek the different parts speak to each other? musing on the culture of consumerism that drives us all to acquire more and more The brief for all the writers was to come up beautiful things… because we’re worth it. with a 20-minute play about power. Their responses are wildly different and as such Nakkiah Lui has been honing her satire in Power Plays is a celebration of the creativity TV-land, where she writes and performs and diversity of Australian writers. in sketches for the ABC’s hilarious show Although their plays vary greatly in terms Black Comedy. Anyone who has seen her of form and the kind of comedy that on ABC’s Q&A will know that Nakkiah is they employ, there are common threads also a political animal. Her play combines that have emerged in them – the ideas of these interests – part political satire, part entitlement, disillusionment with politics farce. It’s a gift to the actors. and a new wave of feminism echo in many of the plays. The plays are tiny capsules Michele Lee is an emerging writer from written to entertain us, yet, side by side Melbourne that we wanted to introduce they give us time and space to reflect on to Sydney audiences. She brings gentle the state of the nation.

3 How do you design one set for five plays? How did you go about casting the actors?

It’s important to me that the night comes The cast have to play a number of roles so I together as one – that we don’t view it as an needed chameleons; actors who could anthology of short stories, but as chapters switch between characters and worlds in a novel, each building on what has easily. I cast the show before the gone before. The design has been crucial playwrights had begun writing so that they to unifying the plays. David Fleischer, could create roles specifically for this cast. who I have worked with many times, is brilliantly inventive and has found ways to transform the space quickly, while keeping a sense that we stay in the same world.

SYNOPSIS

CHAPTER 1: WHEN VAMPIRES SHOP CHAPTER 4: BY MELISSA BUBNIC HESTER BECKENBAUER’S GOOD FORTUNE In this first chapter, written as a stream- BY HANNIE RAYSON of-consciousness monologue, the power of Famous children’s book author Hester capitalist consumption is in the spotlight. Beckenbauer has just been awarded a What is the real cost of a designer prestigious prize. It won’t make her rich, handbag? What darkness does it obscure? but she has means, and she wants to leave And how can we justify our own good a legacy. Unfortunately for her adult fortune? children, it’s not the legacy they had in mind – Hester has bought a wind farm. CHAPTER 2: THE GREEN ROOM What follows is a comic take on that BY NAKKIAH LUI classic trinity: family, inheritance and Backstage at a TV studio, the executive renewable energy. producer is trying to keep the show on schedule and ratings high. But, on this CHAPTER 5: FEMINAZI panel show, everyone else has a different BY DEBRA THOMAS agenda. In the mix are a terrified The wine is flowing, the night is young, Treasurer, his horny adviser, a wayward The Minister for Women is hoping he host, and a political activist with a daring might get lucky. Meanwhile, on Twitter, plan. What could possibly go wrong? someone is trolling female journalists and commentators. Is the Minister being set CHAPTER 3: OFF CENTRE up? Or is he hiding his misogyny behind BY MICHELE LEE an avatar? When the embattled Minister for Social Services attends a conference at the Pullman Hotel, 26-year-old Donna – a Warning: food and beverage attendant – sees a Power Plays contains frequent strong chance to get square with Centrelink. language, sex scenes and adult themes.

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Youth Theatre. Her play, from STC, she has also Stop. Rewind (dir. Anne been commissioned Browning) premièred by Malthouse Theatre, at Red Stitch Theatre Griffin Theatre, in Melbourne in 2010 Platform Youth Theatre, and toured Australia in Next Wave Festival, 2012. In 2011, Melissa Radio National, Darwin completed a Masters in Festival, Arts House, Writing for Performance Westside Circus and MELISSA BUBNIC at Goldsmiths, St Martin’s Youth Arts WRITER University of London. Centre. Michele’s Melissa has written for digital theatre work, Melissa is a writer TV series Shameless The Naked Self, co- for stage and screen. and is developing created with Tanya Melissa’s play Boys numerous TV projects. Dickson, was presented will be boys, directed She is currently writing at the 2016 Festival by Paige Rattray and her first feature of Live Arts. She is the starring Danielle film screenplay, an 2015 recipient of the Cormack, was adaptation of Jamaica Malcolm Robertson commissioned and by Malcolm Knox for Prize for her new play premièred by STC in Black Milk Productions Going Down and the 2015 and has since and director Robert winner of the 2016–17 been performed Connolly. Queensland Premier’s in London at The Drama Award for her Bush Theatre. Her play Rice. Michele’s play Beached won play Moths was the STC’s 2010 Patrick inaugural recipient White Playwrights’ of the Betty Burstall Award and was Commission. She nominated for a 2013 was the 2016 WrICE Green Room Award. Early Career Fellow Beached premièred and a resident at The at Melbourne Theatre Playwrights Centre, Company and was MICHELE LEE Minneapolis in 2016, staged at Griffin WRITER supported through Theatre in 2013. the UNESCO City of Melissa adapted Michele is an Asian- Literature Travel Fund Mariage Blanc by Australian playwright and the Australia Tadeusz Rózewicz and theatre-maker Council. Her radio play (dir. Sarah Giles) for working across stage See how the leaf people STC, co-wrote Hazel and audio, based in run won an Australian Curtis: Fear Doctor with Melbourne. Her works Writers’ Guild Award in Petra Kalive (dir. Jason are about female 2013. Michele’s audio Geary), wrote Shedding identity, otherness, theatre work Talon (dir. Sam Strong) for intimacy and chaotic Salon was presented La Mama, and Citizen worlds, usually in Next Wave Festival Corps (dir. Clare through a non-Anglo 2012 and re-mounted Watson) for Platform perspective. Apart by invitation for You Are

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Here Festival 2013 and recipient of the Malcolm Darwin Festival 2013. Robertson Prize and She is a member of a Green Room Award the Melbourne-based for Best Independent New Working Group. Production. Nakkiah’s Her memoir, Banana previous works include: Girl, was published by As Writer: This Heaven, Transit Lounge in 2013. Belvoir 2013 and Finborough Theatre 2015; I Should Have Told HANNIE RAYSON You Before We Made WRITER Love (That I’m Black), You Are Here Festival 2012; Hannie is a graduate Stho Sthexy, MKA 2013; of the University of Blackie Blackie Brown: Melbourne and the The Traditional Owners Victorian College of the of Death, Bondi Feast, Arts (VCA). She holds an Honorary Doctorate of NAKKIAH LUI 2013; Blak Cabaret, Letters from La Trobe WRITER Sydney Festival/ University. Hannie Malthouse Theatre was a co-founder of Nakkiah is a writer/ 2015; Kill the Messenger TheatreWorks and actor and Gamilaroi/ (also as Actor), Belvoir has served as writer- Torres Strait Islander 2015. As Dramaturg: in-residence at the woman. She is a co- The Sovereign Wife, Mill Theatre, Playbox writer/star of Black MTC Neon 2013. As a Theatre, La Trobe Comedy (ABC) and is a broadcaster with ABC, University, Monash monthly columnist for Nakkiah has hosted University, VCA and The Australian Women’s Radio National’s Awaye New Writing North Weekly online. She and NAIDOC Evenings (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, has been an artist-in- for ABC Local Radio, UK). Her plays have been residence at Griffin broadcast nationally. performed extensively Theatre (2013) and was She is also a young around Australia and playwright-in-residence leader in the Australian several have been at Belvoir 2012–14. Aboriginal community produced overseas. They In 2012, Nakkiah was and has contributed include Please Return to the first recipient of to The Guardian and Sender, Mary, Leave it till The Dreaming Award Junkee. She has Monday, Room to Move, from The Aboriginal appeared on Q&A and Hotel Sorrento, Falling and Torres Strait Island The Drum on ABC. from Grace, Scenes Arts Board of the from a Separation (co- Australia Council. The written with Andrew same year, she was Bovell), Competitive the inaugural recipient Tenderness, Life After of the Balnaves George, Inheritance, Foundation Indigenous Two Brothers, The Playwright award. In Glass Soldier and 2014, Nakkiah was the The Swimming Club.

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Hannie’s most recent play, Extinction, was commissioned by The Manhattan Theatre Club in New York through the Alfred P Sloan Foundation. Hannie’s plays have won AWGIE, Green Room, Helpmann, NSW Premier’s Literary, DEBRA THOMAS PAIGE RATTRAY Victorian Premier’s WRITER DIRECTOR Literary and The Age Performing Arts Awards. Debra completed her Sydney Theatre Life After George was BA (Honours) in Drama Company: As Director: the first play ever & Theatre Studies Boys will be boys, to be nominated for and Creative Writing Rough Draft #31: the prestigious Miles at Monash University Martyrs, Rough Draft Franklin Award. in 2009, before going #13: Underland. As Hannie’s memoir, on to complete her Dramaturg: The Golden Hello, Beautiful! was Postgraduate Diploma Age. As Assistant published in February in Publishing and Director: Arms and the 2015, and adapted as Editing at RMIT. Debra Man, Battle of Waterloo, a one-woman show, has since worked Travelling North. Other which opened at in publishing for six Theatre: As Director: Malthouse Theatre in years with Australian QTC: Switzerland. May 2016. She is touring and international Arthur: Bright World, the show nationally in authors and completed The Sea Project, Return 2017/18. Hannie also her MFA (Writing for to Earth (with Griffin writes for newspapers Performance) at NIDA Independent), The and magazines and, in in 2014, under the Myth Project: Twin 1999, won the Magazine tutelage of Stephen (with MTC NEON), The Publishers’ Society of Sewell. At NIDA, Debra Mesh (with Red Stitch) Australia Columnist of completed her first full- The Midlands (with the Year Award for her length work, The Man’s Mudlark), Dirtyland column in HQ Magazine. Bitch – which won STC's (with The Spare Room), Her television scripts 2014 Patrick White Cut Snake. Griffin include Sloth (ABC) Playwrights’ Award. Theatre: Heartbreak and she co-wrote Hotel. Milk Crate two episodes of the Theatre: This House is award-winning series Mine. ATYP: Out of Place. SeaChange (ABC). A Illyria Productions: feature film of Hotel Bronte. Carriageworks Sorrento (1995) was & Serenity Productions: nominated for ten Bill W and Dr Bob. AFI Awards, winning NIDA: The Lieutenant two, including Best of Inishmore, Blessed Screenplay adaptation. Are The Wild. Positions: Co-founder of

7 CAST & CREATIVES CAST & CREATIVES ~ ~ Taming of the Shrew. Rats, All Saints, Big Sky, company Arthur; 2011 Ensemble: The Glass G.P., A Country Practice, Resident Director at Menagerie, The Busy Bullpitt!, Funeral Going, Griffin Theatre; 2010 World is Hushed, Double Skulls, Melba, Affiliate Director at Afterplay. Parramatta Packed to the Rafters. Griffin Theatre. Awards: Riverside and the Film: Stationery, Mary, Best Production 2013 Studio Company: The Boy Who Had VCE Drama Awards, Parramatta Girls, King Everything, TwoHands, 2011 Melbourne Fringe Lear. Ride On: Bone. Hey Hey It’s Esther Festival Best Emerging East Coast Theatre Blueberger. Writer (Cut Snake with Company: Mother and Amelia Evans and Dan Child. The Production Giovannoni). Training: Company: Hello Dolly. NIDA. STCSA: Equus, Three Birds Alighting on a Field, Ring Round the Moon, Private Lives, Upside Down at the Bottom of the World, As You Like It, Traitors, Pericles, A Month in the ANTHONY GEE Country, Who’s Afraid of PERFORMER Virginia Woolf? Griffin Theatre: Live Acts on Sydney Theatre VANESSA DOWNING Stage, Away. Playbox/ Company: debut. Other PERFORMER STC: Falling from Theatre: Ensemble: A Grace. Q Theatre and Conversation. Griffin Sydney Theatre Playbox: Good Works. Theatre: The Boys, Company: Pygmalion, QTC: Composing Venus, Strangers in Between. Influence, Howard Katz, Season’s Greetings. Griffin Independent: The Lady in the Van, Marian St: How the Music, The Distance Morning Sacrifice, A Other Half Loves, The From Here. TRS: Empire: Cheery Soul, Macbeth, Heiress, Absurd Person Terror On The High Chasing The Dragon, Singular. Belvoir: The Seas, Rope, Capture The Madras House, Increased Difficulty The Flag. TV: Hiding, Measure for Measure. of Concentration, The Crownies, Underbelly: Other Theatre: Griffin Madrigirls. Q Theatre: Razor, Packed to Independent: Thomas Wet and Dry, Daylight the Rafters, Rescue: Murray and the Upside Saving, St James Special Ops, The Strip, Down River. Old Fitz: Infirmary. New Moon All Saints, Home & God of Hell. Sport Theatre Company: Away. Film: Around The for Jove: Much Ado Gentlemen Prefer Block, X-Men Origins: About Nothing, Cyrano Blondes, Key Largo, Wolverine. Training: de Bergerac. QTC/ Don’s Party, Beach NIDA. Bell Shakespeare: Blanket Tempest. Wilton Faustus. B Sharp: The Morley Productions: Sweetest Thing. Bell Steaming. TV: Rake, Shakespeare: The Home and Away, Water

8 CAST & CREATIVES CAST & CREATIVES ~ ~

As Playwright: Belvoir/ MTC: Ray’s Tempest. Griffin Theatre/MTC/ TTC: Savage River. Belvoir/Force Majeure: Food. PWA Festival 2016: King of Pigs. TV: includes The Code. Film: includes Goldstone, MICHELLE LIM STEVE RODGERS Kill Your Dinner, The DAVIDSON PERFORMER Daughter, I Want to PERFORMER Dance Better at Parties, Sydney Theatre The Men’s Group, Bitter : Dance Better and Twisted, The Bank. Company: The Laramie at Parties, Riflemind, Awards: The Lysicrates Project (Education). Democracy, The Miser, Prize for Jesus Wants Other Theatre: ABC: Three Sisters, Don Juan, Me For a Sunbeam. Play School Live. She Stoops to Conquer, Training: Theatre Ensemble: Seminar. The Comedy of Errors, Nepean. Black Swan: Far Away. As You Like It. Other Other: Performed Theatre: Belvoir: Jasper together with John Jones, A Christmas Cleese in the Just Carol, The Kiss, Measure for Laughs Comedy for Measure, Twelfth Festival. Film: Night, Cloudstreet Goldstone, The Wiggles: (national/international Pandamonium! TV: tours) Night on Bald Top of the Lake, Doctor Mountain, The Blind Doctor, Utopia, Play Giant is Dancing. School, Jay’s Jungle, Bell Shakespeare: A URSULA YOVICH Big Ted’s Big Adventure, Midsummer Night’s PERFORMER Pacific Cove, Live from Dream, Macbeth. Planet Earth. Awards: Griffin Theatre: A Sydney Theatre Recipient of 2013 Mike Rabbit for Kim Jong Il, 8 Company: The Walsh Fellowship, Gigabytes of Hardcore Golden Age, Love and 2016 Equity Award Pornography, Dreams Information (with for Outstanding in White. Ensemble: Malthouse Theatre), The Performance by an Humble Boy, The Boys Secret River, Bloodland Ensemble in a Comedy Next Door, All My Sons, (with Bangarra Dance Series (Utopia). Lobby Hero, A Streetcar Theatre), Romeo and Training: WAAPA. Named Desire, Diving Juliet, The 7 Stages of for Pearls. Mollisons: Grieving, The Sunshine Alone it Stands. Club. Other Theatre: Pork Chop: Last Cab Belvoir: A Christmas to Darwin. Burning Carol, The Sapphires House: That Eye The (with MTC), The Sky (Sydney and Threepenny Opera, Melbourne festivals). The Dreamers, The

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Small Poppies, The Productions: Bill W. Governor’s Family, and Dr. Bob. Three Fish Capricornia, Snugglepot Productions/Seymour and Cuddlepie (with Centre: Der Gelbe Stern. Windmill). Malthouse ATYP: The One Sure Theatre: One Night Thing. Sydney Dance the Moon. Deck Chair Company: Pictures Theatre: The Magic of a One-Night Stand Hour. Yirra Yaakin: (New Breed Season). Waltzing the Willarra. DAVID FLEISCHER Pinchgut Opera: : DESIGNER Griselda, L’Amant Jerry Springer. Adelaide Jaloux. Training: NIDA. Cabaret Festival: Sydney Theatre Magpie Blues. Windmill Company: As Designer: Theatre: The Wizard The Golden Age, Love of Oz, Afternoon of the and Information (with Elves, Riverland. Griffin Malthouse Theatre), Theatre: Nailed. Black Boys will be boys, Swan: Corrugation Calpurnia Descending, Road. Adelaide Festival/ Travelling North, Playbox: Natural Machinal, Romeo Life. B Sharp: An Oak and Juliet, Fury, Little Tree. Film: Goldstone, Mercy, Actor on a Box: ROSS GRAHAM Australia, The Darkside, The Tale Maker. As Set LIGHTING DESIGNER Jindabyne, $9.99, Designer: Children Arcadia, My Bed Your of the Sun, Mariage Sydney Theatre Bed. TV: Rake, The Blanc. As Costume Company: Boys will Code, The Gods of Designer: Mojo. As be boys. As Assistant Wheat Street, Redfern Associate Designer: Lighting Designer: Now, Around the Under Milk Wood. As Orlando. Other Theatre: Block, Devil’s Dust, Assistant Designer: MTC: I’ll Eat You Last. Murandak “Songs of Oresteia, The White Co: Freedom” documentary, Guard, Face to Face Little Shop of Horrors, Blacktrax, Message (set). Other Theatre: Violet, Sweet Charity, Sticks, Songlines. As Costume Designer: Rent. Sydney Chamber Awards: 2007 Belvoir: Hedda Gabler. Opera: An Index of Helpmann Award for As Designer: Griffin Metals, Owen Wingrave, Best Female Actor in a Theatre: Between Climbing Towards Play (Capricornia). Two Waves, The Sea Midnight. Darlinghurst Project, The Brothers Theatre: Gaybies, This Size. B Sharp: Woyzeck. House is Mine. Pinchgut : Opera: L’amant Jaloux. 10,000 Beers, No Way Sydney Symphony to Treat a Lady, Kiss Orchestra: Nothing of the Spiderwoman. Has Changed. Sport : Dirtyland. for Jove: Edward II. Milkcrate Theatre: Red Stitch: The Mesh. Intersections. Serenity Ensemble: Good People,

10 CAST & CREATIVES CAST & CREATIVES ~ ~

Cruise Control, Seminar, Fraternity, Circle Mirror Skylight. Griffin Theatre: Transformation. QTC: Silent Disco (with Switzerland, That ATYP), The Sea Project, Face. La Boite: Tender Return to Earth. Stalker Napalm, Julius Caesar, Theatre: Creature. OId Hamlet, Attack of the Fitz: A Steady Rain. B Attacking Attackers. Sharp: Woyzeck. ATYP: Strut & Fret: Blanc De The Voices Project. Milk Blanc. Sydney Festival: Crate Theatre: Fearless. All The Sex I’ve Ever NIDA: Deckchair: The Had. Independent Fremantle Candidate. theatre includes: Arthur: Cut Snake, Dirty Prehistoric, After All Land. Carriageworks: This, Queen of Wolves, Bill W. and Dr. Bob. Me Pregnant, Rommy, Athena Theatre: Beirut, Porn.Cake, Trapture. True West. Kirk Theatre: As Associate Sound Dialogues of Travelers. Designer: Belvoir: The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe, Brothers Wreck, Radiance. Events: Papua New Guinea's 40th Year of Independence Celebrations, EKKA Arena Spectacular (2013-2015). Music: Music Director for STEVE TOULMIN Ricki-Lee Coulter COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER (2012-2014). As a songwriter and music Sydney Theatre producer Steve has Company: Little Mercy, worked with artists Edward Gant’s Amazing including Megan Feats of Loneliness (with Washington, Ricki-Lee La Boite). Other Theatre: Coulter and Samantha Belvoir: The Blind Giant Jade. Training: NIDA. Is Dancing, Jasper Jones, Ivanov, La Traviata, Blue Wizard, Is This Thing On?, 20 Questions, The Seed. Bell Shakespeare: Othello. Griffin Theatre: Gloria, The Bleeding Tree, Beached, A Hoax (with La Boite). Ensemble: Great Falls, Liberty Equality

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