ANATOMY of a SUICIDE by Alice Birch | Directed by Catarina Hebbard
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Presented by Metro Arts and BC Productions Qld in association with e.g and Big Scary Animal ANATOMY OF A SUICIDE By Alice Birch | Directed by Catarina Hebbard 18 - 29 May 2021 New Benner Theatre, Metro Arts DIRECTOR’S NOTES I first read this script in 2018 as I was travelling across to Adelaide Fringe Festival, and I could not put it down. I was completely drawn in by Alice’s storytelling, building from one story to three stories told simultaneously, written like a score, across a page. I read a story at a time at first and went back to read across the page, such was the complexity of the dialogue. As I said, I could not put it down. Birch has created a beautiful tapestry of intergenerational trauma, that showcases the power of women in all their forms and highlights the monumental effect that our mental health has on our day to day lives. I started thinking about how it could be done, how had it been presented in the past? And here began my relationship with this incredible work. From a directorial point of view the challenge of telling the story of three generations simultaneously means that you are, in fact, directing three shows in one. NO. MEAN. FEAT. Alice’s writing has in-built mechanisms that guide the process – helping us navigate with natural ebbs and flows written into each scene. I spoke to Rebecca Alexander (my co-artistic director) and once she had read the script, we both agreed we needed to bring this to Brisbane audiences. In 2019 I gathered a group of actors together to read the work, and it was at this point I knew we absolutely had to do it. It all seemed possible and very exciting. Fast forward to 2021, Metro Arts and the New Benner Theatre. We all know what last year was like, so, to begin this year by coming together with a cast of 10 performers and a backstage team of 10 hardworking creatives has been an absolute pleasure. Bringing this beauty of a beast of a show together certainly hasn’t been easy and at times felt like an insurmountable challenge. But somehow despite rainstorms, C**** Lockdowns and negotiating 20 people’s lives and timetables, We. Are. Here. None of this would have been possible without the tireless work of my co-artistic director Rebecca Alexander and our co-producers Zoe Houghton (Big Scary Animal) and Elise Greig e.g., three amazing kick-ass women, all of whom have put their blood, sweat and tears (both literal and metaphorical) into this production. Thank you for supporting this work and indie artists in Brisbane, we hope to see you again. With love, Catarina THANK YOUS Shane Anthony, Helen O’Leary, Kerith Atkinson, Paige Poulier, Morgan Francis, Richard Lund, Shideh Faramand, Lisa O’Neill, Anatoly Frusin, Matt Seery, QT, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Kristina Olson, Jess Hansen, Krissy Kneen, Ben Hughes, John Felmingham, the team at Metro Arts & all our families & friends for their support. The team would like to say a heart-felt thanks to Jessica Veurman for being in the room over the last few weeks, your support has been so gratefully appreciated. BIOGRAPHIES Alice Birch: Playwright Alice is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter whose recent plays include [BLANK] (Donmar Warehouse / Clean Break); Orlando (Schaubühne, Berlin) and Anatomy of a Suicide (Royal Court Theatre). Alice wrote on the TV adaptation of Normal People, alongside Sally Rooney and Mark O’Rowe, for which she and Sally were nominated for an Emmy. She also worked as Story Editor on Season Two of Succession for HBO and is currently developing a series for Annapurna and Amazon with Rachel Weisz. Her first feature was Lady Macbeth which won five British Independent Film Awards in 2017 including Best Screenplay. Her second feature will be an adaptation of the Graham Swift novel Mothering Sunday for Number 9 Films and Film 4. Other Awards include: Winner Susan Smith Blackburn Prize 2018, George Devine Award (for Revolt. She said. Revolt again); Arts Foundation Award for Playwriting. Catarina Hebbard: Director Catarina holds both Arts (Acting) and Education degrees from QUT and Griffith respectively and has worked in Brisbane as a freelance director, actor, voice-over artist, mentor and teacher for over 20 years. As a Director, her most recent credits include: Children of the Sun (QUT), Poison (EG & Metro Arts), Spike Heels (QUT), the award winning Wilbur the Optical Whale and Look Mum…No Hands!!! and Love Me; (co-director indelabilityarts), Bumpy Angels and DNA (The Arts Centre Gold Coast), Dolores (Anywhere Theatre Festival), Head Full of Love (Re-mount & National Tour 2015 QT/C), The Pitch & Eight (QT/C), Medea Redux: Awkward Conversations (Daniel Evans & Metro Arts), Machina (La Boite Indie), Company and The Boy From Oz (Ignatians Musical Society), The Laramie Project (QUT), Last Drinks (Short and Sweet 2013), Un-PC, Nobody Does it Like Me and Hardly the Portraitof a Lady (NDILM Productions), Catholic School Girls (co-production with Three Sisters) and Minefields and Miniskirts (MadCat Creative connections). As an Actor she has worked with companies including, La Boite, QT, 23rd Productions, KITE, Harvest Rain, Emerge, Crossbow, Mixed Company, Starlight Theatre Co-op, Theatre Anyplace & the Forward Movement. Her film and TV Credits include Girl Clock, The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Reef’n’Beef, The Down under Mystery Tour & K9. Catarina is an alumni of the Women Directors’ Program, Melbourne Theatre Company (2015), was Creative Associate at QT(C) (2011) and is the Co-Artistic Director & Co-Founder of indelabilityarts & BC Productions Qld. CAST Rebecca Alexander: Anna Rebecca holds both Acting (USQ) and Education degrees (Griffith University) and works as an Actor, Workshop Facilitator, Producer and Theatre Maker. After living in the UK, Rebecca returned to Brisbane and toured for Shake & Stir Theatre Company and founded award winning theatre company, indelabilityarts. Rebecca has worked with Queensland Theatre and La Boite Theatre Company as a workshop facilitator and teaches for NIDA. Other theatre credits include, That’s What She Said (The Good Room) Wilbur the Optical Whale (indelabilityarts), Bronte, Catholic School Girls, (ThreeSisters productions), Snagged (Debase Productions) Summer Wonderland (La Boite Theatre Company), Much Ado About Nothing, (4MBS Classic FM), Sensational Harry & Idotluvdotu (Qld Arts Council )and A Man With Five Children (Cement Box Theatre). Rebecca is also involved with numerous creative developments and play readings throughout Queensland and can be seen in a number of commercials and presenting roles across Australian television. Rebecca is the co-Artistic Director of indelabilityarts and BC Productions Qld. Elise Greig: Carol Elise is an actor/playwright who has been recognized by the Matilda Awards on four occasions for her outstanding contribution to Queensland Theatre. Elise has also received a CentreScreen Award for her performance in Good Girls (Short Film Corner Cannes & New Filmmakers New York) and three Goldie Awards for her voiceover work. Elise’s most recent play Night Sky Over Our Town was developed through Qld Conservatorium Griffith University and her work Magpie was longlisted for the QPDA 2018 and had a critically successful season at Brisbane Powerhouse in 2019. Theatre credits include: That’s What She Said (Metro Arts), The Bull, The Moon and the Coronet of Stars (QT Quality Time), Reagan Kelly (Rocket Boy), Poison and Swallow (Metro and EG), Spring Awakening (Metro and Underground), A Little Night Music (Brisbane Philharmonic), The Story of Brisbane (Playabout and Powerhouse), Spectate (Metro), Long Gone Lonesome Cowgirls (La Boite/QBFM), The Spirit of The Land (La Boite), Hopelessly Devoted (Glen Street, Sydney), Secret Bridesmaids’ Business (La Boite/QPAC), Explosions (QTC), Summer Rain (QTC), Modd Madame Butterfly (QTC). Elise has worked extensively in film and TV and is currently the voice of Mrs. Kangaroo in Peppa Pig. Zoe Houghton: Bonnie Zoë graduated from NIDA in 2002 and has since been working regularly as an actor in theatre, film and television. During her time in Sydney she was an active member of the LGBTQI community and regularly participated in the Mardi Gras parade and festival with the Oz Showbiz Cares organisation. Zoë is a long standing teacher for NIDA, an arts facilitator, theatre maker, writer and director. Zoë is passionate about the projects she has facilitated in remote Indigenous communities for the past decade. She is a Matilda nominated actor and now runs an independent theatre company called Big Scary Animal. Zoë lives in Brisbane with her wife and two children. Jodie Le Vesconte: Jo / Laura / Lola Jodie has worked consistently as a professional actor for nearly two decades, performing on independent and main stages across the country and internationally. She is a core actor with theatre company RealTV comprising playwright Angela Betzien, Leticia Caceres and Pete Goodwin. Jodie performed in RealTV’s critically acclaimed, award winning plays Princess of Suburbia, War Crimes, Hoods and Children of the Black Skirt. With RealTV she has performed at major venues and festivals across the country including Come Out International Children’s Festival, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Arts Centre and Brisbane Powerhouse. In 2009 Jodie toured nationally with the powerful one woman show Shape of a Girl presented by The Opera House. In 2011 Jodie was enrolled as cast/devisor in My Darling Patricia’s, Africa. In the same year Jodie was one of four professional actors performing in Happiness as part of The Malthouse’s acclaimed Suitcase Series. Jodie performed in her second Suitcase Series at The Malthouse in 2017 and played the title role of Harry in the award winning The Trouble With Harry at the Seymore Centre for which she was nominated Best Actor at the Sydney Theatre Awards.