The Attempted Rape of Susanna

Festival of Emerging Artists Program

About the show

This is a new thought-provoking adaptation of The Marriage of Figaro, a contemporary reimagining set in a nondescript Australian city with a family of cashed-up bogans and the hired help. The action for this opera buffa begins as farcical but descends into tragedy. Think Mozart meets Kath and Kim meets A Promising Young Woman…

Director’s note:
This piece has a lot to say in a provocative way and requires intense collaboration with likeminds. The biggest joy for me is having this idea realised by a team of incredibly generous humans and creatives: from the design team to the actors and through to adapting with Sally – I couldn’t be more grateful for this company. Grazie mille!

Rosa delivers her brand of theatre, performance and training through La Mama Theatre, MTC, NIDA, Deakin University and Drama Australia. Her practice is influenced by her training in Commedia dell’Arte (Venice, Italy), Jacques Lecoq (MTC, New York) and Shakespeare with Patsy Rodenburg.

As Artistic Director of Make A Scene, she created several school touring shows including an adaptation of Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters (La Mama and published through Currency Press). She recently confronted her fear of filmmaking by successfully directing the music video Are We There Yet? for Triple J Unearthed!. Rosa completed a Fellowship through the ISS Institute to research new performative and pedagogical approaches to Commedia with Master Teacher Giovanni Fusetti in (Padua, Italy).

Her directing practice has developed exponentially this year at NIDA and this, coupled with her background is Commedia has created a new hybrid methodology that now underpins her artistic process. Rosa is interested in the territory where tragedy and absurdity intersect and aims to create affecting provocative work where the audience oscillates between laughter, tears and possibly confusion.

Performance Dates

Wednesday 6 December, 8:00pm

Thursday 7 December, 8:00pm

Friday 8 December, 8:00pm

Saturday 9 December, 1:00pm and 8:00pm

Runtime: 40min

Venue: NIDA Theatres, Space, 215 Anzac Parade, Kensington NSW 2033

Pricing: NIDA is offering a Pay What You Want option for this event. We are grateful for your support, no matter the amount. Please note that this payment option is non-refundable.

Content Notice: Coarse language, themes of bigotry, sexual themes and depictions of sexual violence

NIDA’s Festival of Emerging Artists consists of 7 shows performed across 3 of NIDA’s venues, the Reg Grundy Studio, the Studio Theatre and The Space. It is possible (and encouraged) for patrons to attend multiple shows consecutively, whether in the same venue or across multiple venues. The shows have been scheduled accordingly to accommodate for multiple viewings, e.g. 7:00pm, 8:00pm and 9:00pm shows in the evening, and 12:00pm, 1:00pm and 2:00pm shows for matinees. Please ensure you do not book more than one show at the same timeslot.

Cast

In order of appearance

Susanna
Teagan Croft*

Figaro
Caleb Jamieson

Cherry
Chemon Theys*

Count
Declan Dowling

Countess
Anna Tafani*

Barbie
Beatrice Ainslie Kissing

Chorus/Understudy
Toby Quast

Band

Assistant Musical Director/Piano
Hunter Bailey-Watts*

Cello
Belvina Bai*

Creative / Production Team

Director
Rosa Campagnaro

Composer and Music Director
Sally Whitwell*

Set and Costume Designer
Paris Koppens

Lighting Designer
Chris Milburn

Dramaturgs
Lyall Brooks*
Rebecca Duke

Movement Choreographer
Troy Honeysett*

Intimacy Consultant
Shondelle Pratt*

Assistant Director and Choreographer
Lauren Mitchell

Production Stage Manager
Sherydan Simson

Stage Manager
Naomi O’Connor

Construction Manager
Lynsey Brown**

Costume Supervisor
Sam Hernandez

Head Electrician
Yasmin Breeze

Properties Maker
Georgia Raczkowski

Technical Assistant(s)
Holly Nesbitt
Justin Boerst
Thomas O’Brien

Makeup Artists
Mack Koppers
Lana Mould

Note: * Guest, **Staff