Love, murder and ethics of meat eaters in June Production Season

Above: Closer

Celebrating 60 years of dramatic arts education in 2019, the National Institute of Dramatic Art presents its annual June production season, featuring the next generation of Australia’s actors, artists and creative professionals.

From 8-21 June, NIDA’s students showcase their exceptional talents to the public in ambitious and thought-provoking play productions that use state-of-the-art visual and scenic techniques.

Above: Roberto Zucco

‘This NIDA production season asks our students to respond to the challenges of contemporary theatre,’ said NIDA’s Executive Director Conservatoire, Dr Amanda Morris.

‘We present five stunning productions at NIDA Theatres which see students working closely with leading international and Australian directors and writers as they push creative boundaries to generate uniquely relevant theatrical experiences, often experimenting with mediated reflections on our obsessions with love, crime, self and celebrity framed as art.’

International guest director from Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Art in Berlin, Professor Robert Schuster will be directing the students in the chilling Roberto Zucco, inspired by the life and crimes of the notorious Italian serial killer. Set in a complete revolving house in the Parade Theatre, the production includes visual projections created by the actors in live time.

Closer by Patrick Marber, with NIDA’s Executive Director Pathways and Partnerships Mark Gaal, portrays an intense quartet of characters slipping dangerously in and out of each other’s lives. The classic adapted for film immerses the audience into a performance space of desire and jealousy, set in contemporary Sydney in 2019.

Above: pool (no water)

pool (no water) sees NIDA Course Leader, Directing Dr Ben Schostakowski bring Mark Ravenhill’s shocking British play to life. ‘A famous artist invites her old friends out to her luxurious new home and, for one night only, the group is back together. However, celebrations come to an abrupt end when the host suffers a horrific accident. As the victim lies in a coma, an almost unthinkable plan starts to take shape: could her suffering be their next work of art?’

Above: LOVE

Leading Australian theatre director Susanna Dowling brings a contemporary Australian drama Love by Patricia Cornelius to the stage. Taking a skewer to the idea that ‘love is all you need’ the plays is a dark, intimate raw look at characters often dismissed by society.

From emerging Australian writer Lewis Treston comes a new work, the comedic Meat Eaters, directed by the well-known Australian director Kate Champion. Set in an office where characters disintegrate into animals, this fluorescent and disturbed comedy about cruelty sinks its fangs into a full kennel of hairy questions including the ethics of eating meat.

Above: MEAT EATERS

The season includes NIDA Open Day on Saturday 15 June, when all productions will be performed in one day. This is one NIDA production season you do not want to miss! To purchase tickets, please visit nida/edu.au

NIDA JUNE 2019 PRODUCTION SEASON DETAILS

Roberto Zucco 13-19 June
Written by Bernard-Marie Koltès
Directed by Professor Robert Schuster
This production contains violent themes including murder.

Closer 14-21 June
Written by Patrick Marber
Directed by Mark Gaal
This production contains adult themes including strong coarse language and explicit sexual references.

LOVE 14-21 June
Written by Patricia Cornelius
Directed by Susanna Dowling
This production may contain strong coarse language, partial nudity and sexual themes.

pool (no water) 13-20 June
Written by Mark Ravenhill
Directed by Ben Schostakowski
This production contains strong strobe lighting, haze or smoke effects, smoking, strong coarse language, drug references and adult themes.

MEAT EATERS 8-17 June
Written by Lewis Treston
Directed by Kate Champion
This production may contain coarse language, partial nudity and sexual themes.

Please note: Text of pool (no water) © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.