La Boite’s new Artistic Director, David Berthold, started with the company on 17 November and will be announcing the 2009 season on 29 January. It’s a season that he’ll be caretaking for Sean Mee, the outgoing Artistic Director.
At this point three shows have been announced for La Boite’s 2009 season: The White Earth, Walking by Apple Tree Creek and The Kursk – the rest will be announced on 29 January.
But ourbrisbane.com took a sneak peek at the full line-up and can give you a couple of clues to two of the remaining shows…
The 2009 season will also feature a play about a woman who became a national icon. She was a brilliant poet and an activist and she changed her name, to get closer to her roots…
Then there’s a play that’s been in creative development for some years. The co-creators come from different art disciplines and the writer made something of a diva of himself last year. Oh and the title references one of the BIG things we have in Queensland.
If these clues aren’t enough for you, you’ll have to wait until 29 January for the official release with all the details.
The shows we can tell you about are as follows:
The White Earth
The White Earth, adapted by Shaun Charles and Andrew McGahan from the award-winning novel of the same name by Andrew McGahan, premiers in February 2009.
The White Earth won the 2005 Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for best book in the South East Asia and South Pacific region and was also The Courier-Mail Book of the Year in 2004.
It’s a brilliant book – epic in its scope and depiction of colonial Australia and should be an amazing play.
Walking by Apple Tree Creek
Ian Brown’s Walking by Apple Tree Creek was a hit for La Boite in 2007 and will embark on a five-week national tour (Queensland, NSW and Victoria) in 2009. Carol Burns and Bob Newman play Del and Stan, two Aussie battlers in a Winnebago taking an unexpected detour in their journey.
The Kursk
One of the most exciting plays in 2009 will be the remounting of Sasha Janowicz’s The Kursk. The play won a swag of awards in 2007 when it was presented at Metro Arts and the 2009 national tour is being undertaken by Matrix Theatre.
The Kursk follows the fate of the Russian submarine of the same name. It’s a true story, brilliantly re-imagined and inventively told thanks to Michael Futcher’s fabulous direction.
Statespeare
There’s also Statespeare, a co-production with Shake and Stir Theatre Co, which is aimed at grades 8-12 but will also have a few evening performances. (Although this play hasn’t been officially released, it is on La Boite’s website and they are selling tickets for it, so it can’t hurt to give you some facts!) Statespeare is a hilarious comedy about four unlikely students getting together to answer the question ‘Is Shakespeare still relevant?’.
Tickets and gift vouchers
La Boite Gift Vouchers are available for packages or single tickets in 2009. The 2009 Season will be on sale from the official launch date 29 January 2009. For more information call 3007 8600 or visit La Boite’s website.
