A double bill of two acclaimed plays by Benjamin Nichol.
2 – 13 August 2023 | fortyfivedownstairs
“[T]hese two solo plays offer some of the rawest, most lyrical and powerful local theatre and they’ve only gotten better with a second exhibition. […] This is a theatrical opportunity not to be missed.”
“Extraordinary and heart-tearing […] a night of theatre that reminds us why independent theatre is such an important part of our industry.” Australian Arts Review
“Nichol has written two powerful works that in turn give way to two powerhouse performances from Yena and himself. They way they give themselves over to their characters and how they speak, move and feel, places an emotional grip over every person in the room and it’s not until the lights go down that you are able to release the breath you have been holding in.” My Melbourne Arts
kerosene
Millie would do anything for her best friend Annie. No matter the consequence, no matter the cost. Times may be tough and Millie may not have much, but as long as Annie’s happy then so is she.
And that’s all that matters right?
After winning Best Production and Best Direction at the 2022 Green Rooms Awards (with further nominations for Writing, Performer, and Lighting), and featuring a tour de force performance from Izabella Yena, kerosene returns to Melbourne to present a blistering and honest portrayal of love, loneliness and obsession in the suburbs.
SIRENS
Twenty two years old and rurally isolated, Eden is bored, aimless, angry at his Mum, and obsessed with the attention he receives from older men on the internet. One night Eden meets David, and discovers a world of dancing and divinity, of possibility and potential. But only for as long as he can keep the fantasy alive.
Brought to life by the creative team behind the critically acclaimed kerosene, SIRENS presents a complex psychological study into obsession and intimacy, multi-faceted forms of love, the unpredictability of the queer experience, and what we owe the people and places that ‘make us’.
Winner of two Melbourne Fringe Festival Awards and nominated for Best Performance, Best Directing and Best Lighting at the 2023 Green Room Awards.
Photos by Darren Gill
kerosene
Writer and Co-director: Benjamin Nichol
Performer and Co-director: Izabella Yena
Producers: Julian Dibley-Hall and Liv Satchell
Sound Composition: Connor Ross
Lighting Designer: Harrie Hogan
Presented by VIMH
SIRENS
Writer and Performer: Benjamin Nichol
Co-creator: Izabella Yena
Director: Olivia Satchell
Producer: Julian Dibley-Hall
Sound Composition: Connor Ross
Lighting Designer: Harrie Hogan
Presented by VIMH
This production was supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants.
vimh 