Sydney’s Belvoir St Theatre unveils a handful of breathtaking, thoughtful, ridiculous, confronting, and fun productions for its 2022 season.
The year sees nine plays (and one repertory season) take to the stage to introduce some new talent for audiences to meet.
“Theatre is a leap of faith at the best of times: anything could happen at any moment,” Belvoir Artistic Director Eamon Flack says. “It’s the one-off-ness that makes it special. The pandemic only makes it even more special. The instinct to gather for a story is irrepressible. It’ll never end. We’re still here. Join us.”
At the beginning of January, the moving and poignant ‘Black Brass’ starts the year off with a bang. Performer Mararo Wangai is joined on stage by composer-musician Mahamudo Selimane.
Then, Palawa writer Nathan Maynard’s ‘At What Cost?’, set in Tasmania, is a trip for old mob and new, back into a knotty past. Boyd’s got enough on his plate between family, and his responsibilities to land and people – but every year more people are claiming to be Palawa too. Are they telling the truth or not?
In a reimagining from Carissa Licciardello, cult classic ‘Opening Night’ tells the story about what happens when a woman can’t play her role anymore. Starring Leeanna Walsman as star of the stage Myrtle Gordon.
The 2022 repertory season comprises of ‘Wayside Bright’ and ‘Light Shining In Buckinghamshire’. Two plays, the same cast, the same set, alternating nights.
'Black Brass' – Image © Christophe Canato
Alana Valentine’s Wayside Bright’, directed by Eamon Flack and Hannah Goodwin, is a story of those who don’t, or can’t, fit. . . And the Australian who made a space for them. ‘Light Shining In Buckinghamshire’ by Caryl Churchill, again directed by Eamon Flack and Hannah Goodwin, is set during the English Civil War and tells of the ordinary people who went into battle for the soul of the nation. The cast for these shows includes Arkia Ashraf, Maggie Blinco, Marco Chiappi, Emily Goddard,Sandy Greenwood, Sacha Horler, Rebecca Massey, Brandon McClelland and Angeline Penrith.
‘Sexual Misconduct Of The Middle Class’ is a gripping, contemporary drama of truth and deceit from Canadian Hanna Moscovitch, featuring Jon, a writer who doesn’t seem to be happy as a result of his craft. One of his new students, though, seems to be worth his attention and certainly stands out. . . It feels as though their affair was written in the stars.
‘Tell Me I’m Here’ is based on Anne Deveson’s family memoir, first published 30 years ago. It comes to the Belvoir stage in an adaptation directed by Leticia Cáceres.
Much-loved modern classic novel ‘Looking For Alibrandi’ is now presented a great night out at Belvoir. Three generations of women, The Italian-Australian experience. A tale of Sydney. This is the year 17-year-old Josephine Alibrandi falls in love and uncovers the truth.
Finally, closing out the year, ‘The Jungle And The Sea’ by S. Shakthidharan & Eamon Flack takes two pillars of literature, one Eastern, one Western, to forge a contemporary story of beating a path to reconciliation. A nation is torn apart by war. A mother loses her family, and it seems she has nothing. . . But her hope shines bright – a beacon through dark times.
Subscriptions for the 2022 season are on sale now.
Belvoir St Theatre’s 2022 season kicks off with ‘Black Brass’.
