Under the watchful eye of Artistic Director/CEO Todd MacDonald, the upcoming 2019 season for La Boite Theatre upholds the company's longstanding commitment to experimentation, discovery and reinvention.
Next year, La Boite will present another carefully-curated selection of theatrical works, including the return of smash-hit 'Single Asian Female', a 21st century re-imagining of 'Romeo & Juliet' and the world premiere of 'From Darkness' by Steven Oliver ('Black Comedy').
“We deal with new work,” Todd says.
“We're an incubator of new work and new talent, and sometimes you just don't know whether or not a show is going to be a smash-hit, or if it's just going to go moderately well and be a critical hit. It's a balancing act but that's what we do: we make new work, we take risks and that's what La Boite is all about.”
As Artistic Director and CEO of La Boite, Todd and his creative team are part of a 94-year-old tradition of quality that dates back to the foundations of the theatre itself.
'Single Asian Female' - Image © Dylan Evans
“Every team that comes through and runs it, we're just a chapter and we follow in the footsteps of some of Queensland's most beloved and extraordinary Artistic Directors and Directors,” he says.
“It has been a jumping-off point for so many incredible actors and writers as well, so in some ways it's daunting and in other ways it's really clear what we have to do. We're not here to present the 'best-of' or old-school work, we're here to find new voices and new stories.”
The full season comprises 'Single Asian Female', HWY Festival – La Boite's annual festival of new work – 'Romeo & Juliet' (directed by Todd), Roald Dahl's 'Revolting Rhymes & Dirty Beasts', 'From Darkness' (as part of Brisbane Festival), the 'Open Homes' exhibition and 'Christmas Actually' starring Naomi Price.
La Boite also continues their partnership with QUT Creative Industries in their production of 'Romeo & Juliet', a shortened edit of Shakespeare's tale of warring families and star-crossed lovers.
'Romeo & Juliet' - Image © Dylan Evans
Though it's been given a modern makeover, Todd says they've kept the heart and soul of the piece – the language – perfectly intact.
“It's taking place here and now; it's a hot, summer, Brisbane night... But we're not shying away from the language. We're not contemporising the language, we're using it,” he says.
“You've got this great language, this beautiful, imagery-laden language. They're young people driving the show, they're in contemporary dress and the music is contemporary – and they use swords. It's an amalgam of the old and the new.”
In something all-new and never-before-seen, next year's season will welcome the world premiere of 'From Darkness', which is written by Steven Oliver from 'Black Comedy' and features an Indigenous cast directed by Isaac Drandic in his La Boite debut. It will run in September as part of Brisbane Festival.
'Christmas Actually' - Image © Dylan Evans
“Steven, who has been an artist-in-residence and writer with us this year and last year, we commissioned a work from him and he's spent a couple of years developing it,” Todd says.
“We're really supportive of Steven because he's a local writer and is incredibly funny, but he's also a very political, very powerful writer and has a very exciting voice.
“It's a beautiful story about a family who are dealing with grief but who are also dealing with spirituality, and how they deal with this ancient force and ancient ideas and traditions that are cultural [mixed] with contemporary issues around suicide and death. Then you mix that in with his incredible wit, humour and razor-sharp writing; it's funny and dark, and you're laughing and crying through it.”
