"Fairytale", "crass" and "black comedy" are not terms you'd usually expect to find in the same sentence. But they're essential ingredients in BREAD CRUMBS, a new dramatic recipe that has been cooked up for this year's Poppy Seed Festival in Melbourne.
BREAD CRUMBS by Ruby Johnston and Benjamin Nichol
In this original play by Ruby Johnston and Benjamin Nichol, the familiar fable Hansel and Gretel provides a conduit into an exploration of the relationship between gender roles, domestic abuse, and the scars they grind.
In
BREAD CRUMBS, two children set off on an adventure, in pursuit of happiness, only to discover that running away is futile. Located "somewhere between a Grimm fairytale and the industrial landscape of suburban Dandenong", the impact of abuse and trauma is laid bare as the duo strive to survive the journey home.
Devised, written, produced and performed by a team of recent graduates of the Victorian College of the Arts, BREAD CRUMBS promises to be a topical narrative told through the uncertain lens of childhood innocence.
"For centuries fairy tales have been used to educate and entertain – yet so often at the heart of these beloved fables lies something twisted, sexist and sinister to which we tend to turn a blind eye. Domestic violence is a prominent issue in Australia and this work shows the impact, insecurities and problems it has on the younger generation," said Nichol.
Beginning in the relatively secure bubble of a traditional fairy tale, BREAD CRUMBS "quickly morphs into a dark and sinister world where anything is possible and nothing is as it seems". Somewhat ironically, this 60-minute theatre experience will be staged at Melbourne's Meat Market.
Stables, Melbourne's Meat Market
The World Premiere of
BREAD CRUMBS is one of five original works being presented as part of the
2017 Poppy Seed Theatre Festival in Melbourne. Organisers describe this season as "the most diverse" to date with contributions by over 35 theatre makers which are "bold, fresh and aching to be seen".
Poppy Seed Theatre Festival (8 November – 9 December) is one of the few platforms dedicated to championing independent theatre makers and artists. Tickets are available for individual shows and in subscription options for the gala, and/or three or five shows. Bookings can be secured through
Poppy Seed Festival.
2017 Poppy Seed Festival
