Download Big Brother comes to QPAC in 2012

19 June 2012
Big Brother comes to QPAC in 2012
The multi-award winning team of shake & stir theatre co are back at the Queensland
Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) from 16 August to 1 September in the Cremorne
Theatre with their spine tingling adaption of George Orwell’s classic novel 1984.
The stage adaption of 1984, an Australian first, stars two of Queensland’s most
respected actors Bryan Probets (Animal Farm, As You Like It, Pygmalion) and
Hugh Parker (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Fractions, Julius Caesar, Betrayal). The two
bring a wealth of experience to the production and surprisingly will tread the boards
together for the first time.
Parker and Probets are joined on stage by all three of shake & stir’s Artistic
Directors, Ross Balbuziente, Nelle Lee and Nick Skubij, all of whom will be under
the meticulous direction of Matilda Award winning Director Michael Futcher.
shake & stir’s 2011 production of Animal Farm has collected over 15 theatre awards
including Best Independent Production and Best Direction at the 2011 Matilda
Awards and named Best Play of 2011 by The Courier-Mail.
When it came to selecting their QPAC production for 2012, 1984 was considered a
no-brainer for the shake & stir Artistic Directors Ross Balbuziente, Nelle Lee and
Nick Skubij.
“Following the success of Animal Farm last year, we wanted to program a show in
2012 that would be just as visceral, thought provoking and appealing to audiences of
all ages and this is it!” said Balbuziente.
1984 pushes the boundaries for shake & stir, a company that has already secured
Playing Australia tours for two of their new works, and continues to impress as one of
the state’s leading and most popular contemporary theatre companies performing for
over 150 000 people annually.
Co-Artistic Director, Nick Skubij states that 1984 will be a new direction for the
company.
“shake & stir is growing up and this production will be bold milestone for the company
for the company. 1984 will be a giant leap forward in terms of the scale and scope of
the work we present in theatres.
“Orwell wrote the book in 1948 as a prediction of our future and 64 years on the
themes resonate deeply. The parallels between what Orwell explored and what we
are experiencing in the 21st century is frighteningly accurate.
“It’s our aim to keep the story as dark, twisted and grotesque as it can be, it’s Big
Brother meets Saw 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, we are blurring the lines between reality and
horror” Skubij adds.
1984 is set in Oceania; a Nation perpetually at war, where cameras watch every
move and Thought Police patrol the streets in search of traitors. A place Winston
Smith calls home.
...2
By day, Winston is an editor at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history to align the past
with the radical political agenda of the ruling party and its illusive leader, Big Brother.
By night, Winston pursues a forbidden love affair with the mysterious Julia in an
attempt to rebel against the oppressive regime set down by the party and maintain
some control over his otherwise totally controlled life. When Winston and Julia are
discovered, they are violently separated, detained and prepared for conversion.
This brand new stage adaptation brings George Orwell's final novel screaming into
the present. Strap yourself in for this terrifically frightening theatrical event against a
dynamic digital backdrop. It is sure to stun as it contemplates the ultimate crime
against humanity - the total destruction of truth, freedom and individuality in favour of
surveillance, obedience and conformity.
---Ends--shake & stir theatre co does justice to Orwell's dark, sometimes raucous, and always
disturbingly confrontational text.
Brisbane Times, August 2011
Theatre is a beautiful melting pot for emotions when the company gets it right, and
shake & stir certainly fulfilled their mission statement.
Arts Hub, August 2011
shake & stir theatre co and QPAC Present
1984 by George Orwell
Adapted and created by shake & stir theatre co
Director: Michael Futcher
Designer: Josh McIntosh
Lighting Designer: Jason Glenwright
Sound Designer: Guy Webster
Media Producers: optikal bloc
Featuring: Ross Balbuziente, Nelle Lee, Hugh Parker, Bryan Probets & Nick
Skubij
When:
Where:
Tickets*:
Bookings:
16 August to 1 September 2012
Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, Cultural Centre, South Bank, Brisbane
Adults $46 / Concession** $42 / Youth*** $30
qpac.com.au or 136 246
*Ticket price includes GST and Booking Fee. Please note transaction fees may apply
**Concession price applies to: pensioners, seniors, full time students and health care card
holders.
*** Youth Price applies to: Under 26 years
Download a high resolution image – click here
For further information, images or interviews please contact:
Inga Tracey, Publicity Coordinator, QPAC - [email protected] / 07 3840
7984 / 0478 406 459