'Xenides is a top dollar musical that peers behind the glitz, the glamour and the fabulous prizes of Australia’s favourite game show, Wheel of Fortune.
'It’s time to take another spin and revisit Adriana Xenides, the darling of ‘TV Week’ and glossy magazines, who made a visit into almost every lounge room across Australia. She wore 4000 dresses, turned 200,000 vowels, traversed 500km in killer heels and always beamed that million-dollar smile. Adriana won our hearts, and after 19 years, won a place in The Guinness Book of World Records for being the longest serving gameshow hostess. Xenides gives voice to the woman we all knew but who was largely misunderstood and misrepresented. Her story is operatic in scale: rags to riches, the migrant’s journey, the fairytale princess and the tragic icon, who died far too young.'
Source: Black Swan State Theatre Company.
Xenides is the second in a triptych of ‘80s celebrity portraits (alongside I Heart John McEnroe and The People’s Princess), conceived by Clare Watson and created by Uninvited Guests.
By Clare Watson in collaboration with Adriane Daff, Virginia Gay, Sophie Ross, and Katherine Tonkin.
Produced by Black Swan State Theatre Company from 25 October to 11 November 2018.
Director: Clare Watson.
Musical Director: Xani Kolac.
Set Designer: Zoe Atkinson.
'Eight years after her death, not many people remember Adriana Xenides and fewer still see her as an icon. As for how many think of her as a bigger than life, operatic personality, this number may be reduced to one person – Clare Watson.' (Introduction)
'Eight years after her death, not many people remember Adriana Xenides and fewer still see her as an icon. As for how many think of her as a bigger than life, operatic personality, this number may be reduced to one person – Clare Watson.' (Introduction)
