Cirrus@Austlit

'This paper explores the creative development of The Centre, an emerging play that reimagines Ancient Greek tragic characters as modern-day asylum seekers detained in an offshore detention centre. The construction of the play blends fictional character constructs of the Ancient Greek characters with information from reports on contemporary asylum seekers. While life narratives normally focus on the lived experience of one person, reimagined through a creative framework, The Centre uses multiple accounts of asylum seekers sourced from the public domain. The Centre is an attempt to work creatively at the borders of fiction and documentary theatre to highlight a contemporary issue through the self-conscious reframing of classical stories.

'This project has been supported by Playlab Australia and The Sunshine Coast Council Regional Arts Development Fund with feedback provided from dramaturges Peter Matheson and David Fenton. The play had an initial creative development with The Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble.'  (Publication abstract)