'Mortido is a crime drama, revenge tragedy and morality play rolled into one. In other words, a quintessential Sydney tale.
'It begins with a Mexican fable about death and ends in the Western suburbs. In between it takes in the public housing on Belvoir Street, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, quinoa, Nazi Germany, Qantas, Coca-Cola, a seventh birthday party, the Surry Hills police, the property market and a body in the harbour. The connective tissue? Cocaine.
'Jimmy is a small-time dealer and Monte is a biggish-time distributor. Grubbe is a detective. They all want the same thing: to live out their lives in leisure. And a water view would be nice. But for Jimmy and Monte to win, Grubbe has to lose. Same goes the other way.
'Angela Betzien is a virtuoso playwright who writes a funny line as well as she writes a thrilling plot and a furious social critique. Mortido is her most ambitious play so far, and a brilliant portrait of the emerald city: familiar, bizarre, glorious and mean.
'Colin Friels and director Leticia Cáceres (Miss Julie, The Dark Room) team up for this remarkable new play about crime, globalisation and the killer desire for a bigger house.' (Publication summary)
A co-commission with Playwriting Australia.
Co-production by Belvoir Street Theatre and State Theatre Company of South Australia.
Produced at State Theatre Company of South Australia 16 - 31 October 2015.
Produced at Belvoir Upstairs Theatre 7 November - 23 December 2015.
Cast: Tom Conroy and Colin Friels.
Director: Leticia Cáceres.
Lighting Designer: Geoff Cobham.
Dramaturg: Anthea Williams.
