Cirrus@Austlit

'Following on the success of Zeal’s 2011 collection featuring The Stones, Burnt and Taboo, this collection features two new plays in Zeal Theatre’s repertoire: King Hit and Lucky Country.

'King Hit opens at Tula’s birthday party. Heaps of people arrive, the music is pumping and everyone is having a great time. When Tula's dad leaves, things change. Two boys start to argue and what begins as a bit of fun quickly escalates into an alcohol-fuelled fight, reaching a shocking climax. Blending elements of naturalism, expressionism and docu-drama, King Hit questions the dynamic of violence as it touches the lives of young people.

'In Lucky Country, a new student arrives at Cook Vale High School. He’s from Syria, he is a refugee, and he’s spent time on Nauru. Two boys in his class concoct a ‘special welcome’, triggering a chain of events that engulfs the whole community. Lucky Country looks at contemporary racism, global politics and the role of the media.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Sydney Theatre Company Resident Director, Stefo Nantsou, has adapted John Birmingham's award-winning book, Leviathan: The Unauthorised History of Sydney, into a multi-faceted, collaborative theatre piece showcasing Sydney Theatre Company's permanent ensemble of actors, The Residents, alongside a large and diverse group of Sydney's community performance groups.

'Leviathan takes an intriuging, and sometimes brutual look at Sydney's immigrant history. Blending factual recreation of early penal settlement, accounts of racsim and abuse drawn from Birminham's original book and scenes inspired by interviews with the communities involved, Leviathan promises to be uniquely thrilling production. Stefo has worked in collaboration with the many performers to create the large-scale production, providing opportunities for both professional and non-professional performers from all backgrounds to unite for a unique presentation of our sea-dwelling city's colourful history.'

Source: Sydney Theatre Company website, http://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/
Sighted: 03/08/2010

'Burnt is a bush yarn, born and bred out of the true stories of people from regional Australia struggling with prolonged dryness. It looks at the stresses and strains of continued drought on families and young people.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

Commissioned by the Sydney Theatre Company, Gronks explores issues concerning domestic violence, families living in poverty, street kids who live in extreme circumstances and police harassment. It was largely inspired by the real life events which took place during the Redfern and Macquarie Fields riots in Sydney, and was was devised after extensive research, including interviews with street kids, police and social workers.

The action takes place over four days, beginning in the country where the Kay family live. The play opens with the daughter, Danny (who is already in trouble with the police), describing her life in the country with her mother, father and brother. When her brother takes off from home after beating up their drunken and violent father the mother, Wendy, decides that she too has suffered one too many domestic battles. She and Danny leave their home and travel to the city where they move in with an uncle who lives in (the fictitious suburb of) Cook Vale. Unbeknownst to all concerned, a police operation codenamed Endeavour is about to go ahead, with the intention being to target crime and violence in the Cook Vale area. The tension is increased as situations arise that put pressure on both mother and daughter. Danny's problems occur after she meets a group of street kids. While hanging out she helps steal money from a local pusher to buy drugs and alcohol. Danny's father, Barry, appears at the uncle's home in an effort to reconcile his marriage. Howwever, after he gets gets drunk and is harrassed by the police Barry goes back and takes out his frustrations by bashing Wendy. The climax sees a riot take place after the brother of one of Danny's new friends is accidentally killed by police.

The Apology is inspired by a real life event which occurred at a high school when a teenager took revenge on a bully after his father told him to fight back. The narrative combines experiences from a number of different people and these are strung together in a fictional story as a means of exploring teenage violence and the effects of long-term bullying.

Devised by Stefo Nantsou through a series of creative workshops with students from Victorian regional high schools, The Forwards combines comedy, drama and percussive energy as a means of exploring football culture, alcohol abuse, reckless behaviour in small rural communities and the role parents play in shaping the attitudes of their children.

The story concerns the Pintoon Parrots football team, which makes it to the Grand Final for the first time in the small town's history. Up against arch rivals the Gilpendry Goannas, the team knows that the game will be a hard-fought battle, and that their hopes rest on the forward trio, Hoges, Tractor and Gary Rabbit. However, as the big game approaches a rumour spreads throughout the town and subsequently brings the three 'friends for life' into major conflict. Fuelled with anger, jealousy and alcohol, violence explodes both on and off the field resulting in a shocking climax.

Fixin Bart and Maggie looks at issues surrounding youth drug culture and was devised after an extensive twelve month research period, which included interviews with drug users, dealers and welfare workers.

Rock musical.

Commissioned by The Push, a youth music organisation based in Melbourne, Trippers is about a group of young musicians who start their own band in a remote country town.

Although not a re-creation of real life events, The Stones is loosely based on the 1994 killing of a motorist by two Melbourne youths who were throwing rocks off an overpass. The subsequent manslaughter trial and issues raised inspired the authors to create a semi-fictional account of the lead-up to the incident and the consequences of the boys' actions on that night. The play is therefore the story of a ten year relationship between friends who are continually trying to out-do each other and who are hooked on the thrills of dares and danger. The play explores this competitive behaviour and recklessness which results first in damage and destruction, and eventually the death of a man travelling in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The play was written by Nantsou and Lycos after extensive research and the assistance from the Victorian Police Force. It is performed by two actor/musicians who play the two boys and two detectives. The actors are required to switch quickly between characters and instruments. The use of loud electric music, a Zeal Theatre tradition, is again used to help establish an 'informal-style' production.

Using Shakespeare's classic drama about conspiracy, friendship, patriotism and honour, Zeal Theatre explores the Super League war of 1995, when Rupert Murdoch and News Ltd attempted to wrest control of the Australian rugby league from its ARL/Channel Nine powerbase by establishing an alternative competition. The battle, which saw longstanding friendships end in bitterness and hostility virtually overnight, initially split the domestic competition in two and saw the escalation of player payments as massive amounts of money were flung at players and clubs alike in the scramble for signatures on contracts.

The only Shakespeare-influenced show in the Zeal repertoire, Julius Caesar was devised solely as a public (non-schools) production.