Cirrus@Austlit

'There’s an experiment. I think we should try it.

'She has a master’s degree in Gender Studies. He thinks Jordan Peterson would make an ideal dinner guest. They both realise this blind date is doomed, but an outside catastrophe and “shelter in place” lockdown order forces these polar opposites into the longest first date ever. And the frustrated rock band rehearsing in the apartment next door is hardly helping them stay calm. Desperate to end the constant bickering, they turn to “The Questions”, a real-life psychological questionnaire researchers promise can build intimacy between anyone. But are either of them ready for the answers?

'Inspired by a true story from the COVID-19 pandemic, The Questions is a world premiere rom-com musical with edge from iconoclastic Australian playwright, columnist and author, Van Badham, featuring genre-busting, folk, punk and pop melodies from her long-time collaborator, composer Richard Wise (Late Night Story).'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'From the deliciously wicked pen of Van Badham, who most recently had you in stitches with Banging Denmark, comes an uproarious night out at the theatre that brilliantly lampoons our contemporary obsession with wealth and status, whilst leaving enough time for a selfie session by the pool!

'Featuring the comedic talents of Melissa Kahraman (Hubris & Humiliation), Contessa Treffone (On the Beach) and Megan Wilding (The Importance of Being Earnest), A Fool in Love is an adaptation of Spanish Golden Age playwright Lope de Vega’s classic comedy La dama boba, refreshed and ingeniously infused with a dose of twenty-first century oomph.

'In the well-heeled seaside town of Illescas, the beautiful Octavio sisters – the smart and social climbing Vanessa (Kahraman) and the lovable and, perhaps, not-so-smart Phynayah (Treffone) – are desperate to save their family from financial ruin. In order to inherit her eccentric uncle’s fortune, Phynayah must get engaged before she turns 30. The catch? These days, suitors don’t just want beauty, they expect brains as well.

'Equal parts delightful rom-com and razor-sharp spoof, this production will retain all the joy and revelry of a seventeenth century farce at the same time as putting contemporary gender and class politics under the microscope. Bold, bawdy and gut-bustingly funny, A Fool in Love is social satire at its very cheekiest.'(Production summary)

'Manor Farm is in a state of rebellion as a gang of pigs unite to overthrow their cruel human oppressor.

'Written in the 1940s by George Orwell as a response to the rise of authoritarian governments, Animal Farm is a timeless examination of extremist rule. This new adaptation continues to caution with the universal message that power can corrupt – and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

'Adapted by political powerhouse Van Badham (Banging Denmark, Q&A, The Drum and writer at The Guardian), this high-octane three-hander features a cast of stellar comedians, improvisers and storytellers. They bring to life a farmyard of characters including the hardworking Boxer and power-hungry Napoleon. This is a biting political satire that will make you grunt.'

Source: Black Swan Theatre Company.

'Ish Madigan is a feminist academic writing a thesis on computer games. Jake Newhouse is a full-time management consultant and part-time pickup artist. They’re not exactly best friends.

'But when Jake’s latest crush – a brilliant Danish librarian – doesn’t respond to his usual seduction techniques, he knows he needs help. Jake asks Ish to coach him in feminist-friendly flirtation. He’ll pay. And Ish needs the money.

'So, what’s stopping her? Oh, you know, just ethics, morals and every fibre of her being.

'From the pen of Australian playwright and social commentator Van Badham comes this hilariously explicit new comedy. Banging Denmark is a swinging satire on the men who claim to understand the ‘female mind’ and the online culture that inspires them.'

Source: Sydney Theatre Company.

'Three confronting and provocative plays about women. Muff by Van Badham – Winner of the 2014 NSW Premiers Award, the Nick Enright Award for Playwriting, Muff explores women, sex and relationships; a horrific, random rape of a young woman and the threads from this event that continue to wrap and bind their way into lives years after the physical injuries have healed. MinusOneSister by Anna Barnes – Sophocles & Electra is furiously wrenched into the present and told from the point of view of the teenagers. Eternal obsessions mingle with the obsessions of our times, bloodshed goes hand in hand with Bacardi Breezers and Facebook, and a chilling portrait emerges of a family irreversibly shattered by grief and guilt. SHIT by Patricia Cornelius – SHIT takes us into the world of three women – Billy, Bobby and Sam – three women from a violent, impoverished underclass who have landed in prison together after a vicious incident. These are the underbelly of womenhood we as a society so rarely want to admit exist.