Cirrus@Austlit

'Sybylla Melvyn is the smartest, funniest, most outrageous teenager Australia has ever witnessed. Just ask her.

'She’s growing up in the 90s – the 1890s, that is – where life doesn’t throw a lot of options at a girl. But life didn’t reckon on Sybylla. Forced to choose between romance and her own genius, her family and a future she defines, she’s decided she’s having it all.

'Miles Franklin’s novel My Brilliant Career still pulsates with the wild electric energy that made it such a sensation a century ago, and this new adaptation channels that fire into a high-energy musical. It’s a makeover that transforms one of our most enduring literary figures into a heroine for this very moment, while retaining all the wit and charm that has made this such a timeless work.

'A live soundtrack that’s equal parts contemporary pop, folksy bush band and raucous pub rock will translate the untameable spirit of Sybylla into a live theatre experience to blow the ceiling off.

'Adapted by music theatre’s most dynamic duo Mathew Frank and Dean Bryant alongside Sheridan Harbridge, with a cast led by Kala Gare (SIX), this world premiere is directed by our own Artistic Director Anne-Louise Sarks.' (Production summary)

'If you’re trying to make sense of 2020, you’re not alone. Stuck inside longer than at any point in history, homeschooling your kids and zooming your workmates while watching racial reckonings and bonkers elections play out on your screens, the year was, at the very least, unique. Bracketed by masking up for bushfires and then viruses, and unmasking as we finally hit the donut days, Victorians spent months deprived of one of the fundamental ways we have of understanding our humanity – the communal experience of theatre.

'To celebrate the reopening of the Sumner, Dean Bryant interviewed a group of MTC favourites to share how they got through the year that was, transforming their words into a one-weekend-only theatre event that’s both personal and universal. There’ll be laughter, tears and the occasional song as we come to terms with one of the more epic years of our lives.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'A funny and moving piece of real-life theatre written and directed by Helpmann Award winner Dean Bryant, Gaybies tells the story of children who have grown up with gay parents. Drawn straight from interviews with children aged four to forty, these are authentic accounts of family life told with humour, honesty and wisdom.

'Deeply personal and highly topical, Gaybies is the perfect answer to anyone who has ever asked, “But what about the children?”' (Production summary)

Amy runs 'Emoh Ruo', the family sheep station in northern Victoria. She's held onto the property through drought, bushfire and falling wool prices, determined not to let it slip out of the family grasp. But when the family gathers over a scorching long weekend, Amy has to face up to the myths and lies the place has been built upon. Is she holding on or is she stuck?

Source: Bryant and Frank website, www.bryantandfrank.com
Sighted: 08/09/2009