Cirrus@Austlit

'The fall of a dictator and the reverberations on the generation he jeopardised.

'1986, Manila, the Philippines. The world finally looks on as history is being made by a society tearing at the fabric of a regime and demanding change.

'On the fateful evening of President Ferdinand Marcos’ exile, young men climb the walls of Malacañang Palace, storm the hallways, and seat themselves on his throne. Among them are brothers Martin and Ernie — heroes... if only for a night.

'Nearly 40 years later, the siblings reunite in Brisbane, where Martin’s teenage son Leo is incensed that the dictator’s heir is being elected to the presidency of the Philippines. With a fresh revolution and some old family secrets in the air, the three men will reconnect over the conditions of love, the question of duty and the price of rebellion.

'In a watershed moment for Australian Filipino theatre, Jordan Shea’s Queensland Premier’s Drama Award-winning play draws on his multicultural experiences in an ambitious and haunting theatrical epic that celebrates the power of ordinary people to (re)discover their bravery and help shape history.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Drizzle Boy is autistic. Drizzle Boy is poked, prodded and diagnosed by a world that wants to change him and a family who doesn’t understand him. Then he meets Juliet — his very own star-crossed love. Could she be a safe space for a man who just wants a calm centre to his universe?

'Join Drizzle Boy as he takes back his story from a world of misunderstandings with irreverence and audacity. It’s a biting satire blending magical realism with a Kafkaesque journey of self-discovery. If you are neurotypical then you’re about to take a theatrical cold shower in the world of neurodiversity.'

Source: Queensland Theatre Company.

'In a year spent tending to the dead, a young man learns to live.

'Steve never imagined he’d end up working in the funeral industry. But when he finds himself living back home in Toowoomba to save up for his wedding, it’s the only job he can get.

'The year he spends working among the dead opens his eyes to what awaits us at the end and what it means to live.

'With respect, wit and a nod to pop-culture, Steve takes us on a journey that celebrates finding your place in the world, the power of personal redemption and humility in the face of the big questions.

'It’s a refreshing, honest and surprisingly uplifting invitation to start the conversations we all try to avoid.'

Source: Queensland Theatre Company.

'The Holidays are on holiday: 12-year-old Oliver has been pulled out of school for an unexpected road trip with his mum and dad, en route to grandad’s seaside shack. But grandad, an eccentric artist, is not there. In this unkempt place stuffed with memories, it seems that the Holidays - instead of getting away from it all - have taken a lot with them.'

Source: Queensland Theatre Company.

'Rice explores the business of global food production, namely rice, and women in business. There are two main characters. The central character is Nisha. She’s 28, a young and precocious corporate hotshot working as the Executive Officer of Golden Fields, Australia’s biggest rice company. She’s a second generation Indian. Yvette is 61, Chinese; she’s a cleaner in the Golden Fields building. Golden Fields is in Melbourne; Nisha and Yvette play all the other characters.

'Nisha is close to sealing a confidential contract with the Indian government, which would see Golden Fields taking over India’s public food distribution systems – rice is a major staple distributed through this system. This secret contract is worth billions. When a flood in one of the southern states in India looks to distract the government and delay the deal, Nisha decides that she needs to go to India to finalise the contract in person, taking with her Graeme, the CEO, and Tom, the marketing manager that Nisha has romantic feelings for.

'Yvette’s daughter, Sheree, is facing charges for a protest that resulted in the assault of the CEO of Coles.'

Source: Author's website (http://www.michelevanlee.com.au/current-projects/rice/) (Sighted: 12/07/2016)