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Folks, we’ve got so much news we had to make this news page. That’s how exciting things are right now.

STONE

Our founder and Artistic Director Simon Stone has just been announced as a Resident Director at Sydney’s Company B Belvoir. Reward and recognition for Simon’s relentless work with The Hayloft Project since 2007. Congratulations Simon!

SARKS

This means we, The Hayloft Project are pleased to announce that Anne-Louise Sarks will be joining Simon Stone in the role of Artistic Director. Sarks has been an Artistic Associate of the company since 2008, appearing in 3xSisters, The Only Child and The Suicide. In 2009 she directed Yuri Wells for the Melbourne Fringe Festival which won the Adelaide Fringe Performance Award.
Currently involved in several directing and development projects for Hayloft and other theatre companies around Melbourne, Sarks will share the Artistic Director position with Stone in this important new phase for The Hayloft Project.

FROUDIST

In other exciting news for the company, Hayloft are pleased to welcome Tahni Froudist as our new General Manager. Tahni has worked with the company as our Sydney-based producer on The Only Child and The Suicide, and joins Hayloft as it expands its pivotal position in Australia’s independent theatre sector, in a significant period of change for the company and the national theatre industry.

YOU!

If you’re as giddy with excitement as we are, make sure you book your tickets to our next production: Thyestes, directed by Stone at The Malthouse Theatre. Don’t delay, tickets are selling alarmingly fast.

At the family table, revenge is a dish best served hot.

Written, designed and constructed within the confines of The Malthouse Theatre’s Tower, The Hayloft Project’s Thyestes intersects the grand mythology of Greek and Roman source texts with a twenty-first century perspective. A contemporary renovation of Seneca’s bloodthirsty revenge play, incorporating Hayloft’s trademark striking design and uncompromising independent sensibility with the resources of The Malthouse company residency program.

Following a string of awards and critical acclaim, Thyestes brings together pivotal Hayloft Project artists for the company’s triumphant return to Melbourne in 2010. Not to be missed.

THYESTES
AFTER Seneca
CO-WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Simon Stone
CO-WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY Thomas Henning, Chris Ryan, Mark Winter
SET & COSTUME DESIGNER Claude Marcos
LIGHTING DESIGNER Govin Ruben
SOUND DESIGNER Stefan Gregory
DRAMATURGE Anne-Louise Sarks
PHOTO Garth Oriander

A MALTHOUSE THEATRE COMMISSION
THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT THOUGH ARTS VICTORIA AND THROUGH INTERCONNECTIONS, AN INITIATIVE OF THE AUSTRALIA COUNCIL, THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT’S ARTS FUNDING AND ADVISORY BODY.

Season

September 16 – October 3, 2010

Ticket Prices

$26 Full | $23 Senior | $20 Concession/Student (+$3 b.f.)

The cast and crew of The Only Child returns to B Sharp with The Suicide.

The world is in the midst of a huge environmental and economic crisis. Semyon Semyonovich can’t find a job and he’s stuck living with his mother-in-law. When, in a heated argument, his wife refuses him a slice of sausage for his midnight snack, it’s the final straw. He disappears naked onto the streets and his wife is convinced he’s off to kill himself. Their opportunistic neighbour sees the chance to make some money and embarks on a scheme to sell off Semyon’s suicide rights to various political lobbyists. The highest bidder will win a handwritten suicide note dedicated to their cause. In anticipation of his sacrifice, the community hosts a party to send him off in style.

A comedy of despair and longing, The Suicide combines high farce and poetic insight. The Hayloft Project follow up their acclaimed B Sharp seasons of Spring Awakening and The Only Child with this contemporary version of Nikolai Erdman’s 1928 existential comedy.

Directed by Simon Stone
Written by Nikolai Erdmann
In a new version by Simon Stone

Cast
Johnny Carr, Gareth Davies, Shelly Lauman, Aaron Orzech, Anne-Louise Sarks and Tom Wren

Trailer

“…this is the kind of work that could convert the disenfranchised into regular theatre goers… This work really is truly exceptional and deserves to be seen widely by the Adelaide Fringe public.”
MERGE (read full review)

After a hugely successful Melbourne season, Yuri Wells had a second successful season at the 2010 Adelaide Fringe Festival.

WINNER Adelaide Fringe Performance Award (Melbourne Fringe Festival) 2009

Melbourne Dramatists’ New Writing HIGH COMMENDATION 2009

Associate Directors Benedict Hardie and Anne-Louise Sarks create a contemporary tale of alienation and imagination in Yuri Wells, presented in an intimate theatrical production as part of the 2010 Adelaide Fringe Festival. An aged-care nurse living in solitude, Yuri Wells harbours secrets and desires like anyone else until one disturbing choice finds him treading a delicate path between sympathetic hero and tragic villain.

Yuri, like the rest of us, has his own personal blog and a Facebook account, so if you’d like to get to know him a bit more, why not “friend” him or something.

“… in its conception it’s as ambitious as anything this company has done. Yuri Wells is a beautiful piece of theatre, created with deeply thought artfulness and craft. … I thought this show utterly enchanting, in the proper sense of the word.” – Alison Croggon, Theatre Notes (read full review)

“Deceptively simple theatre at its eloquent best, Yuri Wells is a little fringe gem best discovered by accident” – Gary Abrahams, Spark Online (read full review)

“A character study of considerable eloquence and charm.” – Cameron Woodhead, The Age

“… the way-up-front, stand-out, top-of-the-pile bit of writing in Melbourne’s 2009 Fringe Festival.” – Andrew Fuhrmann, Neandellus (read full review)

Behind the Scenes

In this interview, writer and performer Benedict Hardie talks about Yuri Wells. Click here to listen.
We even managed to get the enigmatic so-and-so on video, check the clips out here.

Season

February 12 – March 13
(Except Feb 15, Feb 19, and Mar 08)
7pm
Running time 50 min

Tickets

$20 full / $15 conc
All tix $15 on Tuesdays

Venue

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
Rundle Park, East Terrace, Adelaide

Yuri Wells

Co-devised by Benedict Hardie and Anne-Louise Sarks
Written and Performed by Benedict Hardie
Directed by Anne-Louise Sarks
Music by Stuart Bowden

Raincoat Photos by Katie Harmsworth – katieharmsworth@hotmail.com

Trailer

2009 Green Room Award Nominations (Theatre – Companies)

A presentation of FULL TILT at the Arts Centre in association with The Hayloft Project.

An irreverent renovation of the Immaculate Conception

In our fifth and final production for 2009, Simon Stone directs Rita Kalnejais’ new play B.C.. In a recognisable modern world of lounge rooms, food courts, bus stops and dinner tables, divine impregnation is the last thing you’d expect. B.C. depicts Mary, still living with her parents, as a young hairdresser with a romantic interest in store clerk, Joseph.

Mary has complex connections with her family. Her relationship with her father borders on taboo, there is the strain of her mother Anne’s cancer treatment fraying the maternal bond. Mary gives her honest, sisterly love to Gabriel, her mentally disabled brother who paints his own landscape with avian fantasies and abrupt tracts of ultra-violent reverie. The family argue over feature walls and accept each other’s many failings just like many other families… until Mary is arrested by a higher force. Her life will never be the same again.

“B.C. by Rita Kalnejais, is a captivating, vital and achingly funny production that heralds a powerful new voice in Australian theatre … I want to see it again.” — Cameron Woodhead, The Age (read full review)

“… B.C. is a touching and miraculous play.  A 21st century mystery play.  And Simon Stone’s production matches it, beat for beat, in genius, detail and barmy wide-eyed wonder. (4 stars)” — Chris Boyd, Herald Sun (read full review)

B.C.
Written by Rita Kalnejais
Director: Simon Stone
Cast: Tyler Coppin, Nicole Da Silva, Margaret Mills, Yesse Spence, Dylan Young, Ashley Zukerman
Set and Costume Design: Claude Marcos
Lighting Design Consultant: Kimberly Kwa
Sound Design: Stefan Gregory
Producer: Carl Nilsson-Polias
Assistant Producer: Benedict Hardie
Production Manager: Bindi Green
Assistant Production Manager: Anne-Louise Sarks
Costume Assistants: Jane Noonan and Zohie Castellano
Set Assistant: David MacGregor-Scholes

Ticket Prices
$23 – $28

Season
November 30 – December 19

Performance Times
Tuesday – Saturday 7.30pm

Previews
Monday November 30 and Tuesday December 1, 7.30pm

Trailer

Photos

Photos in Rehearsal

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

WINNER: Best Independent Production
2009 Sydney Theatre Awards

Named in Time Out’s Top Ten Productions of 2009.

A new work inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s 1894 play Little Eyolf.

Since the accident that injured their child, Alfred and Rita’s marriage has degenerated into a mess of recriminations, sexual frustration and misdirected fury. Then one day their son goes missing. What follows is this young couple’s sometimes shocking, sometimes hilarious struggle to stay together despite the odds.

The Only Child is an unflinchingly honest, bittersweet look at the complicated terrain of a modern relationship.

“The Only Child ranks among the best of this year’s independent theatre productions.” – Jason Blake, Sydney Morning Herald (read full review)

“Good theatre has already started to emerge from the independent sector. But this production sets the standard even higher. 9/10″ – Nicholas Pickard, Sun Herald

“I loved it. I loved The Only Child. It is a confident, aesthetically assured, devastatingly performed production by a young company under the restless direction of Simon Stone.” – Mark Rogers, The Perf (read full review)

“… a resounding success, an example of theatre that taps into the most ancient qualities of the art: balancing tragedy and comedy and presenting narratives that can drive a stake into anyone’s soul …” – Jimmy Dalton, Concrete Playground (read full review)

“The script is cleverly crafted, economical yet descriptive with language, and epic in its exploration of the human potential for grief and love. The cast bares both flesh and soul in their emotionally brave performances.” – Lucy Goleby, ArtsHub (read full review)

The Only Child
Written by Simon Stone with Thomas Henning, inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s Little Eyolf
Director: Simon Stone
Cast: Gareth Davies, Shelly Lauman, Anne-Louise Sarks and Tom Wren
Set Design: Claude Marcos
Costume Design: Mel Page
Producers: Tahni Froudist and Carl Nilsson-Polias

Photos

Photos in Rehearsal

2009 Green Room Award Nominations (Theatre – Companies)
Best Production
Male Supporting Performer – Joshua Hewitt
Set Design – Claude Marcos
Lighting Design – Danny Pettingill

3xSisters is a playful and inventive deconstruction of Chekhov’s elegiac tale of love, despair and the longing for change, seen through the eyes of three of Melbourne’s best young directors: Simon Stone, Mark Winter and Benedict Hardie. Each director has been given a third of the original Three Sisters text, the same cast, the same designers and this challenge: to stamp one of theatre’s greatest plays with a bold and original vision. In the space of two hours, The Hayloft Project’s ensemble of some of Melbourne’s most exciting theatre makers (including artists from the Black Lung and Stuck Pigs Squealing) will synthesise three unique visions of Chekhov’s most popular play into one unmissable night of theatre.

“Acting is miraculously good, the design ingenious, the concept realised. You’ll love it or loathe it. I doubt you’ll ever forget it. (5 stars)” – Chris Boyd, Herald Sun (read full review)

“3xSisters is an extraordinary production, and possibly the best thing I’ve seen the independent theatre do in Australia yet.” – Jana Perkovic, Guerrilla Semiotics

“a young company with talent to burn” – Cameron Woodhead, The Age

Listen to Radio National’s piece on 3xSisters

Read about 3xSisters in The Age

Inspired by Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters
Direction: Benedict Hardie, Simon Stone, Mark Winter
Cast: Gareth Davies, Angus Grant, Thomas Henning, Joshua Hewitt, Shelly Lauman, Eryn Jean Norvill, Anne-Louise Sarks, Katherine Tonkin and Tom Wren
Set Design: Claude Marcos
Lighting Design: Danny Pettingill
Producer: Carl Nilsson-Polias

Running Time 150 min

In Conversation

The Art of Direction
Sunday May 10, 1.30pm at the Meat Market

Joining Simon Stone, Benedict Hardie and Mark Winter (the three directors of 3xSisters) will be Alison Croggon (theatre notes blogger and reviewer for The Australian), Daniel Schlusser (Peer Gynt) and Mary Sitarenos (2008 Green Room winner for Best Direction) to discuss the art of direction in a public forum. This is a rare opportunity to hear some of Melbourne’s finest theatre makers speak about their work. Admission is free.

Photos from 3xSisters

Photos from 3xSisters in Rehearsal

Spring Awakening is The Hayloft Project’s acclaimed version of Frank Wedekind’s 19th century masterpiece of teenage sexual awakening, named Best Independent Production of 2008 by Sydney’s Sun Herald. The original play’s frank treatment of adolescent sexuality was labelled pornographic, it was banned for almost a century after it was written and its author was jailed for obscenity. This “furious, liberating” production is timely for contemporary Australia, where debate over the depiction of teenage sexuality rages hotter than ever.

“…a highly concentrated, fiercely lucid piece of stage poetry. 9/10.” – Jason Blake, Sun Herald

“Spring Awakening heralds an almost alarmingly striking new talent. Simon Stone…is proving capable of rubbing shoulders with theatre veterans twice his years.” – RealTime

“Don’t miss it.” – Chris Boyd, Herald Sun (read full review)

Adaptation: Simon Stone after Frank Wedekind
Direction: Simon Stone
Cast: Andrew Dunn, Amanda Falson, Angus Grant, Shelly Lauman, Aaron Orzech, Russ Pirie, Edwina Wren
Set Design: Adam Gardnir
Lighting Design: Niklas Pajanti
Sound Design and Composition: Hamish Michael
Costume Design: Mel Page
Producer: Carl Nilsson-Polias

Running Time 55 min

Photos from Spring Awakening