CHECK OUT PLAYLAB'S
Not sure about what play to do with your seniors? You’re scratching your head wondering what you can perform with your Year 9’s? Playlab’s catalogue will sort these issues out for you – with new plays being published each year the catalogue is quickly gowning with new Australian works perfect for young people.
Playlab has been publishing new performance work since 1978 as a way of extending the life of a play; enabling readers and potential producers to connect with a work. Since then Playlab has grown to become one of the largest theatrical publishers in Australia with a catalogue of over 75 titles.
This edition, Playlab’s Executive Director, Ian Lawson and Drama Queensland’s President Annette Box give you their picks from the catalogue.
IAN'S PICKS
The King and the Corpse
“The King and the Corpse” by Michael Futcher and Helen Howard is a wonderfully exotic text that tells the story of King Vikram and his desire for power. The Courier Mail described the original production of this work as “pure theatre”, and that is exactly what it is... full of possibilities for active theatre making, with a range of great characters and eloquent language and with the scope for a dynamic physical performance style, it is perfect for the classroom.
Compass
“Compass” by Jessica Bellamy has a great premise that kids can definitely relate to... a school camp. Yet, this isn’t a normal camp, the teacher is missing, there’s no food and it’s getting dark. This is a playful and accessible work for younger students to stage and explore. The development of tension is paramount in staging this tale effectively with comedy often counter pointing it, which can pose a great challenge for students. Additionally the work thematically asks questions of our moral compass and how it develops. “Compass” premiered at Australian Theatre for Young People in late 2013.
21
LATEST PICKS