Fresh from the Stoked Theatre Festival, Sleeping Rough: A Duo of Duologues is a season of two short, dynamic, Australian plays for the Brighton Fringe, 2008, which examine the causes, the consequences and the coping mechanisms of homelessness.
The first show of the festival, Raimondo Cortese’s Break In tells the story of two young heroin addicts, Julie and Cam, anchored to a street bench, who act out a drama that captures their hopeless predicament at the bottom of the social pile and the intermittent but crucial optimism that helps them imagine the possibility of progress. They do this without ever breaking out from a linguistically crippled vocabulary, often expletive-laden, that in itself is heartbreaking. We must translate this into knowledge that they can feel but barely express.
Raimondo’s work has a dark edge, yet the works are also full of humour especially in the subtle narrative twists and the way the power moves from one character to another on the turn of a word.
Continuing on the Brighton Fringe concourse, Daniel Keene’s Night, a Wall, Two Men cracks up the crowd telling the story of two nameless “down-and-outs” against a wall with their nightly musings, arguments, abuse and lamentations to keep them company.
This is theatre of poverty, of the voiceless and invisible, which emerges from the shadows and bites you on the arse.
Daniel’s multi-award winning plays have been acclaimed throughout Australia, in the United States, France and Poland, and since the late 1990s he has established himself as one of Europe’s most notable contemporary playwrights.
If you like gritty Aussie film, you’ll love these violently poetic, visceral, funny Australian plays.
Jacaranda Theatre Company dedicates itself to produce and promote innovative, cutting-edge Australian Theatre to theatre audiences in the UK and abroad.
It made its debut in 2004 with the London premiere of Europe by Michael Gow at the Finborough Theatre. Sleeping Rough will run on the 17th – 18th and 24th – 25th of May. Tickets are priced from £7. For more information visit www.brightonfestivalfringe.org.uk/listings |
