VIC: Life + Drama = Theatre

This year two plays from Melbourne, Love and SHIT, written by Patricia Cornelius and directed by Susie Dee were invited to the Venice biennale and played at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Now Patricia and Susie are part of the group developing a new work, Anthem – for its premiere at the Melbourne Festival in October.

21 years ago Patricia, Christos Tsiolkas and Irine Vela were part of the team that created the play Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? (with Andrew Bovell and Melissa Reeves). The play captured the zeitgeist of Melbourne and Australia in the 1990s. Anthem is the follow up to this ground-breaking piece of theatre.

Patricia, Christos, Irine and Susie will join us to discuss how one makes meaningful and compelling theatre in a tough and troubling world.

Moderator: Brett Cousins of Red Stitch theatre.

When: Tuesday 10 September 2019 at 7pm. 

Where: Upstairs, The Golden Gate Hotel. 238 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne. 

Tickets: $5 AWG members, $10 non-members.

PANELLISTS:

Patricia Cornelius 

Patricia is a founding member of Melbourne Workers Theatre. She’s a playwright, novelist and film writer. Patricia has written over 35 plays including: Shit, Big Heart, Savages, Do not go gentle…, Slut, Love and The Call.  She is currently developing a feature film, Stolen, with director and co-writer, Catriona McKenzie and working on a major stage commission for the Melbourne Theatre Company. 

Christos Tsiolkas 

Christos is the author of five novels: Loaded, which was made into the feature film Head-On, The Jesus Man and Dead Europe, which won the 2006 Age Fiction Prize and the 2006 Melbourne Best Writing Award. His novel, The Slap, was 2009 Australian Booksellers Association and Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year. He is also a playwright, essayist and screen writer.

Susie Dee 

Susie has worked extensively in the theatre as a performer, devisor and director in Australia and overseas for the past thirty years. She has been the Artistic Director of three theatre companies: Melbourne Workers Theatre (MWT), Union House Theatre (UHT) and Institute Of Complex Entertainment (ICE). In 2011, She has directed works for MTC, Malthouse Theatre and many independent theatre companies. 

Irine Vela 

Irine is a composer, producer and director.  Her choral opera Little City garnered her an award for Best Composition by an Australian Composer from the Australian Music Centre. Her film and television credits include: Head On and The Slap. She received the 2012 APRA Screen Music Award for Best Sound Track Album. She is also the recipient of the Tropfest film award for Best Original Score.