Award-winning actors Nadine Garner (The Weir), Susan Prior (Puberty Blues) and Katrina Milosevic (Wentworth) star in the Australian premiere of The Distance, an observant and funny new play that examines one of society’s biggest taboos. Directed by Leticia Cáceres, this play of moral dilemmas and big laughs opens on Thursday 10 March at Southbank Theatre, The Sumner.
Drawing similarities to Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, The Distance puts friendships to the test as it explores society’s revered view of motherhood and the emotional fallout when a woman walks out on her husband and children.
Director Leticia Cáceres said, ‘With great humour and emotional intelligence, Deborah Bruce has written one of the best new plays to come out of Britain in the past 18 months. Whether you are a parent or not, The Distance has universal themes of friendship, family and the anguish of adult responsibilities that everyone can relate to. It’s a wild ride of emotions, laughs and surprising honesty.’
Completing the cast in this Australian premiere production is Nathan Page (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries), Joe Klocek (Oedipus Doesn’t Live Here Anymore), Ben Prendergast (Dead Centre/Sea Wall) and Martin Blum (The Season At Sarsaparilla).
Turn to your friends in times of trouble. That’s sound advice and just what Bea does after leaving her marriage in Australia and returning to Britain. All her friends sympathise with her until she announces that her two small children will stay in Melbourne with their father. She’s not cut out for motherhood. Doesn’t like it one bit. So why should she pretend? She’s flown the coop and there’s no way this pigeon is flying back.
Deborah Bruce is a celebrated director-turned-playwright from London whose career spans 20 years. Her contemporary works include Godchild (Hampstead Theatre), and Same (National Theatre Connections Festival). She has also directed many pieces of new writing for theatres across Britain, including Scarborough (Edinburgh Fringe and the Royal Court) and Blame (Arcola Theatre). The Distance was shortlisted for the 2013 Susan Smith Blackburn Award.
Leticia Cáceres has been lauded as one of the most exciting talents in the country. For MTC she has directed Death and the Maiden, Birdland, The Effect, Cock, Constellations, Yellow Moon, Helicopter and Random (nominated for three Green Room Awards). She has also directed for Belvoir (Miss Julie and The Dark Room, nominated for seven Sydney Theatre Awards); La Mama (Tall Man); Creative Regions (Tales of the Underground); Queensland Theatre Company (The Orphanage Project, Far Away, and The Memory of Water); Sydney Opera House (Random, Hoods, and Children of the Black Skirt); La Boite Theatre/Brisbane Festival (Kingswood Kids); Arts Centre Melbourne and Brisbane Powerhouse (Hoods and Children of the Black Skirt). Leticia was Associate director at MTC from 2012-2015. She is the co-founder of nationally acclaimed independent theatre company RealTV whose seminal work Hoods won the 2009 Matilda Award for Best Independent Production. In late 2015, RealTV’s most recent commission Mortido was presented at STCSA and Belvoir.
Cast Martin Blum (Simon), Nadine Garner (Kate), Joe Klocek (Liam), Katrina Milosevic (Alex) Nathan Page (Vinnie), Ben Prendergast (Dewi), Susan Prior (Bea)
Director Leticia Cáceres
Set & Costume Designer Tracy Grant Lord
Lighting Designer Lisa Mibus
Composer and Sound Designer Pete Goodwin
Voice & Dialect Coach Geraldine Cook
‘Deborah Bruce’s lively, funny play explores the fallout of a major domestic upheaval.’ The Guardian
‘Shot through with big emotions, moral dilemmas and, best of all, quiet truths.’ TimeOut London
‘A great play about female friendship. Punchy, observant and funny.’ The Arts Desk
Venue
Southbank Theatre, The Sumner
Season dates
5 March – 9 April
Opening night
Thursday 10 March, 8pm
Cast & Artist Q&A
Monday 29 February, 6pm
**
Tickets
On sale now
MTC Box Office
03 8688 0800 or mtc.com.au
Published on 1 February 2016