Mother Country (A play with songs)
World Premiere THE VERDICT IS IN - AUDIENCES SAY -
AN ANYWHERE THEATRE FESTIVAL MUST SEE!
- ONE OF THE PICKS OF THE FESTIVAL!
13 - 18 May 2012 for the Anywhere Theatre Festival
Presented in Association with The State Library of Queensland
Bookings: (07) 3102 1978 or online
FACT: Early in the 18th century, the British Government created a policy of mandatory transportation for young female felons (no matter how small their crime) in order to build the population of the Australian colonies to protect them from French interests in the South Pacific.
FACT: The treatment of female convicts in the Australian colonies was incredibly brutal, demeaning and extraordinarily harsh. They had absolutely no rights or voice.
FACT: The female convicts of Moreton Bay were solely responsible for cutting and building the main road from Brisbane Town through to Hamilton by hand, whilst living in the squalid conditions of the Women's Factory at Eagle Farm.
To honour these women and tell their story heartBeast has created a play. This play is a fable. A fable has a message. A message has a meaning.
Oppression. Slander. Sex. Fear. Loathing. Freedom. Future.
What happened to these women? How did they survive the great injustice of social branding, incarceration and court sanctioned kidnapping? What role did they play in the development of one of the harshest convict settlements of them all – Moreton Bay?
Through story telling, song and dance, heartBeast’s vicious theatre ensemble investigates the journey of these young female victims, enrolling the audience as participants in a theatricalised, modern interpretation of this forgotten, local story of enforced sexual service.
All the way around the world, and half way between whore and history - this is no way to start a nation.
Mature content, including highly evocative visual imagery.
Recommended for audiences age 15+
Director/Designer: Jacqueline McCarthy-Kerr
Lighting Designer: Grant Morrison
Sound Designer: Peter Crees
Production Manager: Gregg Goriss
Producer: Michael Beh
Featuring: Ian Bielenberg, Samantha Cable, Briellen Juracic, Selina Kadell, Jacob Plant, Emily Pollard, Amy Sullivan.
Devised by the heartBeast Mother Country ensemble based on an original idea by Michael Beh, Adrienne Costello and Brigid Costello.
performance details, brisbane
| when: | Sunday 13 May - 6pm Tuesday 15 May - 7pm Wednesday 16 May - 7pm Thursday 17 May - 7pm Friday 18 May - 7pm |
| venue: | The Queensland Terrace State Library of Queensland |
| cost: |
$22 Adults ($2 booking fee included) |
