Melbourne Theatre Company Will Present THE BEAST, Opening 7 October

Melbourne Theatre Company today revealed Eddie Perfect's debut play The Beast will be staged during its Zeitgeist season in October, a slot set aside to bring the freshest, most Contemporary Theatre to Melbourne audiences.

'In creating the 2013 initiative of Zeitgeist we wanted to leave MTC's season open to the possibility of a new work or opportunity emerging after our launch, which we felt audiences should have an immediate chance to see,' Brett Sheehy, MTC Artistic Director said.

'We could not have hoped for a better opportunity than the world premiere of the first-ever play by that extraordinary theatrical polymath Eddie Perfect. The Beast was the first commission of my tenure, and with it Eddie has delivered in spades,' Brettsaid.

'The idea for The Beast arose out of my time living in the Yarra Valley. A dinner held with five couples from the area involved consuming a terrifyingly large proportion of a 450 kilogram, fourteen month old, female Angus calf. I'm pleased to say that this dinner, named "Feast Of The Beast", was a far more civilized affair than the one that appears in the play,' Eddie Perfect said.

'This play does not set out to mock the good intentions of globally aware citizens, but, rather, to take a firm swipe at anyone that uses a cause as a banner to advertise their innate goodness. Being seen to be good is often more important than actually doing good. There's also a disconnect between the person we are, and the person we'd like to be. I love to write about that particular gap,' he said.

'I can't overstate how thrilled I am to be presenting my first ever play with the iconic Melbourne Theatre Company, and want to thank Brett Sheehy and everyone at MTC for their support and encouragement of this dark and twisted Australian black comedy. I really can't wait to see how the audience is going to react to the piece,' Eddie Perfect said.

'Social satire is a wake-up call to us all, and in The Beast, it's an hilarious and grotesque reminder to keep our righteousness and judgementalism in check as we collectively hurtle into an uncertain environmental future,' Brett Sheehy said.

'In another first, we are partnering with both Melbourne Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival to bring Eddie's play to the audiences of three of Melbourne's major artistic institutions. It is a partnership of which we are immensely proud and a great template for the future,' he said.

'Eddie Perfect has one of this country's most individual and piercingly insightful writing voices and we are delighted to present his debut play as part of the 2013 Melbourne Festival. This show also gives us a wonderful opportunity to partner with our colleagues at Melbourne Theatre Company and Melbourne International Comedy Festival and embodies the collaborative spirit to which we aspire, ' Josephine Ridge, Melbourne Festival Artistic Director said.

'Eddie Perfect has been Melbourne Comedy Festival family since winning our Best Newcomer Award in 2004. We are thrilled with his meteoric rise to fame and the excuse it has given us to collaborate with our friends at MTC and the Melbourne Festival. This partnership will help bring the work of one of our city's most exciting artistes to the widest possible audience,' Susan Provan, Melbourne International Comedy Festival Director said.

From the genius that is Eddie Perfect comes a cutting, modern day satire which tears our notions of morality to shreds with a hilarious rant on urban culture, organic lifestyles and infidelity.

After surviving a nasty near-death experience, a group of close friends wipe the slate clean and embrace a tree-change, living a sustainable life in the country. But nature isn't always so welcoming, and when the friends are faced with the pressing task of killing a young cow, a chain reaction begins that will see them confront some ugly and shocking truths.

Helpmann, Green Room and Victorian Premier's Literary Award winner, Eddie Perfect has written and toured several shows including Angry Eddie, Cliff Hanger: Catch A Falling Star, The Big Con with Max Gillies, Drink Pepsi Bitch, Shane Warne: The Musical, Songs From The Middle, a collaboration with The Brodsky Quartet and the Australian National Academy of Music and most recently the award winning Misanthropology. In 2013 Eddie premiered a new show with fellow musical comedians Tripod which is touring nationally - Perfect Tripod Australian Songs - and reprises a concert version of Shane Warne: The Musical in June.

Eddie Perfect has composed music for Malthouse Theatre's The Big Con, Babes In The Wood and Helen Noonan's Voicing Emily as well as composing and performing music for the Helpmann, Awgie and Inside Film Awards and for Network 10'sOffspring. His other theatre credits include appearances in Bat Boy (Loudmouth/MTC), Keating The Musical (Company B Belvoir), The Threepenny Opera (Malthouse) and South Pacific (Opera Australia).

The Beast by Eddie Perfect

Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Sumner

Season dates: 3 October to 9 November 2013

Opening night: Monday 7 October 2013 at 8pm

Tickets: from $58, Under 30s just $33

Booking Details: Southbank Theatre Box Office 03 8688 0800 or mtc.com.au

Twitter: #MTCBeast or follow @MelbTheatreCo