Mardi Gras at New Theatre

New Theatre, in association with the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, is presenting the award-winning comedy THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED by Douglas Carter Beane, playing 7 February to 4 March 2017.

"I'm a lesbian, he's a fag, we're in show business, we're a perfect couple"

Mitchell is an actor, a rising star and firmly in the closet. Diane is his wildly ambitious, take-no-prisoners agent and awards-night beard. Alex and his girlfriend Ellen are two young hustlers on the make.

Late one night, on a business trip to New York, Mitch calls for a rent boy and Alex turns up. Two worlds and four lives collide. Within days, Mitch is declaring he's in love and planning to 'come out' while Diane is desperately trying to prevent him committing what she sees as career suicide.

A tale of sexual ambiguity and immoral values, this modern comedy of manners is both a scathing attack on Hollywood stereotypes and double standards and a bitingly funny yet moving portrayal of people yearning to connect.

"I've known of this play since before it was first presented in Sydney (by the Ensemble Theatre in 2009); in fact, I had my eye on it to produce, but they gazumped me!" says director Alice Livingstone. "So, when New Theatre was on the hunt for a play for the 2017 Mardi Gras season, I suggested it, because I thought it was time for this wonderful, funny, clever play to have another showing. I'm really pleased that Artistic Director, Louise Fischer, felt the same way and programmed it."

Alice has a long history of producing and directing theatre for Mardi Gras: from her work with her own company Focus Theatre (Out in the Open; Handbag; Blowing Whistles; Bison; Natural Born Hooker and Bent) to Mother Clap's Molly House and Privates on Parade for the New. The creative team includes Tom Bannerman (set), Louise Mason (lighting), Famke Visser (costumes) and Michael Huxley (sound).

The cast consists of Sarah Aubrey, Brett Rogers, Charles Upton and Madeline Beukers. Sarah and Brett are both NIDA grads, with extensive experience in theatre, film, tv and voiceovers, while Charles and Madeline are exciting younger talents, new to the scene."

New Theatre was the recipient of the 2016 ACON Honour AwardsTM for Arts and Entertainment. The citation read: "New Theatre has not only provided a unique platform for LGBTI stories to be told on the stage, but has also fostered the careers of hundreds of LGBTI theatre practitioners. New Theatre has been nominated for their 25-year commitment to LGBTI content and productions for the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and for recognising diverse sexualities and genders as an important demographic within the theatre's community and audience."

We're very proud to continue our association with the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and our support of the LGBTI community with this production of THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED.

TICKETS:
$32 full
$27 concession, groups (10+)
$25 Mardi Gras members
$17 previews, student rush, Thrifty Thursdays
BOOKINGS:
www.newtheatre.org.au

SPECIAL EVENT
On Wednesday 15 February, New Theatre is presenting, for the first time in Australia, a staged, rehearsed reading of the controversial British play 5 GUYS CHILLIN' by Peter Darney, directed by Patrick Howard and proudly supported by Dowson Turco Lawyers.

'ChemSex'. 'Chillout parties'. 'Chills'. Gay orgies, drugs, HIV. Terms guaranteed to ignite a war of passionate divided opinion among gay men, as well as provide fodder for sensationalist media headlines.

But what's it all about? Graphic, gripping, funny and frank, this verbatim drama exposes London's gay chemsex chill-out scene. It paints a vividly honest portrait of a subculture where gay men use apps such as Grindr and Scruff to meet up, smoke, inject and swallow drugs such as meth and GHB and have sex parties that last for days without stopping.

Ultimately, the play is about connections, and how we navigate relating to each other in a world where so much is dependant on social media: in a way, it's brought people closer together than ever before, in another, these men require recreational drugs to find intimacy and instant gratification.

From surgeons to students, couples to kink; guys that love it and lost guys longing to be loved. For some gay men this will seem like a different world, but for a lot of gay men this kind of party will be achingly familiar.

Made from interviews with guys found on social hook-up apps, 5 Guys Chillin' is hard-hitting look into a drug-fuelled, hedonistic, highly secret world.

"Raw and honest" Gay Star News
"As confronting as theatre gets" British Theatre

After the reading, we will be hosting a Q&A FORUM to discuss the issues raised by the play. Panellists will include: Dr Brad McKay GP (men's sexual health expert and host of Embarrassing Bodies Down Under); Nicholas Stewart (Partner, Dowson Turco Lawyers); Assoc Prof Kane Race (School of Gender and Cultural Studies, USyd) and Serena Cauchi (Clinical Psychologist specialising in addiction).

PERFORMANCE:
Wednesday 15 February 7:30pm
TICKETS:
$15
BOOKINGS:
www.newtheatre.org.au