Award-winning theatre maker Patrick Livesey (The Boy, George and Gone Girls) returns to Holden Street Theatres from 18 February to 21 March for the 2021 Adelaide Fringe with the world-premiere play, DIЯT, commissioned by and starring he and his partner, Wil King (ABC's Why Are You Like This*).
Written by emerging queer playwright Angus Cameron and directed by lifetime member of the Actor's Studio,
Bronwen Coleman, DIЯT is a thrilling and seductive exploration of queer persecution set against the horrors of the Chechen Gay Purges.
DIЯT is the story of an Australian (King) who travels to Moscow and hooks up with a local (Livesey). Things take a dark turn when neither turn out to be who they say they are.
DIЯT is the first time Livesey and King have shared the stage, having first met after an audition in 2017. That particular role went King's way but love blossomed and three years later the pair is excited to start this next adventure together.
'We hadn't really planned on doing something together but then Covid hit, we'd been talking about this idea we had; to try and bring some attention to what's going on in Chechnya right now, and it felt like the perfect timing' says King. Livesey says they had also sought out published plays but they couldn't find any suited for a younger queer pairing.
'The Western canon of queer work is still quite limited so commissioning DIЯT became a joint mission: to bring a play into the world that grapples with timely issues and develop a story that other young queer people can hopefully find themselves in.'
When the search for a playwright began, the first name that came to mind was Cameron's.'He's just such a phenomenal writer,' says King. 'His dialogue is razor sharp and his ability to balance heavy subject matter with compelling character development is really exciting.'
Director Coleman was another no-brainer for the two rising stars. Coleman honed her craft in New York City where she acted alongside Phillip Seymour-Hoffman in the film Capote and was an ensemble member of Hoffman's
LAByrinth Theatre Company. A lifetime member of
The Actors Studio, Coleman is bringing into the DIЯT rehearsal room techniques she learnt at the legendary institution.
'Working on a brand new script of this quality offers us a really exciting opportunity as creatives,' says Coleman. 'This is an important play, and it's wonderful for me to have the opportunity to work with actors of the calibre of Pat and Wil - who have the capability to really "go there" - and bring it to life.'
The combined talents of these four are sure to make DIЯT a hit of Fringe 2021, regardless of the somewhat 'unprecedented circumstances'. In fact, these circumstances are the very things that make DIЯT such a prescient piece of theatre according to Livesey.
'In a time where a virus can tear through the world in a matter of weeks, DIЯT is a play that asks the question, 'What responsibilities do we really have to one another?''
'DIЯT is all about being a part of a global society. The fears, dangers and endless possibilities that might come with that.'
DIЯT is being generously supported by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet through Arts South Australia and Adelaide Fringe as well as the Independent Arts Foundation, supporting South Australian emerging artists since 1991.
Performances take place February18 - March 21.
Tickets:
www.holdenstreettheatres.com.
