Queer Shakespeare In The '60s is Coming to This Year's Adelaide Fringe with THE WILL TO BE

A University Office, 1962: Homosexuality is illegal. The fear of communism is in the air. A lecturer is dismissed. His secret is out. Will he choose legacy or the law?

Melbourne-based actor and writer, Mark Salvestro, returns to Adelaide Fringe with a brand new one- man show, The Will To Be, playing from 24 February to 7 March at The Bakehouse Theatre.

The Will To Be explores homosexuality, society and shame in 1960s Australia, laced with the words of Shakespeare.

"I'm really excited to be sharing The Will To Be with audiences in Adelaide, particularly because South Australia was the first Australian state to decriminalise homosexuality" Salvestro said. "Not only that, the story is inspired by true events including that of Adelaide University lecturer, Dr. George Duncan, who drowned in 1972 after being thrown into the River Torrens by a group of men believed to be police officers."

From its premiere at the 2019 Melbourne Fringe
Festival, The Will To Be was hailed as 'Compelling and must-see theatre' (Melbourne Observer) and 'Beautifully crafted...exceptionally performed' (Weekend Notes).

"As a gay man and a theatre-maker, I consider it my duty to give voice to a generation of repressed homosexuals and shine a light on how far we've come in terms of LGBTQIA+ rights and visibility," Salvestro added. "While we still have a long way to go, I'm a big believer that the act of storytelling leads to empathy, which leads to a better, more inclusive society. I hope the play will educate Adelaide audiences on the hardship, advocacy and sacrifice that its queer community has endured, and remind them what's being celebrated when it comes to pride events today."

Mark returns to the Adelaide Fringe Festival with The Will The Be after successfully completing a national tour of his debut solo work, Buried at Sea. He is also co-founder of Melbourne theatre collective North of Eight, and performed in 2018 with Australian Shakespeare Company at the Prague Fringe Festival.

Warning: sexual references, not suitable for persons under 15 years

THE WILL TO BE By Mark Salvestro
24-29 February at 9pm and 2-7 March at 7:30pm
The Bakehouse
Bookings: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/the-will-to-be-af2020 OR 1300 621 255 Content
Social Media: www.facebook.com/marksalvestroactor // Instagram: @marksalvestro