Handle With Care is all set to make its Brisvegas debut this month

Co-created, written and performed by Virag Dombay, Gabby Fitzgerald, Zac Lawrence and Lachlan Driscoll, Handle with Care is a new conceptual work set to tread the boards of the Brisbane independent theatre scene at the end of this month.

'We've all had a lot of time lately to reflect on what life is about, and what our lives could look like moving forwards,' says Lachlan Driscoll, one of the co-creators. 'This is a play for about hope, that what happened in the past won't hold you back from the present.'

The play explores the relationship we have with the memories in our past, present and future, posing the question of whether we should run away from them or let them shape who we are.

'During lock-down I wrote a short story which featured a girl that was stuck in her house and her memories. Each room would trigger a particular sensation of emotions or remind her of someone in her past,' says co-creator Virag Dombay. 'I'm a very visual person so naturally, as I was writing it I was bombarded with all of these images of how I'd tell it on a stage. Then I reached out to individually Lachlan, Gabby and Zac, all of whom I've worked with before in various projects and creative roles, and together, we used the themes of my story as a stimulus to create something that not only explores the relationships we have with others, but the relationships we have with ourselves.'

The play explores our protagonist's relationships with various people in her life, but one of our favourite is the childhood friend Chloe, played by Gabby Fitzgerald.

'We felt it was important to showcase a fun picture of how their relationship changed over time and more importantly, how we remember some of our closest friends,' says Fitzgerald. 'We get to see them tackle the pains of growing up together, dealing with heartbreak and questionable driving. We see the way their relationship changes over time'.

Another relationship explored is the one between two housemates; two strangers that learn to live together even though they couldn't be further apart. Zac Lawrence, who plays the character of Ben, says that he is a very fun character to bring alive and that the character highlights how people both move together and inversely drift apart.

'I love creating theatre that makes people think, reminisce and reflect on their own experiences; providing a looking-glass of sorts into their own lives and selves. And I think Handle with Care does just that, if not more,' says Dombay.

Ad Astra will present Handle With Care from Wednesday the 24th of February to Sunday the 7th of March. Tickets are on sale at https://www.adastracreativity.com/

For more press inquiries, please contact Virag Dombay at virag.dombay@outlook.com

Rehearsal photos copyright @ Handle With Care