Apocalypse Theatre Company & Griffin Independent to Present THE DAPTO CHASER

The Dapto Chaser is warts and all Australian comedy that gets it hands dirty with the adrenaline, sweat and guts of the colourful and controversial dog racing sub-culture. The fix is in, the stakes are high and the laughs are set to spring from the box faster than a mongrel on uppers.

Meet the Sinclairs - They have had dogs in the family for five generations, for them it's not a sport, it's a religion. And their beloved dog, Boy Named Sue, is more than a greyhound; he's their heart and soul on four legs. With the crucial Winnebago Classic on the horizon, Cess Sinclair has one shot at reversing his family's fortunes for good. Against all the odds, Cess is betting on a miracle.

This is a big-hearted story about a family trapped in the pressure cooker of gambling addiction. When things don't go to plan, they are forced to gamble the most important commodity of all - their relationship to each other.

Playwright Mary Rachel Brown wrote The Dapto Chaser perched in the bleachers track-side, while director Glynn Nicholas will be going on an all-schnitzel diet to get it over the line.

And here is the kicker, get a load of the brilliant cast - Danny Adcock: The Removalists (STC), and principle cast member of ABC'S hit comedy The Moodys; Richard Sydenham: Absent Friends (Ensemble), Wonderland 2 (Network 10); Jamie Oxenbould: Face to Face (Ensemble Theatre), All Saints (Channel 7); Noel Hodda starred in the Griffin Stablemates/Focus Theatre production Dinner in 2007, and in numerous Australian film and TV shows such as Home and Away and All Saints.

Playwright, Mary Rachel Brown says: "Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote Cats, then I wrote The Dapto Chaser. The rest is history! Move over cats, the dogs are in town! This is a big-hearted comedy with a social conscious; it speaks to the burning issue of gambling addiction and intergeneration poverty. My characters represent the extremes of bravery and foolishness. They will make you laugh, cry and think about those who struggle everyday to meet the bills. Strap yourself in; this comedy is bold, unapologetic and close to the bone."

Mary Rachel Brown is the recipient of The 2006 Griffin Award for Australian Gothic. In 2014 she was a Griffin resident artist at Griffin. Her plays include Inside Out (Christine Dunstan Productions), Die Fledermaus (Adaption, Sydney Conservatorium of Music), National Security And the Art Of Taxidermy (The Glynn Nicholas Group and B#). In 2007 she was a recipient of a Max Afford Award and winner of the Rodney Seaborn Award. Her play Last Letters is currently in repertoire at The Australian War Memorial.

Apocalypse Theatre Company wrestles with universal stories that are burning to be told now. The company believes theatre should be Apocalyptic in its true sense - it should reveal the hidden. Their repertoire includes: the recent multi-playwright ASYLUM; Construction of the Heart; Metamorphoses; Closer; and Danny and The Deep Blue Sea.

Warning: This production contains dogs, bitches, mongrels, drugs, cheating, lying, winning, losing and masses of family dysfunction.

SEASON INFORMATION
The Dapto Chaser
By Mary Rachel Brown

Director Glynn Nicholas
Set and Costume Designer Georgia Hopkins
Lighting Designer Toby Knyvett
Sound Designer Daryl Wallis
Stage Manager Cara Woods
Producer Dino Dimitriadis

With Danny Adcock, Noel Hodda, Jamie Oxenbould, Richard Sydenham

The Dapto Chaser was commissioned and originally produced by Merrigong Theatre Company.

PERFORMANCE DATES
Previews 1 - 2 July
Season 4 - 25 July

PERFORMANCE TIMES
Monday - Saturday 7pm / Saturday 25 July 2pm and 7pm

TICKETS

Bookings 02 9361 3817 or www.griffintheatre.com.au

Adult $38 | Concession/Preview/ Seniors/Group 8+/Under 30 $30
Transaction fees of $4 for online bookings and $5 for phone bookings apply

$20 Rush tickets - limited number available Monday evenings at the door. All tickets unsold one hour prior to performance are $20 (max 2 tickets per person)

Griffin acknowledges the generosity of the Seaborn, Broughton and Walford Foundation in allowing it the use of the SBW Stables Theatre rent free, less outgoings, since 1986 and is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body; and the NSW Government through Arts NSW.