New Theatre Presents NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

Ana is in her 80s, a battle hardened Hungarian-Australian veteran of the twentieth century. Catherine is her neighbour: a 20-something aspiring actress waiting for a better world.

As their unlikely odd-couple friendship develops, Catherine's life is transformed by Ana's stories of the traumas of war, the desolation of the refugee experience, and the struggle of settling in a foreign land.

In turn, Ana is granted one last great friendship at a time when the journey to her life's end was looking to be a lonely one.

This glorious comedy about hope, death and pets, takes on a sense of enormity in the midst of the ordinary, questioning whether we really know what's out there in the 'burbs'.

New Theatre is excited to be bringing back the classic of contemporary Australian theatre to Sydney stages. The production forms part of our Education Program, enabling HSC Drama students who are studying the play a 'page-to-stage' experience, as well as giving a wider audience the opportunity to revisit this wonderful play - or encounter it for the first time!

Director Trudy Ritchie (Assistant Director, Once in Royal David's City) is undertaking her first mainstage production for New Theatre, leading a creative team that includes set designers Sophie Lanigan and Max Volfneuk (1984: The Musical), lighting designer Mehran Mortezaei (Pygmalion, My Night With Reg), costume designer Claudia Lafoy making her New Theatre debut, and sound designer Patrick Eades (The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Pygmalion).

Heading the cast is Gertraud Ingeborg as 'Ana'. Gertraud is not only Austrian by birth, but has played the role in two previous productions (for Monkey Baa and Bondi Pavilion) so is intimately familiar with the character and the script. Opposite her as 'Catherine' is Kelly Robinson, last seen at New Theatre in The Angry Brigade. They are joined by a large ensemble cast of both New Theatre 'veterans' and 'debutantes'.

For more information visit https://newtheatre.org.au/tickets/

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