New Theatre Presents the Australian Premiere of CONSENSUAL

"Give the facts, show the photos, but don't get too close unless you want your head blown off."

High school teacher Diane is responsible for guiding an group of impressionable teenagers through the minefield that is 'sex education'.

Then ex-student Freddie turns up. She hasn't seen him since a fateful night six years earlier when he was fifteen. She thinks he took advantage of her; he thinks that she groomed him for months. Neither is sure. But when it comes to sex and consent, how far can you blur the lines?

An explosive and thought-provoking play from one of Britain's most exciting new voices, exploring what happens when buried secrets catch up with you.

"Gets the brain pounding and the blood pumping" Time Out

We're pleased to welcome Johann Walraven to direct this production. Joh is a NIDA grad (Acting) and one of Sydney's most respected teachers of drama. "The idea of right and wrong is an attractive one, but ultimately flawed when dealing with human relationships," says Joh. "It was this question - who is in the right? - that first attracted me to the play. Sometimes it's an impossible one to answer."

He is interested in questions of responsibility: how we are all culpable in some way to the potential damage we inflict on young people. "It's incumbent on us to include them in our discussions on how to navigate their safety better," says Joh. "This is what I hope audiences will get out of seeing the play - rather than assign blame, encourage discussion as to how things went wrong for all parties in Consensual and how we can be involved in change for the better."

Consensual brings together both experienced creatives (Liam O'Keefe, lighting design and Jed Silver, sound design) and those starting out on their careers including set and costume designer Renee Halse (AIMDrama 2016).

The cast includes actors returning to the New and a number of young performers working here for the first time.

Throughout his career, playwright Evan Placey has been committed to writing theatre for young people. He doesn't believe in censoring the world: he tries to write honest plays for teenage audiences to help them make up their own minds. He's even published an anthology: Girls Like That and other plays for teenagers and his introduction makes for fascinating reading.

New Theatre is excited to be presenting the Australian premiere of Consensual, marking the first time one of Evan's plays has been produced here.

CREATIVE TEAM:
Director Johann Walraven
Set & Costume Designer Renee Halse
Lighting Designer Liam O'Keefe
Sound Designer Jed Silver
Production Manager Sahn Millington
Stage Manager Veda Best
ASM Tom Aldous

CAST:
Callum Alexander, Michael Brindley, Claire Crighton, Rhys Johnson,
Eloise Martin-Jones, Eliza Nicholls, Eamon O'Flynn, Celeste Reardon,
Lauren Richardson, Natasha Rose, Anton Smilek, Nicole Toum,
Benjamin Vickers, Paul Whiddon, Emma Wright

SEASON:
14 March - 15 April 2017

PERFORMANCES:
Previews Tue 14 and Wed 15 March 7:30pm
Thu - Sat 7:30pm, Sun 5pm
Final performance Sat 15 April 5pm

TICKETS:
$35 full
$30 concession, groups (6+)
$20 previews, student rush, Thrifty Thursdays

BOOKINGS:
www.newtheatre.org.au

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