Selfies and Sexting on the Old Fitz Stage in Australian Premiere of 4 MINUTES 12 SECONDS

Outhouse Theatre Company, in association with Red Line Productions, returns to the Old Fitz Theatre to present the Australian Premiere of the Olivier Award nominated play 4 Minutes 12 Seconds by James Fritz. After a highly successful season of The Aliens in 2015 that received rave reviews and three Sydney Theatre Awards nominations, the same creative team will reunite to stage "a morally terrifying drama for the age of the selfie and sexting" (London Evening Standard).

'He says they all do it. These kids, you know, they've got their phones. Film everything. Can't say I blame them. I would at that age.'

Seventeen-year-old Jack is the apple of his mother's eye. Di and David have devoted their whole lives to giving him every opportunity they never had - and as a result, Jack is smart, outgoing, and well on his way to achieving the grades to study Law at Durham University. But a startling incident outside the school gates threatens to ruin everything they've striven for, an incident that suggests a deep hatred of their son. As events begin to accelerate, Di and David start to doubt Jack's closest friends, Jack himself, and ultimately themselves.

In a world where smartphones are ubiquitous, James Fritz's deeply provocative and topical drama throws a light on the sorts of insidious opportunities new technology offers - where nothing dies online, except reputation.

Craig Baldwin (The Aliens) returns from the US to direct Kate Cheel (Spring Awakening, Masquerade), Felix Johnson (The Unknown Soldier, The Credeaux Canvas), Danielle King (Noises Off, The Libertine) and Jeremy Waters (The Aliens, A Man with Five Children).

"I am thrilled to be returning to Sydney to direct because the best actors in the world live here - the most committed, fearless and creative," says Baldwin. "The Old Fitz is like a little crucible where truly brilliant creative minds in Sydney meld together to make the most brave and challenging work around."

On choosing to present 4 Minutes 12 Seconds, Baldwin adds that "the way the plot unravels in twists and turns is truly gasp-inducing. It is also one of those rare plays that captures all the things that are specific to this moment in time - the insidiousness of technology in the internet age, the widening gap between the classes, and the alienation caused by urban gentrification. It even exposes the cracks in the facade of gender equality to tell deep truths about women's lack of agency in our society. It is a searingly relevant play, and I can't wait to put it in front of a Sydney audience."