Last year marked the debut of Poppy Seed; a festival in which four bold new theatrical works were selected by an artistic panel comprising many of Australia's pre-eminent theatre professionals.
Blessed (Nov 8-19) by Attic Erratic is a brutal love story following the lives of two strangers whose luck in life has fallen short. This dark tale is told over the course of 15 years, and portrays the realities of poverty in Australia within the context of religious mythology.
LadyCake (Nov 15-26) by Three Birds Theatre places Marie Antoinette under a modern lens, telling the story of the everyday girl's battle with gossip, assumption, speculation and physical criticism.
What's Yours Is Mine (Nov 22-Dec 3) by Hotel Now asks: how much am I worth? Director Yvonne Virsik, together with performers and devisors Hayden Burke, Simone French and Tom Halls explore a capitalist, entitled Australia obsessed with the idea of ownership.
F. (Nov 30-Dec 10) by Riot Stage explores a young person's introduction to sex in the 21st century. F. is an overload of information designed for short attention spans, with topics covering masturbation, porn, consent, pubic hair, gender and kinks.
These four pieces run from November to December across numerous Melbourne venues, including The Butterfly Club, Trades Hall and Malthouse Theatre. Visit the website for details.