In retrospect, calling your one-act play festival No Intermission feels a little like tempting fate. After an outstanding inaugural season in 2019, last year turned out to be one big intermission indeed as theatres across the country went dark for the longest time. But the show, as they say, must go on, and the curtain will rise once more.
Dreamt up as a sparkling showcase for Sydney’s emerging playwrights, directors, actors and behind-the-scenes crews, the festival is also a win-win for audiences who get to see a bundle of bite-sized dramas for only $27-$30 each. Running from March 17-27 at the Chippen Street Theatre in Chippendale, they all sound fantastic.
Rattling The Keys by Zoe Muller is a new spin on the classic whodunit, with a body and a bunch of incriminated teens struggling with the isolation, with the Mad Max vibes of opal-mining town Coober Pedy. In Their Footsteps by Ashley Adelman draws on the largely unsung stories of the American women who served their country during the Vietnam War, and the triumphs and traumas they faced there. Girl Shut Your Mouth by Gita Bezard is a dark comedy that tackles violence against women from the perspective of teen girls determined to change the world they will inherit. And Lipstick by Lane Stanley is a dating woes comedy that’s billed as a glorious, fast-paced queer farce.
Each show runs to about 70 minutes, and some 35 creatives were involved in bringing them to the Chippen. If you can’t pick which of those tickles your fancy most, why not see all four? Goodness knows this is the year to support live theatre.
Love theatre? Here’s our guide to all the best shows around town right now.
