Hop into the passenger seat and settle in for a road trip unlike any other. Making its Australian debut at the Sydney Opera House this June, Truck Driver is a compelling one-person play written and performed by multidisciplinary artist Jonny Hawkins (AKA Aunty Jonny), a familiar figure in Sydney’s nightlife and arts scene.
Over 75 minutes, audiences are invited to travel shotgun alongside Bev, a fifth-generation owner-operator long-haul truck driver whose colourful stories, rough-around-the-edges humour and deeply ingrained beliefs reveal a complex portrait of contemporary Australian masculinity. So, buckle up and come along for the ride.
Says Hawkins, "The character of Bev and the ride he takes us on is a love letter of sorts to my working-class background, and the people who find themselves at the margins of society through no active decision of their own."
As Bev reflects on life behind the wheel, his genial nature mixed with his confronting attitudes comes into sharp focus, distilling what happens when people spend too long inside their own echo chambers.
Co-created with director Nell Ranney, Truck Driver is a companion piece to Hawkins’ acclaimed solo performance Maureen: Harbinger of Death.
Commissioned by the Sydney Opera House as part of its New Work Now program, Truck Driver runs from June 16-20 in the Studio. Standard tickets are $55 ($39 concession), plus booking fee. Find out more here.
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