By david greig

A beautiful story of hope and healing

A mesmerising piece of playwriting – generous, compassionate and subtle – The Events was the sleeper hit of the 2013 Edinburgh Festival. For this Australian production, the brilliant Catherine McClements is joined by a local  community choir drawn from  the Tamworth region in an extraordinary blend of theatre and music.

Claire is a minister and the director of a choir that meets regularly in a local hall. It’s made up of all sorts: the lonely, outsiders, strangers – and the privileged, the comfortable. In short, she has built a community. But when a disaffected young man enters the hall and opens fire with a semi-automatic, this community – and the ideals that formed it – are blown apart.

After the event, a dialogue unfolds between Claire and a young man. She is unpacking the Pandora’s box of herself – her rage, her fears, and ultimately some hope. The young man is something else: the voice of the alienated, an enemy within, a lost generation. He plays many roles, but in an era of Port Arthur and Martin Place they all ask the same big question: How do we live together knowing it can all come apart in a moment?

The Events is a superb and unique examination of one victim's self-destructive
desire to understand the essence of violence." – Stage Whispers

The Events is an extraordinary blend of theatre and music and features a community choir drawn from the Tamworth region, as it questions whether there are limits to our capacity for understanding and seeks to explain why events that are unthinkable, are the hardest to put behind us.

"The Events is tight and it is edgy, presenting the facts, dilemmas and contradictions of humanity. The layers of the story are skilfully revealed, often evoking shock and incredulity among audience members who are dragged into the revelations as if it was their own community at risk" -  Steve Horne - InDaily

Recommended age: 16yrs+ Contains adult themes, strong language

Written by
David Greig
Composer
John Browne
Director
Clare Watson
Set & Lighting Designer
Geoff Cobham
Musical Director
Luke Byrne

Fight Choreographer
Scott Witt
Cast includes
Johnny Carr
Catherine McClements

Carol Young
Community Choir