If there’s one thing you can say about mankind, there’s nothing kind about man – Tom Waits
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Roll up, ladies and gentlemen! A dark carnival is coming to town.
A carnival sideshow in an army barracks, our military band will pump out rousing surrealistic songs and other fairground entertainments providing sarcastic comments on the human condition and the act of civilisation. The third in the acclaimed Tom Waits and Robert Wilson musicals, which began with The Black Rider and Alice, Woyzeck is a “fragmented, nightmare-like fable”. …it’s like a hammer or it’s a tool or it’s a vehicle. It deals with madness and children and obsession and murder - all the things that we care about and care about now as we did then. It’s wild and sexy and curious and catches your imagination and makes you wonder about the people in it and it makes you reflect on your own life The story shows how a good man is turned by society into a murderer. In our version Woyzeck is played by a woman. This gives the actor the opportunity to also explore man and male behaviour, discovering that “man is an abyss - you get dizzy when you look down into it“ (Georg Büchner, the original playwright).
Woyzeck is played by Hester Ullyart who is joined by a mix of experienced local performers: actors - Hillary Moulder, Tom Trevella, Aaron Boyce, Chris Carrow, Marian McCurdy and Greta Bond; and musicians - Reuben Derrick, Sam White, Nicole Reddington and Doug Brush. Directed by Peter Falkenberg with design by Stuart Lloyd-Harris and costume and make-up by Jenny Ritchie, the recently restored heritage Pump House provides the perfect setting. Thanks so much to the many supporters of our Boost Ōtautahi crowdfunding campaign in May 2022 for keeping our project alive with your generous donations and encouragement. Woyzeck is also being supported by The Lion Foundation, Aotearoa Gaming Trust, Pub Charity, Creative Communities Christchurch and the Canterbury Arts and Heritage Trust (CAHT). Woyzeck was the first production Free Theatre ever produced in 1980 and we're excited to return to this story. Original 1980 Free Theatre artists Woyzeck - John McClatchie Marie - Stephanie Johnson The captain - Mark di Somma The doctor, The Jew - Nick Frost The drum-major, The ape, The horse - Godfrey Sim The barker - Karl Knaup Lighting Operator - Roger Phillips Stage Manager - Sue Donaldson Poster - Geraldine Oliver Directed by - Peter Falkenberg |
Performances:
Friday 14th April 8.00pm Saturday 15th April 8.00pm Wed 19th April 8.00pm Thurs 20th April 8.00pm Wed 26th April 8.00pm Thurs 27th April 8.00pm Fri 21st April 8.00pm Fri 28th April 8.00pm Sat 22nd April 8.00pm Sat 29th April 8.00pm Venue: The Pump House, 544 Tuam St Tickets: $25/$40 Book Tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/woyzeck/tickets Facebook Event Jeder Mensch ist ein Abgrund, es schwindelt einem, wenn man hinabsieht / Everyone's an abyss. You get dizzy if you look down |
