Community Choirs to Appear in THE EVENTS as Part of Adelaide Festival

The 2016 season opens with the Australian premiere production of the award-winning play The Events. With acclaimed star of stage and screen Catherine McClements performing alongside a di erent local community choir on stage each night, The Events is State Theatre Company's Adelaide Festival production in 2016.

Written in response to the murders in Norway committed in 2011 by Anders Breivik, award- winning Scottish playwright David Greig's extraordinary play follows a community's search for compassion, peace and understanding in the wake of unthinkable violence.

Catherine McClements (Rush, Water Rats) is looking forward to the opportunity of working on stage with a choir. She said, "The atmosphere and emotional impact that a group of singers can give to a performance is almost impossible to replicate with acting alone,"

The original production of The Events garnered ve-star reviews at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, along with a Fringe First and the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award before transferring for sell-out seasons around Europe and America.

David Greig's lauded script tells the story of a priest, Claire, who, when she survives a massacre, sets out on a quest to answer the most di cult question of all - 'why?' It's a journey that takes her to the edge of reason, science, politics and faith. This play asks big questions: how far can forgiveness stretch in the face of atrocity? How can we live together knowing that it can all come apart in an instant?

Featuring soaring choral music, The Events is an uplifting exploration of how to nd hope in tragedy. This Australian premiere production, co-produced with Belvoir and Malthouse Theatre, will be helmed by the inventive young Australian director Clare Watson (What Rhymes With Cars and Girls).

Director Clare Watson said "As the choir sings, the vibrations of their music move through us, and this has the capacity to sync up our collective heartbeats. To sit in an audience together gives us the connectedness that can transcend the bewilderment."

This production will see Catherine McClements back on stage for State Theatre Company for the rst time in more than 20 years. Catherine McClements is delighted to be back.

"I had an extraordinary year with State Theatre Company straight out of drama school. Adelaide had a strong local acting fraternity then: the likes of Geo ery Rush, Neil Armfeild, John Gaden, and Patrick White were adding their talents to that year. I think the company is at a very exciting time now as well and I'm looking forward to that creative experience" Catherine McClements said.

The Events opened at the Sydney Festival where the season sold out and received rave reviews. It will transfer to Adelaide for State Theatre Company as part of the Adelaide Festival and then returning for further seasons in Sydney and Melbourne.

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