Holden Street Theatres to Stage VENUS IN FUR

Frank Ford and Adelaide Critic's Circle award-winner Wil King (DIRT, ABC/Netflix's Why Are You Like This) returns for Adelaide Fringe 2022; this time opposite rising star Bridget Gao-Hollitt (Joseph Gordon Levitt's Superpumped). The pair will star in David Ive's Tony award-winning Venus in Fur... a witty, barreling examination of sexual politics in the workplace. This smash hit text will be directed by Green Room award-nominee Daniel Lammin. The performance is part of Adelaide Fringe, 2022.

Venus in Fur runs at The Arch at Holden Street Theatres, Hindmarsh from March 1st through the 20th. Previews are on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of March at 8pm. Performance dates from March 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th are at 8pm. The show on March 11th will be at 9:30pm. There will also be additional performances on March 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th at 2:30pm.

It's been a long day of auditions and writer/director Thomas hasn't found an actress worthy of leading his new play... until Vanda walks in. Over the course of the night, the two seem to hit it off; as Thomas sees the character come to life before his very eyes. But who is Vanda? How does she know the play off-by-heart? And who's auditioning who in this fiery battle for dominance?

'When I first read the script, I was gobsmacked. It's so funny and thrilling and powerful - it was the first time I'd read a play that I genuinely couldn't put down', says King.

'It's enthralling the way it keeps you on tenterhooks; who's in charge is continually being flipped upside down so it asks all the charged questions that good S&M should!', laughs Gao-Hollitt.

But it was when the pair approached Lammin that they really started to unpack the text. 'I was hesitant at first, if I'm honest', says Lammin. 'I was concerned that in depicting this sexualised power imbalance on stage, that we might just be perpetuating it.'

King and Gao-Hollitt didn't agree. 'We felt strongly that there was a way of exploring this text that would be really cathartic; reimagining it for a post #metoo era', says Gao-Hollitt.

King, who is genderfluid and prefers they/them pronouns, saw something important in the text. 'As a sexual assault survivor myself, I've experienced this way too many times: when a man acts like you've got all the power just because he's attracted to you. But sexual power and structural power are two very different things. This play gives us a great opportunity to explore that idea.' says King.

Gao-Hollitt is excited to explore material that is unapologetically sexual. 'I've always been fascinated by the currency of a woman's sexuality, particularly asian women,' she says. 'It is a privilege as a woman to be able to excavate these themes openly and with the brazenness of Vanda. I can't wait'.

'And it's bloody hilarious!' adds Lammin. King and Lammin have collaborated twice before; on Christopher Bryant's Sneakyville, where King played a reimagined Charles Manson, and on Tommy Murphy's Strangers in Between, which received rave reviews in both Melbourne and Sydney.

Coming straight off of shooting Superpumped, an Uber origin story from the creators of Billions, Gao-Hollitt will be making her stage debut in Venus in Fur. 'Working with Joseph Gordon-Levitt was surreal; it was an honour to be a cog in the machine of such a huge show. But I'm so excited to get to Adelaide and build this show from the ground up with Wil and Daniel!'

To post a comment, you must register and login.