State Theatre Announces its Largest State-Wide Touring Program in 2018

State Theatre Company might be starting 2018 in London but will end the year in Port Pirie with its largest ever state-wide touring program taking productions to 14 venues across South Australia.

Touring venues will include Port Pirie, Elizabeth, Golden Grove, Noarlunga, Mount Barker, Goolwa, Renmark, Mt Gambier, Barossa, Whyalla, Pt Lincoln, Roby Downs, Port Augusta and Leigh Creek.

2018 will also mark the Company's biggest ever season with two additional productions, and its highest number of commissioned works - four of the nine productions will have their premiere in South Australia.

It follows a highly successful 2017 season to date which has seen two box office records broken with The Secret River and 1984, national touring with 1984, national regional touring and engagement with Sista Girl and The Popular Mechanicals and the launch of State Theatre Company's Ensemble performing two shows back to back with A Doll's House and Macbeth.

Next year, Artistic Director Geordie Brookman explores belief as a core theme running through the program, with many of the stories set in regional communities as the Company renews its focus on South Australia.

2018 will also be the second year for the recently formed State Theatre Company Ensemble, a group of actors and creatives who've taken residence at the Company to work on a number of productions.

The year will open with In The Club, the first of State Theatre Company's commissioned productions, and an impactful start to the season. Written by Patricia Cornelius, one of Australia's most awarded playwrights, In The Club explores the off-field culture surrounding AFL players, treatment of women and the club behind the club.

The riotous and awkward comedy of manners After Dinner will come to the Dunstan Playhouse(7-29 April) with its story of eccentric lonely hearts in a 1980s pub, a night of bad dance moves and tested friendships.

Written by master playwright Andrew Bovell (The Secret River, Lantana), one of Australia's finest writers, After Dinner will be led by the brilliant Jude Henshall (Mr Burns, The Comedy of Errors) and see the Adelaide return of the suave Nathan Page star of State Theatre Company's hit production of The 39 Steps. It will be directed by Adelaide-based Corey McMahon, who enjoyed success last year with the national tour of Orwell's 1984.

Kate Hamill's sparkling adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, which has enjoyed a series of smash hit seasons in New York over the last few years, is set to delight both lovers of Jane Austen and attract new audiences with her adaptation of the script. Described as one of the finest adaptions of the literary classic, it will be a night of theatre to remember in the hands of Geordie Brookman and State Theatre Company Ensemble.

May 2018 will see the world premiere of Fleur Kilpatrick's Terrestrial open at the Matthew Flinders Theatre ( 2 - 4 May) before then touring in region and metro South Australia (until June 19) and returning to Adelaide's Space Theatre (May 23 - June 2). The Jill Blewett Playwright Award winner makes her debut with State Theatre Company.

Set in Leigh Creek, Terrestrial centres on the connection between a newly arrived outsider and a local in a small remote town, against the backdrop of the community collapsing in on itself with the impending mine closure. Terrestrial will be directed by the State Theatre Company's former Resident Director Nescha Jelk.

State Theatre Company will co-produce with Malthouse Theatre, Brothers Wreck at the Odeon Theatre (June 27 - 14 July), written and directed by the talented Jada Alberts. Brothers Wreck, a tender and human piece of storytelling, follows the story of a young man in a changing world forced into a journey of self-discovery following a family tragedy. The co-production follows State Theatre Company's highly successful collaboration with Malthouse on The Events in 2016 and the success of Brothers Wreck during its premiere Sydney season.

Duncan Graham's twisting new version of Swedish great August Strindberg's classic emotional thriller Creditors arrives in Adelaide in July. Directed by David Mealor and starring stage and screen star Caroline Craig (Anzac Girls, Blue Heelers), the three character play will keep audiences guessing to the end.

A sweeping stage adaptation of Tim Winton's breath-taking 1986 novel That Eye, The Sky by Justin Monjo and Richard Roxburgh will be directed by Kate Champion. It's the Second Stage adaption of a Tim Winton novel Kate has worked on, having previously choreographed the internationally acclaimed production of Cloudstreet. That Eye, The Sky follows the story of a 12 year old trying to make sense of life in a small country town, one of a number in the season set in small regional communities. The cast includes State Theatre Company Artist in Residence Elena Carapetis.

Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Judy Davis will direct her husband Colin Friels in Brian Friel's 20th century classic Faith Healer (September 26 - October 13) in the Belvoir Production presented by the State Theatre Company.

Faith Healer is made up of four monologues performed by three characters - Francis Hardy (Colin Friels) the titular healer, his wife Grace (Alison Whyte) and his manager Teddy (local favourite Paul Blackwell). Each share their perspective on itinerate lives together. As the stories unravel a web of half-truths and personal mythologies is revealed with stunning effect.

This production of Faith Healer has enjoyed smash hit runs in Sydney and Melbourne before coming to Adelaide, and is set to be a popular choice for local audiences.

2018 ends in Port Pirie with The Gods Of Strangers with rising star local playwright Elena Carapetis bringing the stories of her Greek and Cypriot family to the stage in a play that explores the immigrant experience in post-war Australia.

The Gods Of Strangers represents a significant moment for State Theatre Company. The debut of a large scale new dramatic work is always to be celebrated but in this case the Company will also celebrate premiering a work made through drawing on the stories of two of our migrant communities and their experiences in one of our regional centres.

After launching the 2018 season, Geordie Brookman announced his contract extension until 2019 when he'll become one of State Theatre Company's longest serving Artistic Directors. As part of a well-managed succession plan for the Company, Geordie will program the 2019 season, his seventh for the Company, before handing over the reins to a new Artistic Director in mid-2019. Later in 2019, Geordie is planning a move to Europe with his young family.

Learn more at statetheatrecompany.com.au.

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