Green Street Theatre Stages Simon Stephens' PORNOGRAPHY at Malthouse Theatre, Now thru March 3

Green Street Theatre will present PORNOGRAPHY by Simon Stephens, directed by David Myles, today, 20 February - 3 March 2013 at the Malthouse Theatre (113 Sturt St., Southbank).

The production will run Tues-Fri 8PM, Sat 3PM & 8PM and Sun 5PM. For tickets, visit www.malthousetheatre.com.au or call 9685 5111, or visit www.ticketmaster.com.au or call 1300 723 038.

David Myles directs Melbourne's premiere production of Pornography by acclaimed British playwright Simon Stephens, a play that thrillingly reveals the brutality of human nature during a time of crisis. The title refers to the obscenities of contemporary life, voiced by eight characters who find themselves performing personal, criminal or sexual acts of transgression over the course of seven historic days.

Set in London, July 2005, as the G8 Summit, Live 8 anti-poverty concert, Olympic Games announcement and fatal terrorist attacks all collide in a fog of euphoria, shock and grief, Pornography paints a dystopian picture of insecurity amidst all too familiar surroundings. Stephens' piercing writing is underscored by the incredulity felt by most Londoners when it was disclosed that the attackers were English and products of their own society. Provocative and unapologetic, Pornography unerringly captures collective emotional hysteria in a time and place not so distant from our own. Presented as a series of disconnected monologues, Stephens mirrors our increasing fragmentation as a people and as individuals.

"I was haunted by what the bombers were going through on that final day. It struck me that at the heart of their action was an alienation from the people they were going to kill and from themselves. This seemed to be symptomatic of a consumerist culture, which objectifies everyone and everything." - Simon Stephens

Renowned for his stylistic audaciousness, Simon Stephens impresses as an extremely prolific and popular playwright, and is one of the most performEd English language writers in Europe. Over the last 15 years, 25 of his plays premiered in theatres throughout the UK including Royal Court Theatre, The Traverse Theatre, Royal Exchange Theatre, National Theatre and Lyric Hammersmith where he is currently Artistic Associate.

David Myles brings to the production his extensive experience both nationally and internationally, having directed works for The National Theatre, Royal Dramatic Theatre of Sweden, BBC, ITV and Paramount Pictures. A career highlight for Myles was directing Laurence Olivier in The Merchant of Venice while Staff Director at The National Theatre. In Australia he has directed works for MTC, Malthouse Theatre, and Melbourne and Adelaide Festivals.

"Pornography aims to entertain and confront the audience with the challenge - do we believe in a future where hope and redemption are possible?" - David Myles

Originally commissioned by the Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg and first performed in 2007, Pornography was turned down by every major theatre company in Britain due to the sensitive subject matter. Eventually the Traverse Theatre Edinburgh chose to mount a co-production with Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 2009. The play was successfully presented in Edinburgh, Birmingham and London's Tricycle Theatre and has since enthralled audiences across the world.

Produced by Thanassi Arthur Panagiotaras with imagery by Marshall White and lighting by Lucas Silva-Myles, the cast features Imat Akelo-Opio, Emma Chelsey, Hannah Greenwood, Justin Hosking, Frances Hutson, Richard Neal, Sonya Suares and Jesse Velik.

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