Red Line Presents A Live-Streamed Reading Of GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES, Starring Rose Byrne and Ewen Leslie

Following the success of its world- first live streamed reading of the play Orphans, featuring Alec Baldwin, Aaron Glenane and Andrew Henry, two weeks ago, Red Line Productions will now present Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph, on May 8/9 (subject to time zone).

Ten thousand people around the world tuned into watch the Orphansreading, a one-time event that connected four actors, on two different continents, in four living rooms exclusively streamed byCanvas Collective.

Red Line's Artistic Director Andrew Henry says: "Orphans was a triumphant proof of concept for us, we had thousands of emails following the stream, accompanied by photographs of people dressed up to see our live stream in their theatre outfits. It was just gorgeous and a no brainer to do it again."

Andrew has secured actors Rose Byrne and Ewen Leslie to read Gruesome Playground Injuries,and has added a new element to the concept - a live music accompaniment by John Butler.

The reading will take place on Friday May 8 at 5.30pm Los Angeles time (PDT), which is 10.30am Saturday May 9 in Sydney (check time zones for other locations). The stream will run through Red Line Productions YOUTUBE channel with all information available at www.redlineproductions.com.au

"Gruesome Playground Injuriesjust one of the most gorgeous scripts of friendship, love and life. This time we will be connecting Rose Byrne in New York and Ewen Leslie in Sydney to read the two characters and we are adding live music by John Butler who will be connected from Perth as this play asks for a musical language between the scenes of the play," Andrew says.

Rose Byrne is one of Australia's most loved international actors with film and TV credits including Mrs America, Bridesmaids and Peter Rabbit. Rose appeared for the Sydney Theatre Company in Speed-The-Plow and will return in 2021 for A View From the Bridge. Ewen Leslie's received the Helpmann award and a Green Room award for his role in Richard IIIand the Helpmann Award and the Sydney Theatre Award for The War Of The Roses. He won an AACTA for his performance in Jane Campion's TV series Top Of The Lake: China Girl and he also received an AFI nomination for his performance in Jewboyand AACTA nominations for The Daughter, Dead Europe, The Butterfly Tree, Fighting Season and The Cry.

John Butler is considered Australia's most successful independent musician. As a solo performer and with his band, The John Butler Trio, he has headlined Festivals around the world and released chart-topping studio albums including Home and Flesh & Blood. He founded his own record label Jarrah Records.

Red Line are committed to their one-off streams being accessible during these difficult times, so people have the 'option' to buy a ticket is they have the means - anything from $3 to $100.

"Nobody should feel pressured financially at the moment, those that can afford to buy a ticket, can. If they can't, they shouldn't think twice and tune in anyway," Andrew says.

Tickets sold this event will not only support Red Line (and its theatre the Old Fitz), but will also The Australian Theatre for Young People (of which Rose Byrne is a longtime Patron,) Support Actwhich is a not for profit set up to support musicians in crisis (John Butler is a supporter), the Actors Benevolent Fund of NSW and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago of which the Playwright is an ensemble member.

"This is a time to share the love, and truly for us to invest not only in our own survival, but in the survival of as many as we can," Andrew says.

Ewen Leslie says: The Old Fitz has been a huge part of my life. I performed in many shows there when I was younger and worked in the bar above it. Andrew Henry is a major creative force and milestone in the history of that place. What he's done there is nothing short of remarkable. The fact that he's pulling together these people to put on these readings during this time is testament to that. He's chosen a beautiful play by Rajiv Joseph. It's a dark, funny tale about two lost souls that has so much heart. Rose Byrne is an amazing actress who I've admired for so long, and I've been a fan of John Butler since I first saw him play in my hometown of Fremantle. I'm thrilled to be a part of this."

John Butler says: " In these unprecedented times of COVID-19, the arts sector have been doing what they always have .... being creative!!! Finding new and exciting ways to create and nurture culture. This project is right in line with that and sounded so cool and I just had to be a part of it."

It's not your typical love story: Doug and Kayleen meet at the nurse's office in their elementary school; she's got a painful stomach ache, and he's all banged up from a running dive off the roof of the school. Over the next thirty years, these scar-crossed lovers meet again and again, brought together by injury, heartbreak, and their own self-destructive tendencies. With great compassion and humor, playwright Rajiv Joseph (Broadway's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) crafts a compelling and unconventional love story about the intimacy between two people when they allow their defenses to drop and their wounds to show.

Streaming times:

Sydney, Australia - Sat, 9 May 2020 at 10:30am AEST

Perth, Australia - Sat, 9 May 2020 at 8:30amAWST

New York, USA - Fri, 8 May 2020 at 8:30pm EDT

Los Angeles, USA - Fri, 8 May 2020 at 5:30pm PDT

Toronto, Canada - Fri, 8 May 2020 at 8:30pm EDT

London, UK - Sat, 9 May 2020 at 1:30am BST
*Please adjust times for other countries/regions*

Further information available at www.redlineproductions.com.au