THE DIRECTOR Makes its Australian Premiere

As the #metoo movement grows in strength and breadth and as safety and disclosure in the performing arts become even hotter issues, a compelling play about power and abuse in the theatre makes its Australian premiere in Sydney.

The Director, by US writer Nancy Hasty, is set to open at the Actors Pulse Playhouse in Redfern. And it's bound to create intense debate among performers and theatre lovers alike.

In a run-down rehearsal studio in New York, theatre director Peter now works as a janitor in exchange for being able to use the rehearsal spaces to conduct his 'research into acting'. After he meets an award-winning playwright, Annie, he reluctantly agrees to direct her new play after she expresses dissatisfaction with the existing director and the actors that director has cast.

Peter adopts a highly unconventional and controversial approach as he challenges each actor who auditions to a series of exercises designed to test their abilities and push them to truly 'live' their parts. But how far should he push before someone slips over the edge? As the line between reality and fantasy blurs, the director becomes a master manipulator, pulling strings and pushing his vulnerable young protégés. Is he a genius or a control freak? The ante keeps rising until the game becomes a matter of life and death.

The original production of The Director - starring Emmy Award-winner John Shea - ran off-Broadway for six months in 2000. It's no coincidence that Active Theatre Production's artistic director Simon Doctor is directing and starring in its Australian premiere. Simon worked on numerous theatre projects in New York with the playwright, his good friend and sometime housemate, Nancy Hasty.

The Director also features Josephine Bloom, Alex Rowe, Brayden Palmer, Sarah Greenwood and Emilia Hristov.

Active Theatre Productions presents THE DIRECTOR by Nancy Hasty
October 25 - November 10 | Tues - Sat 7.30pm
The Playhouse at Actors Pulse, 103 Regent Street, Redfern
Tickets: Adult $38; Concessions $30; Previews $28.
Bookings: www.trybooking.com/XXQR
More info: www.activetheatreproductions.com.au