Theatre Works Proudly Presents

MOTH
By Declan Greene
Directed by Briony Dunn

An action-packed graphic-novel fiction fantasy erupting on the stage, MOTH is a love-letter to every teen… and to those who used to be.

In this funny and heartbreaking two-hander, what starts as just another night drinking down at the cricket nets soon gives way to an ecstatic vision that leaves fifteen-year-old Sebastian unconscious and his only friend, Claryssa, gone. Waking to find a mysterious moth by his bed, Sebastian spirals into a breathless ride of schizophrenic delusion and religious passion, living life at a feverish pitch that can only lead to tragedy.

Spotlighting a climactic bullying incident that devastates a friendship forever, this much-lauded, rapid-fire, and deeply moving production is brought to the Theatre Works stage in 2023 by an exceptional team of creatives. A true highlight on the Victorian Arts Calendar, not to be missed.

One of Australia’s longest-running independent theatres, Theatre Works is constantly reinvigorating and reimagining the sector by providing a hotbed for artist and audience development. They strive to champion artists and work that embraces difference and celebrates risk, working to provide a platform for marginalised conversations and voices.

MOTH is the second production in the 2023 “By Theatre Works” programming stream. Other works produced in-house as part of this stream include Pear-Shaped by Miranda Middleton and Ziggy Resnick, Michael Gow’s Away, and In the Club by Patricia Cornelius.

★★★★ ½ “This is theatre at its finest” – The Herald Sun
“Gripping.” – Australian Arts Review
“Switches from hilarious to heartbreaking effortlessly.” – British Theatre Guide
“Stark, intimate theatre conjured from the visceral ordeal of adolescence.” – The Age

Directed by Briony Dunn (she/her)
Performed by Lucy Ansell (she/they) and Adam Noviello (they/them)
Set Design and Projections by Justin Gardam (he/him)
Lighting Design by Niklas Pajanti (he/him)
Sound Design by Darrin Verhagen (he/him)
Costume Design by Betty Auhl (she/her)
Stage Manager: Natasha Marich (she/her)
Produced by Belle Hansen (she/her)
Publicity by Sassy Red PR

17 May – 3 June 2023
Tues – Sat 7:30pm
Tickets: $50 Full, $42 Concession, $28 Preview, $20 Mob Tix and 20 at $20 (+ booking fee)
Bookings: (03) 9534 3388 or online www.theatreworks.org.au/2023/moth
Venue: Theatre Works – 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
www.theatreworks.org.au

Duration: 75 minutes no interval
Suitable for ages 15+
Warnings: Strong language, loud sounds, flashing lights, themes of mass destruction, depression, mental health, bullying and theatrical violence