PLAYLAB'S NSW SYLLABUS SUGGESTIONS 2022

TOPIC 7: MULTI-DISCIPLINE THEATRE

The following list has been assembled by Playlab Theatre in order to provide an extended list of plays suitable for study in Topic 7: Multi-Discipline Theatre. In order to assist educators and students further explore the applications of multiple disciplines and how they can be used to challenge traditional representation and dramatic narratives, the following list of titles employ the use of multiple disciplines in order to create meaning. This list contains titles that use different combinations of disciplines in order to create theatre and include, but are not limited to; film, music and sound, puppetry, use of multiple languages and cultural influences, technology and physical theatre.

The Age of Bones (Zaman Belulang)

by Sandra Thibodeaux

LANGUAGE: English and Bahasa Indonesia
THEMES: Injustice, Human Rights, Immigration Law
CAST SIZE: 7–8
LENGTH: 75 mins
SUITABLE FOR: 12+

Sandra Thibodeaux's The Age of Bones is a biting and magical satire set deep beneath the sea!
SYNOPSIS
The Age of Bones traces the ... Read more

Undertow

by Hayden Jones and Sam Foster

THEMES: Resilience, Mental Health , Relationships and Identity
LENGTH: 50 minutes
CAST SIZE: 17 Characters
CHARACTER AGES: 16-30+
SUITABLE FOR: Middle & Senior Years

Shock Therapy's Undertow is an honest and powerful look at the hidden forces, beneath the surface that move us and determine the choices we make and the actions ... Read more

The Belonging Trilogy

by Margi Brown Ash

THEMES: Belonging, Home, Not-Belonging,
LENGTH: 1.5 Hours
CAST SIZE: 1–2
CHARACTER AGES: ≤50
SUITABLE FOR: Adults

Alongside the three plays, social artist, Margi Brown Ashshares her devising processes and provides key learnings for readers to reflect on and explore their own personal and cultural mythology, collaborative ... Read more

Blue Bones

by Merlynn Tong

LANGUAGE: English, Mandarin, Malay and Hokkien
THEMES: Domestic Violence, Relationships, Self Empowerment
CHARACTER AGES: Young Adult
LENGTH: 90 Minutes
CAST SIZE: 1 – 2 Cast Members
SUITABLE FOR: Senior Years

When a woman finds scars left by her ex-boyfriend of many years etched into her bones, she begins a turbulent journey to unpack her past and discover how he got ... Read more

The Cinematic Theatre Handbook

by Brad Jennings and Steven Maxwell

Includes complementary DVD

Synopsis: Since founding Markwell Presents in 2002 Brad Jennings and Steven Maxwell have written and produced 14 new plays for young people featuring Cinematic Theatre: the integration of live performance ... Read more

The Harbinger

by David Morton and Matthew Ryan

THEMES: Storytelling, Loss, Memories
CHARACTER AGES: All Ages
LENGTH: 1 Hour
CAST SIZE: 9 + Cast Members
TARGET AUDIENCE: Adult

An old man hides away in a dusty old bookshop, forgotten and alone with only a handful of beautiful memories as comfort. Gone are the days of magnificent apple orchards, ... Read more

Headspace

by Brad Jennings

THEMES: Adolescence, Loss, Family, Responsibility
CHARACTER AGES: 15 – 18
LENGTH: 1.5 Hours
TARGET AUDIENCE: Senior Years
TARGET AUDIENCE: Middle Years
CAST SIZE: 9+ Cast Members

Penelope is a 17 year old girl who feels as if she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Everyday she travels to and from school on the train. ... Read more

The Long Way Home

by Daniel Keene

THEMES: Military Service, Mental Health, Trauma, Relationships
CHARACTER AGES: 18+
LENGTH: 1.5 Hours
CAST SIZE: 9+ Cast Members
SUITABLE FOR: Adult

We shall overcome Created from first-hand accounts, The Long Way Home reflects the Australian Defence Force's recent experiences on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor as well ... Read more

Behind the Cane

by Michael and Margery Forde

THEMES: Blackbirding, White Australia Policy, Australian South-Sea Islander History and Culture
CHARACTER AGES: 10+
LENGTH: 120 Minutes
CAST SIZE: 9+ Cast Members
SUITABLE FOR: Senior Years

In the late 1800s, Australian ships arrived in the South ... Read more

The Pineapple Queen

by Norman Price

THEMES: fantasy, Escapism
CHARACTER AGES: 20 – 50
LENGTH: 1.5 Hours
CAST SIZE: 1 – 2 Cast Members
Playlab Indie
TARGET AUDIENCE: Adult

All she ever wanted was to be crowned the Glasshouse District's Pineapple Queen — wearing a magnificent dress, riding on a float down the main street of Nambour, waving at an ... Read more

Still Point Turning: The Catherine McGregor Story

by Priscilla Jackman

THEMES: LGBTQIA, Identity and Love
LENGTH: 120 Minutes
CHARACTER AGES: 18+
CAST SIZE: 6 (doubling is required)
SUITABLE FOR ADULTS: Adult

Priscilla Jackman's Still Point Turning: The Catherine McGregor Story is an ... Read more

The Tempest

by William Shakespeare Adapted by Lynne Bradley

THEMES: Magic, Freedom, Outcasts
CHARACTER AGES: 18+
LENGTH: 1.5 Hours
CAST SIZE: Large Cast Without Doubling
TARGET AUDIENCE: Middle Years
TARGET AUDIENCE: Senior Years
TARGET AUDIENCE: Adult

Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre present a visually, physically and aurally stunning adaption of Shakespeare's last play, The Tempest. Directed by Zen Zen Zo Artistic Director Lynne Bradley, this poetic ... Read more

Viral

by Hayden Jones and Sam Foster

THEMES: Fame, Communication, Behaviour
LENGTH: 90 Minutes
CHARACTER AGES: 18+
NO. OF CHARACTERS: 25
SUITABLE FOR: Senior Years

Shock Therapy Productions' was inspired by a number of true events and broader societal changes facing Gold Coasters and the wider community. ... Read more
TOPIC 1 TOPIC 2 TOPIC 3 TOPIC 4 TOPIC 5 TOPIC 6 TOPIC 7 TOPIC 8 TOPIC 9 ONE PAGE PDF DOWNLOAD