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Method in their Madness!
Impulse Theatre presents
COSI By Louis Nowra
There’s music & mayhem, inspiration and insanity in the offing when innovative Impulse Theatre presents its new production of the much-loved Louis Nowra play COSI.
Set in a mental asylum in ‘70s Melbourne, it is about what happens when a young amateur director, Lewis is brought in to direct intellectually disabled patients in a play. Expecting something simple, Lewis is shocked – and then deliciously caught up in the madness – as Roy, the barking-mad self-styled leader of the troupe demands they do “Cosi Fan Tutte” the Mozart opera! As none of the proposed cast can, act or sing - or speak Italian - the challenge for Lewis appears gigantic. But, the show must go on!
The result is a hilarious, totally insane journey through the production and the lives of the patients... with a surprising and delightful climax.
All the cast - which includes Melanie Armstrong, Caroline Downs, David Lucas, Aimee Moffatt, Lindsay Moss, Graeme Rhodes and Manuk Aret - have trained with Impulse Theatre under director Stephen Wallace. Starting with intensive physical training, combined with ritual and group impulse, the company emphasises the teachings of Jerzy Grotowski, Lee Strasberg and late Australian theatre legend Hayes Gordon. It is dedicated to Grotowski’s concept of ‘holy acting’ – the complete giving over of body and mind in performance, with an emphasis on physicality and sincerity. The goal is to confront audiences in a way that is essentially therapeutic – to enable a kind of spiritual ‘re-integration’.
Director Stephen Wallace is best-known for his award winning film and television work over three decades including Stir, Blood Oath, Turtle Beach, For Love Alone and Mail Order Bride. He has won or been nominated for over 20 AFI awards and was last year awarded the Order of Australia for his contribution to the performing arts.
This production of Cosi aims to achieve all of that while delighting in the verve and brilliant wit of the play. Impulse has grabbed headlines and great reviews for its productions of Oedipus the King, Lysistrata and – just last month – Stolen in the Short & Sweet Festival – for which actress Majella O’Shea took out the Best Actress award.
COSI by Louis Nowra - Directed by Stephen Wallace for IMPULSE
Thurs 18 May – Sun 11 June (preview Wed 17 May); Wed – Sat 8pm & Sun 5pm
School matinees Wed, Thurs and Fri 11am on application (0423 764 799)
Tickets $25 (concession $18). Wednesday special all tickets $18.
NEWTOWN THEATRE, Cnr King and Bray Streets Sth Newtown
Bookings MCA 1300 306 776 or online: www.mca-tix.com
Media, for images, interviews, cast details and more, contact
Geoff Sirmai, Watchdog Communications (02) 9389 3907 geoff@watchdog.com.au
