Little Ones Theatre presents Merciless Gods, a new theatrical adaptation of the acclaimed story collection by author and provocateur, Christos Tsiolkas, in an Australian premiere season at Northcote Town Hall from 27 July, before heading to Sydney’s SBW Stables Theatre in November 2017.
Vicious and tender, here is Australia. In migrant camps, gay saunas, pill-popping hipster dinner parties, porn sets, prison cells and the steamy streets of King’s Cross, Merciless Gods captures haunting slices of our psyche and unveils the hidden faces of ancient deities. Interweaving families, friends and accidental encounters, this is humanity laid-bare – virtuous and vengeful, domestic and divine.
Christos Tsiolkas has entrusted this first ever stage adaptation of Merciless Gods to queer indie mavericks Little Ones Theatre and award winning playwright Dan Giovannoni. In the hands of these theatre makers this is urgent, dirty, glorious Australian theatre told from the perspectives of Greek, Italian, Turkish, German, and Iranian migrant experience.
Little Ones Theatre much lauded creative team – director Stephen Nicolazzo and designers Eugyeene Teh and Katie Sfetkidis – will again craft the Company’s signature aesthetic of camp, kitsch and heightened visual style, joined by an exciting cast of frequent collaborators including Paul Blenheim, Brigid Gallacher, Sapidah Kian, Peter Paltos, Charles Purcell and Jennifer Vuletic.
Christos Tsiolkas is the author of five novels: Loaded, which was made into the feature film Head-On, The Jesus Man and Dead Europe, which won the 2006 Age Fiction Prize and the 2006 Melbourne Best Writing Award. He won Overall Best Book in the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2009, was shortlisted for the 2009 Miles Franklin Literary Award, longlisted for the 2010 Man Booker Prize and won the Australian Literary Society Gold Medal for his novel, The Slap, which was also announced as the 2009 Australian Booksellers Association and Australian Book Industry Awards Books of the Year. He is also a playwright, essayist and screenwriter. Merciless Gods was published in 2016.
Dan Giovannoni is an award-winning playwright and arts educator from Melbourne. His plays include Jurassica (Red Stitch), Bambert’s Book of Lost Stories (Barking Gecko Theatre Company), Turbine (Malthouse Theatre), Wrecking (Fat Boy Dancing) and Cut Snake (Arthur). He has worked as a guest artist, teaching artist and artist-in-residence with companies including Back to Back Theatre, St Martins Youth Arts Centre, Arts Centre Melbourne and AWESOME Arts.
“Little Ones Theatre have one of the most unique voices in Melbourne theatre.” – Sometimes Melbourne
Director: Stephen Nicolazzo Featuring: Paul Blenheim, Brigid Gallacher, Sapidah Kian, Peter Paltos, Charles Purcell, Jennifer Vuletic Set & Costume Designer: Eugyeene Teh Lighting Designer: Katie Sfetkidis Sound Designer: Daniel Nixon Dramaturg: Chris Mead Production Manager: Gwen Gilchrist Producer: Jo Porter
SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross
Season: 4 – 25 November 2017 (previews: 1 & 2 November)
Bookings: www.griffintheatre.com.au
For more information, visit: www.littleonestheatre.com.au for details.
Image: Little Ones Theatre presents Merciless Gods (supplied)
Content Warning: Nudity, adult themes, sex scenes, smoking, haze, and sexually explicit language