An award-winning story about the Son of the God of the Sun, Wright&Grainger presents HELIOS at The Substation – Qtopia Sydney for a limited season from 26 March 2024.
HELIOS transplants the Ancient Greek tale into a modern-day myth wound around the winding roads of rural England and into the everyday living of a towering city.
Told by a solo storyteller, in an intimate room, along with a cinematic score, this is a story about growing up, about the pride of young boys, and how we define our worlds.
In 2023, THE GODS THE GODS THE GODS played some packed gigs at the Sydney Opera House’s studio theatre. This year, HELIOS finds its home in the intimate surroundings of The Substation. Created for just 40 people per show, this brand new venue is a new-cut jewel in the city’s alternate performance scene.
“HELIOS is a delicate story” says writer and performer Alexander Wright. “We made it to be told to a small crowd gathered in intimate spaces. We were so pleased to be included in QTopia’s premier program for this space, and all the more amazed to be the first show ever performed in The Substation.”
Wright&Grainger are no strangers to performing in alternative spaces. They are more regularly found in pubs, bars, cafes, gardens, tents and houses than they are in traditional theatres.
“We try to make work that can play anywhere,” says songwriter and musician Phil Grainger. “We both grew up in rural North Yorkshire where there aren’t many theatres at all, so setting up in temporary and non traditional spaces was normal for us.”
The story is written and performed by Alexander Wright with an electronic cinematic score by Phil Grainger. Straight after the Sydney shows, HELIOS heads over to New Zealand with Alex, starting with 2 sold out shows at the prestigious Festival Of Colour at Lake Wanaka, whilst Phil is touring simultaneously in the UK. The pair have just been together at Adelaide Fringe where their show ORPHEUS won Best Theatre overall at the festival.
“We like to keep ourselves busy,” says Wright. “We couldn’t be happier to be back in Sydney, as such a great venue as part of such a wonderful programme.”
HELIOS
The Substation – Qtopia Sydney, 301 Forbes Street, Darlinghurst
Performances: 26 – 28 March 2024
Information and Bookings: www.humanitix.com
Image: HELIOS – courtesy of Wright&Grainger