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THE DIRECTOR
“A standout..I was so stunned by the blurring of reality and theatre”– Sian Cain, The Guardian, Best Theatre of the Year 2023
“Exceptionally good …an often hilarious, intimate show that’s also a sharp evisceration of how even funerals have been captured by predatory capitalism” – Alison Croggon, The Saturday Paper
The Director is a performance starring charismatic ex-funeral director, Scott Turnbull, and artist Lara Thoms. Together the pair demystify elements of the death industry, using humour and first-hand knowledge to dig a little deeper on what happens after we go. Blurring the roles of funeral director and theatre director, Thoms and Turnbull ask each other to perform tasks, share knowledge and give feedback on each other’s actions. Balancing macabre reality, playfulness and the tragic elements of death, the result is a spiky, funny and invigorating performance.
The Director premiered at Arts House and has recieved highly-acclaimed seasons at Sydney Opera House, ANTI Contemporary Art Festival (Finland), SICK Festival (UK,) The International Theatre Festival of Kerala (India), MONA FOMA, (Tas) PLATFORM (Geelong), Fusebox Festival (Texas).
CREDITS
Creators – Lara Thoms, with Scott Turnbull, with Aaron Orzech and Lz Dunn
Performers – Lara Thoms, Scott Turnbull
Designer / Technical Manager – Katie Sfetkidis
Sound – Kenneth Pennington
Producer / Tour Manager for US season– Anna Nalpantidis
Rehearsal Director – Mish Grigor
Touring Technical Manager for US season– Jenny Hector
The Director is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body; and the City of Melbourne through Arts House.
PREVIOUS SEASONS
Fusebox Festival, Austin
MONA FOMA, Tasmania
Platform Arts, Geelong
Sydney Opera House
International Theatre Festival of Kerala
SICK festival, UK
ANTI festival, Finland,
Artshouse, VIC
Image by: Jesse Hunniford/Mona