Hearth
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A coming-of-age birthday party. The threat of an approaching bushfire. A deeply held family secret is revealed.
Synopsis
“It looked so beautiful. It looked magical – snow, falling here, in January. But it wasn’t snow.”
It’s the 7th of February 2009 – forever known in Australia’s history as ‘Black Saturday.’ It’s also Tom Robinson’s 18th Birthday. Celebrations kick off at the family’s Kinglake home and nothing seems out of the ordinary. But tensions start to rise between Tom and his older brother Matthew, along with the temperature outside, and before the ice-cream cake has time to melt a deeply held family secret is revealed. But will bringing everything out in the open finally give the Robinsons the peace and acceptance they’ve constantly struggled for – or will it tear them further apart and make them question the very structure they’ve tried to uphold?
Brilliantly striking the balance between pathos and humour, Hearth immediately draws in audiences with its witty and lyrical dialogue, relatable characters and timely themes.
Featuring a stellar ensemble cast including Geoff Paine (TV’s Neighbours), Sonya Suares (Melbourne Talam, MTC), Martin Blum (Boy out of the country, Larrikin Productions), Carole Patullo (Button, La Mama) and Kurt Pimblett (Because the Night, Malthouse).
Urgent, heartfelt, at times hilarious, and achingly raw – this compelling new drama is guaranteed to not only be a thought-provoking night at the theatre, but also an extremely enjoyable one.
Short Reviews
Theatre People
Australian Stage
Raimondo Cortese, Playwright
Video
Technical Information
Lighting
As the show is still developing below are the minimum requirements but note they may change –
- Lighting Console – ETC EOS (ION,GIO etc, control wing or worst case scenario- Nomad with fader wing)
- 2 x DMX universes
- 12 x LED Pars
- 30 x Profiles (approx) – Some with break up/decal & Iris’s, (LED preferred but not essential, with various beam angles
- 24 Fresnels (650w or 1kw)
- 48 dimming channels
- Venue Hazer/s (Unique II or similar)
- 4 x moving spot lights that have good colour mixing and array of gobos
Audio
As the show is still developing below are the minimum requirements but note they may change –
- High Quality PA with bass management (subs)
Staging
As the show is still developing below are the minimum requirements but note they may change –
- (4) x Rostra at 200mm ht (assuming Rostra are 1200mmD x 2400mmW)
- (2) x Rostra at 400mm ht (assuming Rostra are 1200mmD x 2400mmW)
- Ability to suspend objects from overhead grid to 5m above floor level
Transport Notes
1x 1 tonne van
1x 8 seater people mover
Set cannot travel by plane
Audience & Marketing Notes
HEARTH appeals to a broad cross-section of audiences including:
– Regular subscribers who enjoy contemporary drama around Australian themes, and that presents relatable Australian characters, voices and experiences.
– 35 to 65 year olds who enjoy intelligent theatre around topical themes.
– 25-40 year olds who are socially conscious and attracted to work that explores social and environmental issues that reflect their world.
– 18-25 year olds who are seeking contemporary storytelling and theatrical experiences (particularly in regard to Secondary Drama/English/Psychology/Humanities Students).
– Proven appeal for metro, outer metro and regional audiences (through season/tour in 2022)
Selling Points
- Critically acclaimed creative team and cast
- Relatability and topical nature of the story/characters
- Featured on 2022 VCE Theatre Studies Playlist, longlisted for the Theatre503 Award in London, shortlisted for the Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award.
- Champions female playwright that originally grew up in country Vic. An original work that “comes out of the regions”.
- An opportunity to engage with the community and really offer a work that represents their experiences/way of life.
Community Engagement
Content Warning
Details
Genre
Audience
16+
Venue Format
Proscenium Arch, Black Box, Flat Floor (as long as there is a rig and enough space) Min stage area of around 7m x 7m
Duration
85 Minutes
Available Until (from - to)
30/11/2024
Budget & Fees
What are these? Find out more.In Development - work which will be produced and premiered in time for touring during 2022/2023. Please contact the Producer directly for Budgets and Fees.
Remount: $35,000
Weekly Sell Off: $13,900
Per Performance: $N/A
