IAGO – World Premiere Gala Opening plus two performances
IAGO
written by Douglas Hackett
directed by Michael Beh for The Rangebow Festival
WORLD PREMIERE GALA OPENING - Wednesday 9 August 7:00pm-8:15pm
Montville Village Hall, formerly the Montville School of Arts is a fitting venue for a glittering opening night of Douglas Hackett's new play before it goes on a national tour with ambitions for Broadway. A seriously great piece of theatre warrants a gala event that is a source of surprise both in its geography and its acceptance - what better place than The Hinterland to be elevated from a comfortable slumber. Be one of the special few to experience this dream-like production before the world is woken to it.
Be not the bystander, in cruel silence. Announce to your friends that you will be attending this very special event. Be not afraid to witness greatness, embrace it being thrust upon you, and be forever changed.
Flashes for fame will frame your arrival and are a prelude to refreshments to quench your thirst and embolden your pleasure ahead of a glimpse of life.
Dress for IAGO's success.
Other performances on Thursday 10 August 3pm-4:15pm & 7pm-8:15pm
Two actors gather in an apartment. One, a seasoned pro, is playing Othello. The other, an up-and-comer, is playing Iago. As their intimate rehearsals transform into consummated love, words, worlds and bodies collide. Will their relationship survive?
IAGO is a play; a modern reframing of William Shakespeare’s OTHELLO through the lens of its central relationship. It investigates both male sexuality and manhood, whilst asking the audience to confront their own ideas of masculinity. Directed by Michael Beh with dramaturgy by acclaimed Australian playwright Stephen Sewell, the play is a dreamlike tale of two men and their journey toward self-discovery. For both the infrequent audience member and the regular theatregoer, IAGO is a play for all.
It does for its audience what Shakespeare did for language: map the human heart. With LGBTQI+ creatives on-and-off the stage, the play premieres at The Rangebow Festival before playing in Brisbane later in the year. If IAGO performs well, the IAGO team has hopes of a tour nationally in 2024. First, to Melbourne for Midsumma, and then to Sydney for Mardi Gras.
A recurring image throughout IAGO is Michelangelo's David. For years, the statue has been regarded as a symbol of both the Renaissance and Italian culture. In the play, however, David takes on a different meaning. Masculinity. Today, the most menacing cause of death amongst Australian males is suicide. Over two thousand men killed themselves in 2021. There are many factors as to why but as a survivor himself, the playwright recognises the two most dangerous catalysts: sexuality and our perception of masculinity, of what man should be. To be a young man is hard enough. To be young and gay can be a death sentence. As a society, we need to redefine masculinity. We need to reshape our notion of those who are different than us. We need to resculpt Michelangelo's David. And that is what IAGO does.
With support, IAGO creatives can stage this mighty and powerful declaration of love, kindness and understanding to bigger audiences. And better yet, speak to someone in the crowd who may be struggling.
Be one of the first to experience this seventy-minute dreamlike play that will explode onto the stages of the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
Performance length: 70 minutes
Directed by Michael Beh
Set & Costume Design by Michael Beh
Lighting Design by Nathaniel Knight
Sound Design by Phil Pratt and Daniel Hallen
Dramaturgy by Stephen Sewell and Michael Beh
Terms and Conditions:
Audience Warning: Mature concepts, Full frontal male nudity, strong language. Suitable for young people 16 years and over. Alcohol sales and consumption restricted to the venue for ticket holders 18 years and over.
Tickets
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