Get ready for the funniest, juiciest, most disturbing theatre experience of 2010 as Brink Productions’ hilariously unsettling Harbinger, by Matthew Whittet, makes its world premiere on August 31 at Space Theatre.
Harbinger, directed by Chris Drummond and starring Nathan O’Keefe, Alex Menglet and Yael Stone follows the story of characters Maddy and Chris after they meet in thrilling circumstances and embark on a journey into the night.
Chris (Nathan O’Keefe) doesn’t talk to girls; they can be a bit intimidating. But when he discovers Maddy (Yael Stone) alone on a city street at dusk, disoriented and bleeding, he figures he should offer her a hand. It turns out Maddy has been attacked – the problem is, she can’t remember who by. After a chilling turn of events the two begin a quest to discover the truth of what has befallen her, resulting in a rich theatrical brew of crimson humour, nightmarish dreamscapes and a tender ‘boy meets girl, girl eats boy’ love story.
“Harbinger opens up unexpected worlds. It’s vivid, exciting theatre," said Brink Productions’ artistic director Chris Drummond.
"A brilliant combination of romantic horror and deadpan wit, it twists and bucks and shimmers like a disturbing and beautiful dream. It goes into very dark places but it’s got a huge heart. I think Harbinger is one of the most intelligent, generous, playful and imaginative shows I’ve ever worked on.”
The leading South Australian theatre company, which commissioned the play by Sydney-based writer and actor Matthew Whittet, has been developing the work for eighteen months in collaboration with an artistic team that includes designer Wendy Todd, composer Stuart Day, lighting designer David Gadsden, sound designer Mick Jackson and producer Kay Jamieson.
Joining Adelaide actor Nathan O’Keefe (who played both the young lover and the little sister in Brink’s hilarious 2009 production of The Hypochondriac) are Alex Menglet (from Melbourne) and Yael Stone (from Sydney). Russian-born Menglet studied at the Moscow State Institute of Drama before immigrating to Australia and has since performed extensively on stage and screen, while the in-demand Stone has received numerous awards for her roles on stage and TV.
It is a rare and thrilling treat when contemporary blood-soaked horror disgraces the stage, and Harbinger does just that. Harbinger premieres at the Space Theatre on August 31 and plays through to September 11 (previews take place from August 27).
Tickets are available through BASS on 131 246 or www.bass.net.au. Dying to know what else the Brink gang have up their sleeves? Head to their website, or follow them on Twitter.