clare mendes & melbourne writers’ theatre present
by clare mendes
Skating In The Clouds
4 - 14 DECEMBER | THEATRE WORKS
Skating In The Clouds
VENUE
by clare mendes
Summer and Autumn are in love, but there’s a problem in their love nest. Autumn roams the house, spanner in hand, looking for a drip she can’t see while Summer plans a spectacular skating party. With cracks emerging in their relationship, tough questions need to be asked. What if Julia Gillard doesn’t like the ornamental ice vulture, or Penny Wong can’t skate? And why is ice starting to appear on the floor of their St Kilda living room?
A modern fairytale that begins with salsa, pirouettes into the clouds and ends on a snow-capped mountain, Skating in the Clouds is an adventurous new work by playwright Clare Mendes. The recipient of a Malcolm Robertson Foundation grant, and featuring a creative team led by artists from Melbourne Writers’ Theatre, this magic-realist romp draws audiences into the intricate relationship of Summer and Autumn – with its romance and arguments, dancing and dreaming – then takes you on their ride. Powered by an all-female cast and crew, Skating in the Clouds pays special tribute to the unique strength and style of 50+ women. Finally, girls, a play written for Us!
Theatre Works
14 Acland Street, St Kilda
DURATION
90 Minutes
WARNINGS
Suitable for audiences aged 15+
Intimacy, Themes of depression, anxiety, self-harm, Climate change, Haze, Strobe
ACCESSIBILITY
Theatre Works is a wheelchair accessible venue. A full access guide will be available closer to the date.
DATES + TIMES
Wednesday 4 December - 7:30pm
Thursday 5 December - 7:30pm
Friday 6 December - 7:30pm
Saturday 7 December - 7:30pm
Tuesday 10 December - 7:30pm
Wednesday 11 December - 7:30pm
Thursday 12 December - 7:30pm
Friday 13 December - 7:30pm
Saturday 14 December - 7:30pm
Theatre Works has a lockout policy for latecomers. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to ensure you don't miss out.
Refunds will not be issued to latecomers.
TICKETS
FULL PRICE
$45.00
CONCESSION*
$35.00
PREVIEW
$28.00
20 at $20**
$20.00
MOB TIX
$20.00
*Seniors, Student, MEAA, Health Care and Low Income card holders
**Limited to 20 tickets per performance
Our AT THEATRE WORKS program is for artists, companies or works that align with some but not all of our values as an organisation. We co-present these works with the independent artists and organisations. Works within this programming stream receive marketing support, technical support, free venue use and a generous box office split but largely we give them the keys and get out of their way.
CREDITS
WRITER
Clare Mendes
DIRECTOR
Emily Farrell
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Ellie Nielsen
PERFORMED BY
Rebecca Morton
Katrina Mathers
Shamita Sivabalan
El Kiley
SET DESIGNER
Bianca Pardo
SOUND DESIGNER
Sharyn Brand
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Natalia Velasco Moreno
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Barbara Yazbeck
MOVEMENT COORDINATOR
Lucy Payne
PRODUCER
Clare Mendes
DRAMATURGE
Elizabeth Walley
PHOTOGRAPHER
Anna Moloney-Heath
PUBLICIST
Sassy Red PR
MEET THE ARTIST -
CLARE MENDES
Clare wrote advertisements, radio plays, novels and Neighbours scripts before becoming a playwright. Skating in the Clouds is her fourth play, and the first in a series of epic, magic-realist, adventurous works to be created by an all-female cast and crew. Clare developed Skating in the Clouds with a grant from the Malcolm Robertson Foundation. The Company Manager of Melbourne Writers’ Theatre, she also produces MWT’s theatrical seasons. Away from the luxury of theatre Clare volunteers with the Alliance for International Women’s Rights, empowering Afghan women through education. Clare loves poetry, boxing, birds, and nudging her audiences towards new thinking.
