theatre works and ella filar present
by ella filar
The Butcher, The Baker ...
5 - 15 FEBRUARY | EXPLOSIVES FACTORY
by ella filar
“You want to be a butcher? You’ve got to love a butcher.”
“The Butcher, The Baker … was originally inspired by my experiences of living with a group of women on Amazon Acres deep in the New South Wales bush in the 1970s – ‘no men, no meat, no machines!’”
– Ella Filar, writer
A tale with a twist, The Butcher, The Baker … is a story of a woman who – in an effort to probe the mystery of a man she is obsessed with, but cannot get close to – disguises herself as a male. But the plan misfires and she is left with more than a sting in her tail!
VENUE
Explosives Factory, Rear Laneway 67 Inkerman Street, St Kilda
DURATION
75 minutes
WARNINGS
Violence, themes of a sexual nature, depictions of death, strong language
ACCESSIBILITY
Explosives Factory is accessed via a flight of stairs and is not wheelchair accessible.
“ Cabaret at its best! ” – Jonathan Marshall, Inpress
“ Fantastically haunting cabaret music of the Weimar period…. Keen powers of observations… seething, seamy eroticism. ” – Geoffrey Milne, ABC Radio
“ The songs are the stand-out element, the music has an urgency to it that is alluring and the lyrics are rich in imagery ” – Fiona Scott-Norman, The Age
“ A deft mixture: poetic monologue, some excellent dialogue and nifty, moody songs…well-structured and crafted and always with a wacky European edge to its delivery ” – Steven Carroll, The Age
DATES + TIMES
Wednesday 5 February 7:30pm (PREVIEW)
Thursday 6 February 7:30pm (OPENING)
Friday 7 February 7:30pm
Saturday 8 February 7:30pm
Tuesday 11 February 7:30pm
Wednesday 12 February 7:30pm
Thursday 13 February 7:30pm
Friday 14 February 7:30pm
Saturday 15 February 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
$35.00
CONCESSION*
$30.00
PREVIEW
$25.00
RUSH TIX**
$25.00
MOB TIX
$25.00
*Seniors, Student, MEAA, Health Care and Low Income card holders
**Limited to 20 tickets per performance
Theatre Works has been long established as the south-side festival hub in Melbourne.
Theatre Works’ MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL HUB will be buzzing with 6 ground-breaking shows. A truly queer program that embraces and celebrates the whole rainbow community.
CREDITS
Writer / Composer / Musical Director
Ella Filar
Director
Kevin Hopkins
Cast
Honey Valik (the art maker): Natasha Broadstock
Alex Summers (the brain surgeon): Claire Nicholls
Johnny Agostino (the butcher): Fletcher Dyson
Voices
Myf Powell
Bruce Langdon
Band
Martin Zakharov/Luke Schreiber (Sax)
Sally Banks/Lyuba Khromchenko (Violin)
Ella Filar (Keyboard)
Christos Linou / Brandon Payne (Percussion)
Technical/Stage Manager
Chris Molyneux
MEET THE ARTIST -
Ella Filar
The daughter of an ex-priest turned gynecologist and a Jewish-Polish princess turned communist, underground icon Ella Filar is Melbourne’s ‘Queen of Kabaret’ – creating theatre that is political and vulgar, artistic and grotesque, sexy and sublime!
Inspired by ‘left of Berlin’ post-war musicology and performance, Grimms’ Fairy Tales and Judeo-Christian ritual, her inimitable style is characterised by a rich combination of the ordinary and the fantastic; the joyful and the terrifying.
EXTRAS
PRODUCTION IMAGE GALLERY
Click below to peruse a gallery of production images from a previous season of THE BUTCHER, THE BAKER...