Fish From The Sky In Theatre Of Miracles

Media Release: April 15, 2010
for Immediate Release

Fish From The Sky In Theatre Of Miracles

Silo Theatre presents
WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING
“…A stunning, gut-wrenching piece of theatre. Once seen it will never be forgotten…”
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

Bold, visually arresting and profoundly moving, WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING is a theatrical Rubik’s cube – an epic story of past, present and future… of planet, continent and individual. Andrew Bovell’s powerful, award-winning play has enthralled audiences in Australia, London and New York and finally hits Auckland from June 4 at the Herald Theatre.

2039. Fish are a rarity, almost extinct. Rainfall is incessant. The planet has been ravaged by years of abuse.
A fish falls from the sky and lands at the feet of Gabriel York – manna from heaven to bless the reunion of a father with his long lost son. And so we embark on an epic journey which crosses continents and spans four generations of one family. From the claustrophobia of 1950s London to the windswept coast of South Australia and into the dark heart of the Australian desert, we delve into the past and reach into the future, bringing to light the enduring impact of collective and individual actions.

Set against the backdrop of a dramatically changing climate and an uncertain future, magic realism weaves with naturalistic voyeurism. Fish fall from the sky, snow falls in the desert and one family creates a matrix of estrangement and betrayal over an eighty year period.

Bovell’s ambitious tale of compassion, transformation and survival was the surprise hit of the 2008 Adelaide Festival and is the latest achievement in an illustrious career. He has received the Australian Writers Guild Award for Best Play or Best Screenplay on 9 separate occasions. As a screenwriter, his films include Edge of Darkness with Mel Gibson, Baz Lurhmann’s Strictly Ballroom, Head On and Blessed, which is currently playing as part of the World Cinema Showcase around New Zealand. In 2001, his film Lantana (which was in turn adapted from his play Speaking in Tongues) won over 34 awards internationally.

The toast of the town in both Sydney and Melbourne last year, When The Rain Stops Falling has won over 15 awards, including the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Play, the Helpmann Award for Best Play and the Premier’s Literary Award in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. It played at London’s Almeida Theatre in 2009 and is currently playing on Broadway. Dedicated to bringing Auckland audiences the best of contemporary international theatre, Silo Theatre’s production is only the third to be staged in the world.

Tandi Wright returns to the stage after a two year hiatus, during which time she gave birth to her first child and took one of the leading roles in the upcoming TV2 drama This Is Not My Life, which hits our small screen in June. She is joined onstage by a stellar ensemble cast including Stephen Lovatt (TV2’s Go Girls; The Scene), Peter Elliott (Ruben Guthrie; God of Carnage), Jennifer Ludlam (NZ Screen Award Winner for Apron Strings) and Silo Theatre alumni Morgana O’Reilly and Simon London, both of whom return to the company after working overseas. Acclaimed NZ singer-songwriter Tama Waipara augments the creative team, having been commissioned to compose the soundtrack for this production.

Silo Theatre Artistic Director Shane Bosher follows up sellout productions of That Face, Holding The Man and Ruben Guthrie with this landmark work: “Bovell’s play is about the legacy we inherit from our parents and the legacy we leave behind for our children. It will haunt audiences long after the rain has stopped falling and audiences have walked into the night.”

“…FOUR STARS … A work of gripping and emotional depth … Its emotional intensity and poignant sense of transience mark it out as something very special……”
THE TELEGRAPH
WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING plays 4th June – 3rd July
Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, THE EDGE®
Tickets: $25.00 - $45.00 (service fees will apply)
Tickets available through THE EDGE – www.buytickets.co.nz or 09 357 3355

ends

© Scoop Media