Desire - Alex Broun

Wow! There is so much about this play that I think is perfect for our theme: Australian relationships.  It is set in the 1990’s but I think it could be changed to now very easily.  Even better than that as far as logistics and money goes, the play is free to produce (as are most of Alex Broun’s works). 

This play is all about sex, desire and finding oneself, and is set predominantly in Sydney’s nightlife scene.  The main issue with producing this is the required stage space- but with further research I’m sure I can find a way to have it performed at Griffin Theatre.

By moving the bar from Kinsela’s to The Ivy (or of course to avoid legal reason something that reminds others of The Ivy) the audience can draw more meaning from Gerald’s monologue in Scene Four.  That said, I think there is enough controversy going around at the moment about people being rejected at the door that everyone will just understand it without reference to The Ivy – at them moment there is a Facebook group going around against discrimination at the door of bars, pubs and clubs of Sydney.  But discrimination is only just touched on, for the most part Desire is about sex, love, drugs and manipulation. 

Sounds good right?

Well at first I was a sceptic, but then as I read on and a started to envision Desire in our two venues I started to get excited.  I thought to myself, this both perfectly fits into our theme but is also different enough to give the season that extra bit of zing.

While reading Desire I started to think about the target audience.  Do we want all the plays open to everyone or do we want specific plays for specific people.  If we choose Desire as one of our plays, I think we would be leaning more towards the latter.  Which you know I think is a good thing.  That is the beauty of Australian plays, they tell so many different stories, and f course some are going to resonate more with some than others.  In all seriousness Desire would have to be a MA play (is that what you call it in the theatre?) because there are a few themes that may be too much for younger audience members.

Alex’s Blurb:

Sydney. Summer. In the nightclubs, bars and cafes of the harbour city four young people are searching. But what for ? Sex. Love. Friendship. DESIRE follows the lives of four young adults - Lara, Kate, Gerald and Patrick - caught in a web of interlocking friendships, relationships and romance. A quartet striving for some substance in an image obsessed world. When it broke Box Office records at the Crossroads Theatre in 1994 - The Sydney Morning Herald said DESIRE "hums with an inner city pulse of traffic, caffeine and designer drugs." The Telegraph Mirror described the play as "slick and fast moving" and "an accurate reflection of where it's at", while the Australian National Playwright's Centre said DESIRE has the "makings of a cult theatre classic." When was the last time you saw a play that explored the way you feel ? DESIRE is that play. Sex, love or friendship - what do you want? 

Alice x.