Imagine a world where “how do you do” can mean “I want to sleep with your wife” and “would you like a cup of coffee” could mean “I want to kill you.” Now place in it the perfect living room with the perfect couple. Watch as a perfect evening turns into perfect chaos.

The Bald Soprano is a crazy adventure of a wild, wacky and very random dinner party. It rocks and rolls with a mad use of language and joyfully pulses to the beat of its own crazy rhythm. At a deeper level The Bald Soprano presents an existential view of reality as the breakdown of communication, more relevant than ever in today’s world of media lies, political deception and marriage breakdown. Yet instead of depressing us, it reminds us of the necessity to sit back and laugh at the absurdities of human nature. With a record number of interpretations, it has become one of the most performed plays in France. This newly revamped performance features young up and coming Melbourne actors who bounce off each other with engaging chemistry and hilarious results.

A mad look at life’s most mundane moments.

Absurd Productions, founded by Paul Terrell and Nicholas Halliwell, is a youth fringe theatre company which aims to promote young artists. Paul Terrell is the winner of the 2006 Melbourne University Production of the Year Award for Fando & Lis by Fernando Arrabal. He has also been twice shortlisted for this award for the staging of Witches of Eastwick (2006) and Singin’ in the Rain (2005). The Bald Soprano features Iván Eduardo Sikic Solórzano, Tobi Manderson-Galvin, Marita May Fox, H.Clare Callow, Natalie Gee and Anthony Couroupis.

Eugene Ionesco (1909 - 1994) was one of the foremost playwrights of the Theater of the Absurd. His plays depict, in a tangible way, the solitude of humans and the insignificance of one's existence. They are an important prelude to current perceptions of the postmodern world as existential and meaningless.

Ionesco describes The Bald Soprano as an anti play, as he breaks away from conventional theatrical forms. Ionesco rejects a coherent story-line, instead taking the dramatic structure of the plays from accelerating rhythms and/or cyclical repetitions. He disregards coherent dialogue, using non sequiturs and allowing language to take on a life of its own.

The Bald Soprano was Eugène Ionesco’s first play, written in 1950. Since 1957 it has been permanently showed at the Théâtre de la Huchette in Paris, and received a Molière d'honneur for its performances.


Absurd Productions presents
The Bald Soprano
By Eugene Ionesco
Translated by Donald M Allen

Directed by Paul Terrell

Venue: Northcote Town Hall | 189 High Street Northcote
Dates: 7 - 11 March & 14 - 17 March, 2007
Times: Wed - Sun @ 8pm; Sun @ 5pm
Tickets: $15 Adult, $10 Conc. Sunday Special - all tix $8
Bookings: 0427 742 424 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it