| Marie Antoinette: The Colour of Flesh | Red Stitch |
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Red Stitch stage the Australian Premiere of Joel Gross’s engaging historical drama surrounding the affairs, intrigues and doomed friendships of the hapless Queen Marie Antoinette amidst the growing social and political turbulence of an impending French Revolution.
Elisabeth Vigée le Brun, a beautiful, social-climbing portrait painter, uses her affair with Count Alexis de Ligne, a left-leaning philanderer, to get a commission to paint the naïve, young, homesick Queen, Marie Antoinette. While the ever-pragmatic Elisa exploits the Queen to further her career, Alexis, too, courts the Queen to pursue his political agenda. Over the course of twenty years and an increasingly volatile political backdrop, a complex triangle develops, as both Elisa and Alexis come to love the queen they are exploiting, setting off a scandal that will shatter all of their lives.
“I tried, as my mother had always taught me, to present a majestic image to the people that would dignify the royal office — in that, you and your very beautiful paintings were my only allies.” - Marie Antoinette
Joel Gross gives history a refreshingly human face in his richly detailed psychological study of an imagined love triangle that cleverly explores private emotions within the broader political context. Deftly weaving politics, history, art, and romance; the play brilliantly illuminates human nature, the inherent social issues in late-18th century France, and the terrible and inevitable trajectory of the French Revolution. Spanning twenty years of French history, it also paints a fascinating portrait of the ill-fated Marie Antoinette, her journey from naïve inexperience to stoic maturity and her tragic, unwitting place in history.
“The sweep of a historical novel… real events swirl outside, while inside at Versailles, emotions swirl just as vigorously around a triangle of love and friendship...Explores issues of class...while creating a touching story of love.” - The New York Times
“This elegant, intimate drawing-room-and boudoir drama...deftly (weaves) politics, history, art and romance...” - BackStage
“One of the season’s best…a white-hot play.” - The Star-Ledger
Red Stitch welcomes the return of long-time collaborator, Denis Moore whose previous directing efforts at Red Stitch include The Country, Outlying Islands, After Miss Julie and Harvest (winner of both Best Direction and Best Production Green Room Awards (Companies) in 2007. Marie Antoinette: The Colour of Flesh features ensemble members Olivia Connolly (Marie) Erin Dewar (Elisabeth), and Brett Cousins (Alexis).
Red Stitch
Marie Antoinette: The Colour of Flesh
by Joel Gross
Where: Red Stitch Actors Theatre, rear 2 Chapel St, St Kilda East (opp Astor)
When: Fri Oct 10 – Sat Nov 8. Wed – Sat 8pm, Sun 6.30pm. $18 previews Wed 8 and Thurs 9 Oct
Tickets: $30/20
Bookings: www.redstitch.net (discounted tix) or on 03 9533 8083
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