Viw Magazine

Men's Weekly

.

  • Written by Katherine Stevenson

28 August – 17 October. Opening Night: 1 September at 8.00pm  

Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Company, Pier 4/5 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

Death and the Maiden

By Ariel Dorfman

Some plays maintain their relevance because some horrors never go away. Ariel Dorfman’s captivating psychological thriller Death and the Maiden is one such work. Featuring Susie Porter, Eugene Gilfedder and Steve Mouzakis, this new co-production between Sydney Theatre Company (STC) and Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC) is at The Wharf from 28th August (opening night 1 September), following a season in Melbourne.

 

Military rule is over and the new democracy looks towards a brighter future. But for victims of the old regime, such as Paulina (Porter), memories are a prison. Years ago, she was blindfolded, abducted and held as a political prisoner. Through months of pain and degradation she never saw her captor but she did hear his voice, calm yet menacing in her ear, a voice she will never forget. When her husband Gerardo (Mouzakis) invites a stranger (Gilfedder) back to their isolated beach house, she hears that voice again.

 

Written in the wake of the Pinochet regime in Chile, Death and the Maiden won the 1992 Olivier Award for Best New Play and STC presented the Australian premiere and national tour that same year. In a recent essay for the Weekend Australian, Ariel Dorfman wrote, “I can’t help but ask if many years from now another revival of the play will open in Melbourne and Sydney and I will again, all over again, be writing that phrase: this story happened yesterday but it could well be today. Will I write that I fear now and tomorrow that this story will repeat itself again and again?”

 

Director Leticia Càceres said:  ‘I regard Death and the Maiden as part of my heritage, part of a dark past shared not only by a number of South American countries such as my homeland Argentina, but over and over again in so many places around the world. I am honoured to be able to share it with a

new audience and demonstrate why this play is so powerful, and remains so tremendously important.’

 

Ariel Dorfman has been called a literary grandmaster and one of the greatest living Latin American novelists. He is a Chilean-American author of fiction, plays, librettos, poems, essays and films in both Spanish and English. Among his other plays are Reader, Widows, The Other Side, Purgatorio, and Picasso’s Closet. Dorfman’s fiction includes Mascara, Hard Rain, The Last Song of Manuel Sendero, Konfidenz, The Nanny and the Iceberg and The Burning City which was co-authored with his son Joaquin. A documentary based on his memoir, A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel, received numerous prizes and was shortlisted for an Academy Award.

 

Leticia Cáceres is Associate Director at Melbourne Theatre Company and has been lauded as one of the most exciting talents in the country, making her mark with crisply wrought, determined productions. Her collaborators on Death and the Maiden are Nick Schlieper for Set and Lighting Design, Anna Cordingley for Costume Design and Melbourne based DJ and Producer THE SWEATS as Composer and Sound Designer.

 

Cast: Eugene Gilfedder, Steve Mouzakis, Susie Porter

 

Director: Leticia Cáceres. Set Designer & Lighting Designer: Nick Schlieper. Costume Designer: Anna Cordingley. Composer & Sound Designer: THE SWEATS.


Box Office: 02 9250 1777. www.sydneytheatre.com.au Tickets from $58 (fees apply)

 

Suncorp Twenties (tickets for just $20 for every performance by STC become available for Death and the Maiden from August 18. Suncorp Twenties are released for sale every Tuesday at 9am for the following week’s performances (Monday to Saturday).

 

Insight Events:

Pre-season Briefing: Tuesday 25 August 6.15pm, Wharf 2 Theatre 
Audi Night with the Actors: Monday 7 September (post-show)

Financial Planning For Couples

Why Every Couple Should Talk About Money And A Will (Before It’s Too Late) When you’re in a new, exciting relationship, it’s easy t...

Navigating Relationships While Living with Depression

Living with depression can feel like carrying an invisible weight—one that not only affects how you experience the world but also how yo...

Choosing the Right Vinyl Flooring Suppliers for Your Home or Business

When it comes to selecting flooring options that combine durability, style, and affordability, vinyl flooring stands out as a top choice. ...

Why Food Manufacturing Cleaning Services Are Essential for Safety and Quality

The complexity of food production environments demands specialised cleaning approaches that go beyond regular janitorial work. This is whe...

The Importance of Choosing the Right Industrial Electrician Melbourne for Your Business

When it comes to powering large-scale operations and complex machinery, commercial electrical services are not enough. Industrial environm...

What to Expect During a Property Settlement After Separation

Separation is a challenging and emotional time, and one of the most complex aspects can be the division of property. However, understandin...

Designing the Ideal Healthcare Environment with a Professional Medical Centre Fitout

When it comes to healthcare spaces, functionality, hygiene, and patient comfort take top priority. An intelligently designed medical centr...

Stay Comfortable Year-Round with Ducted Cooling Melbourne

When the temperature starts to rise, having a reliable and efficient cooling system becomes a priority. With unpredictable weather and sud...

Best Practices for Content Ownership and Tagging Across Departments

Image by kaboompics on Freepik The bigger and more complex content ecosystems grow, the more valuable ownership and tagging become. In ent...

Understanding Public Liability Insurance Australia: What You Need to Know

Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik The necessity of public liability insurance in Australia is that it acts as a financial safeguard for busi...

How HID Proximity Cards Improve Workplace Security Without Slowing Down Access

In today’s workplaces, security is non-negotiable, but so is speed. Companies are under pressure to protect their people, property, and ...

Unlock Business Insights Faster with Power BI Tools

In this digital age where data drives the consumer landscape, businesses are shipping huge amounts of data every day. To remain competit...

Why Split System Installation Is a Smart Choice for Home Climate Control

Temperature control is essential for comfort, and when it comes to efficient, versatile cooling and heating, a split system is one of the ...

The Ultimate Guide to Door Replacement: Everything You Need to Know

Image by freepik Sure, swapping out a door is a fairly easy task, but it requires careful consideration of options for materials, designs...

Common Web Development Issues Perth Businesses Face (and How Agencies Fix Them)

Image by freepik Let's be honest, in the bustling heart of Perth's business scene, a website that's not up to scratch is like trying to he...

Life With Clear Aligners: 10 Small Changes That Make a Big Difference

Image by tonodiaz on Freepik Clear aligners have transformed orthodontics, offering a nearly invisible way to straighten teeth without the...

Choosing the Right Hair Loss Treatment for Your Needs

Millions of people experience hair loss globally, and it can be a major cause of emotional discomfort and self-consciousness. Hair loss ca...

Cardboard Display Boxes: An Effective Solution for Retail Presentation

In the competitive world of retail, how products are presented can be just as important as the products themselves. Cardboard display boxe...

Why Hiring a Skilled Shopify Web Developer Can Transform Your Online Store

Shopify has become one of the most popular e-commerce platforms due to its ease of use, powerful features, and scalability. However, creat...

Selling a Home Left 1 in 3 Aussies in Tears, Survey Finds

New research on selling property found that more than 1 in 3 people who sold a property in the past two years admitted to crying at some poi...