2024 Season Information
The Earl Arts Centre,
24 – 27 April 2024
Directed by Mitchell Langley
Katurian, a fiction writer living in a police state, who is interrogated about the gruesome content of their short stories and their similarities to a number of bizarre child murders occurring in their town.
This production is a fascinating defence of the power of the imagination and the freedom of the writer that shocks and unsettles with virtually every word.
The Earl Arts Centre,
4 -14 September 2024
Directed by Jeff Hockley OAM
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is Mark Haddon's first novel written for adults and has been adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens. The story is told through the perspective of an intelligent fifteen-year-old boy with autism. But Haddon says the novel and play is not simply about disability: "It's about what you can do with words and what it means to communicate with someone." Haddon never actually uses the word autism in the novel. Christopher Boone narrates the story after finding his neighbour's dog, Wellington, murdered with a garden fork. The play is Christopher's account of his investigation, and as he gets closer to the truth, he begins to investigate the personal mysteries in his family, and of society. Christopher sees the world only in black and white, but through his ultra-rational and un-ironic prism, we experience the spectrum of the boy's vibrant and vital mind. The play is an enlightening peek into Christopher’s mysterious world. Both the book and play have become international bestsellers, winning many awards.
The Launceston Players will be holding auditions for THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME and welcomes anybody from any background who identifies as neurodivergent and who would like to be a part of this ground-breaking project. Neurodivergence is often culturally limited to those with autistic spectrum disorder and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. We consider neurodivergence broadly, such as having a brain that functions in ways that diverge significantly from the dominant societal standards of ‘normal.’ For instance, having developmental, intellectual, psychiatric, or learning disabilities.
The main character is 15-year-old Christopher, he says he goes to a “special school” and has “behavioural problems.” His reported behavioural problems include groaning, refusing to speak for days at a time, and aversion to physical touch, all of which are associated with autism and Asperger syndrome. Note that the author, Mark Haddon, avoids using Christopher as a symbol for autism, a point he takes pains to make by not medicalizing Christopher and not even mentioning the term "autism."
CAST TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
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