Merrigong Theatre Company has announced a program which supports new and developing works.
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In 2020, the MerrigongX artists' program will comprise two shows, two showings of productions currently in development, and more.
"The idea is that anybody who's part of the program either lives within the Illawarra, or has a connection to the Illawarra," Leland Kean, artistic development manager at Merrigong said.
"They could be ex-students who have been here, or have grown up here and are now living elsewhere, but come back to work within the regional context.
"There's a strong, vibrant community of artists living in the Illawarra, and that's Merrigong's M.O. - to support, nurture and give opportunities to those artists, so they don't have to ship off to the city, and can stay local."
The program includes:
- May will feature a development showing from Artisan Collective of The Keeper.
- In June, Ten Tonne Sparrow will present Mount Hopeless, a tragic comedy rock opera based on the story of Burke and Wills.
- Sydney theatre-maker Lily Hayman will bring Fledgling to the stage in August. This is an adaptation of The Flight of Birds by Wollongong novelist Joshua Lobb.
- In October, comes a development showing of Storyland, in which five 'sidekicks' tell tales of survival and destruction speaking from the near and distant future and moving back in time. It's an adaptation of Illawarra author Catherine McKinnon's acclaimed novel.
Meanwhile, Merrigong's performance nights, Made From Scratch, returns in 2020, offering artists space and support to test new ideas in front of a live audience.
These events will showcase new works from local artists across performance, film, stand-up comedy, poetry, cabaret, circus and anything in between.
In 2020, Merrigong has announced they are trialling a new ticketing initiative.
For all MerrigongX shows, there will be no set ticket price. Instead, audience members will be asked to reserve a spot, show up and then pay what they feel the performance was worth afterwards.
