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‘Virus-free’ theatre festival

For the last few years not-for-profit Australian National Theatre Live has been busily committing Australian productions from the likes of Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company and Windmill Theatre Co to tape for audiences around the country.

With theatres around the country shuttered by COVID-19 restrictions, from 27 March to 11 April it’ll be temporarily opening up the vaults with a virtual festival of Australian theatre.

The ‘festival’, streamed via the organisation’s Facebook page, kicks off with Sydney Theatre Company’s longrunning political satire the Wharf Revue, where Jonathan Biggins’ cancelled Keating retrospective The Gospel According to Paul was first conceived.

From 2 – 3 April you can catch Griffin Theatre’s production of David Williamson’s 1987 comedy Emerald City, starring the State Theatre Company’s own artistic director Mitchell Butel, before it all concludes with Mary Rachel Brown’s “true blue dishlicker drama” The Dapto Chaser from 10 – 11 April.

Each screening kicks off at 8pm AEDT on Facebook. You can also stream these plays and more on demand, for a nominal fee, via Vimeo.