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theatre works presents

stories and songs by willing

On The Uncertainty of Signs

23 - 27 JANUARY | THEATRE WORKS
On The Uncertainty of Signs

VENUE

stories and songs by willing

What if the inbox of a meme page held the keys to the city? Specifically, how people in it loved?

That’s precisely what Willing discovered upon opening his DMs to the romantics in his orbit. What followed was an erosion of the parasocial, and a disintegration of his microcelebrity in favour of something real.

Over four months Willing dissected his audience, grilling south yarra zaddies, gertrude mums, northside e-girls and queer-adjacent young professionals about their wildest, most romantic experiences.

Their unifying trope: a willingness to see signs in everything. To find magic in the mundane.

Little did he know, this initially cynical research project would lead him to fall in love in the most annoyingly Julie Delpy way possible. (Picture a Linklater rom-com but make it kick-ons at the Heide). And, as is the songwriter’s way, a fountain of new material emerged.

On The Uncertainty of Signs weaves this revelatory musical output with the love stories he scoured his DMs to retrieve. A cabaret for the natural wine generation and their parents who couldn’t stand the stench.

Sonically, it represents a departure from the theatrical pop he’s known for, moving closer to the sort of adult contemporary boomer dads (and their woebegone gay sons) play in their Subaru Outback. Think Pretenders, Peter Gabriel, but mainly, Lana Del Ray.

Joined on stage by a full band, this is a show for anyone who’s navigated the intoxicating contours of love amid the chaos of modern life. A courageously cringe exercise in wholeheartedness as antidote to these nihilistic times.

"Willing has advanced queer music in Australia" - 4ZZZ

Theatre Works
14 Acland Street, St Kilda

DURATION

95 Minutes

WARNINGS

Course language, sexual references, suitable for an adult audience.

ACCESSIBILITY

Theatre Works is a wheelchair accessible venue. A full access guide will be available closer to the date.

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About
DATES + TIMES

Tuesday 23 January - 7:30pm
Wednesday 24 January - 7:30pm
Thursday 25 January - 7:30pm
Friday 26 January - 7:30pm
Saturday 27 January - 7:30pm

Theatre Works has a lockout policy for latecomers.  Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to ensure you don't miss out.

Refunds will not be issued to latecomers.

Dates
TICKETS

FULL PRICE

$30.00

CONCESSION*

$25.00

PREVIEW

N/A

20 at $20**

$20.00

MOB TIX

$20.00

*Seniors, Student, MEAA, Health Care and Low Income card holders

**Limited to 20 tickets per performance

Programming Banners2.jpg

Theatre Works has been long established as the south-side festival hub in Melbourne.

Theatre Works’ MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL HUB will be buzzing with 8 ground-breaking shows across 2 performance spaces. A truly queer program that embraces and celebrates the whole rainbow community.

Tickets
CREDITS

STARRING
Willing

SONGS AND SCRIPT
Willing

DIRECTED BY
Siena Stone

Credits
MEET THE ARTIST -
WILLING

Willing is a recording artist, theatre maker, and meme admin. Since his debut EP, "Small Cruelties," he's garnered a devoted following in Melbourne's queer underground. Achievements include performances at Midsumma Carnival and Gaytimes Festivals, BBC 6 Music airplay, and multiple music videos. The theatrical staging of his debut album, "Unreal City," at Meat Market cemented his reputation for making bold works at the dramatic intersection of story and song. Other collaborations include The Wilds for Rising 2022 and PopPlus for Now Or Never. Beyond music, his theatrical works, "The Gathering”, "Gaga V Assange," and “Alibi” have garnered acclaim. He is the frontman of hyperrock band, Free Entertainment.

Meet the Artist
EXTRAS

CHECK BACK SOON FOR BACKSTAGE CONTENT

Extras
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