theatre works and kasey barratt present
by kasey barratt with text by mary shelley
Nihilistic Optimism on Trampolines
26 NOVEMBER - 6 DECEMBER | THEATRE WORKS
by kasey barratt with text by mary shelley
A wildly weird reimagining of the origin of Frankenstein, featuring a theatrically gruesome battle on trampolines to a soundtrack of existential dread and an entire swimming pool worth of sweat.
It’s an unbearably boring afternoon at Trampoline World. Thunder crashes overhead, some kid has thrown up in the bathroom, AND the roof is leaking... again.
Boredom quickly descended into cutthroat competition, and existential dread explodes into colourfully grotesque live rock music. There’s a bloody fight in a foam pit, and even gut-wrenching, stomach-churning, heart-shattering poetry can’t save love.
Nihilistic Optimism on Trampolines is a comedically cathartic battle between nihilism and optimism with all the angst of working in customer service, exploring the struggle to find identity and purpose in a tumultuous world with an uncertain future.
Can these Nihilistic Optimists find meaning in their seemingly meaningless job?
Featuring text from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and text from Mary Shelley's personal journals
VENUE
Theatre Works
14 Acland Street, St Kilda
DURATION
60 minutes
WARNINGS
15+, Flashing lights, Loud Noises, Coarse Language, Depictions of Violence
Themes of: existential dread, nihilism, pessimism and mental health.
ACCESSIBILITY
Theatre Works is a wheelchair accessible venue. A full access guide will be available closer to the date.
DATES + TIMES
Wednesday 26 November 7:30pm (Preview)
Thursday 27 November 7.30 pm (Opening)
Friday 28 November 7:30pm
Saturday 29 November 7:30pm
Tuesday 2 December 7.30pm
Wednesday 3 December 7:30pm
Thursday 4 December 7:30pm
Friday 5 December 7:30pm
Saturday 6 December 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.
TICKETS
FULL PRICE
$35.00
CONCESSION
$28.00
PREVIEW
$25.00
MOB TIX
$25.00
Our FRESH WORKS program is for Early Career Artists. Similar to our WITH THEATRE WORKS program but for those less along in their producing and making journey. In addition to producing, marketing, PR and production support, FRESH WORKS artists have access to creative, technical and producing mentorship.
*Seniors, Student, MEAA, Health Care and Low Income card holders
CREDITS
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY
Kasey Barratt (she/her)
CO-CHOREOGRAPHER
Elyssa Barratt (she/her)
SET/COSTUME DESIGN BY
Josh McNeill (he/him)
LIGHTING DESIGN BY
Tom Vulcan (he/him)
SOUND DESIGN/COMPOSITION BY
Sofia Jorgovic (she/they)
John Sharp (he/him)
STAGE MANAGER & SOUND OPERATOR
Azriel Halge (she/her)
DRAMATURGY BY
Rosa Ablett-Johnstone (she/her)
Belle Hansen (she/her)
CO-PRODUCER
Anita Mei La Terra (she/her)
BAND
Jackson Cross (he/him) on GUITAR
Darby Ferguson-Cumming (he/him) on BASS
Nicholas Costa (he/him) on DRUMS
CAST
Gabrielle Ward (she/her) as MARY
Bek Schilling (they/them) as PERCY
Eleanor Golding (she/her) as BYRON
Sophie Graham Jones (she/her) as CLAIRE
Zoe Wakelin (she/her) as JOHN
Jett Chudleigh (she/her) as CREATURE
Morgan Murphy-Dale (she/her) as SWING
MEET THE ARTIST -
Kasey Barratt
Kasey (she/her) is a queer actor/theatre maker with a deep love for text, poetry, music and physical theatre. She is a graduate of Federation University’s Bachelor of Performing Arts (2023).
Post-graduating Kasey was selected to take part in Theatre Works’ Early Career Artists Program, learning how to make ambitious and experimental theatre. As part of the program, she performed in VOLITION; The Volition Project (2024). Most recently she played the role of Mars in Midnight Carousel (THEATREWORKS, MAINSTAGE, 2024).
As a theatre maker Kasey is passionate about creating work that dissects traditional narrative structures and embraces absurdity, confusion and the grotesque.
