22 May – 2 June 2019
Carved straight from the epic traditions of Greek theatre, THE THREE GRACES is drama on a grand scale. With striking visual clarity and amplified physical performances produced by Melbourne theatre company, The Anchor, THE THREE GRACES will plunge audiences straight into the gearshift of the twenty-first century.
THE THREE GRACES have a lot to say. They are a legacy from a different time; an artistic symbol of what humans have chosen to preserve, what humans have valued in the past and what humans think should endure into the future. In this play, they manifest as a public fountain and meeting place. When the water is turned off, they become aware that the world is crumbling around them, and are forced to decide whether it’s worth sticking around for a future that humans are failing to preserve.
In the same city, three young women are making their way in the world. They are living in a time of extremes, with a volatile future staring them down. As woman, they finally have the power and opportunity to lead. Yet there is a snag, and it comes in the shape of a baby. Can women raise profit margins and the next generation, while simultaneously treading lightly on the earth?
This play is set at a tipping point, in a world of shifting morals. It explores the tension between our personal responsibility to the future, and our collective desperation to transform ourselves into something worthy of preservation. THE THREE GRACES asks: can we live a valuable life under the weight of the legacies we’ve inherited? Who has the right to make their mark on this earth? And how much time do we have left before this all evaporates?
"The Three Graces is part tragedy, part comedy and entirely engaging... an enthralling work."
★★★★ KATE ROSE, HERALD SUN
"Laura Lethlean’s text is epic, ambitiously rich in ideas and images. She has found a brave and inventive collaborator in Katie Cawthorne energetic and frequently physical direction. They have developed an intimacy between the text and the action that is consistently revelatory."
★★★★ DARBY TURNBULL, THEATRE PEOPLE
"Each part of The Three Graces comes together in glorious fashion, creating a sensational production. Led by an exceptional team, it’s a show not to be missed. I look forward to what the Anchor Theatre Company produces next."
IRENE BELL, THEATRE PRESS
“For me, theatre’s brilliance is making you think. And The Three Graces certainly gives me a great deal to think about.
LUCINDA NAUGHTON, THEATRE TRAVELS
"This ever-querying trio with brilliant expressive abilities propose scenarios and paint pictures in our minds while we are left pondering life, politics, values and truths."
★★★★ JYTTE HOLMQVIST, BEMELBOURNE
DURATION
80 minutes no interval
WARNINGS
Loud Noises
Written by
LAURA LETHLEAN
Directed by
KATIE CAWTHORNE
Designer
TYLER RAY HAWKINS
Stage Manager
LAURA BARNES
Performed by
MADELAINE NUNN, CANDACE MILES, ANNA RODWAY
Sound Designer
GRACE FERGUSON
Lighting Designer
RACHEL LEE
Photo by
JACK DIXON-GUNN
Publicity
ELEANOR HOWLETT (SASSY RED PR)