TRASH POP BUTTERFLIES, DANCE DANCE PARADISE
22 MARCH — 1 APRIL 2023 | THEATRE WORKS
What does it take to nurture a blossoming utopia? A clique of young anarchists burrow deep to find out…
Trash Pop Butterflies, Dance Dance Paradise speaks to our current fears, anxieties & hopes around the climate crisis, with some tongue-in-cheek fun amidst impending doom. Drawing from the fantastical and the absurd, the world of this play champions the power of youthful dreams—where anything that is imagined can become real. For in the face of mass catastrophe, perhaps the ability to imagine new worlds is our last saving grace. And when you feel small and powerless, the least you can do is laugh back and dance.
Part theatre, contemporary dance, and Riot Grrrl fanzine come to life, this riotous, comedic, and high-energy performance is a celebration of eco-feminist rebellion.
REVIEWS
“Morita’s writing is absurdist but playful; dense, but rich with detail. Astute social and political commentaries are offered with ready spoonfuls of wit” — Theatre Matters
“Shows like this are the reason I love theatre... brilliantly written by Maki Morita... If you give a shit about anything, this play will shake you to the core.” — You Should See It Melb
“...effortless visual irony and brilliant storytelling” — Theatre Travels
“...an intense, fascinating, poignant, hopeful and absurd look at the world through the eyes of three young women filled with hope and hopelessness.” — You Should See It Melb
“the show holds your attention and never lets go. In between ecocritical rants, sharp feminist observations and Kmart trips, Trash Pop Butterflies, Dance Dance Paradise, is able to marry an ambitious interpretation of theatrical form with a unique point of view that manages to find plenty of laughs in between.” — Theatre Matters
“filled to bursting with shiny homemade treasures and earnest punk goodness” — Theatre Travels
Creatives involved in premiere at Theatre Works 2023
WRITER: Maki Morita
DIRECTOR: Amelia Burke
DRAMATURG: Noemie Huttner-Koros
LIGHTING DESIGNERS: Giovanna Yate Gonzales & Tessa Atkinson
CHOREOGRAPHER: Alec Katsourakis
SET & COSTUME DESIGNER: Jessamine Moffett
SOUND DESIGNER: Laura Strobech
STAGE MANAGER: Emily Rose
PRODUCER: Agnese Perri
CAST:
Hayley Edwards
Vivian Nguyen
Alana Louise
Margot Morales
Myfanwy Hocking
The original debut of TPBDDP as part of Midsumma Festival 2022 was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Reading/development at fortyfivedownstairs in May 2022.
TPBDDP was proudly supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants, National Institue of Dramatic Arts and Lesbians Incorporated Community Grants program.
