A buried secret, three complicated lives and one night that changes everything are at the centre of Luke, a new Australian play receiving its world premiere at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre this September.
Developed through Red Stitch’s INK program, the decades-spanning and proudly queer work comes from Melbourne-based playwright Angus Cameron and opens on Friday 18 September.
Directed by Iain Sinclair, Luke unfolds over one pivotal night in 2007, when Chris, fresh out of high school, spends the evening drinking, arguing and philosophising with two older teacher friends. As a long-hidden secret begins to emerge, the night takes an irreversible turn, with consequences that continue to reshape their lives.
Red Stitch ensemble members Olga Makeeva and Dion Mills star alongside Will Lonsdale, who makes his company debut. The production promises a form-bending exploration of memory, identity, trauma, storytelling and the complicated relationships between mentors and their students.
Cameron says the play grew from an interest in how those ideas become tangled together, writing,
“Luke was inspired by the entanglement of memory, identity, trauma, and storytelling,” he said.
“It’s an ode to the magic of mentors and the consequences of silence. I want to interrogate the culture of the past 20 years through the lens of both the limitations and possibilities of creativity. I’m so grateful to be working with a company dedicated to nurturing talent and taking theatrical risk.”
The creative team includes set and costume designer Nathan Burmeister, lighting designer Nik Pajanti and sound designer Ethan Hunter.
Luke runs from 18 September to 11 October at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre on Chapel Street, St Kilda East. Tickets are on sale now,
