PERSONA

BASED ON THE FILM BY INGMAR BERGMAN

 

THEATRE WORKS, MELBOURNE. MAY 2012.

MALTHOUSE THEATRE, MELBOURNE. JUNE/JULY 2013.

BELVOIR, SYDNEY. JULY/AUGUST 2013.

 

★★★★½ "Persona is brave, exciting and harrowingly beautiful theatre" JASON BLAKE - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

 

Elizabeth is an actress. One night, in the middle of Elektra, she falls silent. Nervous breakdown? Spiritual crisis? Illness? Attention seeking? No-one can say. She is sent to the seaside to recover. As Elizabeth’s silence continues, her nurse Alma begins to speak and Bergman’s signature themes kick into life: enigmatic acts of love and kindness, dangerous heights of obsession and need…

 

Persona pulls off a remarkable feat: it recreates the famous intimacy of the great Bergman’s finest film on a stage. This is a consummate theatrical close-up about our basic human need to be seen and known by another person.

 

conceived by Adena Jacobs, Dayna Morrissey and Danny Pettingil​

directed by Adena Jacobs

translated by Keith Bradfield

produced by Fraught Outfit in association with Theatre Works

 

set & costume: Dayna Morrissey

lighting: Danny Pettingill

sound: Russell Goldsmith

stage manager: Stephen Moylan

​​

​performed by Karen Sibbing, Meredith Penman, Daniel Schlusser, Hugo Donath/Harrison Feldman

 

By arrangement with Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd, on behalf of Josef Weinberger Ltd London. Translation provided by Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd.

 

"Breathtaking...stunning.....Fraught Outfit have achieved great, almost unfathomable success with Persona. A remarkable production."

CASSIE TONGUE - AUSSIE THEATRE

 

"Subtle, detailed and truthful, this collaboration transfers the mystery at the heart of Bergman’s film intact, while entirely remaking it. As I said, miraculous." ALISON CROGGON - THEATRE NOTES

 

"The film is considered one of last century’s greatest works of art and Fraught Outfit’s production doesn’t fall too far behind such an accolade in this new century. This is compelling and compulsory theatre." LLOYD BRADFORD SKYE - CRIKEY

 

"Persona is an act of majestic ambition, an affirmation of what great theatre can do." CAMERON WOODHEAD - BEHIND THE CRITICAL CURTAIN

 

★★★★★ - TIME OUT

★★★★ - ARTS HUB

9/10 - ELISSA BLAKE - SUN HERALD

 

Winner of 5 Green Room Awards:

Best Independent Production

Best Direction

Best Set Design

Best Lighting Design

Best Female Performer

 

THE MONTHLY: BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION 2012

TIME OUT: BEST PRODUCTION ON THE MEDIUM STAGE