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  • A Message From Mitchell – March 2022

A Message From Mitchell - March 2022

Dear theatre lovers of South Australia,

I hope you’ve all had a great start to the year and are now enjoying Adelaide’s spectacular Mad March of artistic treats.

It does seem like we’ve turned a corner. The peak is passing, restrictions are lifting in South Australia and there is a sense of excitement in the air that maybe those things that we love doing with others, like gathering for phenomenal theatre, are returning to our lives. Hooray!

Certainly, the response to our 2022 Season has shown that you are really keen for great theatre experiences. The number of people subscribing to our shows in 2022 is the highest it’s been in many years. It seems people are loving the shows we’ve programmed and loving the huge ticket discounts and prime position seats they get by subscribing rather than buying at the last minute. And loving that they can look forward to theatrical jewels in their diary.

It seems that people have also cottoned onto the fact that by subscribing, they can also get up to 50% off their ticket price to our biggest production of the year, our co-production of the musical GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY starring multi-award winner Lisa McCune and featuring the songs of the legendary Bob Dylan. It opens later this month at Her Majesty’s Theatre after a sensational and triumphant season in Sydney where The Australian called it “storytelling of the richest kind… profoundly affecting, with a vital spark of hope, transcendence even”.

“Like a Rolling Stone” is one of my favourite songs in the show, which I was thrilled to see in Sydney and where the opening night crowd leapt to its feet to applaud its magnificent and huge cast. Our 2022 season is like a rolling treat of other brilliant shows featuring new Australian comedies, classic dramas and bold new works. The Dunstan Playhouse will be home to many of these – exceptional works like CHALKFACE, SUNSHINE SUPER GIRL (celebrating Ash Barty’s favourite mentor, Evonne Goolagong), THE NORMAL HEART and the hilarious SINGLE ASIAN FEMALE.

It’s not too late to subscribe to these and other dynamite shows and to get great seats at the best prices. We want to grow our family and have set our sights on attracting 3,000 wonderful subscribers for 2022. We’re getting very close to hitting that mark and we’d love your help getting there. In fact, if you’re the person who becomes our 3000th subscriber, we’re going to give you the whole season for free! You heard it here!

Recently, I had the great privilege to direct the incomparable Justine Clarke in our production of Dennis Kelly’s extraordinary play, GIRLS & BOYS as part of the Adelaide Festival. The entire three-week season sold out, such was the acclaim for the show. Many people who desperately tried to get in after it opened couldn’t. If only they’d subscribed!

It was a thrilling reception. We were also so thrilled too by the response from audiences and critics alike to our new multi-racial version of WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? which has just closed in Brisbane after its Adelaide and Sydney seasons. We were so glad we could reschedule this production after its 2021 postponement and we’re so thankful to all our subscribers and ticket buyers who happily transferred their tickets to the new season. And to a new ticketing system! We and the performers are so grateful to you for being there for us to experience this masterpiece. It meant a lot!

At Christmas, we also saw a huge rise in people buying subscriptions or theatre gift vouchers for their friends and family. Such a great idea. I’m sure there are a few birthdays coming up where this present would be similarly adored!

Thanks for completing the circle for us to make incredible theatre by subscribing to State Theatre Company South Australia and spreading the good word on the joy of being a subscriber. Here’s to a great remainder of 2022!

All the best,
Mitchell Butel
Artistic Director, State Theatre Company South Australia