MELBOURNE

5 - 15 April 2023

Theatre Works

MELBOURNE 5 - 15 April 2023 Theatre Works

Rogue Project & Theatre Works Presents

PEAR-SHAPED

by Miranda Middleton and Ziggy Resnick

rogueprojects.com.au | theatreworks.org.au

“Now there’s a good riddle… What do you call an eye that tells a lie?”

A captivating blend of wordplay, magic realism, and puppetry, Pear-Shaped is a deliciously dark new dramedy about growing up, growing down, and everything in between.

23-year-old Frankie is struggling with their graduating design project. Not only is their director a Virgo, they’ve also been allocated an eerily personal childhood story - ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Frankie hopes that a box of old costumes will inspire some ideas, but when their sister Kayla drops it off, they’re instead sent spiraling down a rabbit hole of memories they’d rather forget…

An entirely new story from Miranda Middleton and Ziggy Resnick, ‘Pear-Shaped' interweaves scenes from Lewis Carroll’s classic books to tell an un-wonderful new tale in surprisingly wonderful ways. Told with humour, heart, and nuance, this world premiere production explores one Jewish family’s experience of what happens when food – a symbol of culture, tradition, connection, and love – becomes the enemy.

“How does Alice leave Wonderland, when Wonderland wants Alice to stay?”

Cameron Steens - White Rabbit (Puppeteer) & Assistant Stage Manager

Managing a prop and costume-heavy two-hander, puppeteering, and performing using only my white-gloved hands through the frames.

Other responsibilities included plotting all props and costumes needs, adapting to changes as the show was in active development leading up to the season, pre and post-show cleaning and prep, and assisting designers with bump-in and bump-out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 WHATDIDSHETHINK - “Cameron Steens’ puppetry and hand cameos are perfection by the way!” “This production would be at home in any professional main stage theatre in Australia. When you see Pear-Shaped you will see a world class production. More importantly you will see a story of great pain and great confusion. Amongst all of the sadness and loss though, perhaps Lewis Carroll can lead us to a point of hope? We will never know if we don’t peer into the rabbit hole ourselves.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 The Age - “Pear-Shaped is ingeniously designed and conceived indie theatre which ventures down the rabbit hole… and rather brilliantly adapts dialogue and characters from Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland”