Skip to main content

Article: POTUS is coming to Brisbane!

 
 
POTUS, Or Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive is the new femme-fuelled, political farce set to give a satirical, dramatic and enticing inside-look at American politics in its Australian premiere at Queensland Theatre’s Bille Brown Theatre from 27 July.

 

Penned by up-and-coming playwright, Selina Fillinger, the three-time Tony award nominated play is centred around a fictitious President of the United States’ (POTUS) foul-mouthed faux pas in front of the media and foreign dignitaries. It follows seven powerhouse women as they navigate misplaced hallucinogenic drugs, a sex scandal and an assassination attempt — all within 24 hours!

 

The story will be brought to life by a star-studded, all-female ensemble featuring Amy Ingram (Family Values and Netflix’s Boy Swallows Universe) who plays Stephanie, alongside Christen O’Leary (Ladies in Black, Triple X), Emily Burton (Othello, Storm Boy), Emily Liu (White China), Jodie Le Vesconte (Family Values), Wendy Mocke (Bernhardt/Hamlet, Taming of the Shrew), Paula Arundell (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and led by acclaimed director, Lee Lewis OAM

 

“Set in the White House, POTUS is a farce with seven women who are quite literally trying to piece back the American government after one swear word,” said Lee Lewis OAM.

 

“This young playwright in Fillinger has managed to write some of the most extraordinary comic lines to get us through the most devastating truths about power.”

 

While much has changed politically since Selina Fillinger first penned the satirical zingers that make POTUS so powerful, she feels that the lines find renewed meaning with each new political scandal.

 

“Unprecedented times require unprecedented courage. I started working on POTUS when I was a very scared, very sad 23-year-old woman who needed to laugh. I wrote this play to give myself joy, catharsis and courage. I hope it offers audiences the same,” says Selina.

 

The new play comes with a label of ‘not for the faint-hearted’ which Queensland Theatre Executive Director, Criena Gehrke, said it is proud to wear. “POTUS is a satire about the hypocrisy of American politics and the people that work furiously behind the scenes to hold chaos together. It’s bold and brash but makes for an incredibly timely, and equally

powerful story to bring to the stage,” said Gehrke.

 

“It’s written by a woman, directed by a woman and features a fierce all-female cast making it another outstanding piece of diverse storytelling that we’re excited to bring to the Queensland stage.”

 

After its smash-hit run on Broadway in 2022 featuring a mix of SNL and Veep alum, Queensland Theatre and production partners BDO and Board Matters proudly presents the Australian premiere of POTUS at Bille Brown Theatre, running from 27 July to 24 August. Tickets are available now at queenslandtheatre.com.au/plays/potus.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Freshblood Festival - Vena Cava

Written By Thor Morrison Upcoming creatives need a place to experiment, to prosper, to explore, and even to sometimes miss the mark. It is essential that spaces that allow this to happen exist, especially in a world obsessed with perfectionism. The Freshblood Festival is an annual event run by QUT Student Theatre Company Vena Cava, focused on young writers and performers, and it does just that. It provides a space for the new and upcoming creatives of Brisbane and surrounds to experiment, have fun, and create really exciting performances. Held at BackDock Arts in Fortitude Valley, and running over two consecutive weekends, it is a massive endeavour Vena Cava have given themselves. 14 independent shows, two play readings, and 8 music acts ensure that Freshblood has something for everyone to enjoy, and shows the variety and scale of the Festival itself. Drama Dispatch was able to attend most of the second weekend, seeing a total of seven shows and a play reading, and was greatly impresse...
Post a Comment
Read more

Interview: Deborah Conway AM // Book of Life

 ​​ ​ ​  Australian music legend, Deborah Conway AM returns to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre this April as a part of her national tour of Australia. We got the chance to sit down with Deborah to have a brief chat about her new show and the music industry! Can you share a little about your book 'Book of Life'? Book of Life is a memoir detailing stories of growing up in an idiosyncratic household, of becoming a musician, the sordid adventures of youth, the at odds relationships musicians have with the music industry, of love, of becoming a mother, of work, of creativity, through to the full flowering maturity of all facets of growing into an adult in the most complete way. What was the approach to bring the book to stage in this show? I started writing in November 2019, sitting on my couch in Melbourne. March 2020 brought the cancellation of everything. I was very fortunate to have begun a project that I was finding so absorbing. As the lockdowns stretched on in Vi...
1 comment
Read more

Review: Dogfight - Spotlight Theatrical Company

Written by Jake Goodall Get ready for a night of vocal excellence in Spotlight Theatrical Company's latest production of Dogfight! Located in the central Gold Coast, their latest production is sure to shock and delight all theatre lovers. It's 1963, and a group of young marines have gathered in San Fransisco the night before they ship off to Vietnam. They decide to celebrate their last night of freedom with a cruel game they call a “dogfight” where every man sets out to find the ugliest girl he can and brings her to a party. Everyone puts in money, and the man with the ugliest date wins the pot.  This harrowing and horrific story showcases the toxic masculinity of the US Marines in the 60s but also provides an insight into PTSD and the terrors of war. One uplifting event in this musical is that it isn't about women changing themselves for men, it is about the power of becoming confident in oneself and not bowing to a man's wishes just because he says so which is the tro...
Post a Comment
Read more