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

Article: 37 // Queensland Theatre

Queensland Theatre's newest productions is stunning audiences with its powerhouse story full of all things footy, bringing community spirit, thrilling energy and intense physicality to the stage in 37, playing at the Bille Brown Theatre until 4 May. Penned by twice-named Tasmanian Aboriginal Artist of the Year, Nathan Maynard, and directed by renowned Australian director and proud Noongar man, Isaac Drandic, the co-production with Melbourne Theatre Company brings together an ensemble of 10 men to portray a local footy team’s struggle from the bottom of the ladder. Named after the immortalised number Adam Goodes wore on his AFL jersey and set within the era of his famous war-cry, 37 follows the fictional Cutting Cove Currawongs in their fight for premiership glory, which playwright Nathan Maynard described as a story many can relate to. “I won’t go into the themes I touch on in the work because that’s why I wrote the play, for both the audience and I t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Scenes From a Yellow Perril - The Reaction Theory & Queensland Theatre Door 3

Written by Grace Wilson The best kind of theatre is theatre that makes people question, reflect and consider how uncomfortable questions encourage people to act and change. There are not many theatre pieces out there that can make an audience consider whether to laugh or cringe, smile or grimace. However, The Reaction Theory’s ‘Scenes From a Yellow Peril’, as a part of Queensland Theatre’s Door 3 program, masterfully manipulates the uncomfortable with the comedic, the angry with the heartfelt, and asks the audience if uncomfortable questions are worth the discoveries that come with them. ‘Scenes From A Yellow Peril’ by Chinese-New Zealand writer and poet, Nathan Joe, can truly be described as poetry on stage, a turbulent experience of communication and heightened emotions. The audience is exposed to complexities and challenges of BIPOC communities across the world in a way that does not fit the traditional theatre mould. There is no way to predict what Joe writes next; each scene chops...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Norman Mailer Anecdote - Queensland Theatre (Door 3)

Written by Grace Wilson The Norman Mailer Anecdote, produced by Big Scary Animal kicked off Queensland Theatre’s Door 3 program with hard-hitting questions, complex narratives, and well-rounded performances. The Door 3 program, new to Queensland Theatre in 2024, gives space for emerging artists to create and perform pitched work with support and space contributed by Queensland Theatre. For a premiere program of this size, it was a waiting game to see how high the bar would be set, and Big Scary Animal set the precedent for Door 3 works to come.  The Norman Mailer Anecdote by Anthony Mullins explores ideas of sexual assault and the relationships that come apart in times of crisis. The work itself was confronting - it tackled these ideas through a lens of upper middle-class Australia, specifically Brisbane, and used both the lens of legal terminology and creative writing to create a wide scope when approaching the program.  The cast itself was intimate and connected - standout p...
Post a Comment
Read more