JENNIFER FLOWERS BRINGS SEX WITH STRANGERS TO BRISBANE WITH THOMAS LARKIN AND VERONICA NEAVE
Brisbane Powerhouse with Jennifer Flowers and Thomas Larkin present Sex With Strangers
The tussle between generations, the digital revolution and the near impossibility of reinventing oneself when the past is just a click away – these are just a few of the juicy issues that will be under the spotlight when Brisbane Powerhouse presents Laura Eason’s contemporary play Sex With Strangers from Thursday 17 – Saturday 26 July 2014.
Multi-award winning director Jennifer Flowers reconnects with actors Thomas Larkin and Veronica Neave, who last worked together on the critically-acclaimed 2012 Queensland Theatre Company production of Romeo and Juliet.
Flowers describes Sex With Strangers as “a fresh and engaging take on the old boy meets girl scenario.”
“I like its wit and the romance but also its serious attempt to grapple with what it’s like to be a would-be artist in this world of quick fame and notoriety, and how both characters want what the other has, which also makes for good dramatic conflict and sparks.”
Written by playwright Laura Eason, the story examines the clash of generations, considerably influenced by new technology. The two protagonists, both writers, are on opposite sides of this clash; star sex blogger Ethan and his idol, older woman and novelist Olivia. Theirs is a story that explores the struggle of the public and the personal when love and technology collide.
“There are lots of opposite resonances within the play and they raise interesting questions: Public-self versus private-self? Are online identities a construct rather than a real person? Is real intimacy possible when romance is conducted under these circumstances?” Flowers says.
“Both characters are very well drawn and the push / pull nature of this particular battle of the sexes was quite electrifying on the page. It’s a great vehicle for two terrific actors and Thom and Veronica are ideal for it.
“The challenge in this piece is to create something sassy but meaningful and I know we’ll have fun doing that.”
Just days apart from its Brisbane premiere, Sex With Strangers will also be one of the hottest tickets in New York, with the opening of an off-Broadway season directed by David Schwimmer (Friends) and starring Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) and Billy Magnussen.
Brisbane Powerhouse presents Sex With Strangers from Thursday 17 – Saturday 26 July 2014.
