INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY INSPIRES ANTICIPATED NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
Rising theatre star Tom Oliver (Rolling Thunder Vietnam, Velvet) has joined forces with acclaimed Australian theatre makers David Bell and Andrew McNaughton on an anticipated new Australian work, set to premiere at Brisbane Powerhouse late November as a highlight of the annual Wonderland Festival.
Conceived by Oliver and realised with Bell and McNaughton, More Than A Boy tells the incredible true story of Stipan Erceg; an impoverished young Croatian who lucked his way out of Europe post World War One.
“My grandfather, Stipan Erceg, and his family were poor and struggling and lived in Banja, a small village on the Dalmatian Coast,” 24-year-old Oliver said.
“In 1921, the entire village pooled their money to raise enough for two boat tickets from Croatia to New Zealand, holding a lottery to determine which two members of the community would be given the life-changing opportunity to leave Croatia in pursuit of a better life abroad. At just 14-years-old, my grandfather was one of two names drawn.”
What follows is an incredible tale of strength and resilience, and the inspiration for Oliver’s first venture into solo performance.
“On the boat ride to New Zealand, the other man passed away and a young Stipan arrived at the dock in New Zealand completely alone, with little money and unable to speak a single word of English,” Oliver said.
“With nothing but courage and sheer determination to make a life for himself and his future family, my grandfather spent the last of his money on a ticket to the country, arriving at Te Kuti Railway Station in New Zealand’s north island.
“A chance encounter with a local Irish farmer provided Stipan with security and a sense of purpose, changing the course of his and my family’s lives forever.”
Oliver has assembled a top-shelf team for the work’s premiere season, helmed by esteemed award-winning Australian director David Bell (Queensland Theatre’s End of the Rainbow; Gloria), with musical direction by revered composer Andrew McNaughton, an eclectic mix of original songs by Oliver, McNaughton, and Australian Idol winner Wes Carr, and lighting design by multi award-winner Jason Glenwright. Oliver will star, backed by a live band of Australia’s top musicians including Steve Temple (guitars) and Paul Hudson (drums).
Although the work has deep personal significance for Oliver, he said it shone a spotlight on just one of many extraordinary stories that make up Australia’s rich cultural diversity.
“Modern Australia presents such a rich tapestry of multiculturalism and so many incredible stories of courage, spirit and survival,” Oliver said.
“While this show is certainly a homage to my late grandfather, more broadly, it’s a rite-of-passage yarn about family and adventure, fight-or-flight ultimatums and seemingly arbitrary events that ultimately build character and shape destiny.”
More Than A Boy plays a strictly limited season at Brisbane Powerhouse 24 – 27 November.
For tickets and information, visit brisbanepowerhouse.org.
