Info Cast & Creatives Gallery Reviews
Info
The Art House Presents
Past The Shallows
By Julian Larnach based on the book by Favel Parrett
Presented by the Australian Theatre for Young People & Archipelago Productions
Keep your eyes on the water.
Harry and Miles live with their father, an abalone diver, on the wild and beautiful south coast of Tasmania. With their father largely absent, they look after each other as best they can. Over a school holiday, while Miles works on the boat, Harry begins an unlikely friendship that will upset the delicate balance holding this unpredictable world together.
Adapted by playwright Julian Larnach from Favel Parrett’s award-winning debut novel, Past the Shallows is an ode to brotherhood and a heart-wrenching, lyrical exploration of mortality, family secrets and the capacity for both brutality and tenderness within contemporary masculinity.
Acclaimed Director Ben Winspear helms a powerhouse cast of three young actors playing multiple roles. Let yourself get swept away on the tide of this compelling and deeply poignant story that will stay with you long after the lights come up.
*Note: This performance takes place in The Art House Studio. Studio shows are general admission & unassigned seating. Please choose a seat when doors open for the performance.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
For School Group bookings please email: education@thearthousewyong.com.au
Cast & Creatives
CREATIVE TEAM
WRITER
Julian Larnach
DIRECTOR & DRAMATURG
Ben Winspear
SET DESIGNER
Dallas Winspear (based on the 2022 design by Keerthi Subramanyam)
COSTUME DESIGNER
Keerthi Subramanyam
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Jason James
SOUND DESIGNER
Glenn Richards
AV DESIGNER
Nema Adel
STAGE MANAGER
Milly Grindrod
TOURING PRODUCTION MANAGER
Harry Dowling
LIGHTING DESIGN ASSOCIATE
Morgan Moroney
VIDEO DESIGN ASSOCIATE
Daniel Herten
PRODUCER
Hayden Tonazzi
PHOTOGRAPHY
Hero Artwork: Luke Stambouliah with design by Justin Stambouliah
Production Images: Brett Boardman and Jesse Hunniford
CAST
Nick Annas, Ryan Hodson & Molly Walker
UNDERSTUDIES
Max Cattana & Bryce Tollard-Williams
Gallery
Reviews
"Playwright Julian Lanarch, in collaboration with Director Ben Winspear, powerfully recreate Parrett’s work as a poetic narrative. One moment the audience is held in thrall as the power of the ocean is described whilst simultaneously tossed into the action adrift on the violent sea, as the actors voice what Parrett initially set down as first-person narration. The effect is nothing short of epic."
- Stage Whispers
"Past The Shallows plays like an ever-shifting dream…each of the three performers carry the narrative like a relay race, passing it between them as it builds and builds. No one drops the baton. ⭐⭐⭐⭐"
- Chad Review of Culture (C.R.O.C.)
"Nema Adel’s AV design provided a playful backdrop for the performers to explore the story through the opening image of a slowly waving surface was a feast for the eyes. Larnach’s writing is reflective of the style of writing of Jane Harper, with the presence of nature being a danger and a beauty at the same time becoming a motif utilized throughout. The reveals of family secrets and overbearing masculinity of the boys’ father felt reminiscent of The Dry and made for a captivating finale. Go for the intrigue of new Australian writing, stay for the contemporary story of brotherhood and let yourself be swept away."
- Theatre Thoughts
"Larnach’s poetic script provides strong imagery, which complements the stylistic choice of Keerthi Subramanyam’s set design. Frighteningly powerful."
- Time Out Sydney
