Queensland Theatre will get into the challenges of modern parenting this August with Kendall Feaver’s award-winning play The Almighty Sometimes, running from Saturday, August 13 to Sunday, September 3.
Every mother often feels like they are failing, every child sees their parents as an obstacle to the rest of their life, The Almighty Sometimes is a portrait of a mother learning to let go and a daughter finding her feet as an independent young woman.
What do you do when you run into the boyfriend in his undies in the middle of the night? How do you question the choices your mother made for you when you were little – choices that shaped your life but may not have been right? What is the love that holds a family together through the biggest challenges?
Directed by the 2014 Queensland Premier Drama Award winner Daniel Evans, The Almighty Sometimes comes to Queensland after critically acclaimed seasons in Sydney and Manchester, UK. Evans now brings a Queensland lens to this outstanding play.
“It’s been amazing having the opportunity to work with such an incredible piece as The Almighty Sometimes. Kendall Feaver is an extraordinary Australian talent and her success around the world is well deserved. I’m so excited by the opportunity to take this piece from page to stage,” said Evans.
“Kendall’s approach to the subject of mental health is sensitive and her delicate handling of difficult conversations reveals not only a depth of personal understanding but a rigor in her writing that audiences will appreciate. The humour in the play is surprising, but the truly remarkable feature of the play is that, as a playwright, Kendall never takes sides. Mother, daughter, boyfriend, psychiatrist: all the voices are strong and written with complexity and clarity. I felt it was paramount to retain this balance in the conversation for Queensland audiences.”
Anna is turning 18. She has her first serious boyfriend and is thinking about leaving home. Now she is legally an adult she is also able to make her own choices about her medication, and she wonders what will happen if she stops taking it. Will she find her gift for writing returns? Played by Melissa Kahraman (credits please) making her Queensland Theatre debut, the role of Anna is one of the most significant female characters written in the last ten years in Australia.
But the play is not just about Anna. Her mother Renee has navigated the challenges of the medical world for her daughter since she was very little. She has always made what she feels are the best decisions for her daughter based on the advice of a very caring psychiatrist. There is no right or wrong diagnosis, no clear path to take. Rachel Gordon (credits please) is returning to Queensland Theatre for what she has described as one of the greatest acting challenges she has been offered.
“Our mental health is the centre of our national conversation right now’ says Artistic Director Lee Lewis. “Now more than ever, Queensland audiences are aware of the reality of mental illness in everyday lives.”
“And the reality is those challenges aren’t always darkness, there’s light and love in the lives of Queenslanders living with mental illness and that’s what we’re celebrating in The Almighty Sometimes,” said Lewis.
“I’m so excited to see the unique Queensland heart that Daniel will add to The Almighty Sometimes. This play is about hope and humour, something that Daniel has in spades, and I can’t wait to see his contribution to this multi-award-winning play.”
Feaver’s play brings both humour and levity to this sensitive subject, without taking away from the complexity and significance of mental illness. The Almighty Sometimes conveys the intricacies of family relationships in a heartwarming manner, while enlightening its audience to the difficult topic of child mental health.
Visit the Queensland Theatre website for more information.
Media release supplied.
