09.04.19
Never Let Me Go is a bit of a Griffin first, with an eight-piece choir taking to the Stables stage as part of this retrospective work exploring the AIDS epidemic in Sydney in the 80s. Adriano Cappelletta is the brain behind this ambitious, blooming work.
1. Introduce yourself with a fun fact that someone might not know about you!
My name is Adriano Cappelletta, I am an actor, writer and theatre maker. One of the first songs I ever learnt to sing was Part-Time Lover by Stevie Wonder and I would perform it at family gatherings when I was 7.
2. Paint us a picture of your show in 5 words.
AIDS, Love, Community, ‘80s choir, Sex.
3. What was the inspiration behind the creation of your show?
I read Larry Kramer’s play The Normal Heart and was compelled to present it in Sydney but I couldn’t get the rights, so I decided to find out about the history of AIDS in Sydney. I was inspired by the incredible vision that Australia had in combatting the disease. The Hawke Labor Government had just been elected and the senior advisor to the Health Minister was a young gay man who had moved from Darlinghurst and instigated and integrated the gay community into policy making. It was incredibly fortuitous for Australia that we had forward thinkers who didn’t take the moral high ground. I love this story about different groups working together and the incredible things that can happen when a government acts with compassion.
4. What are you most looking forward to about bringing your show to Batch Festival 2019 at Griffin?
I’m excited to tell this story to a generation that may not know anything about AIDS in Sydney and to those who lived through it, I hope to honour them and give them a chance to remember the inspiring work they did and the lives they changed.
5. Which other shows are you hoping to catch at Batch?
I’m so honoured to be part of such a diverse and thrilling program of works. They all excite me and I’ll be sure to check out as many as I can, especially Book Club for Reclusive Dance Hall Queens, Unite Project – (ongoing), Me and My Mother, Singing and Sauvage (Wild).
