A Note from Declan, 13 May

13.05.22

Dear Grif-friend,

It’s been a wild week or so over at Griffin. Right now I should be writing this note gloating about last night’s triumphant Opening Night of Ghosting the Party… but I’m not. Unfortunately, last Friday—the day we were set to preview Melissa Bubnic’s fantastic new black comedy to audiences for the first time—the Griffin team and several of the play’s creative team were impacted by the unwelcome effects of COVID. 

The ensuing fallout has made for one of the more challenging weeks in my tenure so far as Artistic Director of Griffin. COVID tumbled down like a very un-fun game of dominoes across Griffin, which meant we’ve had to consult and re-consult our contingency plans and make some very difficult delays to the season of Ghosting the Party. 

Ghosting the Party will now enjoy its season from Friday 20 May – Saturday 18 June. We’ve extended the season by a week to ensure as many people as possible see Melissa’s gloriously sharp-tongued and award-winning Australian comedy. We’ve also been implementing our thorough COVID-Safe plan in preparation to welcome audiences back to our theatre safely. If you have any further questions about the play, the delays, or your tickets, please don’t hesitate to call or email the small-but-mighty (and currently very hard-working) Griffin Box Office!   

In the scheme of things, it’s frustrating—but not entirely demoralising—to have a show stuck at this point. To use a train analogy: the show hasn’t gone off the tracks; it’s just stuck between stations. But given the last couple of months dealing with Sydney’s public transport system I know we’ve all become very good at unexpected delays—so we hope you’ll bear with us while we get this one moving again! 

Certainly, I can promise it’ll be worth it. Melissa has written a machine of a play that gets into the muck of womanhood, ageing, mental health and dying, that manages to be shocking, funny and tear-jerking all at once. Prior to the virus-which-shall-now-remain-nameless, the Griffin team was privy to a company run of the show and there wasn’t a dry eye in the audience—with tears of laughter, sadness, and hope in equal measure. I highly encourage you to support new Australian stories, to play witness to the excellent cast (led by Belinda Giblin, Jillian O’Dowd and Amy Hack), and above all, to give yourself an unforgettable night at the theatre.  

In lighter news, we’re thrilled to announce our 2022 cohort of artists for Griffin Studio! Bedelia Lowrenčev, Bernadette Fam and Megan Wilding will take up residence at Griffin, coming under the proverbial wings of the Artistic team here to develop their voices and some exciting new works for the stage in their year-long program. We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome this dynamic trio—congratulations all! 

I don’t know about you, but I need a weekend. I hope you enjoy yours, and I’ll see you back at the SBW Stables Theatre from Friday 20 May!

Much love,
Declan x

Declan Greene
Artistic Director