20.03.24
Dear Grif-friend,
I hope you are having splendid weeks, revelling in the sunshine, reading a great book and delving deep into the Kate Middlegate saga.
As I am sure you know, some of the best stories come in threes: The Three Musketeers, The Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games and of course, The Lewis Trilogy.
I had the honour of producing The Lewis Trilogy as my last gig as Griffin’s Senior Producer. I am so proud of the show and how we made it.
Of course, I am biased, but I think we have achieved something remarkable. We have suffused the history of Australian theatre with its bright, rigorous future. In doing this, not only have we given our audiences an unparalleled theatrical experience to send the Stables off with, but we are mirroring Griffin’s transition from the old to new building.
While we were programming 2024, our Artistic team discussed at length the need for the Trilogy to respect the evolving needs of communities represented and to acknowledge the truth of the times that the plays are set in. We also needed the shows (which ran in full draft at about 2.5 hours each) to be more like 1.5 hours, to fit within a day of theatre. Louis Nowra was on board from the get go, his generosity and creativity have been his calling card. Declan Greene, who both directed and adapted the plays with Louis, also worked with Bayley Turner, an inclusion expert, and Christopher Bryant, a disability consultant, and the remarkable Associate Director Daley Rangi throughout the process. When I was in these rooms, I looked on in awe as this incredible group of people sculpted a work for both our past and present.
Since the avalanche of 5 star reviews came out, our phones have been ringing hot with requests to book one play at a time. So, last week, we did it! You can now grab a ticket to see your Trilogy show of choice—see Paul Capsis break the Stables high kick record as the eccentric local post man in Summer of the Aliens, see Ursula Yovich wear a Tupperware hat as the tender and hilarious Cherry in Così, and be guided around Woolloomooloo by Thomas Campbell’s irrepressible Cass in This Much is True.
I would get in quick—they are selling quicker than a high-end hot cross bun on Easter weekend.
While I love the accessibility of individual play tickets, I would still encourage the Trilogy full-day experience. It’s a day of immersion in Kings Cross; a coffee at Latteria before heading to your Summer of the Aliens matinee, then a cheese board in the Stables foyer by Penny’s Cheese Shop with a tart orange wine before Così. Then you can walk through the Cross on your way to dinner with one of our many restaurant partners, taking in the ‘Strip on the Strip’ bronze street plaques that commemorate the area’s history as you go.
I hope that you see our Trilogy, and in doing so experience a moment of Sydney theatre history.
See you in a foyer soon,
Leila x
Leila Enright
Senior Producer
