A collaboration with Hossein Valamanesh + Brink Productions
Alice Springs in the year 2039. A fish falls from the sky and lands at the feet of Gabriel York. It still smells of the sea. It’s been raining for days and Gabriel knows something is wrong.
When The Rain Stops Falling was commissioned and originally produced by Brink Productions.
The world premiere season was co-presented at Scott Theatre Adelaide Feb/Mar 2008 by Brink Productions, State Theatre Company of South Australia and Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts.
The development of When The Rain Stops Falling was supported by the Australia Council’s New Australian Stories Initiative, Arts SA’s Major Commissions, the Pratt Foundation and Brink’s Principal Benefactor Maureen Ritchie.
The Script of When The Rain Stops Falling was first published by Currency Press, Australia in 2009
CREATIVES
Writer Andrew Bovell
Director Chris Drummond
Designer Hossein Valamanesh
ComposerQuentin Grant
Lighting Niklas Pajanti
Video design TheImagen
Producer Kay Jamieson
2010 CAST
Kevin Harrington, Carmel Johnson, Mandy McElhinney, Kris McQuade, Yalin Ozucelik, Anna Lise Phillips, Neil Pigot + musician Quentin Grant
2008 + 2009 ORIGINAL CAST
Paul Blackwell, Michaela Cantwell, Carmel Johnson, Kris McQuade, Yalin Ozucelik, Anna Lise Phillips, Neil Pigot + musician Quentin Grant.
‘…one of the most arresting productions of the past decade in Australian theatre…’ Variety (Online)
‘Visually arresting, cleverly written and populated with interesting, gritty characters…a truly great addition to modern Australian theatre….’ Daily Telegraph
★★★★⋆ ‘…will haunt you long after the rain has finally stopped falling and the house lights turned on….’ Sunday Telegraph
★★★★⋆ ‘This work is like an Impressionist painting, with blobs of colour that seem random and blurred when viewed up close but in the end add up as a richly coloured landscape that lingers in the mind…’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Director Chris Drummond has pushed his cast to their absolute limits… (they) bring the theatre to the edge of their seats and potentially to the verge of breaking down.’ Australian Stage Online
‘… a theatre symphony that brings together diverse story elements and blends them beautifully’ The Sun-Herald
‘When the Rain Stops Falling confirms (Andrew) Bovell as a writer of exceptional talent, but the key to this play’s success is its creative collaboration.’ Variety [Online]
‘When the Rain Stops Falling is already on its way to becoming one of those rare productions that will resonate way beyond its season and future theatre goers will wish they were there.’ Sometimes Melbourne
‘It is gripping, mysterious, intriguing, magical, moving and complete….’ Kevin Jackson’s Theatre Reviews
‘… a compelling, shocking, tender and wonderfully enlightened ride.’ Arts Hub
‘…a spellbinding saga…’ The Australian
‘…a stunning, gut-wrenching piece of theatre. Once seen it will never be forgotten…’ Adelaide Theatre Guide
‘When the Rain Stops Falling is probably the best play I’ve even seen.’ Sunday Mail
‘If you believe that theatre should provoke, disturb and evoke unforgettable images then you must not miss When the Rain Stops Falling.’ Radio Adelaide
‘…compelling and fascinating theatre of a standard rarely experienced. This remarkable, verbally and visually exquisite. Don’t miss it.’ The Messenger
‘The audience is witness to a brilliantly-devised chain of events that runs through generations and shows how a shameful secret can affect the lives of so many…Multi-layered brilliance that resonates long afterward.’ Indaily
‘Every once in a while the premiere of a new Australian play is worthy of a celebration. In this case it is worth the hangover and should not be missed.’ Arts Hub
‘The performances are excellent…this is a most satisfying and timely new work with themes of regret and hope that have touched audiences at the festival and deserves to find a wider national audience as well.’ Adelaide Review
‘Unabashed and ambitious theatre… …a cast of actors whose control and comprehension of the material is breathtaking… scenes of heartbreaking and hilarious honesty… The final outcome, for those who have undergone the journey with this ordinarily extraordinary bunch, is sad and exhilarating, sobering and unexpectedly comical, bittersweet and unforgettable.’ Stage Noise
‘The most outstanding production at the recent Adelaide Festival…a psychological thriller that will become an Australian classic. It shows a compassionate but unsentimental understanding of human complexity…the cast of seven gave impeccable performances.’ The West Australian
28 Feb - 15 Mar 2008
Scott Theatre
Adelaide
11 May - 13 June 2009
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Theatre Company
7 Oct - 22 Nov 2009
Melbourne Festival
Melbourne Theatre Company
14 - 16 October 2010
Her Majesty’s Theatre
Grote St Adelaide
20 Oct - 6 Nov 2010
The Playhouse [QPAC]
Queensland Theatre Centre
10 - 13 November 2010
The Playhouse
Canberra Theatre Centre
19 - 20 November 2010
Araluen Theatre
Alice Springs, NT
Brink Productions Limited
PO Box 3262 Rundle Mall
South Australia 5000
T +61 8 8211 6565