The Big Dry
The Big Dry is a co-production with Australian Theatre for Young People, based on the young-adult fiction novel by Australian author Tony Davis and inspired by the American Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. It was an era of unbelievable dust storms, where all the topsoil on farms was blown away, nothing grew and the land was but dust with no water.
The Big Dry follows two boys waiting for their father to return, the world is getting increasingly more difficult for them. Then a young girl enters their life and they don’t know if she’s a good or bad influence. The whole story is driven by the tension of how these children are going to work out how to survive. One of the lovely things about The Big Dry is that George, the younger brother, is fairly frequently oblivious to the danger they’re in.
The Big Dry is a beautifully written and suspenseful drama with a very evocative soundtrack. The most important themes are brotherly love, survival and the resilience of children. It’s an environment where things we take for granted have broken down, a kind of dystopian world.
“It’s rare to see young actors in such a sophisticated piece of theatre. Rory Potter (George) and Sofia Nolan (Emily), are the finest 15-year-old actors in the country at the moment. Rory is an award-winning actor and he’s matched in every way by Sofia Nolan. They may not be famous yet, but it’s a real opportunity to see extraordinary talent, at such a young age,” said artistic director of ATYP and director of The Big Dry, Fraser Corfield. (MS)
Jun 4–Jul 2, various show times. Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall St, Kirribilli. $66-$73. Tickets & info: ensemble.com.au or 02 9929 0644
BY MEL SOMERVILLE
