The award-winning No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability (NSA) will present the Australian premiere of Sons & Mothers in The Queen’s Theatre from 26 February to 11 March as part of the 2012 Adelaide Fringe. Written and directed by long-time NSA artistic associate Alirio Zavarce in collaboration with the performers, Sons & Mothers has been in development for more than two years and will be the first stage production to celebrate and examine the relationship between mothers and their disabled sons. Sons & Mothers is about vulnerable and imperfect people who are disconcerting in their survival, unsettling in their humour, humbling in their take on the world. The show asks; Does disability make the primary mother/son bond more complex? More fraught? Most media coverage is about problems & tragedies, but what else is true?

NSA Director PJ Rose says Sons & Mothers brings diversity to the canon of Australian contemporary theatre where the lived experience of disability appears in perhaps 1% of contemporary theatre and film, yet 20% of the Australian population lives with a disability and 40% are affected by disability.  ’Sons & Mothers also puts the humanity of disability centre stage providing professional work for disabled artists whilst presenting new stories. The show is conceived for general audiences of all ages, but it will also appeal to disabled audience members who seldom see their own experiences on the public stage.’

Six experienced collaborator/performers from NSA’s long running men’s ensemble feature in Sons and Mothers; Kym Mackenzie, Duncan Luke, Ryan Rowland, Richard Samai, Damien Turbin and Ben Wishart. Choreography is by Aiden Kane Munn, designs are by Kathryn Sproul, with lighting by David Gadsden, audio visual design by Eugenia Lim and sound design by Mario Spate.  In addition, award winning filmmaker Christopher Houghton, Director of POP Pictures is working with NSA to document the development of Sons & Mothers up to any including opening night so that Sons & Mothers will live on as a the feature length observational documentary film.  Of the ‘sons’ involved, three live at home with their mothers, one lives independently but relies on his mother daily and two have lost their mothers.

At the time of his own mother’s terminal illness in Venezuela, director Alirio Zavarce was tutoring NSA’s Men’s Ensemble workshop in Adelaide. The Ensemble’s responses to this Mother’s death (and to this Son’s grief) planted the seed for Sons & Mothers. Alirio says the production will be, ‘ An homage to the beautiful women who have shaped our lives. It will be respectful of the memories and the relationships but won’t shy away from exploring problems, difficulties, games, fun and the role the community plays in helping a Mother raise a man with a disability.  ’Mothers for me are the heroes of this story, a lot of them have fought for the right of these men to exist, have battled sickness and injuries, stood up for the rights of their sons, not to mention looked after them. And their biggest fear is what is going to happen when they are gone.’

Founded in 1994, NSA is a contemporary theatre company which creates original theatre through the unique perspectives of its disabled performers. The company produces locally, tours nationally (sometimes overseas) and discovers new talent in weekly workshops tailored to the individual needs of participants. NSA’s mission is to lead the way in training, services and opportunities for disabled artists by creating world-class theatre, and it supports members to develop career paths in the performing arts.  NSA’s programs serve 100+ adults throughout metropolitan Adelaide and 51 suburbs. Aged 18 to 81, each lives with at least one disability, and one quarter are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island heritage. All meet weekly in drama workshops tailored to the individual needs of participants. All survive on disability pensions.

The company’s 2009 production of Tom the loneliest was nominated for two Green Room Awards (Independent Category), and NSA’s 2011 Adelaide Fringe production of Trapped received the inaugural Graham F Smith Foundation Peace Award for social commitment to human rights & justice AND its artistic commitment to experimentation, excellence & innovation in the arts.

www.nostringsattached.org.au

Sons & Mothers

Venue
Queens Theatre, corner Playhouse Lane & Gilles Arcade

Times
Dates
6pm
Feb 25, 26, 28, Mar 1-3, 6, 8-10

11am

Feb 29, Mar 2, 7, 9

1pm

Mar 4, 11

Bookings Fringetix

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