With its Fall Season of in-person productions in full swing at the Historic and York Theatres, The Cultch gets its Fall 2022 RE/PLAY: Digital Season, underway today with the first of three feature performances, as well as an ongoing collection of RE/PLAY Shorts coming this autumn.
Over the past couple of years, The Cultch has become a key player in the digital realm. Even before the pandemic drove audiences online, The Cultch had made the decision to program and prioritise innovative and high-quality digital work. Created by both the on-site Video Production team, lead by Jessie award-winning Cameron Anderson, as well as from its partners around the world, the digital work is important to The Cultch equally due to its ability to offer unique experiences, as well as accessible performance.
photo: Jade Ellis
This Fall, The Cultch continues its digital exploration with three uniquely different feature performances—MEDITATION (Amber Barton), DEMOLITION (Polytoxic), and East Van Panto: The Little Mermaid (Theatre Replacement). These full-length ticketed productions will also be complemented by the ongoing release of RE/PLAY Shorts—free bite-sized digital works accessible to all at no cost on The Cultch’s RE/PLAY webpage, which includes boundary breaking theatre, dance, circus, comedy, music and more.
The Fall RE/PLAY Season kicks off today, Friday October 14th, with Amber Barton’s MEDITATION, a reflection on the acclaimed local dancer and choreographer’s journey; a way for Amber to say goodbye to a significant chapter in her life as she looks forward to the next. This filmed production, created in collaboration with Cameron Anderson, becomes a nuanced conversation between dancer and camera, edited to emphasise the thoughts embedded in the performance. In addition, a documentary about the creation of the piece, containing personal thoughts and reflections, will be included for ticket buyers. A two for one production.
Demolition, from Polytoxic, which will be available on November 14th, also provides a two for one experience for ticket buyers—DEMOLITION: Live, and DEMOLITION: Staging a Protest. While DEMOLITION: Staging a Protest takes viewers behind the scenes, with interviews from the creators as well as early development footage, DEMOLITION: Live presents the finished production, a powerful cabaret from some of Australia’s top performers (Lisa Fa’alafi, Leah Shelton, Zaiah Bond, Abbey Church, Ghenoa Gela, Lilikoi Kaos, Alinta McGrady, Mayu Muto, Helen Clifford), some of whom will be very familiar to fans of the hit show Hot Brown Honey.
East Van Panto – The Little Mermaid
photo: Emily Cooper Photography
Closing out the Fall RE/PLAY Season,Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto:The Little Mermaid takes Panto fans under the sea for another wild and hilarious digital pantomime. East Van Panto went digital for the first time in 2020, and since then has become a very popular option for Panto fans who may not be able to come out to the theatre for an in-person performance. From December 17 until January 1 audiences will be able to watch East Van Panto: The Little Mermaid from the comfort of their own homes, making it possible to share this not-to-miss holiday tradition with their friends and family around the world.
For more details about the 2022 RE/PLAY Digital Playground Fall Season, to register for access to the ticketed production and view the free Shorts visit thecultch.com/replay-online-theatre