First Seen: Icarus

Icarus by Christopher Samuel Carroll                                       

A new wordless play loosely based on the true story of a refugee’s journey from Mozambique to the UK., stowed away in the landing gear of a plane, before falling to his death on a street in a quiet and unassuming London suburb. On one level, the story is heroic, epic, and fantastical, with allegorical references to the myth of Icarus – but set in the context of the most extreme and brutal conditions, and born of the most basic instincts of human survival. Politically, we hear a narrative of the importance of borders, the threat to the western way of life from an influx of migrants, and the pathos of refugee deaths as a deterrent to others. Icarus aims to provoke different perspectives on these issues through a very human story, told with an unexpected playfulness.

Cast:  Christopher Samuel Carroll

Sound Designer: Kimmo Vennonen

THE THEATREMAKER

Christopher Samuel Carroll is an Irish theatre-artist based in Canberra. As an actor, he has worked with companies all over Ireland, and as artistic director of Bare Witness Theatre Company, creates physical theatre in ensembles and as a solo performer. His one-man Butoh adaptation of Paradise Lost, was developed during a five-week residency at Belconnen Arts Centre before touring to the Adelaide Fringe and then to Perth, where it was nominated for The West Australian Arts Editor Award and shortlisted for the Best Theatre award at Fringe World 2017.

Since moving to Canberra in 2016, he has appeared in Everyman Theatre Company’s The Normal Heart at The Courtyard Studio, and Body Ecology’s Anthems and Angels at The Ralph Wilson Theatre, as well as continuing to develop and tour his own projects across Australia. His Victorian blockbuster, Early Grave, Fashionably Late, sold-out at Smith’s Alternative after a week-long run at The Butterfly Club in Melbourne as part of their curated summer program in December 2016. Christopher is a graduate of The Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College Dublin, and Ecole Internationale du Theatre Jacques Lecoq, Paris.

#thestreetFirstSeen

About First Seen

Ever wondered about the steps a writer takes to develop works for the theatre? Or how new plays and performance works are chosen for upcoming seasons?

The ever popular FIRST SEEN: new works-in-progress offers Canberra audiences the opportunity to be part of our creative process helping The Street  progress performance works to production-ready stage. First Seen offers a unique insight into development and is a vital part of our planning for future years as we seek to bring original and diverse Canberra stories to the stage.

Each writer has a dedicated workshop offering time, space, support, and expertise.  Canberra audiences (that's you) are given the opportunity to participate in the development process through the public showings where we open up the floor for a conversation with playwright, director, dramaturg and the actors. By sharing your thoughts with the creative teams you help assist us progress the works to production and get a sneak peek into Canberra’s ingenious artistic community.

FIRST SEEN is a major investment in new ACT work and is supported by the ACT Government through artsACT.