World Premiere at Red Stitch – Prayer Machine

We spent months inside talking to no-one but our house plants and pets – and now, parties suddenly
feel too crowded and the idea of talking to strangers makes you want to call your therapist. Will we ever get back to old-fashioned human connection in the physical world, or is the comfort of connecting in the digital world too seductive? And are we doomed to miss out on the connections we were meant to make?

Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre presents the world premiere of Prayer Machine, an original play by Melbourne playwright Eric Gardiner (Bounty). Developed as part of Red Stitch’s INK Writers Program, the play marries hypnotic black comedy with a tender exploration of ageing and missed connection.

A pair of high-school lovers reunite in the twilight of middle age. They make dreams, plans, and reenactments. They try to remember, and they try to forget. Who can face a wasted life?

No-one looks at strangers. No-one pays attention. ‘Cos attention is a weapon, now. Short and Sharp.
People keep it locked up in rifle cases for special occasions.

In a place where the twin addictions of nostalgia and technology collide, how can you love somebody
who isn’t really there?

Prayer Machine is directed by Krystalla Pearce (She is Vigilante) and performed by Joe Petruzzi (American Song, Fury)  and Patrick Williams (Five Bedrooms, Rosehaven, The Bodyguard) with set and
costume design by Bethany J Fellows, lighting design by Rachel Lee, and sound design and composition by Amy Holley. Premiering on August 4 at Red Stitch’s Home on Chapel St, Prayer Machine runs until August 29. Tickets are available at redstitch.net and range between $31-$57.

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Season Details

Venue: Red Stitch Actors Theatre
Date: 28 July to 29 Aug 2021

For more information click HERE