2016
Trolley Boys
Arlo and Mick have been mates since they were foster kids in suburban Melbourne. Brought together by hardship, and slow cooked under a burning Footscray sun, the two navigate twenty years of interweaving and turbulent friendship.
Written by: Jordan Shea
Direction: Kat Moss
Dramaturgy: Callum John Dale
Cast: William McDonald, Benjamin Nichol, Maude Davey and Grace Lauer
Writer’s note:
This play was influenced by my Dad’s upbringing in coastal New South Wales, my obsession with long friendships, and my interest in personal change. It had two readings at the VCA, as part of our Master’s program, and was the final project I worked on during my time there. It was thrilling to work with Will, Ben and Grace, all third year actors/makers, and to work with veteran and colleague Maude Davey. It had a lot of swearing, and I think I knew what I was saying, which was articulated with the assistance of my long term collaborator Callum Dale. The play had a lot of dramaturgical assistance over the course of the year, from Lachlan Philpott, Raimondo Cortese, and Jean Tay.
Excitingly, it was to be performed at a theatre on the main campus of the University of Melbourne, as part of the VCA Director’s showcase in 2017. It never eventuated, but some of the scenes still get used by handfuls of acting students for general auditions - them's the breaks!