Speaking in Tongues

Thursday, September 5, 2024 11:00 PM 23:00
Saturday, September 28, 2024 12:00 AM 00:00

Google Calendar ICS

Speaking in Tongues

**BY ANDREW BOVELL**
**Directed by Heidi Gledhill**
5th September - 28th September, 2024

Buy Tickets

Director’s Notes

Welcome to our production of Andrew Bovell’s Speaking in Tongues. This play, a tapestry of intertwined stories, delves into the complexities of human relationships, exploring themes of trust, betrayal, and the elusive nature of truth. Bovell’s narrative structure, with its overlapping dialogues and intersecting lives, challenges both the audience and the performers to confront the multifaceted nature of communication and connection.

At its core, Speaking in Tongues is about the fragile threads that bind us together and the secrets that can unravel them. The characters navigate through their own moral landscapes, often finding themselves at the crossroads of fidelity and deception. Bovell masterfully captures the ambiguity of human interactions, where the lines between right and wrong blur, and intentions are not always clear.

In directing this play, my goal has been to honour Bovell’s intricate storytelling while creating an intimate and immersive experience for our audience. The set design by Chelsea Jewell is minimalistic, allowing the focus to remain on the actors and their nuanced performances. Lighting by Maddy Leite and sound by Tommi Civili play crucial roles in enhancing the emotional undercurrents of each scene, guiding you through the labyrinth of the character’s; psyches.

I invite you to immerse yourself in the world of Speaking in Tongues, to listen not just to the words spoken but to the silences that speak volumes. This production is a reflection on the human condition, an exploration of the often-unspoken fears and desires that shape our lives.

The show is a true collaboration. Each person was able to be more, do more, than individually possible. It is the sum of our creative discoveries. Thank you for joining us on this journey. We hope it resonates with you and sparks conversations long after the curtain call.

Heidi Gledhill

Director

About the Play

Nine lives weave together in ways known and unknown in Andrew Bovell’s piercing drama, Speaking in Tongues. Leon is married to Sonja, Jane is married to Pete. By chance, each spouse meets the other’s one night and wind up in motel rooms. Pete and Sonja resist the one-night stand; Leon and Jane do not. A lonely man, Neil, pines for the love of his life, Sarah, who moved on decades ago. A woman, Valerie, goes missing and her stiletto was last seen in Nick’s car. Love, marriage, infidelity and betrayal are all tackled in this tense, electrifying play about the relationships between lovers, strangers, and the infinite ways people are entangled.

Speaking in Tongues won Andrew Bovell the AWGIE award iin 1996. This play has been seen throughout Australia as well as in Europe and the US.

Andrew Bovell adapted Speaking in Tongues for the screen as Lantana (2001) which won many awards, including seven AFIs.

Lantana is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime.

CAST

Pete, Neil, John | Doll Hunt

Leon, Nick | James Dyke

Sonja, Sarah | Jazz Lane

Jane, Valerie | Lauren Dillon

CREATIVES & CREW

Director | Heidi Gledhill

Lighting Design Consult | David Walters

Production Set and Costume Design | Chelsea Jewell

Assistant Set Construction/Design - Steavie Bees

Costume Assistant - Nick Scotney

Voice Coach | Marcus Oborn

Movement Director | Nerida Matthaei

Sound Composition and Design | Tommi Civili

Lighting Design and Operation | Madelyne Leite

Dramaturg | Desley Martin

Stage Manager | Isabel Folland

Production Assistant | Jack Winrow

Reviews

‘Speaking in Tongues' is a masterclass in storytelling, layered dialogue, and human complexity. This Australian gem, known for its film adaptation Lantana, delves into the messiness of relationships and the blurred boundaries of trust and betrayal. Performed at Ad Astra under the direction of Heidi Gledhill, the production provides an immersive journey that requires focus and rewards the audience with an intricate tapestry of characters, plots, and emotions.’

Stage Buzz Brisbane | Read Review Here

‘Be sure to set aside some time to support local indie theatre company Ad Astra, who continue to provide quality theatre experiences presented by local artists. Their latest production, Speaking in Tongues, proves to be just as relevant today as when it was first performed.’

Sarah Skubala - Theatre Travel | Read Review Here

Even if award winning Australian writer, Andrew Bovell is not everyone’s “cup of tea” due to his rather different approach to script writing, Ad Astra, has opened a thought provoking season of the talented writer’s award winning Speaking in Tongues, which was first performed in 1996, when it received an AWGIE award!

Lilian Harrington - Absolute Theatre | Read Review Here