THEATRICAL DYNAMITE

Described as a ton of theatrical dynamite disguised as a mere Molotov cocktail, Gregory Burke’s award-winning play Gagarin Way has its Auckland debut this December.

Frisky Productions presents Gagarin Way at The Gagarin Way Garage, 181 Hobson Street, Auckland from 1-11 December.

Multi-award winning actor Gareth Reeves (I’m Not Harry Jenson, The Cult, Go Girls) makes his directorial debut delivering this explosive tale of two disillusioned factory workers, Gary and Eddie, who, awash with anti-globalist anger, kidnap a Japanese business executive in a plot to demonstrate their anti-corporate sentiments to the world.

However, the duo’s cunning plan goes awry when Frank – the business man they have abducted – turns out not to be a Japanese executive, Eddie forgets the balaclavas, the manifesto they wish to release to the waiting world is hazy and Tom – a young security guard with a degree in political science – accidentally gate-crashes the scene of the crime.

The four men find themselves confined in a claustrophobic factory store room and tension crackles. The audience is confronted by a visceral and fiercely comic explosion of ideologies and hopes as each man’s story emerges throughout the course of the play.

“I didn’t expect it to be a comedy,” Scottish playwright Gregory Burke explains, “ but when you consider the themes – Marxist and Hegelian theories of history, anarchism, psychopathology, existentialism, mental illness, political terrorism, nihilism, globalisation and the crisis in masculinity – then it couldn’t really be anything else.” 

“To make a comedy of contradictions is the ultimate prank. To set it in the confines of a factory whereby the most cack-handed of empty gestures is exposed in all its farcical colours as playwright Gregory Burke has done is pretty close to genius” – The Herald (Scotland) 

Gagarin Way premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2001, where it won a Fringe First, the Best of the Fringe First Awards and The Scotsman Readers’ Favourite Award. Following sell-out runs after its transfer to London’s National Theatre, it was named one of the best plays of 2001 by The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Observer and Mail on Sunday. Gagarin Way received a nomination for ‘Best New Play’ at the 2002 Olivier Awards and Gregory Burke was awarded the 2001 Critic’s Circle Award for ‘Most Promising Playwright’. 

Gagarin Way stars a talented all-male cast featuring Will Wallace (The Cult, Jinx Sisters), Edward Newborn (Krapp’s Last Tape, National Theatre), Kevin Keys (August: Osage County) and Emmet Skilton (Home by Christmas). 

Gagarin Way plays at
The Gagarin Way Garage, 181 Hobson Street, Auckland
from 1-11 December at 8pm (No show Sunday 5 December)
Tickets are $25 (adult) or $20 (concession or group of 8+)
and can be booked from www.eventfinder.co.nz  

For more information visit www.friskyproductionsnz.com/  

Cast 
Will Wallace 
Edward Newborn 
Kevin Keys
Emmet Skilton