FONTANEL & LARRIKIN ENSEMBLE THEATRE PRESENTS: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S CYMBELINE

Banished from England for secretly marrying the princess, Posthumus bets the sly Iachimo that no man could ever seduce his faithful wife Imogen. When Iachimo sets off to test this claim, a riotous chain of tragic and comic events ensues: treachery, cross-dressing, double agents, sleeping potions, murder, mistaken identity, a war and perhaps forgiveness. From England to Rome and back again, through storms and wars, the performers conjure a dark world where the men in charge are ignorant or sinister and the only ray of light for the star-crossed newlyweds is the hope that their love for each other might survive the chaos. Fontanel and Larrikin Ensemble Theatre take Shakespeare’s most mysterious and sprawling play and re-imagines it as a swiftly moving, action-packed fairytale spun by an ensemble of only six actors. This production will be directed by the internationally renowned John McManus, who returns home after an extended 17 years in New York where he most recently worked on Hamlet with Walking the Dog Theatre, The Actors’ Ensemble, Shakespeare Alive! to which acclaimed NY critic John Paul Keeler - Register-Star, New York recently wrote, "McManus' direction is shot through with theatrical genius." Cast: Dean Baker (McLeod’s Daughters, Citris Paradisi, Hobby Farm), Christopher Bunworth (Trio, Blue Heelers, Em 4 Jay), Pier Carthew (Pericles, Waiting for Godot, Marcel and Albertine), Richard Davies (Bed of Rose, Neighbours, The Rivers of China), Kallista Kaval (ABC series Bed of Roses, All Saints, Chekhov and Knipper) and Dale March (A Midsummer Night's Dream, I Might be Edgar Allan Poe, Our Country's Good). Dramaturg: Daisy Noyes (The Zoo Story, Citrus Paradisi, Salome in Cogito Vol. III) Design: Georgina Buchanan (Puppetry of the Penis, Lano and Woodley's 'The Island', Wolverine) and Govinda Webster (Sweet Charity, Class Enemy, Raggs) Costumes: Erin Santamaria (MATERIALBYPRODUCT) Lighting: Aaron March (Hamlet and Othello in New York, Heron's Story - feature film) Sound: Tristan March/Little Big Sound (Citrus Paradisi) Produced by Wolf Heidecker (Haneef – The Interrogation, The Australian Justice Supper, The Eight) Don't miss the opportunity to experience this rarely seen production! Venue: fortyfivedownstairs 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne (Melways Ref: 1B U9) Dates: Thursday, September 25 – Sunday, September 28 Tuesday, September 30 – Sunday, October 5 Tuesday, October 7 – Sunday, October 12 Time: Tuesday – Saturday 8.00pm, Sunday 5.00pm Tickets: $27 full/ $23 conc./ $20 Tightarse Tuesdays/ $20 groups (10+) Bookings: 9660 9666 or www.melbournefringe.com.au