TCT presents a riveting take on love gone wrong. Three short plays explore the dark undercurrents of relationships when resentment, cruelty and revenge erupt in gripping acts of defiance and bids for freedom. Mrs Thally F by John Romeril Esteemed Australian playwright John Romeril has woven music and dance into this glimpse at the spate of mid-century murders which blighted the suburban landscape in Australia at a time when getting hold of untraceable poison was a simple over-the-counter affair. Real-life double-murderer, Yvonne Fletcher, lives for the Saturday night social with its chance to perform and promise of romance. She loses herself in dreams of swirls and twirls, of flattering frocks, of dashing young men, and of bodies clasped together in firm embraces. In her narrow life, the heady, sexually-charged excitement of the dance hall butts up against the drudgery, dullness, compromise and occasional violence at home. She spends her days in a dangerous mixture of escapist longing and murderous intent… with dire consequences. Directed by Lisa Hickey Featuring: Sherri Smith as Mrs Thally F Image by Naz Mulla  Trifles By Susan Glaspell In the Wright’s isolated, gloomy farmhouse, two women, Mrs Hale and Mrs Peters attend the scene of a grisly crime. A ruined jar of preserves. A piece of quilt. Sugar spilt on the counter.

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  A broken birdcage. Small, incidental trifles reveal the devastating impact one partner can have on the other throughout a lifetime of accumulated hurts and crushing confinement.

  As the women encounter the insignificant artefacts of Minnie Wright’s life, they come to know her and her circumstances and must, in turn, make a decision that questions their own moral convictions and interpretation of Justice.

  Adapted from Susan Glaspell’s stunning 1916 play, Trifles is a mesmerising portrayal of the shared lives and hardships of rural women and their deep bonding in the face of violence. Set amongst the spinifex, ghost gums and Coolamon trees of the Australian outback, Trifles explores consciousness-raising amongst women, moral courage, empathy and respect for the value of women’s lives.

  Directed by Helen Strube

   

  The Stronger

  By August Strindberg

  Christmas Eve. Two women. A chance encounter in a cafe. Written in 1889 by Swedish playwright August Strindberg for his experimental theatre project, The Stronger is a short, taut piece in which a betrayed wife confronts her husband’s mistress of many years.

  Traditionally, a monodrama and arguably one of the most enigmatic plays in Strindberg’s career, The Stronger spotlights two women whose lives are defined by a male, absent yet very present in their encounter. In this re-imagining of Strindberg’s original work, we examine the impact of steady and unstinting deception, of disappointment and of lessons learnt.

  In a clash between hierarchy and autonomy, denial, guilt, women’s agency and self-esteem ricochet around the mid-century tea-room.

  Directed by Helen Strube