Howard Barker, described by The Times as "one of the UK's greatest living playwrights", turns 80 this year, and Flinders Drama Centre will mark the occasion by presenting Wrestling with Catastrophe-the only Australian celebration of Barker's 80th birthday.
Widely regarded as a major influence on a generation of playwrights including Mark Ravenhill and Sarah Kane, Barker has spent more than five decades reshaping contemporary ideas of tragedy, language and performance.
The Flinders production - at Flinders University's Matthew Flinders Theatre from July 29 to August 1, and directed by Gerrard McArthur, one of Barker's closest artistic collaborators and principal Artistic Associate of The Wrestling School - brings together scenes from Barker's major plays with excerpts from his essays and theatrical manifestos in an original anthology celebrating one of contemporary theatre's most uncompromising artistic voices.
Created by the graduating Honours actors and performed by students from across all year levels of Flinders Drama Centre, Wrestling with Catastrophe explores Barker's Theatre of Catastrophe, which is his influential body of ideas about tragedy, imagination, language and the role of the audience.
The production traces the evolution of Barker's theatrical thinking through scenes from works including Victory, Gertrude - The Cry, Scenes from an Execution, The Castle, No End of Blame, The Europeans and (Uncle) Vanya, interwoven with devised responses to Barker's own writings on theatre.
The production also celebrates Adelaide's distinctive history with Barker's work, from the State Theatre Company's landmark production of No End of Blame, which starred Geoffery Rush, just two months after the play's London premiere, to Brink Productions' sustained exploration of his later plays throughout the 1990s. The production will be lit by Tony Award-winning lighting designer Nigel Levings, who designed the lighting for No End of Blame in 1981.
McArthur has worked alongside Barker for more than three decades, creating productions across Europe and the United Kingdom, and has helped shape the performance tradition associated with Barker's work. His residency at Flinders Drama Centre has given students a rare opportunity to rehearse directly within that tradition while developing their own responses to Barker's theatrical ideas.
Dr Christopher Hurrell, Manager of Flinders Drama Centre, says the production represents both an important artistic milestone and a unique learning opportunity.
"Howard Barker's influence on contemporary theatre is extraordinary. His work transformed the way many theatre-makers think about tragedy, language and the relationship between actor and audience, and his ideas continue to challenge artists around the world," says Dr Hurrell.
"Flinders Drama Centre has engaged with Barker's work for 40 years. Having Gerrard McArthur as director for this production gives our students access to someone with more than 30 years of artistic collaboration with Barker. They're not simply learning about a playwright- they're participating in a living performance tradition."
Wrestling with Catastrophe – An Anthology from the Theatre and Writings of Howard Barker
Venue: Matthew Flinders Theatre Flinders Drama Centre, Flinders University
Dates: July 29-August 1: 7:30pm. July 31, 2pm
Bookings: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wrestling-with-catastrophe-tickets-1993647901541?aff=oddtdtcreator
