Counting and Cracking at RISING Festival Tickets
About Counting and Cracking at RISING Festival
A vibrant, three-act epic follows four generations over five decades from Colombo to Australia and tests the complex strength of family love.
It begins with Radha and her son Siddartha on the banks of Sydney’s Georges River, scattering Radha’s mother’s ashes—their final, physical link to Sri Lanka’s turbulent history. Then an unexpected call from Colombo brings the past rushing back.
Counting and Cracking is a true family saga that follows four generations from 1956 to 2004—through family secrets, love and upheaval.
Nineteen performers from six countries play 50 different characters. Incense swirls. Bare feet crisscross the sandy stage. Wisecracking Tamil and Sinhalese intertwines with English, in communal acts of translation.
Apah, Rhada’s grandfather, wants equality but is taught early on that democracy is “the counting of heads, within certain limits, and the cracking of heads beyond those limits.” By the end, we’ve learned the deep truths behind that Colombo mystery, on the other end of the line.
A Belvoir St Theatre Production
Co-produced with Kurinji
Originally Co-Produced with Co-Curious
Co-commissioned by Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals Inc, Sydney Festival, Adelaide Festival and Belvoir St Theatre.
RISING and the University of Melbourne would like to acknowledge Sri Lankan Airlines, The Bowness Family Foundation, Linda Herd and Fiona Menzies for their generous support.
Belvoir Theatre thanks Playking Foundation and Penelope Seidler for their support of Counting and Cracking’s Melbourne season, and to the visionary individuals who have made a landmark contribution to Australian theatre.
Run time
3hr 30min (incl. 2 intervals)
Categories
Start date
31st May, 2024
End date
23rd June, 2024
Venue
Union Theatre, University of Melbourne
Accessibility
Wheelchair access is provided via elevators and shorter ‘jump lifts’ throughout spaces and theatres. Accessible bathrooms on all levels including in dressing rooms.
Directions
GETTING TO THE VENUE
BY TRAM: Catch any Swanston St tram to Stop 1 – Melbourne University tram stop to enter the campus via Monash Road (Gate 4) or the amphitheatre (Gate 6).
BY BICYCLE: The University encourages cycling as a mode of transport and is always developing their campuses with bicycle facilities in mind. A large proportion of bicycle racks on campus are checked by security and covered by CCTV. There are a number of bicycle lock up racks directly opposite the Arts & Cultural Building entrance on Monash Road.
BY CAR: The closest car park is the Eastern Precinct Car Park at 375 Cardigan Street, Carlton, near the corner of Elgin Street. This car park is an approximate 5-minute walk from the venue, with access across Swanston St via the Elgin St footbridge. There is also Ace Parking Car Park at 265 Faraday Street, Carlton, which is opposite the Monash Road entrance (Gate 4).
More information about Counting and Cracking at RISING Festival
“It's a story about reconciliation: between parents and children, between neighbours and enemies, between your new home and your old home, between society and its institutions.” — S.SHAKTHIDHARAN
Writer and Associate Director: S. Shakthidharan
Director and Associate Writer: Eamon Flack
Cast: Rodney Afif, Prakash Belawadi, Antonythasan Jesuthasan, Nadie Kammallaweera, Ahi Karunaharan, Abbie-Lee Lewis, Gandhi McIntyre, Radhika Mudaliyar, Shiv Palekar, Dushan Philips, Sukhbir Singh Walia, Kaivu Suvarna, Nipuni Sharada, Rajan Velu, Sukania Venugopal and Senuri Chandrani
Musicians: Kranti Kiran Mudigonda, Janakan Raj and Venkhatesh Sritharan
Costume and Cultural Advisor, Choreographer: Anandavalli
Set and Costume Designer: Dale Ferguson
Lighting Designer: Damien Cooper
Sound Designer and Composer: Stefan Gregory
Tickets
Unfortunately, tickets for this event are no longer available.
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