Breeders at La Mama

A surreal, darkly funny play about a working-class autistic family and their technicolour brain explosions as they struggle to communicate and connect with one another. Breeders is a darkly funny play about our world, where autistic children are considered problematic nightmares, and dodgy anti-vaccine ‘doctors’ become God-like saviours.

Jumping between naturalism, satire and surrealism, this is today’s Melbourne through the acerbic eyes of Anna, a young autistic woman and budding journalist. Between domestic disputes, Anna’s family is confronted by media coverage about their lives in which they have no say.

That is, until the media is hijacked by “problematic nightmare children.”

Written by a neurodivergent artist and performed by predominantly neurodivergent actors, Breeders takes aim at the violent myths hurled at parents of autistic children which are much scarier than having a disabled child.

Winner of the 2019 Stella Young Award

Playwright: Vanessa Di Natale

Director: Emma Mary Hall

Producer and Access Coordinator: Sarah Houbolt

Cast: Benjamin Oakes, Cecilia Low, Artemis Munoz, Michael Chan, Rosalind Silver, Dasha Tan & Summer Metcalf