Black Sun Blood Moon

2023 Performance Dates

14 April – Cairns Performing Arts Centre

21 April – Empire Theatre, Toowoomba

28 April – Griffith Regional Theatre

22 May – The Wedge, Sale

25 May – Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool

30 May – The Capitol Theatre, Tamworth

2 – 3 June – The Concourse, Chatswood

7 – 8 June – Riverside Theatre, Parramatta

21 June – Queens Park Theatre, Geraldton

23 June – Mandurah PAC

27 June – Heart, Margaret River

30 June – Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre

Key Audiences & Marketing Notes

Black Sun Blood Moon is a new play about the climate crisis, and the #FridaysForFuture school strike movement, with a decidedly magic realist twist. It’s about a 10-year-old climate warrior, the power of every person to find their voice and take responsibility and the magic of storytelling.

It will appeal to:

• Families with young people 12+ seeking theatrical experiences suited to all generations – something everyone can enjoy together.
• Fans of visual design and contemporary puppetry.
• Climate change and environmental advocates.
• Schools seeking an experience for students that intersects drama and English with society and culture/environment studies.

Community Engagement

It’s a timely, resonant show, especially for our regional communities – a significant conversation starter about the most pressing issue of our day – but one that is full of hope, designed to inspire action. It’s a highly theatrical experience about the mess we’ve made, and how we can find a solution together.

ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVES

• Engage your local council’s waste and environment teams/officers – there may be a local initiative the show can help draw attention to, and vice versa.
• Seek out your local climate champions and organisations for support and resources. If there’s room in your venue for a presence by a key group or initiative it can be a great way to value-add while also accessing a ready audience keen on the themes.
• Seek out your local Fridays for Future leaders and groups and see if they’d like to be involved. In Wagga we invited them to a press call with the cast and some of the puppets achieving great local connections.

WORKSHOPS & CONVERSATIONS

We’re keen to explore forums, interactive and digital conversation events, and creative workshops with you. Please chat to us about creating a special event or education experience at your venue.

EDUCATION

A comprehensive education kit is available now.

Chris Bendall – Writer/Director

Chris is an award-winning creative producer, director and dramaturg with experience working professionally across Australia. He has worked on over 50 productions over the past 18 years, has been nominated for a Green Room Award for Outstanding Director, and won the WA Equity Award for Best Director in 2009 and 2011, and Best Production in 2011. He has been a member of the Theatre Nominating Panel for the Helpmann Awards since 2010. Previous positions include: Guest Programmer for PlayWriting Australia’s National Play Festival (2013); Artistic Director of Deckchair Theatre in Fremantle (2008-2012); Artistic Director and co-founder of Theatre @ Risk in Melbourne (2001-2007), Artistic Director and co-founder of Footlight Theatre (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide) (1996-2000), and Affiliate Director of Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC) (2003-2004).

As a director his most recent productions were The Magic Hour, which toured nationally in 2014, and Thomas Murray and the Upside Down River which enjoyed seasons at Griffin Theatre and NORPA in 2016, and a national tour in 2018. Chris has been awarded the Queen’s Trust Australia & Foundation for Young Australians Centenary Grant (2001) and the George Fairfax Memorial Award for Theatre (2003).

Previous directing highlights include for Deckchair Theatre: The Magic Hour by Vanessa Bates (finalist for APACA’s Tour of the Year 2014); The Modern International Dead by Damien Millar (winner Best Production, Best Director WA Equity Awards); Grace adapted by Humphrey Bower from the novel by Robert Drewe (Perth International Arts Festival 2010); Checklist for an Armed Robber by Vanessa Bates (Winner Best Director, WA Equity Awards). Highlights with Theatre @ Risk include director/dramaturg of world premieres of: Requiem for the 20th Century by TeeO’Neill (nominated for an AWGIE for Best New Play); 7 Days 10 Years by Louis Milutinovic (winner Green Room Award Best New Play); and Polygraph by Robert Lepage (nominated Green Room Award for outstanding direction).