LYSA & THE FREEBORN DAMES
by Claire Christian
La Boite Theatre Company, 2018
Lysa King is nineteen and angry. After spending a year away from her small town, experiencing a powerful uprising of her own political voice, and the protests of women all over the world, Lysa has returned to discover that revolution seems to be happening everywhere but home.
Her arrival coincides with the biggest weekend on the annual calendar, the War Weekender, a weekend-long celebration of the town’s most prized citizens, the local footy team. Inspired by Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, Christian’s Lysa decides it’s time to make sure that her voice is heard - armed with a flag, a manifesto, and the key to the footy club’s change rooms she plans to bring revolution about by any means necessary.
Director Sanja Simić
Dramaturg Saffron Benner
Designer Anthony Spinaze
Lighting Designer Katie Sfetkidis
Sound Designer Guy Webster
Assistant Creative Maddie Nixon
Fight Choreographer NJ Price
CAST
Hsiao-Ling Tang, Barbara Lowing, Roxanne McDonald, Hugh Parker, Clementine Anderson, Jackson Bannister, Morgan Francis, Samantha Lush, Tatum Mottin and Tania Vukicevic.
REVIEWS
Sanja Simić’s direction is clear and uncluttered. This is a play with big and small themes beautifully intertwined. And it’s Funny AF.
- The Conversation
Lysa and the Freeborn Dames is political, passionate, and poignant.
- thecreativeissue.com
As a script, the text is edgy and persuasive; and as a production, led by director Sanja Simić, it’s poignant and moving.
- absolutetheatre.com