Where it Starts. How it Ends.
La Mama and Monstrous Theatre have just announced the world premiere of Paul Mitchell’s hard-hitting exploration of family violence, You’re the Man. It will be directed by Theresa Borg, designed by Filipe Filihia, with music by Simon Mason. The play will be performed at Carlton Courthouse from 4th – 15th September 2024.
Paul Mitchell’s new play is a story about the terrible damage caused by family violence and the journey to restoration of hope.
Seventeen-year-old Liam spends days locked in his room attempting to process the violent death of his brother, at the hands of his father. What could lead Liam to rejoin the world beyond his bedroom door? You’re the Man is ultimately a story of hope. It challenges justifications men make for their behaviour, seeks paths of healing for victim-survivors, and shows the tenderness and strength possible in renewed masculinity.
You’re the Man evolved from Paul Mitchell’s one-man-play, Ragdoll, of which Helen Garner commented “The work is a challenging psychological and emotional exploration…I was on the edge of my seat”.
Full cast will be announced in the coming weeks.
You’re the Man is on sale now at
https://lamama.com.au/whats-on/winter-2024/youre-the-man/
MONSTROUS THEATRE
Monstrous Theatre is a commercial producer of plays, opera and Musical Theatre based in Melbourne, Australia. The independent production company was established by husband-and-wife team, Theresa Borg, and Anton Berezin, after selling their previous businesses, Life Like Touring and The Entertainment Store, to TEG/Ticketek. The pair have entertained more than 7 million patrons globally with their original family shows and musicals. Borg and Berezin have had multiple presentations of their work on Broadway, London’s Westend and countless productions across every continent of the globe.
Disclaimer: Although informed by historical incidents of family violence in Melbourne, You’re the Man is a work of fiction. All names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents depicted in and throughout You’re the Man are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, or locales, is purely coincidental.
PAUL MITCHELL – writer
Paul is an award-winning author and playwright. He has published seven books, including the acclaimed We. Are. Family, which deals with family violence and the flaws of conventional masculinity. His latest book is the poetry collection, High Spirits (Puncher & Wattmann, 2023), and a previous poetry collection, Standard Variation, was short-listed for the 2016 Adelaide Writers’ Week John Bray Poetry Award. Mitchell has written several works for stage and screen, including co-writing a documentary on the Brisbane Lions for the AFL. His poetry, essays, and stories have been published in newspapers, magazines and journals including The Age, Best Australian Stories and Poems, Meanjin, Griffith Review, Overland, ABC Religion and Ethics, and The Big Issue.
THERESA BORG – director
Therèsa Borg is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts Masters in Theatre (Writing) (2020) and Opera Studio programs and was the 2022 Creative Arts Fellow for Australian Writing at the National Library of Australia. Therèsa wrote ‘Songs of the Helmeted Honeyeater’ with composer Jane Hammond. Directing credits include ‘Titanic’ starring Anthony Warlow at Melbourne Town Hall 2022, ‘An American In Paris’ (Resident) National tour 2021-2, ‘Sweeney Todd’, starring Anthony Warlow and Gina Riley at Her Majesty’s Melbourne (2019), ‘The Light in the Piazza’ at Arts Centre Melbourne (2016), ‘Disney Under the Stars’ at SOH/Sidney Myer Music Bowl (2016), ‘PAW Patrol Live!’ at Wembley Arena (2018) and twice voice-directing the Muppeteers from Sesame Workshop in NYC.
FILIPE FIHILIA – designer
Filipe is a set and costume designer working in Melbourne who explores their intersectional heritage through experimental design and storytelling. Recently completing studies at the Victorian College of the Arts, they are hoping to continue their practice of bringing marginalised communities to the forefront of the theatrical world. Their credits include LELE (2022/2023) with Western Edge Youth Arts (Dir. Chanella Macri), Transwoman Kills Influencer (Writ. Dax Carney, Dir Emmanuelle Mattana), All I’m Saying (Writ. Ben Brooker, Dir. Charlotte Rodgers) and Home Economics (Writ. Declan Greene, Dir. Stephanie Lee. Further work includes an internship with Sophie Woodward on Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre’s ‘Monument’ by Emily Sheehan, and costume construction for Joel Bray’s ‘Brolga: A Queer Koori Wonderland’ as part of the 2023 Fringe Festival and Symbiosis, a solo-exhibition of their photographic series by the same name.
SIMON MASON – music
Simon Mason is a Melbourne-based multi-instrumentalist and producer. A member of noughties band Tetris Nightmare, Simon’s atmospheric solo albums include Signs Under Surveillance and A Month Without Medication. Simon’s collaboration with poet and vocalist Paul Mitchell
