Jasper Jones comes to Adelaide in its 10th anniversary year

Published by: State Theatre Company South Australia | 30-Jul-2019
State Theatre Company will bring a brand new production of Kate Mulvany's adaptation of Jasper Jones to the stage next month, 10 years after Craig Silvey's award-winning novel first burst onto the Australian literary scene. @StateTheatreSA #StateTheatreSA
Venue: Dunstan Playhouse
Address: Adelaide
Date: Aug 16 - Sep 7
Time: 8pm
Ticket: $30-$84
Buy / Ticket: https://bit.ly/2LiHcYy
Web: https://statetheatrecompany.com.au/shows/jasper-jones/
: https://twitter.com/StateTheatreSA
: https://www.facebook.com/StateTheatreSA
Beautiful, big-hearted and life-affirming, Mulvany's hit adaptation will blossom under the imaginative direction of Nescha Jelk, with design by State Theatre Company Resident Designer Ailsa Paterson, lighting by Tony Award-winning Nigel Levings and composition from State Theatre Company Sound Designer Andrew Howard.

James Smith (Vale) and Elijah Valadian-Wilson (Long Tan) will play the teenage leads, Charlie and Jasper. Joining them on stage will be Rory Walker (After Dinner), Roy Phung (Suburan Samurai), Rachel Burke (former State Theatre Company Ensemble member) and Emma Beech (Australian Bureau of Worthiness).

Set in 1965 in Corrigan, a small WA town, Silvey's thrilling whodunnit follows the story of 13-year-old Charlie Bucktin, who is woken one night by local outcast Jasper Jones. Jasper has just found the body of his girlfriend, Laura Wishart, and he knows that the residents of Corrigan will immediately place the blame for her death on him. Eager to solve the mystery, Jasper enlists Charlie's help. Together, they uncover the cruelty, racism and tensions that lay at the heart of their seemingly wholesome small-town.

A sensation when it was first published in 2009, Silvey's novel has become a must-read piece of Australian fiction, often cited as our nation's To Kill A Mockingbird. Since award-winning playwright and actor Kate Mulvany first staged her adaptation in Perth in 2014, Jasper Jones has been a critical success, making its way to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and now - under Jelk's skilled direction - Adelaide.

Jelk, who directed State Theatre Company's Terrestrial in 2018 and is the co-founder of local theatre collective RUMPUS, says it's a delight to bring such a beloved Australian story to the stage.

"Craig Silvey's Jasper Jones has touched the heart and mind of the nation and Kate Mulvany has crafted a fine adaptation of the novel," she says.

"Delving into the play and novel has been an enriching process and I am excited to share this remarkable story with Adelaide audiences."

Jasper Jones is at Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre, Aug 16 to Sep 7.

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