White Whale Theatre has boldly gone where most fledgling theatre companies would fear to tread – they have commissioned five outstanding Melbourne writers each to create a 20-minute piece about a slice of life in a Melbourne suburb.

These five short plays are woven together in Melburnalia, a unique evening of theatre presented by a talented ensemble of six performers, which will have its premiere at fortyfivedownstairs on 1 November 2007.

Directed by David Mence and dramaturged by Melanie Beddie, Melburnalia is a thought-provoking exploration of the diverse localities, peoples and meanings that come together to form ‘Melbourne’.

Local audiences will be able to see specially crafted works by playwrights Ross Mueller (The Glory, Construction of the Human Heart), Tee O’Neill (Requiem for the 21st Century) and Lally Katz (The Black Swan of Trespass, Criminology), as well as witnessing the first theatrical creations of novelists Kate Holden (In My Skin) and Alice Pung (Unpolished Gem). These five works will interlink and form a single theatrical journey, with audiences whisked from suburb to suburb and shown an ever-changing portrait of a city with many masks.

In every nook and corner of Melbourne may be found the traces, textures and imprinted experiences of its citizens. Paraphernalia and miscellanea yield up their stories: from the transformative streets of St Kilda to the boulevards of Kew; first love in Footscray and betrayal in Ringwood; from the wide lanes of the Maroondah Highway to the narrow cafés of Degraves St; from heroin to homosexuality; library to laneway; sex work to stage work; bohemians to bogans to boat people to an Apocalypse Bear; all are joined by the shared experience of this place we call Melbourne.

Summary of the Five Short Plays

Lally Katz has written about Kew, a suburb she has recently moved to from the trendier inner-north.  Her piece, The Fag from Zagreb, has an off-kilter, mysterious and somewhat absurdist vibe that brings out a unique vision of Kew. Set in a wealthy middle-class home in a tree-lined boulevard, her play focuses on the interplay between a gay private school boy and his unusual household friend, the Apocalypse Bear.

Tee O'Neill grew up in Ringwood and has drawn on her memories of that suburb in creating The Queen of Ringwood. Featuring a moment of decision and crisis in the relationship between two young petty crims, Tee's piece offers a fascinating look at class and opportunity in the far eastern suburbs. As Gary and Terri hurtle towards their separate fates, this fast-paced piece adds unique energy and enthralling characterisation to the collection of plays.

Alice Pung has written her piece, Educating Riah, about growing up in Footscray as a Chinese Cambodian refugee. Alice problematizes stereotypes of suburban identity and dramatizes the clash of culture and class in her open and earnest piece of theatre. As young Asian Australians (or EEDs - Ethnically Enhanced Dweebs) from diverse backgrounds study and flirt in the Footscray library, the differences between their outlooks and responsibilities bring them to a heartbreaking situation of conflict and choice.

Kate Holden - a long-term resident of St Kilda - has contributed a thoughtful and textured piece about four women in an iconic St Kilda cafe, the Galleon. As the four characters in Waiting It Out chat over coffee on a cold and rain-drenched night, their reminiscing canvasses issues such as misplaced nostalgia, sex work, relationship breakdown, friendship and the changing face of St Kilda.

Ross Mueller's Being Greg Stone is a unique and high energy comedy set in the CBD that satirises and celebrates the Melbourne theatre industry. Aspiring actor Natasha and fading agent Robyn meet in a trendy laneway café in Degraves St where they meet real-life Melbourne actor, Greg Stone. Realising that Greg is the only actor in Melbourne who always lands paid acting work, the pair embark on a hilarious post-modern mission to turn Natasha into the new Greg. Snappy and stylish, Ross' piece can be seen to speak directly to the young generation about wider issues such as the arts, employment and the current Australian condition.