17/05/2024
Marooned
By Michael Gray Griffith
7.30pm 25th May 2024
Runs 80-minutes Altona City Theatre 115 civic Pde Altona 3108
Tickets https://www.trybooking.com/CNXZU
“A play about su***de that needs to be seen” The Sydney Morning Herald “Marooned is
undoubtedly the finest piece of theatre I’ve seen in many years. It had me in tears
and belly laughing. Beautifully written and expertly performed. Stunningly good.”
~Megan Watts
But this play is not about death, it's about life, and as the review states “Marooned
uses communal storytelling, aka theatre, to confront the epidemic of life-threatening
despair, shame and grief. It does so with humour and compassion and honesty.
The play was written after the su***de of an actor and initially it was only meant to be
staged for the acting community as a form of healing, but from the first night it was
clear that the play was special.
Four people are marooned together in a waiting room in the afterlife. The only thing it
appears they have in common is that they have all attempted to take their own lives.
As time passes one by one, they start yearning to go home but declaring this want to
the Gods, doesn’t seem to be enough. Eventually, one of them believes that the only
way out of this room is to talk, and to talk plainly and directly about what brought
them here. He believes that they aren’t here to help themselves, but to work together
to save each other.
Is he right? For the more they open up, the more the truth comes out, the closer they
grow and the closer they grow the more they find their second wind; the strength,
through community, to face and deal with the issues that initially brought them to this
room. Together we journey with them as they all come back from the edge. But are
they going home?
HISTORY OF MAROONED
To now Marooned has had incredible success. Before Covid we were taking the
play to small regional towns where su***de is a problem with Mental Health
professionals present and or a Q&A afterwards.
Prior to the lockdown the Australian Army invited us to perform Marooned in
Canberra for the Chief of Army and other VIPs. Not only did they love it, but this
was the final hurdle we had to overcome before the army started touring the play
to their bases. We were told their last decision was whether to make it mandatory
or voluntary viewing. Unfortunately, Covid hit and all this is on hold. Before the
lockdowns we were in preliminary talks with them about selling them the rights to
present the film instead. Their head psychiatrist, who has seen it twice, called the
play, a revolution in su***de prevention, for it engaged an audience and even
though it went to the heart of some serious issues it left the audience uplifted and
drove home the real horror of su***de.
location, one room (as happens in the play) we can maintain a high standard of
Marooned Quotes and Reviews
“Is it only last week Australian of the Year Grace Tame told us, “History, lived
experience, the whole truth, unsanitised and unedited, is our greatest learning
resource. It is what informs social and structural change”? Marooned is a play that
fulfils this urgent purpose, using communal storytelling, aka theatre, to confront
Australia’s epidemic of life-threatening despair, shame and grief. It does so with
humour and compassion and honesty. It needs to be seen.
Marooned Review by Harriet Cunningham The Sydney Morning Herald
Each of the characters’ stories represents a different group in our community, but all
reveal how delicate is the human psyche, how fragile is our mental health and how
tenuous our grip on this life.” ~Kate Herbert ★★★ The Herald Sun
Marooned is a revolution in Su***de Prevention because it entertains and holds an
audience’s attention, and while it powerfully conveys its message it manages to
leave you feeling uplifted.” ~LTCOL Andy Cohn Army Psychologist
“This is an important play,” ~Alan Hopgood. Playwright
Contact 0425854942
[email protected]
This production is brought to you with the support of both Rotary Altona and The Male Hug. “Marooned” written by Michael Gray Griffith was first...
