Following multiple seasons and tours of George’s Marvellous Medicine, it is clear that the team at shake & stir theatre co haven’t had enough Roald Dahl yet. Going into a few of the more obscure works in the authors repertoire, they have picked out The Twits to be the next they adapt to stage. The season is set to commence this coming school holidays in Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC) Cremorne Theatre from 1-14 April 2022.
The stage production will be a reimaging of Dahl’s original works, pitched by shake & stir theatre co as “an action-carnival-comedy overflowing with explosions, repulsions, mischief, mayhem and big belly laughs”, a show that is “full of trickery and wickedly funny pranks” but also a “cautionary tale” showing the value of treating others with kindness and that there is no happy ending for those who are nasty.
The cast of The Twits includes Leon Cain (Fantastic Mr Fox, North by Northwest) and Nelle Lee (Jane Eyre, A Christmas Carol, Fantastic Mr Fox) as Mr and Mrs Twit. Darcy Brown, (Animal Farm, The Play That Goes Wrong), Johnny Balbuziente (Fourthcoming, Fantastic Mr Fox, Married At First Sight) and Ellen Bailey (Fantastic Mr Fox, Ishmael) also feature in the lead cast. As you can tell from the cast list, all have worked with shake & stir theatre co on at least one other production in the past.
Tickets to The Twits are now available via the QPAC Website, or by calling their QTIX Box Office on 136 246. Keep in mind that Brisbane is experiencing flooding at the moment, so phone sales may be postponed until it passes.
This is the fourth Roald Dahl adaptation I have had the privilege to direct, and I could not be more excited – it was one of the first Dahl books I ever read.
Embracing that unbridled sense of abandonment and joy that Dahl’s words give will be a much-needed distraction, especially given the last few years. It is more important now than ever to take some time to laugh.
The story has the trademark grit, wit and grotesque deliciousness readers have come to expect from Dahl. Front and centre are two of his most hilarious meanies – Mr and Mrs Twit. At the same time, the beating heart of the story is the importance of being nice to one another and that if you have friendship and family and work together, anything can be accomplished.
It’s a passion for us at shake & stir theatre co to use Dahl’s books as inspiration for reimagined theatre works for audiences of every age to enjoy.
Featuring some of the best comic actors in Queensland including Leon Cain and Nelle Lee, Ellen Bailey, Johnny Balbuziente and Darcy Brown, the cast’s personal love of Roald Dahl and The Twits is sure to result in true magic on stage.
Impressive set and costume (Josh McIntosh), lighting (Jason Glenwright), composition and sound (Guy Webster) design means Roald Dahl’s The Twits is sure to be a visual and aural feast
Ross Balbuziente – Artistic Director of shake & stir theatre co
