THE PACKER - NEW ZEALAND SMASH HIT SHOW MAKES ITS US DEBUT!
The Packer
MEDIA RELEASE:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INTERNATIONAL SMASH HIT SHOW MAKES IT’S US DEBUT AT
THE HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL!
THE PACKER @ The Hollywood Fringe Festival
NEWWAYINTHEATRE
[email protected]
WRITTEN by: Dianna Fuemana
DIRECTED by: Jeremy Lindsay Taylor
PERFORMED by: Jay Ryan
@Theatre of NOTE:
June 18th – 27th 2010 (various times stated below)
@Fringe Central , Theatre of Arts Arena:
Monday June 21st @ 8pm
After sell out seasons in New Zealand, Australia and at the
Edinburgh Fringe it’s LA’s turn to be captivated by this critically
acclaimed one-man show.
THE PACKER is an exhilarating piece of New Zealand pacific
theatre, original and dynamic, a black comedy that reveals a snap
shot of Auckland’s urban life hood, told through the eyes of Shane.
Life is difficult enough for Shane, working in a dead-end job packing
boxes and living with Joyce, his gin-addled ex-pat Australian
mother. But, in the space of 24 hours it impossibly spirals out of
control with the arrival of the new Pacific Island neighbours, a
beautiful Niuean girl and her randy old father. Over the course of
one surreal night, Shane will discover the emotional ties that bind
him to his world can also destroy him.
“Theatre that tells it like it is… sharp comic timing”
-The List/Edinburgh Fringe
“An absolute knockout of a
show…sharp, frenetic and jawachingly
funny!”
-Melbourne Times/Australia
Award-winning Niuean/American Samoan playwright Dianna
Fuemana has created a high stakes roller coaster ride through a
charged urban Pacific diversity that is contemporary New Zealand.
Set in West Auckland, THE PACKER transcends location and
showcases the contemporary world where cultures blend, racial
intolerance comes to the forefront and insecurities are exploited
with humour and heart.
Full of twists and turns, queers and queens, westies and wannabes,
this show returns theatre to what it was always meant to be.
Refreshing, stimulating, innovative and captivating. A dynamic
script, a thrilling solo performance and tight direction combine to
make THE PACKER one of the must-see plays at the 2010
Hollywood Fringe Festival.
“His powerful performance was technically brilliant and quite
stunning… by the end it is like watching eight different actors –
he is that good!”
- Capital Times/NZ
Bookings through:
www.hollywoodfringe.org
Box Office Phone:
866-811-4111
Tickets: $15.00
THE VENUE’S/DATES: (7 shows only)
Theatre Of NOTE -
1517 N.Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood
www. theatreofnote.com
Friday June 18th – 8 pm
Sunday June 20th – 6.30pm
Tuesday June 22nd – 8pm
Thursday June 24th – 10pm
Saturday June 26th – 6.30pm
Sunday June 27th – 2pm
Fringe Central -
Theatre of Arts, Arena stage -
1625 N.Las Palmas Blvd,
Hollywood.
Monday June 21st – 8pm
(Invited guests-Industry night /Limited sales)
KEY CREATIVE BIO’S:
CAST: JAY RYAN
THE PACKER has been performed by JAY RYAN in New Zealand, Melbourne, Edinburgh and Sydney. Associated with this play since its inception in 2003, involved in the workshopping of the script through to its debut at Bats Theatre in New Zealand, Jay’s performance brings to life eight different characters, transitioning with an ease and honesty into each of their vastly different worlds.
He is a versatile theatre, film and television performer, currently appearing in the New Zealand hit drama Go Girls (being adapted for the US market by ABC studios), hugely popular in both Australia
and globally from Sea Patrol and Neighbours and has performed with Monty Python’s John Cleese on stage in ‘Seven Ways To Skin An Ocelot’. Jay will soon be seen in the upcoming Australian
feature film ‘LOU’, starring Academy Award nominated actor John Hurt. He is represented by UTA in the United States.
DIRECTOR: JEREMY LINDSAY TAYLOR
THE PACKER in 2008 marked JEREMY LINDSAY TAYLOR’s directorial debut in Sydney, with resounding success. With a prolific body of work spanning across theatre, television and film, his acting experience has seen him perform on stages in Sydney, Melbourne and London in various theatre productions. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the Melbourne Theatre Company production of Take Me Out. Jeremy was nominated for an AFI for his appearance in False
Witness, a UK/Australian co-production. He was also a key cast member of Sea Patrol and has appeared in most of Australia’s leading television dramas.
WRITER: DIANNA FUEMANA
THE PACKER was written and directed by Dianna Fuemana in 2003 during her Masters of Theatre degree at the University of Auckland. Playmarket published The Packer and her most recent play
Falemalama in the 2009 New Zealand Play Series. Dianna is an acclaimed playwright; her plays have been staged in New Zealand, Australia, Greece, United States, Hawaii, Canada, Niue, America
Samoa and the UK. Mapaki was her first professional piece for theatre, the first of five works produced and written for the stage since 2000. Dianna is currently working on the film adaptation of
The Packer entitled Solo. She is credited as a pioneering force in New Zealand Pacific theatre winning the 2009 Pacific Innovation award through the countries national arts board Creative New Zealand.
" …this is one of the best nights in theatre”
-Sydney Arts Journo/Australia
CONTACT:
The 3 key creat ive above for THE PACKER wi l l be in Los Angeles f rom June 10 and available for press requests in the lead up to the festival:
More Info/Video/Reviews go to:
www.hollywoodfringe.org/project/view/37
For further information, tickets, requests or images please contact:
Newwayintheatre:
Jay Ryan
[email protected]
Theatre of NOTE:
Lisa Kenner/Press Manager
[email protected]
Karen Kay Management:
Belinda Blight
[email protected]
+6493792010
