"‘Ode To Isaiah Walsh’ is clever, captivating theatre" - City Hub

"A clever examination of the notion of performance, in art and in life both. The performances in Ode are stellar… the results are tender, funny and cynical all at once" - Sydney Arts Guide

"Writer Ben Chapple turns [the show] on itself brilliantly in the play’s final stretch" - Sydney Arts Guide

Overview

Stars can be made… and stars can die.

A dead body has been found in the penthouse of SINGER, an aging pop star in the vein of David Bowie. SINGER’s management team hustle to clean up the mess, but the tragedy has convinced SINGER that he must make drastic changes – to reclaim his lost artistic voice.

SINGER must confront the trade-offs made in pursuit of celebrity and purpose. His past haunts him, while his future becomes increasingly uncertain.

Set against the world of glam-rock, Ode examines the persona as performance. It confronts inescapable class divisions, and blurs the lines of gender and sexuality in the reclaiming of one man’s identity.

Cast

Madeline Marie Dona as Corinne/Lorraine/Jessie

Ben Chapple as Barry

Sean Luther Hall as Damien

Sian Ewers as Ariel

Isaro Kayitesi as Elliot

Nick Drummond & Austin Hayden as Singer

Creatives

Playwright: Ben Chapple

Directors: Austin Hayden & Ben Chapple

Producer: Austin Hayden

Costume Designer: Lulu Ross

Production Coordinator & Props: Jacob Adam

Lighting Designer: Victor Kalka

Sound Designer: Jessica Pizzinga

Stage Manager: Isobel Morrissey