Local singer-songwriter Amy Vee will hit the stage at the Playhouse in November with an all-female cast to provide the soundtrack for a reimagining of Grimm’s fairy tales called The Magic Hour.
The production is part of the Civic Theatre’s UpStage at the Playhouse series which supports creative talent in the region.
Described as Little Red Riding Hood meets Trainspotting, Amy will provide the original live musical elements to the Lulu Bell Production that was written and directed by acclaimed Newcastle playwright Vanessa Bates.
“The play was originally written as a series of monologues, each with its own lyrical verse at the end,” Vee said.
“I’ve taken those verses and turned them into mini songs or vignettes. They sort of sum up the story of each character as they’re introduced by the actors.”
Starring internationally award-winning actresses Louise Chapman and Jan Hunt the script was inspired by the stories of real women that the playwright has worked with from marginalised communities, including a memorable experience in a Newcastle housing estate notoriously labelled Suicide Towers and Murder Central.
“A while ago, I did a lot of work around the country with people on the edge of societies, and often I would meet extraordinary and inspiring women – ordinary mothers and grandmothers who worked so hard to keep families together,” Bates said.
“They were often in the background, and it occurred to me that many of the female characters, the mothers and so on in fairy tales are kept in the background too.”
The Magic Hour will take over the Playhouse in Newcastle from 21 to 30 November 2024. For more information and tickets visit civictheatrenewcastle.com.au.
