Co-presented in 2022 by Griffin Theatre Company and Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta, the production captivated audiences and critics alike with its heartfelt exploration of a young South African woman’s experience living in a stucco suburb called Paradise.
While her folks are back in Johannesburg, Zadie is holding down the family fort. This means keeping her little sis away from bush doofs, avoiding the cute boy next door, and smiling when her nice white neighbours try to touch her hair. All that changes when an unexpected visitor bursts back into Zadie’s life in the middle of the night, breaking the silence with loud music and even louder opinions. To make matters worse, someone’s been pelting the house with oranges. All of a sudden, Zadie’s got a big, sticky suburban mess on her hands.
“The diverse characters bounce off each other, lighting up the stage like a pinball machine, erupting into hysterical laughter, joyous dancing and quivering epiphanies.” – Harriet Cunningham, The Sydney Morning Herald
“Orange Thrower is a piece of theatre that is fresh, new and yet all too familiar at the same time. This is a stellar debut; a diverse piece of surreal storytelling that will have you thinking long after you’ve left the theatre.” – Justin Clarke, Theatre Thoughts
“Often exuberantly funny and strutting the wild side, it also offers a deeply moving portrayal of the struggle to find self-acceptance.” – Catherine Skipper, South Sydney Herald
“Marillier’s script is constructed beautifully, with characters and dialogue that are incredibly grounded and multifaceted.” – Gavin Roach, Australian Arts Review
Directed with zest by musician, performer and director Zindzi Okenyo, and starring a kick-arse ensemble playing larger-than-life characters, Orange Thrower was filmed by Australian Theatre Live on the SBW Stables Theatre stage in March 2022, with support from The Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation.
The S,B&W Foundation have been long-term supporters of the work, with Orange Thrower winning the prestigious Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award in 2019.
This capture is one of six 2022/23 Griffin Theatre Company works joining the subscription platform in the next twelve months, the outcome of an exciting ATL & Griffin partnership which allows an international audience to experience the magic of Australian stories from the comfort of their homes. This partnership significantly and meaningfully increases the reach of these works, opening up access to interstate, regional, and overseas audiences, and to those whose mobility or financial needs exclude them from physically attending.
Orange Thrower will be launched on ATL ON DEMAND Thursday 19th October, joining a diverse catalogue of 26 Australian digital live performances for just $7.99/month or $74.99/year, and available to education institutions on ATL ON DEMAND: EDUCATION.
Orange Thrower Cast & Creatives: Director: Zindzi Okenyo; Designer: Jeremy Allen; Lighting Designer: Verity Hampson; Associate Lighting Designer: Veronique Benett; Composer & Sound Designer: Benjamin Pierpoint; Dramaturg: Declan Greene; Directing Secondment: Chemon Theys; Intimacy Director: Cessalee Stovall; Wigs Stylist: Dynae Wood Stage Manager: Hannah Crane; With: Callan Colley, Zindzi Okenyo, Mariama Whitton, Gabriela van Wyk.
Orange Thrower Content Warnings: Orange Thrower contains sexual themes and depictions of drug use, racism and gun violence and uses strobe lighting during the performance.
About Griffin Theatre Company: Griffin is the only theatre company in the country exclusively devoted to the development and staging of new Australian writing. Located in the historic SBW Stables Theatre, nestled in the heart of Kings Cross, Griffin has been Australia’s home for the exploration of new stories since 1978. We are the launch pad for new plays, ideas and writing—work that is bold, visionary and risky. Plays like Prima Facie, Holding the Man and City of Gold all had their world premieres at Griffin before going out to capture the national imagination. In the words of our longest-serving Artistic Director, Ros Horin: We are the theatre of first chances. We are passionate about nurturing emerging and established practitioners alike. We pride ourselves on connecting a vast community of artists, audiences and supporters who consider our theatre their creative home. We tell the stories that will help us know who we are as a nation, and who we want to become. Stories about us. Written by us. For us. Website: https://griffintheatre.com.au/
About Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta: Based in Sydney’s geographical heart, NTofP launched in November 2015, and reflects the diversity of Australia today through contemporary and bold performances, education programs and its audiences. As the producing arm of Riverside Theatres, NTofP is raising the profile of performance and engaging the imagination and creative ideas that resonate in Western Sydney and beyond and is Putting the Nation on Stage. As a principal arts organisation based in Western Sydney, NTofP contributes to Sydney’s vibrant artistic community by fostering the creation of new works and building capacity in the arts. Website: https://nationaltheatreofparramatta.com.au/
About Australian Theatre Live: Established as a Not-For-Profit organization and registered charity, Australian Theatre Live (ATL) records and distributes Australian live performance, prioritising accessibility, developing the local arts industry, and preserving an archive of its playwriting, performing and stage production heritage. ATL has now pioneered two groundbreaking subscription platforms, ATL ON DEMAND and ATL ON DEMAND: EDUCATION, bringing the best of Australian theatre to audiences around the world. Website: https://australiantheatre.live/ Streaming Platform: https://stream.australiantheatre.live/
