2016
"NUTS is a community wherein one can escape the fiery floods of conventional tertiary education to engage in a passionate, free flowing exchange of creativity – within a supportive network of critical and diverse perspectives.
It is a tacit fact that this society; that the people you are standing next to; have built your community together from which you will never separate as long as you live. NUTS is not an impermanency for any of us, because together we made it. We are it. The efforts members have made this year will ripple for years to come. Their legacy, their drive, the manner in which they have sewn this society into your very hearts, has been noticed by the powers that be - to the point where not only NUTS was named Arc Club of the Year, but we are being sought to collaborate with external entities by UNSW. If NUTS were about to compete for a grad. job it’d be laughed out the door for having fudged its resume – so bloody damn dastardly have our feats been." - NUTS 2016 President Zachery Bush (NUTS Ballwards) |
Productions and Events
WELCOME BACK CABARET
"Life is a Cabaret...come to the Cabaret!" It is NUTS tradition to start the year off with a bang, and what better way to bring in the new year than with a raunchy Cabaret? Produced by Vanessa Gregoriou and Zac Bush Musical Direction by Harry Collins Co-Hosted by Zac Bush and Andrew Signor |
DOMESTIC: LIFE ON MARS
Student Written Written in a day. Rehearsed in a week. Funded on a Tenner. 2016 DOMESTIC consisted of written skits around the theme of 'LIFE ON MARS', collaborating writers/directors with actors. To add to the fun, NUTS incorporated improvisation games with their audiences such as 'Thank God You're (NUTS)'. Produced by Cassie O'Brien and Joe Knights |
THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT
Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis “Three years in the foxhole with the best friend ya ever had, then he shot him in the back for a pack of Kools” The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is a hilarious, poignant, thought-provoking work by Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis. Boasting a large, zany cast of characters, the play asks one of the most plaguing questions in the Christian ideology: What happened to Judas Iscariot? Co-directors: Cassie O'Brien and Melwin Nelapti Producer: Vanessa Gregoriou |
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
Written by William Shakespeare “Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.” (2.1) Shakespeare’s 'Measure for Measure' explores questions about sex, morality, power, corruption, fairness, mortality and freedom. This exciting production gave NUTS the opportunity to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and the chance to appreciate and perform one of his lesser known plays. Director: Tess Sterland Producer: James Ong |
WAR CRIMES
Written by Angela Betzien War Crimes tells the powerful story of five disenfranchised young women who are fighting for respect, railing against authority and struggling to form an identity in a small town with limited opportunities. This is an angsty and brutal play performed by young people and targeted to young people, in a heavy-handed and unsubtle exploration of issues directly affecting young women across the world. Director: Rosie Niven Producer: Carly Fisher |
DON'S PARTY
Written by David Williamson “I think we’d all be surprised at the sort of things Mr. and Mrs. Average do in the privacy of their own bedroom.” It's election night, 1969. Don and Kath hope that there will be a change of government and throw a party to watch the results. As the tide turns against Labor, the good cheer palls and the faded ideals of these middle aged dreamers begin to rear their ugly heads. It examines the phenomena of the Tall Poppy Syndrome through a raucous haze of booze and infidelity, with an unchallenged spectre of recreational nostalgia hanging over everpresently. Director: Andrew Signor Producer: Jennifer Jackson |
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim A Little Night Music is a fast, witty and incisive musical about the absurdity of love and relationships. With a lush score by Stephen Sondheim including the classic "Send In The Clowns", this production is a hilarious and poignant comedy not to be missed. A Little Night Music is NUTS Major show of the year, performed at the Playhouse Theatre at the National Institute of Drama (NIDA). Directed by Ryan Fogwell Musical Direction by Yasmin Stelling Produced by Charlotte Goodsir |
THE PILLOWMAN
Written by Martin McDonagh “Do all little boys of my age hear such sounds of abomination nightly?” “No, my darling. Only the extraordinarily talented ones” Katurian, a writer, is being interrogated over a series of child murders that bare a shocking resemblance to some of his works. Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman is a highly controversial yet award winning work that alternates between Katurian’s interrogation and the storytelling of his macabre and horrific fairytales. Director: James Ong Producer: Louise Reily |
MY LITTLE DOLL (THE FARCE)
Written by Gabriel Calderón “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you think of a simple plan to kill your mother?” A contemporary farce by Uruguayan playwright Gabriel Calderón, My Little Doll (The Farce) centres around a dysfunctional middle upper class family where a young woman becomes a pawn in an elaborate revenge plot by her uncle against her father. Narrated by the family’s butler, this dark comedy dances between “burlesque and grotesque” as the daughter adopts her doll as an alter ego. Director: Verónica Barac Producer: Kathleen Quéré |