Update 13 August 2024: Unfortunately, this performance is no longer available.
Imagine sparking a global movement when a video of you goes viral. How do you galvanise that? What do you do next? That’s the premise of SLAP. BANG. KISS., a bold production by the Melbourne Theatre Company that’s hitting the Laycock Street Community Theatre stage this September.
Plays for the teen market are few and far between – particularly ones that position teens in a position of influence and power – so we were very excited to hear that SLAP. BANG. KISS. was visiting Laycock. And, better still, we were happy to learn that the play is relevant to the ACARA curriculum for drama and English – making it an excellent choice for both families and school groups, too.
Want to know more? Scroll down for further details, trailers and imagery for this show.
“SLAP. BANG. KISS. is about three teenagers who each spark a movement, through activism that is sometimes deliberate, sometimes accidental and sometimes a bit of both. It explores how people can galvanise one another, the blurring of personal and political actions, and what it means to be platformed as a young person today. The play demands that we hold on to hope, and that we never underestimate young people.”
The play follows three characters – Immi, Darby and Sofia – whose actions transform them into young activists and global symbols of revolution.
SLAP! 16-year-old Immi lives in a place with curfews and peacekeepers where she feels oppressed. And then a video of her hitting a security officer goes viral…
Immi is played by Tsungirai Wachenuka who says, “My character is driven by connection to her community. Her connection to her family and her home. She feels the pain in the community and she carries it with her everywhere she goes… She is only just beginning to step into her power and realise her impact”.
BANG! Sofia is a high school student whose afternoon class is interrupted by a shooter. Her impassioned speech for the victims of the school shooting makes international news.
Sarah Fitzgerald plays Sofia. She says what drives Sofia “to take centre stage in this movement is her realisation that what happened to her and her friends is something everyone had been anticipating. It’s a story she’s heard before and will continue to hear unless there’s a disruption to the narrative. She’s infuriated by the idea that teenagers are seen as unavoidable casualties in her society”.
KISS! Darby’s a 16-year-old boy from a country town. He identifies as gay and experiences violent homophobia most days. In the car park of a small-town Woolies, people rally around Darby and Daniel as the boys lock lips in an attempt to set the world record for the longest kiss.
In 2022 Darby was played by Conor Leach, who said this of his character, “He’s driven by love… but he also needs to love
and be loved openly and safely, without fear… Darby’s negotiating conflicting missions within a precarious context: his wish
to make a public declaration and his need to stay safe”.
SLAP. BANG. KISS. was written by Dan Giovannoni, and he explains why he felt compelled to write this play here:
“I’d been thinking about some of the myths we are told about teenagers – that they’re apathetic, apolitical, disinterested. The teenagers I meet are engaged, curious, angry and keen to be listened to. And actually they’re everywhere: taking the microphone at climate strikes, suing the federal government over their failure to ensure a safe future for young people, sharing themselves authentically with friends and family. I wanted to write something that rejected the idea of a teenager as simply a smelly grump sulking in their bedroom. While the stories in SLAP. BANG. KISS. are ultimately works of fiction, they reference the real world and take as their starting point the same idea – that young people are shaped by the world around them, but are also capable of doing the shaping”.
Here here to that. We recommend you grab tickets for the young adults in your world.
Teachers and school groups: Delivered for Melbourne Theatre Company’s acclaimed Education & Families Program, this play is relevant to the ACARA curriculum for drama and English, so it makes a great excursion for high school students. The stage show is complemented by a suite of free resources exploring the context, characters and production. There are both pre- and post-show classroom activities. You can visit Education Hub | Melbourne Theatre Company (mtc.com.au) for more details on this.
SLAP. BANG. KISS.
Age group: PG 14+
Show duration: 1 hr ( +15 min Q&A at 1pm performance).
Where: Laycock Street Community Theatre, 5 Laycock Street, Wyoming.
Show times: Friday 20 September 2024. Shows at 1pm and 7pm.
Tickets: All Tickets $42 | Concession $35 | School Group $25.
Phone: 02 4323 3233
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laycockstreettheatre/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laycockstcommunitytheatre/
Website: https://laycockstreettheatre.com/event/slap-bang-kiss/
Want to advertise YOUR event on Playing in Puddles? Check out our advertising page here.
Header image provided by Laycock Street Theatre.
Written By: KATIE STOKES
Founder & Editor
After working in print and online media for more than a decade, Katie launched Playing in Puddles in 2017. A mum of three young boys and local of the Central Coast, Katie loves discovering and sharing all that’s happening in our region.
