Moral Panic by Rachel Perks and Bridget Balodis

A person with long dark hair wears a white buttone shirt and dark lipstick. White paint is on their fingertips and runs them up their forehead.

Presented by Darebin Arts Speakeasy and Double Water Sign

Armed with a cup of menstrual blood and a digital ouija board, Andy and Evie meet in the forest to hex Evie’s uncle. They’ve been talking to a dead witch online, she’s given them a spell but asked for a pretty big favour in return. What could possibly go wrong? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The arrival of Evie’s weird aunt, and Sue-Anne, the Mayor’s daughter, forges an unlikely coven and propels the story down into the nauseating dream-logic of the underworld. They must learn to speak the mother tongue. They must listen to the crone and the crow.

Calling on the almighty spectre of the Witch, MORAL PANIC unleashes all that is terrifying and unknowable about queerness and womanhood. It is an unsettling hallucination, an occult thriller and a very dark comedy. This savage new performance work from the award-winning team behind GROUND CONTROL (Next Wave 2016) and ANGRY SEXX (Melbourne Fringe 2014), asks how do we tear down the monument of masculinity, and what tools can we find in the dirt?

Creative Team

Writer: Rachel Perks
Director: Bridget Balodis
Cast: Kai Bradley, Chanella Macri, Eva Seymour and Jennifer Vuletic
Set and Costume Designer: Romanie Harper
Lighting Designer: Amelia Lever-Davidson
Sound Designer: Jai Leeworthy
Dramaturg: Emma Valente
Creative Producer: Natasha Phillips
Production Manager: Adelaide Harney
Stage Manager: Steph Young

Image by: Sarah Walker

Artist Bios

In 2018, Rachel Perks spent three months in New York City investigating downtown dramaturgy under the guidance and mentorship of Sibyl Kempson, Erin Markey and Tina Satter and in 2017 she took part in ‘The Next Stage’ as part of Dublin Theatre Festival. In addition to her work with Bridget, her writing credits include Eyes (Sandpit), contributing to Schmaltz (Daniel Schlusser, Malthouse) and co-writing Elbow Room’s We Get It (NEON 2015, Powerhouse 2016).

Bridget Balodis’ artistic practice also led her to New York, where she lived for two years. She has presented work independently in New York and Melbourne and also with the Next Wave Festival (2012, 2014, 2016), Red Stitch, La Boite Indie, You Are Here and Penrith Arts Centre. She has also been the recipient of the Ian Potter travelling scholarship, Mike Walsh Fellowship and Dame Joan Sutherland Fund Award and was part of Melbourne Theatre Company’s Women Directors Program in 2014.

Kai Bradley’s recent performance credits include APOKALYPSIS for Next Wave 2018, Plus Sign Attached with Maude Davey, Little Ladybug and GROUND CONTROL for the 2016 Next Wave Festival, science fiction feature film- Upgrade directed by Leigh Whannell and short film The Girl Who Was An Almond.

Chanella Macri credits include Australian Theatre for Young People, Pichet Klunchun’s Dancing with Death (AsiaTOPA Festival), Woman with a Tomahawk for La Mama Explorations 2017, The Sun and The Moon directed by Bridget Balodis and co-creating and performing in Speak of the Devil for FRISK at Melbourne Fringe 2017. She is currently in rehearsal for Suddenly Last Summer with Red Stitch.

Eva Seymour after graduating from 16th St Actors’ Studio in 2015 Eva became a Red Stitch Graduate Ensemble Member in 2016 and was seen in The River, The Honey Bees, Trevor, You Got Older, and Uncle Vanya and Desert 6.29pm. Eva played the part of Megan in the hugely successful Puffs at the Alex Theatre (2018). Film credits include Lazy Bones, Pillars, So Long, Fathers’ Day and The BBQ.

Jennifer Vuletic - stage and musical theatre credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mamma Mia, The Nightingale and the Rose and Merciless Gods for which she won a Green Room Award for Best Performer. She is currently rehearsing for Suddenly Last Summer at Red Stitch.