At the end of a typical work day, a woman returns to her apartment and closes the door. She changes her clothes, prepares a simple meal, listens to the radio, dedicates some time to a craft hobby, cleans up, showers, prepares for bed. One final devastating act occurs as the play’s climax. The entire performance is conducted in real time, over 70minutes, without a single word uttered. This silent monologue is a portrait of loneliness, arguably more relevant and devastating today than fifty years ago when the play was written. Through its meticulous observation of the mundane, the central character, though mute, speaks for all the voiceless and socially isolated individuals in our community. Current social research reveals the depth of our loneliness. In 2018, Australian Psychological Society in conjunction with Swinburne University of Technology published research that showed 25% of all Australians reported feeling lonely for most of every week. For leading social researcher Hugh Mackay, this one in four statistic points to a ‘… virtual epidemic of loneliness’ even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. A team of Tasmania’s finest performing artists and designers will craft the Tasmanian Premiere of this remarkable work. Within the intimate setting of Detached Gallery, you are invited to experience this silent meditation, this performance of a show that has been described by The New York Times as a ‘living centre of an installation,’ and ‘devastating, heart-wrenching, extraordinary.’

Showtimes:
Friday 5 August, 7pm
Saturday 6 August, 7pm
Sunday 7 August, 4pm
Friday 12 August, 7pm
Saturday 13 August, 7pm
Sunday 14 August, 4pm

Duration: 1 hour, 10 minutes – no interval