British playwright Anna Longaretti’s Sex Cells is soon to have its Australian Premiere, when Adelaide’s Galleon Theatre Group presents it at the Domain Theatre, Marion Cultural Centre.
Rarely does a playwright’s first play become an instant hit, but when the poignant comedy Sex Cells was first presented in 2013 at the Riverside Studios, London, it left audiences laughing and crying in equal measure. The play, with a core theme of motherhood, also drew critical acclaim:
Lily, Sylvie, Tiffany and Janice are the four female employees of Aphrodite, a sex toy manufacturer. They take telephone orders from clients. However, beneath the cheerful customer service and easy banter, these very different women nurse their own desires, disappointments, family stresses and even loneliness. There is lingering tension between the women, which their hapless manager, Mister Causeway, tries to diffuse. At the same time, this gentle, lonely man harbours a suppressed and longstanding crush on a completely oblivious Lily.
Galleon’s production is to be directed by well-known local director Warren McKenzie, and features Galleon regulars Anita Canala and Laura Antoniazzi, and Galleon newcomer, Heather Riley, a Tea Tree Players regular.
Making her second appearance for Galleon is Lesley Reed as the central figure, Lilly. Lesley has thirty years’ professional and community theatre acting experience and is a theatre reviewer and the South Australian corespondent for Stage Whispers. Glam Adelaide’s Art Editor, Brian Godfrey will be playing the rather nervous Mr Causeway.
Playwright Anna Longaretti was a hairdresser in a salon for four years, following which she was a hairdresser and make-up artist in the fashion and film world, working with celebrities such as Drew Barrymore and Faye Dunaway. She is also an actor. She undertook creative writing courses and also studied playwriting with Bernard Kops. Anna wrote Sex Cells after a period writing for film.
She is thrilled Sex Cells is to have its Australian Premiere and has kept in close touch with Galleon Theatre Group and some of the actors during the rehearsal period. Of the play, Longaretti says “Each character represents something to do with feelings that I have had; either before becoming a mother, being a mother and to some extent, having a mother”
Anna is very excited about Galleon Theatre Group’s production of Sex Cells. “I do think that it has universal appeal,” she said. “I’m thrilled that Sex Cells has reached Australia. I think that Aussies, especially, will really get the humour.”
Don’t miss Sex Cells. It’s both hilarious and deeply moving…and it’s for everyone who ever had a mother. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cry laughing.
WHERE: Domain Theatre, Marion Cultural Centre.
WHEN: Preview Wednesday May 18, 8pm; Season Thursday May 19-Saturday May 21, at 8pm. Thursday May 26-Saturday May 28 at 8pm. Matinee Saturday May 28 at 2pm.
TICKETS: $22; $18 concession; $15 preview night (preview-limited numbers)
BOOKINGS: Email [email protected], or call Galleon bookings on 0437 609 577. For credit card bookings go to www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=176213
*NOTE: Adult themes and strong language.
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