Traitor

Traitor - a very red comedy –  is a new play about women, power and perception.

Writer/director and creative artist living with disability – Christine Davey, in conjunction with Skin of our Teeth Productions (a regional, female and disability-led theatre company) is creating this exciting work based on the life of Anne Neill, an Adelaide housewife (her self-description) who infiltrated the Communist Party in the 1950s and reported back to ASIO agents every night (at a bus stop) for over a decade. This play is a 21st century ‘girl’s own adventure’ – larger than life, funny, fast-paced, rude, raw, musical, ridiculous, and challenging, mingling fact with fantasy, reality with delusion. All parts burlesque, musical and outrage, the work explores what it means to be an older female in Australia – both historically and in a contemporary setting - a story that examines womanhood, power and the nature of friendship. Anne Neill became one of Australia's most efficient spies because she was considered ‘a fluttery, matronly old woman’ – her own words - moving between both worlds, undetected. This woman was duplicitous, meticulous and played on the perception of the ‘invisibility’ of older women to achieve her aims. This new theatrical work is larger than life, silly, offensive, a narrative experiment about 'then' couched in the 'now'.

Anne Neill self-invented - made a life for herself that was less than ordinary, all while appearing to be as 'ordinary' as possible. Thematically the play investigates age, disability, friendship and above all trust. This developmental showing is the first step in the journey of this play – a story large and surprising – poking fun, where fun is absolutely due. Traitor – a very red comedy is iconoclastic - smashing the narrative out of the park. Anne Neill, ordinary housewife, is anything but ordinary and this play is anything but tame. With the help of wonderful actors – Dom Westcott, Tess Parker and Mary Steuten – this developmental showing is on its way to somewhere else.

Cast Bios

Dr Christine Davey (she/her) is a writer, director who lives with disability. Her work focusses on the forgotten and spans three decades. Her plays are published by Currency Press and Australian Plays Transform. Her work has been performed at MTC, Griffin, Malthouse and La Mama and has toured Australia, the UK and the US.

Tess Parker (she/her) is a choreographer/composer/actor – graduate of Fed Uni. Tess specialises in creating work for all body shapes, types and abilities. She recently composed and choreographed for the Deplorables – currently touring throughout Victoria and Tasmania.

Mary Steuten (she/her) is an actor who has worked on many SooT shows including My Brilliant Career (La Mama and Victorian tour), 198 (4) – regional Victorian tour, Worlds Where Light Might Exist (La Mama and Gippsland performing Arts Centre) and Hysterica – Queenscliff Literary Festival, Melbourne Fringe Festival and Theatre Works.

Dom Westcott (he/him) is an actor of vast experience including work at La Mama (three sisters), SooT (Underground, My Brilliant Career – La Mama and Victorian regional tour).

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