Bathory Begins

ATYP, the national youth theatre company and The Joan's Q Theatre, Penrith present the world premiere of BATHORY BEGINS by award-winning playwrights Emme Hoy and Gretel Vella. Directed by Rowan Bate, the show will run from 11-21 September at The Joan, Penrith.

Year 10 Art teacher Mrs Bathory is most definitely a reincarnation of the sadistic, serial-killer Countess, Erzebet Báthory. It's pretty obvious to her class of seven "yes, seven " girls. The last remaining survivors. When the students in 10F decide to pull the prank of the century and destroy the beast for good, there's just one thing that stands in their way. The private school boys from Judas Gents have arrived, and they don't feel so comfortable with murder.

Girls vs. boys. Public vs. private... And an undead woman of the night. Things were never going to end well.

Playwrights Emme Hoy and Gretel Vella won the 2017 ATYP Foundation Commission as a writing team and are delighted to see their pitch-black teen comedy premiere in September. "We are absolutely ecstatic to have won the commission! The Australian Theatre for Young People is an organisation like no other. They have nurtured our careers from the very beginning, and are tirelessly committed to enriching young lives through the magic of theatre. We stumbled across the story of Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed a couple of years ago. After a little research, we decided Bathory's story was too good to pass up!"

Director Rowan Bate knows that this production is going to resonate with audiences. "Bathory Begins is for anyone who loves shades of darkness and light in their comedy. At its heart, behind the jokes and the murder plots, is a powerful message about social equality that speaks to this moment in history. I hope that audiences leave the show having had a laughter-filled night at the theatre, but also thinking about the way we as members of society make hasty judgements about our fellow humans."

This ATYP Foundation Commission Award develops a new work to celebrate the skills of actors aged between 14-17. Published by Playlab, it's a chance for audiences to see the first production of a show that will be presented in schools and youth theatres around the country for years to come.

Season: 11-21 September 2019
Times: Wed-Sat 7:30pm
Venue: Allan Mullins Studio, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith
Tickets: $30-$35
Duration: 90mins (no interval)
Bookings: https://atyp.com.au