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Ballarat National Theatre

About IDEAS Dust and Ruin

It is February 2029 and the world is on the brink of crisis. Water is scarce, the first nuke has been launched and each week, somewhere in the world natural disasters are occurring – brought on by climate change. A group of families have been pooling their resources, slowly building a bunker on some remote bushland to protect them all. To survive.
The eight families decide to spend a week in the bunker “just in case”. They drop the kids off first, because there have been riots in the nearby town (an hour's drive away) and they need to get supplies for the week ahead. But the parents do not return … not after two hours, nor three, nor four …

What’s happening outside the bunker?

How long do they stay?

This show contains swearing and complex themes. The director advises parental guidance is recommended for persons under 13 years of age. 

Show dates

Fri 14 Apr - 7.30pm
Sat 15 Apr - 7.30pm
Sun 16 Apr - 2pm
Wed 19 Apr - 7.30pm
Thu 20 Apr - 7.30pm
Fri 21 Apr - 7.30pm
Sat 22 Apr - 2pm 

 

 

About the Director

Alexandra MeerbachAlexandra graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Acting) from the University of Ballarat and has since completed her Licentiate in Teaching through Trinity College, London. She has worked with several theatre companies across Victoria as a director, playwright and actor, as well as being involved backstage as a stage manager, props and costume coordinator, production manager, photographer and marketing coordinator.


For over 15 years, Alexandra has assisted in teaching effective communication skills to medical students, doctors, nurses, gynaecologists and midwives with the Royal Women’s Hospital, Deakin University and Melbourne University.


Until recently, Alexandra has been teaching speech and drama at Damascus College, Ballarat Centre of Music and the Arts, Ballarat Grammar, and Performing Arts Headquarters. She now tutors privately and has focused her attention on creating theatre.


In 2015, she formed a choral speaking choir which has performed every year at the Royal South Street Eisteddfods and events throughout Ballarat.
Formerly the President of Ballarat National Theatre, Alexandra is now the Executive Producer of a collaborative theatre company—Cygnet & Swan. The company has multiple creative projects in development: a podcast and YouTube series RavenMad (the works of Edgar Allan Poe); in 2023, Fantastic in Plastic and Noise will be a part of La Mama’s Explorations season as well as Dust and Ruin with Ballarat National Theatre; and in 2024 an online production of literature classic, Jane Eyre.
Alexandra is committed to community engagement and connection, and is driven to create art with powerful messages.

 

 

 

 

 

Playwrights

Original script written by: Mika Wallace & Alexandra Meerbach with the 2019 BCMA cast; this 2023 version has been rewritten by Alexandra Meerbach & workshopped with the BNT cast.

 

Cast

Eloise McGifford

Eloise McGifford

Newsreader & Additional fever dream characters
Gabriel Blake

Gabriel Blake

Charlie
Sam Drew

Sam Drew

Harper
Joe Appleton

Joe Appleton

Hunter
Emma Cauka

Emma Cauka

Abigail Lewis
Skye Gweneth Wilkins

Skye Gweneth Wilkins

Jasmine van Hous
Lei Reid

Lei Reid

Maya van Hous
Georgia Marshall

Georgia Marshall

Olivia-Grace Trelaw
Clementine Sawyer

Clementine Sawyer

Violet Lee
Samara Jones

Samara Jones

Mackenzie Ray-Cobden
Atticus Benjsson

Atticus Benjsson

Archer Miller
Leela Sweet

Leela Sweet

Nix Miller

 

Crew

Assistant Director Georgia Marshall
Assistant Director Act 1 Gabriel Blake
Assistant Director Act 2 Sam Drew
Production Manager Eloise McGifford
Stage Manager Ruby Abbott
Sound design Alexandra Meerbach
Sound operator Brady Lucas
Set Design Gabriel Blake
Set Coordinator Georgia Marshall
Costumes Skye Gweneth Wilkins
Lighting design Matthew Heenan
Rigging Matthew Heenan and Siobhan Heenan
Lighting operator Taylor Harbour
Front of House Manager Shell Pryor
Performance photography and marketing Liana Skewes
Props and makeup Lei Reid
Voice actor and sound recording Olivia French

 

Program

A DUST AND RUIN
B DUST AND RUIN
C DUST AND RUIN
D DUST AND RUIN
E DUST AND RUIN
F DUST AND RUIN
G DUST AND RUIN
H DUST AND RUIN
I DUST AND RUIN
J DUST AND RUIN
K DUST AND RUIN
L DUST AND RUIN

 

 

Performance Photos

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Rehearsals

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Media

The Courier, April 19, 2023