About 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?
14th April - 22 April, 2023
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Mount Rowan School Theatre
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Drama
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Playwright: Alexandra Meerbach, Mika Wallace
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Director: Alexandra Meerbach
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2 hours including interval
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Australian, Local
This show contains swearing and complex themes. The director advises parental guidance is recommended for persons under 13 years of age.
About the Director
Alaxandra Meerbach
Alexandra 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.
Cast
Eloise McGifford
Newsreader & Additional fever dream characters
Gabriel Blake
Charlie
Sam Drew
Harper
Joe Appleton
Hunter
Emma Cauka
Abigail Lewis
Skye Gweneth Wilkins
Jasmine van Hous
Lei Reid
Georgia Marshall
Clementine Sawyer
Samara Jones
Atticus Benjsson
Leela Sweet
Crew
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Assistant DirectorGeorgia Marshall
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Assistant Director Act 1Gabriel Blake
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Assistant Director Act 2Sam Drew
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Production ManagerEloise McGifford
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Stage ManagerRuby Abbott
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Sound designAlexandra Meerbach
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Sound operatorBrady Lucas
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Set DesignGabriel Blake
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Set CoordinatorGeorgia Marshall
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CostumesSkye Gweneth Wilkins
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Lighting designMatthew Heenan
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RiggingMatthew Heenan and Siobhan Heenan
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Lighting operatorTaylor Harbour
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Front of House ManagerShell Pryor
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Photography and marketing
Liana Emmerson
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Props and makeupLei Reid
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Voice actor and sound recordingOlivia French