In the shell of a house, belongings pile up, as an ageing mother resists her daughter every step of the countdown towards an important inspection.
Birdcage Thursdays is an eye opening work about an adult daughter caught between trying to save her mother from potential homelessness, bureaucracy and services.
Performed in the round to a rhythm of telephone calls, bird calls, lawn bowls and dance moves, big questions are asked about trauma, attachment, negotiation and consent.
Available on AustralianPlays.org
Writer
Sandra Fiona Long
Director
Caitlin Dullard
Performers
Genevieve Picot, Sophia Constantine and Sandra Fiona Long
Sound design
Raya Slavin
Set design
Joanne Mott
Research and community development
Louise Merrett.
November 2015
Australia Premiere
Big West Festival, Melbourne
2017
fortyfivedownstairs
& touring throughout Victoria with La Mama Mobile
“Her script is wonderful, a well-paced and managed story as familiar as it felt original. This was not a play about hoarding, but a play about the characters, and we cared”
– Planet Arts
“The laughter that often erupted was not derisive or condescending but the laughter of recognition, shared experiences of bowls club politics or thrice-weekly exercise regimes created a sense of authenticity in the piece and brought the audience and the characters together.”
– Theatre People