One family's journey through love, heartbreak, civil war and migration to Australia is told in this multigenerational tale.
'Counting and Cracking' follows the journey of a Sri Lankan-Australian family over four generations, from 1956 to 2004. It features nineteen performers hailing from six different countries: Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, New Zealand and France.
On the banks of a suburban Sydney river, Radha and her son Siddhartha release the ashes of Radha’s mother – their final connection to the past, to Sri Lanka and its struggles. Now they are free to embrace their lives in Australia.
But a phone call from Colombo brings the past spinning back to life, and we’re plunged into an epic story of breakup and reunion.
Written by Shakthi Shakthidharan, a Sri Lankan-Australian who researched and developed the work over the course of ten years, the play tells the tale of two countries: Sri Lanka post-independence and Australia as an immigrant nation.
It is directed by Eamon Flack, an award-winning director and the Artistic Director of Belvoir, one of Australia’s most celebrated theatre companies.
The production is performed in English, Tamil and Sinhalese, with live translation into English. It was originally co-produced by Belvoir with Co-curious.
Click here for tickets at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company as part of the Edinburgh International Festival Mon 8-Fri 12 Aug.
The show will be on at The Birmingham Rep from Fri 19 Aug-Sat 27. Click here for further information
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