Nov 5, 20213 min read

Is it my Cup of Theatre? The Unspoken Word Is ‘Joe’

Updated: Jul 24, 2022

AN UNSPOKEN READING REVIVED BY A NEWLY REVAMPED COLLECTIVE

New emerging creatives tackle Zoey Dawson’s post-dramatic comedy in a post pandemic world at Backdock Arts, Brisbane, QLD.

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Emerging Brisbane theatre collective The Reaction Theory are set to stage their first main house show announcing their production of Zoey Dawson’s The Unspoken Word Is ‘Joe’ playing at Backdock Arts on the 24th - 27th November.

The newly revamped theatre collective, The Reaction Theory, focuses on elevating young voices aged eighteen to twenty-nine in Meanjin (Brisbane). It’s members stand for intellectual thinking through artistic means in order to find new ways to represent new young emerging voices.

This production of The Unspoken Word is ‘Joe’ will mark as The Reaction Theory’s first ever main house show.

The creative team behind The Unspoken Word Is Joe by Zoey Dawson. Director Ruby Sanders, the creative design team Nathaniel Knight and Aniella May, and Lachlan Paterson as Production/Stage Manager.

Founder and Creative Producer Egan Sun-Bin is excited to bring this play back to Brisbane with a new generation of emerging artists. “I was introduced to Zoey’s writing during my time at drama school and I instantly fell in love. She has this witty voice that speaks to many young people today and in this play, everything is exposed.”

Zoey Dawson is a theatre maker and screenwriter based in Naarm (Melbourne) on the lands of the Kulin nation. The Unspoken Word is ‘Joe’ was one of Dawson’s first plays in her early artistic career. It's a meta-satirical play which she would describe as dramatic and beautiful. And tender. And sad. And funny. And also really clever, and really honest, and really raw and emotional.

Some would even say… relatable. This play has previously had successful stagings at La Mama, Brisbane Festival and Griffin Theatre Company.

“It hasn’t been the first time this play was performed in Brisbane,” Egan explains. “The original production toured here for Brisbane Festival in 2013 with powerhouse Nikki Shiels playing Zoey Dawson. The play was intended as a way to showcase new talented voices and I think especially at a time when young emerging artists are uncertain about their futures post pandemic, I’m keen to use this play to bring Brisbane’s newest voices to the forefront as that’s what this play was originally created for.”

Starring in this production is QUT Acting Graduate and TheatreiNQ Alumni Rachel Nutchey who is set to take on the role of Zoey Dawson.

“It’s hilarious and disgusting and heartbreaking,” Nutchey explains. “It’s an unfiltered exploration of what it can mean to be a young female artist in the creative space, and the world. We seem to expect perfection from the very beginning when women are given space, and it can feel that one mistake can end your career before it begins.”

“The character of Zoey Dawson does not fit into the traditional archetypes of young women we are accustomed to seeing- she is not always a good person - so showcasing the realities of navigating personal relationships while trying to emerge as an artist is incredibly important. Your early twenties do not run smoothly, so putting on a play that bridges the gap between high school and parenthood is representation that is sorely needed.”

“This play is a bloody whirlwind and a half, and I am so proud to be bringing it to a new generation of Brisbane audiences. We’ve assembled a truly outrageous team of creatives that are so passionate about the work and we hope you love it as much as we do.”