Driftwood
Michaela Burger as Rella
In 1938 sculptor Karl Duldig, his wife Slawa Horowitz-Duldig – inventor of the modern foldable umbrella – and their baby daughter Eva, left their home in Vienna for an uncertain future. They found a brief refuge in Singapore before arriving in Sydney on 25 September 1940. Australia was at war: they were classified as enemy aliens and interned in an isolated camp in northern Victoria. Karl said ‘A game of tennis saved my life’.
The story follows the family’s narrow escape from Nazi Austria, as well as the recovery of all their Viennese art and other possessions after the war. Spanning three continents and three generations, it poignantly captures both the loss that families encounter when they are dislocated by war and the challenges they face when adapting to a new way of life.
Number 1619 Broadway – the ‘Brill Building’- was the heart of New York’s music scene in the 1960s. It housed some of history’s most prolific female songwriters, including the magnificent Carole King, Cynthia Weil, and Ellie Greenwich. With hits such as ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow?’, ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’, and ‘Leader of the Pack’, their songs gave voice to an entire generation.
MORE reviews
“Michaela Burger brings vivacious warmth and verve to Slawa’s dear sister Rella, raising the stakes of this key relationship by developing palpable chemistry with de Jong”
(Man In Chair)
“Burger portrays Slawa’s sister Rella masterfully”
(Lilithia Reviews)
"Burger is a central tour-de-force as the sister Rella"
(Australian Stage)
"Burger as Rella brings the confidence and verve of Broadway to a sibling role that as often conveys longing, tragedy, and doubt as well as hope."
(Artshub)
Composer/Music Director Anthony Barnhill
Director Gary Abrahams
Concept/Executive Producer/Lyricist Tania de Jong AM
Playwright/Lyricist Jane Bodie
Costume Design Kim Bishop
Sound Design Marcello Lo Ricco
Set Design Jacob Battista
Sound and AV creation and Design Justin Gardam
Lighting Design Harrie Hogan
