Erica J Brennan

Glorious Thing Theatre Co is presenting METAFOUR - four short plays by Samuel Beckett examined and rehearsed through the lens of the Suzuki Method of Actor Training.

A small group of six actors will be directed by Erica J Brennan in delivering these plays. The cast train in The Suzuki Method of Actor Training to deepen their inquiry into stillness with the intention to have breath, silence and the observed self as a common language. The three week season will see these plays performed side by side with no interval. The one and a half hour long event will appeal to the general public and Beckett scholars alike.



The Plays :
Quad is a dangerous piece reduced to a mathematical formula, where four faceless players pace around a square in a dance like manner, avoiding collision. Rockaby, a female monologue delivered from a moving rocking chair, shows Beckett’s obsession with isolation, observation and death with frighteningly accurate results. Come & Go has been described as the perfect ensemble piece where three women gossip about the past, present and future. Catastrophe is arguably Beckett’s most political piece written for political prisoner Václav Havel, it depicts a strict final rehearsal for a one man play.

Samuel Beckett is a Nobel Prize winning Irish writer and considered one of the most influential playwrights of the 20th Century. His plays are like an addictive piece of music which gets under your skin and stuck into your head. Stitched into his words with mathematical precision are his extraordinary and unflinching examinations of the human condition (Waiting for Godot and Endgame are some of his most famous plays).


The Suzuki Method of Actor Training speaks to theatre making and the rehearsal process. It is often misunderstood as mere physical or movement training, however, its true beauty lies in its work with the imagination, and the artist learning to manage their invisible body: that is their breath, their states of energy and their stillness.


Glorious Thing Theatre Co's work is typified by a unique and ambitious style, with its roots in handicrafts and a love of complex language. It strives for an investigation based rehearsal process and plays between magical naturalism and just plain magic. It leans towards big ideas, paradoxes and the ridiculous. It believes in practising empathy, compassion and as much theatre craft as sustainably possible. 

(Photo by Stephen Godfrey).

Artists involved :
Cast - Aslam Abdus-samad, Bodelle de Ronde, Gideon Payten Griffiths, Pollyanna Nowicki, Sophie Littler, Victoria Griener.
Lighting Design - Amber Silk.
Sound Design - Thomas Brennan.
Production Design - Victor Kalka.
Graphic Design - Kamila Borkowska.
Photography - Stephen Godfrey.

Currently this work is independently funded, a few of the artists involved are offering up their own funds but further financial help is needed to bring this to production to life, below you can see our budget breakdown.

There are a number of challenges producing self-funded work in Sydney, these challenges include: creative development of the material, time, venue hire, contracting actors and other creatives, rehearsals, lighting, costume & set design/making.

Some of these challenges come with a cost and a large part of making theatre a viable option is acquiring financial support. Of all the challenges this project faces, this is the toughest! If we want to pay our artist the largest part of the profits possible (and we do) the challenge then becomes funding the the production costs before the box office open.  

My previous shows have had very good results in small venues. The last three have completely sold out and I am now looking to try a larger capacity location. The jump in venue size is exciting but is also matched by a jump in financial commitment.

I want to encourage YOU to support this project through cash pledges, with your generous financial support this project can be delivered to its fullest potential.

A highly skilled and qualified team of artists have already committed to this project (see my website above for a full list) and I already have most of my resources lined up. Providing the cash funds are raised through this campaign, I have every confidence we will be able to present a beautiful night of theatre.