Fiona Spitzkowsky

"There's nothing like puking with somebody to make you into old friends" -- Sylvia Plath 

Ten years out of high school, Regan, Gena and Katie convene in the luxurious bridal suite of their old friend, Becky, the night before her wedding. Fuelled by jealousy and resentment, the girls embark on a night of debauchery that goes from playfully wasted to devastatingly destructive. Their old fears, unfulfilled desires and deep bonds with each other transform a prenuptial bender into a night they’ll never forget. Leslye Headland's BACHELORETTE is a wicked black comedy about female friendship and growing up in an age of excess.

TWELVE ANGRY's take on this story focuses on -- and extends -- Headland’s suggestion of destruction: of hotel rooms, of friendship and of selves. The design is immersive and dynamic, creating a world obsessed with consuming and purging. As the story unfolds, we see what happens when that destructive cycle is forced on women’s bodies and lives.

BACHELORETTE will be performed at The Stables, in North Melbourne’s prestigious Meat Market. The season runs from Tuesday 6 December until Sunday 11 December, with seven shows in total.

The Company:

TWELVE ANGRY is an indepedent theatre company based in Melbourne, committed to championing the voices of women through writing, design and performance. TWELVE ANGRY produces clever, often challenging work that is both well-regarded by critics and popular with audiences. With a mind to actively engage communities in explorations of important contemporary issues, TWELVE ANGRY creates work that is visually striking, which challenges pre-conceptions and celebrates the talent of emerging artists.

We are taking action to make the company more accessible and sustainable; we use recycled and recyclable materials wherever possible, source locally through prop and costume sharing, and always ensure our venues are accessible. But we still have a long way to go, and increased community consultation and financial stability will help improve those facets of the company.

We want to create a space in the Melbourne theatre scene for emerging female artists to create theatre in a progressive and sustainable manner -- but we need your help to get there! 

We have a number of fundraising initiatives on the books: we have some money in the bank from a previous production; we have a launch party on the horizon; and we are being sponsored by a number of local companies. But the money we raise through this campaign will play a vital role in our production:

Let's break it down:

-- $600 will pay for our dynamic set

-- $390 will pay for our Public Liability Insurance

-- $360 will contribute to our venue hire costs

-- $150 will cover the cost of sustainable marketing collateral

Set Construction

Our fabulous set designer Gabby Lewis has created an impressive, ambitious design for BACHELORETTE that will allow us to explore the destructive forces at play in the play. All materials will be recycled or recycleable for use in future productions. 

Public Liability Insurance 

It's not glamourous (like our set will be) but every company needs PLI. Our insurance lasts for an entire year so not only will you be supporting this production but all the amazing projects we have planned for the summer and early 2017. 

Venue Hire

The Meat Market are incredible supporters of emerging artists, and we are very excited to be performing in The Stables. This is only a portion of the venue hire cost, but we need a little extra help in getting over the line.

Sustainable Collateral

It is incredibly important to TWELVE ANGRY, as a company, to contribute to the movement towards sustainability in the arts. This money will help us use responsible products for our marketing collateral. 

Challenge #1

To state the bleeding obvious, funding for independent theatre is extremely competitive at the moment. As we are a relatively young company we are building our portfolio before tackling those big grant applications. But we're willing to put in the blood, sweat and tears in these early stages to produce great work and build a loyal audience base so we can create a sustainable future for the company. Support from the wider community, in the form of Pozible funds, is invaluable at this point in our company's development.

Challenge #2

We've set our designers quite an ambitious task: we want to embody the destructive spirit of the play and of our consumer culture in the set, costume, sound and lighting of this production. This is a great opportunity for our designers to really showcase their skills and we're excited to be giving them that platform. It will take a bit of lateral thinking, creative problem-solving and ~ magic of the theatre ~ to pull this off! 

Challenge #3

Remember when the Ghostbusters Reboot was announced and everyone lost their collective minds about women taking on a classic comedy? Well, we're not saying we're Kristin Wiig and co. but . . . 

Sometimes it can be hard to market a female-driven comedy. But we've got an incredible script that really rips into the culture of privilege and excess, and the way women interact with those strucutres. We've got an amazing cast who are giving it their all and bringing great stuff to the stage. And we've got a crack marketing team who are developing a brilliant marketing strategy, ensuring that we get audiences to come along for the ride.