LOADED AUDIO EXPERIENCE

Inspired by the 1995 debut novel from Christos Tsiolkas (The Slap, Dead Europe, Barracuda) LOADED was planned to close Malthouse Theatre's 2020 season. Now, the stage adaptation has been reimagined as an audio performance.

Ari (Roy Joseph, Five Bedrooms) is 19, unemployed and aimless. He doesn’t want to be gay. He doesn’t want to be Greek. He doesn’t want to be anything. He finds an escape, of sorts, via sex, drugs and dance clubs. But, he doesn’t really fit in with the queens at The Peel any better than with family in his theía’s backyard.

This is the story that established Tsiolkas as a provocative master of the written word. Adapted for film in the 1998 underground hit Head On, and now, in close collaboration with playwright Dan Giovannoni, Tsiolkas rewrites Ari’s odyssey for the stage with a 21st century perspective.

Directed by Stephen Nicolazzo (Merciless Gods), this queer migrant history comes spilling out across the four corners of Melbourne.

The Loaded Audio Experience is a single audio track in four acts, representing Ari's journey around the streets of Melbourne. Four accompanying short video portraits have been created, based on some of the original concept design for the stage show. We recommend watching these video extras during each part of the audio experience (or after if you're listening on a mobile device).

Part 1 EAST ~ Music
vimeo.com/469661007

Part 2 NORTH ~ TULA (35 mins, 39 secs)
vimeo.com/469661137

Part 3 SOUTH ~ HARD (1 hour, 6 mins, 4 secs)
vimeo.com/469661265

Part 4 WEST ~ Afterglow (1 hour, 31 mins, 18 secs)
vimeo.com/469661387


'EXPLOSIVE...THE WRITING WORKS BRILLIANTLY'
— The Age

'ASTOUNDING...THIS IS AS HOT AS RADIO GETS'
— Time Out

'A SUPERB PERFORMANCE [BY] ROY JOSEPH'
— The Guardian