UTS​ ​Backstage​ ​are​ ​thrilled​ ​to​ ​present​ ​​THE CHILDREN’S HOUR ,​ ​by​ ​Lillian  Hellman.​ ​

Based​ ​on​ ​a​ ​true​ ​story​ ​about​ ​a​ ​nineteenth​ ​century​ ​Scottish​ ​boarding  school,​ ​Hellman​ ​found​ ​in​ ​a​ ​crime​ ​anthology​ ​this​ ​drama​ ​is​ ​set​ ​in​ ​a​ ​1930s  all-girls’​ ​boarding​ ​school​ ​run​ ​by​ ​Karen​ ​Wright​ ​(Brenna​ ​Harding,​ ​​Puberty  Blues ​ )​ ​and​ ​Martha​ ​Dobie​ ​(Gabrielle​ ​Stapleton,​ ​UTS​ ​Backstage​ ​Presents​ ​​The  Crucible​ ).​ ​With​ ​Martha’s​ ​eccentric,​ ​ex-actress​ ​aunt​ ​Mrs.​ ​Lily​ ​Mortar​ ​(Ally  Moulis,​ ​UTS​ ​Backstage​ ​Presents​ ​​Dole ​ Diary​ )​ ​teaching,​ ​and​ ​her​ ​class  consisting​ ​of​ ​girls​ ​on​ ​the​ ​cusp​ ​of​ ​adolescence,​ ​the​ ​school​ ​runs​ ​as​ ​smoothly  as​ ​it​ ​can.​ ​

That​ ​is,​ ​until​ ​bored​ ​schoolgirl​ ​Mary​ ​Tilford​ ​(Shannon​ ​O’Connor,  DRAMAC​ ​Presents​ ​​Pygmalion ),​ ​manipulative​ ​and​ ​taunting​ ​in​ ​the​ ​way​ ​only  young​ ​girls​ ​can​ ​be,​ ​spreads​ ​a​ ​rumour​ ​that​ ​Martha​ ​and​ ​Karen​ ​are​ ​sleeping  together,​ ​thus​ ​destroying​ ​the​ ​women’s​ ​lives,​ ​careers,​ ​reputations,​ ​and  relationships.

Premiering​ ​on​ ​Broadway​ ​in​ ​1934,​ ​the​ ​play​ ​had​ ​a​ ​successful​ ​run​ ​of​ ​over​ ​six  hundred​ ​shows;​ ​however,​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​themes​ ​of​ ​lesbian​ ​sexuality,​ ​it​ ​was  restricted​ ​from​ ​travelling​ ​to​ ​both​ ​Chicago​ ​and​ ​Boston.​ ​Two​ ​decades​ ​later,  the​ ​film​ ​adaption​ ​saw​ ​Audrey​ ​Hepburn​ ​star​ ​as​ ​Karen;​ ​more​ ​recently​ ​in​ ​2011,  Keira​ ​Knightly​ ​succeeded​ ​the​ ​role​ ​opposite​ ​Elizabeth​ ​Moss​ ​as​ ​Martha​ ​on​ ​the  West​ ​End.

This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​seminal​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​LGBT+​ ​theatre​ ​that​ ​reminds​ ​audiences​ ​of​ ​the  terrifying​ ​struggle​ ​for​ ​queer​ ​identity—and​ ​queer​ ​survival—​ ​throughout  history.​ ​It​ ​reminds​ ​us​ ​how​ ​far​ ​we’ve​ ​come;​ ​and,​ ​as​ ​the​ ​opening​ ​night​ ​of​ ​our  run​ ​coincides​ ​with​ ​the​ ​release​ ​of​ ​the​ ​marriage​ ​plebiscite,​ ​how​ ​far​ ​we​ ​may  have​ ​yet​ ​to​ ​go.

“Breaking​ ​emotional​ ​barriers​ ​in​ ​an​ ​actor​ ​in​ ​a​ ​play​ ​which​ ​was​ ​pivotal​ ​in​ ​the  LGBT​ ​writing​ ​movement​ ​brings​ ​me​ ​a​ ​challenge​ ​that​ ​I​ ​hope​ ​to​ ​conquer,”  director​ ​Jake​ ​Bayssari​ ​says.​ ​“The​ ​cast​ ​impeccably​ ​hold​ ​a​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​rawness  and​ ​emotional​ ​vulnerability​ ​while​ ​the​ ​crew​ ​have​ ​encompassed​ ​all​ ​what​ ​the  aesthetic​ ​of​ ​the​ ​play​ ​needs.”      ​

THE CHILDREN’S HOUR ​​ will​ ​be​ ​performed​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Bon​ ​Marche​ ​Theatre,​ ​15  Broadway,​ ​Ultimo​ ​NSW​ ​2007.​ ​The​ ​show​ ​will​ ​run​ ​from​ ​Wednesday​ ​November  15​th​,​ ​through​ ​to​ ​Friday​ ​November​ ​17​th​,​ ​with​ ​curtains​ ​up​ ​at​ ​7pm.

More information at   https://www.facebook.com/events/1785647738402132/