BLANK - February 2024 - Mill Theatre at Dairy Road

BLANK by Nassim Soleimanpour

Continuing the formal experiment that marked White Rabbit Red Rabbit, Nassim Soleimanpour brings us BLANK. In a joint effort between audience and performer, the gaps in the script are filled in to reveal a story that celebrates the human imagination. As formally inventive as it is engaging, BLANK reverses the typical theatre experience: A script riddled with blanks leaves the audience in charge of how the story will unfold. The concept might be simple, the result is nothing short of empowering as a random audience member sees their future determined by the imagination of others.

Known for plays without directors, sets and rehearsals, the acclaimed Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour takes it to new extremes. Each night Nassim’s play full of blanks is to be completed by a new performer before a live audience. The play becomes a story machine to share the life-story of the playwright, the performer and a random audience member. Much like the internationally acclaimed White Rabbit Red Rabbit, Soleimanpour’s new piece invites critical reflection how our human identity is constructed around the stories we tell. Simultaneously, it celebrates the communal and elusive nature of theatre, as audience members shout, laugh, gasp and collaborate to write the evening’s story, a story that is irrevocably theirs and will never be told in the same way ever again. A heart-warming tour de force.

Duration: Approximately 80 minutes with no intermission

Age suitability: 12+

Cast (different performer each evening)

7:30pm Saturday 3 February 2024 with Christopher Samuel Carroll

7:30pm Saturday 10 February 2024 with Stefanie Lekkas

7:30pm Saturday 17 February 2024 with Ali Clinch

7:30pm Friday 23 February 2024 with Heidi Silberman 

7:30pm Saturday 24 February 2024 with Sarah Nathan-Truesdale

Production Team

Playwright: Nassim Soleimanpour

Stage Manager: Ezekiel Chalmers

Operators: Ezekiel Chalmers, Katerina Smalley

Producer: Aurora Nova and Lexi Sekuless Productions 

Major partner: Elite Event Technology

TICKETS 

General admission tickets are $45 inclusive of GST but exclusive of Humanitix booking fees. 

Concession tickets for Full-Time Students, Health Care or Pension Card holders are $40 inclusive of GST but exclusive of Humanitix booking fees.

Tickets are fully refundable and transferable up to one day before the event. 

Tickets are for entry only and are available online until one hour before the show. From that point, box office tickets in person are available for purchase. 

The information below goes into a lot of detail but if you have further questions, please email us at hello@milltheatreatdairyroad.com. A small team can see that inbox and we respond very quickly during show times. The Mill is a very quirky space and we want to welcome you!

SEATING & ACCESS

• All tickets are general admission and no seats are reserved so the earlier you arrive, the better position you will have.
• Seating is in an L-shape to create a dynamic and intimate playing space. 
• The venue is fully accessible for wheelchairs with a ramp from the P3 parking spot and same level access from entry into building 3.3 into the theatre all the way to the accessible seating positions inside the Mill. We have two wheelchair seating positions both with very different views. Please contact us at hello@milltheatreatdairyroad.com so we can talk through the options. One option is on the short side, the other option is on the long side. All accessible bookings will be reserved.
• Every seat in the house has a great view, and a different view. Patrons walk through the set to find your seats, adding to the intimacy of the space. This means, late arrivals or patrons who leave the theatre before intermission or the end will NOT BE ADMITTED TO THE THEATRE.
  

ARRIVAL & PROTOCOLS

ENTERING

• Please head to the Box Office on arrival. If you have already purchased a ticket, the Front of House team checks off the name of every booked attendee. If you haven’t purchased a ticket, you can get one onsite an hour before show time. 
• The doors open approximately 15 minutes before show time. The Front of House team will let you know when you can enter.
• You may be temperature checked before being allowed into the venue. Your temperature needs to be below 37.5.
• Please do not attend if you are experiencing any of the following: fever; flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sore throat and fatigue; shortness of breath or have been in contact with a person with a confirmed case of coronavirus.

LOCK OUT

• Due to the unique layout of the venue, the audience walks through the stage to take their seats. This means we cannot accommodate anyone slipping in late for the beginning of the show or for the return after intermission.
• The Front of House team rings a bell and counts the audience to ensure you won’t miss out but please don’t tempt fate otherwise you will be locked out and we cannot let you in.

CAST AND CREW

We have two COVID-contingency cast members. This process means that should any cast or crew be unwell, our contingency cast will step in to ensure the safest environment for the company and audience. The Front of House team will ensure audiences are alerted to any changes before each show. 

LOCATION

The Mill Theatre is in Building 3.3, the Screencraft and KeepCo building which is a short walk from Capital Brewing. There are two easy ways to approach the Theatre:

PARK in P3 at the back of the precinct. From there you will see building 3.3 which has a large Screencraft sign. The public entrance is just up from that sign (not underneath it!). Once inside, walk about 5 metres and the theatre is to the right, next to Mojo Guitars.

WALK from Capital Brewing or the Less sculpture into the KeepCo building, pass Ramen Daddy and at the end of the corridor we are on the left. 

PARKING

All parking in the precinct is free with several accessible parking spots in all the parking locations. The best spot to park is P3 at the back of the precinct. If you park elsewhere please be warned that signage and way-finding around the precinct is extremely difficult. Arrive in plenty of time to possibly get lost, possibly be in a bad mood, and remedy that with a drink at our bar before enjoying a smashing show!