Amplified – The Amplifiers and Live Large

Melbourne Playback Theatre Company are thrilled to collaborate with emerging theatre company SKY Theatre to present Amplified, a double bill of new devised work The Amplifiers and a playback performance exploring what it means to Live Large. Live Large bounces off The Amplifiers to create performance that goes beyond disability and opens up a conversation about the essential things that connect us all.

The Amplifiers by SKY Theatre follows three students of magic who face demons, curses and major headaches of bureaucracy. SKY Theatre is made up of skilled theatre-makers on the autism spectrum who bring their inside experience to an adventure packed with spells and suits, Lebanese drumming and glam rock. SKY Theatre is: Sarah Austin (actor/costumier), Ashleigh Beecham (actor), Lincoln Forbes (actor/graphic design), Michael Sibillin (actor/costumier/musician), Joseph Samarani (actor/musician) and Danny Diesendorf (director/dramaturg). All contributors co-wrote this performance.

In Live Large, SKY Theatre performers join with Melbourne Playback Theatre Company’s critically acclaimed ensemble to turn the audience’s true stories into theatre on the spot. Live Large explores what it means to live life to the full, and what gets in the way. This is theatre that springs from the audience’s experience, and the results are often moving, funny and surprising. If you’ve never seen Melbourne Playback in action, this collaboration with SKY Theatre is an amazing show to start with. This opportunity—to join with your community to explore all the ways of living—is not to be missed.

With these back-to-back shows, Live Large bounces off The Amplifiers to create performance about life, (dis)ability, imagination and practicality. Truly a performance for everybody.

"A visionary company." - Theatrepeople

"Terrifically skilled." - Cameron Woodhead, The Age