One week to go. A note from our director.

Dear Friends,

In just one week, The Seagull takes flight.

After months of planning, rehearsing, designing, building and dreaming, we are incredibly excited to welcome audiences to the inaugural production of The Ravens Theatre Company.

The response has exceeded our expectations. Over a thousand tickets have already been sold, several performances are sold out or close to capacity, and we are deeply grateful for the support of our community.

That said, there are still some excellent seats available across the season, so if you've been meaning to book, now is the time.

Photography: Harry Lloyd.

Special Matinee & Q&A

Join us for a special daytime performance on Wednesday 11 June, 11:00am. Following the performance, audiences are invited to stay for a Q&A with members of the cast and creative team — an opportunity to delve deeper into Chekhov's masterpiece, the rehearsal process, and the themes of the production.

Whether you're a theatre lover, student, educator, or simply curious, we'd love to see you there.

A note from director Jane Montgomery Griffiths

The Seagull is a strange play; written in 1895, it is a comic tragedy, a tragic comedy and a play that, for all of its canonical positioning, almost defies categorisation.

There's a tendency to view Chekhov with reverence. He was, after all, one of the founding fathers of what we now call naturalism, and the influence of his plays on contemporary theatre cannot be overstated. But in coming to direct The Seagull, I was struck first and foremost by the freshness, immediacy, and, to be honest, the sheer oddness of this play.

Populated by strangely flawed and frustrated people, it shows love, life and death in all their ludicrous triviality. Every character in this play yearns for something — for the fulfillment of their dreams and ambitions, for the return of their affection, for some sense of meaning in life. And every character is thwarted in a comedy of manners that has deadly repercussions.

So in this production I have tried to be true to what I feel is the strange spirit of this play. We see the extremes to which people can be driven, we sense the emotions that we dare not speak, and we see ourselves reflected in the unrealised dreams of each character.

It's a privilege to be working with The Ravens on this, the company's inaugural production. Castlemaine is such a thriving artistic hub that it is a wonderful thing our community now has a new theatre company who will tackle these great classical texts and make them accessible to new audiences. I wish The Ravens every success and I hope you enjoy this performance.

Jane Montgomery Griffiths

Help us reach our fundraising target

We need to raise $4,555 to reach our target. Every donation goes directly into the work — no one is taking a wage — and everyone who contributes will be acknowledged by name in our program.* You are not just a donor. You are part of the story. All donations are tax deductible, so it's a good time to donate pre-June 30.

* You can choose to be anonymous if you like though.

Got your ticket already? Thank you — you are exactly the kind of person who knows a good thing when they see it. Forward this email on to someone who deserves a brilliant night out. We are counting down the days until the curtain rises.

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From Castlemaine, with love —

The Ravens