Felix Shannon of Tuesday Drive speaks to the producer and star of the sci-fi theatre production ‘ALONE‘, Kat Glass, about bringing space to the stage for an Australian audience.

‘ALONE’ will be presented as part of Sydney Fringe Festival. From live music and stand-up comedy to theatrical stage performances, Sydney Fringe Festival has returned to reinvigorate the cultural soul of Sydney. Running from the 1^st to the 30^th of September, this year’s Fringe Festival features over 450 shows across 70 venues in the greater Sydney area. As the largest independent arts festival in New South Wales, this yearly event represents an opportunity for creators and creative communities to be empowered and voice themselves through art, contributing to Sydney’s ongoing cultural growth.

The award-winning Kiwi science-fiction play ‘ALONE’ is due to make its Australian Premiere on Tuesday the 6th of September. Taking place at the Seymour Centre (Reginald Theatre), the play will run until the Saturday the 10th of September. Tickets

Presented by Dusty Room Productions and Glow House Ltd, ‘ALONE’ is a thrilling ‘interstellar exploration’ of human nature with ‘sustainability as its core’.

‘Aboard a crowd-funded spacecraft called ‘The Lily of the Nile’, a two-woman crew are on the home stretch of a two-year mission that could provide a solution for an Earth ravaged by climate change. Pragmatic and passionate Doctor Sarah Taylor (Kat Glass) believes her work with alien micro-bacterium could make Earth habitable once more. Jessica Holland (Courtney Bassett) – a charismatic and quick-witted young pilot – is charged with getting Doctor Taylor’s work and samples home.’ Sydney Fringe Festival presents ALONE

WINNER: Best Theatre – Auckland Fringe

WINNER: SYNZ Tour Ready – NZ Fringe

WINNER: PANNZ Tour Ready – Auckland Fringe

“I genuinely don’t remember the last time I was so invested in a piece of theatre” Regional News NZ

“ALONE is intimate, powerful, a little bit scary, and absolutely incredible. For a full 90 minutes I forget that I’m watching a piece of theatre with a group of people. I’m holding my breath, on the edge of my seat, with my eyes open wide, and absolutely desperate for their every move” Regional News NZ

“an original, suspenseful and genuinely moving script showcasing the talents of two amazing actors. I didn’t move for 90 minutes. A fresh take on the space drama” Dr Renee Liange MNZM

Written and Directed by Luke Thornborough

Produced by Kat Glass (Glow House Ltd) and Briar Collard (Dusty Room Productions)

Starring Kat Glass and Courtney Bassett

Scientific Advisor Dr Steve Wells (Believable Science)

Lighting Designer Michael Goodwin

Sound Designer Luke Thornborough

Set Designers Luke Thornborough, Kat Glass, and James Wright
Costume Designer Courty Kayoss

Dusty Room Production is ‘a passionate group of actors, and friends heralding from Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand.’ Website

Profiles courtesy of Dusty Room Productions:

Luke Thornborough (He/Him): For the past three years Luke works full time at top branding and design agency Designworks as a Director and Editor of commercials and brand content. He has recently entered the freelance market. Luke has a background in theatre and film and has directed music videos for major labels, multiple short films including ‘Jess’ and ‘Numb’ which both premiered at the Cannes Short Film Corner, as well as ‘Skin’ and ‘Stay’ which both premiered at the NZ International Film Festival before enjoying further international festival circuit success. He has directed commercials for TUX, Purina, MOBIL, and more, and worked as an editor at TVNZ and ‘Shortland Street’ before joining the team at DesignWorks. Luke also memorably directed a seven-part series for the Department of Conservation which currently shows on all inbound Air NZ flights, which teaches the environmental principles of ‘Leave No Trace’. ‘ALONE’ marks his return to his first love of theatre.  Luke is passionate about championing the voices of minorities and frequently creates work that centres and celebrates women, gender diverse folk, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Kat Glass (She/Her/They/Them): Kat stars as Dr. Sarah Taylor in ‘Alone’ but also brings a varied background as a producer of both theatre and screen projects. Kat has produced acclaimed theatre seasons at Basement Theatre, Q Theatre, Auckland Fringe Festival, Toi Wahine Festival, NZ International Comedy Festival, and Galatea Theatre. In film world Kat has produced music videos and shorts, as well as branded content, and has co-produced short films which have screened at the NZ International Film Festival, Giffoni Film Festival, Cannes Short Film Corner, Seoul Youth International Film Festival, and Arohanui Film Festival. An actor for over a decade, Kat has performed in more than 30 professional productions, appeared on screen in ‘Shortland Street’, telefeatures, short films, and TVCs. Most recently Kat has toured NZ extensively in more than 100 performances with Tim Bray Theatre Company.

Featured Image sourced from Sydney Fringe.