As part of The Masterclass Project, a live reading of Sea Wall by Simon Stephens will be performed by the playwright himself for one performance only.
Sea Wall is a haunting and intimate monologue play about love, faith, and the fragility of the world we build around ourselves. Alex, in direct address to the audience, warmly draws audiences in through reflections on joyful memories with his family, before casting you into a deep exploration of grief.
Poignant and profoundly human, Sea Wall is a powerful theatrical experience that hits with the force of a wave you never saw coming.
For a special one-off reading, Simon Stephens will perform Sea Wall for a public audience, followed by an in-depth conversation and Q&A led by distinguished NZ broadcaster Mark Amery, on the important role that theatre plays in all of our lives.
Simon Stephens is one of the UK’s most influential contemporary playwrights. His work includes The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (staged by ATC in 2016), Sea Wall, Blindness (presented at the 2021 Auckland Writers Festival), Pornography and Birdland, and has been produced internationally across Europe, Asia, Australasia and the Americas. Simon’s visit to Aotearoa marks his first return in nearly two decades.
Mark Amery is recently the cohost of RNZ’s Culture 101 and has a passion for the critical role artists play in public discussion. Amery has worked extensively as an arts broadcaster, journalist, developer and producer across the performing and visual arts. He was the co founder and director of public arts organisation Letting Space (2009-2019) and as Director of national playwrights organisation Playmarket first brought Simon Stephens to New Zealand in 2005.
With sincere thanks to Cynthia Braithwaite and Peter Macky for their generous donation, and the British Council New Zealand and the Pacific for support through their Connections Through Culture Programme.
Event and Ticketing Details
Duration
1 hour and 20 minutes, including interval.
Seawall – 35 minutes
Interval – 15 minutes
Q&A – 30 minutes
Advisory
Contains strong language and themes of grief and loss. Suggested for audiences aged 16+
The Masterclass Project
Sea Wall is presented as part of The Masterclass Project, designed to champion Aotearoa theatre artists, teachers, and emerging theatre talent.
As part of his visit, Simon Stephens will lead a programme of workshops and events including this performance of Sea Wall.
Simon’s visit to Aotearoa marks his first return in nearly two decades.