Eddie Perfect Play is MTC Zeitgeist

Melbourne Theatre Company today (May 10, 2013) revealed Eddie Perfect’s The Beast will be staged during its Zeitgeist season in October, a slot set aside to bring the freshest, most contemporary theatre to Melbourne audiences.

‘In creating the 2013 initiative of Zeitgeist we wanted to leave MTC’s season open to the possibility of a new work or opportunity emerging after our launch, which we felt audiences should have an immediate chance to see,’ Brett Sheehy, MTC Artistic Director said.

‘We could not have hoped for a better opportunity than the world premiere of the first-ever play by that extraordinary theatrical polymath Eddie Perfect. The Beast was the first commission of my tenure, and with it Eddie has delivered in spades,’ Brettsaid.

‘The idea for The Beast arose out of my time living in the Yarra Valley. A dinner held with five couples from the area involved consuming a terrifyingly large proportion of a 450 kilogram, fourteen month old, female Angus calf. I'm pleased to say that this dinner, named "Feast Of The Beast", was a far more civilized affair than the one that appears in the play,’ Eddie Perfect said.

‘This play does not set out to mock the good intentions of globally aware citizens, but, rather, to take a firm swipe at anyone that uses a cause as a banner to advertise their innate goodness. Being seen to be good is often more important than actually doing good. There's also a disconnect between the person we are, and the person we'd like to be. I love to write about that particular gap,’ he said.

‘I can't overstate how thrilled I am to be presenting my first ever play with the iconic Melbourne Theatre Company, and want to thank Brett Sheehy and everyone at MTC for their support and encouragement of this dark and twisted Australian black comedy. I really can't wait to see how the audience is going to react to the piece,’ Eddie Perfect said.

‘Social satire is a wake-up call to us all, and in The Beast, it’s an hilarious and grotesque reminder to keep our righteousness and judgementalism in check as we collectively hurtle into an uncertain environmental future,’ Brett Sheehy said.

‘In another first, we are partnering with both Melbourne Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival to bring Eddie’s play to the audiences of three of Melbourne’s major artistic institutions. It is a partnership of which we are immensely proud and a great template for the future,’ he said.

The MTC promises ‘a cutting, modern day satire which tears our notions of morality to shreds with a hilarious rant on urban culture, organic lifestyles and infidelity.’

After surviving a nasty near-death experience, a group of close friends wipe the slate clean and embrace a tree-change, living a sustainable life in the country. But nature isn’t always so welcoming, and when the friends are faced with the pressing task of killing a young cow, a chain reaction begins that will see them confront some ugly and shocking truths.

Helpmann, Green Room and Victorian Premier’s Literary Award winner, Eddie Perfecthas written and toured several shows including Angry Eddie, Cliff Hanger: Catch A Falling Star, The Big Con with Max Gillies, Drink Pepsi Bitch, Shane Warne: The Musical, Songs From The Middle, a collaboration with The Brodsky Quartet and the Australian National Academy of Music and most recently the award winning Misanthropology. In 2013 Eddie premiered a new show with fellow musical comedians Tripod which is touring nationally - Perfect Tripod Australian Songs - and reprises a concert version of Shane Warne: The Musical in June.

The Beast by Eddie Perfect

Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Sumner

Season dates: 3 October to 9 November 2013

Opening night: Monday 7 October 2013 at 8pm

Tickets: from $58, Under 30s just $33

Booking Details: Southbank Theatre Box Office 03 8688 0800 or mtc.com.au

An MTC Zeitgeist Production