Cosi

by Louis Nowra

Director - Robyn Lester

Cosi was first performed in 1992 in Sydney but is actually set in a Melbourne Psychiatric Institution in 1971. It is the riotous story of Lewis, a young man, who works with psychiatric patients to stage a show in an institution. Cosi is partly autobiographical, for Nowra himself staged a Gilbert & Sullivan production in an asylum as a young man.

Although an hilarious comedy, "Cosi" is also an affecting portrayal of mental illness, and a celebration of the power of theatre to transform people's lives. The play demands performances which create real characters and real emotions, as well as laughter.

Lewis auditions patients who wish to be in the play and Roy, a middle-aged man who has spent most of his adult life in Psychiatric Institutions is determined to stage Mozart’s opera, "Cosi Fan Tutte", despite the fact that none of those who auditioned can actually sing - or speak Italian! Poor old Lewis has to deal with manic personalities, shy withdrawn types, eccentrics, obsessive personalities, and a pyromaniac! Throw into the equation a feisty political girlfriend, a politically influenced best friend and an officious social worker, and you wonder: "Will it all come together on the night?" You'll have to come to Beaumaris Theatre to find out!

Performances:

Fri 1^st, Sat 2^nd, Sun 3^rd, Fri 8^th, Sat 9^th, Sun 10^th, Fri 15^th, Sat 16^th, Sun 17^th, Thur 21^st, Fri 22^nd & Sat 23^rd July