Theatre

Ballkids (or, scenes from a friendship)

A love letter to best friendship from acclaimed indie theatre artists VIMH.

  • Dates 09 - 13 Oct
  • Time 6:30pm, 7:30pm, 2:00pm, 4:00pm (80 minutes)
  • Venues La Mama Courthouse
$20.00 - $35.00
Sessions & Tickets View Comments
Two people dressed in blue polo shirts and legionnaires hats, embracing each other with smiles on their faces, in front of a bright pink background.

Image Credit: Jack Dixon-Gunn

  • Presented by: VIMH

  • Artists: Liv Satchell, Julian Dibley-Hall, Izabella Yena, Michelle McCowage, Tom Backhaus, Filipe Filihia, John Collopy, Freya McGrath, Ashleigh Walwyn

  • Directed by: Julian Dibley-Hall with Liv Satchell

Holly and Sam are the best of the best. Or they want to be. They share a dream – to join the most elite squad in competitive summer sport: ballkids at the Australian Open. It’s their first day of training and they don’t know yet that they’re not going to make the cut or that they’re going to meet their best friend for the first time ever.

Ballkids takes this chance encounter and chucks it in a blender, jump-cutting through the next two decades of Holly and Sam’s shared life to map the starburst force of platonic romance.

Funny and moving, excruciatingly human, Ballkids (or, scenes from a friendship) is an ode to lonely kids and what happens when they find each other. Written by Liv Satchell (two-time Green Room Award winner) and presented by multi- award-winning theatre company VIMH (The Grief Trilogy, SIRENS, The View From Up Here), Ballkids insists that friendship is as strong and important as a beating heart.

CREATIVE TEAM
Performed by Izabella Yena and Michelle McCowage
Written by Liv Satchell
Directed by Julian Dibley-Hall
Sound Design by Tom Backhaus
Lighting Design by John Collopy
Production Design by Filipe Filihia
Movement Direction by Xanthe Beesley
Assistant Directed by Freya McGrath
Stage Managed by Ashleigh Walwyn
Produced by VIMH

Awards and Reviews
Green Room Award, Best New Writing for Indie Theatre: I sat and waited but you were gone too long (2024); let bleeding girls lie (2022).
Emerging Company Incubator Award and SA Touring Award: SIRENS by Benjamin Nichol for Melbourne Fringe 2022.

“It’s dazzling to see work tailored with such skill to such unique artists.” ★★★★★ - Theatre Matters (I sat and waited but you were gone too long)

“The Grief Trilogy is an incredible achievement.” - Theatre First

About VIMH

VIMH produces bold original new theatre. We make our work from scratch, fostering new writing and performance that models alternative modes of community and connection. VIMH’s major body of work The Grief Trilogy was three thematically linked plays exploring transformational encounters between strangers in public spaces. Nominated collectively for 13 Green Room Awards and presented in partnership with La Mama Theatre across seven years, both I sat and waited and let bleeding girls lie won Best New Writing for Independent Theatre.

  • Duration: 80 minutes

  • Age suitability: M

  • Event warnings: Haze Effects, Moderate Coarse Language, Both Sudden And Sustained Loud Noises.

  • Content warnings: Drug References, Sexual References, Mental Health, Audience Will Be Using Party Poppers.

  • La Mama Courthouse
    349 Drummond St, Carlton, VIC, 3053

    Wheelchair Access

    La Mama Courthouse is wheelchair accessible.

    There is step-free access to the venue. Wheelchair users enter at the main entrance. Some mobility wheelchairs that are larger than a standard wheelchair may have difficulty with the doorway entrance. Please see the website for more information:
    https://lamama.com.au/for-audience/accessibility/

    There is on-street parking nearby but no reserved accessible parking.

    There are accessible toilets at this venue.

    Get directions See all events at this venue See detailed venue & access information

  • Full: $35.00

  • Preview: $20.00

  • Blak Tix: $10.00

  • Concession: $25.00

Sessions: In Person Events

A single $5.50 transaction fee applies to your booking.

Date Time Venue

Wednesday, 09 October 2024

6:30pm

La Mama Courthouse

Sold Out
 Past Event

Thursday, 10 October 2024

7:30pm

La Mama Courthouse

Sold Out
 Past Event

Friday, 11 October 2024

7:30pm

La Mama Courthouse

Sold Out
 Past Event

Saturday, 12 October 2024

2:00pm

La Mama Courthouse

Sold Out
 Past Event

Saturday, 12 October 2024

7:30pm

La Mama Courthouse

Sold Out
 Past Event

Sunday, 13 October 2024

4:00pm

La Mama Courthouse

Sold Out
 Past Event

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