Theatre

The Axe in the Ceiling

A contemporary take on a classic household tale. An absurd love story with surprising layers.

$32.00
Sessions & Tickets
An Indian woman draped in a black, red, and gold sari holding an axe looks up towards the sky. She is leaning against a tree, there are other trees and a path in the background.
A diverse cast of 10 performers smile and pose facing the camera in the foyer of a performance venue. One performer in the front is seated on a backwards-facing chair, and three performers in the middle and back are making hand gestures as part of their poses.

Image Credit: Evangelina Vlahakis

An Indian woman draped in a black, red, and gold sari holding an axe looks up towards the sky. She is leaning against a tree, there are other trees and a path in the background.
A diverse cast of 10 performers smile and pose facing the camera in the foyer of a performance venue. One performer in the front is seated on a backwards-facing chair, and three performers in the middle and back are making hand gestures as part of their poses.

  • Written and Directed by: Jaya Berged

  • Performed by: Hem Tiwary, Joeline Gil, Anupa, Ghawady, Karnika, Vivek, Venkata Phani Sai Reddy Vuyyuru, Anish Thirithipulli, Rutu, Monika B, Anshu, and Brown

  • Sound Design: Daniel Jones & Jaya Berged

The Axe in the Ceiling is a story about a newly married couple on a journey of self-discovery, through a series of absurd events.

Chhaya is a playful, imaginative woman who has always lovingly walked the path that she’s been taught to walk. Hunar is a responsible, self-reliant man who has always provided well for himself and made good decisions. Their relationship begins with an axe in the ceiling, and peaks with a bird net in a corn field. Their journey together rocks their individual stability and reveals gaps in their self-image, compelling them to reflect on what they truly want and whether they have what it takes to get it.

The Axe in the Ceiling is a story of vulnerability, human connection, villain-less antagonism, resilience, and rising from the ashes. It is performed in waves of absurdity, realism, comedy, romance, and philosophical reflection. This production provokes deep thought and holds up a mirror to our own relationships, but is ultimately a show that offers hope and validates our individual experiences in the world.

Adapted from a household tale by the Brothers Grimm.

  • Duration: 60 minutes

  • Age suitability: M

  • Event warnings: Moderate Coarse Language.

  • Content warnings: Mental Health, Discussion Of Beauty Standards And Colourism, Death.

  • The Motley Bauhaus - Theatrette
    118 Elgin St, Carlton, VIC, 3053

    Wheelchair Access

    The Motley Bauhaus - Theatrette is wheelchair accessible.

    There is step-free access to the venue. Wheelchair users enter at the main entrance. The Black Box and all downstairs spaces, including the bar, are accessible.
    There are accessible toilets at this venue.

    More accessibility info available via website - www.themotley.com.au/about.html

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

  • Full: $32.00

  • Concession: $28.00

  • Group 6+: $28.00

  • Extra Applause: $36.00

  • Blak Tix: $10.00

"The Axe in the Ceiling is exactly what Melbourne Fringe is about: originality, charm and community. Well-written and packed full of laughs, it’s a hidden gem in the festival" - Guy Webster, Australian Arts Review (2023)

artsreview.com.au

Sessions: In Person Events

A single $5.50 transaction fee applies to your booking.

Date Time Venue

Saturday, 12 October 2024

2:00pm

The Motley Bauhaus - Theatrette

 Get Tickets

Sunday, 13 October 2024

2:00pm

The Motley Bauhaus - Theatrette

 Get Tickets

Saturday, 19 October 2024

2:00pm

The Motley Bauhaus - Theatrette

 Get Tickets

Sunday, 20 October 2024

2:00pm

The Motley Bauhaus - Theatrette

 Get Tickets

You may also like…

  • The Story of Cerberus: A Very Good Boy

    A mythological musical for the god of mankind's best friends.

    Created and Performed by Abigail Banister-Jones
    Dates 01 - 05 Oct (60min)
    Venue Nicholas Building
    more less
    Abigail has brown hair in space buns to emulate dog ears, wearing a big brown fur cape and a crushed velvet gown. She stands on a make-shift ferry across the river styx with a lantern in one hand, draping her arm over her head, and a glass of white wine in the other. Her eyes are closed and she is smiling.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information
  • Anaesthesia

    An intense exploration of three young women living with serious medical conditions.

    Performed by Lauren Huggard
    Dates 12 - 14 Oct (1 hour 45 minutes)
    Venue Theatre Works - Explosives Factory
    more less
    A shadow stands behind of a waterfall , reaching out toward the camera.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information
  • Years Years Bears

    A dark comedy about cults, community and true crime podcasts.

    Written and Directed by Cassandra-Elli Yiannacou
    Dates 16 - 20 Oct (60min)
    Venue Festival Hub: Trades Hall - Corner Store
    more less
    One blonde woman with smeared lipstick, sunglasses, a scarf and a fur coat looks shocked, while another blonde woman also in sunglasses and a scar, and a long red coat stands behind her menacingly. The woman in the red coat has her her left hand wrapped around the woman in front of her, and her right hand smearing the woman in front of hers lipstick in a way that suggests she had her hand over her mouth.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information
  • HOMO FOMO

    ...is bad queers in hot pursuit of queer joy.

    Created by Bad Queers Inc. & Alyson Campbell & Meta Cohen
    Dates 13 - 20 Oct (90min)
    Venue The 86 Cabaret Bar
    more less
    A black cartoon broken heart against a purple background.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information
  • Shitbag

    A one-person dark comedy about Crohn’s Disease, mania and casual sex.

    Created and Performed by Hayley Edwards
    Dates 02 - 06 Oct (55min)
    Venue Festival Hub: Trades Hall - Archive Room
    more less
    Hayley Edwards sits on an accessible toilet seat wearing a white hospital gown and holding a toilet roll with their shoulder revealed flirtatiously. The background is a purple-lavender colour.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information
  • ADMINISTRATION

    An undiagnosed autistic kid's perspective on life, death, religion and dance

    Created and Performed by Adeline Close
    Dates 07 - 13 Oct (50min)
    Venue The Motley Bauhaus - The Cellar
    more less
    Person with blue eyes and brown curly hair in two buns with pink ribbons wearing a pink organza dress. They have colourful pom poms stuck to their face with a concerning expression in their eyes. Their hand covers their mouth with a red smile drawn on it, as they are framed in pink background that blends with their dress colour.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information
  • After Rebecca

    An atmospheric gothic thriller from a powerhouse solo theatre performer

    Written by Emma Gibson 
    Dates 09 - 13 Oct (60min)
    Venues La Mama HQ, Digital Fringe
    more less
    A person with long curly brown hair wears a white tank top and ochre red construction pants. They sit on a chair holding a mug in both hands.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information
  • Alexander Powers

    What is it like to have sex with a trans woman?

    Created and Performed by Alexander Powers
    Dates 08 - 10 Oct (50min)
    Venue Miscellania
    more less
    A portrait photo of a 33 year old trans woman with long dark brown hair. She has smudged pink lipstick, is wearing a sleeveless beige top, and has a tattoo of a cartoon villain on her chest.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information
  • Making It Up (One Playwright to Another)

    Some scripts take a lifetime to write.

    Written and Performed by Norm Reynolds
    Dates 1 Oct - 20 Oct (35min)
    Venue Digital Fringe
    more less
    To the right of the image, a man dressed in a brown suit sits in a chair with his arm over the back and facing towards an empty red velvet chair to the left. A wooden coffee table with an orchid plant, two books and two glasses of water sits between them. The scene is dark and dramatically lit.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information
  • Victory Lap

    A nostalgia-fuelled, love-sick swim into the acute melancholia of being.

    Written and Directed by Mashaka Gunnulson
    Dates 03 - 08 Oct (50min)
    Venue Artemisia Gallery & Event Space
    more less
    Adam Marks, an actor with short brown hair, a grey beanie and an earring, stares nostalgically into the camera, with the beachside hazy in the background.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information
  • What a Steal!

    A sleazy used car dealership on the edge of crisis takes the stage for a new musical.

    Written by Matt Chan
    Dates 15 - 17 Oct (60min)
    Venue Chapel Off Chapel - The Loft
    more less
    Two shady car salespeople are dressed in cheap, oversized suits and standing in dim blue light on a stage. The person on the right is gesturing their palms out and the person on the left is watching them.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information
  • Ballkids (or, scenes from a friendship)

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

    Presented by VIMH
    Dates 09 - 13 Oct (60min)
    Venue La Mama Courthouse
    more less
    Two people dressed in blue polo shirts and legionnaires hats, embracing each other with smiles on their faces, in front of a bright pink backgorund.
    Genre: Theatre
    More Information

    • Find similar shows

    See All Guides
  • Feminist Events
  • Theatre Events
  • Sex, love and dating
  • SALTY
  • SOUR