Malthouse Theatre will be seeing out their blockbuster 2023 season with a bite with Hour of the Wolf, an immersive experience featuring a cast of 11 performers and a staggering 12 locations constructed at full scale.
Wearing headsets that guide their journey, audiences are invited to enter the town of Hope Hill, between 3 am and 4 am on the longest night of the year.
Directed by Malthouse Artistic Director Matthew Lutton and written by Keziah Warner, the show features a star-studded cast including Lucy Ansell, Jack Green, Natasha Herbert, Kevin Hofbauer, Keegan Joyce, Brooke Lee, Emily Milledge, Christina O’Neill, Eva Rees, Karl Richmond, and Katherine Tonkin, with set design by Anna Cordingley and costume design by Zoe Rouse.
Quietly Queer
Eva Rees (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, he/r, Flit) spoke to Star Observer about the show and her character Alex. Rees’ career has so far involved mainly playing straight characters before she came out as trans during the run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, where she had originated the role of Albus Potter in the Australian production.
“I often wonder whether by being a queer person myself, any character I am deemed fit to take on becomes queer by virtue of my playing them. That said, Alex is explicitly queer, which is a boon in that I can bring my own experiences to the role without having to modify them to fit within a heterosexual paradigm. I like that Alex is quietly queer. I consider myself quietly queer; I think both the character and I are intrinsically queer to such an extent that to imagine ‘what if’s’ about being straight is ultimately redundant. Alex – at least it seems to me – is comfortable with queerness to an extent that I find admirable; at my lowest moments, possibly enviable.”
While the show’s details remain under wraps, waiting for audiences to discover the hidden secrets (and occasional surprise plotlines) of Hope Hill, Rees wants audiences to know that “There are ways that you can participate, but you don’t have to participate – I imagine if I was seeing this show, I would spend a lot of time lingering by the walls and observing and would have an utterly full experience because of this.”
Interactive Show
Rees is quick to remind us that “whilst the show is ‘interactive’, it’s designed to keep you (and us, for that matter) completely and utterly comfortable and safe.”
Hour of the Wolf was only originally scheduled to run for three weeks but has now been extended until December 3 due to the incredible demand.
Audiences can’t get enough of this new genre of performance with immersive experiences like 2021’s blockbuster hit Because the Night garnering National acclaim. Audiences keen to experience Rees’ skill as a writer may also be interested in their Melbourne Fringe Festival show Flit – a modern reimagining of Peter Pan featuring a Wendy who doesn’t want to go to Neverland – written with their sister Ruby Rees.
When: Until December 3, 2023
Where: Merlyn Theatre, The Malthouse, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank
Tickets: $59 – $99
Accessibility: The performance is fully wheelchair accessible, with all doorways and passageways a
minimum width of 850mm.: $59 – $99
