The revolution is in turmoil. After a series of bloody purges, the capricious Danton is tormented by his part in the September Massacres. His political match is Robespierre, an austere statesman. Although the two men are ostensibly on the same side - that is working for equality and against privilege - they are rivals.
The common people were promised that by joining the Revolution and fighting for liberty their lives would be made better. However, citizens are starving and freezing on the streets, morals have declined and their lives are far from improved.
From his desire to bring liberty to the people, Danton established the Revolutionary Tribunal, a panel that sends enemies of the Revolution to their deaths.
Haunted by the brutality of the tribunal and growing weary of infighting, Danton now wants victory with as little bloodshed as possible.
Conversely, Robespierre is adamant that his political enemies and anyone who stands in his way must be executed. He has come to use the guillotine on a daily basis on those he judges to be without virtue.
The two revolutionaries are on a conflicting journey of ideology and methodology. When rumours grow of his arrest, Danton begins to cede his position. Robespierre sees Danton as a threat and turns many of his followers against him, convincing them that Danton is an elitist who has betrayed the Republic. The decision is made that Danton and his close associates must be arrested and tried for treason.
During his imprisonment Danton makes a belated appeal to his revolutionary credentials, but to no avail. Although Danton impresses the tribunal with his inspired words and passion the crowd is manipulated by Robespierre and are swayed by their thirst for change, a change that has been long promised but has never arrived. Danton and his associates are found guilty and sentenced to death.
The history of the French Revolution tells us Robespierre is similarly executed a few years later by more fervent revolutionaries than himself; “The revolution, like Saturn, devours its children” as Danton says.
Our production recontextualises this historical drama, with its speeches taken directly from documentary evidence of the day, into a timeless future dystopia where augmented and virtual reality mediate daily experience. In fact, the play you are watching was actually translated from the original into English by the AI ChatGPT 3.5, and the projections you see are in part created by AI text to image technology. Perhaps we are dangerously close to a great many people being influenced by propaganda, conspiracy, post-truth and narcissism today?
Danton
Robespierre
Saint-Just
Paris
Camille
Legendre
Collot
Hérault-Séchelles
Phillippeau
Lacroix
Barère
Herman Dumas
Billaud-Varennes
Fouquier-Tinville
Mercier
Amar/Dillon
LaFlotte
Young Man/Ensemble
1st Citizen/Ensemble
2nd Citizen/Ensemble
3rd Citizen/Ensemble
Jailer/Ensemble
Resurrectionist/Ensemble
Simon/Resurrectionist/Ensemble
1st Gentleman/Ensemble
2nd Gentleman/Ensemble
Game Player/Ensemble
Jasper Chao
Lachlan Millard
Sophie Hubert
Harrison Lipscombe
Thomas Klebanowski
Julian Nguyen
Will Nethercote
Genevieve Hodge
Lara Mistica
James Lyster
Gina Berry
Frank Roodenburg
Olivia Chadder
El Vamvakaris
Lachlan Barnes
Oliver Gaudion
Tom Weickhardt
Liam Clarke
Kevin Tian
Winter Kelly
Bryan Shen
Max Korganow
Oliver Luttick
Luke Wu
Lucas Andrepoulos
Harry King
Archie Wood
Luca Sanfilipio
Showcaller
Stage Manager
Sound Operator
Lighting Operators
AV Operators
Mixing Board Operator
Stagehands
Zaid Imran
Jade Bishop
Nathan Tong
Grant Fitzgibbon, Reuban Opat
James Newell, Oshan Tenakoon
Milton Leung
Ethan Choo
Charles King
Joshua Lian
Lucas Qin
Michael Ross Performing
Director/Sound Designer
Production Coordinator
Costume Design
Set and Prop Design
Technical Coordinator
Lighting/Technical Design
Technical Assistant
Set Construction
Costume Technician
Set Assistant/Projection Design
Set Assistant
Director’s Assistant
Hair Stylist
Makeup Design
Poster Design
Photography
Music Curator
Andrew Stocker
Jessica Johnson
Jennifer Bennie
Mark Wager
Stuart Feldt
Michael Zagarn
Lachlan Campbell
CGS Maintenance Department
Breanna Handfield
David Bennie
Erica Moffat
William Lewis
Kerrin Barker
Martina Lindsey
Simon Barry
Ken Nakanishi
ECHO Team
Ben Chesler
