AustLit

'Ray, Emily and Charlie have been the best of friends since university. As students, Ray and Emily bonded over their mutual adoration of the Great American Songbook, while Emily fell in love with Ray’s roommate, Charlie – despite his terrible taste in music. Nearly thirty years later, Emily and Charlie are happily married and there’s always a bed for Ray at their place when he visits from overseas. But on Ray's latest sojourn, Charlie has a favour to ask that could change everything.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'The Fiery Maze / was conceived by Porter and Finn in 1995 as a ‘rock concert album’. The talents of these two extraordinary artists will combine to produce raw, intimate songs about love, sex and obsession, as Finn is joined on stage by the mesmerising Abi Tucker.

'Porter’s previously unpublished lyrics deal with the disillusions of love, as well as the blinding moments of blazing connection. Porter is known for the visceral power of her language; for crafting characters, scenarios and poems that crackle with sexual energy. The journey into ‘love’s hopeless fiery maze’ is no exception.

'Conjuring a wild world of lust, paranoia and possession, this consuming song cycle / unites two iridescent artists – musician Tim Finn and poet Dorothy Porter.' (Production summary)

'It's Jem Glass' seventh birthday. The cake is made, the party is about to start. But something's wrong. Jem has been fainting, he thinks there is a man in his radio and he is about to shock the rest of the family with a startling announcement.

A black cloud hangs over the Prior family home. Danny, the eldest son, was killed by a car seven years ago and the burden of grief borne by his widow and his mother has failed to diminish over time. All they have left are memories and prayers.

That is until Jem arrives at their house, claiming that he is Danny reborn.

As the lives of these two fractured families are flung together, the gripping mystery begins to unravel.

''Poor Boy' asks big questions about humanity and our place in the universe. What is a soul and if we have one, who owns it? What do we believe in? What is faith and how do we know when it is misplaced? The resulting family drama is at once incandescently comic and radiantly uplifting.

From the pen of playwright Matt Cameron, 'Poor Boy' is inspired by an original idea and songs from the legendary Tim Finn.' (STC blurb, http://sydneytheatre.com.au/)