Concrete Playground

Don't fret, despite what the name implies, New Directions is not a hippy camp; it's the New Theatre's annual mini-season dedicated to showcasing the best contemporary writing for the theatre. With playwrights from three countries, five directors, 28 actors and an unspecified number of production staff — but no bulldogs — the 2010 season promises to be a cracker. It's five plays over four weeks with a little something for everyone.

July 14 - 17
Crooked, Catherine Trieschmann (USA) — A 14-year-old's hilarious spiritual and sexual journey pokes fun at America's bible belt.

July 21 - 24
The Chekhov Term, Sam Atwell (Australia) — A Brisbane share house, four student actors, Chekhov and a fairly liquid definition of truth.

July 28 - 31
The Big One, Dick Reichman (USA) — Part docu-drama, part taut thriller, this play uncovers the grubby politics behind the Exxon tanker oil-spill disaster off Alaska.

August 4 - 7
Double bill:
Fat Boy John Clancy, (USA) — A live-action Punch and Judy show, Fat Boy is a satire on America's insatiable appetites.
Electronic City Falk Richter, (Germany) — A disturbing elegy on the modern-day electronic-media-riddled metropolis and a neo-romatic love story (with only scant mention of George Clooney).

Season passes available for $70.