READ SCRIPT EXCERPT HERE (2025 draft)
Synopsis
AFLW superstar, Rosie Day, has always been a force to be reckoned with: shattering records, breaking barriers, and paving the way as a trailblazing feminist icon in female sports. She’s the face of a movement that fought tirelessly for recognition. Two decades later, she’s gone from playing on modest patches of green filled with pigeons, to stadiums full of… people.
Getting to the top was no small feat, and now that she’s here, Rosie wants to lead her team to victory. But as the clock ticks, with mounting pressures both on and off the field, an impending birthday, a lingering injury, and the unraveling of sacrifices force Rosie to stand at life’s goalposts, compelled to choose which dream to chase.
THE KICK delves into the intricate web of career and family, the challenges of aging as an athlete, as well as the complex relationship between women and their bodies. In this enthralling narrative of ambition, love, and decisions that alter the course of life, Rosie grapples with the enticing allure of “what ifs” that shape her path forward.
Can Rosie truly have it all, or will she be thrust into making the most formidable decision of her life?
Themes
Aging and Sport: Investigating the challenges and triumphs of professional athletes as they grapple with aging bodies, and bodies as the ‘tool’.
Female Body’s Potential: Examining the capabilities and constraints of the female body, especially in the context of professional sports and motherhood and the way in which they intersect.
Transition from Community to Celebrity: Navigating the transformative journey from grassroots sports to the public eye, and the personal and societal implications that follow.
Evolution of Feminism: Tracing the progress of feminism across generations and its profound influence on characters’ choices and beliefs in the context of sports in Australia.
Motherhood and Identity: Unpacking the intricate relationship between motherhood and personal identity, exploring how it shapes aspirations and impacts relationships.
Identity and the Pressure of Representation: Probing the weight of representing one’s gender, sexuality, team, and community, and the struggle to preserve identity amid external expectations.
Balancing Career and Personal Life: Illuminating the tension between career ambitions and personal desires, embodying the profound choices that define one’s journey.
The What-If Dilemma: Capturing the internal conflict of characters as they grapple with the allure of “what ifs” and confront the significance of life-altering choices.
Reviews for Previous Work
MADELAINE NUNN – PLAYWRIGHT
★★★★★ “Sitting, Screaming is a 70-minute tour de force of play-writing from Madelaine Nunn, and a dazzling solo performance by Clare Hughes, directed by Lucy Clements, that is by turns breathtakingly nuanced and subtle, and joyously reckless. The play was shortlisted for the Rodney Seaborn Playwright’s Award and long-listed for the Griffin Award, and this production – all its elements – ought to be on award shortlists for the best of 2024.” – Stage Noise
★★★★★ “It’s a superb examination of grief… marvellous charm and heart-breaking empathy” – Stage Whispers
★★★★★ “Brilliantly written, with a humanly comedic through-line, this one-woman show is exactly what we want to see in theatre.” – What’s the Show
RACHEL CHANT – DIRECTOR
★★★★.5 “Exploring such nuances in a subtle way required an exceptional cast, which Director Rachel Chant expertly assembled… Providing tears of laughter and sorrow throughout, this show is certainly worth a watch.” – MusicalTheatre.au
★★★★.5 “Thoughtful and revelatory… Chant directs with simplicity and intention.” – Theatre Now
★★★★.5 “As ethereal, undefinable and big as the word itself… this production will bite you, hard, then gnaw at your world view.“ – ArtsHub
NEW GHOSTS THEATRE COMPANY
★★★★★ “As good as it gets… not only is it done full justice by this outstanding co-production between Secret House, New Ghosts and Seymour Centre, its cast of 11 has seldom been matched for quality in this town.” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★★ “Could Chenturan Aran’s Cut Chilli be the best new Australian play to arrive on Sydney stages this year?” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★★ “So much more could be said about this stunning show but it is best you discover all the jewel-like moments yourself. It is a must see. I doubt you will see anything better for a long time. See It.” Theatre Now
★★★★★ “an artistic stand-out; a masterpiece of contemporary Perth theatre; and an equally ambitious and successful production with no parallel in its field” The Pelican
★★★★★ “absolutely flawless” Fourth Wall
NEW GHOSTS THEATRE COMPANY 