COUNTING AND CRACKING
எண்ணிக்கக, இல்கலயயல் ககயயாங்கு
ගණන් නොගන්නේ නම් ගණන් කරන්න
Presenting a Belvoir St Theatre & Kurinji Co-Production
By S. Shakthidharan with Eamon Flack
In Partnership with The Public Theater
Performances are at NYU Skirball
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NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
★★★★★
“Contender for the best play of the year.” – Time Out Sydney
★★★★★
“A poignant, at times extremely funny exploration of western multiculturalism and assimilation.” – The Times (UK)
★★★★★
“Theatre that has the power to change lives.” – HiFi Way
ABOUT THE WORK
Belvoir St. Theatre’s Counting and Cracking, by S. Shakthidharan and directed by Eamon Flack, comes to NYU Skirball this fall for its North American Premiere after critically acclaimed productions in Australia and the United Kingdom. The sweeping, episodic play features nineteen actors from across the globe on a multi-generational journey of a Sri Lankan-Australian family from 1956-2004.
Radha fled Sri Lanka with her unborn child as the nation struggled with conflict. Two decades later, her son Siddhartha, now an Australian man who knows little of his family’s background, receives a call from the past that changes everything he thought he knew, and who he thought he was. One of the most highly anticipated premieres of 2024, Counting and Cracking is a joyous, epic story of family, forgiveness, the ghosts we leave behind, and the power of love. Counting and Cracking is a Belvoir St Theatre & Kurinji co-production and is presented in partnership with The Public Theater.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Located on Gadigal land, Sydney, Belvoir is one of Australia’s most celebrated and beloved theater companies, at the forefront of Australian storytelling for the stage. New work and new stories sit at the center of Belvoir’s programming, alongside a mix of reinvented classics and international writing, and a foundational commitment to Indigenous stories. In short, Belvoir is about theatrical invention, an open society, and faith in humanity. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Eamon Flack and Executive Director Aaron Beach, Belvoir engages Australia’s most prominent and promising theater-makers. Belvoir regularly tours nationally and internationally.
CREATIVE CREDITS
The cast of Counting and Cracking includes Rodney Afif, Prakash Belawadi, Senuri Chandrani, Antonythasan Jesuthasan, Nadie Kammallaweera, Ahilan Karunaharan, Abbie-Lee Lewis, Gandhi MacIntyre, Radhika Mudaliyar, Shiv Palekar, Dushan Philips, Sukhbir Singh Walia (Sunny), Nipuni Sharada, Kaivalya Suvarna, Raj Velu, and Sukania Venugopal. They will be joined by musicians Kranthi Kiran Mudigonda, Janakan Suthanthiraraj, and Venkhatesh Sritharan.
Counting and Cracking includes set and costume design by Dale Ferguson, lighting design by Damien Cooper, and sound design and music composition by Stefan Gregory. Anandavalli serves as choreographer, costume and cultural advisor.
RUN TIME
Approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes including two intermissions.
SUPPORT
REVIEWS
★★★★★
“Simply enthralling… Seamlessly marries the personal and political.” – Stage Noise
★★★★★
“Contender for the best play of the year.” – Time Out Sydney
★★★★★
“Theatre that has the power to change lives.” – HiFi Way
★★★★★
“An urgent work of high importance.” – The AU Review
★★★★★
“A joy to experience. Don’t miss it!” – Glam Adelaide
★★★★★
“Wonderful, just wonderful.” – Arts Hub
★★★★★
“a poignant, at times extremely funny exploration of western multiculturalism and assimilation.” – The Times (UK)
★★★★
“Director Eamon Flack’s multilingual (English, Tamil and Sinhalese) production uses a mixture of splendour and wit to keep its audience’s attention as the characters and complications multiply.” – Financial Times
