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Counting and Cracking: RISING to stage Belvoir’s acclaimed theatrical epic

The Melbourne season of S. Shakthidharan’s multigenerational drama is being co-produced with University of Melbourne Arts and Culture.
21 Feb 2024 5:59
Richard Watts
A curly-headed young man in traditional Sri Lankan dress dances joyfully on a bare stage.

Performing Arts

‘Counting and Cracking’ production image. Photo: Geraint Lewis.

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Counting and Cracking, the award-winning theatrical epic by S. Shakthidharan which premiered at the 2019 Sydney Festival, has been announced as the centrepiece production of Melbourne’s 2024 RISING festival.

It is the second major production announced for RISING 2024, following December’s reveal of mass participatory project Communitas, led by Melbourne electronic duo Shouse and being staged in St Paul’s Cathedral in the heart of the CBD.

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Richard Watts

Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts

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