Creatives
Co-Directors
Lara Thoms & Samara Hersch
Performers
Isaac Muller, Isha Menon, Lauren Sheree, Negar Rezvani
Dramaturg
Amrita Hepi
Sound Designer
Aviva Endean
Lighting Designer
Jenny Hector
Production Manager
Emily O’Brien
Stage Manager
Stefan Grudza
Presentation History
November 2023
Melbourne (stay tuned!)
26-28 August 2022
Noorderzon (Netherlands)
18-20 August 2022
Zürcher Theater Spektakel (Switzerland)
Supporters
Please Stand has been co-produced by Zürcher Theater Spektakel (Zurich, Switzerland). Development and touring supported by the Australia Council for the Arts and Darebin Speakeasy (Melbourne, Australia).
Please Stand
A new theatre work created by Lara Thoms & Samara Hersch that explores the history, mythology, rituals and politics of National Anthems from around the world.
Freya was the lead producer on Please Stand, assisting the artists to develop and deliver the work.
“The best thing about National Anthems is you are already standing, ready to run” - Ocean Vuong
Please Stand is the next work in Samara and Lara’s award-winning collaboration, after We All Know What’s Happening (2017). It is a collaboration with four young activitists that explores the history and relevance of geopolitical borders and national anthems from around the world. Please Stand questions the practice of myth-making around national identity and of nation building and the potential of what it means to stand up and sing together - or sit down and be silent.
Please Stand is the next work in a series of projects by Samara Hersch and Lara Thoms that engage young people to explore the performance of alternate histories. Their work subverts notions of adults as experts, foregrounding the voices of young people in the retelling and re-imagining of national stories and identities. With a shared interest in socially and politically engaged performance making, both artists often work with non-professional performers to open up space for new perspectives.
Creatives
Co-Directors
Lara Thoms & Samara Hersch
Performers
Isaac Muller, Isha Menon, Lauren Sheree, Negar Rezvani
Dramaturg
Amrita Hepi
Sound Designer
Aviva Endean
Lighting Designer
Jenny Hector
Production Manager
Emily O’Brien
Stage Manager
Stefan Grudza
Presentation History
26-28 August 2022
Noorderzon (Netherlands)
18-20 August 2022
Zürcher Theater Spektakel (Switzerland)
Supporters
Please Stand has been co-produced by Zürcher Theater Spektakel (Zurich, Switzerland). Development and touring supported by the Australia Council for the Arts and Darebin Speakeasy (Melbourne, Australia).