ABOUT

 

“This job is cursed. I cut this chicken, and chicken cuts me back!”

A theatrical and musical romp with storytelling, THE HEN HOUSE is a female led new work exploring themes of class, migrant diaspora and feminism in the strange and bloody world of a chicken processing factory.

Inspired by the lived experience of our grandmother, The Hen House imagines the lives of Pavica and Mila, two recently migrated Slavic women who find themselves working together at chicken processing facility in the working class suburbs of Western Sydney. They see so much potential in their new lives in Australia, however the management of the rough-as-guts factory-floor are yet to see the potential in them. In the world of chicken processing, migrant women are rendered dispensable, invisible & voiceless. That is, until they start to hear their own voice.

The Hen House is created and performed by dynamic sibling trio Josipa Draisma (Founder/Creative Director, In Wild Company), Mara Knezevic (Playlist, PYT Fairfield) and Sime Knezevic (Philip Parsons Playwright Award nominee), with director Anthea Williams (Hir, Sydney Theatre Awards Best Director) and musical direction by Zeljko Papic (Eurovision: Australia Decides Top 20). It is a fierce and funny migrant story, supported by an electrifying all-female live rock band, featuring original music, storytelling, movement and design, exploring the dignity and comedy of the female working-class experience.

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2023 tour dates

World Premier at Riverside Parramatta Theatre

7 - 9 September 2023

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Camden Civic Centre

13 - 14 September 2023

 

 

 

 

Orange Civic Centre

16 September 2023

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The Art House Wyong

20 September 2023

 

 

 

 

CREATIVE TEAM

Co-Creators/ Performers: Josipa Draisma and Mara Knezevic
Director: Anthea Williams
Musical Director: Zeljko Papic
Co-Creator/ Dramaturg: Sime Knezevic

Producer: PYT Fairfield

Designer: Isabel Hudson

Choreographer: Emma Saunders

Producer: PYT Fairfield

Touring Manager: Arts On Tour

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ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
Josipa Draisma – Co-Creator/Performer
Josipa is an award-winning interdisciplinary performing artist and cultural leader working across theatre, music, cabaret, and comedy. Her original work has been programmed across national comedy and arts festivals in Australia including Sydney Comedy Festival, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Melbourne Cabaret Festival and Adelaide Fringe Festival.

 

Mara Knežević – Co-Creator/Performer

Mara Knežević is a theatre-maker, performer, and singer-songwriter. She co-creates music under MARA DUKE and has released music on major platforms since 2015. She is an ongoing member of the female/non-binary collective All Girl Electronic based in Parramatta. Her credits include the Helpmann Award nominated dance-theatre work PLAYLIST (dir. Karen Therese, PYT Fairfield, 2017).

 

Anthea Williams – Director

Anthea Williams is an award-winning theatre and film director and a Churchill Fellow. Anthea develops both theatre and screenplays and has worked in development at Causeway Films, Screen Australia, Belvoir, and London’s Bush Theatre. Anthea was awarded Best Director of a Mainstage Production at the Sydney theatre Awards 2017 for Hir. This production won several other awards including Best Mainstage Production.

 

Zeljko Papic – Musical Director

Zeljko Papic is an experienced producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and mix engineer with over 25 years of studio and live performance experience. He has worked with a number of artists and music projects which have gone on to receive wide recognition both nationally and internationally. Zeljko is the owner and operator of The Song Boutique. His work with artists has gone on to achieve major label interest, commercial radio airplay and finalist positions in the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition and International Songwriting Competition.

 

Emma Saunders – Choreographer

Emma Saunders has been described as a “formidable” (Realtime, 2010) Australian dance artist who works as a dancer, choreographer, director, educator and curator. Emma is a co-founding member of the award-winning Sydney based trio, The Fondue Set who have created 10 full length works including Green Room Award-winning No Success Like Failure presented at the Sydney Opera House (2008) and Dance Massive, Arts House (2009). Emma’s work has been presented nationally at the Melbourne Arts Festival, Sydney Festival, UTP and Riverside Theatre.

 

Sime Knezevic – Co-Creator/Dramaturg

Sime is an Australian writer, poet, playwright and dramaturg. Since the mid-00s, Sime has presented or developed new theatre work at PACT Theatre, Belvoir, Bundanon, Performance Space, Parramatta Riverside, Brisbane Powerhouse, PICA, Shopfront Theatre, Sidetrack Theatre, Urban Theatre Projects, University of Wollongong, Crack Theatre Festival, Next Wave Festival, and Sydney Fringe Festival. Sime is a recipient of the Subbed In Chapbook Prize for his debut poetry collection The Hostage and has been shortlisted for the Philip Parsons Playwright Award.

 

Isabel Hudson – Designer

Isabel Hudson is an award-winning set and costume designer. Isabel won Sydney Theatre Awards for Best Set Design of an Independent Production in both 2019 and 2018 – for her set designs on the smash-hit, sold out musicals AMERICAN PSYCHO and CRY-BABY at Hayes Theatre Co. She also received Sydney Theatre Award nominations for Best Set Design of an Independent Production for the musical THE VIEW UPSTAIRS (Hayes Theatre Co.), and for DRY LAND (Outhouse Theatre Co.).

 

ABOUT PYT FAIRFIELD

PYT has a reputation as a brave and transformative company who make urgent work that explores the critical issues of our times. We challenge the conventions of traditional theatre by creating innovative performance and social artistic experiences in theatre spaces and across diverse urban sites of Fairfield, Western Sydney and beyond, and with a key focus on cultural diversity. PYT has presented work across Australia including at the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival, Arts House Melbourne, Adelaide Festival Centre and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney.  

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DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

2023 – PYT Fairfield, 3 weeks 

2021 – PYT Fairfield, 2 weeks 

2020 – PYT Fairfield, 2 weeks

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