Of Mice and Men
Written by John Steinbeck
Directed by Jesse Richardson
2 - 18 September, 2021
Two drifters, George and his friend Lennie, with delusions of living off the “fat of the land,” have just arrived at a ranch to work for enough money to buy their own place.
Lennie is a man-child, a little boy in the body of a dangerously powerful man. It’s Lennie’s obsessions with things soft and cuddly that have made George cautious about who the gentle giant, with his brute strength, associates with. His promise to allow Lennie to “tend to the rabbits” on their future land keeps Lennie calm, amidst distractions, as the overgrown child needs constant reassurance. But when a ranch boss’ promiscuous wife is found dead in the barn with a broken neck, it’s obvious that Lennie, albeit accidentally, killed her. George, now worried about his own safety, knows exactly where Lennie has gone to hide, and he meets him there. Realizing they can’t run away anymore, George is faced with a moral question: How should he deal with Lennie before the ranchers find him and take matters into their own hands?
Intro by Dramatists Play Services
Matilda Awards - 2021
Bill Haycock was nominated for a Matilda in two categories at the 2020/2021 awards night in March, 2022.
Bill won the category for Best Set Design.
Nominated - Best Costume Design - Bill Haycock, Of Mice and Men (Ad Astra)
Won - Best Set Design - Bill Haycock, Of Mice and Men (Ad Astra)
Show Poster
Reviews
“All things considered, this is a superb production of Steinbeck’s masterpiece, highly professional in all of its aspects and with a calibre of talent that could easily be showcased on the QPAC stage.”
Virag Dombay - Broadway World | Read full review →
“Ad Astra has created an accessible, engaging and powerful piece of theatre..”
Meredith Walker - Blue Curtains | Read full review →
“The performances from the two main characters were stand-out and the tragedy of the story still hit hard even though I knew it was coming.”
Katie Rasch - Nothing Ever Happens in Brisbane | Read full review →
“Under Jesse Richardson’s direction, the story is well-paced. The passages of time are cleverly crafted. The confrontation of emotion is heightened by David Walters’ shadowed lighting and Ben Lynskey’s melancholic soundscape. Ad Astra has created an accessible, engaging and powerful piece of theatre.”
Meredith Walker - The Blurb | Read full review →
Actors
Creatives & Crew
Behind the Scenes
