Premiered at Sydney Theatre Company’s Wharf 2 2014. Featured at the National Play Festival Australia 2013. Published by Oberon Press 2014.
M.Rock is currently shortlisted for the Australian Writer’s Guild AWGIE award for best play for young audiences 2014.
Quote
In this club nobody says no. When I’m up there all I hear is YES and it feels bloody good. So if you need me to stop it all then I will. I’ll pack up my records, wave goodbye and we can head to Tegel right now. But I will never be that Gran, that woman you think you need again.
Synopsis
When her husband dies, Mabel has to choose between a characterless retirement home or escaping to see the world. But every life has its secrets, and Mabel’s unexpected talent as a DJ soon makes her a global phenomenon. The tale of an ordinary Australian granny who becomes an extraordinary star.
Production History
-Developed at The National Play Conference Perth 2013
-Sydney Theatre Company/ Australian Theatre for Young People Wharf 2, 2014
-Publisher: http://oberonbooks.com/mrock
Reviews
★★★★★Critic’s Choice
“Lachlan Philpott’s play is inspiring in the most unexpected ways. Rather than tackling the generation gap by focusing on the wisdom of age, he instead reminds us of the value of youth…The link between the disempowerment of the elderly and the young is rarely made at all, and never with such clarity.”
Ann Foo, Arts Hub.
★★★★
“In what feels like a modern-day fairytale sometimes, grandmother and granddaughter are brought together via openness to magical thinking and serendipitous encounters. Each is challenged along the way. Both find a new sense of purpose at the end of their journey. Philpott keeps things entertaining in a warmly funny play”
Jason Blake, Sydney Morning Herald
“There is a wonderful humanity here… Lachlan Philpott’s play has an almost fairytale-like quality, which may surprise audiences who know some of the darker tones of his earlier plays. This one is full of joy.”
John McCallum, The Australian
★★★★Critic’s Choice
“A warmly inspiring tale of two women a generation apart on intersecting journeys towards a new self. M.Rock addresses age prejudice in a joyously entertaining, non-didactic and topical way”
Elissa Blake The Sun Herald
“A joyous play. Philpott is a distinctive writer and his work bears the unmistakable stamp of his humanity.’
Veronica Hannon SX
“Demand a ticket. Take your entire family. A contemporary fairytale for all ages. Listen to the music of our times and tune in to the universe, we are told, in the play. If music be the food of love, then, here it is on stage.”
Kevin Jackson Theatre Reviews