Melbourne Fringe: The Last Great Hunt

"FAG/STAG takes the audience on an entertaining and emotional journey of break-ups, hook-ups and knockdowns and explores the plight of the modern privileged man who seems to 'have it all', but is ultimately lost and alone," director and producer Kathryn Osborne begins. "Minnie & Mona Play Dead was created to explore the epidemic of mental health issues in our society. We approached the work with a sense of humour to connect with our audience and unpick the taboo around depression and suicide. Both the works we are bringing are funny, sharp and moving."

Osborne says it hasn't always been easy delving into such sensitive topics. "Turning up to rehearsals every day and delving into material that was personally challenging was... well, challenging. We also had a huge amount of fear that audiences would think that our use of gruesome humour would be offensive. However, we stuck to our guns and knew that the work we wanted to make about depression needed some irreverence to overcome the taboo and disarm our audience. The response to the work in the end has been overwhelmingly positive, especially from people who have had experience with mental health issues or have lost someone to suicide."

What: FAG/STAG + Minnie & Mona Play Dead

When & Where: 18 Sep — 3 Oct, Rehearsal Room, North Melbourne Town Hall, Arts House