'S-Town' Host Brian Reed To Speak In Sydney & Melbourne

warning: This story contains spoilers for s-town.

On its release in late March, S-Town became an instant pop-cultural phenomenon for several reasons. Under the expert guidance of co-creator and host Brian Reed (This American Life), the seven-episode series pushed the boundaries of form and content in ways few other podcasts have attempted, releasing its entire run at once and encouraging the development of both binge-listening and 'prestige' aspects of the medium.

Australian fans of the podcast (which was co-created with fellow This American Life alum Julie Snyder) will have the chance to hear its host discuss its intricacies and implications — of which there are many — firsthand as Reed takes to the stage at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Contemporary Performance program for 2017, as well as at Melbourne's Wheeler Centre, this July.

Beyond its mere binge-worthiness, S-Town tells a bold and deeply human story, one initiated by — before ultimately becoming about — eccentric, isolated clock restorer John B McLemore, living out his days in the town of Woodstock, Alabama, his nickname for which — 'Shit Town' — gives the podcast its edited name.

Given Reed's history as senior producer for This American Life (which itself spawned runaway-success true-crime podcast Serial), and the pretense that the series was another whodunit about an unsolved murder that had allegedly taken place in the town, things take a turn for the unexpected when, by the end of the second episode, the narrative is turned on its head after McLemore, who was responsible for Reed's visit to Woodstock to investigate the apparent murder in the first place, commits suicide.

His untimely, if not entirely unexpected, death opens the door to an intimate, often unsettling but utterly captivating exploration of the man himself and those that knew, interacted with, and even loved him. It is a wonderfully crafted piece of journalism and story-telling, as well as something of an ethical quagmire and pop-culture watershed, as shown by its more-than-40 million downloads to date.

"Radio is made of emotion; that’s what the best radio stories have: plot, surprise, unexpected turns," Reed said in a recent interview with Salon. "The best radio makes you realise things about the world, and the best components of a radio story are emotion and tenderness."

Opera House Head Of Contemporary Performance Danielle Harvey enthused in a statement: "We are so excited to welcome Brian Reed to the Sydney Opera House to discuss S-Town. As part of our Contemporary Performance program here at the Opera House, we like to celebrate innovators and storytellers, and it will be fascinating to hear from Brian Reed in person and ask those unanswered questions."

Reed's visit follows Snyder's appearance last year as part of the line-up for the inaugural Bingefest, at which she discussed the topic of "binge-worthy journalism", while This American Life founder and host Ira Glass also graced the venue last year with his "radio-meets-dance production" Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host.

No doubt Reed will provide as engaging and entertaining as his co-workers when he hits the Wheeler Centre on Wednesday 26 July and Sydney Opera House on Saturday 29 July for We Need To Talk About S-Town.

Tickets are on sale for Melbourne now; Sydney's go on general sale this coming Monday, 29 May, via the Sydney Opera House.