The Music Presents: Neon Festival Reveals 2014 Program

MTC's Neon Festival Of Independent Theatre is back again after the success of its inaugural run last year, once again presenting five boundary-pushing and intriguing independent pieces of theatre.

Here are the shows that will be captivating audiences during the event plus what Neon Up Late and Neon Extra have in store for us between Thursday 29 May and Sunday 3 August:

Dangerous Liaisons

Theatre collective Little Ones Theatre will open Neon with their seductive version of Dangerous Liaisons, by Christopher Hampton after Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. Taking Laclos' novel as a work of satire that mocks patriarchy and the dominant male voice, director Stephen Nicolazzo uses a period drama setting contrasted with high camp and comedy to deliver a production that explores sex, gender and power-play.

Southbank Theatre: The Lawler, 29 May – 8 Jun

Resplendence

Resplendence

In Resplendence, Angus Cerini/Doubletap respond to the world we live in. Focusing on the nature of existence, they explore what is beyond our control, unfulfilled desires and the human condition. By collaborating with dancers and musicians, Cerini and Doubletap have been refining how text is used and how stories can be told without words.

Southbank Theatre: The Lawler, 12 – 22 Jun

Photographs Of A

This collaboration between Daniel Keene and Antechamber Productions delves into the life of Louise Augustine Gleizes (known as Augustine or A), a teenager in late 19th century who was diagnosed with hysteria, incarcerated as a 'lunatic' and studied by 'father of modern neurology' Jean-Martin Charcot. Augustine gained many devoted followers as the subject of Charcot's public demonstrations of neurosis at Salpêtrière Hospital. Photographs Of A brings together science, women and theatre.

Southbank Theatre: The Lawler, 26 Jun – 6 Jul

The Myth Project: Twin

Arthur (director Paige Rattray and producer Belinda Kelly), a team of writers and a chorus ensemble from regional Australia come together to bring us The Myth Project: Twin, the first instalment of a multi-episode exploration into the Australian psyche. After her twin's sudden appearance, Ana enters a world of dark riddles and dreams, where the real and fictional blur and the past is weighed against the present – all within a mix of opera-noir, cabaret and naturalistic drama.

Southbank Theatre: The Lawler, 10 – 20 Jul

Green Screen

Green Screen

From Nicola Gunn and Sans Hotel comes Green Screen, an examination of the concept of identity and change that's part career expo, part social experiment. Covering topics such as the relationship between being and doing, how we can save the planet, how we would define ourselves if we could no longer be defined by what we do, transformation, social and individual utopias, and creating alternate lives.

Southbank Theatre: The Lawler, 24 Jul – 3 Aug

Neon Up Late: MKA

Neon Up Late showcases three works-in-progress, curated and presented by MKA: Theatre Of New Writing, in the form up informal, late-night play readings. Lord Willing And The Creek Don't Rise is about a suicidal, cannibalistic army vet; Triumph traces the effect of real and imagined trauma through three seemingly disparate stories; and Alraune is a contradictory tale of sexual double standards, lust and science gone wrong. See mtc.com.au/neon for reading dates and times.

Neon Extra

To complement the theatre pieces, Neon includes an array of free events. This year's Neon Talks program features Komische Oper Berlin's Intendant and Chef Regisseur Barrie Kosky for Neon's inaugural keynote conversation, in which he'll be joined by ABC Arts critic Alison Croggon; as well panels for Who Can Tell Whose Stories? and What Is 'Australian Theatre' Now? There will also be Common Ground events in which theatre practitioners can come together and discuss challenges in their field, and Insights events for independent theatre makers, plus a directing masterclass and writing workshops.

This year's Neon Festival is proudly presented by The Music. For more details,on tickets and dates, head to the Melbourne Theatre Company website.