'Mountain' is a not-to-be-missed new work created by Kit Brookman and Geelong local André Jewson, debuting at the Geelong Arts Centre.
Making a very special world premiere debut this June as part of Geelong Arts Centre’s Our Season 2022, Mountain is the story of a man in pieces, created by Kit Brookman and Geelong local, André Jewson.
Commissioned and co-produced by Geelong Arts Centre, and presented in association with Sweet Reason and Performing Lines, Mountain is a 60-minute hymn to the transformative power of grief, to the wonder of the unknown.
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Running from Tuesday 21 June to Saturday 25 June in Geelong Arts Centre’s state of the art Studio 4, this incredible performance stars Jewson, who is adrift in grief and becomes fixated on the idea of hiking up a mountain. But even on the simplest of journeys, it can be difficult to find the way back… The man’s journey up the mountain opens precipitously outward, to encompass not just his own voice, but the voice of the mountain, the wind, of a planet crying out for what it’s losing and what it’s already lost.
Shifting perspectives from the deeply personal to the epic, this new solo work by writer/director Kit Brookman and performer André Jewson is a determined search for hope amidst utter devastation.
“Geelong Arts Centre is committed to supporting and showcasing extraordinary stories and providing professional opportunities for artists living and working in the Geelong Region,” says Geelong Arts Centre CEO & Creative Director Joel McGuinness. “It is vital right now to champion connections through art-making and sharing of ourselves with each other and the world, and we believe that the magic where art and audience meet is precious and must be celebrated.”
The inception of Mountain has been supported by Geelong Art Centre’s Creative Engine grant program, a fantastic local initiative that supports artists and performance makers. Through this program, Mountain is able to be performed for the very first time right in André’s hometown of Geelong, to an audience of avid local supporters and young actors and creatives aspiring to follow in his footsteps.
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Jewson’s involvement in the Geelong creative scene is incredibly layered, having cut his teeth on the Blakiston and Ford stages of the old ‘GPAC’ in GSODA productions, performed in countless local works, and also taken to world stages performing the role of Zazu in the critically acclaimed Lion King The Musical (recently returned from Seoul).
“I grew up in GPAC, as it was known then. It was always a place of magic and possibility for me,”.
Through the Creative Engine artist development and grant support program, Jewson has been able to continue multiple stages of long-distance creative development for intimate new solo work, Mountain, created in collaboration with dear friend Kit Brookman, based in London.
Now, in a truly full-circle moment, Jewson proudly returns to the Geelong Arts Centre stage to premiere Mountain for all to see as part of the Geelong Art Centre’s Our Season 2022.
“The Creative Engine program and the financial support it provides encourages professional theatrical work to be developed in Geelong, something that is long overdue in one of Australia’s largest regional cities. Working as a professional performer has always meant working away from my hometown. That’s no longer the case!”
Mountain runs from Tuesday, June 21 to Saturday, June 25. The 7:30pm performance on Friday 24 June includes a post-show Q&A with the show’s cast and creatives.
Tickets can be purchased here.
