Ally Morgan will make her Victorian stage debut at Theatre Works with the critically-acclaimed cabaret 'Not Today', featuring her own original songs.
It’s the one-woman cabaret that delves so far into the mind of a millenial artist that its writer describes it as the “cabaret that might save the world”. It’s crafted into a superb package alongside director Miranda Middleton (Voldemort & The Teenage Hogwarts) and a design and sound team to achieve Morgan’s lofty ambitions.
It’s a sentiment Sydney reviewers have found it easy to get behind, with Morgan’s 10 original songs including ‘Quiet Australian’ and ’26 for a Week’ providing a rollicking ride through the mind of a young queer millennial on a mission to survive climate change, a pandemic, and her own anxiety. It’s earned her comparisons to Tim Minchin, and seen her travel south for an eagerly anticipated Melbourne debut.
What you need to know
- When: 7:30pm, Tuesday 19 – Saturday 30 April
- Where: Theatre Works, 14 Acland St, St Kilda
- Tickets: Previews $27.50, Concession $34.50, Adult $42.50 +bf
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Rogue Projects and Theatre Works are presenting Not Today as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, from 19-30 April. The performance sees Morgan, an anxious playwright determined to save the world from climate change, use a psychologist and guided meditation to transport herself to a real-life theatre where she has no choice but to devise a one-woman show on the spot.
It’s an intimately meta and humorous cabaret experience that doesn’t shy away from greater themes, such as exploring a sense of mourning for the loss of the natural world. It was inspired by a song Morgan wrote, ‘Quiet Australian’, in response to the 2019 NSW bushfires.
“I love how writing music forces me to distil my thoughts. I’ve only got a couple of verses, a chorus, and a bridge to talk about what’s in my head,” said Ally. Miranda added, “Ally has a real knack for voicing what we’re all feeling. Her music makes you laugh, cry, and feel like you’re part of a collective experience, rather than alone. That’s the kind of live art I think we all need at the moment.”
Producer Robbi James from Rogue projects said, “The Rogues are thrilled to be working with Miranda and Ally to bring this wonderful work to Melbourne after such a great reception to the show in Sydney. Not Today reminds us that the best antidote to anxiety is to live in the present moment, to find humour in heartbreak, and to sing really loud when you need to be heard”.
Find out more information and book tickets to ‘Not Today’ through the Comedy Festival website here.
In partnership with Theatre Works and Rogue Projects
