KOAL

The Events Centre, Caloundra presents Jacinta Yelland

Fresh off a hit run at Theatre Works (Melbourne) and PhysFestNYC (New York City), KOAL is a one-woman climate-catastrophe-clown-show for the end of the world. As wildfires tear through Australia, a baby koala, a coal miner and an Indigenous girl desperately strive to hold onto their homes before all burns and turns to ash.

KOAL is an original interactive solo-show, performed by Jacinta Yelland (RealTV, Elbow Room, Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre, Pig Iron Theatre Company, David Gordon) and directed by Trey Lyford (rainpan 43, The Civilians), that immerses the audience in the middle of the 2019 Australian bushfires. The show follows two eyewitnesses to this climate catastrophe; Koal, a baby koala recovering at a wildlife sanctuary after being saved from a nearby wildfire, and Stevo, a career coal miner trapped in a collapsed mine hundreds of metres underground. Woven throughout is the story of Minah, an Indigenous girl who was removed from her home and interned by her government during WWII. Using documentary theatre, clown, and audience interaction, KOAL takes the audience from laughter to tears as it explores what is lost when your home is erased.

“The rave reviews did not exaggerate. It was a masterclass in physical theatre. The audience was on their feet before it finished.” – Shana Kennedy, Director – Circadium

“I haven’t been able to put into words just how moving this show is. I cried, and I laughed, and it made me want to be a better human being.” – Audience Member

Read stories about the process of creating KOAL: Amplifying the Voices of the Natural World Through Theatre

CREATIVE TEAM
DIRECTOR – Trey Lyford
CO-CREATORS – Jacinta Yelland & Trey Lyford
ORIGINAL MUSIC COMPOSER – Ethan Mentzer
SOUND DESIGNER – Ethan Mentzer
ADDITIONAL SOUND DESIGN – Trey Lyford
LIGHTING DESIGNER – Trey Lyford
SET DESIGNER – Payton Smith
ADDITIONAL SET DESIGN – Jacinta Yelland
MASKS – Barbaric Yawp Workshop
PERCUSSION – Tobias Smith
STAGE MANAGER – Emmie Parker
COSTUME CONSULTANT – Grace Lillian Lee
CAST – Jacinta Yelland