It's fun, it's absurd, it's laughter and tears. It's vulnerable, rude, relatable...and it's one hell of a hike.

Plucked is a stage show about two women, Sam and Beth, who after some brief online flirting decide to go for a hike for their first date. BUT Beth actually hates bushwalking. AND hasn’t told Sam that this is her first date with a woman. AND they get lost. Aaand cross paths with a crackpot wildlife poacher who they have to rely on for survival.

Plucked tells a universal story, accessible to all audiences. It is a dark comedy about the search for connection, the beauty of vulnerability, and the awkwardness of first dates no matter what the situation. It has themes of acceptance, resilience, and a teeny touch to say about society’s infatuation with materialism.

"...a delight from beginning to end." - Weekend Notes.

Venue Format
Theatre, Hall, Black Box Venue, Outdoor
Technical Rating
D, The production can be modified to suit most venues
Touring Party
5
Considerations

Plucked is a versatile show. Originally performed in a black box space with a traverse stage, the show can be adapted to round or proscenium arch stages. Our debut performance used two tree light stands with two lights each and fairy lights in a traverse setting and a standing speaker. This would be our bare minimum requirement. WhittleBerry will supply the fairy lights.

Two hours to bump in, two hours tech run. Can be done same day.

Front-of-house staff would be required.

Minimum stage width 6m x 4m. Ideally either raised stage or raked seating. Otherwise, enough space for one row of seats each side of the stage if traverse stage setting.

Simple lighting with a lighting desk will be required by venue.

Ideally, two speakers will need to be provided by venue with plug and play ability from a laptop.

Strong language and references to sex.

WhittleBerry Productions was created by Vivien Whittle and Julie Berry to produced Plucked for the 2021 Anywhere Festival. It has been a very successful partnership and we aligned ourselves early on with extraordinarily talented Brisbane creatives Lisa Hickey, who directed the production, and Bronwyn Nayler, who played audience favourite, The Lone Hiker. Julie (who also wrote Plucked) and Vivien make up the remaining cast as Sam and Beth, respectively.

We are eternally grateful to Lisa and Bronwyn for trusting us in our first producing venture and delighted that they wish to continue to be a part of our team to have Plucked back on stage and be included in future creative endeavours. We are confident this is the first of many productions with this creative team.

Work on a new project is already underway with Vivien and Julie collaborating on a new script with a view to production in early 2022.

Company Website
facebook.com/plucked2021

Unique Selling Point

"Plucked," tells a unique story. It speaks to audiences through subtle themes, not-so-subtle themes, and lots of laugh-out-loud moments. It voices the thoughts and experiences of not only gay women but of anyone seeking to connect with another human while dragging baggage behind them. The unlikely partnership of two realistic characters and one absurd character creates both profound realisation and hilarity. Accessibility to theatre outside of metropolitan Australia is vitally important to communities and individuals. This is especially true for LGBTIQ+ people who through this play will feel seen and heard. "Plucked" can also adapt to different performance spaces.

Marketing Materials

Professional production images, footage of stage performance, promotional flyers, posters and programs, reviews and audience feedback, existing Facebook page.

Community Engagement

Our creative team holds a wealth of knowledge which we would be delighted to share with the communities in which we tour. Bronwyn, in particular, has extensive experience touring with theatre shows, and Bronwyn, Lisa, and Vivien have experience teaching drama and acting: Lisa and Browyn both have over twenty years of experience as high school drama teachers and Vivien has almost ten years of experience as Head Teacher for children and teenagers at the Australian Acting Academy and teaching adults at the Queensland Actors’ Playhouse.

Each Plucked performance includes an optional Q&A and/or meet-and-greet session with the cast and crew.

Additional opportunities for community engagement include:

  • Bushwalk with The Lone Hiker. 1-hour Guided Bushwalk.

  • Warm-Up Toolbox for Every Actor. 1-hour workshop.

  • Directing: Bringing Words to Life. 2-hour workshop.

  • Acting in Style. 2-hour workshop.

  • Movement. 2-hour workshop.

  • Voice. 2-hour workshop.

  • Non-Naturalistic Elements and Performance. 2-hour workshop.

  • Actor’s Essentials – Connection and Staying in the Moment. 2-hour workshop.

  • Approaching a Monologue for Excellent Audition Technique. 3-hour workshop.

For a detailed description of each workshop please see the PRESENTER PACK.