Ascent
Written & Directed by Jayde Kirchert
28 – 30 September 2018
Theatre Works
An experimental production exploring themes of societal pressures, self-improvement, and the consequences of striving for an unattainable ideal through extreme physical transformations.
About the production
Ascent tells the story of a woman who improves herself to death. In a quest to feel forever fresh and live up people’s expectations, she undergoes a series of physical transformations, starting with haircuts, moving on to facelifts and quickly escalating into more extreme and invasive procedures. Reaching for her ideal self, she ascends into oblivion.
The Citizen Theatre ensemble tells the story of Ascent by creating optical illusions with movement and light, along with an experimental use of song, voice and musical elements.
The performance takes place in near darkness accentuating the skin of the performers and allowing the ensemble cast to build new bodies on stage and slowly remove body parts as the protagonist undergoes increasingly evasive procedures in her quest for perfection.
Grants & Support
Ascent was generously supported by Monica and Sam Abrahams and the Ron and Margaret Dobell Foundation, as part of ShowSupport.
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Marty Alix
Jordan Barr
Kala Gare
Willow Sizer
Jessica Vellucci
Non-performing collaborators: Jenni Little
Special thank you: Jack Wunsch (early workshop collaborator)
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Writer/Director/Producer: Jayde Kirchert
Composer: Imogen Cygler
Visual Design Collaborator/Graphic Design/Producer: Stu Brown
Lighting Designer: Ashleigh Barnett
Stage Manager/Operator: Sophie Andrew
Social Media Coordinator/Producing Assistant: Steph Clare-Cover
Publicist: Sassy Red PR
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Theatre Works is an accessible venue for wheelchair users.
The Making of Ascent
Watch our mini-documentary series, "The Making of ASCENT".
Marketing & Promo
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Get in touch
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