Milk & Honey by Adam Dear

★★★★ 

“Bold and exploratory”

Londontheatre1

Two absurdist plays raise questions about family, food production and nature. Milk is a fast-paced work observing two siblings dealing with loss, a slave and a visitor who enters from the sky and changes their lives. Milk explores ritual, torture, death, and the hope of new beginnings. Honey uses bee-like behaviour to explore human relations. Characters are numbered One through Four, each with a unique role. Honey investigates life cycles, hardwired impulses, repetitive action and disruptions in speech patterns.

Based on the beloved novels, this story was adapted into a musical by Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary. An energetic show, filled with humour, catchy songs and memorable characters. Adam was fortunate to fill the Assistant Director role on the production at Queens Theatre in London.

Inspired by Broadway’s 2015 production starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson. Dear and Assistant Director Kathreen Woods hung large latex balloons above the performance space, symbolising constellations in the night sky. A combination of floor lighting and ceiling rigs played beautifully off the creamy balloons to seamlessly transition from scene to scene in this emotive play.

Inspired by the epic tales of King David, Dear’s production chronicled the king’s major life events in this two-act play. With an ensemble of live performers, including musicians, actors, and dancers, Through the Valley brought ancient history to life. 

Dear’s first time directing for Sydney’s Short and Sweet Festival. He selected an abstract play with no set, featuring Charlotte Connor and Deborah Faye Lee who share their harrowing tale of escape from sadistic creatures. This fast-paced off-centre play won second place in week four of the festival, with audiences gripped from start to finish.