THE BED PARTY

$5.40 – $15.00

At the end of a long Saturday night, five women congregate on a bed and relate their respective stories. Lovers Finn and Jasmine are interrupted by the arrival of Tara, their housemate and Jasmine's high school best friend and ex-girlfriend. Tara has been assaulted on her date, but is reluctant to say so, leaving Finn and Jasmine to comfort her as best they can. Into this dynamic come ex-housemate Bri, in need of a place to stay after separating from her partner, and current housemate George, exultant after a promising first date. The women banter and debrief, revelling in just being together. After the heartsore Bri goes to bed, the remaining members of the bed party continue to shoot the breeze, and the details of Tara's traumatic night are gradually revealed. The women debate how to take action against her assailant, and realise that nothing can be done. Act Two, set the following day, necessitates a subsequent bed party during which, amid more joking, philosophising and breeze-shooting, the women's stories unfold. Bri and Kelly's differences prove painfully irreconcilable, and Finn, Jasmine and Tara clear the air about Jasmine's current feelings for Tara.

Casting Notes: The personal is political for these characters. As such, it is important that the casting of this play reflects the communities in which we live. Actors of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, actors who are black, indigenous or people of colour (BIPOC), actors with a lived experience of lesbian or bisexual identity, and actors of all shapes and sizes should be encouraged and considered. When casting an actor of a specific ethnicity or cultural background it is recommended that the production engage in dramaturgy of the script to reflect this.

APT