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Raye is struggling, a country music star in the making. Riding her luck, she’s playing pub to pub along Australia’s vast desert highways, flogging demo CDs for ten bucks a piece until she can go home to Alice and look her son Elvis in the eye. Then Raye’s life becomes entwined with that of another wanderer and a love affair unfurls over the four-day drive to Alice Springs.

Heart is a Wasteland sees John and Margaret Harvey combine theatre, film and live music in this intimate portrait of two travellers that cuts to the country’s heart. Two of Australia’s most revered actors, Ursula Yovich (Love and Information) and Aaron Pedersen (Water Rats, Mystery Road, Goldstone) come together to portray two achingly beautiful characters in a whiskey-fuelled battle of egos and hidden scars.

From Brown Cab Productions, Heart is a Wasteland is a luminous journey towards the recognition of everyone’s worthiness of, and right to, love.

"A MOVING ROAD TRIP THROUGH AUSTRALIA'S DESERT CENTRE"
— The Age
"ENLIGHTENING AND UTTERLY REFRESHING"
— Theatre People
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PRODUCTION PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS

A co-production with Brown Cab Productions. Script development proudly supported by Footscray Community Arts Centre and the Malcolm Robertson Foundation.

Key image: Zan Wimberley
Images: Deryk McAlpin

Partners

browncabs fcac malcolm robertson RRR
BY / 

John Harvey
DIRECTION / 

Margaret Harvey
CAST / 

Aaron Pedersen, Ursula Yovich, Anna Liebzeit 
DRAMATURGY / 

Mark Pritchard
PRODUCED BY /

John Harvey
PRODUCTION DESIGN / 

Alison Ross
LIGHTING DESIGN /

Lisa Mibus
AV DESIGN / 

Desmond Connellan
MUSICAL DIRECTOR & SOUND DESIGN / 

Anna Liebzeit
SOUND DESIGN / 

Steve Stelios Adam
SONGS BY /

Lydia Fairhall
STAGE MANAGER / 

Ainsley Kerr

Event & ticketing details

Accessibility

Wheelchair Access

Dates & Times

PREVIEW 8pm, Thu 29 Jun
OPENING NIGHT 8pm, Fri 30 Jun
TIME TO TALK 7pm, Tue 4 Jul

Location

Beckett Theatre

The Malthouse, 113 Sturt St, Southbank 3006

Get directions

Train

Any train to Flinders Street, then a 12-minute stroll through Melbourne’s sparkling Arts Precinct.

Tram

The No. 1 South Melbourne tram goes right past our door. Get off at Stop 18. Any tram down St Kilda Road—jump off at Grant Street, Stop 17 and take a 3-minute walk.

Event notes

WARNINGS /

Contains coarse language, sexual references and references to substance abuse.

DURATION /

90 minutes (no interval)