ONCE TO PREMIERE IN MELBOURNE

Winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, Once, a musical about friendship, love and music will have its Australian premiere season at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre from Saturday 4 October 2014 featuring an all-Australian cast, directed by its original Broadway and West End director John Tiffany.

The Melbourne Theatre Company have announced the production as part of its 2014 subscription season, with subscribers receiving exclusive access to the first five weeks of the season.

Once will be presented by Barbara Broccoli, John N.Hart Jr, Patrick Mulling Smith, FrederickZollo, Brian Carmody, Michael G. Wilson, Orin Wolf and John Frost in associationwith New York Theatre Workshop and Melbourne Theatre Company.

Producer John Frost says, “Once is a truly beautiful show with heart-warming music and a charming love story offering a refreshing and surprising change to the typical Broadway musical. I understand why it has struck a chord with audiences in New York and London and I’m thrilled to present this delightful and unique night of entertainment in Melbourne.”

Musical collaborators, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová originally starred in and wrote the music for the original 2007 Irish independent film, Once, that was filmed on a shoestring budget, written and directed by John Carney. From its humble origins to its stage adaptation, Once scooped up numerous accolades along the way including a Grammy, an Academy Award and four Drama Desk Awards. In adapting it for stage, Enda Walsh has retained many of the songs written by the duo, including the Academy Award-winning Falling Slowly.

When a Czech flower seller takes an interest in the haunting love songs of an Irish busker, the pair develop a friendship through their shared passion for music. As the chemistry between them grows their songwriting soars to powerful new heights. Before long the guy and girl are divulging their lives in music: the joys and heartbreaks, the loves they had, the loves they’ve lost and the love they’re truly longing for.

Set in an Irish pub, Once is a bittersweet musical that uses song and dance in a truly unique way with the cast acting as orchestra onstage.

Award-winning playwright and screenwriter, Enda Walsh won the George Devine Award and the Stewart Parker Award in 1997 with his play Disco Pigs. His other plays include The Walworth Farce and The New Electric Ballroom, both of which won Edinburgh Fringe First Awards in consecutive years.

John Tiffany is an award-winning theatre director. He won a Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle Awards for his work on Once. For Black Watch he won an Olivier Award and Critics’ Circle Award for Best Director.

By Enda Walsh, music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová; Writer & Director of the film, Once John Carney; Director John Tiffany; Movement Steven Hoggett; Musical Supervisor, Orchestrations & Additional Material Martin Lowe; Set & Costume Designer Bob Crowley; Lighting Designer Natasha Katz; Sound Designer Clive Goodwin.

Venue: Princess Theatre

MTC Once Season dates: 1 October to 9 November 2014

Opening night: Saturday 4 October 2014 at 8pm

Subscriptions: On sale from 9pm, Monday 16 September 2013

03 8688 0800 (enquiries only) or mtc.com.au

Single tickets: On sale from 17 March 2014

Southbank Theatre Box Office 03 8688 0800 or mtc.com.au

To register for the ONCE waitlist and for further information: www.oncemusical.com.au