Haircuts - the play

Director's note

 

A row of barbers’ chairs, some lights. Scissors and comb in a blur, hair flying, talk flowing, lives enduring. Brush flicking powder and hair, a spray of water, some oil wax gel product. A new style. Like a wig.

 

We wear our wigs like Commedia masks, defining, denying and identifying us.

 

Since forever men and women have styled their hair – braided it, cut it, combed it, brushed it, short long curly straight ponytails plaits greasy bleached spikey …

We try to style our lives as well, often not as well as we style our hair.

 

We have enough characters to fill a barber shop and the Darlinghurst stage, and enough emotion to fill the audience’s heart. Lighting changes, with some simple staging, will highlight the changes from home and the escape that is Giuseppe’s barbershop. Movement and music will mark the changes of each Act. And the use of multi-media marks this as a play for the modern times, with some old fashion values.

 

Haircuts is a gentle play with a big heart as its characters bump against the hard edges of its story - the struggles between cultures, generations, men and women, temptation and desire.

 

The storytelling is simple and direct. The issues are complex, moving and humorous. The humanity is infectious.