AustLit

'The year is 1613, Shakespeare is acknowledged as the greatest writer of the age. But disaster strikes when his renowned Globe Theatre burns to the ground, and devastated, Shakespeare returns to Stratford, where he must face a troubled past and a neglected family. Haunted by the death of his only son Hamnet, he struggles to mend the broken relationships with his wife and daughters. In so doing, he is ruthlessly forced to examine his own failings as husband and father. His very personal search for the truth uncovers secrets and lies within a family at war.'

Source: Rotten Tomatoes.

'Why are we all so hostile? So quick to take offence? Truly we are living in the age of outrage.

'A series of apparently random murders draws amiable, old-school Detective Mick Matlock into a world of sex, politics, reality TV and a bewildering kaleidoscope of opposing identity groups. Lost in a blizzard of hashtags, his already complex investigation is further impeded by the fact that he simply doesn’t ‘get’ a single thing about anything anymore.

'Meanwhile, each day another public figure confesses to having ‘misspoken’ and prostrates themselves before the judgement of Twitter. Begging for forgiveness, assuring the public “that is not who I am”.

'But if nobody is who they are anymore - then who the f**k are we?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

This film 'is an ensemble comedy set in the music festival scene and taking place over three consecutive years.' (Source: Variety website)

A localised version of Ben Elton's first play, this version of Gasp! is set in Australia in the 21st century.

The theatre company offers the following synopsis:

Phillip is an ambitious junior executive for Lockheart Resources, a major Australian mining company on the verge of collapse. The problem? There’s nothing left to mine! Under intense pressure from his boss, Chifley Lockheart, Phillip comes up with an idea for an exclusive new product, one for those that appreciate the finer things in life—designer air.

Phillip’s invention—the Suck ‘n’ Blow—stores air and cleans it before releasing it again, and soon becomes the must-have product for anyone wanting to breathe a little easier. Everything seems to be going well for Phillip; he gets promoted, he’s raking in money, and he’s landed his dream girl. The problem is, the Suck ‘n’ Blow stores too much oxygen, and the air’s getting thinner by the day. It isn’t long before Lockheart comes up with a solution: privatising the air industry. Not just premium air, all air. If you can’t pay, you can’t breathe.

Soon enough, thousands of people are suffering and suffocating, unable to pay the high price of oxygen, while air companies burn the excess to maintain a stable market. People are getting desperate, willing to do anything to breathe, but Lockheart won’t back down. Phillip faces a crisis of conscience, and must choose between his career and his personal convictions.

Source: Black Swan Theatre Company (http://www.bsstc.com.au/season-2014/gasp/). (Sighted: 27/10/2014)

'It's the 1st of June 1914 and Hugh Stanton, ex-soldier and celebrated adventurer is quite literally the loneliest man on earth. No one he has ever known or loved has been born yet. Perhaps now they never will be.'

'Stanton knows that a great and terrible war is coming. A collective suicidal madness that will destroy European civilization and bring misery to millions in the century to come. He knows this because, for him, that century is already history.'

'Somehow he must change that history. He must prevent the war. A war that will begin with a single bullet. But can a single bullet truly corrupt an entire century?' And, if so, could another single bullet save it?' (Source: Publishers blurb)

'For amiable City trader Jimmy Corby money was the new Rock n' Roll. His whole life was a party, adrenalin charged and cocaine fuelled. If he hadn't met Monica he would probably have ended up either dead or in rehab.'

'But Jimmy was as lucky in love as he was at betting on dodgy derivatives, so instead of burning out, his star just burned brighter than ever. Rich, pampered and successful, Jimmy, Monica and their friends lived the dream, bringing up their children with an army of domestic helps.'

'But then it all came crashing down. And when the global financial crisis hit, Jimmy discovers that anyone can handle success. It's how you handle failure that really matters.' (Source: Goodreads website)

'Imagine a world where everyone knows everything about everybody. Where 'sharing' is valued above all, and privacy is considered a dangerous perversion.Trafford wouldn't call himself a rebel, but he's daring to be different, to stand out from the crowd. In his own small ways, he wants to push against the system. But in this world, uniformity is everything. And even tiny defiances won't go unnoticed.Ben Elton's dark, savagely comic novel imagines a post-apocalyptic society where religious intolerance combines with a sex-obsessed, utterly egocentric culture. In this world, nakedness is modesty, independent thought subversive, and ignorance is wisdom. A chilling vision of what's to come? Or something rather closer to home?' (Source: Publisher's website)

'Chart Throb is the ultimate pop quest. Ninety five thousand hopefuls. Three judges. Just one winner. And that's Colin Simms, the genius behind the show. Colin always wins because Colin writes the rules. But this year, as he sits smugly in judgement upon the mingers, clingers and blingers whom he has pre-selected in his carefully scripted 'search' for a star, he has no idea that the rules are changing. The 'real' is about to be put back into 'reality' television and Colin and his fellow judges (the nation's favourite mum and the other bloke) are about to become ex-factors themselves. Ben Elton, author of "Popcorn and Dead Famous" returns to blistering comic satire with a savagely hilarious deconstruction of the world of modern television talent shows. "Chart Throb" is about one winner and a whole bunch of losers.' (Source: TROVE)

'Flanders, June 1917: a British officer and celebrated poet, is shot dead, killed not by German fire, but while recuperating from shell shock well behind the lines. A young English soldier is arrested and, although he protests his innocence, charged with his murder.'

'Douglas Kingsley is a conscientious objector, previously a detective with the London police, now imprisoned for his beliefs. He is released and sent to France in order to secure a conviction. Forced to conduct his investigations amidst the hell of The Third Battle of Ypres, Kingsley soon discovers that both the evidence and the witnesses he needs are quite literally disappearing into the mud that surrounds him.' (Source: Goodreads website)

Australian billionaire Sly Morgan is invited to join the Stark Conspiracy, a group of the world's richest people, who plan to save themselves from the Earth's impending environmental doom. Colin Dobson, or CD to his friends, tries to impress beautiful activist Rachel by joining her and a group of hippies on a mission to foil Stark's evil plan of environmental vandalism.