The New Bachelorette is a radical reimagining of the blockbuster television franchise with Julia Hales – an actor with Down syndrome – starring as the bachelorette.
Created by award winning theatre makers and collaborators Julia Hales & Bron Batten, the show sees Julia date men with differing abilities live on stage, in a ground-breaking theatrical exploration of dating and disability; subversively presenting a person with a disability as an object of desire.
Playfully utilising greenscreen technology and projections The New Bachelorette embraces the format of reality TV and its recognisable tropes and conventions to ask uncomfortable questions about agency and self-determination for people with disabilities, and guide the audience in questioning their own inherent prejudices.
Interweaving interactive and spontaneous moments with a dynamic mix of live and pre-recorded screen-based performances, The New Bachelorette delivers an immersive experience that evokes laughter, fantasy, joy, and intimacy.
At the heart of this remarkable production are performers who intimately share their lived experiences of loneliness, dating, and intimacy. These authentic stories will deeply resonate with audiences, touching their hearts and minds in ways that have yet to be witnessed on Australian stages.
