A Clockwork Orange explores an ultra-violent, disenfranchised youth culture, the concurrent clash with authority, and complete lack of compassion exhibited by the story’s main characters. First published as a book in 1962, author Anthony Burgess also created the theatrical adaptation in 1987. A Clockwork Orange will confront an audience’s acceptance of violence and remind us of the part religion and authority can play in creating intense chaos. There is redemption, but we wonder if it is satisfactory.

A Clockwork Orange will include two separate casts; one with all-male Droogs and one with all-female Droogs. The choice to do this was Brisbane Arts Theatre’s Artistic Director John Boyce’s. He wanted to explore our perception of violence as associated with a specific gender. Brave audiences are encouraged to see both and observe their own their different reactions.

As much as A Clockwork Orange challenges an audience, it is also a great challenge to Directors Bronwyn Morrow and Greg Scurr. A piece of contemporary, eclectic theatre – containing realism, physical theatre, choreographed fight sequences, the play features occasional references to the cult movie directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1971. However, Burgess wrote the play in reaction to Kubrick’s film so Morrow and Scurr warn against expecting a staged version of the screenplay. Aficionados won’t be disappointed, but audiences who are open to new ideas will also have something to talk about.