First, a number-one hit Netflix show, and now a stage play for another of his books, it’s no doubt that Boy Swallows Universe author Trent Dalton is in his adaptation era this year.
In 2021, Dalton sat on a Brisbane street corner with his typewriter and asked strangers, “Can you share a love story with me, please?” so that he could include them as a collection in the book that quickly became Love Stories. A book that went on to win over the hearts of Australian readers, as well as receive the literary accolade of Book of the Year at the 2022 Indie Book Awards.
Adapted for stage by Australian playwright Tim McGarry, who worked on the stage adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe, Love Stories is set for its world premiere at QPAC’s Playhouse, running as part of Brisbane Festival from Tuesday, September 10 to Sunday, September 29.
The production will depict the diverse love stories collected from the same streets of Brisbane that Dalton listened and wrote from. Characters include the writer, his wife, a Belgian busker who forms a bond with the writer on both Adelaide and Albert Street, and others who will illuminate the remarkable aspects of everyday Australian lives.
For more information and tickets, head to the QPAC website.