OMAR and DAWN
by james elazzi
photo Robert Catto
Written by James Elazzi
Omar, a first-generation Lebanese Australian, is in and out of foster homes. Hungry for a warm bed and determined not to return to a life on the streets, he reluctantly agrees to be placed with 80-year-old Dawn. His best friend Ahmed has been rejected by his family for being gay and now lives under a bridge, working the local beats as a sex-worker. As Ahmed’s mental health deteriorates, Omar is determined to forge a better life for them both.
Unflinching and unapologetic, James Elazzi paints a searing portrait of culture, sexuality and isolation. In a howl of rage and love, he asks: Where do we find refuge when the world seems to have forgotten us?
CREATIVE TEAM
Written by James Elazzi
Directed by Dino Dimitriadis
Produced by Apocalypse and Green Door Theatre Co
Producer Leila Enright
Producing Associate Bernadette Fam
Lighting Design Benjamin Brockman
Sound Design Ben Pierpoint
Production Design Aleisa Jelbart
Stage Manager Hannah Crane
Production Photography Robert Catto
Featuring Maggie Blinco, Antony Makhlouf, Lex Marinos and Mansoor Noor
REVIEWS
“Omar and Dawn review: dawn of a fresh voice from the margins”.
‘Trust, friendship, and honesty across cultures and generations are central to this impressive work by emerging Sydney playwright James Elazzi. These themes are extended in the relationships with two minor characters. Dawn’s mechanic brother Darren wants her to move to a retirement home’.
The Music- "[F]ull of heart and hurt - and unexpected collisions of Australian stories."
James Elazzi’s Omar And Dawn is full of heart and hurt - and unexpected collisions of Australian stories. It’s a play that will go beyond this stage.
Suzy Go See. “Elazzi’s writing is deeply insightful, exquisite in its ability to put to action, and to words, parts of life that we habitually avoid. There is a fearlessness in its interrogation of the taboo, that makes Oman And Dawn so fascinating; although it sits right under our noses, real talent is required to make us see it properly.”
Audrey Journal. “"A GRIPPING, ECONOMICAL AND EMOTIONALLY AFFECTING WORK"
State of the Art. “It’s tragic, it’s brutal, but underneath all, hopeful”.
‘Elazzi’s script paints an unforgiving and heartbreaking picture of a life we have never seen before. And it’s not as simple as an easy life or a hard life. It is complex, indicating that we’re all a part of a patchwork country in which privileges and disadvantages are handed out in varying amounts and different ways. His script makes one wonder: does it take losing everything to recognise loss?’