The Orchard at Malthouse Theatre

Anton Chekhov’s final play gets a wild, whip-smart reboot in The Orchard, a brand new work from genre-defying theatre collective Pony Cam.

Hot off the heels of Burnout Paradise (Rising) and Grand Theft Theatre (Melbourne Fringe Festival), Pony Cam brings its signature chaos, charm and cheeky provocation to Malthouse’s Beckett Theatre this August. The Orchard takes the bones of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, but forget samovars and wistful nostalgia – here, the estate is failing, the planet is burning, the future feels rigged, and someone’s brought a chainsaw.

Co-created and performed by Claire Bird, Ava Campbell, William Strom, Dominic Weintraub and Hugo Williams, the show asks big questions about legacy, loss and letting go – with real-time risk, actual indecision, a tree costume, cling wrap and cheap champagne to match. Expect the unexpected, and perhaps even a little destruction.

Since its inception in 2019, Pony Cam has amassed a cult following for a unique style of theatre that’s highly physical, always thought-provoking and unfailingly hilarious.

The Orchard kicks off with preview performances on August 5 and 6 and runs through to August 16. There’ll also be an Auslan-interpreted performance on August 14.

Browse the schedule and book your tickets at malthousetheatre.com.au/.

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