“Experimental without being exclusive.” Theatre Paradok’s motto perfectly encapsulates the society’s two core goals: to provide a space where alternative theatre is celebrated, and where all are made to feel welcome. Led this year by co-presidents Matthew Sedman and Abrisham Ahmadzadeh, Theatre Paradok’s dedicated committee seek to establish a supportive environment in which creative risks are encouraged, new ideas are trialed, and conventional theatre models are challenged.
Unlike other theatrical societies, Theatre Paradok dedicates a full semester towards the development of each of their productions in order to focus all their efforts towards creating a high- quality and innovative result. The company prides itself on a collaborative and student-centric approach to university theatre, with all three of Theatre Paradok’s annual productions involving a large number of cast and crew throughout all stages of the development process. This ensures that a range of voices, perspectives and ideas are incorporated into the final production. Theatre Paradok is a predominately student-based group who believe that the best way to develop industry skills is to “learn through doing”. As such, they encourage anyone who is interested or curious to simply get involved in whatever capacity they feel comfortable.
Recently, Theatre Paradok have revealed that their semester one production will be Mouthpiece by Kieran Hurley. No matter who you are, what your experience is, or what area of theatre you’re interested in, Theatre Paradok’s inclusive ethos means that there will always be something there for you.
Illustration: Emily Lowes