Ishmael

Ishmael is the latest work by internationally acclaimed Dead Puppet Society (Laser Beak Man, The Wider Earth), who now turn their trademark magic to Herman Melville’s beloved classic Moby Dick. 

Playing at QPAC as part of the Brisbane Festival from September 3 to 18, 2021, the literary epic Moby Dick is reimagined as a contemporary space saga set on a futuristic version of earth, which has suffered a catastrophic environmental collapse.

The story follows Ishmael (played by Ellen Bailey), a young climate refugee who has been living in a corporation sanctioned camp on the darkened surface of earth. She’s offered a chance of a new life above the clouds, but quickly discovers that this means a perilous voyage to the outer solar system aboard the MV Pequod - a mining ship under the control of the obsessive Captain Ahab (Barb Lowing).

Once aboard, Ishmael befriends Queequeg (Patrick Jhanur), the only other crew member and an escaped experiment in artificially intelligent droids. Ishmael eventually falls into the groove of life on board until the crew are confronted by a ruined mining ship and with the trauma of the loss of her brother fresh in her mind, Captain Ahab leads the crew into uncharted space on a quest to either find him alive or avenge him.

This boundary pushing production melds live film making with live action, miniature sets, puppetry and an original score by indie pop musician Bec Sandridge to tell a captivating story about individual hope and collective redemption.

Don't miss the world premiere season of Ishmael at QPAC in September. 

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