2019

Craig Silvey News 2019. 

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May 29, 2019.

Screen Australia announces story development funding for Craig Silvey's new movie, Cage in the Wild. This new feature film follows a young woman as she leaves the scene of a catastrophic event. She absconds to the forests of south-western Australia where she must learn to survive while being haunted by the horror of her past. This thriller is written by Craig Silvey and will be directed by Ben Young and produced by Melissa Kelly and Ryan Hodgson. Read more details on Mirage News, Inside Film, and The West Australian. (Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.) 

Photo: Craig Silvey, Ben Young, Melissa Kelly, and Ryan Hodgson. (Source.) 

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June 29, 2019.

Congratulations to everyone who performed this month at the production of Jasper Jones at Bondi Pavilion Theatre. Adapted from Craig Silvey's novel by Kate Mulvany, and directed by Nicholas Christo, the cast included Beth Daly, Elliott Weston, Nicholas Longthorne, Amy James, Tony Shim, and Callan Purcell as Jasper. 

Director Nicholas Christo said: "Jasper Jones is a piece that brings with it a sweeping visual grandeur which intersects with legitimate relationships hidden in private realms…. our production will see a multitalented cast and creative team enlivening the black and brutal angularity of the stage/surrounds with the warmth of physical tableau, daring acrobatics, live music and dance.”

The play was performed by Lambert House Enterprises between June 27 and June 29 at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre, in Bondi, NSW. 

Photo sources: Audrey Journal and Waverley Council. (Archives: 1, 2, 3.) 

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July 18, 2019. 

Tickets are now on sale for upcoming performances of Jasper Jones by State Theatre Company South Australia in association with Flinders University and Dramatic Women. Based on the novel by Craig Silvey and adapted by Kate Mulvany. Venue: Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide, South Australia. Director: Nescha Jelk. 

Watch a video trailer for the performance on YouTube or Vimeo.

Performance dates include: 

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August 11, 2019. 

The State Theatre Company South Australia interviewed Craig Silvey: "Growing up with Jasper Jones: An Interview with Craig Silvey" (archive). They ask him the lasting impact of his novel and how he came to write one of Australia’s favorite stories.

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August 13, 2019. 

The State Theatre Company South Australia published an illustrated guide to Jasper Jones (archive). Here's a drawing of Craig Silvey from that guide. 

August 16, 2019.

Read Oliva De Silva's article, "Jasper Jones, 10 Years On and Relevant As Ever," in Adelaid's Broadsheet. (Archive.) 

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September 2019. 

In a series of posts to his Instagram, Craig wrote about this five favorite book-to-screen adaptations. 

Above are images from his five fav adaptations. Here they are, along with some of Craig's comments. 

#5: The Shawshank Redemption (1994):  

[Craig wrote:] You can’t assemble a collection of this kind without mentioning Stephen King, and while films like The Shining and Stand By Me rightfully warrant inclusion, this is a purely nostalgic pick for me. I still remember speculatively renting a battered VHS copy from Civic Video as a fourteen year old, and the moment Bob Gunton tore that poster from the wall, my tiny brain blew wide open. Endlessly quotable, forever watchable, immaculately scored, perfectly paced, brilliantly performed. Is it too sentimental? Probably. Do I care? Not really. Frank Darabont’s script is the Gold Standard of function and form. (View this on Craig's Instagram.) 

#4: True Grit (2010): 

[Craig wrote:] Charles Portis’ 1968 novel of adventure and revenge is an enduring favourite of mine, and the Coen Brothers perfectly captured its wit and energy. Jeff Bridges is THE Rooster Cogburn, and Hailee Steinfeld is phenomenal as the prim and steely Mattie Ross. I could watch this movie every damn day. (View this on Craig's Instagram.) 

#3: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975): 

[Craig wrote:] I love Ken Kesey’s novel, and I have great affection for Chief Bromden’s narrative voice. Randle McMurphy is the perfect antihero, and Nurse Ratched is the ultimate villain. Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher’s palpable on-screen friction lifts this story off the page and elevates every aspect of it. ‘Well, I tried, didn’t I? Goddamnit, at least I did that.’ I love this movie. (View this on Craig's Instagram.) 

#2: Brokeback Mountain (2005): 

[Craig wrote:] Technically a short story, I know, but I think that makes Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana’s achievement even more remarkable. Successfully extracting the beating heart from a piece of source material and transplanting it into a different animal is the true art of adaptation. I love Annie Proulx. She crafts fierce, unusual, evocative sentences - but sometimes her writing holds me at a distance. What Ang Lee’s film does, mostly owing to some astonishingly powerful performances, is bridge that emotional gap. It’s a devastating, moving film, and proof that Character can capably carry two hours of cinema. It’s also completely mental that it didn’t win the Academy Award for Best Picture. (View this on Craig's Instagram.) 

#1: Paper Moon (1973): 

[Craig wrote:] This is my favourite book-to-screen adaptation. Joe David Brown’s novel was expertly stripped for parts by Alvin Sargent, and what emerged from his script was a beautiful, perfectly executed film. Incredible performances, Bogdanovich’s masterpiece. If you haven’t had the pleasure, I can’t recommend it enough. (View this on Craig's Instagram.) 

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October 4, 2019

This week, Jasper Jones has beed performing at Budding Theatre, in Canberra, from October 2 to October 5. This stage performance is directed by Glynis Stokes. It's adapted by Kate Mulvany from Craig Silvey's novel. 

Read about it the following two Canberra Times articles: "Jasper Jones by Kate Mulvaney is adapted from Craig SIlvey's award-winning novel," by Ron Cerabona (archive) and "Jasper Jones from Budding Theatre is an adaptation of Craig Silvey's novel," by Alanna Maclean (archive). 

Above: Callum Doherty as Charlie (sitting) and Jauliam Toomey as Jasper (standing). Photo credit: Holl Will. (Source.)

Above: Left to right, Ella Buckley as Eliza, Callum Doherty as Charlie, and Angela Parnell as Jeffrey Lu. Photo credit: Holl Will. (Source.)

Above: Ella Buckley as Eliza and Callum Doherty as Charlie. Photo credit: Michael Milosavljevic. (Source.)

Above: Jauliam Toomey as Jasper. Photo credit: Michael Milosavljevic. (Source.)

Above: Lily Munnings as Laura. Photo credit: Michael Milosavljevic. (Source.)