Finucane & Smith Unlimited
Australia
Internationally renowned for their arresting mix of provocation and entertainment, the house of Finucane & Smith Unlimited create “salons of humanity”— intimate theatrical spectacles, dark drama, beyond-genre cabaret and provocative variety—hijacking myriad art forms and engaging unique and extraordinary artists to create indelible visions of humanity, freedom, power and desire.
Renowned for powerful cultural exchanges and collaborations, Finucane & Smith are deeply engaged with communities in regional remote and urban Australia, and world wide. Commissions & presentations internationally have spanned Eastern & Western Europe, UK, Latin America, China, Japan, Scandinavia & Antarctica; theirs are the first Australian works to be invited to the Festival Internacional de Buenos Aires (2013), FITBH (Brazil), Havana International Theatre Festival (2015); and the first Australian drama presented by ACT Shanghai International Theatre Festival (2016).
Their 72 town, 8 month tour of Caravan Burlesque(2012), reputedly the longest tour to ever come out of Longpaddock and the longest tour of Variety since the goldrush, fostered whole-of-community relationships which flourish still.
Finucane & Smith have won critical acclaim in 13 languages and been the recipient of The Patrick White Playwright Award, 8 Green Room Awards, International Theatre Institute’s CHAMACO Award for International Presentation of the Year 2015 (Cuba), and the Climakaze Award (Miami) for outstanding art in climate justice.
Over 5 years Finucane & Smith have worked extensively in China. In 2014 Finucane starred in Meng Jinghui’s National Theatre China/Malthouse Good Person of Szechuan at National Theatre China Beijing and Shanghai International Arts Festival. 2017 Finucane directed Vertebra Theatre’s acclaimed Mandarin-language production of Smith’s The Flood 《洪水》with 5 seasons in Beijing & Shanghai, 2 award nominations, Su Li winning Best Actress Modern Drama Valley. For 2019 Sydney Festival commission Shànghǎi MiMi – 上海咪咪, Finucane became the first foreigner to collaborate with Tibetan Plateau’s Qinghai Acrobatic Troupe. F&S Art vs Extinction masterwork The Rapture was presented by Wuzhen Festival 2019.