OBSERVER: Red
Rollercoaster Theatre presents Red, a newly devised theatrical work presented by La Mama as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival 2026.
Part fairytale, part reckoning, Red is inspired by the Little Red Riding Hood fable, but this is no traditional retelling. The production begins with the familiar story before violently unravelling into something far less obedient.
The performers know they are inside a story. They know they are being watched. There is a controlling narrator determined to steer the story. But the ensemble interrupts, challenges and disrupts the narrative. They refuse to let the story control them.
Created through a two-year devising process, Red is the latest original work from Rollercoaster Theatre’s ensemble of 16 professional actors with intellectual disabilities.
Rather than retelling a classic story, the production dismantles it, placing authorship directly into the hands of the performers and inviting audiences into a world not as they know.
The question at the heart of Red emerged from the ensemble’s own creative process. As performer Lincoln Forbes asked: “Who gets to tell the story?” The production takes that question and turns it into action, exploring what happens when the people inside a story seize control of the world they inhabit.
Co-directed by Madelaine Nunn and Carolyn Bock, Red brings together a creative team including lighting designer Richard Vabre, set designer Eloise Kent, costume designer STOZ, sound designers Rachel Lewindon and Imogen Cygler, and caption and audiovisual designer Christian Biko.
Genre-defying and multi-sensory, Red weaves sound, movement, text and tactile elements into an immersive theatrical experience where familiar storytelling structures collide with contemporary performance.
Performance Dates: October 14–18
Venue: La Mama Courthouse
Bookings: melbournefringe.com.au
Cheryl Threadgold