No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability
in association with Adelaide Festival Centre presents
ARK
Written by JW Smith
Directed by Paulo Castro
Season: 3rd – 5th Sept 2026
Venue: Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre
TICKETS - https://premier.ticketek.com.au
Poster Design by Fallon and Co
Creative Conversations with No Strings
Guest Host, Dr. Kari Seeley takes us behind the curtain for the upcoming production of ARK, written by JW Smith and presented by No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability in association with Adelaide Festival Centre. This episode features interviews with playwright, JW Smith, Cast Member, Patrick Suto, as well as AC Arts students who are working on set design and build for this production and Casey Van Sebille, the Head of Design at Adelaide College of the Arts, with original music composed by Pedro Fiuza.
MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST HOST - Dr. Kari Seeley
Before joining No Strings, Kari worked in broadcast media(radio and TV) in Australia and overseas.. Apparently, she was born talking and over the years has refined that to an artform (according to her Dad)! While leading the day-to-day operations at No Strings, Kari completed her doctorate in 2023, with a focus on the End-user Experience of Audio Description for Live Performance. Her post-grad studies brought together Kari’s love of live performance and her passion for disability access. In her ‘spare’ time Kari is also a professional Audio Describer, often working with Access2Arts here in Adelaide and occasionally taking gigs interstate and even overseas.
MORE ABOUT No Strings
No Strings was started by disabled actor, Helen Flinter Leach, in 1994, on the strong belief in the transformative power of paid meaningful work in the arts. No Strings is a creative environment where disabled performers are positioned as authors, collaborators, and decision-makers. Artistic Director, Paulo Castro, says “Disability is no excuse for poor quality” and we live by that motto! Our work is artistically excellent and socially transformative. We support disabled performers to build professional pathways, recognising disability as a creative identity not a limitation.
https://nostrings.org.au/listing/ark/
ARK SUMMARY
ARK is a powerful new theatre work from acclaimed South Australian playwright JW Smith (The Construct), directed by Paulo Castro.
This gripping production takes audiences deep inside the fractured mind of a high-flying executive pushed to breaking point by the relentless daily grind of modern life. As pressure mounts and reality begins to blur, he finds himself on the edge, ready to walk away from everything he’s built.
Drawn into the gritty underworld of a stranger on the docks, ARK unfolds as a raw and compelling exploration of identity, control, and what happens when the structures we rely on begin to collapse.
Bold, immersive and thought-provoking, ARK is a striking new work that challenges perception and reveals the human cost of living on the edge.
ARK, No Strings
SEASON: 3rd to 5th September 2026
DURATION: 1hr 30min - no interval
LOCATION: Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Rd, Adelaide
RATING: M (15+)
WARNINGS: Includes themes of suicide and self-harm.
ACCESS: Audio Description and Auslan Interpreting provided at 2:30pm Sat 5th Sept.
TRIGGER WARNING
If any content brings up difficult feelings for you, please reach out for support:
Lifeline: 13 11 14
or Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
MUSIC FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE
The Title Track, For the Love of Theatre Podcast written and performed by BEN WALLER
Original Music Composed by Pedro Fiuza.
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#NoStrings #DisabilityArts #Access #Access2Arts #SpaceTheatre #AFC #AdelaideFestivalCentre