THE BOY I PAID FOR
Midsumma Festival 2020
Socially awkward Keith (Jake Matricardi) hires beautiful escort Beau (Jonny Kinnear) for an evening of companionship one Christmas Eve. While Keith has no idea what to expect, Beau is treating this like just another job, but he has never had a client quite like Keith before.
As the night goes on, both men realise they have to confront their own truths... and need one another to do it in this original play that examines the ramifications of our obsession with youth and beauty.
The Boy I Paid For is written and directed by Wayne Stellini, whose previous Midsumma seasons of Michael and Phillip Are Getting Married in the Morning and What Ever Happened to Jeremy Baxter? were critically acclaimed:
“It can be a bit jawdropping at times, and even push things over the edge, but still compelling and believable.” -Lisa Clark, squirrelcomedy.com, reviewing Michael and Phillip Are Getting Married in the Morning.
“[Has] a twist far more acidic than the slice of lemon in your 'Gin Sling'. … The audience is kept guessing right until the end.” -Weekend Notes, reviewing What Ever Happened to Jeremy Baxter?
The Butterfly Club presents a Writers' Block Theatre production of The Boy I Paid For.
Starring: Jake Matricardi and Jonny Kinnear
Director/Writer: Wayne Stellini | Producers: Phillip Hunting, Wayne Stellini | Stage Manager: Fulya Kantarmaci | Technician: Phillip Hunting | Marketing: Phillip Hunting, Wayne Stellini | Producers' Assistants: Bayne Orion Bradshaw, Fulya Kantarmaci, Kirsten Shanahan | Executives in Charge of Production: Wayne Stellini, Phillip Hunting
The producers would like to thank Lesley Hunting, Malcolm Hunting, Matthew Keating of Valiant Film Co., and Peter Sutton for their kind donation that helped finance this production.
Writers’ Block Theatre would like to thank our volunteers for their endless enthusiasm and hard work throughout the production: Bayne Orion Bradshaw, Malcolm Hunting, Fulya Kantarmaci, Benjamin Laut, Kirsten Shanahan, and Paul Williams.
From the Writer/Director...
I send the the gentleman sitting beside me a full copy of The Boy I Paid For after I discover that he is an escort. When he gets back to me, he points to certain parts in the play and relates them to instances he has encountered on the job.
Of course, The Boy I Paid For is a creative piece, but it is reassuring to know that our story is still grounded in a reality that many may have preconceptions about. For this production, our intention as storytellers is to reflect how much our culture’s obsession with aesthetics can not only prevent us from seeing the beauty within, but also make us strive for an ideal that is never quite in reach. The consequences can be exhausting!
I invite you to join Keith and Beau on the couch for their unconventional therapy session as the two men discover that they have more in common than they first realise. In the process, they will raise questions and argue, as well as attack and empathise with one another.
So while there is an undeniable voyeuristic element to our play, a curiosity about what really happens between sex workers and their clients, The Boy I Paid For is more than that. It is about two flawed people who you can hopefully relate to. And, as with any first-time therapy session, a clean resolution might have to be saved for another day.
I would like to thank Writers’ Block Theatre for choosing to launch with The Boy I Paid For and The Butterfly Club for their incredible support throughout our time with them. This show would not be possible without the work of our amazing volunteers: Bayne Orion Bradshaw, Malcolm Hunting, Fulya Kantarmaci, Benjamin Laut, Kirsten Shanahan, and Paul Williams.
The Boy I Paid For was made possible through the financial support of Leslie Hunting, Malcolm Hunting, Matthew Keating of Valiant Film Company, and Peter Sutton.
And finally, I would like to thank our audience for choosing to support independent theatre. On behalf of the cast and crew, I hope you enjoy the show! —Wayne Stellini.
The Cast
JAKE MATRICARDI as Keith
Jake Matricardi is an actor, writer, singer, and huge theatre geek. He has a Bachelor of Creative Arts from La Trobe University, and graduated from the Howard Fine Acting Studio in 2016, where he continues to train.
He is known for his work in Melbourne's independent theatre scene. Recent credits include And Then The Snow Fell on Egypt (Gavin Roach, Midsumma), an international tour of The Comedy of Errors (Australian Shakespeare Company, Prague Fringe), and his solo play The Gargoyle (Melbourne Fringe), writing and performing the titular role to critical acclaim.
Jake continues to broaden his horizons by pursuing professional work and combining his love of writing, music, and performance art into his personal arts practice.
JONNY KINNEAR as Beau
Born in Northern Ireland, Jonny Kinnear attended Portora Royal School, where the rich heritage of writer alumni include playwright Oscar Wilde and Nobel prize winner Samuel Beckett.
From there, he studied Drama at Queen’s University in Belfast before undertaking schooling in Performance Studies at Queensland University of Technilogy.
Jonny graduated from 16th Street Actors Studio 2019 and has appeared in productions of Margins of Persuasion (24 Carrot Productions, 2017-18) and A Streetcar Named Desire (Tangled Web Theatre Productions, 2019).
The Boy I Paid For marks Jonny's Midsumma Festival debut.
The Crew
Wayne Stellini — Writer / Director / Producer
Wayne Stellini is a Melbourne writer, poet, director, podcaster, and shameless film buff. A Bachelor of Arts (2015), Bachelor of Arts Honours (2016), and Master of Teaching (Secondary) (2019) graduate, he engages with as many storytelling mediums as he can.
He was introduced to theatre through Boxed In (as assistant director, La Más Collective, 2015) before co-producing The Writer (FRED the ALIEN Productions, 2016) for Melbourne Fringe.
As writer and director, Wayne's previous plays Michael and Phillip Are Getting Married in the Morning (FRED the ALIEN Productions, 2017-18) and What Ever Happened to Jeremy Baxter? (FRED the ALIEN Productions, 2019) were met with critical acclaim.
Phillip Hunting — Producer / Technician
Phillip Hunting: actor, writer, and idiot at large. Born of modest parental units, his background includes a Diploma of Theatre Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Writing (2015). His foreground is to create great works for Aussie stage, film, and radio. Phillip’s inspirations are Spike Milligan and the Goons, Barry Humphries, and of course, the mad world around him.
Phillip's previous plays include Boxed In (director, La Más Collective, 2015), The Writer (co-writer/co-director, FRED the ALIEN Productions, 2016), Michael and Phillip Are Getting Married in the Morning (producer/actor, FRED the ALIEN Productions, 2017-18), and What Ever Happened to Jeremy Baxter? (producer, FRED the ALIEN Productions, 2019).
Fulya Kantarmaci — Stage Manager
Fulya Kantarmaci is a videographer, editor, photographer, and art and crafts enthusiast from Melbourne’s north. She is a Victoria University graduate, having studied a Bachelor of Interactive Media (2015).
Her passion for film and television production cannot keep Fulya away from theatre, having cut her teeth in the industry with Boxed In (La Más Collective, 2015). She has since gone on to stage manage and produce The Writer (FRED the ALIEN Productions, 2016), Michael and Phillip Are Getting Married in the Morning (FRED the ALIEN Productions, 2017-18), and What Ever Happened to Jeremy Baxter? (FRED the ALIEN Productions, 2019).
Trailers
Image Gallery
The images in this gallery were used for the promotion of The Boy I Paid For. Actors Jake Matricardi and Jonny Kinnear were central to the campaign, and the characteristics of Keith and Beau are evident in every shot.
We have also included some previously unreleased images too!
Writers' Block Theatre thanks Benjamin Laut and Paul Williams for donating their valuable time and incredible talents to provide a number of these key photographs.
Give any images that you like a little love!
Interviews
Listen to members of the cast and crew promote The Boy I Paid For on these radio and podcast interviews. They are followed by a video of actors Jake Matricardi and Jonny Kinnear speaking about the show during the early stages of the rehearsal period.
Reviews
Midsumma Festival 2020; 20, 22 - 25 January at 7pm and 27 - 31 January at 8.30pm; The Butterfly Club, Melbourne CBD.