When
3-12 Oct 2024
UpStage at the Playhouse presents Karma Kafé
Produced by Stray Dogs Theatre Company
Written by Carl Caulfield with music by Gareth Hudson
This new musical from playwright Carl Caulfield and composer Gareth Hudson is a celebration of Newcastle’s lively café culture.
In a world of Starbucks and Costa Coffee, Karma Kafé is Newcastle’s oldest café and remains fiercely independent. The owner, Rewa Golder, is a Māori woman and practising Buddhist who, with her hard-working staff (including an opera singing chef) provides a sanctuary for the city’s movers and shakers, its dreamers and schemers and its eccentrics who include Bongo Joe, a homeless man who plays his bongo outside the café every morning in exchange for food (provided in the hope he’ll stop).
A local developer plans to demolish the much-loved café to build a flashy multiplex as part of his vision for a “New Newy”. With the help of “The Fixer” he gets the site rezoned. How will the café avoid the wrecking ball?
With a large all-singing, all-dancing cast, live music, and the scent of roasted coffee, Karma Kafé will be an intoxicating and hilarious celebration of life and the human spirit.
Running time 1hr 50mins including interval.
Opening Night Discount - save $5pp
To celebrate the launch of Karma Kafé join us on opening night for an exclusive Q&A with the playwrights after the show.