A poster shows “Suicide(s) in Vegas,” an one-act comedy written by Canadian playwright Evan Placey. The play will premiere at White Box Theatre in Seoul from April 28 to May 1.

By John Redmond

MW Productions in association with Probationary Theatre Company presents the world premiere of “Suicide(s) in Vegas” at the White Box Theatre from April 28 to May 1.

The one-act comedy is by award-winning Canadian playwright Evan Placey.

The story involves two women who connect randomly over the Internet; the two want to end it all, but not alone. Lydia’s an over-commercialized self-help guru. Jane’s a lonely tollbooth collector. But surviving (and dying) are tricky in this dark comedy about the fantastic awfulness that Vegas sometimes can be.

Evan Placey is a winner of the Tarragon Theatre RBC National Playwriting Competition.

Founded in 2000 in Australia, Probationary Theatre Company (PTC) aims to create interesting & accessible theater. PTC’s first production of “Sexual Perversity in Chicago” opened at the Melbourne Fringe Festival to rave reviews, receiving a best newcomer award. Since then, PTC has produced a variety of shows and toured to various parts of Australia, receiving several awards, before moving its base to Seoul.

White Box Theatre, just a five minute cab ride from Itaewon, is PTC’s dedicated performance space, and will present numerous productions in 2011.

MW Productions, founded in 2008 by Margaret Whittum, produced “The Eight: Reindeer Monologues” in Seoul in 2008.

Following the Seoul premiere, “Suicide(s) in Vegas” will tour the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit in the summer of 2011, through Montreal, London, Toronto, Hamilton, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Victoria and Vancouver.

Evan Placey is a U.K.-based Canadian playwright. His debut work was a full-length play “Mother of Him,” which won him Canada's RBC Under 30 National Playwriting Competition (Tarragon Theatre) and the King's Cross Award for New Writing (U.K.). It was also shortlisted for the Rod Hall Memorial Award (Rod Hall/Paines Plough Theatre Company). It premiered at the Courtyard Theatre, London, in June 2010. A production in Hebrew will premiere at the Beit Lessin Theatre, Tel Aviv next year, and a Canadian production is in development.

His next full-length play, “Banana Boys” was commissioned and produced by the Hampstead Theatre’s heat&light company in December 2010. Evan is currently on attachment with the Royal National Theatre writing his next play. He is under commission with Synergy Theatre Company to write a play for young people which will tour London schools and prisons in autumn. He will soon be on joint attachment with Birmingham Rep Theatre and the Unicorn Theatre. Evan is also on a scheme with Channel 4, where he is writing a three-part television drama; he is also developing a TV series with Little Brother Productions.

The tickets cost 15,000 won.

Performance times are Thursday and Friday 9 p.m., Saturday 6 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.

White Box Theatre is located near Hyochang Park Station, exit 2.

For bookings contact probationarytheatre@gmail.com