The soon-to-be-released musical Driftwood the Musical, produced by Umbrella Productions & Events. The musical, Driftwood, is the inspirational story of renowned Austrian/Australian sculptor Karl Duldig and his artist/inventor wife, Slawa Horowitz-Duldig. The Musical is based on Eva de Jong-Duldig’s critically acclaimed memoir Driftwood – escape and survival through art, published in 2017.

In 1947, Slawa Horowitz-Duldig became a Senior Art and Craft teacher at St Catherine’s, a position she held for sixteen years. She is fondly regaled as a teacher by many in our Old Girl community. An annual art prize is presented in her name at our Speech Day Awards.

In 1977, a Slawa Duldig retrospective took place at the McClelland Gallery, Langwarrin, and subsequently at St Catherine’s. In addition to the Duldig Studio, her art is represented in private collections in Australia and overseas. Slawa’s work was also shown alongside her husband’s in the Vienna and the Early Twentieth Century exhibition, mounted at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1990.

Slawa’s family has kindly offered St Catherine’s community members a discount should they wish to attend the Musical, using the code ‘Umbrella’. Details of the story and the season are below:

Driftwood The Musical tells the inspirational story of the renowned Austrian/Australian sculptor Karl Duldig and his artist/inventor wife, Slawa Horowitz-Duldig. We follow their lives in pre-war Vienna, Slawa’s ingenious invention of the foldable umbrella, and an incredible chain of events after miraculously escaping the Holocaust and rebuilding their careers as artists in Melbourne. A magical story of art and creativity, survival and perseverance, family, freedom, and love.

This epic story has been adapted for the stage by award-winning playwright Jane Bodie, based on the original memoir by Eva de Jong-Duldig. It features original Music and Arrangements by Anthony Barnhill with Lyrics by Tania de Jong AM and Jane Bodie. It features an all-Jewish cast directed by acclaimed, indigenous theatre-maker Wesley Enoch AM. 

Please find further details below:

Season details:

• 13 May 2022 – 14 May 2022 at the Alexander Theatre at The Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts, Monash University
• 18 May 2022 – 28 May 2022 at Chapel Off Chapel in Melbourne

Watch the trailer for Driftwood – The Musical 

For further information and to book tickets for the World Premiere Season in May at the Alexander Theatre, Monash University, and Chapel off Chapel, please click here.