November 1992 saw the first BITS' production LANDSCAPE, NIGHT AND SILENCE, three short plays by Harold Pinter.  This was followed by THE REST IS SILENCE, which premiered in March, 1993.  This piece was made up of two one act plays by Maeterlinck and Albee, linked by extensive extracts and monologues from Shakespeare.
In 1994 the ACT Cultural Council awarded the company a grant to stage Maurice Maeterlinck's symbolist masterpiece THE SIGHTLESS at the National Botanic Gardens.  Staged outdoors, the production managed to create a superb sense of fear through the use of natural light, silences, the designs of Erica Hartshorne and the talents of twelve of Canberra's finest professional actors.
December 1994 saw BITS produce three short plays in commemoration of World Aids Day.  The program entitled POSITIVE TIMES featured three short plays with an HIV/AIDS theme.  POUF POSITIVE, by America's foremost gay playwright Robert Patrick, was combined with two new Australian plays: THE REUNION by Alex Harding and ROSES ON THE MOON by Campion Decent, innovatively but simply staged at HEAVEN NIGHT CLUB.
In August 1995, BITS, in collaboration with Tuggeranong Community Arts, produced a new Canberra play by Joan Lockwood.  WAY TO GO played in the Courtyard Studio of the Canberra Theatre.  It dealt with the problems facing two elderly people after they are abandoned by their children.  Reviews were excellent.
In 1995 BITS received an Australia Council grant to research and develop a docu-drama based on the experiences of gay men interred and exterminated by the Nazis in the 1930's and 1940's.  The piece was written by David Atfield and workshopped with a group of actors before a work-in-progress performance in November.  The piece was expanded to include lesbian experiences and told the stories of three Australian survivors.  An additional creative development period for PINK TRIANGLES was made possible by grants from ArtsACT and from the Goethe Institut.  This allowed David to further refine the script in collaboration with dramaturg Campion Decent.  A highly successful presentation of the work took place at the Ralph Wilson Theatre in March 1997.  It will go to full production in November 1999.
In 1996 BITS received a grant from ArtsACT, for David to research and develop LOVELY LOUISE, a play about Australian silent film actress Louise Lovely.  It received a work in progress presentation in 1997.  The play was then given a full two week workshop at the 1998 National Playwrights' Conference.
1997 saw BITS produce its most acclaimed work to date: a production of  Michael Gow's FURIOUS, as part of the inaugural subscription season of professional Canberra productions at the Street Theatre.  Directed by David, the production featured staggeringly beautiful lighting by David Longmuir, powerful music by Jim Cotter and a minimalist design of great beauty by NIDA graduate Samantha Paxton.  The production continued the tradition of actor-based theatre, with effects minimalized.  The emotional effect on the audience was very strong.  This was a highly stylized re-interpretation of Gow's excellent play, that examined the relationship between a playwright and his subject.  Those who had seen Gow's own 1991 production in Sydney were amazed at how different the approach was here, with underlying emotional states externalised in an original and innovative way.  The production won two awards at the 1997 ACT Arts Awards:  a Canberra Critics' Circle Award to David Atfield for his direction and a special MEAA Green Room Award to the entire cast for their performances.
In 1998 BITS produced the Australian premiere production of Tennessee Williams' last play SOMETHING CLOUDY, SOMETHING CLEAR, for the second Season At the Street - again received with considerable acclaim and re-uniting many of the FURIOUS personnel.  Troy Armstrong's gorgeous set of sand and wood was truly superb, and lit with great sensitivity by David Longmuir.  The music of Jim Cotter and the choreography of Elizabeth Cameron-Dalman combined with a flawless cast to create a work of great beauty and strong emotional impact.
BITS will next produce PINK TRIANGLES at the Currong Theatre, Gorman House and the Tuggeranong Arts Centre in November and will combine with Eulea Kiraly and the Company for a creative development project in December.
BITS has produced ten projects since its inception, all of which were highly acclaimed, and received twelve Government grants:
1994 ACT Government for THE SIGHTLESS.
1995 ACT Government for computer and printer.
1995 Australia Council for PINK TRIANGLES creative development.
1996 ACT Government for LOVELY LOUISE creative development.
1997 ACT Government for FURIOUS production.
1997 ACT Government for PINK TRIANGLES creative development.
1998 ACT Government for SOMETHING CLOUDY, SOMETHING CLEAR production.
1999 Australia Council for LOVELY LOUISE production.
1999 ACT Government for LOVELY LOUISE production.
1999 ACT Government for creative development project.
1999 ACT Government for computer upgrade.
1999 Australia Council for PINK TRIANGLES project.

Phone: +61 2 6287 2582
Fax: +61 2 6287 2582
Email: bits@alphalink.com.au