What if one idea changed everything?

Journey through the sound of inspiration striking as Melbourne’s Rubiks Collective celebrates its 10th anniversary with a world premiere of The Big Idea – a genre-defying monodrama from Australian composer Matthew Shlomowitz and writer Vid Simoniti.

At the heart of the piece is a single character on the brink – a new idea blossoms, a life unravels, and we witness the tantalising chaos in between. Featuring celebrated vocalist and long-time Rubiks collaborator vocalist Lotte Betts-Dean, The Big Idea is a story of ambition and artistic obsession that spirals from bluest desperation into delightful absurdity.

Melbourne's cult-favourites Rubiks Collective have established themselves as fearless innovators in Australia's contemporary classical landscape. Hailed for creating experiences that are ‘incredibly personal, strangely spiritual and ultimately deeply touching’ (Limelight), they continue to push boundaries with this production.

Combining spoken word, music, and theatrical elements, The Big Idea is an iconoclastic departure from monodramas like Schoenberg’s Expectation and Poulenc’s The Human Voice. 

Listen in as the ensemble shape-shifts from samba to Scandinavian jazz, from late Romanticism to old-school Broadway—creating a sonic world as unpredictable as the human psyche itself.

Matthew Shlomowitz & Vid Simoniti - The Big Idea*
* World Premiere

Guest Artists
Lotte Betts-Dean - vocals
Alex Raineri - keyboards

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. The project has also been supported by the City of Melbourne, through their annual grants program.