Earlier this year, a group of playwrights, directors, crew and actors came together to create a project inspired by Sydney’s transport system. A suite of plays were presented at Sidetrack theatre- a different suite each week for two weeks celebrating the bizarre, fantastical, romantic, infuriating Sydney Commuter experience. With a total of nearly 100 artists on board- nearly 1500 people over 10 performances enjoyed the fruits of their labours. Six months later, most of the directors and an ensemble cast have come together with a selection of the scenes from both weeks, culminating in a new show- full of surprises! If you missed it- this is your chance!

The premise is simple: A group of award-winning and emerging playwrights have collaborated to create a unique show inspired by conversations, scenes from the bus window, overseen text messages or perhaps the person sitting across from them on the 428 bus from Circular Quay to Canterbury. And the best thing is- you can catch the 428 to the show as it stops outside Sidetrack Theatre.
Supported by Queen Street Studio, New Theatre, Actors College of Theatre and Television (ACTT), a selection of Scenes from Stories from the 428 has been curated as an official selection of the Inaugural 2010 Sydney Fringe Festival this month.

Directed by: Scott Selkirk, Glenn Hazeldine, Ngaire O’Leary, Louise Fischer, Augusta Supple, Zoe Carides.

Written by: Sime Knezevic, Joanna Erskine, Patrick Lenton, Donna Abela, Matt Edgerton, Lexi Freiman, Brooke Robinson, Tahli Corin with Rosie Chase, Kit Brookman, Jasper Marlow, Alison Rooke

Performed by: Lucy Goleby, Stephen Peacocke, Maggie Blinco, Alan Faulkner, Jan Langford-Penny, Lib Campbell, Luke Carson, Matt Charleston, Daniel Nemes, Melissa Hume, Kailah Cabanas, Julian Ramundi, Bridgette Sneddon, Felix Gentle, Helena Stamoulis,Toby Villis

Creative Producer: Augusta Supple, Sound Designer: Jeremy Silver Lighting Designer: Miles Thomas, Graphic Design: Tim Andrew, Publicist: Julia Lenton, Web Construction: Grant Moxom, Stage Manager: Alison Murphy-Oates

Performance Dates:
Saturday 11th September at 8pm
Sunday 12th September at 8pm
Saturday 18th September at 5pm
Sunday 19th September at 2pm
Sunday 19th September at 8pm
Tickets: $24/$20 + Booking Fee
(02) 9550 3666
www.thesydneyfringe.com.au/shows/stories-428
www.storiesfromthe428.com

” Stories From The 428 is shaping-up as a cult phenomenon. Audiences have been overflowing; generous with applause, laughter and, where appropriate, mesmerised silence.” – lloyd bradford syke www.australianstage.com.au

“The very idea of bringing so many theatre artists together, established and emerging, is fabulous enough. But the fact that so much of the work was good makes the event truly special… and has led to delightful results.” James Waites www.jameswaites.com

“Each scene finds little joys and tragedies in the commonplace; it is a meditation on the private within the communal, and variation within routine. ” Vivienne Egan www.timeoutsydney.com.au

The Imagine Festival was started in 2009 at Cleveland St Theatre, as a means of connecting creative people to each other. At that time, I had a little script in my top draw that I desperately wanted to see or at least hear. And I had, since 2008, wanted to work with Sally Blackwood a director who from all accounts knew how to talk to actors- how to make work which was beautiful and heartfelt. The Imagine Festival 2009, gave me that opportunity to take the great leap into approaching Sally with my little play “A Letter to the Man I’ll Never Kiss”…

With the help of the new theatre, Sally Blackwood, Rebecca Clarke, Jason Longley and Sarah Becker, I had the opportunity to see something of mine up in front of an audience… I had been busy all year facilitating the development of new scripts at Off the Shelf- and I was busy running Brand Spanking New 2009- and the imagine Festival gave me a chance to have some of my own creative satisfaction- for which I am very grateful.

This year- I have noticed that the season is curated by Lex Marinos- which is an exciting addition to the format of the festival. All the best to all those who are willing to be brave, creative and make time for their art… I can’t wait to see the 2010 Imagine festival.
Please see the press release below:

THE PRESS RELEASE-

Familiar to Australian audiences from his roles on classic TV series’ Kingswood Country, Embassy, and Live & Sweaty, Lex brings a wealth of experience to the Festival – awarded with an OAM in 1994 and the Centenary Medal in 2001 for services to the performing arts as an actor, director and writer- Lex was Director of Carnivale, NSW’s multicultural arts festival from 1996 -1999, Deputy Chair of the Australia Council, and a board member of the Multicultural Advisory Committee for SOCOG. Lex is currently Vice President of the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Lex is also a passionate speaker on arts and cultural diversity.
Lex Marinos says he is looking forward to working with emerging artists in his role as Director for the Imagine Festival : “It is inspiring to be amidst the energy and enthusiasm of up-and-coming young artists, I am excited about the culture of support and community spirit the Imagine Festival fosters”.
Artistic Director Lesley Watson is thrilled to welcome Lex Marinos on board as Festival Director “I have been fortunate to have the pleasure of working with Lex in my role as ACTT Director, where Lex has worked with our students as a tutor and director and I know his passion for the arts, humour and enormous experience as an artist and festival director are an absolute asset to the Imagine Festival and it is my great pleasure to welcome him to the team”
“We can see Sydney is a changing creative beast…just look at the incredible City of Sydney Art and About program, and the exciting new Sydney Fringe Festival – the inaugural Imagine Festival in 2009 has been part of this movement towards greater creative programming and support for artists and we are thrilled to continue on with Lex Marinos at the helm for 2010” says Artistic Director Lesley Watson.
“The Imagine Festival is an early opportunity to support independent artists, on a pragmatic level, as well as creatively – who knows which actor, dancer, director, writer, muso or new media artist may meet and foster new artistic relationships out of this” – Lesley Watson.
The Imagine Festival is a place where cabaret, live music, drama, dance, visual arts, story telling, discussions and creative classes come to life in one unique space at ACTT’s Cleveland Street Theatre complex..
The Cleveland St Theatre is situated in the heart of Sydney and is right near the blossoming communities of Redfern, Newtown and the Inner City. 199 Cleveland St, Sydney Central (opposite Prince Alfred Park).
For the latest information on The Imagine Festival go to our facebook page
For all media enquiries, please contact Olivia Hutchinson-Smith or Lex Marinos at festival@actt.edu.au or 02 9213 4500

Last Saturday night, under a clear dark blue sky, fifty people stood on the street in Chippendale, waiting for the latest showing at Queen Street Studio to start. Busy talking amongst themselves, it took a while for the audience to notice the elephant walking towards them- holding a sign which said:

“4am”

and another that said

“Follow Me”

We made our way en masse under the roller door of Studio 10- into a new world. Or a familiar world re-invented by the artists within.

I have been working with Queen Street Studio since early 2009. Queen Street Studio is a member-based, non-profit organisation which provides studio space run by artists for artists and is a response to the lack of affordable and appropriate space for artists in Sydney to practise their craft. The studios are managed by local artists Sam Chester (Choreographer) and James Winter (Theatre Director) who are supported by a Board of Management made up of industry peers. The organisation manages FraserStudios; a new multi-disciplinary art space for Frasers Property. Located at 10-14 Kensington Street, Chippendale (3-minute walk from Central Station), the FraserStudios facility includes: Studio 10: Space for meetings/seminars/launches/arts-business, Studio 12: Non-commercial exhibition space for visual artists, Studio 14: Rehearsal studio for performing artists and very soon to be opened, the freshly re-floored/renovated Heffron Hall. (By the way- if you want to get an exclusive invite to the Heffron Hall opening, send a donation towards the renovations to :http://www.queenstreetstudio.com/support.html and be a part of history!)

In addition to providing affordable rehearsal space, Queen Street Studio produces training programs for Sydney’s independent performing arts community as well as residency programs for both the performing and visual arts sectors, Supported by the City of Sydney. Blueprint to is the latest addition to Queen Street Studio’s programs to support emerging artists and was designed in response to groups of devisors sending in applications to Off the Shelf- Queen Street Studio’s script Development hothouse. I felt that the devisors needed their own mini residency- to test ideas, to focus on developing relationships with other artists.

Though out the residency artists were mentored by TK Pok who has a huge amount of experience in the development of devised work. For me it was really important to offer the artist a “phone a friend”/ out side eye option, should they need it – to provide them with additional support during the creative process- and also to remind them- that a showing is not a make or break, it is not the end point of anything- it is a beginning just as much as it is a deadline. The three groups were left to their own devises and resources to make something in the space… and the they did- three pieces emerged- distinctly different- utterly unique and all three embracing spontaneity and reacting to the space.

The residency encouraged artists to apply with a view of creating a site specific devised work at FraserStudios. They could choose from Studio 10, 12 or 14- and had to write a proposal outlining their ideas and process. Open to groups and individual performers from all backgrounds and disciplines, Blueprint aieds to provide emerging artists with time and space to develop their practise and artistic enquiry. More information about the program can be found on the Queen Street Studio website:
http://www.queenstreetstudio.com/blueprint-residency.html

Here’s a little summary of the works:

In Studio 10: ‘Ebony and…’
Through our month long residency we started to play around with a few ideas that came out of our response to the studio space, as well as additional secondary source material that was brought into the room during rehearsals. We have experimented with how movement, text, photography and sculpture can interplay to create a piece of live performance in this specific site. What you will see tonight is a fragment of what may go on to be developed into a durational multi-site specific work in the years to come.
Artists: Scarlet McGlynn, Phil Spencer, Brooke Robinson, Gemma O’Nions, Glenn Judd

Studio 12: Have you ever wanted?
The project will be an opportunity for artists Huw Lewis and Jacqui O’Reilly to explore an interdisciplinary enquiry, expanding the limits of particular fields of practice. A ten-minute performance will be devised from this exploration. Two sensibilities, male and female, and the traction of psychosocial engagement will inspire themes implicit in the works. These themes will include desire, rejection, ego and apathy. A range of ‘real time’ preparatory explorations, based on exercises learnt from Rosie Dennis at her Permaculture Workshop in 2009, will form part of the creative process of the project. Designing sound parameters will also be involved to treat vocals used in the performance. The use of masks and costumes will be explored in the rehearsal space.
Artists: Jacqui O’Reilly & Huw Lewis

Studio 14: Discarnate
‘Discarnate’ explores the latent sounds of the historic Queen St Studios building through the metaphor of ghosts. We were to adopt the personas of ‘mediums’ that would listen, channel and record sounds manifest by our presence and actions in the site. The passivity of listening soon gave way to a desire for action, to create rhythm, melody, and even suggest at narrative. In a cyclical structure, action is recorded via its sound trace, which is then overwritten by present action. Initial action exists as its trace, but contends with subsequent traces that accumulate in a multitudinous history speaking all at once of the past from the point of the present. The title ‘Discarnate’ is contradictory, as the piece is generated through the bodily action of performers, yet fitting in referring to the two-fold definition of performance as both present action and it’s subsequent existence through its traces. The aesthetics of the work were influenced by the industrial history of the building and the horror genre
Artists: Amy Wilson & Megan Garrett Jones

I’ve been carrying this platform paper around with me for a couple of months. It’s only a slim book, so it hasn’t been a great burden. There’s just alot for me to think about… and that’s why I love it.

There’s a row of platform papers in the bookcase in my office. They stand with black or brightly coloured spines in rainbows on my shelf. Regardless of the date on the cover, they are a timeless contribution in my thinking about art, practice and culture. At times I have felt challenged, or confronted by the papers- but mainly engaged and stimulated and I always look forward to seeing what comes next. On this occasion, a paper on Digital storytelling by Dr Shilo McLean. I first met Shilo when I was working at the then NSW Film and Television Office (now Screen NSW – a telling transformation as the industry shifts from “film” to Screen, don’t you think?). I had always considered Shilo’s interests in digital media/effects and my own practice in theatre was utterly opposed. In fact, I found myself cringing, repelled by the idea that the theatre would be usurped by cyborg avatars- Amazonian women and rippling men whose flesh-selves were pale, anti-social, nerds hunched over a mouse or control pad, pecking away at a keyboard as blue light cast shadows of flickering action over a cluttered bedroom. My fear that reality would become substituted for fantasy. That the digital would ultimately be more satisfying to the general public than a live event- lingered as a fear all the time. My life’s passion and work in the theatre trampled by a storm trooping digital boot attached to the impossible thigh of a woman I could never hope to look like. The fear- huge. And upon reading Shilo’s paper- ridiculous.

Strange that I should not make the correlation to Sontag’s writings especially Plato’s Cave. Strange that I felt threatened by the solitary image- for in a theatre, we may be sitting in a group- but we are all experiencing the event alone. Strange that a topic such as digital media is bound in the seemingly antique tradition of a paper-back book. Strange that I, a theatre practitioner and occasional reviewer so easily engage with an online site (web log) with ease. Strange how the innovative and unusual is the focal point of fear, then acceptance, then common exploitation. The internet- once reserved for the rich and nerdy is now, in our Western culture- an assumed right. Strange that my fear made me ignorant of the tools and devices, the ethics and the issues, the possibilities and the practices. As Shilo states:
“There is something about art and performance that draws upon our fears, and perhaps tis is what incites our desire to control, to regulate to mediate and yes, to censor. Whatever the medium, be it images, live performance or literary narrative, the aim is the expression and communication of emotions and ideas”

A relief that Currency House has commissioned this paper from McClean- to drag me out of an ignorant quivering fear and into the light.

McClean tracks the development of digital tools through filmmaking, addresses the nay-sayers (like the former me), the critics, the conservatives, the censors and the content taste-makers. She speaks of storytelling as “one of the cleverest, most important things we analogue creatures do… [which is a] means of passing on knowledge and wisdom.” She talks of the technological revolution which put professional level equipment in the hands of novices and created a DIY culture of creation and a culture of identity-creation… where by people are actively engaging in creating stories and being a part of the mythology of the story through it’s gaming incantations, through the creation of their own versions of their favourite films, creating T-Shirts online etc. She speaks of the blurring of the professional and the amateur- the independent filmmaker and what access to equipment and technology has done to the creation of art. It is a fascinating book which references the hybridisation of storytelling- the audience as maker- and the potential of audiences to be high involved and creatively evolved participants in creation. She talks about the role of censorship in art- in copyright issues surrounding sampling, mash-ups… she talks about the politics of broadband access, usage… It’s a thoroughly engaging and rollicking read..; even if it is in the ye olde format of paper and stitch binding.

Check out her website: http://shilomcclean.com/2010/07/08/the-digital-playing-fields/

Check out also Currency House: http://www.currencyhouse.org.au/

The Old Fitzroy Hotel theatre (aka The Fitz) is a much loved Sydney Independent Theatre. Full of its own charms and challenges as a venue- but one of the true champions of new Australian work. Programmed by Leland Keane and with dedicated team of practitioners (Lucinda Gleeson and Phil Spencer- this is a nod in your direction) running the company. There is something grungy, urgent and fun about heading to the theatre… and this year, I think I have attended this theatre more than any other. Primarily because I am keen to support writers- and it is a great space for practitioners to come together and forge new work in front of an audience. There have been excellent Fringe- transplants this year: namely The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman aka etc and Death In Bowengabbie by Caleb Lewis… and a couple of more wild and experimental shows (you know the ones I am talking about). Anyway- it’s a great venue and I am a fan.

The Schelling Point, written by Ron Elisha, is a portrayal of acrobatic logic when men are faced with love and/or war. Laced with a preoccupation of chance or likeliness- a logician, Tom Schelling advises a robust and forthright President Kennedy on international relations and nuclear strategy. We are brought into the lives of two sets of men, who’s lives inexorably overlap. One set- the President and his men, the other Stanley Kubrick and his men. Both men are focussed and driven- and have their failings/misadventures with women… at the centre of the story is really the grand and time honoured tradition of “the science of reasoning.” Calculated, methodical, and at times morally challenging, the approach taken is really a sequence of measured “if … then… ” statements. At times a wonderful knot in one’s brow is formed by the search to unpick the possibilities of the knotted guesswork- and what is resoundingly sweet about this process is the hope/faith or committed-ness of those pursuing the thought/possibility- that there is an answer. That there is a way to navigate one selves through the maze and the possibilities raised in a variety of logical forms.

This is a handsome production- generously wrangled by director Sarah Goodes, the set looks fantastic- the costumes are great (especially the dresses of Miss Lauren La Rouge)- over all design by Marissa Dale- Johnson is impressive and effective. Goodes has also cast extraordinary talent for this production: David Callan (Peter Sellars), Daniel Cordeaux ( George C Scott), Jonathan Elsom (as Robert McNamara), Andrew Henry (Tom Schelling) Jamie McGregor (John F Kennedy), Marshall Napier (as Stanley Kubrick)- WOW! They attack the scenes with great guts and confident American accents/ impersonations and are serenaded by Miss Lauren la Rouge between scenes. The cast are magnificent, I particularly enjoyed Andrew Henry’s performance as he managed to make sense of and spontaneously deliver some complex premises in a charming and succinct manner- no mean feat! And David Callan’s moment of truth speech as Sellars is particularly poignant and beautifully delivered. This all makes for an attractive, fun night out, for sure. It’s entertainment of a yesteryear flavour.

And perhaps that’s it’s strength and why it will appeal to some. Those who are fans of Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove, or who are of a certain generation- or those who love a juke-box style musical, will certainly have a good time. However,I must admit that this was not really my taste. I I found much of the play, to be over-written, ideas either over explained- or conversations which didn’t really lead to anything new. Large swathes of misogynistic conversation (for some emblematic of the attitudes of the time, for me a little on the dull and predictable side and lasts too long without anything driving the scene) and stylised /cartoonish characterisations reference a film I am not particularly familiar with- so the jokes were largely lost on me. But I am sure for others who are enthusiasts/fans, it was a hoot to see them enacted these impersonations on stage: it’s just not very deep, or detailed- at best this is farcical variety entertainment, because really the scenes weren’t particularly enlightened or heartfelt- except for the moment I mentioned above from Callan, which seems a glaring inconsistency in the tone of the rest of the play. Largely it is a fairly superficially written bio-play: not much learned, and a lot assumed by the writer. Unfortunately because of this, my sympathy for all the characters powerfully diminished – they all seemed utterly hopeless- but not in a cute, endearing way- but a “if- this– is– what– powerful– men– who– run– the– world– are– really– like–, heaven– help– us– what– a– bunch– of– selfish– losers” kind of way.

Not so much a play, as a revue- brightly delivering complex logical theory, songs, politics and a few women-hating gags. It’s tricky stuff as The Schelling Point assumes a lot of prior knowledge- and is really written for fans of the era, or fans of Kubrick or Sellars or Dr Strangelove. None of which I am, so I guess, best declare that “not really my thing, but exquisitely designed, beautifully produced and skillfully directed.” If you are so inclined, this is probably the show to take your Dad to for father’s day.

Though it is not really my thing- but it is beautifully done and well worth a look if you are keen on a light(ish) night out.

Woyzeck by Georg Buchner is one of the best loved German tragedy of the dramatic canon. In particular it is a favourite amongst directors, perhaps because of it’s inherent “tragic story” as a text- it allows itself to be a vehicle for directors keen for new interpretations. Woyzeck was written by Buchner when he was only 23 years old and when he died that year, he left behind an unfinished draft. The script was later adopted by Karl Franzos and finished. Because of this combined authorship- or perhaps the origins of the story as a creative dramatisation inspired by actual events- it seems that directors most keen to make their mark, favour the text as a vehicle for their vision.

In this production we start in the foyer of the theatre- mandolin plucked and struck, a saxophone gleams under a string of lights under a red foyer… before long we are heralded and coralled by a shirtless man – soon we watch as dancers dance and move within a white chalk lined circle. We are then encouraged into the downstairs theatre. We talk our seats…

The story of Woyzeck is that of a poor soldier , who lives with his love Marie and their child- which born a bastard is an unfortunate. In order to supplement his income, Woyzeck submits himself to scientific experiments which has a profound effect on his physical and mental disposition. Needless to say, it doesn’t end happily for Woyzeck and Marie- it is after all, a tragedy.

Assembled in the downstairs space director, Netta Yashchin harnesses the talents of eleven cast members (Fayssal Bazzi, Gig Clarke, Yure Covich, Anthony Hunt, Rebecca Johnston, Jessica Joseph-McDermott, Rory Nagle-Runciman, Zahra Newman, Megan O’Connell, Michael Pigott and Rachel Weiner), a crew and creative team of twelve. Dancers, live musicians, actors coming together to create a world of sexy, physical, embodied people- people driven by lust. Designer David Fleischer has kept the design very simple- and he has to with that quantity of cast on stage and is complimented by lights by Ross Graham- who knows how to create an intriguing series of rock’n'roll style states to drive and set mood. Unfortunately no choreographer is credited for what appears to be a huge amount of diverse and intense work- but perhaps this is what is being referred to as a part of the “collaborative creation of Buchner’s work”.

Yaschin’s director’s note goes a long way into the ideas of the play- and the very essence of cultural identity and personal connection to the play… and much of the note seems to be a general manifesto about theatre and physicalisation of text- perhaps this is the start to a new Yashchin ensemble? At times I wanted the whole piece to abandon the text- and for it to be a sequence of songs and physical images- t seemed the verbal story was slowing down the production.

The production itself is stuffed full of pop references, visual ideas, a multiplicity of styles, costumes range from literal to anachronistic, stylised and absolutely absurd (there was one section where I was utterly distracted by a pair of rather large fake breasts and failed to pay attention to what was actually being said). It contains a feeling of circus, burlesque, physical theatre, arena spectacular, rave, installation, ballet, sultry cabaret, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), speakeasy…. It has it all. And yet, I was nearly completely disengaged with the story. So crowded with effect and style, I became distracted and therefore lost, story wise. Luckily the sturdy and very clear, consistent performance by Michael Pigott anchored the circus surrounding the story sufficiently for me to follow some of the action and the story. Pigott’s performance is spectacular and focused. We truly believe Woyzeck is the unlikely hero and the unfortunate victim of circumstance and poverty. His grounded and honest portrayal is very real in a strange and bizarre context…

It seems to me that Yashchin has poured all her ideas into this one story… and it seems to me that her epic style needs a large space, a large budget and a big play. There is nothing tender, small or meek about Yashchin’s production of Woyzeck. If you are looking for a saucy, non-top assault of ideas and images and if you know the story and the play already- this is the production for you. I guarantee you will be fascinated by what following a director’s creative “gut” can yield. For me it was such an assault, I sort of turned off… I was being shown lots … lots of big ideas, lots of music- lots of flesh, and sexual writhing- which didn’t do much but distract me. Was that the point?

Please, Someone give Yashchin a huge theatre- and a big text to direct- and a cast of fifty. I reckon she’s got it in her to do grand things- I’m just not sure this was the venue or the text best suited for those ideas to be housed… but I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

A fading August afternoon. Wednesday. I’m in my coat. It’s cold. Hands in gloves. Waiting. Standing in the terrace of Nimrod Street.

It’s been a big day. meeting with directors, potential directors, reading scripts submitted by aspiring playwrights, thinking about the Griffin Award.
I had just finished talking to an emerging writer about the director who is interested in working with her on her script, when I arrived for a coffee at the Tropicana. I ring another playwright. She’s lovely and I tell her I love her script. I’ve been reading for three weeks solid. I have started to get emails from playwrights assuming bad news- I delay them with a kind “not yet”. There have been lists of to-do’s. I’ve been spending all my time thinking about playwrights, producing playwrights, directing, dramaturgy. These thoughts swarm. I am simultaneously inspired and honoured by the hugeness of what I don’t know- what I haven’t seen- what I haven’t read of Australian playwriting. And Australia is only two hundred years or so old- at times like these I’m glad I am not Greek. Three thousand years of catching up of playwriting- sheesh!

What do I know about the Australian Canon? What are the great plays of the Australian repetoir? Who are the playwrights I studied at school? Stephen Sewell, Louis Nowra, Ray Lawler, Louis Esson, George Darrell, David Williamson? What was my impression? What do I remember feeling about it? What remains? There was a sense of the bushland- the land, a sense of England, Australian slang, men on horses, isolation and wilderness. A sense of worthiness. Each felt so irrelevant to me, as a teenager- I was interested in a globalised Australia- I was obsessed with high art.. and I felt that the language was a parody- literature which was trying to emulate a voice which wasn’t mine- a coarse voice- a rural voice. It felt strange. Those plays felt strange… and now on reflection it felt strange because they weren’t written by a young woman- they were written in their time and their place- a time and place that was indeed foreign to me. I felt like we all did celebrating Australia day or the bicentennial- all those mop hats and billy tea and “click goes the shears” songs felt strange. Perhaps because it was so white that history- but also because it was hard to understand what Australia meant to me. Me who didn’t leave the country until I was 24- white, mono-lingual, country-town dwelling me. What was Australia beyond meat pies, holden cars, men swearing and talking football and all the other cliches? It was too difficult to talk about. The plays seemed to reflect that idea of “Australia.” I felt fundamentally disconnected from the idea of Australia- and of the world of these plays.

The problem and the joy of plays is that they are a product of their time- their style, their preoccupations, gender politics, social politics, their genre.. all speak to an audience at a time and a place… all speak of universal themes, attempt to explain or explore fundamental human truths- but all are products of playwrights living in their context. So what is the value of a play? If it is a transient art form- theatre- spontaneous and ephemeral- what is the value of it being kept and preserved and printed? Why force teenagers to read these plays- they have enough to worry about with their own identity let alone having to be embroiled in the stresses of the national identity… Why print? Why record? Why photograph? Why post on a website? What is it in us, that desires to keep the moment? What drives us to document the fragile and insatiable, unrelenting development of art? Why notate?

To pass on. Why do we pass things on? To help theatre develop beyond what it is- and contribute to what it could be- what we aspire to- what is unfinishable.

In plays we find the comfort of history. The reassurance of ideas which confound, support, inspire, deny, caution, horrify us. We are in various states of flux- in love, philosophy and in physical or spiritual growth and plays reflect and balance the questions we are afraid to ask ourselves or are afraid to ask aloud of other.

So on Wednesday, I went to see the launch of john Romeril’s Collection of plays, “Damage, ” Published by Currency Press… i wanted to hear the panel talk on the canon. I wanted to see the man who has contributed a huge amount of time and passion and over 70 plays to the Australian theatre. I wanted to see John McCallum speak on the lost plays- an academic’s perspective. I wanted to hear my peer speak about what it means to her to be writing plays in this landscape- Rebecca Clarke . I wanted to hear Artistic Director Sam Strong speak about new and old plays and programming. Sitting next to Verity Laughton, watching as Deb Oswald and Ned Manning took a seat… Katherine Brisbane, Nick Parsons… I watched as the statesmen of Australian writing and publishing sat and listened.

Romeril spoke and all I can say is I wish all the emerging playwrights I have been reading heard him: he spoke of playwriting as a national treasure, understanding the entertainment industry as a business. He spoke of culture being a living thing- that Australia as a continent has had song and dance on this ground for 60,000 years. We need to not forget that in 1872 there was the creation of mass literacy through the education department… “the myth that we live in a barbarous culture should have been shot out of the water”. He spoke of refusing a commission from the STC, because he didn’t know Sydney enough- and he felt that if was to write for that theatre, he needed to ” be answerable to the citizens in which it operates.” He reminded us that theatre is a live medium, and that you are a live voice… live performance is hugely seductive and a great way to lead your life.” He spoke of the importance of reminding himself of the importance of writing something that felt important summing up “Damages” as “If I only had eight hours to account for Australia- this would be it.” Wow.

McCallum spoke of many things. The importance of plays to be included in rep- not for worthiness sake- but having had the question asked “What’s in it for us?” He spoke of writing for specific theatres and spaces. He reminded us that once upon a time, there was no development for plays, and that often writers were not often in the rehearsal room working with actors (hence some awkward stage directions) He spoke of Suzannah Pritchard who gave up on writing plays her play Brumby Innes became the novel Coonardoo. Without certain theatres (eg La Mama) there would be no John Romeril, no Williamson…

Rebecca Clarke spoke of her need to self educate about Australian plays and playwrights as it is not something taught in Drama Schools (she trained as an actor in Queensland and has since gone onto write plays- “Unspoken” which won the NSW literary Award in playwriting in 2006 and “Belonging” which is one of three shortlisted plays for this year’s QLD premier’s literary Awards).. she spoke of being self taught and self seeking… She spoke of the optimism she has about playwriting collectives- and the support she felt amongst the community of writers.

For me, plays and theatre in general is about being there. Being present. And I am glad I was. I’m glad I got to hear the discussion and learn more from those who have been doing this a lot longer than me.

Afterwards, in the terrace house on Craigend Street- Romeril was munching cheese and juggling a wine glass and conversation with well wishers and colleagues. Finding a slither of a break in the conversation, I said hello, asked him to sign my book and thanked him for being bold- speaking simply and beautifully about writing- about his huge contribution to theatre. I thanked him for having courage. He signed my book, ” Gus: Thanks for attending the launch. I hope you enjoy, JR”

As John McCallum says in his introduction to Damages: ” In the theatre we forget our past at great peril, for without history new writers have to keep reinventing the wheel”… We need our plays printed, read, studied- to know what has lead us here. To keep us in touch with who we are and where we are. We need to be reminded of those who have been before us- find comfort and direction in what they have learnt- or survived. And we need to be reminded that without knowing our context we float aimlessly- without anchor or compass- bumping into ideas and the flotsam and jetsam of cultural iconography and cliches- without knowing why. What’s in it for us? As McCallum would ask- what is a collection of plays got to do with us? What does Esson, Buzo, Hewitt have to do with me, them, those teenagers? It has lead us here to this point on the cultural map- and it’s up to us to guide the ship forward, come what may. And I for one am grateful to have some history in my back pocket.

Unlike the recent debacle with the NSW Premier’s Literary award, there was absolutely no problem for a shortlist to be generated by The Griffin Theatre Company.

A beautiful list of writers and some fascinating plays- a grand mix of established and developing writers- an exquisite cross section:

Elise Hearst The Sea Project
Nathaniel Moncrieff Sleepyhead
Caleb Lewis Clinchfield
Lally Katz Return To Earth
Aiden Fennessy Brutopia
Ross Mueller A Beautiful Gesture
Vanessa Bates Porn Cake
Kit Brookman Close
Tom Holloway Faces Look Ugly
Reg Cribb Damned
Alana Valentine The Sugar House
Raimondo Cortese The Dream Life of Butterflies

I generally don’t like competitions- I think they make people feel like there is some sort of relative value in what they are doing. The fact is, we need all writers, in all shapes and forms and styles and formats… all are valuable… I believe in shortlists. I believe in paying writers. But I don’t believe in awards that say “this writer/script above all else is the best.” So I love the idea of shortlists… they are more useful to me as a director, producer and reader of scripts… gives me a heads up and a point of reference…

AND the great thing about Griffin’s award is this: that the play that wins gets a reading infront of all who turn up… so we can at least hear the play, instead of forever wondering what the play was like. Some, not all awarded plays get productions. I remember feeling strangely disappointed and furious when Timothy Daly told me last year that his Patrick White award-winning play “Man in the Attic” got a premiere in FRANCE but not in AUSTRALIA- where it was written and awarded! Amazing. Stupid. And to me, I am very suspicious of Awards for awards sake- and awards that seem like lip service to writers. Writers want money, sure… but they also want productions. Anyway, rant over… I just wanted to say I think Griffin holding a reading is a valuable thing. Really valuable.

Last night was the opening of Tracy Lett’s August: Osage County – pulitzer Prize winning/tony award winning production which is enjoying a season at the STC. (With a cast of Australians waiting in the wings hoping for a sickness to befall an American perhaps?). I didn’t go to that opening… I decided to reserve the night for the Griffin Award… to listen to what is happening right now in the mind of the new artistic Director Sam Strong- where his taste (along with the distinguished panel of judges) lies and also to perhaps chat with playwrights… Almost everyone else was at August: Osage County.

For me the Griffin Award is a pretty important one. Luckily for the Griffin, their sponsor of the award, PKF (Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers), has an understanding of the value of living culture, and is willing to put some muscle behind their belief. $10,000 is a substantial amount for a writer in this country- and this Award is important- not only for the development of plays, but for the writers themselves, who can buy themselves time or space to write, or to relax after having written an award winning play. It’s fantastic, and I wish everyone who ever felt dissatisfied with or inspired by an Australian play donated $50 to the Griffin- I bet we’d see the results in no time… playwrights need money. Despite popular belief they don’t live off praise and sunshine.

I wish the timing of the award for this year was not on the same night as such a major opening night. I wish Cate, Andrew, Tom, Ralph and all the artistic directors in the city could have been there for the announcement and the reading. I wish that all the reviewers and the judges and the journalists and the literary managers and the key representatives supporting writers and the funding bodies could have been there… in support of Australian playwriting. In support of new plays. In support of doing the thankless and often difficult job of reporting and reflecting on our current history.
Of shaping our culture.

And this may seem a bit strange for me to say, but I think actions speak loudly. If you love theatre- attend it. If you are a writer and want to support new writing in this country, attend new plays. I am absolutely hopeful that one day, artistic directors will get behind the plays they award – be actively engaged with the playwrights who are here. Give them a reason to turn up. Be willing to spare 2 hours to have a play read to them by exquisite actors.

For me, last night was wonderful. I got to see Gillian Jones and Lotte St Clare on stage together. I witnessed the elegant hilarity of Genivieve Hegney and the brilliant characterisations of Damon Herriman, Anthony Phelan and the sturdy masculinity of Andy Rodoreda all give of themselves and their time and imagination to bring the play to life. What a gift… brilliant! Fine Australian actors, all who have worked with the best directors and companies our country has to offer.

I wish that one day, the industry as a whole, would put the playwrights first. And that even if the circus came to town, or if Elvis did a come back tour- that the people who are the taste-makers and cultural leaders decided that it would be inconceivable to overlook our local artistic hero’s.

But perhaps there is the problem of “oh well, its local, i’ll catch it later” or “I’m not and it’s not going anywhere soon- it can wait.” I don’t reckon. I reckon if you don’t use it (engage, care, invest, support) now, you’ll lose it. And that’s why, despite the fact am up to my eyeballs in plays at the moment (I nearly have a shortlist for Brand Spanking New!) that I say- thank you to those who care enough to turn up. I know I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

The Media Release:

Aidan Fennessy’s plays have been produced by Melbourne Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company, Griffin, Playbox, HotHouse Theatre and White Whale Theatre amongst others. His play Chilling and Killing My Annabel Lee, produced by Griffin in 1998, and won the Wal Cherry Award and was short-listed for the Premier’s Literary Awards. His Melbourne International Comedy Festival collaboration, The Trade, won the prestigious 2002 Barry Award. Aidan’s directing credits include Matt Cameron’s Ruby Moon (MTC), Max Gillies and Guy Rundle’s Godzone (MTC), Alan Ayckbourne’s Things We Do For Love (MTC), Ross Mueller’s The Glory (HotHouse), David Mamet’s Oleanna (HotHouse), Robert Reid’s A Mile in Her Shadow (Store Room Theatre Workshop), Ross Mueller’s A Pilot Version of Something To Die For (Store Room Theatre Workshop) and Peter Houghton’s Commercial Farce (Malthouse) amongst others. Aidan was a founding member of Chameleon Theatre, a member of the Artistic Directorate for HotHouse Theatre and Artistic Director of the Store Room Theatre Workshop.

I braced myself for the blinding white north- snow and fur trimmed hoodies. Actors huffing into their hands and rubbing them to keep them warm… Something overly patriotic from the US perhaps?

No.

Instead, the debut play from a young writer DC Moore whose first production stood on it’s feet Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2007. On the opposite side of the world, three years later, ATYP’s Under the Wharf season in conjunction with Raw Hide, houses an intelligent and taut production, crafted by the eye and ear of director Janice Muller.

Previously Muller’s production of A Woman in Berlin enjoyed a season in Berlin, had a brief stint in Sydney at The Old Fitzroy Hotel, and will be at the Malthouse in Melbourne later this year. It was a wonderful production and featured the talents of the very elegant Meredith Penman. This year Muller has assembled a cast of bright and energetic actors (or I think they have assembled her- which still makes them bright to choose a director of her calibre)- to tell this story.

Frank (Matthew Hyde) is a dope-dealing, bible-quoting, fatherless, friendless university drop out, who works in the snack bar of a cinema. Inconvenienced by a punk customer (Johann Walraven), reluctantly promoted at work, reluctantly pursued by his co-workers Chris (Andre Jewson) and Mamta (Kristy Best) and occasionally entwined in the “benefits” of a “friends with benefits” friendship with Emma (Hannah Levien), Frank is an unwilling participant in all aspects of his life.

Though the set is largely reminiscent of a flat-carpetted staff room- the space is constantly transforming – from bar, to bedroom, to front room, to front yard, to storeroom, to carpark- constantly in transition, so the action always seems to be happening in a space which is not mean to feel permanent. It feels like we are in a thoroughfare. Muller has chosen traverse staging, the audience to form each other’s backdrops. Actors create the spaces through a series of red belted cinema barriers- locking off, closing in and defining the location. Complimented by Matt Cox’s lighting design, costumes and set design are simple and emblematic- as they should be. Tom Hogan’s sound design is fun, dark and compliments and drives the action when necessary without being crass or overly prescriptive. This is a play about the ideas, the characters, the words- and at last the design is not overwhelming or trying to shout over the top of the text (as it seems to want to in many other productions I’ve seen recently.)

Most impressive is actually the performances- Frank is beautifully balanced by the dark and stormy performance Matthew Hyde creates. Frank is somehow likeable and we just want him to wake up to himself, fall in love, change his opinions, resolve all his anger- we hate what he thinks and what he says- but we see potential in him for change- and THAT is a remarkable thing. In the same way we like Emma, with her questionable morality, perhaps it’s her loyalty toFrank which is so attractive… or perhaps because she’s smarter than she looks and that exposes our own prejudices? We or course like Mamta- though she is not perfect- and a little too much at times but endearingly so and Chris is a hopeless romantic- but he is loveable and likeable not because of tragic unrequited love but because of his sense of self protection in his final scenes… All characters are beautifully flawed and surprisingly likeable: and for this play to really work- they have to be. And this cast have managed to engage with their characters from a non-judgemental stand point and in an open way, portraying them generously and simply. There is no one villain- as villain is is everyone, yet everyone is “normal.” It is this normal-ness which I the truly frightening aspect of the play.

Frank’s power comes from words- his actions are impotent- but it is his words- and the thoughts that support them that are frightening and violent beyond belief.

This is a production that is best discovered, not through reading plot synopsis or scouring reviews- but as a piece of live, spontaneous storytelling. It is an accessible and well crafted production and this is certainly the case – that knowing what the play is about, won’t attract you to it- but if you’ve seen it, you’ll be very glad you made the effort, took a punt and was open to seeing something you had no expectations of.

In spite of the fact that Muller’s directors note says this is a “specifically very British” play- I disagree. Having been brought up in a country town with a large population of people of Indian decent- I know for a fact, the insidiousness of the ideas in this story. I think Australia understands and confronts the issues in this play every day (if not every election when the issue of asylum seekers is raised)- we are tribal territorial in our politics and treatment of people and known internationally as racists in the face of the recent treatment of Indian students. This is not a play of elsewhere- it is closer to home than we would care to think or wish to acknowledge. Unfortunately relevant, and timely and this adds to the power of the play.

Unfortunately there are dramaturgical problems with the play (what happens to the character of Adam, for example?) and it could have done with another draft and those writerly problems will not inhibit the experience of the play- the play is not by any stretch perfectly written. But the directing is sleek, the performances are refreshingly tender and utterly unpretentious and the ideas meaty, horrifying and pertinent. It is a brave and at times very funny production and I recommend you check it out.

Fresh out of Drama school, fresh in Sydney. Bright eyed and bushy tailed- four directors (Fiona Hallenan-Barker, Justine Campbell, Marcel Dorney and Travis Green) embark on a Directing Collaborative, pool resources and vision for the challenge of producing Howard Barker’s The Possibilities at the freshly revived Sidetrack Theatre.

Ten vignettes- or scenes on the theme of war, terror, tyranny, politics in all its manifestations are played by an ensemble of predominantly Sydney-based actors (Jacinta Acevski, Jonathan Brand, Ray Chong Nee, Errol Henderson, Sophie Kelly, Brynn Loosemore, Gabrielle Swathorne, Jane E Seymour). The Possibilities (written in 1986) is a study of human behaviour in extreme circumstances that begs the question “what would you do? How would you react? Under what pressure would you defy morality? How steadfast are you in who you are and what you know of yourself?” They are interesting questions and it is easy to see why so many are fascinated by and enjoy being challenged by these questions.

Charmingly, the foyer of Sidetrack is decked out as a house of yesteryear by the designers billed in the press release as “two of Melbourne’s youngest and most brilliant” designers, Chloe Greaves and David Samuel. Lace curtains, vinyl records, tea sets and a comfy armchair and a plate of iced vo-vos add to the charm. (Of course I’m not sure post-opening if the lamingtons will still be on display…)

Upon entering the space, an opaque plastic curtain hangs a few metres forward of the back wall. Meat hooks on chains gleam as they hang from the ceiling. It’s a beautiful set. Not what I expected from my experience of the foyer. There is a slickness about the design- the costumes are beautifully made and the set is other worldly- nearly futuristic and unsettling- it feels far from the “home” of the foyer. And that idea is really fascinating… a heightened sense of home and comfort contrasted with a sci-fi/post apocalyptic world. There is no doubt about it- the production values are high- this is a slickly produced piece of theatre.

At moments throughout the performance, a bright light shines into the audience’s eyes- and the actors stop and look up… for a while I didn’t get it- as they didn’t always seem to lead anywhere. And then I realised. It was a directorial choice to acknowledge the air-traffic over the theatre by amplifying and drawing attention to it. For me, this was really distracting and somewhat baffling. Those that know Marrickville, who know Sidetrack, understand and general ignore the air traffic… this generally slowed down the pace of the scenes and interrupted my train of thought- I soon became fatigued and irritated by light being shone into my eyes… the production got sacrificed for a gag.

The scenarios are numerous, the premise of each very engaging, though, unfortunately this production of The Possibilities is missing something or maybe I missed something. I felt largely like I was watching a drama school showcase- where the choice of play was about showing skills- or showcasing – not necessarily connecting. I search the media release and the programme. The directors notes are written using the metaphor of cooking- which baffles me. What has cooking got to do with morality? I was hoping for some clue into how the directors worked together, why they selected the play for us… I looked for the reason why these directors had banded together- what is it about each others work that inspires them.

For those who saw Theatre Forward’s (NIDA’s Directing Graduates who graduated in 2008) similar project last year “The Sneeze” – you may find it an interesting comparison and contrast to this, the VCA graduates collective for The Possibilities. The Sneeze showed each director’s style and sensibility – there was a sense of “equal but different” and each director chose a piece from Chekov and presented it with their spin/style. By contrast, I’m not sure who directed what- who’s style I was looking at- who’s vision this is. Theatre Forward have a sense of “Theatre of Catatstrphy” about it too the “agree to disagree- a a right not to like each other’s work”- but not in an alienating way. I’m not really sure what to make of this collective – if this is an ongoing collective or collaboration, what the aims or manifesto is… who is it for and wht it aims to achieve. Is this an experiment? Or is this the directors bringing the mountain to the prophet (IE VCA Melbourne talent to the Sydney Industry).

Strangely I also felt the style of presentation was very alienating- I feel a strange lacking of compassion or empathy for anyone- any of the characters- I was supremely distracted by the form and the style and so much so I lost the humanity altogether. I found it difficult to follow the stories as the characters seemed humourless- again the media release warns me of Barker’s caustic wit. I found the writing to be glib and at times dull. Was this Barker’s point? Or was this the doing of the directors? I’m not sure.

I guess I didn’t get it. (was that the aim?) I didn’t connect to the work. (Was I meant to?) I guess I am philosophically naieve or ill-suited to this type of theatre. It’s probably my failure to understand. After all I am no scholar on Barker and my thesis was not on The Catastrohic theatre. I’m pretty simple, I guess, I come from a belief that theatre is about offering a thought, message, idea, experience to an audience. I believe that making theatre is an act of generosity. I don’t agree with the aloof and nihilistic viewpoint that “there is no message.” I believe that there is always a message- even if that message is one of nihilism. For me to be moved, transformed, enlightened, or even engaged I look for theatre that has a heart… that is more than an intellectual exercise… and I guess because of that, I generally felt shut out from this production. There were two glimpses where I felt I was let into the world of Barker and the directors collective- where I felt the tragedy- or I feared for the future- and they were scenes connected with Ray Chong Nee- the book seller and as God- which I found really engaging and compelling… other than that, I felt like there was alot of stuff going on- and I didn’t really understand. So I must honestly declare, I didn’t get it.