Posted by admin, May 10th, 2012
I thought I would use my opportunity to contribute to the PLWA blog, to perhaps shed some light on the process of creating a new work.
I often have a really hard time explaining to people what I actually do when I get together with my buddies to devise a show. ‘What’s devising?’ they say and I think they have visions of me sitting in the hustle and bustle of an office, maybe the open plan newsroom of Lois Lane’s The Daily Planet, continually tearing pieces of paper out of my typewriter and balling it up before throwing it in the overflowing waste paper basket beside my desk, beads of sweat gathering on my forehead as my director walks by and says ‘you gonna reach that deadline, Daff? The company is counting on you!’ But, in reality when you work with Side Pony Productions, it’s way better than that. We wear silly costumes and even sillier wigs, draw all over A3 paper in Sharpie texta and drink an alarming amount of Diet Coke. Confused? Yeah I fear I lost you when I mentioned Lois Lane, so with the help of PLWA, I’m just going to show you through pictures what happened when Zoe Pepper (director and our fearless leader), Tim Watts (idiot extraordinaire) Eden Falk (our new recruit) and me, Adriane Daff (self confessed Diet Coke addict) got together for two and a half weeks to devise our new show, Wives of Hemingway…
Photos by Sarah Rowbottam
Image #1 This is me, playing one of our characters, Catherine. This picture is a great example of me adopting the ‘silly wig’ part of the devising process. I like this part very much because I get to see what I would look like with a different haircut and wearing a wig makes us all act like completely different, completely weird people. I honestly think this is the basic principle that all fancy dress parties rely on and it works a treat.
Image #2 Here’s me again (as Catherine) and Tim Watts (as Wilson). We are on our honeymoon and in this improvisation you can see us clearly acting ‘very much in love’. Improvisation is a really important part of our process and Zoe is one of those great directors that will let us go on for (sometimes) hours in an improvisation if we are on a particularly good streak. Improvising with Tim is also especially wonderful because he is always willing to go to very, very bizarre places with me that defy all reason and logic (and normally never make it into the final show.)
Image #3 Now, here’s Eden playing Helen. We play around with gender in Wives of Hemingway so male actors can play females and vice versa. This ends up being quite an important performance element of the show and this photo is a good example of Eden playing his best lady, whilst also finding the time to look fine in a dress and wig!
Image #4 Oh yes, this is definitely me trying not to laugh. I have all different ways to stop myself corpsing (a terrible habit of mine) here it looks as though I’m trying to push the smile off of my face. It’s kind of working a bit I guess? I blame Tim. I remember during this process driving home from rehearsals, crying with laughter in my car over some of the things he had said in improvisations that day and attracting all sorts of strange looks from people. I’m pretty sure I even cried from laughter in the rehearsal that these photos are from; my body gets so confused that I just start crying! Eden seems to have more control than me, I could learn a thing or two from him, believe me…
Image #5 But it’s not all silliness and in-jokes and me getting hysterical, I assure you. A lot research and reading happened before we even got into the rehearsal room and we sat down for a while with our big bits of paper and textas and plotted out exactly what we wanted to have happen, based on the conversations we had and the direction our improvisations were going in. Here it looks like we are trying to figure out how to bring one of those plot points to life.
Image #6 Side Pony have never done a work about a real life person, let alone one who carries such a tremendous amount of fame and legacy as Mr. Ernest Hemingway. He led such a wild life filled to the brim with so many of the things that make for great theatre, so even though it seemed a big challenge we couldn’t resist having a crack. I think we spent about half of one day feeling a bit nervous about what we were ‘saying’ about Hemingway until we threw all those feelings away and remembered that we were setting out to make a great piece of entertaining theatre and not a biopic. That certainly made it a lot easier to be so irreverent and really set us free to do whatever we liked.
Image #7 Playing around with hunting (which Hemingway loved so much) gave us lots of interesting things to think about thematically but it was also just really fun to pretend to be on safari. We had some great guns made for us by Nathan Nisbet and we also used them in our first photo shoot for the show, snapped by the very talented David Collins. We like to use them every chance we can get during rehearsal but it looks like Tim missed out on this occasion. There’s one gun that has a gold barrel and the three of us always fight over who gets to use that one. Very mature. Zoe, wisely, always manages to stay out of it.
Image #8 So there you go…a visual explanation of sorts of devising the Side Pony way. I hope some things were made clear and I’m sure lots of things remain shrouded in mystery, or maybe just plain old disbelief. Thanks for reading and we all really look forward to bringing Wives of Hemingway to a stage near you very soon!
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Adriane Daff Performer
Adriane Daff completed a BA in Theatre Arts at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2004. It was during her time at WAPPA that she first met Zoe Pepper and worked with her in 2005 on the devised production of Motor City Blues. After a successful Perth season this show was renamed Motor City Blues and was performed as a part of the Adelaide Fringe festival in 2006. From this point on Adriane has continued to work with Side Pony Productions on a variety of shows such as Scarecrow (winner of the Blue Room Judge’s Choice award in 2006), The Manic Pony and most recently, The Pride (winner of the Blue Room member’s award and Blue Room Judge’s choice in 2010). After it’s season at the Blue Room in 2009, The Pride was performed at Brisbane’s Under the Radar festival and as a part of Perth Theatre Company’s season in 2010. Adriane is currently co-writing the Guess Who Project with Zoe.
Posted by admin, May 8th, 2012
This month Sensorium Theatre launch into their 2012 tour of The Jub Jub Tree. Thirty six students at Malibu School in Safety Bay are the first to enjoy an active residency and performance by the company before they go on to schools in Coolbinia, Kalamunda and Kenwick.
In the lead up to each school residency the team – Michelle Hovane, Rachael Riggs, Francis Italiano and Rebecca Bradley, have been giving teachers a crash course in sensory theatre.
Last week 50 teachers from Sir David Brand School in Coolbinia experienced a sensory walk involving blindfolds, talcum powder, fur and paddling in bare feet. Whilst some teachers found the experience challenging they all agreed that The Jub Jub Tree will have an enormous impact on the children.
To follow the tour visit Sensorium Theatre blog.
Photos: Sarah Rowbottam
Posted by admin, April 26th, 2012
Perth Director Zoe Pepper is currently in creative lock down developing Side Pony Productions new work The Wives of Hemingway. Along with fellow raconteurs Tim Watts (Alvin Sputnik), Adriane Daff (The Pride) and Eden Falk (POST) the Side Pony team will be holding a public rehearsal of this exciting new work on Saturday 28 April at the Midland Arts Junction.
Performing Lines WA recently had a chat with Zoe to find out more.
Words: Tom Cramond (PLWA) and Zoe Pepper (ZP)
Images: David Collins, Sarah Rowbottam and Adriene Daff
PLWA. We are very exciting to be working with you on the first stage development of The Wives of Hemingway. Can you give me a brief rundown of your thoughts behind this new work?
ZP. At the outset we wanted to make a play about some of Ernest Hemingway’s dramatic marriages that ended rather spectacularly.
PLWA. Ernest Hemingway is somewhat of a polarising character in popular literature, as to is his personal life. Have you always been attracted to his work? And what sort of research has gone into its creation so far?
ZP. Hemingway is pretty new for me. It was a little overwhelming the amount of reading that could be done in preparation for this project. I waded through a fair old chunk of it but things are getting pretty abstracted in the rehearsal room.
PLWA. I absolutely adore the promotional images taken by David Collins. What were the inspirations behind the images and how did they come about?
ZP. I wanted the promo images to capture the overt theatricality of the show, I think they do that pretty well.
PLWA. The whole concept of a ‘theatre development’ is something many readers may not be familiar with. Can you give a brief rundown of why you are undertaking this process and what exactly goes on during the workshop?
ZP. This development is really to figure out what the show is about. The way I work is a little risky, we started the development with what we know about Hemingway from research but knowing that we really didn’t want to attempt any kind of legitimate biography.
We do extended improvisations to generate characters and then try to figure out the narrative around the characters.
PLWA. Working with Sydney performer Eden Hill (POST) must be an exciting development, how did this collaboration begin? And what are you hoping his involvement will bring to the development?
ZP. It’s exciting to be working with someone new on this project, to have a fresh perspective in the rehearsal room. I’d seen Eden perform in Sydney and remembered him from WAAPA and asked him to get involved with the project.
PLWA. 2012 marks almost six years since Side Pony Productions first work Motor City Blues. Looking back on the company’s development, what are the key moments that have stood out for you in the maturation of your company?
ZP. I think this year is actually the eighth year for Side Pony and that’s a pretty tough question. The Manic Pony is a show that I’m still really proud of, it was great fun and really cemented a style that has carried through into all my shows. When PTC picked up The Pride for a second season, that was a significant moment for the company that validated what Side Pony had been working away at independently for so long.
PLWA. And lastly, what else do you have cooking in 2012?
ZP. Later this year Adriane and I are going to keep working on The Castle of Good Will, an interactive audio work which we started last year and also I’m off to study film directing for the second half of the year.
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The Wives of Hemingway
Open Rehearsals
12 – 2pm Saturday 28 April 2012
Midland Junction Arts Centre
276 Great Eastern Highway (corner Cale St)
No RSVP, invitation or ticket required!
Posted by admin, April 2nd, 2012
On April 19, celebrated West Australian choreographer Claudia Alessi, Company Complesso and STRUT dance are presenting the first independent dance work to be staged in the Studio Underground at The State Theatre Centre of WA. Entitled In This, Alessi explores the online world of communications and its implications for six strangers living in close proximity to each other.
Earlier this week Performing Lines WA asked Claudia some questions about her upcoming work.
Words: Tom Cramond (PLWA) and Claudia Alessi (CA)
Images: Emma Fishwick, JUMP mentee
PLWA. What are your inspirations and influences that have lead you create this work?
CA. What triggered the initial thoughts and inspiration regarding the work and what really drives the work now is the notion or comment that ‘we live in such a technologically laden world.’ This is merely a comment and not a judgement, as I personally could not live with out it. I’m not for one moment trying to be didactic with this presentation either just matter of fact. What I have observed and what’s driven my research into the wee hours of the morning over the past few months is how the Internet is affecting us both positively and negatively. How our Social behaviours have changed and are continuing to shift and morph. How our children even over the past 5 years have seen an expediential shift in technology and its use in their education, at home and even in the family car. Some of the more in-depth research coming out of the US indicates that we are more isolated despite globalisation and whilst we are seemingly so connected we isolate ourselves with our obsessive interaction with the latest smart phone, ipad and choice of gadget we may have. I’m looking at how even tough we seem more connected via technology that’s the very thing that separates us and makes us more isolated from each other.
PLWA. In This explores the dynamics between online and offline relationships, is the rise and rise of online communication something you have tackled in previous works before, or is this a completely new set of parameters for you?
CA. It’s completely new territory for me and for the Collective, and we’re all embracing the research and the physicalisation of it openly. I’ve become interested in the advantages and disadvantages of online life as more is published and openly discussed.
PLWA. How does the intense physicality of your choreography work against online communication – a medium by definition devoid of physical contact?
CA. Contemporary Dance being an abstract form of performance lends itself to open interpretation for the audience. What we have tried to establish is physicality and contact that’s void of emotional content when necessary, then juxtaposing that with occasional connected contact. So far the work isolates between scenes that are movement driven and others that are theatre driven void of text.
PLWA.Your new show is the first is the contemporary dance work to be staged in The Studio Underground at the State Theatre Centre, how did this opportunity arise for yourself and STRUT Dance?
CA. Getting the work into the STC has been a long and arduous planning exercise. When a portion of Australia Council funding fell through in 2011 I thought I was going to miss out on the opportunity. Fortunately along came STRUT willing to Co Produce as part of their yearly program the work and here we are. Being the ‘first dance production into the space’ isn’t the most important element to me. What is important is that we are presenting dance in a new venue on a new platform that carries with it the excitement of a new and interestingly designed space in Perth and the prestige of the State Theatre Centre as a new venue for Contemporary dance.
PLWA.Has working in the studio Underground presented any unique challenges to your choreography? Or have the technical abilities of the space allowed you to push the creative envelope further than other venues may allow?
CA. I initially wanted the work to be presented in the Studio Underground because of the set I had designed and the point of view I wanted the audience to have on the work. Upon viewing the first brochure the STC published I noted the ability to shift the seating configuration into the three sections I was hoping for. After some careful negotiations we have arrived at my desired plan and one and all are happy. Any venue has it’s challenges and we aren’t in there until bump in on 13th April, by that first day we will discover any difficulties but until then it’s all smooth sailing. Don’t know what Mia Holton our Videographer or Jon Davey our lighting designer will say about that though…
PLWA.In This is the first show for your new production company, Company Complesso. What inspired you to create your new company? And where do you see your new company fitting into the Perth dance scene?
CA. The company is about establishing a collection and collective of like-minded people whom make-work in a whole and integrated manner. Complesso is an Italian word meaning complex and complicated yet whole. I don’t see the complex aspect to its meaning as negative but quite positive in so far as it allows more than dance to be presented under its banner. I’m also interested in continuing my work regionally with in communities as well as presentation on professional platforms and hope it acts as a safe place for performing arts discovery and creation of interesting and diverse work. I feel that by being able to do this contemporary dance along side physical theatre will become more accessible and popular to our mainstream audience for Perth.
PLWA.After this work is complete, what’s next for you and your company?
CA. There is always another work in the pipeline, so more funding applications and more personal saving to do, but for the immediate future post show I will be choreographing on an indigenous dance group based in Carnarvon called Pundara. I will be including the Company work practise into the project and again later in the year in Broome where I’m preparing a large scale community project for Shinji Matsuri Festival. Then my partner and I are renovating our space and I have a baby due early September…eek…
Claudia Alessi
Claudia’s diverse career spans across 25 years. She’s lectured, choreographed, directed and produced for WAAPA, Perth Festival and other festivals and events throughout WA, Melbourne Theatre Co and Theatre Kimberly. Claudia has toured nationally and internationally with companies, including Chrissie Parrott, Sydney Theatre Co, Plasticien Volants of France, Black Swan Theatre Co, Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, Legs on the Wall, ADT.
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In This
Wed 18 – Sat 21 April 2012
Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA William St Northbirdge
All shows 7:30pm
Tickets $36 full, $28 concession/members
www.bocsticketing.com.au or (08) 9484 1133
Presented by STRUT Dance and Company Complesso
Created by: Claudia Alessi
Performed by: Sete Tele, Kathryn Puie, Brooke Leeder, Laura Boynes, Russell Leonard, Tyrone Robinson
Lighting Design and Set Consultant: Jon Davey
Dramaturge: Jo Pollitt
Vigeographer: Mia Holton
Sound Designer: Geoff Baker
Posted by admin, January 18th, 2012
Sally Richardson is one of those all-round amazing ladies. She writes and directs her own projects, produces large-scale arts events and recieves countless awards for her efforts, including a 2009 Helpmann for Best Presentation for Children for The Promise. This week I talked to Sally about her new work standing bird, a dance/theatre/film performance happening at PICA as part of The Blue Room Theatre Summer Nights and Fringe World. Performed by Jacqui Claus, standing bird explores a woman’s encounter with the Australian landscape – an experience of submersion, dislocation, isolation and transformation.
Pictured: Jacqui Claus, rehearsal for standing bird (2012) Photo: Ashley de Prazer
Words: Sally Richardson (SR) and Sarah Rowbottam (PLWA)
PLWA. First up, briefly tell me about yourself.
SR. I am a mother, an artist, and a creative arts worker and facilitator. I was born in Melbourne but grew up in WA. My creative practice is based in WA but I have worked regularly in the performing arts across Australia since 1993. I am passionate about exploring who we are and our relationship to this place and space. What is the story we wish to tell, and the various ways we can tell it.
PLWA. What is the story behind creating standing bird?
SR. The story or narrative for the work is simple. It follows a woman’s journey through the Australian landscape from the sea into the interior, the heart – It is a journey of the self. These environments are territories of the emotions and represent aspects of her life, fragments of experiences, punctuated by ‘abruptions’ or crisis that instigate metamorphosis and transformation. Visibly she moves from a contemporary urban superficial image of a standing bird, into the empowered animal that is the timeless spirit bird, her self.
The work is in four distinct and discreet sections; Shipwrecked, Beach, Swamp & Bird – they are the movements of a score, chapters in a book or single portraits, if you like. The spaces in between are the practical and perfunctory set up preparations made visible to the audience. We move lights, equipment and the performer changes costume, giving the audience the opportunity to engage both with the ‘character’ and the authentic construction of the performance.
This project has been in evolution for several years, and we have undertaken a number of developments exploring key themes, narratives, and forms to find the synthesis that represents the spartan and essentialist version that has become the current standing bird.
These developments have explored multiple physical languages working with different forms of choreographic practice and methodology, theatre and performance making (inc puppetry), live music, sound and vision design. (early workshop footage can be viewed on you tube)
Pictured: Shona Erskine, Eliza (2009) Photo: Ashley de Prazer
Over several years we produced and presented several short dance films (Eliza and Standing Bird) and a short dance work (Standing Bird choreographed and performed by Paea Leach) featured as part of Strut’s shortcuts season in 2010. (also on You tube)
The ‘we’ has involved a number of collaborators over this period and these include: Shona Erskine, Paea Leach, Jacob Lehrer, Philip Mitchell, Chrissie Parrott, with Kingsley Reeve, Danielle Micich, Ashley de Prazer continuing throughout the project alongside newer standing bird co-creators Humphrey Bower, Fiona Bruce, Kyle Morrison & Mike Nanning.
Fiona de Garis has been our producer since the projects inception. She is the definition of rock.
PLWA. You have been rehearsing standing bird intensively since Christmas. Take us through one of your favourite rehearsal days thus far.
SR. That’s tricky – each day brings new discoveries, un-coveries, sudden leaps in understanding and realisation. So no single day is more ‘stand out ‘than any other.
PLWA. What do you hope an audience member will take away from standing bird?
SR. To have undertaken a rich emotional and physical journey with the performer that is beautiful, powerful, moving and meaningful. To have experienced a visceral and authentic connection with the performer and her story.
Pictured: Jacqui Claus, rehearsal for standing bird (2012) Photo: Sally Richardson
PLWA. For standing bird you are working with one of my favourite Perth dancers Jacqui Claus. Why did you choose to collaborate with Jacqui?
SR. I have watched and enjoyed Jacqui’s work over a number of years here in WA, and particularly enjoyed her powerful dynamism and compelling physicality as a performer. I wanted to see her have the opportunity to extend her emotional and physical range. To find new layers, a subtlely within the largesse and expansiveness she already offers an audience.
Not just any performer has the physical range, nor can sustain the emotional depth that is required in a full length solo work. Jacqui is ready for a work that demands a great deal of her, more than she has done before.
PLWA. Performing a full length solo dance work seems like a rare opportunity in Perth. What is special about making solo work?
SR. It offers a unique performer and audience relationship. It is intimate, honest and revealing as solo work takes us to core of the human experience of self. It its creation it is intense, demanding, and detailed work.
The relationship between you and the artist is at the core of the work, so there needs to be honest open communication, and genuine collaboration. There is a dance between us as we make the work together. As I said previously it requires an intelligent, committed artist who has a dynamic performance range and stamina.
Pictured: Jacqui Claus, rehearsal for standing bird (2012) Photo: Sally Richardson
PLWA. standing bird is co-created by Danielle Micich, Ashley de Prazer, Jacqui Claus and yourself. How do you negotiate making work when there are so many equal voices? How do you achieve a clear articulation of your combined vision?
SR. In coming in to the process for this presentation of standing bird.. I spent focused time by myself, and then in one on one conversation with a dramaturg I trust.
I feel I came into the rehearsal stage of the project with clear objectives and story boards about what I wanted to explore and potentially achieve. How this is delivered shifts and alters inevitably through the co-creative process – but ultimately I am not asking of my co-creators to tell me what the work is about. So we are working together to explore, develop and realise a core vision. That I have generated.
We also have previous history of collaboration, with some of the team over many years, so there is an inherent trust and already a proven ability to work together.
PLWA. How do you feel about self-funded work?
SR. That it is inevitable at times. Positive – I do get to do it the way I want to. Work at my own pace, in my own way. I don’t have to aquit the production! It puts all kinds of obstacles (and limitations) in place, which can be good (and not so good) You pull a lot of favours – (special thanks to Yirra Yaakin). It has felt really rewarding that this talented and experienced group of artists believe in my work to give of their time (and money) to create this together
PLWA. What advice would you give to young aspiring artist looking to develop their craft?
SR. DO it – don’t wait to be asked (or funded). Practice- really means that. GO and see work, all kinds. Ask people to help you (support, advice, whatever) – they can only say no and most times they don’t
PLWA. What’s the most exciting thing that has happened to you in your career?
Lots on the list – touring your work to major festivals, and internationally, but really? The present moment – Right NOW feels really good – to be in a studio with great people making stuff – nothing better
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standing bird
7 – 10 & 12 Feb 2012
PICA Performance Space
All shows 9.30pm
Tickets: $30* www.fringeworld.com.au
*Save $5 and book early with The Blue Room Theatre (08) 9227 7005 or book online
Presented by The Blue Room Theatre Summer Nights and Sally Richardson in association with PICA
Created by Sally Richardson, Danielle Micich, Ashley de Prazer and Jacqui Claus
with contributions from Paea Leach and Shona Erskine
Sound: Kingsley Reeve with Kyle Morrison
Dramaturgy: Humphrey Bower
Lighting: Mike Nanning
Costume: Fiona Bruce
Producer: Performing Lines WA
