Wish, Night Train Productions Pictured: Danielle Micich Photo: Ashley de Prazer

I haven't stopped thinking about it. Now that's got to be the mark of powerful theatre...

Sarah Knight, ABC 720 Perth



Wish

Night Train Productions

About

Wish is intimate, visceral theatre that challenges our notion of what it means to love.

A love story between a man and a gorilla, Wish takes us to the outer limits of language, nature, ethics and love.

JJ, the hearing son of deaf parents, agrees to teach Sign to the mysterious ‘Eliza’. Rescued from a research lab by animal rights activists, she demonstrates a gift for Sign and bonds passionately with her new teacher. JJ and Eliza become increasingly close and finally one night they mate.

Based on the extraordinary novel by leading Australian writer Peter Goldsworthy, Wish is a provocative new work by chamber theatre company Night Train Productions. Award-winning actor and theatre-maker Humphrey Bower plays JJ, joined by dancer-choreographer Danielle Micich as Eliza, with live music by Leon Ewing.

Director Humphrey Bower
Adaptor/ Writer Humphrey Bower
Performers Humphrey Bower and Danielle Micich
Musician Leon Ewing
Lighting Designer Andrew Lake
Movement Danielle Micich
Music Leon Ewing
Producer Performing Lines WA

Performance History
February 2012 
APAM Spotlight, Adelaide Festival Centre, SA
March 2011 The Blue Room Theatre, Perth WA


Biography

Humphrey Bower Director/ Adaptor/ Writer/ Performer
Humphrey is an award-winning actor, writer, director, dramaturg and theatre-maker whose work has been seen across Australia. In the 1980s he was a founding member of the Melbourne ensemble Whistling in the Theatre, and he co-founded Perth independent theatre company Last Seen Imagining in 2001 and Night Train Productions in 2007. He has worked for numerous companies including the MTC, Playbox/Malthouse, State Theatre Company of SA, Black Swan, PTC, Yirra Yaakin, Deckchair, Spare Parts, Thin Ice, Steamworks, Anthill, TheatreWorks and ABC Radio National. He won a Helpmann Award in 2010 for Best Supporting Actor in the MTC’s Richard III, and a Victorian Green Room Award in 2005 for Best Actor (Independent Theatre) in Savage Grace. His production of The Terms and Grammar of Creation won a Green Room Award in 2001 for Best Production (Independent Theatre).

Danielle Micich Performer/ Movement
Danielle is an independent choreographer, director and performer. She performed with Buzz Dance Theatre for five years, toured internationally with SQUINT and was a recipient of an Australia Council Young and Emerging grant. Danielle was the Artistic Director of STEPS for four years and choreographed the Curriculum Council TEE Set Solo. In 2011 she performed inWISH with Humphrey Bower (Nominated for Outstanding Female Performer 2011), choreographed Plan B for Buzz Dance Theatre and Into The Shimmer Heat for Nova Ensemble. She is currently choreographing Barking Gecko’s Driving Into Walls and is the Associate Director for FOOD (2012) a co-production between Force Majeure and Belvoir Street Theatre.

Leon Ewing Music
Leon is a performer, music producer and film director, specialising in producing AV in community, and for performance. His work has received high rotation on JJJ, made the Hottest 100, and won 6 WA Music Industry awards.

Andrew Lake Lighting Designer
Working together since 2000, Andrew Lake has developed a longstanding artistic and collaborative relationship with Sue Peacock. Andrew completed an Associate Diploma in Production and Design and a Bachelor in Performing Arts at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. His studies culminated in a thesis exploring three-dimensional relationships between light, space and the body, an attribute that remains the essence of his current design practice. Andrew has designed with Black Swan Theatre Co., Deckchair Theatre, Last Seen Imagining, Skadada, Steamworks Arts Productions, Perth Theatre Co., Spare Parts Puppet Theatre and Porkchop Production Co. He has had works tour nationally and internationally. Andrew was a finalist for the 2004 Helpmann Awards and the 2006 Green Room Awards.


Reviews

Compelling from its opening scene… a visual and aural feast composed of sign language, speech and poignant song…This profound story is beautifully told… Wish is essential viewing.  ArtsHub

Bower is a born storyteller. His incorporation of sign and spoken language is beautifully clear and fascinating. Micich is compelling as Eliza, her powerful, supple body as expressive as the words her mute character cannot speak. The West Australian

haven’t stopped thinking about it. Now that’s got to be the mark of powerful theatre… ABC 720 Perth



PERFORMANCE DETAILS

Availability 2012 onward

Duration 1hour 45 minutes

Producer contact:
Rachael Whitworth
rachael@performinglineswa.org.au
+61 8 9200 6232


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