Category Archives: Suzy’s 5 Questions

5 Questions with Leah Landau and Rhiannon Newton

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Leah Landau

Leah Landau

Rhiannon Newton: Do you remember the first flicker of an idea for Summer Bone and can you explain it?
Leah Landau: The first flicker of Summer Bone came in an image of a plump, ripe orange hanging from a tree. The weight, colour and abundance of the fruit reminded me of a woman who is constantly pregnant. I bought some oranges and experimented with the weight of the fruit, and then stuffing the orange with another orange. I also buried them. I found there was a type of violence in burying perfectly made natural food. I went back and forth between oranges and improvising in the studio, and Summer Bone was born.

What’s your favourite thing about the work?
I like how each section of the work requires a particular attention. Although the dance is improvised and changes each night, there are some very clear methods and instructions. Some of these instructions are impossible to do, and I enjoy working with the movement complexity that comes from that.

What’s the background of the title Summer Bone?
I wanted a title that insinuated freshness, but had something hard in the middle. Some alternative titles included Mountain Dance, The Prairie, The Harvest or my favourite Womb Salad which thankfully didn’t make the cut.

Any plans for your time in Sydney?
I’ll be catching up with family and friends – and definitely heading to the beach!

Is there something in Summer Bone that you feel like you are, or will be solving, or continuing in your next piece?
Part of my research for Summer Bone was looking at deep time and how the Earth was formed. I created a practice of writing how the universe started in four minutes, then repeating this three times.

I’m interested in how different beginnings form under pressure, and will continue this in my next work, The Space Hour which has its first development in October at Arts House, Melbourne. It’s a group experience/performance that takes place on the journey from Earth to a new planet, re-imagining a third space of performance between now and the future.

Rhiannon Newton

Rhiannon Newton

Leah Landau: When did you first fall in love?
Rhiannon Newton: I think I fall in love a lot – particularly when I’m travelling, but not necessarily with people. I think I fall in love with beautiful, generous, awesome things – things, moments or places that are phenomenal and unexplainable. I don’t know when I first fell in love, I probably should say my boyfriend – I remember loving my cat a lot, I think I almost choked it once because I hugged it so tightly.

What’s one work you wished you made?
If I’d made it I don’t think I would love it so much, but there’s a couple of works that have really stayed with me, even though I saw them years ago the images and feelings from them are still very vivid and visceral. One of them would probably be a work I just saw in Avignon by Eszter Salamon called Monument 0. It was a really intense study of war dances from cultures that have been at war in the past 100 years – it was a quite political work that was still really grounded in dance – I hope it comes to Australia at some point.

What’s the most pleasurable thing about performing Assemblies For One Body?
I think the fact that it’s a very different dance each time I perform it. The work has a strict structure that I meet each night with improvised dancing, so there’s a bit of thrill, or surprise as I go through the work and watch it become something that I can’t really predict. Because there’s a lot of repetition in the work too it can be very gruelling physically, so this openness in the dancing gives me respite and a bit of delight, as well as helping me to make it through the tougher parts.

If you had ten people performing Assemblies For One Body, what would it look like?
I would love to do it with 10 people! To begin with it would be like 10 people dancing really chaotically and then, over the duration of each section it would become gradually more ordered. By the end each of the 10 people would be caught in their own little one second loop of material, traced from the very first dance they did.

What’s the next piece you’re working on?
I am just starting to work on a new solo – I think it might be called Doing Dancing. I’m still working with repetition – it has kind of become an automatic part of how I think about choreography and dancing and the world – but Im trying to approach repetition more as a means of growing something, rather than combatting the ephemerality of dancing. I’m not sure what it will look like yet, but I think where Assemblies For One Body is kind of like a machine this next solo will be more like a plant or a creature.

Leah Landau and Rhiannon Newton are presenting their works in

5 Questions with Nicole Shostak and Philippe Klaus

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Nicole Shostak

Nicole Shostak

Philippe Klaus: Nicole, you do a lot of character voices for cartoons. How does that compare to being a 3D live ‘human’ in the play Flame Peas?
Nicole Shostak: Griffin, our director, describes the play Flame Peas like a live action Simpsons episode and it definitely has that energy to it! Studio recording for animation is super physical so it’s not all that different in that domain. Valencia (my character) has a lot of hilarious punchlines in the play sound like they are straight out of an animation geared for adults. What’s more exciting in the show, is that we have each other and the audience to play off. The audience changes from night to night and playing with their energy is very fun. You don’t get that audience buzz in animation recordings. You can make the sound engineer laugh, and then you know you’re on the money.

Flame Peas sounds more like a recipe than a show. If you had to make a recipe by that name, what would you put in?
Peas, garlic, onion, pesto. Sautee peas for 2 mins in saucepan, then slide peas and onion individually onto a baby wooden skewer. Slowly toast skewer over an open fire (like a marshmallow) until lightly browned. Conveniently there is an open fireplace of sorts at the Old Fitz in the front bar.

Any favourite moments in the show?
The epic Flame Peas (Flame Trees) extravaganza song is a highlight because its so highly improvised and feels fresh every night. I love counting real money on stage; there is such gravity to that action, and I can feel the audience watching me meticulously.

How much does the show change from night to night?
The show really is like a 4 hander! The audience’s presence and responsiveness changes the pace and energy of the show. With a responsive audience, it is like a stand up comedy act with the audience laughing every three or four lines. With a pensive audience, it plays energy can become darker, more absurd, and therefore for us, it has a Pinteresque feel. It is also interesting to see the varying responses from younger and older demographics.

You did some training in Russia. Do we see that influence here in Flame Peas?
Griffin and I both spent time in Russia during WAAPA, so there is definitely a Russian influence in our theatre making. The show is like a series of etudes (studies) in various combinations of the three characters. We talked a lot about keeping the energy light, like bubbly champagne, regardless of the darker reality of these characters. There is a lightness and plasticity in performance we witnessed from Russian actors, so in our shows development, starting with lightness lead us into playfulness and then we could explore a wider range of sensibilities for our characters. We also discussed some secret quotes from Stanislavski’s diary. Finally, there many Chekhovian references in our play, especially from The Seagull.

Philippe Klaus

Philippe Klaus

Nicole Shostak: Philippe, what is a Flame Pea?
Philippe Klaus: It’s a Western Australian flower, and in its plural form, flame peas, it’s also a pun on Flame Trees by Cold Chisel. It’s a very apt title for the show. If you see it you’ll think “that’s so dumb AND smart.”

You’ve worked with some Australian icons like Toni Collette and John Jarratt ; what’s it like reuniting with your WAAPA classmates?
A lot less intimidating. But they were both very nice to me and people are just people no matter how iconic they are. As for going back to WAAPA classmates, it was great because we have a shorthand and don’t offend each other easily.

How has being a writer on Flame Peas changed your perspective on playwrights?
It made me think about how hard writing for other people must be. It’s one thing to write for yourself or for actors you know well but handing it over to a group of strangers who can interpret it any way they like…that’s brave. Playwrights must feel like they’re always putting their babies up for adoption.

What is your character’s dream job? What is your dream job? Are they similar?
My character aspires to being a highbrow composer and he’s deeply narcissistic. I can say that without judgment because I relate to that kind of vanity. My own dreams aren’t very concrete. I want to tell good stories, but I don’t mind what they’re about or what medium it is. I’m not much of a planner.

You play the piano upside down in the show. How does that differ to playing the piano the right side up?
Playing upside down is just like playing the right way up except you can’t see the keys and your range is a little limited. And all the blood rushes to your head. It’s more of a ‘sometime’ activity.

Nicole Shostak and Philippe Klaus are writers and performers for Flame Peas .
Dates: 4 – 15 August, 2015
Venue: The Old Fitz Theatre

5 Questions with Fiona Hallenan-Barker and Benjamin Brockman

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Fiona Hallenan-Barker

Fiona Hallenan-Barker

Benjamin Brockman: Tell me a bit about yourself?
Fiona Hallenan-Barker: My name is Fiona and I’m a theatre-holic… I am a freelance theatre director, part-time theatre programmer, graduate of Theatre Nepean and Victorian College of Arts, dramaturg, producer, teacher, photographer, arts advocate, wife to a classical archaeologist and co-owner of a cavoodle named Kubrick.

How did you come to be here?
I had worked with Mad March Hare a couple of years ago on fantastic project at The Old 505 Theatre called Still by Jane Bodie. My co-director Emma Louise and I have worked together many times before; the latest was when I directed Philip Ridley’s Piranha Heights for the Spare Room. Ridley is a brilliant writer and a very generous artist. Meeting him in London, seeing his work there and talking about his aesthetic, I became an even bigger fan. He has a tremendous body of work: The Pitchfork Disney, The Fastest Clock in the Universe, Vincent River, Mercury Fur, Radiant Vermin, Shivered and so many more plays and films. His kids’ books are tremendous too. So, of course I jumped at the chance to come on-board this beautiful, one-woman show.

In every show that you have done is there a reoccurring item, why?
Oh, the bed thing. Yes, I always seem to work with beds – I also never work with black-outs or clocks on stage (for obvious reasons). Beds are fantastic to work with as they are so meaningful in a range of contexts from domestic, to clinical, to public anonymous spaces. Of the 20 or so productions I have directed, only one or two haven’t had a bed; in the laboratory with actors they provide a safe area for violent, physical exploration as well. When Emma and I started delving into Dark Vanilla Jungle, one of the first things we talked about was having a bed; so, yes, we can guarantee that it will feature in this production too.

If you could pick one song that would form the soundtrack of your life, what would it be, and why?
That’s a good one, like most theatre makers my soundtrack to life is very much about the music used in each show, so it’s a very eclectic mix. In Dark Vanilla Jungle Philip Ridley wrote the lyrics to a beautiful song by Dreamskin Candle called Ladybird Fist. It is a beautiful, gentle Laura Marling-esque type melody with some amazing lyrics that are pure Ridley:

My lovers hands hold me close at night.
….His warm embrace fills my dark with light.
…But I have seen his fist sometimes and that fist is speckled in red
For red is the colour of love he said
Now kiss my ladybird fist, sweet love…

Have a listen on iTunes. Or – even better – come along to the show.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the lowest 10 being the highest) how awesomely easy are you to work with?
Obviously a 10 out of 10, hang on, we haven’t even gone into tech week yet so maybe a 7 at this point. But my dog did eat your shoes in one of our design meetings so that’s at least an 8. Okay, how about 10 out of 10 for the overall project. You know Ben, we have the potential to go all the way to 11 if you will reconsider a revolve, live animals, and some pyro….

Benjamin Brockman

Benjamin Brockman

Fiona Hallenan-Barker: As one of Sydney’s most prolific designers, what have you been working on recently?
Benjamin Brockman: Prolific? Ha, in other words ‘a whore’! To answer this question I had to look at my website (www.benjaminbrockmandesigns.com shameless plug) and I counted that so far I have done 17 shows this year and so it is hard to remember what was when. But recently I lit Great Island at 107 Project on 24 hours’ notice; that was a blast (when in doubt add strobe lights). I then lit Detroit at Darlinghurst Theatre Company which I really enjoyed as I got to play with projection as a light source. Finally, Space Cats about a week ago was a showing of a new cabaret/musical about sexually depraved cats from outer space. Coming up I have The Aliens at the Old Fitz (August), Dark Vanilla Jungle and a tour of Vampire Lesbians Of Sodom to Melbourne.

What is your signature item (and no, it can’t be a gel colour)
What! I can’t pick a colour? Well if I could pick a colour it would be Lee 139 which is Primary Green. I am notorious for trying to sneak green into my shows whereever I can. But since I cannot pick a colour, I have to say I am a really big user and collector of gobos – which are a mixture of metal or glass discs that go in to lights to create texture or images with light. Not many can understand my love of gobos but they just add some much texture to light, giving a heightened sense of movement and a really easy way to give a sense of location. You have an outside scene? Just add cloud gobos!

How do you translate yours and the creative team’s vision of the play into the physical space in Philip Ridley’s world?
This is a hard one. When reading a play often I come up with one image that speaks to me the most and through discussion with other people it helps me to develop the ideas. We then settle on something after hours of arguing and scrunched up paper. I am much better when taking about ideas with others because it helps me to come up with new ones and I also like working with people and directors who are open to discussion from all departments rather than being dictated to on what someone wants. If you have more than one brilliant mind in the room – use them. That then leads to references and then it is just a case of starting to research and start sourcing materials to fill the design that we have come up with. Within budget, of course.

Favourite line from Dark Vanilla Jungle and why?
Page 15 “Where am I now?…The light is so bright. I… I am laying on something cold.” Basically this line inspired me to come up with the design we have created.

What is your Concert of Shame? (ie are you going to shock us all by revealing you have seen Justin Bieber live three times?)
I am a religious watcher of Dance Moms. Each week I tune in to watch little girls get yelled at by Abby Lee Miller – and I love it! I have no shame…

Fiona Hallenan-Barker and Benjamin Brockman’s next show is Dark Vanilla Jungle by Philip Ridley, presenting as part of Sydney Fringe 2015.
Dates: 1 – 12 Sep, 2015
Venue: The Old 505 Theatre

5 Questions with Debora Krizak and Wayne Scott Kermond

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Debora Krizak

Debora Krizak

Wayne Scott Kermond: You have interesting and diverse talents in show business, what do you enjoy most as a performer?
Debora Krizak: I enjoy hearing an audience laugh. I wondered for years what it was that I loved most about being on stage and then I started getting a few comedic roles and there was no doubt in my mind that this is what I wanted to do more of. Life’s too short not to laugh so laugh out loud, peeps. I also love a good spontaneous adlib. We have so many great ad-libbers in Anything Goes. I only wish I got more stage time with Wayne and Todd. That could be dangerous.

How did you get started in this business we call show?
I started out as a young four-year-old at a local suburban dance school in Adelaide. They used to put on amateur concerts and from the age of 11 they put us all around a piano and bashed out “As Long As He Needs Me” from Oliver. I think I might have been the only eleven-year-old there that day that could naturally pick up the melody and remain in tune. So the role was mine. It was a great learning experience. My mum would buy me all the soundtracks and videos and I would just try to mimic them all. I’ve always had a knack for mimicking. My first professional music theatre break came when I was cast in Mel Brooks’ The Producers. I was lucky enough to understudy Ulla and learnt a lot from that experience. Prior to music theatre, I toured the country in rock bands. That’s a book in itself. I saw the big banana, the big pineapple, the big ….the big… Yeah that was a decade of my life I’ll never get back sitting in the back seat of a Tarago van.

You are relatively a tall lady, do you like working alongside short men, or does it bother you they are constantly looking at your boobs.
I’m tall but not as tall as people think. I’m five foot ten. Girls are getting taller thankfully and hopefully more roles will become available to tall women in Australia! The comedy of a tall woman/short man has been around for years and I love working alongside Wayne. Yes he has to look at my boobs but I am juggling them in his face. They have their own spotlight and show. The things we do!

You are living 2 lives, during Anything Goes. Deb the performer, and Deb the wife and mother, how do you juggle the two so successfully.
I’m lucky that I have a wonderful husband who can work from his office at home in Sydney when needed which gives me the flexibility to skip a few school pick ups. I have 7 year old boy/girl twins who are in their second year of school. Touring is harder as the kids are in school and I don’t like up rooting them too much. I usually don’t like locking myself into run of play contracts that open in another city. Short contracts in each city can work as I have an arrangement with the kids school that they can travel with me for four weeks of a term and I home school them. It’s tough and exhausting but I’d rather that than spending too long away from them. As it is we’ve had to spend two weeks apart here in Brissy and it breaks my heart to be missing important things like their athletics carnival and gymnastics concert. Those days are hard. I’m lucky though that when the kids are with me, they will often come to work with me and sit in my dressing room and just take it all in. It helps to know where mum is and have an understanding of what I do so its not so inferior to them. I love being a mum and am also grateful for these extraordinary performing opportunities. I think being a parent gives you a whole different perception on life and a whole new layer as an actor. Gee it’s exhausting being the best version of yourself with both hats on though!

What are your plans for the future, after Anything Goes.
I’m very fortunate to have been offered a short contract in another wonderful show that I’m very excited about. It hasn’t been announced yet so I can’t say what it is but it will be fun. I start the very next day Anything Goes finishes at the opera house! What a year. Three shows back to back. How lucky am I?

Wayne Scott Kermond

Wayne Scott Kermond

Wayne Scott Kermond: You’re from a prominent show biz family, what was your first experience in the theatre?
Debora Krizak: I was first carried onstage for a bow with my parents at the tender age of two-and-a-half weeks old. My first musical appearance was playing a Tap Dancing Sailor in the production of Gypsy at Sydney Her Majesty’s Theatre starring Gloria Dawn and then Toni Lamond.

Where did you learn the art of slapstick and who do you get inspiration from?
Being a fourth generation performer it was passed on to me by my family. My grandfather and his 2 brothers (The Kermond Brothers) were physical comics, hoofers, acrobats, eccentric dancers, they and my Mum and Dad taught me the skills. Also growing up watching other acts and performing with my parents, I was always inspired by the funny guy, like Donald O’Connor, Buster Keating, Abbott & Costello, I learned I could make people laugh by falling over or walking into a door. Particularly for the girls when I was at school. Now I do it for a living.

You are a relatively short man. Do you like working alongside tall women or do they scare you?
When you’re my height everybody is taller than me. I love tall women, I’m married to one, she is a dancer. But as she says to me, it’s all the same lying down.

Do you have a favourite musical comedy performer?
No, as comics, I love and am inspired by Robin Williams, Jerry Lewis, Gene Wilder, Peter Sellers, Lee Evans and Jim Carrey, great physical and verbal comics and more importantly their pathos. They make me laugh and cry.

What’s been the best part of the Anything Goes experience for you so far?
I love playing the role of Moonface Martin, it allows me to perform my love for comedy and more importantly bring back the art of physical comedy to the older generation but more importantly introducing a new generation to the old style of physical comedy. Audiences still love a pie in the face.

Debora Krizak and Wayne Scott Kermond will be appearing in Anything Goes with Opera Australia.
Dates: 5 Sep – 11 Oct, 2015
Venue: Sydney Opera House

5 Questions with Libby Asciak and Erin Clare

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Erin Clare

Erin Clare

Libby Asciak: Do you have any little rituals you do before each performance?
Erin Clare: The great thing about Heathers is its iconic 80’s theme and styling. I really feel like I’m stepping into a different character every time I apply copious amounts of blush to my cheeks, temple and forehead. It’s bizarre, but it really helps to be able to transform into another person visually. The hour call is really the time to exercise the outrageous fashion faux pas about that time and I love it. I like to watch Pat Benatar’s clip “love is a battlefield” because it is a gift to my soul- sometimes if I sit really still I can feel my hair getting frizzier just watching it.

How well did you know the musical Heathers before starting rehearsals?
If there’s anything the fan base of Heathers has taught me- is that if you know Heathers, you absolutely love it. I hadn’t heard of the show before the Hayes announced it, and after hearing the opening track I realised it was something very very special. Anyone who I spoke to raved about the show- and much like the movie; it has serious cult status for very good reason. Before rehearsals I listened to the soundtrack religiously, and of course watched the film, but it really is such a hidden gem that anyone in musical theatre should listen to.

What’s your favourite moment in the show?
In our production, without giving anything away, the incredible Lucy Maunder who plays Heather Chandler has a moment with a set of keys that I am obsessed with. To quote another fan I may have had a borderline “religious experience” at how hilarious it is. Within the show there are a lot of razor sharp moments that switch from belly laughs to tragedy within seconds and I think it is incredibly well written in that regard. One favourite moment for my character is my suicide attempt, which is always so fun to play and leaves me minty fresh for the rest of the show. That makes absolutely no sense unless you come watch so I guess you will just have to buy a ticket now.

If you weren’t cast as Heather Mac who else would you like to play?
I would cut off my limbs to play Martha, what a beautiful role! She truly is the heart of this piece and just so brilliantly delivered by Lauren McKenna. I would also love if it were at all possible to play J.D. His song “Meant To Be Yours” is an amazing roller-coaster of someone so beautifully insane and he has such an amazing part to play within the story. Incidentally I also enjoy a smart trench coat.

If you weren’t in the performing arts industry what would you be doing?
I’ve been so incredibly lucky to be able to know exactly what I wanted to do from a really young age. I think if I wasn’t in the industry I would be complaining to friends and hairdressers about wanting to be in the industry. We are really blessed to be doing what we are doing and part of something really exciting. If not for my aversion to technology I’d love to write a column for an arts publication but I’m still deciphering Windows 98.

Libby Asciak

Libby Asciak

Erin Clare: After learning you had landed the role of Heather Duke, how did you begin to prepare for the role?
Libby Asciak: Before auditioning I had only watched sections of the movie and off-Broadway show so I went back to the movie where it all started to find out what made this movie such a massive hit in the 80’s.

Word on the street is that you make the world’s best rocky road. Do you have any other baking specialities?
I’m not even gonna lie my rocky road is the bomb and I have a lot of pride attached to it haha. I literally throw in all of my favourite things, add some chocolate, add some peanut butter and you cant go wrong! I love cooking but I’m actually not a crazy baker as I cant eat egg which is in so may of the yummy baking recipes.

What is your favourite thing about playing Heather Duke?
I get to play a bitch. I definitely wasn’t a Heather in high school. I loved my music and dance and being in the design studios so that didn’t really make up to be the standard of a Heather sadly. It is so amazing to be able to turn the tables and play the girls who made me feel so insecure and made me feel like I wasn’t enough. Now I can show them how it’s really done!

If you had the choice between a green or red scrunchie, which would you prefer?
I love a red lip which makes me go more towards the red so I can at least match hehe. However, at Westerburg High I don’t think I can live with the pressure of being in control of the red scrunchie.

What is your favourite scene in either the movie or musical and why?
I’m gonna go with the musical and I think my favourite scene is when Heather Chandler pops out of the locker and says the very famous line “F*ck me gently with a chainsaw.” The audience go crazy when Lucy Maunder (Heather Chandler) says it and she plays it so brilliantly.

Libby Asciak and Erin Clare star in Heathers, the musical.
Dates: 16 July – 9 August, 2015
Venue: Hayes Theatre

5 Questions with Samantha Young and Aaron Tsindos

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Samantha Young

Samantha Young

Aaron Tsindos: Where did you come up with the idea for space cats?
Samantha Young: This is where I mention you right? So we were doing The LoveBirds up at Darwin Festival in 2012 (a cabaret written/directed/performed/everythinged by the divine Simone Page Jones) and we decided one lunch break to annoy Simone by putting on a show that was the direct opposite of hers. So we decided cats were the opposite of birds and somehow space was the opposite of love, at least aesthetically. And we all laughed a lot. Anyway, then I just never got over it.

Have you done much work in cabaret and musical theatre?
Yessum, actually not musical theatre because those guys are next level talented. However I’m increasingly passionate about creating cabarets because they sit at the intersecting centre of a lovely venn diagram of theatre, sex, politics and music. I have been writing, directing and performing in cabarets since 2009.

Where did you first meet Aaron and how impressed were you with him?
We met in Adelaide in a self contained apartment the day before LoveBirds rehearsals started. Over the next couple of months I learnt that you; like milkshakes, talk a lot, were realllly into GoT at the time and that was so boring for me, had tight hips and would do almost anything for money. I realised we would be lifelong friends when I paid you $100 to eat a golf ball sized globe of Wasabi and you did it even though we had dancing rehearsals all afternoon. That was a good day for me.

What’s your favourite/ideal cat? Be specific.
I hate cats. I don’t know why I’m making a musical about cats. My ideal cat is a dog.

If you could be any kind of cat what would it be? (The cat can have super powers)
A dog with a pink glittery coat, that could sing like a sweet coloratura soprano and would roam the streets of Rome, busking for my supper.

Aaron Tsindos

Aaron Tsindos

Samantha Young: What was your first impression of me?
Aaron Tsindos: The first time I met you was during a cabaret/musical (Lovebirds) for the Adelaide Fringe. You would often talk of how you would spill food on yourself regularly and I discovered this to be true. One time you offered to pay me $60 to eat a MASSIVE chunk of wasabi – I did it and we have been friends ever since. I also love you and you’re a pretty good friend… I guess….
*Sam’s edit: It was $100 Aaron, I remember because it was $100 from me and $100 from Simone so you were rolling in the fat dollar billz*

What is your honest opinion of wearing metallic lycra bodysuits?
I’ve worn some pretty crazy costumes before. Basically I have no integrity left, so my honest opinion about wearing lycra is… I’m fine with it.

Is your headshot reeeaaallly what you look like?
My headshot is fairly close to what I look like. I’m way better front on. My profile is intense…

All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
I’m not 100% sure where all the lonely people come from. There is a place called Lonesome town where the broken hearts stay. So it might be there? I dunno. Ask Eleanor Rigby.

Why would anyone make a show about cats in space?
I think that there is a space cat in all of us. You have tapped into the zeitgeist of cats, the soul of cats and found a beautiful universe filled with passion and ecstasy. You may just be the only one who is sensitive enough to hear the little space cats in all of us; sometimes they tell me to burn things.

Samantha Young is directing Aaron Tsindos in Brevity Theatre’s Space Cats.
Dates: 25 July, 2015
Venue: Bondi Pavilion Theatre

5 Questions with Claire Lovering and James O’Connell

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Claire Lovering

Claire Lovering

James O’Connell: Who is Claire Lovering?
Claire Lovering: Well, there’s a Claire Lovering in Arizona that plays soccer a lot and tweets about it. There’s a physiotherapist called Claire Lovering who lives in Perth. There’s a Claire Lovering in England, I sometimes get her emails about her son’s Summer Cricket Schedule and last month she organized a clown for his tenth Birthday Party. She seems like a really great Claire Lovering. There’s also an actor called Claire Lovering in Sydney who writes strange answers to questionnaires about herself. I’m the physiotherapist.

Word on the street is that you’re the cast go to for baked goods. What kind of tasty treats have you been whipping up through rehearsals?
Thanks James. That’s correct. I have been baking a lot. I like to make bliss balls, which you’ve named “Clairy Balls”. Cheers for that. I also like to experiment with making these whacky granola bars… I’ll throw in all sorts of crazy ingredients in a pot and then I’ll press it into a tin and fob it off as a slice of sorts. It’s a well-known fact that I’m what Jerry Springer would call “a feeder”.

Tell us about Mazzy Star, Hooters and panic attacks in the condiments aisle?
Ah, you mean how I like to procrastinate by conducting extended improvisations in character? So to “try” heroin, I listened to Mazzy Star (heroin music, apparently) for three hours lying on a furry blanket. It went well, thanks for asking. For a white trash American dining experience we went to Hooters of Parramatta in costume and ate buffalo shrimp and drank Budweiser beers. It went well, thanks for asking. I also did a food shop in character. Sharon is “crazy broke” but that doesn’t stop her from trying to host a barbeque for the neighbours. So I went to Coles in costume with Sharon’s shopping list and set an appropriate budget and went through aisle by aisle putting everything in my trolley for her dinner. By the time I got to the mustards Sharon had no money left and was crouched under the trolley having a panic attack. So yeah, it went well, thanks for asking.

You saw Detroit at the National Theatre in London. Tell us about that and how you then felt being cast in the Australian premiere.
Yes, I saw Detroit back in 2012 when I was in London. I was blown away by the naturalism of Lisa D’Amour’s writing and the detailed complexity of the characters. I also remember thinking that Sharon would be a great role to play. She’s hilarious, a dreamer, an idealist, but also so vulnerable; we meet her at a pivotal time in her life where things could go either way for her. She’s in a dangerous place in her addiction recovery and a danger to herself and others. An opportunity to work on that range of material in one role doesn’t come along for actors all that often. So you can imagine my utter delight that three years after first seeing the production I have the privilege of playing her in the Australian première. No pressure.

Favourite line in the play?
There’s a moment in the play where there’s a silence and then Sharon starts singing “Don’t stop believing” to everyone but she gets the words wrong. I’m enjoying it far too much and expecting a cut back note any day now.

James O'Connell

James O’Connell

Claire Lovering: Your character Kenny talks about Strawberry Shortcake. Do you like biscuits? If so, have you been happy with the selection provided so far?
James O’Connell: When I hear Strawberry Shortcake my mind goes straight to the 80’s toys and cartoons. I think Kenny was a secret Strawberry Shortcake fan and maybe even kept a doll under his bed though he’d never admit it. I love biscuits. I devoured the cast rehearsal allocation and then some. The selection was good – you can’t go wrong with assorted creams, but I’m hoping the in-season selection might step up a bit. Wouldn’t it be great to do a show sponsored by the Byron Bay Cookie Co? More white choc and macadamias than I’d know what do with!

I hear you’ve quit sugar. How’s that going for you?
Great follow up question. My partner and I did the 8-week thing that we kind of turned into a 6.2 week thing. That said, I’m totally off the soft drink and Milo and that’s a big step for me. I was a 30-block full strength kind of guy and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I feel there’s a lot of judgment around soft drink consumption, if you’re struggling with it or embracing it I hear you. No one wants to admit they are a guzzler but all that black gold on the shelves of Coles and Woolies must be going somewhere! And Milo who knew that was full of sugar? I was devastated. In the play Kenny’s grappling to stay off heroin and crack, I’m substituting Coke and Milo.

You have enjoyed many television appearances since graduating from VCA in 2012. Is there a common theme amongst those guest roles?
Stalker, meth cook, shonky mechanic, convict, homeless man and facially disfigured returned soldier. You need it? I got it. I’ve spent a lot of time in make up trucks getting covered in grime. Getting a bit serious for a minute – I never judge a character. I’m interested in that person, what makes them tick and what, if anything, went wrong. Like Sharon says to Mary in Detroit -‘I’m as beautiful on the inside as you’. I love playing people up against it, putting myself in their shoes and understanding what in their lives has landed them where they are. Circumstances we are exposed to and choices we make are the only thing that separates us as people and I think that had I been exposed to the same circumstances and made the same choices I would absolutely be in the same place as the characters I play. I’m all about respect and empathy for people in a hard place. All that aside, I’m really chuffed to be playing the issue free romantic lead heartthrob in Detroit. Um…

How do you make your poached eggs taste “so special”?
Well the trick to poached eggs is a decent slug of vinegar in water that is bubbling but not boiling. That is, you want some small bubbles rising from the bottom, not a full hectic bubble fest on the surface. Create a whirlpool and ease your egg in from a small bowl. The slight movement in the water will better form your eggs and stop them sticking. Also have 50 cent playing in the background, it helps.

If you could have a Milo with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
I met Vanilla Ice on a plane in 1986. Then in 1992 I went on Mimi McPherson’s (Elle’s sister) whale watching boat. I also saw Kevin Rudd having a coffee in Canberra once, we didn’t speak but I’m pretty sure he felt my presence. Anyway what I’m getting at is that the bar is set pretty high. I’m going to have to go with Jesus on this one though – they’re pretty sure he actually lived right? I’ve got a few questions for him and I’d love him to turn some water into Milo for me. Or John Snow, not the actor, like the actual John Snow. Wait, is he dead or alive?

Claire Lovering and James O’Connell will be appearing in Detroit by Lisa D’Amour.
Dates: 17 July – 16 August, 2015
Venue: Eternity Playhouse

5 Questions with Nicola James and Natalie Freeman

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Nicola James

Nicola James

Natalie Freeman: Tell me about Golden Jam Productions, how did that start?
Nicola James: Golden Jam started as a catalyst for me to put on a short play that I wrote last year. So I decided to start an independent theatre company so that I could produce it and get it up. And also going into the future it is something that I want to use to produce new work and great work that hasn’t be done for a while and deserves to be put on. It is also place for me to showcase myself and other emerging actors, to give them an amazing platform to do their work because it is quite hard to get a break in this crazy industry.

Why the Old Fitz?
I’ve seen quite a few shows at the Old Fitz over the years and I think it is an amazing space. And it is a great space for weird and wonderful work because it is attached to a pub and so it has that kind of playful drinking atmosphere which means you can really let loose and play to an appreciative if somewhat boozed crowd.

If you weren’t an actor/producer/director/writer what would you be?
I’ve actually been asked this question a couple of times recently, and it may sound lame, but this is what I would be doing. This is the thing that if you asked me 5 years ago ‘if I could do anything what would I do?’ – this is it. So I’ve already done the things I wouldn’t be doing, and now I’m finally doing that thing that I’ve always wanted to.

What motivates you to act?
The reason I act and the reason I make theatre is because being a human is a challenging and wonderful and hilarious thing and I think that if we don’t take time to look back on that and to share that experience with other people then we are missing the point of life.

For a long time you worked in bars, including managing a bar. So what is your drink of choice? If there is one drink that you could have for the rest of your life what would it be?
One drink to end all drinks? I’m a beer girl, through and through and I’m a beer nerd so I love my craft beer. But in saying that, now that it’s colder I’m drinking a tonne of red wine and I’m back on the whiskey (how apt) but there is nothing better than a straight up, peaty, smokey whiskey – Yum!

Natalie Freeman

Natalie Freeman

Nicola James: So how did you get involved with Golden Jam Productions?
Natalie Freeman: Well, I went to college with Nicola who is the head honcho at Golden Jam. We always wanted to work together but we didn’t get to do that much together while we were studying. We have a lot of things in common, we’re the same age, we’re both really motivated to put on some really interesting work and just get out there post college. We both definitely did not want to be sitting out there waiting for and agent or a casting director to call.

Why these two plays?
We’ll they are certainly challenging and I wanted a challenge. They are both about the extremes, they go to a depth of human desire that I really wanted to explore. There is a lost of lust, and of wanting something more out of life. That feeling of “Is this it?” They’re both beautiful pieces in their own different ways. They are difficult texts that you really have to work at and the there is a real emotional necessity that you need to grab onto as well. So getting into these works is quite visceral, you need to invest your whole body and mind into it. And that’s the kind of theatre I like to do!

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Dark chocolate, chips and Game Of Thrones. There is always some period drama or fantasy that I’ll get into. I like escaping into other worlds.

What would be your dream role?
I think it would probably be Shakespeare, I don’t want to choose one, but it would be one of the female leads. It’s similar to these pieces that we’re doing. It would be a woman that has a lot of power, a lot of lust. I want to be on stage baring that. Also Lady Bracknell would be a lot of fun, I‘m not old enough but I think I could do her voice!

What’s your favourite lunch food?
I don’t know, I love food! Fish and chips? Or getting a BBQ chicken and salad. I think that’s what I’d choose?

Nicola James and Natalie Freeman will be appearing in Like Whiskey On The Breath Of A Drunk You Love / Lunch by Andrew Bovell and Steven Berkoff.
Dates: 21 – 25 July, 2015
Venue: The Old Fitz Theatre

5 Questions with Emily McGowan and Theo Kokkinidis

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Emily McGowan

Emily McGowan

Theo Kokkinidis: What has been your most favorite on stage moment?
Emily McGowan: This would probably be from when I was studying at university. In the final year of my degree, each student got the chance to put on a 20 minute short play of our choosing. It could pretty much be anything under the sun. Now, I have an air about me that says young innocent girl, and I often get cast in roles in that category. I decided to put on an original work all about sex, and how the over sexualisation of society is ruining our ability to have proper functioning relationships, which was a little different from what people were used to seeing me do. Lot’s of strange physical stuff happened during the performance, and I even bit off my co-star’s ear. Which was awesome! I had fake blood oozing down my face for about 5 minutes during the show. I think my favorite on stage moment would be the silence from the audience (who were mostly close friends and family, my grandma too) where people didn’t know how to react.

Do you have a ‘guilty pleasure’ movie, tv show or song that most of your friends wouldn’t know you liked?
Ooh, this is a hard one. And not because I don’t have any guilty pleasure shows, but because I probably have too many to choose just one. I think that in an age where there are so many reality TV shows it’s hard to escape watching them. I used to be so vigilant in not watching them, as I feel it takes jobs away from hard working actors and isn’t exactly promoting engaging or thought provoking, new and exciting material. Instead it just replays the same format of material week after week. However, having said that, there is one reality TV show I have come to love in the past year and I don’t exactly know why. It’s… get ready for it… Dance Moms. There it is, massive cringe moment and you all now know my guilty pleasure.

What has been the best thing about working on The Cherry Orchard production so far?
There have been so many things. But the best part would be working with a group of people who work so hard and do it all for the love of the art. Rehearsing at The Depot Theatre and watching the theatre get built around us is so exciting. I feel like every time we arrive at rehearsal, David (who’s building it all) has made so much progress. It’s come together so quickly. These people love what they do, and do it because they love it. Who wouldn’t be inspired by that?

What do you feel is the most difficult part about working on the text of a Chekhov Play?
Chekhov writes in a very interesting way, where characters seem to repeat themselves quite a lot. Whether it be phrases, thoughts or even words, words are repeated, repeated again and again (see what I did there?). The challenges have ranged from simply learning the lines and remembering what order they come in, to finding the thought behind the line and why my character chooses to repeat some specific phrases.

How do you relax after a long day?
Getting into my pyjamas, making a delicious dinner, and sitting on the couch with my boyfriend.

Theo Kokkinidis

Theo Kokkinidis

Emily McGowan: What is your favorite post late night rehearsal snack?
Theo Kokkinidis: If I have any crackers in the pantry after getting home late, I am eating them without question. If not, then it’s a glass of red wine and a Woody Allen movie to make up for the snack.

What was it that first drew you to The Cherry Orchard and made you want to be involved in this project?
Chekhov’s plays have just attracted me ever since I first read them. There can be very little happening in the scene, but there’s so much going on within the characters and it’s fun to discover and work with that. Also, the fact that this is going to be a new venue is bloody exciting.

What is the thing that’s most similar between yourself and your character Peter Trofimov?
Oh boy, too much. He’s a man with a lot of passion and he sometimes doesn’t know what to do with it. Probably the most similar thing though is that he sometimes talks a lot longer than he should and as a lot of my friends know, that’s something I do often.

Being a Russian play, what do you find to be the hardest Russian word/name to pronounce? Please write it as it’s written and it’s spoken.
To be honest it’s my own name in the play, Peter Trofimov. I had an idea of what it sounded like when I read it before rehearsals started, but my emphasis was wrong. Peter is pronounced Pyeh-tyah and Trofimov is Troh-FEE-moff

What is the most embarrassing moment that you have ever had on stage?
My most embarrassing moment is actually also my most favorite moment on stage. I was a poor man about to give my huge speech to the villain which inevitably leads to his prosecution. It was about a page or two of dialogue, it started well of the first sentence or so, but then I just blanked. I improvised for a few seconds giving the general gist of what I was saying, until I just decided to yell out to my stage partner “What do you think of that!”. He caught on right away and continued on with his lines. The reason it’s also my favorite is because no one in the audience knew I screwed up and my partner was completely connected to me and knew what was going on.

Emily McGowan and Theo Kokkinidis will be appearing in The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov.
Dates: 15 Jul – 1 Aug, 2015
Venue: The Depot Theatre

5 Questions with Marine Grangier and Jamie Collette

Posted in Suzy's 5 Questions by
Marine Grangier

Marine Grangier

Jamie Collette: How did you become involved with this production?
Marine Grangier: I was checking australianstagejobs.com.au because I was about to finish working on my previous production and saw Tom’s audition ad for The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged). I have read about that play before and was so grateful someone was staging it in Sydney that I just emailed Tom to say THANK YOU for doing it while letting him know that if he was looking for a stage manager I’d seriously be willing. Turned out he was and I got on board!

What’s it like stage managing 37 plays at once?
It’s like having severe ADD (attention deficit disorder). One moment I’m putting nail polish on severed (plastic) fingers and the next I’m building sock puppets. I must say I’m quite happy the original performers chose to cut down the number of actors from 1122 to 3 though.

What’s your favorite Shakespeare play and why?
I’d say As You Like It for its shocking modernity and Rosalind’s character. First time I heard her say things like “you may as soon make her that you love believe it, which I warrant she is apter to do than to confess she does” and “Sell when you can, you are not for all markets” I couldn’t believe this was written about 400 years ago. Shakespeare may not have had actresses to play his female roles but he created gold material for actresses nowadays.

What’s the best reason for people to come see The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged)?
You’ll be able to brag about your extensive knowledge of the Bard afterwards and nobody will know you’ve only watched Baz Lurhman’s Romeo + Juliet. “Shakespeare? Yeah I’ve seen all his plays. My favourite? King John of course.”

What’s your favourite Shakespearean insult?
I immediately thought about “Thou art a villain” which cuts through BS and is uttered in our production, but after some research I must say “Thou art a general offence” and “my wife is a hobby horse” score quite high on both horrible and funny scales.

Jamie Collette

Jamie Collette

Marine Grangier: How did you first discover this show and what were your first impressions?
Jamie Collette: I first saw The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged) at the opera house when I was 13, starring Darren Gilshenan, Erik Thompson and Damian Callinan, and I remember it being the most fun audience experience I had ever had. I knew then that I wanted to be in that show some day, and twelve years later here I am.

Which character, out of the 1122 in The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged), do you enjoy playing most in the show and why?
I think my favorite character to play has to be Macbeth, in our authentically Scottish rendition of the Scottish Play. Without too many spoilers, let’s say it involves near indecipherable accents, men in skirts, and a fight scene involving clubs from everyone’s favorite Scottish sport!

Moment of truth, did you find Shakespeare boring at school?
I have to confess, I was a huge Shakespeare nerd from an incredibly young age. I had read almost all the plays before I turned 13, and after seeing the show in 2003, I quickly made sure I read all the rest, even King John and All’s Well That Ends Well (which holds a special place in my heart). One of my life missions is to make Shakespeare and all classical text more accessible and enjoyable for kids.

I’m magically turning into a philanthropic producer who asks you which show you’d like to put on, what do you chose and which role do you shotgun?
I have had a production of Antony And Cleopatra rattling around in my brain for a few years that I’d love to execute, but the role I’d most love to play currently is Edmund from King Lear (for whom my older brother is named.)

What do you think Willy would think if he sat in the Genesian Theatre on July the 11th?
“I can’t believe they brought me back for this /
I ne’er did think that I should be so mock’d /
This play’s my work, yet all is gone amiss /
I tell you now, these actors are all f***’d. /
For never better reason could be found /
T’ Return my rotting corpse unto the ground.”

Marine Grangier will be Stage Managing and Jamie Collette will be appearing in The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
Dates: 11 July – 8 August, 2015
Venue: The Genesian Theatre