A veteran of Wellington theatre, Sarah Delahunty is an award winning playwright. She has sought out these local productions that sparked her interest and hopes they spark yours too! You can contact Sarah via our Facebook page FACEBOOK.COM/SCENEWGTN
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I SSUE 9 | OC TOBER 2018 Gu ten berg! Th e Mu si c al! | A llgood N e w Zealan d I mpro v Festi v al
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ISSUE 9 OCTOBER 2018
the stage musical genre. Red Scare like to programme both original and liscensed work over the year. And this will be a premiere for our part of the world. I asked director Cassandra Tse and musical director Michael Stebbings about it's attraction for them. Cassandra found the show through a cast recording a friend sent her, which she says was a laugh- out-loud listening experience. Michael was asked to musically direct and warmed to the parody angle. Why Gutenberg, I wonder? Cassandra thinks he fits the mould of Famous Historical Figures. “The sort that often get grand, big- budget biopic fictional treatments. It's more the form they are parodying, than the subject himself. Bud and Doug, the writers, consider Johann Gutenberg to be the most important historical figure ever, despite knowing very little about him.”
GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL! BY ANTHONY KING AND SCOTT BROWN Red Scare Theatre Company Director Cassandra Tse Musical Director Michael Stebbings Newtown Community and Cultural Centre Thurs 4 – Sat 6 October 7:30pm and Tues 9 – Sat 13 October 7:30pm TICKETS: $25.05/$19.45 (includes fees) BOOKINGS: Eventfinda
So Gutenberg invented mechanical movable type - the first printing press more or less.Famous for his bibles. Well, that's how I'd heard of him. He lived around mid 1400's in Germany. I came across a lot of technical info when googling Gutenberg but it seems luckily that you don't need it to enjoy this show. The musical is actually about two people who have written a musical about him after making the same cursory online search that I did. These two protagonists are pitching their show to some producers who might get it on Broadway. The show-withinthe-show is the story they have invented about Gutenberg. Performed by only the two of them, it's also a send-up of
I ask if this is just light fun or holds some deeper meaning. Both Cassandra and Michael say light fun covers it - or, as Cassandra puts it “inspired silliness.” But also, the passion for the project, the friendship between the two protagonists and their lack of cynicism, fear or rivalry is very appealing. Michael agrees. “ It is mostly just light fun, but I think the relationship we see between Bud and Doug and the passion they have for their work, and for each other's work, is really very inspiring.” “A soul-nourishing change of pace when so many theatre pieces are centred around conflict,” Cassandra adds.
The music is live, performed by a solo pianist. In this case Stephen Clothier, who has worked with them both before and who Michael describes as “ an extremely talented pianist and repetiteur who we are lucky to have”. And the two performers play multiple parts. When asked exactly how many, one actor thought eleven each and the other maybe twelve...So, a lot. All of these characters sing. And some characters are shared by the two actors, plus they switch roles constantly. A big ask. It's Kevin Orlando's tenth musical. Charlie Potter's first she's more used to Shakespeare. Yes, slightly confusingly, the original creators and cast were two men, but Charlie Potter is in fact a woman. Playing Doug as a female. The authors have sanctioned this option, so Red Scare made the casting call open to any genders and cast it based on the best platonic chemistry between them. “The biggest change,” Cassandra tells me, “has been working out which octave for Charlie to sing in as her voice is obviously much higher than the original Doug”. The actors reckon the whole experience has been wonderful. Rehearsals have been “all go go go and we giggle constantly”. They have quickly become friends and help each other stay energised and focussed through the many physical and mental changes involved. Well, musicals have probably made up my best and worst experiences as an audience member. This should be one of the fun ones!
through the voice of a young woman who is living with the aftermath of a tough journey, dealing with a lot of pressure, stress and judgement”. Writer Isaac and director Whetu Silver answered some questions of mine about the play. I first ask Isaac if the script is based solely on personal experience.
NEW ZEALAND IMPROV FESTIVAL Bats Theatre 23 – 27 October 6:30pm, 8:00pm, 9:30pm, 11:00pm Friday only (full programme: nzimprovfestival.co.nz) TICKETS: $20/$15/$14 (Three-show pass $45/$39) BOOKINGS: www.bats.co.nz The New Zealand Improv Festival starts Oct 20th with the NZIF Gala at the Hannah Playhouse. There are also various workshops over the following week - details can be found online. But the main performing action will take place at Bats. I can't hint at the content of this festival. No characters for you to meet in advance, no plot to half-reveal. Or themes to discuss. Improvising is making it up as you go. Creating a new reality every second. As a youth theatre teacher, I have facilitated a lot of improvisation. And the most honest, unexpected and totally right theatrical moments I have experienced have come from this form of performance. Stuff happens that, as a playwright, you know you could never have come up with. At its best, it's close to magic. And not at all easy to do. It's all down to the performer. The festival publicity tells us: “There are no scripts, no lines to remember; only spontaneity and generosity on stage, creating theatre that has never been seen and will never be seen again.” There are a few rules, director and co-producer of the festival Jennifer O'Sullivan tells me, “the most universal being - say yes! Agree with the offer made and add to it.” Actors are also encouraged to be positive, make statements, name each other. “Mostly, rules in improv are to train you out of the instinctual need to keep yourself safe, and to teach you how to make things progress. Once you know the rules and what they're teaching you, you can start breaking them.”
Pretty useful advice for life as well as for improvising. This is the tenth festival. It runs for one week, with seventeen different shows. All of the performances are different, not just because they're improvised but because completely different formats have been created by directors and companies. Though shows will include some pre-determined parameters and audience-provided input. Jennifer sees this audience inclusion as particular to improv - “the sense that what they are experiencing is something unique to that moment, that everyone in the room, including the actors, is as surprised or delighted as they are, and that it would not have happened the same way without their presence. Their responses - their laughter, gasps, rapt silence - lead and shape the performance.” But the actors do rehearse apparently, and are led by a director. Usually starting with a warm-up to connect the improvisors to each other and generate some shared focus. Then, depending on whether it's a general improv workshop or a show-specific rehearsal, some general exercises that work the relevant improv muscles, and then scene work or a show-run. Afterwards they discuss whether the focus of the scene or run was achieved. “There's also often a lot of laughter, since we're constantly surprising each other.”
ALLGOOD BY ISAAC TE REINA Taurima Vibes Ltd Director Whetu Silver Bats Theatre Tues 9 – Sat 13 October 6pm TICKETS: $20/$14 BOOKINGS: www.bats.co.nz Allgood comes to Wellington after being performed at the fourth Atawhai Festival in Auckland. Atawhai has been described as an arts intervention and multi-disciplinary festival with a focus on mental health. Timed to happen during the month of Mental Health Awareness Week, 8th -14th October. Atawhai means to show kindness. One thing the festival offers is an opportunity to create theatre with support and without judgement. Presenters Taurima Vibes, call themselves a cultural change agent. I talked to Borni Te Rongopai Tukiwaho, director and facilitator, about the kaupapa of this project.
Jennifer reckons everyone has the potential to be an improvisor - that many actors have realised this potential without even knowing it. The most useful skills are listening, positivity, trust, and stagecraft. “Being comfortable looking like a twit helps too.”
“We want to extend the message beyond Mental Health Awareness Week; this conversation is a constant,” explains Borni. “Atawhai aims to bridge the gap between those brave enough to speak to their lived experience, and audiences from all walks of life who recognise the need for positive social change and the eradication of stigma.”
A huge range of work is showcased at the New Zealand Improv Festival - comedy, genre parodies, musicals, horror, drama, puppetry, theatre in the dark and more. And performers come from near and far - all around New Zealand, a bunch from across Australia, and then a few special visitors all the way from Chicago, Germany and London. Recent guests came from Japan, Italy, France...
Borni adds: “Our focus overall is to provide spaces where artists have the opportunity to create without judgment, authentically and safely. With the aide of tikanga Ma- ori, our process provides a pliability allowing for authentic voices to be heard in the way they would like to be.”
“It's truly international and word is spreading in the improv community that NZIF is a high quality experience,” Jennifer tells me So, if you haven't seen improvisation in action, it might be time to train yourself out of your instinctual need to keep yourself safe - and say yes!
One of these voices belongs to Isaac Te Reina. Allgood , a work focused on Ma- ori youth suicide prevention, was shortlisted in Playmarket’s b425 competition earlier this year. It challenges audiences with questions around domestic abuse and mental health. The story involves Parekura and old friend Ra, meeting up again one night. Described in publicity as “told
Intially, yes. “But it grew with research into other people's stories and developed into a story that I feel will be able to speak to many people. And it's my way of saying we have to work with what we've got when it comes to mental distress. There's no use in fighting it or hating the dark parts of our lives, it just is what it is, and that's ok. Just learn how to find your way of being all good with it. I guess what I try to do is de-stigmatise stereotypes and get people to buy into what makes us human, connected and allowed to be real and who we truly are with each other.” Whetu Silver continues: “We can't ignore the stats and figures out there, and we need to do our piece to encourage more positive messaging.” Is there a target audience? “Everyone needs this type of messaging, why not?” replies Whetu. “Everyone goes through something in their life that is painful and hard to deal with - love, death, illness … you name it - so let's talk about how we express and process that. We love that our first public sharing is with a theatregoing audience as we can also utilise the magic of theatre to tell our story. And of course we are keen to take this into marae and communities to share with wha-nau. With any and all - whoever is drawn to it.” Isaac adds a final comment. “This piece has been a beautiful experience of engaging with people that have gone through and are going through hardships, and I feel already has helped healing journeys among people who within themselves are not always 'all good'.” Yes, we read and hear about mental health and youth suicide, with particularly tragic statistics around Ma- ori youth. But this is a chance to learn through the words and actions of people living these lives. It's what good theatre to can do - make it real. Widen our understanding and compassion and view of the world. It can make us realise we're not alone. And hopefully this live and personal experience can be part of a catalyst for change. Courageous people have created this show. I reckon we need to see it.
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