QPAC Story Act 2 2016 by Queensland Performing Arts Centre

Queensland Performing Arts Centre

Act 2 2016

Mirror, mirror Story: Act 2, 2016

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For the creative and curious...

P U B L I S H E D A S PA R T O F Q PA C â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S L E A R N S T R AT E G Y

DISCOVER A DARKER SHADE OF SNOW BY HELEN RAZER

COME ON WITH

the rain B Y D AV I D S T R AT TO N

KAZ COOKE

IN PRAISE OF WEIRD

A B O U T Q PAC Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is one of Australia’s leading centres for live performance. Welcoming over 1.3 million visitors to more than 1,500 performances each year, we embrace the best in live performance – the world renowned alongside the emerging, local and new – and connect to the stories and ideas at the heart of each production. Through the warmth and expertise of our staff, we have become a trusted curator, presenter and host; a place to come together to relax, reflect, share stories and celebrate.

OUR VENUES QPAC has four theatres suitable for a range of performance styles: Lyric Theatre (2,000 seats) is designed primarily for opera, ballet and large-scale theatre events such as musicals; Concert Hall (1,600 seats) is a versatile space, designed primarily for orchestra performances and also used for contemporary music, stand-up comedy and presentations; Playhouse (850 seats) is primarily designed for theatre and dance; and Cremorne Theatre (312 seats) is an intimate and versatile black box theatre space.

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C O N TA C T PO Box 3567, South Bank, Qld, 4101 (07) 3840 7444 | qpac.com.au/story ABN: 13 967 571 1218

ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Queensland Performing Arts Trust is a statutory body of the State of Queensland and is partially funded by the Queensland Government: The Honourable Annastacia Palasczuk MP, Premier and Minister for the Arts; Director-General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet: David Stewart.

Story is published by QPAC. Printed in Brisbane, Australia. Contents of Story are subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publication of editorial does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of views or opinions expressed. The publisher does not accept responsibility for statements made by advertisers. All information was correct at time of printing. Story welcomes editorial contributions or comments. They should be sent by email to story@qpac.com.au. Printed July 2016.

Contents THIS EDITION OF STORY IS INSPIRED BY QPACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S JULY TO DECEMBER 2016 PROGRAM.

IN PRAISE OF WEIRD KAZ COOKE

UNCONTAINED GENIUS RITCHIE YORKE

11 MIRROR, MIRROR

HELEN RAZER

27 CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND THE CHALLENGE OF PUBLIC SPACE CARL GRODACH

31 TRANSFIGURED BY THE DANCE ANGELIN PRELJOCAJ

41 BEHIND THE SCENES THE RABBITS

43 LEADER IN EXILE

JUDITH MCLEAN

55 TUNNEL VISION

49 COME ON WITH THE RAIN

DAVID STRATTON

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ON AT QPAC

DESTA CULLEN

EDDIE PERFECT

TO TREND OR NOT TO TREND?

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

In this edition words John Kotzas Chief Executive QPAC

Some days we need to tell ourselves a story just to

Rock journalist Ritchie Yorke chatted with Ben Elton, writer

get out of bed. Sometimes the stories are light, little

of We Will Rock You, about the narratives we weave around

whimsies about how the day might unfold. Other times

music legends and why when it comes to creating a rock

our circumstances are so wretched we need more, some

musical, the story (or the myth depending on who we’re

motivation or fiction as a kind of lever to propel us from

talking about) is as important as the music.

under the covers. Often the specific tone or content of our self-told narrative is whispered away even before the next

In In Praise of Weird, writer and cartoonist Kaz Cooke

task – bathrooming or kitchening. The thing is, that little

harnesses her insightful wit to wave the flag for every one

tale was probably the first of many we’ll tell ourselves as the

of us ever told we didn’t fit in, belong, or seem likeable.

day unfolds.

Inspired by Matilda The Musical, she encourages all of us to implode the myth that strange is bad and points to the

The things we tell ourselves…our own flights of fancy,

wild irony that we too frequently talk about innovation

meditations, fairy tales, religion, belief, myth.

while simultaneously supporting systems that encourage conformity.

In this edition of our own aptly titled Story, one of the most enduring kinds of story looms large - fairy tale. Inspired

In her regular piece, our Scholar in Residence Professor

in large part by our presentation of Ballet Preljocaj’s Snow

Judith McLean continues her exploration of courageous

White, we’ve been talking a lot about fairy tales. Ideas of

leadership in a conversation with Peter Kennedy.

good and evil, darkness, betrayal, magic, witches, charming

Variously considered a hero or heretic, Kennedy’s

princes and passive heroines. And also about how over

controversial dismissal from the Catholic Church was a

centuries, these tales have been read, reinterpreted,

critical plot point in his own story and one that has inspired

subverted and co-opted.

the play St Mary’s in Exile.

As well as fairy tales, across our program over the second

And so, whatever the stories we tell - to ourselves or to

half of 2016 are productions that explore religion,

others - it seems to me we can all benefit from a little more

spirituality, ritual, symbol and morality. What it means

time reflecting on why we’re telling them. With Story, we are

to belong to a community that subscribes to the same

seeking to spark and support conversation about a

narrative as you and what it means to be on the outside,

range of issues connected with our work in the cultural

in exile.

sector and the communities we are part of. In doing so we look for expert and divergent voices who bring insight,

It’s prompted us to ask the question – what are the myths

humour and wisdom. This edition is a wonderful collection

we each live by? In common usage ‘myth’ is too frequently

of these voices.

substituted for ‘lie’. Here, I use myth as the narrative that embodies our beliefs and ways of seeing the world. Writer and commentator Helen Razer looks at how we see the world as it’s reflected by ourselves and others. She focuses her gaze on the practice of looking in the mirror and how from Narcissus to Snow White’s Evil Queen to Kim Kardashian we are prone to either punish or reward those who deem obsessed with their own image.

Story is for the creative and curious. FOR PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE S TO R I E S M AT T E R .

The ideas, people, musings and moments assembled here are an invitation to use art as a lens to know yourself; see others and imagine possible futures.

Contributors CARL GRODACH Carl Grodach is a Senior

D E S TA CULLEN

Lecturer in Urban Planning at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). His

After experiencing her first career

research focuses on the urban

setback at the age of five when

development impacts of

she realised she couldn’t, in fact,

arts organisations, cultural

jump through the TV screen to

industries, and cultural policy.

become Pippi Longstockings’ sassy

He is co-editor of The Politics

sidekick, Desta resolved to spend

of Urban Cultural Policy: Global

her days telling stories. Fiction

Perspectives (Routledge, 2013)

sorted from non-fiction, and with

and co-author of Urban

a fresh journalism degree from the University of Queensland tucked under her arm, she spent a little time dabbling in sideline

Revitalization: Remaking Cities

KAZ COOKE

pursuits (PR, events, marketing), before realising that storytelling

Kaz Cooke is a writer and

isn’t all inverted pyramids,

cartoonist. Her columns currently

grammar rules, or online quizzes.

appear at coach.ninemsn.com.au/

Following six years spent creating

lifecoach. Kaz’s best known books

content for some of Australia’s

include Up the Duff; Kidwrangling;

best lifestyle publications, she took

Girl Stuff: Your Full-On Guide to the

her solo show on the road as a

Teen Years; and Women’s Stuff. Her

freelance writer, editor and digital

children’s picture books are The

content manager.

Terrible Underpants and Wanda Linda Goes Berserk. Girl Stuff for

in a Changing World (Routledge, 2016). His research has been funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Community Trust, and the Government of Canada. Over the past ten years, Grodach has worked with his students to produce a diverse set of urban cultural plans and studies for community organisations and government in Australia and the US.

JUDITH MCLEAN Professor Judith McLean is the Chair in Arts Education, a joint appointment between Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), where she holds the role of Scholar in Residence. Judith’s career is distinguished by her breadth and diversity of

girls aged 8-12 will be released in

experience as an arts educator,

October 2016.

artist and cultural leader across Australia. She is currently a Director on the Board of Tourism and Events Queensland, and leads QUT's executive programs using arts based practices in the corporate and government sectors.

The views expressed in Story are those of the individual authors and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the position of QPAC.

HELEN RAZER Helen Razer was once mildly

STORY TEAM

known for her work with national and local ABC

Story Editor:

radio. Now that the national

Rebecca Lamoin (rebecca.

broadcaster very rarely permits

lamoin@qpac.com.au). |

her to talk in exchange for money, she writes for it instead.

RITCHIE YORKE

Razer’s work currently appears in Crikey, The Saturday Paper, Daily Review, SBS Online, The Big Issue and Frankie. She

Brisbane based Ritchie Yorke

has previously worked as a

is Australia’s most experienced

columnist for The Age and The

contemporary music writer. He

Australian. Her fifth book, A

started out in 1963 writing a weekly

Short History of Stupid, was coauthored in 2014 with Crikey’s

DAV I D S T R AT TO N

political editor, Bernard Keane.

column for TV Week magazine. In 1966, he relocated to London and soon after emigrated to Toronto,

Both of them were surprised

David Stratton is an English-

when they found that a book

Canada. Here he was appointed

Australian film critic and

on the history of rotten thought

the first full time rock writer for

television personality. From 1966

Canada’s national newspaper, The

– 1983, Stratton was Director

Globe and Mail in 1968. He also

of Sydney Film Festival. In

became Canadian editor of Rolling

1980, he was appointed Feature

Stone magazine and of Billboard.

Film Consultant and host for

Yorke wrote several books on the

SBS programs Movie of the

English and Canadian music scenes

love scheduled for release by

Week, Cinema Classics and most

and biographies on Led Zeppelin

Allen & Unwin in November

famously The Movie Show, with

and Van Morrison. Yorke was the

2016. She is a slow but regular

Margaret Pomeranz. In 2004,

senior music writer for The Sunday

runner and an enthusiastic but

the program moved to ABC and

Mail for 20 years (1987-2007).

unproductive gardener.

was renamed to At The Movies. In

could produce a royalty cheque. Keane and Razer have commenced work on a second collaboration on the topic of freedom. Razer has written a miserable non-fiction book on

Story Team Editorial: Professor Judith McLean, Roxanne Hopkins, Emily Philip, Eleanor Price, Sarah Schuiringa, Lauren Sheritt. Digital: Kim Harper, Kate Hardy, Jasmine Ellem, Asiya Muldabayeva. Creative & design: Rumble. Photography: Mindi Cooke, Darren Thomas.

Q PAC

December 2014, it completed a

Yorke returned to his homeland

Chair Chris Freeman

record 28 year run. Stratton has

of Australia in late 1986. Find out

AM | Deputy Chair

also worked as a film critic for

more at ritchieyorke.com

Rhonda White AO

The Australian, America’s Variety and has written for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Bulletin. He’s written numerous books, is a film history lecturer and has served as a member of numerous film critic juries. In 2015, Stratton was awarded Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia at the Australia Day Honours. He is an Honorary Doctor of Letters (University of Sydney and also Macquarie University) and a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters of France.

| Trust Members Kylie Blucher, Simon Gallaher, Sophie Mitchell, Mick Power AM | Executive Staff Chief Executive: John Kotzas. Executive Director – Programming: Ross Cunningham. Executive Director – Marketing and Communications: Roxanne Hopkins. Executive Director – Development: Megan Kair. Executive Director – Corporate Services: Kieron Roost. Executive Director – Patron Services: Jackie Branch.

Briefly N E W S & V I E W S T H AT H AV E B E E N M A K I N G HEADLINES IN THE ARTS WORLD

IS IT EVEN ART IF NOT DONE BY A HUMAN HAND? If we said ‘harmonograph’ you may not know the instrument immediately, but if you’ve visited a museum or the Sciencentre at South Bank, you may have seen one in action. A harmonograph uses pens attached to pendulums which, when activated with a gentle push, generate random movements. The result is the pens, seemingly independently, create a drawing before your eyes. Movement, lines, form - the undulating pendulum sways and creates a piece of art. A flick of the pendulum

SNAPCHAT - THE NEW KID

sets the piece in a new direction. Using technology to create an artwork is not without controversy… should the

Facebook has long been king of social media. It has

technology be credited as artist? Where is the human

acquired, it has made its way onto our phones, into our

element? Is it even art if not done by human hand?

relationships and even into bed. Since its takeover of Instagram, that social media platform has increased its

This year, Google made headlines when its artificial

advertising, changed its sorting algorithm and sought out

intelligence AlphaGo (a super computer) bested the Go

partnerships and sales tools to entice and engage. How

world champion. Go, like Chess, is a game of strategy

authentic is any of it, though? When you search parodies

and also relies on players’ high levels of intuition to

like Boyfriends of Instagram and see what happens to

‘read’ the board and the other player. Until now, artificial

get the perfect shot, it all comes undone. Now a new(er)

intelligence worked on a devised program which, once set,

medium is making waves - Snapchat. No longer just for

was not easily adapted. AlphaGo is different – the machine

teenagers, Snapchat is picking up on what a lot of people

adapted, it interpreted the situation and made changes to

really want - an experience. Facebook and Instagram are

its program. A step forward for technology?

all about capturing data and keeping it. Snapchat is like live performance - ephemeral. Once you view a picture or

Talking of technology, a 3D printer has also been in the

video it disappears…so you had better be paying attention.

news. Academics programmed the computer to read

Enjoy, live in the moment and appreciate a good story.

300 Rembrandt paintings. An algorithm analysed each painting and then set about creating its own masterpiece.

Recently the Tribeca Film Festival partnered with

The result is not an exact replica but a version worthy of

Snapchat to help young filmmakers tell their stories. And

a gallery according to those behind the project named

all they had to have was a phone and the Snapchat app

The Next Rembrandt.

- ‘Audiences’ - that is, you, me and anyone who watched could see some truly great filmmaking, all in the guise that it’s temporary, fun and short. YouTube may still be the pinnacle of online video sharing, but Snapchat is proving itself a worthy app to watch. Especially for those who love a good tale.

HAMILTON MAKING HISTORY Alexander Hamilton. He was once the ‘forgotten’ founding father of America. He was never President but he did set in motion the US economy and founded Wall Street. Now, thanks to a book that was made into a musical, history has its eye firmly on Hamilton. Not many in the industry were surprised when Hamilton was nominated for a record number of Tony Awards. (The musical didn't quite win a record amount but 11 Tonys is nothing to sneer at). But what about when Lin Manuel Miranda (who wrote the musical) won the Pulitzer Prize for the book about making the musical? There are lovers and haters of Hamilton: the lovers will tell you

ANNIVERSARY OF THE BARD'S DEATH

it’s a game changer: a musical about history that uses elements of rap and pop, mixed with ballads and ensemble pieces, a

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the Great

musical that uses colour-blind casting and is the hottest ticket

Bard’s death.

on Broadway. Shakespeare – whoever ‘he’ was, had an indelible impact on The haters will point out that musicals come and go and

the English language, how we tell stories, art, drama and even

this is merely Hamilton’s 'five minutes of fame' and really it

history. His aphorisms are spoken daily, many without us even

hasn’t done much else for anyone. Love it or hate it though,

knowing it, and his name and his writings are still performed

there’s no denying it’s making waves that are expanding more

and studied around the world.

broadly than just New York. Reflecting on the death of Shakespeare, and the death of many great artists in 2016, reminds us to consider who owns creative works after the creator dies. There may be copyright and legal ownership, but in the case of Prince’s death, intestate, who speaks for what the artist may have wanted? To come full circle on the role of technology in our modern era – we can capture, hold and share information in large volume with ease. But should we? Prince never wanted his music available on streaming services like Pandora and Spotify. He left no written instructions on what to do with his recordings and music. Who owns his legacy and speaks for him now?

DISCOVER MORE STORIES AND READ RELATED ARTICLES AT QPAC.COM.AU/STORY

Mirror Mirror By Helen Razer

In one way or another we all seek and project our own reflections on shiny surfaces, in the perceptions of others and in a dazzling array of constructed and apparently candid social media tableaus. Writer and broadcaster Helen Razer looks at the intent behind all this intense self gazing and whether Snow White’s Evil Queen and her mirror get a bit of a raw deal. You’ll never believe this but, Once Upon a Time, all those charmed by an image of themselves were held to be more than a little bit wicked. Once Upon a Time, such habits were punished. Now, of course, we more often call this self-enchantment “positive body image”. And we even reward some of its better known proponents. For the crime of vanity, Narcissus is drowned in a pool and Snow White’s Evil Queen is put to death in a pair of burning shoes. For the virtue of empowerment, Kim Kardashian, who recently published Selfish, a collection of self-portraits, is widely celebrated—that is, when she’s not being narrowly despised by hellfire traditionalists who would prefer a return to redemptive drowning and burning.

If you’ve ever given over a serious afternoon to

If you make it to Bavaria, you can tour one of the

the question “who am I?”, it’s entirely likely you’ve

orchards which may have produced the poison apple,

reflected on the human need to be reflected. You’ve

trek the escape route the innocent brunette may have

probably thought, as many professional thinkers

followed and visit the Spessart Museum where you’ll

have, about the things that divide the state of just

see the blacksmith instruments that may have made

being to that of the kind of being that occurs when

the Queen’s hot and deadly slippers. You will also

we’re being looked at, by ourselves or by others.

see a chatty eighteenth century mirror that certainly flattered some imperial lady.

You may have come to the conclusion, as old French guys Descartes and Rousseau did, that you

The mirrors of Lohr were said to always reflect the

are the same being, no matter who else is around.

truth and so became a favour exchanged by European

You may have complicated things a bit, as slightly

nobles. If a lady didn’t care to look at the bare truth

less old French guys Sartre and Lacan did, and

of her reflection in fine glass, she could look to the

thought: hmm. Maybe I am being in a different

frame of the “talking” mirror, such as the one held in

way when I’m contained in a gaze? Perhaps you’ve

the museum at Lohr. In one corner is inscribed the

then thought, “omigod, you guys! Am I even

message, “She is such a beauty!” But in another, the

here?” and run off to look in a mirror. If you have

hazard of unnatural self-love, or “amour-propre”

found yourself in an existential loop of the type:

is described.

congratulations. It might have been painful to doubt the very foundation of your being, but it

If you have previously taken your doubt to a

does put you in the company of history’s greatest

philosophy department, you’ll recognise this phrase

thinkers—Hegel. Freud. Nietzsche.

from the work of Rousseau. He was just as keen on warning against excessive self-love as fairy tales,

They’ve all had your issues. And, you’re also in the

Greek myths and critics of Kim Kardashian.

company of the best dressed fairy tale monster, the Evil Queen. It is true that Queenie has suffered a

Rousseau borrowed from a French tradition that

few centuries of very bad press. It is also true that

saw the love of the self when it was derived from the

she and her mirror are immensely instructive,

opinion of others as corrupt. In short, it is okay to

especially for those of us who have found ourselves

love yourself for the natural Cartesian being you are—

in the eye of an existential storm. There’s a reason

which is to say, you can get off on “I think therefore

that Snow White has been interpreted by Disney,

I am” as much as you want, but you must not value

Preljocaj and every psychoanalyst ever, and it’s

yourself in the terms of the other. At first glance into

not nearly all down to our troublingly nice titular

the mirror, amour-propre might seem like a sin.

heroine. It’s Queenie that makes this text richer

But, it’s sin status is problematised by the twentieth

than a butterscotch latte. It’s Queenie. And of

century psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan—we’ll get to this

course, her talking mirror, whose purported

mirror-obsessed descendent of Freud in a jiffy—but

origin story is now worth our brief gaze.

also by Queenie. Who may, or may not, have been inspired by an imperial countess of Lohr.

The small mirror-making town of Lohr am Main

Fabular science—a posh term for the attempt to prove

claims to house the “genuine” Snow White looking

that fairy tales are real—makes a convincing case that

glass. Lohr, the sort of place that looks like the lid

a lass called Maria, Baroness von Erthal, was Snow

of a Brothers Grimm brand box of chocolates, has

White and her stepmother, Claudia, Countess of

been trying to convince the world for some time

Reichenstein, was the Evil Queen. (The dwarves, by

that it is the true home of Snow White.

the way, were likely to have been mine workers whose

IT IS TRUE THAT QUEENIE HAS SUFFERED A FEW CENTURIES OF VERY BAD PRESS. IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT SHE AND HER MIRROR ARE IMMENSELY INSTRUCTIVE, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE FOUND OURSELVES IN THE

eye of an existential storm.

growth was radically stunted by the poor diet of the German proletariat. What a charming story.) Regardless of its basis in fact, the mirror, which luckily remains unbroken, is an artefact that tells us about the conditions that makes Snow White the sort of tale we have so long loved to tell. Value yourself, says the mirror, as Rousseau does. But do not allow the register of that value to be other people. As much as the cultural tolerance for selfies and other public reflections has increased in the centuries since the mirror was cut in Lohr, this message is strikingly similar to the sort of thing we might see written on the virtual mirror of Instagram, or in a brochure for Botox treatment. “I am doing this for myself,” say our era’s social media celebrities. “I am not doing this for other people.” What utter, deluded rot. Like most people with a smartphone, I have taken and published selfies. I didn’t do it “just for me”. I didn’t do it to “empower” myself beyond a state of amour-propre. I did it, as everyone does, for attention and to see myself as others do. And, of course, to assuage the persistent human fear that I don’t really exist. Lacan, who had as little time for the moralising of Rousseau as he would have for the Instagram claim “I’m doing it just for me!”, is quite famous for adding the concept of the Mirror Stage to the history of thought.

A threshold moment in a toddler’s life, says Lacan, is that in which he or she sees himself for the first time in a mirror. This Mirror Stage, which is an elaborated version of Freud’s Oedipal Stage, marks that instant in which the human first sees itself as a separate entity. Here, the idea of self and other is created and this division, which begins in the moment of mirrored spectacle, occurs again and again throughout life. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a mirror. We can “see” ourselves in the embrace of a care-giver and all people, even the vision impaired or mirror-deprived, have a moment when the I, or the ego, forms in the separation from others. So, says, Lacan, amour-propre isn’t really a sin. Unless you live in a lonely forest and never encounter another human, this being for others is not something you really have any kind of say in. You’re going to keep on checking in on your own reflection. And, if you’re a woman, the self-gazing is usually going

Value yourself, says the mirror, as Rousseau does. But do not allow the register of that value to be other people.

to be a little more tempting and a whole lot more intense. After all, Queenie, you have learned since you were a girl that much of your value inhered not just in the fact that you are visible, but in the beauty of that vision. So the female star of Instagram, or just the chick looking in the mirror, must manage two quite different messages. Both of which are written on glass in Lohr. One is “be beautiful according to an acceptable standard” and the other is “but make sure you’re only doing it for yourself”. I mean. No wonder our poor Evil Queen was driven, allegedly, to murder. And, no wonder that her story endures through history’s hall of mirrors. The human subject who must, somehow, live as herself while also living as a spectacle produces a fascinating evil. And, she produces a dangerous dance.

Q PAC I N T E R N AT I O N A L S E R I E S B A L L E T P R E L J OC A J SNOW WHITE

2 - 11 September 2016

Lyric Theatre, QPAC

Flying people, not just planes Egon Mahr, A330 Captain, Sydney

qantas.com/egon

Before or after the show, always

entertaining. treasurybrisbane.com.au

O bs e s

sion

a u ty

ZEITGEIST

sism

The defining spirit or mood of a particular time shown in the ideas and beliefs of the time.

e Naiv

Narcis Q PA C I N T E R N AT I O N A L S E R I E S

SNOW WHITE

BALLET PRELJOCAJ, SNOW WHITE

C O N T E M P O R A R Y O P E R AT I C R E I M A G I N I N G

CLASSIC FILM RETROSPECTIVE

2 - 11 September 2016, Lyric Theatre, QPAC

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UNCONTAINED

GENIUS Ritchie Yorke chats with We Will Rock You creator Ben Elton

Rock journalist

A wall full of platinum albums, Rolling Stone magazine covers and NME profiles of enigmatic lead singers aren’t enough to ensure the success of a band based musical. Rock journalist Ritchie Yorke chats with We Will Rock You creator Ben Elton about why Queen and the enduring genius of Freddie Mercury is enough to make it work despite a rocky beginning. We Will Rock You is undoubtedly the most celebrated and commercially successful product of the jukebox musical genre. With 16 million bums attached to sold seats around the planet, the Queen inspired musical boasts a highly crunchable success rate by any definition. Yet it’s not widely known that We Will Rock You was a musical that almost didn’t get made. According to guitarist and enduring Queen leader Brian May, the band’s manager had first discussed the prospect of a jukebox musical of Queen songs in the mid 1990s. The initial aim was to create a musical biography of Freddie Mercury. A number of potential production partners such as Robert De Niro’s Tribeca outfit dropped out along the way, citing concept difficulties. It was regarded as a great idea but hard to get off the ground. Ben Elton, by then a high profile UK based radio and TV comedian and personality, was approached in 2000 and he suggested a change in artistic direction. He opted for an original story that would embrace the spirit of Queen’s music. Elton said that he was partly inspired by the computer controlled dystopia of the sci-fi film The Matrix. Basically the musical tells the story of a band of bohemians who struggle to restore the free exchange of thought, fashion and live music in a distant future where everyone dresses, thinks and acts the same. Musical instruments and composers are forbidden and rock music is all but unknown.

It was especially interesting that prior to working on We Will Rock You, neither Brian May or Roger Taylor (the two still active Queen players) were admirers of the rock musical genre. The London critics were united in their dislike of the show. The Daily Mirror noted that Ben Elton, ‘should be shot for this risible story.’ The Guardian claimed that the show’s purpose was, ‘really as sixth form as it sounds.’ The paper also described the production as, ‘ruthlessly packaged and manufactured.’ A review of the recent Sydney return of the show in the online Daily Review showbiz site pointed out, ‘while the plotting and storytelling has been bolstered up significantly since the show’s premiere, it’s still not particularly strong. Tales of rebels in dystopic futures are a staple, but this is no Mad Max: Fury Road. The characters are well crafted, but most of the gags involve pretty lazy references to contemporary pop culture as rediscovered and interpreted by these futuristic rebels. They’re occasionally funny — I challenge anybody to not crack a smile at the line, ‘Britney Spears died to save us all.’ Ben Elton continued, ‘The first London show had a very difficult start. So the second production after the UK – which took place in Australia – was where I managed to get everything right. A lot of that fixing up was done here in 2003 and I took those changes back to London.’ Elton doesn’t deny that there was some strong resistance to the launching of the original production of the show, but he doesn’t see any lingering irony in its belated acceptance. ‘There were probably about a dozen people who hated the concept originally, and they probably still hate it. ‘But the numbers on the other side of the coin have definitely increased. Something like 16 million fans have clearly loved the show since it leapt out on stage. ‘There’s no denying that a show like We Will Rock You often leaves critics bemused. They’re not sure what to make of a show which is clearly entertaining. The audience is laughing at the jokes and waving their arms in the air at the songs. Where does that leave the critics? ‘This is a bit of a problem for entertainment which is popular. And that’s why you just have to soldier on. They tried to kill us when we first started out but they didn’t succeed. What do they say about that? What doesn’t destroy you only makes you stronger. And it only made us more determined.’

Mercury could make, ‘the last person at the back of the furthest stand in a stadium feel that he was connected.’

‘It all comes back to the story. The story has to be about the spirit of the band. That’s what sorts it out. People ask me where would I go if you had to choose any other band to write a story around? That’s not easy to answer because it’s vital that I just have to get that combination of music and story totally right.’ Which of course is something that Ben Elton was able to do in bringing Queen to the theatrical zone throne. ‘I was lucky that I was able to start with the best rock and pop songwriters in the world waiting to be put into the theatre. They were familiar with theatrical illusions and vaudeville and opera – these aspects were as much a part of their music as rock is.’ In describing the particular vocal strengths of Freddie Mercury, Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe, who recorded an album with the Queen lead singer, stated, ‘His technique was astonishing. No problem of tempo, he sang with an incisive sense of rhythm, his vocal placement was very good and he was able to glide effortlessly from a register to another. He also had a great musicality. His phrasing was subtle, delicate and sweet or energetic and slamming. He was able to find the right colouring or expressive nuance for each word.’ Looking back on the beginning, the 57 year old Elton allowed that he was, ‘Disappointed at the start that much of the show’s satire wasn’t even mentioned in critical appraisals. The thing about really good comedy is that it always looks easy. But hello, is it really that easy? Or does it just look that easy?’ Elton felt it was important to upgrade the show in tune with 2016. It’s 16 years old now and it was – after all – set in the future. The future has overtaken it now. ‘With all the technological innovations that were predicted - such as the whole idea that people would get their entertainment streamed directly to their pocket - has

Even as distinguished a contemporary as the recently departed David Bowie poured masses of acclaim upon the frail shoulders of Mr Mercury. David Bowie, who performed at the farewell to Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1991 and recorded the song Under Pressure with Queen, praised Mercury’s performance style, saying, ‘Of all the more theatrical rock performers, Freddie took it further than the rest... he took it over the edge. And of course, I always admired a man who wears tights. I only saw him in concert once and as they say, he was definitely a man who could hold an audience in the palm of his hand.’ Queen guitarist Brian May wrote that Mercury could make, ‘the last person at the back of the furthest stand in a stadium

happened since then,’ Elton said.

feel that he was connected.’ Overall, there can no doubting

The astonishing dimensions of the concert audience that

been asked before about what other rock acts I might like to

WWRY has created in its wake (as to a lesser degree have

collaborate with in the future. So I pondered the possibilities.

Jersey Boys (hoisted up on the classic rock foundations of The

‘Let’s look at the Rolling Stones, for instance. Much as I’ve

Four Seasons’ admirable mid 60s repertoire) and to a lesser

loved them all my life, I have to be frank and admit that I

extent, MAMMA MIA!, repolishing the soft rock pastures of

don’t think their music would make for a great stage musical.

Sweden’s Abba) might be discerned as an emerging trend in

‘They are pure R & B. It’s a very specific kind of music, and

live theatre.

probably not eclectic enough. Whereas Queen’s music is so

the slam-bang impact of the late Freddie Mercury. ‘I’ve

diverse and widely appealing. It’s fantastically eclectic, and so Ben Elton doesn’t hear it like that. ‘There have been

it’s custom made for the theatre.’

numerous attempts to create successful jukebox musicals,’ he immediately acknowledges. ‘But they don’t always work. For example, there was an attempt last year to get a Beach Boys jukebox show off the ground on stage in New York, but it just

W E W I L L R OC K YO U

didn’t fly.

10 July - 14 August 2016 Lyric Theatre, QPAC

and he died at the banks of the river or lake from his sorrow.

Narcissus was once walking by a lake or river and

My greatest pain in life is that I will never be able to see myself perform live. - KANYE WEST

e could not obtain the object of his desire though,

t seta erg yM ni niap t a h t s i ef i l r ev e n l l i w I ot elba eb f l e s ym e e s . ev i l m r of r e p TSEW EYNAK -

tion in the water and was surprised by the beauty he saw; he b

and decided to drink some water; he saw his reflec

ecame entranced by the reflection of himself. He co

CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS &

the challenge of public space

Cities around the world are facing multiple challenges, not least of which

To even begin to fulfill these conflicting roles, our streets, public squares, parks—and cultural institutions— must be open and flexible. Yet the reality is that many of our public spaces are

is loss of public space. Community and

privately owned and managed, or closely regulated by government.

economic development scholar

downtown shopping districts and malls, or as a symbol of civic

Carl Grodach suggests reductions in our shared spaces aren’t just the result of

Whether performing as an amenity to attract customers to grandeur, public space is frequently designed and policed to regulate behaviour and communicate a specific form of public experience. The design of pedestrian amenities like benches

increased urbanisation, but also of the

and sidewalks, CCTV, and private security guards all serve to

way many existing public institutions

no panhandling, and no skateboards. No buskers without the

function. Around the world a variety of cultural institutions – from libraries, galleries, museums & performing arts

regulate use and send signals as to who belongs. No sleeping, appropriate permit. Instead, we have big screen TVs that broadcast talk shows in central public squares in front of city hall. As public space has become regulated and commercialised, it also becomes a means to exclude rather than foster inclusion and civic engagement.

centres - are rethinking their role as important players in the collective lives of our cities. Cultural institutions provide cities with some of their most significant public spaces and, in this capacity, play an integral role in reflecting and shaping urban life. At their best, our performing arts centres, museums, and libraries create opportunities for social connection, cultural expression, and political engagement. However, this publicness is often delivered in the form of highly programmed and commercialised experiences aimed at branding the cultural organisation and the city. Public cultural institutions have long defined the conflict between civic and market values. They should redefine their mandate around their role as public spaces rather than selling experiences. The interesting thing about public space is that it is both a venerated goal of urbanists and a quixotic dream defined by contradictory roles. Public space may serve as a means of building community. It is a place where we come together and partake in shared traditions and celebrations. Yet, public space is also the common ground we share with strangers. It is a stage for a culturally diverse society—a particularly important role for countries like Australia that are wrestling with their increasing diversity. At the same time, public space can be a site of political dissent and debate, but it is also simply for leisure, a place where we go to see and be seen.

Cultural institutions are at the centre of these public space conflicts. As they have worked to shed their elitist past and become more inclusive, they have tended to accomplish this through consumption, branding, and spectacle. Facing financial challenges, most cultural institutions have become purveyors of entertainment experiences rather than public spaces. They host major shows and exhibitions with movie tie-ins like Jurassic World or host luxury products like Bulgari and Chanel, which provide a vehicle for corporate branding in return for attracting new visitors and donors. High-end restaurants, themed cafés, and specialised merchandise from Monet T-shirts and mugs to museum-branded bottled water have become standard alongside programmed activities such as yoga, wine tasting, and all-night DJs. At the same time, cultural institution architecture has moved from neoclassical temples of art and brutalist fortresses to spectacular and iconic buildings designed by renowned architects. Yet, many of the most impressive cultural buildings like the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao or even the Sydney Opera House actually work poorly as integrated public spaces. They may offer grand views and remarkable architecture, but remain isolated monuments disconnected from the surrounding city. These cultural complexes have nonetheless become fundamental to city redevelopment strategies the world over. This is less to bring art and creativity into the lives of a city’s diverse publics than to impress global investors, attract tourists, and enhance centre city property values. Cities ranging from Brisbane to Hong Kong, Oslo, and Dallas, Texas collect their major cultural institutions in highly visible and centralised districts rather than integrating them throughout the city where they might amplify local street life and encourage people to explore different places.

Out of this, however, some cultural institutions are rethinking

Dallas capped a freeway with a wildly popular park to better link its

their role as public spaces. For example, institutions in the

arts district with surrounding areas. The North Carolina Museum

US as different as Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and

of Art works with its park setting to promote active living and

the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio have redesigned their

environmental sustainability through publicly interactive

facilities to create more open, permeable connections to their

art installations.

surroundings. New designs go beyond formal plazas to provide better access and smaller public spaces that allow more casual

These publically-minded moves around design and function better

use. They incorporate â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cinematic facadesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; into their buildings

integrate cultural institutions into their surroundings and make

that offer expansive views between the street and gallery and

them more social spaces. However, while cultural institutions have

performance spaces inside.

become good at providing social experiences, many struggle with cultural and political engagement, largely serving patrons rather

Libraries have gone from reticent community reading rooms to

than publics. Their programs too often support cities interested

mixed use, multipurpose spaces that catalyse social interaction.

in building centre city consumption destinations rather than open

They are no longer just spaces to consume literature but

public spaces. Cultural institutions and cities together need to

foundries for cultural production. Throughout Australia, many

break down the cultural precinct and explore new ways to build a

have established makerspaces where people share ideas and

broader public realm.

collaborate on myriad projects. Others approach public space as an extension of the institution. The redevelopment of the Perth Cultural Centre led to the programming of interactive exhibits alongside a diversity of other activities, which they see as creating opportunities for cultural participation rather than consumption. Some cultural institutions are becoming more integrated through urban parks.

BRISBANE OPEN HOUSE

8 & 9 October 2016 QPAC & Brisbane-wide

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Brisbane Writers Festival 7 - 11 September 2016 Full program available 23 July PRINCIPAL PARTNER

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ANGELIN PRELJOCAJ

Transfigured by the dance

In the mid-1960s on the outskirts of

ON MUSTERING THE COURAGE

Paris, two dance teachers welcomed

TO FOLLOW HIS DREAMS…

a young boy in judo pants into a ballet class, despite protests from

Well, first of all I had to go to ballet class without my parents knowing that, and so I said, ‘I’m going to judo,’ but then I go to dance. And it is very nice because the people

his parents. Two decades later

believed in me. The teachers of ballet didn’t ask me for

Angelin Preljocaj founded his own

because I said that my parents didn’t want me to, and

company, Ballet Preljocaj, which

to come.

money because they wanted me to continue to dance they say ok, no problem, come if you can. And I decided

now has 24 dancers and occupies

ARTIST AS PHILOSOPHER

the iconic Pavillon Noir, a purpose

AND SOCIAL CRITIC…

built choreographic centre, in Aix-

It’s always, for me, a pleasure and astonishing to see that

en-Provence. QPAC spoke with the

I am here dancing, you know? At the moment, people are

award winning French choreographer

artist and to dance. I think, you know if you take the field

and artistic director on a recent visit

the history of the painting, you can see and feel the history

to Brisbane.

suffering on this earth and it’s a great opportunity to be an of the painting, for example, and you see the painting and of humanity? This is in music also, in the theatre, and for also in dance which is made with the body, which is a specific tool for the choreographer and for the dancer. The

A N G E L I N R E C A L L S H OW H E WA S D R AW N TO DA N C E …

violence of humanity exists, everybody knows that, but it’s not so often that you can see the violence in dance because the idea of most of the people is dance is beautiful and graceful. But dance really needs to be an art, like Picasso,

I was 11 years old and I met a girl in my school. She gave me

for example, painted Guernica which was very hard and

a book about dance and I read this book and suddenly I was

violent and he expressed through his heart what humanity

completely fascinated by an image, a photograph, of Rudolph

is and what happened in our conscience and in our body.

Nureyev jumping in a fantastic position and with a beauty on

Can you imagine an artist who is involved with the body

his face, it was amazing, and I see that and the caption says ‘Rudolf Nureyev transfigured by the dance.’ And when I read that I was thinking, ‘Wow what is this dance that can make

ignore the violence that a lot of bodies receive? It would be very inconsistent. Just to make beautiful things is just entertainment, but without deepness.

somebody so beautiful?’ And then, when I give back the book to my young friend I ask, ‘Where do you dance?’ and she says at this school. And then I follow her with my judo uniform and then I started my first dance class, it was a revelation for me. [My parents] didn’t want to know at all that I had become a dancer. It was my first fight with them…

‘ B ut Snow White is exactly the problem that can lie in society, actually, between mother and daughter.’

actually, between mother and daughter.’ I was thinking it is really the period of a Snow White complex, like we say an Oedipus Complex… I think this is the period of that.

O N C O L L A B O R AT I N G W I T H J E A N PAU L G AU L T I E R… First of all, when I was thinking of Snow White, I was thinking, ‘Who could do the costume?’ and obviously I have a lot of occasions to see different fashion events, and one day I saw a Jean Paul Gaultier fashion show based on the fairy tale The Little Mermaid. And then we started to work together and the first encounter in terms of work was with my set designer and I told the story to Jean Paul, manipulating the set, and during this moment he was writing things and taking notes, and after one week he sent me 200 sketches of costumes, and most of them are in the performance. He has an incredible creativity and imagination. After we worked together, we specified some things to make all the costumes deeper. After we chose the fabric together, it was incredible, and all of the discussions we had with that. And after we were waiting for the costumes, one day very close to the premiere the costumes arrived and everybody was very happy, the dancers were completely excited, it was like Christmas, and Jean Paul came with all the costumes and suddenly with each dancer he recreated every costume. He moved it, curved it, and changed it on the bodies of the dancers, this was the third scale of the creation. That means that Jean Paul Gautier is in a continual process… an artist.

AN ICONOCLASTIC APPROACH TO ART… It is almost like a game to play with the concept. Number one

A N G E L I N C O N T E M P L AT E S H I S

of the concept is to take the same structure of the ballet, of

D E C I S I O N TO R E C R E AT E

traditional ballet like Swan Lake or you know, but decide to

SNOW WHITE… I chose this fairy tale because I was thinking that Snow White is very modern, very actual. I think this is the moment of

inject modern dance, and the material is absolutely modern but the structure is based on the formal ballet. I like to play. I am still a child and this is really what guided me. I tried to continue to play like when I was a child!

Snow White actually. Why? Because of the progress of science, of medicine, of a lot of diets, the food, we become older but with better health, you know? And, for example, you can see women of 50 or 60 are very elegant, very nice looking with a

DISCOVER MORE – WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ANGELIN PRELJOCAJ AT QPAC.COM.AU/STORY

lot of seduction, and you can see in the street a woman of 50 walking with her daughter of 18 and there is like a competition of seduction between the two. For example, they can wear the

Q PAC I N T E R N AT I O N A L S E R I E S

same clothes and they exchange and that’s why I was thinking,

B A L L E T P R E L J OC A J

‘But Snow White is exactly the problem that can lie in society,

SNOW WHITE

2 – 11 September 2016

Lyric Theatre, QPAC

COSTUME SKETCHES BY

JEAN PAUL

Gaultier

FOR BALLET PRELJOCAJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SNOW WHITE.

IN PRAISE

Of Weird By Kaz Cooke

Not being the same as everyone

Kids don’t need Lord of the Flies on the curriculum to know

else has long been a crime

schools known for an elite standard of bullying. ‘The old

they’re living it. The CVs of political leaders bristle with

punishable by everything from

school tie,’ may not just be emblematic of connections; it

taunting to torching. Only

by a future Treasurer.

a fortunate few would claim to never have felt the sting of a snicker hurled across the schoolyard or the slow burn of a passive aggressive ‘compliment’ in the workplace. Embracing the odd, writer and cartoonist Kaz

might also represent the fear of being garotted on the oval

In my worn and torn copy of Roald Dahl’s book, Matilda, the children are besieged by a sadistic school system and baroque parental dysfunction. And yet (hurrah), Matilda and lovely Miss Honey find each other and the kids get revenge on the ghastly headmistress, Agatha Trunchbull. ‘You’re darn right it’s like a war,’ says one child. ‘… the casualties are terrific. We are the crusaders, the gallant army fighting for our lives with hardly any weapons at all and The Trunchbull is the Prince of Darkness, the Foul Serpent, the Fiery Dragon with all the weapons at her command. It’s a

Cooke flouts the norm and raises

tough life. We all try to support each other.’

the flag for weirdos everywhere.

When I first ‘met’ Matilda, I felt kinship. My parents weren’t hilarious caricatures of cruelty, but they did seem a bit baffled. My Miss Trunchbull was my Year 1 teacher: Miss Pitts (yes, really), who once deposited me into the classroom rubbish bin. My crime was reading the hand-out book too quickly. ‘You little liar, you can’t possibly have finished it,’ she said.

We gave our daughter the middle name Matilda in case she

About 4,000 girls aged between 12 and 18 wrote to me

turned out to love reading, or needed a badge of courage.

when I was researching my book Girl Stuff. I was a bit

(Had I known my clairvoyancy in the naming biz, I’d have

shaken to find the younger ones wanted to be told what

called her Pippi Longstocking so I could watch her carry a

to do – how much to weigh, what to look like, how to

horse around on the verandah.)

pretend they knew how to kiss or have sex. But something satisfying emerged in many of the older girls – they

She did love books and stories. One Sunday morning, when

asked how to feel okay about being their own true

aged 10, she slid on fluffy socks out of her bedroom doing a

selves. They loved or hated make-up for reasons that

massive air-guitar solo and singing, ‘Bleak Houzzz, der ner ner

had nothing to do with boys. They recommended

ner ner.’ She’d been listening to a Charles Dickens audio book.

independence to each other.

Her Trunchbull was the Year 6 teacher, who called her a liar for the hereditary crime of reading a book too quickly. She was

For a lot of girls, being active, creative, or audible are

quizzed on the plot in front of the class and when she proved

all rebellious acts. Some boys must still rebel against

she’d read it, the teacher sneered, ‘Well haven’t we got a little genius here.’ That’s progress: the bin to brow beaten in just under 40 years. In the books I read as a girl, unusual heroines were thin (and wan) on the ground. George of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five had short hair (ahem), and bolshie Jo March from Little Women ended up with an old biffer and had four sons; good grief. Poor Rizzo from the movie Grease, had her admirable moxie punished with a pregnancy scare and the sealing of an awful fate (impending marriage to a dill) on a Ferris wheel. At 15, in a secondhand bookshop, I found the St Trinian’s drawings by cartoonist Ronald Searle: girls in school uniform, armed with cigars, explosives, poker cards, lipstick and cunning criminal plans. Bliss.

narrow ideas of ‘manliness’ and

LEADERS TEND TO BANG ON ABOUT INNOVATION,

sport. Survival can depend on being camouflaged or invisible, fitting in. Kids take refuge in the chrysalis of their bedroom, inside books or online. Leaders tend to bang on about

INVENTION AND

innovation, invention and

OUTSTANDING

the systems they maintain

INDIVIDUALS, WHILE THE SYSTEMS THEY MAINTAIN ENCOURAGE CONFORMITY AND COMPROMISE.

And ne’er a comeuppance in sight.

outstanding individuals, while encourage conformity and compromise. Our best ‘odd’ folk – creative coders, musicians, writers, artists, thinkers, dancers, euphonium players, activists and dreamy wanderers – are never head of the school ‘popular’ group. Chief bullies are so busy policing everyone else’s behavior they don’t have time to be interesting themselves. In the face of the harsh realities

of the local and global schoolyards, the survival of every Kids’ books now present a gerzillion ways to subvert the

weirdo is a triumph. As that kid in Matilda says (it was

vanilla offerings of yesteryear. Enid Blyton’s characters were

Hortensia), ‘the casualties are terrific.’ There are so many

never paranormal, part-rabbit, trapped in a fifteenth century

to save: the kid who hangs out in the library, or loves

steampunk dystopia, or Muslim. Not unless they were being

show tunes, every big boy who’s gentle, every girl who

attacked with an oar by Uncle Quentin. But still, ‘you’re weird’

cares more about smart than pretty, or uses the words

has survived as the all-purpose schoolyard sneer. I tell kids

‘akimbo’, ‘ineluctable’ and ‘snickersneeze’ in one sentence.

that, ‘You’re weird,’ really means, ‘I’m too stupid to understand you,’ or, ‘You’re more interesting than I am.’ But it’s still hard for them to cop.

P N O

L T

S N

g m

For every Kardashian ‘role model’ we need the counterpoints: Lady Gaga, Pink, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Prince, Hermione Grainger, Megan Washington, David Bowie and Lisa Simpson. For every NRL match, a Billy Elliott. For every ‘good kid’, a ratbag shouting about the emperor being in the nuddy. For every boy showing ‘leadership qualities’, a quiet kid in the corner making mysterious little sculptures out of sticks and leaves. I’d like to take them all to Matilda, the musical with lyrics by Tim Minchin, a mouthy man with long hair and a dash of eyeliner who looks like a Quentin Blake drawing. I want to sit with them as they hear a riot of kids sweetly belt out, ‘Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty …’. Go, you glorious weirdos, go.

M AT I L D A T H E M U S I C A L From 25 November 2016

‘You’re weird,’ really means, ‘I’M TOO STUPID TO UNDERSTAND YOU.’

Lyric Theatre, QPAC

PRODUCING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PERFORMERS Graduate successes in 2016 include:

Les Misérables : Singin’ in the Rain : Georgy Girl : Aladdin : My Fair Lady : The Fantasticks : Hairspray : Universal Studios Japan : Shanghai Disneyland

SHOWCASING NOVEMBER 2016 griffith.edu.au/musicaltheatre musical.theatre@griffith.edu.au

CRICOS 00233E

BRISBANE • MELBOURNE • SYDNEY

Behind the scenes The Rabbits, based on John Marsden and Shaun Tan’s acclaimed children’s book, tells the tale of Australia’s colonisation through the eyes of native marsupials who soon realise their rabbit visitors are, in fact, invaders. This photographic series offers a glimpse inside the dressing room and captures the careful process of two of the artists transforming into character. Kanen Breen and Marcus Corowa transform into a Rabbit and Marsupial just before The Rabbits’ matinee curtain call during Opera Australia’s season at QPAC in March 2016.

Tylesova was careful the ‘heavy and cumbersome’ costumes could be worn while still singing, so she fitted harnesses and joints to the ensembles.

The intricate costumes were created by Sydneybased set and costume designer Gabriela Tylesova and paid homage to the book’s surreal world, while ensuring they were functional and wearable pieces for the stage.

DISCOVER MORE - VIEW THE ENTIRE BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTO GALLERY AT QPAC.COM.AU/STORY

Leader

IN EXILE Sitting down with the infamous Peter Kennedy

By Judith McLean

on a crisp autumn day, I found a thoughtful, passionate man whose life story would make a fabulous Australian movie and, in fact, is the subject of an upcoming Queensland Theatre Company play. Kennedy’s narrative has all the ingredients for great story telling - passion, intrigue, and a real David-and-Goliath battle against the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. In line with previous exploration about what makes a great leader, I wondered if his story was such a tale or if it was in his words, a tale of a ‘leader by default’.

T H E D R A M AT I C A R C - BEGINNING

It was here that his stable world begins to disintegrate. Awakening to the hopelessness of the prisoners’ plight, his

The dramatic arc - beginning, rising action, climax and

beliefs and values are brought into sharp focus forcing him

denouement - of Kennedy’s story might feature an opening

to deeper understandings of the direct relationship between

scene with a small boy dressed in altar boy vestments framed

poverty and structural economic, political and social injustices.

against the huge Australian landscape. Picture Peter riding home

His worldview is expended with the realisation that ‘rich people

after Sunday Mass on an obviously second hand bike (passed

have barristers to keep them out of jail’, prisoners are alone or

down from his older brother Jim), carefree, happy and secure in

return to life outside without proper support. This insight sets

the belief that all’s well with the world and the natural order of

the South Brisbane community on a trajectory working for and

his life is divinely ordained as God’s will.

with the dispossessed and the poor, attracting others from all over the city. St Mary’s becomes a hotspot

The son of an Irish Catholic school Principal, Kennedy’s peripatetic life spans from Texas in the south to Ravenshoe in the north. Australia in the mid to late 1940s offers the young boy foundational experiences in sync with the major cultural and religious institutions of the day. God (through the Holy Trinity) is in His heaven, meat isn’t allowed on Fridays, sins are committed and purged through three Hail Marys. Jesus appears through transubstantiation by the mysterious powers of priests dressed in haute couture, exotic gowns of colourful silk, painstakingly embroidered by delicate worn hands of local women (parishioners). Flowers are arranged, music is calming and uplifting, wafts of frankincense transport the young Peter into the sublime, the transcendent, to a place of complete stillness.

There’s a scene with Peter leaving school and appearing as a somewhat hapless young man working in a lacklustre career before announcing his intention to enter the priesthood. His early priestly life is happy and uneventful, a spell as a Navy Chaplain adds colour, but nothing

Belief systems - that’s all they are – beliefs. And our beliefs change all the time. Our political beliefs, scientific beliefs, our religious beliefs, they constantly change. But as far as the Roman Catholic Church is concerned, because they are convinced that their beliefs are absolutely true and divinely inspired, they don’t change.

other than really just a young man serving God’s flock and loving the life it offers.

T H E D R A M AT I C A R C - RISING ACTION It’s his appointment to St Mary’s in South Brisbane where the

parish with a reputation for anyone who cares deeply about such injustices.

T H E D R A M AT I C A R C - CLIMAX The climactic scene in the dramatic arc is a fateful meeting between the Archbishop of the day, John Bathersby (Kennedy calls him the church’s CEO), yelling and insisting he, Terry Fitzpatrick, St Mary’s curate, and the St Mary’s community desist in their radical behaviour. In welcoming the poor and the broken, they go too far and are reported to higher authorities. Particularly galling to the Church hierarchy was blessing homosexual couples and encouraging women to take a leading ecclesiastic role in Church affairs. In this scene, Bathersby tells Kennedy that he was never more certain of heaven and hell and purgatory and that Rome demands St Mary’s return to the traditions of the faith. There is more yelling and Kennedy leaves. Walking away from the Archbishop’s residence, Kennedy seals his fate. He sits in his car and we hear his despair, ‘oh my God, what have I done’. As a man of conscience, he walks away.

He loses his vocation and he loses his life as a priest, a life he loves. The drama explodes and a schism ensues.

T H E D R A M AT I C A R C – DENOUEMENT (FINAL RESOLUTION)

narrative’s rising action really kicks in. Peter’s world is turned upside down as his canonical work brings him face to face with

The denouement depicts an older man now retired who

the ‘poor and the broken’. It’s here his life takes a major detour.

occasionally gives homilies, he’s ever humble about his role

Until that time his life as a parish priest followed the orthodoxies

in past events yet today he seems braver, more forthright.

of his religion. Peter tells us that it was through the first hand

He says he’s liberated from being a priest and doesn’t believe

experiences of prisoners, the fragility and injustices of their lives

the teachings of the church any longer. However, he sounds

that, in his words ‘changed me irrevocably’.

and appears spiritual.

SPB Q

He’s still deeply connected with the social-justice-minded community of St Mary’s but cites others such as Terry Fitzpatrick, St Mary’s former curate and the indefatigable Karen Walsh as the real leaders. Walsh’s work began with Micah, a social justice movement emanating out of the original St Mary’s. Micah, working with Common Ground, manages an affordable housing

‘Soul receives from soul that knowledge, therefore not by book nor from tongue. If knowledge of mysteries come after emptiness of mind, that is illumination of heart’.

development at 15 Hope Street, South Brisbane. It’s designed for social inclusion with 146 units built as a sustainable housing solution for people who have experienced chronic homelessness and people earning low income, attesting to the community’s maxim that ‘what you do is more important than what you believe’. Peter is philosophical about whether losing his status as a priest has weakened his impact in the world as a leader. He rightly asserts that’s for others to judge.

AND NOW

Kennedy’s description of himself as a leader by default underestimates a man who has not only led himself in his own journey as a seeker of truth, but also influenced many others through a story of a dramatic wrench encompassing courage, pain, loss and ultimately survival. He concludes, ‘Jesus who really spent his life with the poor and the broken, the sick – and I think that’s what Christianity ought to be about. And to give the Catholic Church its due, it is about that as well – about the outsiders, but it is also a very powerful institution’. To suggest he

Enquiring about where he sits spiritually today he points to the

became a leader surreptitiously doesn’t actually take into account

fourth century before the Constantine Church where the great

how deeply and irrevocably his social justice action is embedded

mystics led one’s conscience. Kennedy’s spiritual journey now

in his very being and what the costs have been.

is into the mystics, teachers such as Meister Eckhart the great thirteenth century mystic, who in his most fervent prayer invokes,

From his adoption and practice today of pre-Constantine

‘God rid me of God’. Eckhart describes the feeling of unity, the

theology and an everyday awareness of the frailty of being human

place of complete stillness, where the experiences are beyond

in the twentieth and twenty first centuries, Kennedy’s leadership

mind, beyond self, beyond knowing.

chant ‘what you do is more important than what you say’ supports his leadership mantra to act justly, love tenderly, walk humbly. In

You’ll recall Kennedy experienced such a state of stillness as a

other words, he’s the real deal, a great leader.

child in the rituals of the Church and as a man full of wisdom in his late 70s, Peter cites the poet Rumi as access into this realm. ‘Soul receives from soul that knowledge, therefore not by book nor from tongue. If knowledge of mysteries come after emptiness of mind, that is illumination of heart’.

DISCOVER MORE - WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW AT QPAC.COM.AU/STORY

ST MARY’S IN EXILE

27 August – 25 September

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COME ON

with the rain By David Stratton There’s a distinct romanticism that surrounds Hollywood’s Golden Age – stories crammed to the bow tie with glamorous women, handsome fellows, wondrous frocks, and dancing, dancing, dancing. Film critic and television personality David Stratton shares why one movie musical is dearest to his heart.

Throughout the 1940s, and for most of the 1950s, the musical movie was, alongside the western, the most popular form of entertainment. Almost all the songs that made it to the hit parade originated in movie musicals, and hardly a week went by without a new musical being launched – and these were almost always screen originals, rarely adaptations of Broadway shows. I grew up on a diet of such films, and I loved them. Each of the major studios had their distinctive house style, but the musicals made at MGM, especially those produced by Arthur Freed, stood head and shoulders above the rest. The best of them was Singin’ in the Rain, released in 1952, and inspired by songs that Freed and others had composed about 25 years earlier. One of the most appealing elements is the setting: Hollywood in 1927, the year of The Jazz Singer, the year that that newfangled invention ‘the talkies’ started to replace that unique art form, the silent film. Although the screenplay, by husband and wife team Betty Comden and Adolph Green, makes fun of the excesses of silent screen acting, the film is surprisingly accurate in its depiction of the panic that swept the industry when sound was introduced. For Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), the Douglas Fairbanks-like swashbuckler, the advent of sound poses few problems as he has an acceptable ‘voice’. But for his glamorous co-star, Lina Lamont ( Jean Hagen) it’s another matter altogether – though she herself seems unaware of it, Lina has a voice that could shatter glass. The now familiar plot involves the transformation of the pair’s latest romantic swashbuckler into a musical, with Kathy Seldon’s voice used in place of Lina’s (there were many actual examples of this: in 1929, Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail featured Czech actress Anny Ondra playing a Londoner, and her voice was dubbed by Joan Barry). Singin’ in the Rain was the second of three films co-directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen, himself a dancer and choreographer; the pair had met during the Broadway production of Pal Joey, in which Kelly had played the leading role, and they had devised the choreography for several Kelly musicals since. Their first collaboration, On the Town (1949), was distinguished by musical scenes that were shot on the streets of New York – something almost unheard of at the time. Singin’ in the Rain was made entirely on the MGM backlot, but the skill with which Kelly and Donen devised the musical numbers, and the creative camerawork that complements the dance, made the film an instant classic when it was released. It won no Oscars in 1952, but this was probably due to the fact that the previous year another Kelly musical, Vincente Minnelli’s An American in Paris, had won the Oscar for Best Film and Kelly himself had been awarded for his choreography. A number of elements make Singin’ in the Rain a timeless

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

experience. As noted above, the storyline is based on truth, and this fact anchors the comedy and the drama. It’s also one of the

22 September - 16 October 2016 Lyric Theatre, QPAC

funniest musicals, partly thanks to Donald O’Connor, a former child actor whose performance as Cosmo, Don’s long-time friend (perhaps

It’s the supreme example of the MGM musical at its finest.

the Stanley Donen character) is

Cavalier; the aforementioned Make ‘em Laugh routine; and, of course, the great title sequence in which Kelly sings and sloshes his way through a studio-

hilarious, especially in the Make ‘em

constructed Hollywood set and

Laugh number; O’Connor was never able to equal his performance

the camera soars above him as the music rises and he happily dances

in this film. Kelly has fun with his own screen image, playing up

out into roadway. The sequence is an enduring masterpiece.

the corniness and vanity of Don. Jean Hagen’s Lina is ridiculous and, eventually, rather sad – and the reality behind the character

The big set-piece, Broadway Melody, that climaxes the film, and

is what makes her so engaging. And Debbie Reynolds, who was 19

features the dancing of Cyd Charisse, is typical of similar ‘ballet’

when she was cast as Kathy, personifies innocence and grit in her

scenes used in musicals at the time, and probably the best of them.

first screen role. It’s deeply ironic that, in a film that makes fun of

It’s the supreme example of the MGM musical at its finest.

the habit of dubbing the voice of one actor with that of another, that Reynolds’ herself was dubbed; her singing voice in the film belongs to somebody else.

In 1970, I was invited to visit Gene Kelly at his home in Beverly Hills. We spent the day talking about his career and particularly about Singin’ in the Rain. I’ve met many actors and directors over the years,

There are many standout scenes. My own favourites are the Good

but none was as gracious, relaxed, funny and open as Kelly. He was

Morning number, in which the three leads celebrate the fact that

a remarkable talent, and his masterpiece is, and always will be, my

they have worked out how to salvage the disaster of The Duelling

favourite movie.

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Tunnel Vision TOP HITS OF 1950

PATTI PAGE THE TENNESSEE WALTZ IRENE-WEAVERS WITH GORDON JENKINS GOODNIGHT ANTON KARAS (ALSO GUY LOMBARDO) THE THIRD MAN THEME EILEEN BARTON IF I KNEW YOU WERE COMIN’ I WOULD’VE BAKED A CAKE RED FOLEY CHATTANOOGIE SHOE SHINE BOY NAT KING COLE MONA LISA PATTI PAGE ALL MY LOVE ANDREWS SISTERS I CAN DREAM, CAN’T I? PHIL HARRIS THE THING SAMMY KAYE HARBOR LIGHTS

1952 TV’s Ozzie & Harriet: America’s ideal family.

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AUGUST 16 1958 Madonna

DURING LES MISÉRABLES PRESIDENT DWIGHT D EISENHOWER 1953-1961

PRESIDENT JOHN F KENNEDY 1961-1963

TOP HITS OF 1960

PERCY FAITH THEME FROM A SUMMER PLACE ELVIS PRESLEY ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT? ELVIS PRESLEY IT’S NOW OR NEVER EVERLY BROTHERS CATHY’S CLOWN ELVIS PRESLEY STUCK ON YOU JOHNNY PRESTON RUNNING BEAR THE DRIFTERS SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME MARK DINNING TEEN ANGEL CONNIE FRANCIS MY HEART HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN

AUGUST 16 1958 Madonna

DURING JERSEY BOYS 1930-1940

Salsa

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DURING STRICTLY BALLROOM

DURING THE SOUND OF MUSIC

TO TREND

or not

TO TREND In an age of quick bites – and bytes – food trends are the order of the day. Brisbane writer Desta Cullen questions whether it’s worth following the social media-driven crowd or being a steadfast outsider.

Food as attraction, food as art and extravaganza, and food as community centrepiece are not new concepts. Since the proverbial forbidden fruit was plucked from the tree, food has served as the antidote to the drudgery of daily life.

Of course, the obsession – and its proliferation – is due in no small part to the rise of social media; Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, the digital stage in a spectacle of instant information and gratification.

Increasingly though, food sits at the very heart of our experiences, inextricably linked to the concept of culture.

What was once seasonal is now swipe-able in two seconds. Hot or not, double tap this, viral that; the transition from fad to trend to mainstream is quicker than ever.

Being a ‘foodie’ has become a social currency of sorts. It’s a pseudo-noun that is ascribed to the pursuit of culinary and gastronomic endeavours – a kind of modern nobility that’s part subculture, part life’s purpose.

Now ‘to trend’ has become a synonym for success. The zenith of relevance and the pinnacle of cultural credential. If Hamlet had been a chef or restaurateur in the social media age, I’ll wager ‘to trend or not to trend’ would have been the question.

Following trends, in an artistic sense, has long been seen as anathema to true creativity; a vicious cycle to avoid at all costs. But often, in a food scene moving at breakneck speed, it becomes a fallback formula. A safe haven for a creativity that must be commodified.

served a predominantly functional purpose. So then, to add ‘food destination’ to its roster of offerings was (and is) a matter of cautious evolution. Places can be as symbolic as they are physical, commanding space, and feelings of ownership, in the collective mind of a city. So the question remains: to challenge the visitor and audience (at risk of alienation), or satisfy the need for social capital by being of the moment? To trend or not to trend?

To trend is an easy path to consider. In illustrating the subtle, but important difference between fads and trends, modern-day marketing philosopher Seth Godin makes a valuable point about the power of trends: choosing to trend is a thoroughly human desire. 'We enjoy a fad because our Those that do fall prey to the whims of the crowd peers are into it as well. A trend, on the other hand, satisfies – attempting to satiate a cynical, a different human need. A trend gains overexposed and fickle audience – oft find power over time, because it’s not merely AT SOME POINT, THE themselves adrift in a sea of discarded fads part of a moment, it’s a tool, a connector before too long; share plates, American that will become more valuable as other TIME AND MOMENT super-sized dishes oozing excess, or the people commit to engaging in it,' pan-Asian bites are the flotsam and jetsam he says. WILL BE OVER, in the current ocean. But at some point, the time and moment AND DEVOTEES Again, the test lies in treading the line will be over, and devotees will have moved onto a shiny new thing (a cronut, WILL HAVE MOVED between reinvention and relevance, and maintaining identity, legacy and a maxed-out milkshake, [insert crazy ONTO A SHINY providence. In other words, remaining frankenfood mashup here]). genuine while simultaneously resisting the NEW THING (A charade of paying lip service to the mood And so, the existential sentiment of of the moment – and leaving enough Hamlet’s dilemma comes into sharp CRONUT, A MAXED- room for playful interpretation. focus in the modern gastronomic landscape; how does a business, brand OUT MILKSHAKE, Trends (inherently more reflective of or an institution stay relevant in a world a certain time period) are dangerous constantly hungry for the next trend? [INSERT CRAZY catalysts for reinvention, particularly for a cultural institution. So the physical FRANKENFOOD QPAC – a public place with massive environment becomes the base for cultural significance – sits at the MASHUP HERE]). inspiration. confluence of food, art, culture and community. This position carries with Luckily Queensland, although historically it the weight of expectation – and the bereft of a foodie scene like that of our southern ongoing challenge of creative reinvention, siblings, makes for a great muse brimming with which is an inherently risky business. bountiful produce and alfresco living as it is. In a wider context of technology and creativity, the role Indeed, the typically insouciant nature of our lifestyle that food plays in defining a place, is another interesting extends to our approach to culture and food, which in question too. turn lends itself to the establishment of a food identity and style that’s authentic and real. When chef and social media golden boy, David Chang brought his famed Momofuku concept to Sydney in 2011, in A true identity is borne not of mimicry, rather, it is the form of Momofuku Seiōbo, it was just the tip of the ‘food found in showing deference to the heritage of a place. as drawcard’ iceberg. And when the world is awash with trends, refusing to be swept away by the current takes on a refreshingly Culinary tourism was a growing sector – fans were flocking provocative timbre. to Spain’s El Bulli and Denmark’s Noma – and celebrity chef-dom had reached a fever pitch. So it made sense that the galleries and cultural attractions of the world would follow suit, looking at how best to weave this gourmet magic into their destinations. For QPAC, whose multifaceted identity has been part of the Brisbane psyche for more than 30 years, it’s a somewhat tricky proposition. Food had always been in the wings, but

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Keep in touch Q PA C WAT E R C O O L E R C H AT S Quick chats, big ideas Is poetry dead? What makes a stage show a ‘work of art’? Do adults have just as much to learn from children as they do from us? Is it the responsibility of the artist to create morally and ethically sound works? Twice a month, QPAC staff and friends gather around the metaphorical watercooler for a 30 minute chat about news and issues relating to arts and culture – new thinking, sponsorship, popular culture, digital innovations, venue management, festivals, technology and more. Join in and tell us what you think each fortnight or follow the conversation on Twitter #QPACchat ENEWS The latest shows and events Subscribe to QPAC eNews for the latest show and events at qpac.com.au SOCIAL Put yourself in the picture QPAC’s social media channels feature news, information, behind the scenes insights, competitions and conversation. Be our friend, follow us and stay across all that happens in a busy performing arts centre. #QPAC #QPACSTORY

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Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A P L AY S M A H L E R 4

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5 AU G

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CONCERT HALL

8 AU G

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9 – 20 AU G

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12 AU G

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20 AU G

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21 AU G

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23 & 24 AU G

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23 – 28 AU G

S H A DO W L A N D

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25 AU G

BEATLES BACK2BACK: SGT PEPPERS AND ABBEY ROAD

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25 AU G

DAN & PHIL: THE AMAZING TOUR IS NOT ON FIRE

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27 AUG

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BRISBANE SINGS

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2 – 11 SEP

BALLET PRELJOCAJ SNOW WHITE

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

3 – 7 SEP

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L E N AVA N T , M A R C H E !

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7 SEP

SNOW WHITE: THE STUDENT MOVEMENT

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

SEPTEMBER

9 SEP

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L G E O R G E

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9 – 17 SEP

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P L AY H O U S E

10 SEP

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L P I N K M A R T I N I

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14 – 17 SEPT

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L L I P P Y

C R E M O R N E T H E AT R E

15 – 18 SEP

THE BEAST

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16 & 17 SEP

QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA THE RUSSIANS

CONCERT HALL

20 – 24 SEP

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L YO U , M E A N D T H E S PA C E B E T W E E N

C R E M O R N E T H E AT R E

20 – 24 SEP

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L L A V E R I TA

P L AY H O U S E

22 SEP – 16 OCT

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

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23 SEPT

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L S Y M P H O N Y F O R M E

CONCERT HALL

26 SEP

T H E N E X T S T E P W I L D R H Y T H M TO U R

CONCERT HALL

28 SEP

JOE BONAMASSA

CONCERT HALL

29 SEP

IN THE MOOD

CONCERT HALL

30 SEP

MARINA PRIOR AND MARK VINCENT IN CONCERT

CONCERT HALL

OCTOBER U N T I L 16 OC T

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

1 OC T

LOUIS THEROUX

CO N C E R T H A L L

4 OC T

PACO P E N A F L A M E N CO I N CO N C E R T

CO N C E R T H A L L

5 – 15 OC T

S H A K E & S T I R T H E AT R E CO T E Q U I L A M OC K I N G B I R D

C R E M O R N E T H E AT R E

8 OC T

QLD POPS BEST OF POPS ORCHESTRA

CO N C E R T H A L L

9 OCT

BRISBANE OPEN HOUSE

VA R I O U S

9 OC T

M E D I C I CO N C E R T S JAY S O N G I L L H A M

CO N C E R T H A L L

10 OC T

AU S T R A L I A N C H A M B E R O R C H E S T R A J U L I A L E Z H N E VA B A R OQ U E B R I L L I A N C E

CO N C E R T H A L L

14 OC T

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A B E E T H O V E N CO N C E R TO S 2 + 5

CO N C E R T H A L L

14 OC T – 6 N O V

Q U E E N S L A N D T H E AT R E CO M PA N Y D I S G R AC E D

P L AY H O U S E

15 OC T

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A B E E T H O V E N C YC L E # 2

CO N C E R T H A L L

18 OC T

GLEN HANSARD

CO N C E R T H A L L

22 OC T

A T R I B U T E TO R O Y O R B I S O N & T H E E V E R L Y B R O T H E R S

CO N C E R T H A L L

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JOSHUA REDMAN/BRAD MEHLDAU

CONCERT HALL

29 OC T

Q U E E N S L A N D YO U T H O R C H E S T R A F I N A L E

CO N C E R T H A L L

30 OC T

T H E TA L L I S S C H O L A R S

CO N C E R T H A L L

NO VEMBER UNTIL 6 NOV

Q U E E N S L A N D T H E AT R E CO M PA N Y D I S G R AC E D

P L AY H O U S E

2 NOV

SMOKIE LIVE

CO N C E R T H A L L

5 NOV

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A P L AY S G R I E G

CO N C E R T H A L L

6 NOV

MAKING A MURDERER

CONCERT HALL

7 NOV

AU S T R A L I A C H A M B E R O R C H E S T R A S L AVA , R O D R I G O & B E E T H O V E N V I I

CONCERT HALL

8 NOV

AU S T R A L I A N B R A N D E N B U R G O R C H E S T R A AV I AV I TA L

CONCERT HALL

8 NOV

R O N A N K E AT I N G

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

12 N O V

O P E R A Q U E E N S L A N D K I S S M E , K AT E I N CO N C E R T

CO N C E R T H A L L

12 N O V – 4 D E C

Q U E E N S L A N D T H E AT R E CO M PA N Y TA R T U F F E

P L AY H O U S E

13 N O V

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A PA S S I O N & R O M A N C E

CONCERT HALL

18 N O V

A T R I B U T E TO E L V I S – I F I C A N D R E A M

CONCERT HALL

25 N O V – 29 JA N

M AT I L DA T H E M U S I C A L

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

27 N O V

S O U T H E R N C R O S S S O L O I S T S H E AV E N L Y V O I C E

CO N C E R T H A L L

29 & 30 N O V

QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SEASON FINALE VENGEROV

CO N C E R T H A L L

THROUGHOUT DECEMBER

M AT I L DA T H E M U S I C A L

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

UNTIL 4 DEC

Q U E E N S L A N D T H E AT R E CO M PA N Y TA R T U F F E

P L AY H O U S E

2 DEC

T H E M O N K E E S ’ 5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y TO U R

CO N C E R T H A L L

3 DEC

QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HANDEL MESSIAH

CO N C E R T H A L L

4 DEC

C A M E R ATA O F S T J O H N ’ S G Y P S Y

CO N C E R T H A L L

9 – 23 D E C

Q U E E N S L A N D B A L L E T T H E N U TC R AC K E R

P L AY H O U S E

17 D E C

Q U E E N S L A N D YO U T H O R C H E S T R A M A H L E R 5

CONCERT HALL

23 & 24 D E C

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

CONCERT HALL

28 D E C – 8 JA N

FAW L T Y TO W E R S L I V E

P L AY H O U S E

DECEMBER

V I S I T Q PAC . CO M . AU O R C A L L 1 36 2 46 F O R B OO K I N G S O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N . I N F O R M AT I O N CO R R E C T AT T I M E O F P R I N T I N G .

Image credits Act 2 2016

Mirror, mirror

COV E R PAG E

DISCOVER A DARKER SHADE OF SNOW BY HELEN RAZER

Snow White’s poison apple. Illustration: Gin Poppelwell

COME ON WITH

KAZ COOKE

the rain

IN PRAISE OF WEIRD

B Y D AV I D S T R ATO N

Briefly

In this edition words John Kotzas Chief Executive QPAC

Some days we need to tell ourselves a story just to

Rock journalist Ritchie Yorke chatted with Ben Elton, writer

get out of bed. Sometimes the stories are light, little

of We Will Rock You, about the narratives we weave around

Story is for the creative and curious.

music legends and why when it comes to creating a rock

whimsies about how the day might unfold. Other times our circumstances are so wretched we need more, some

musical, the story (or the myth depending on who we’re

motivation or fiction as a kind of lever to propel us from

talking about) is as important as the music.

under the covers. Often the specific tone or content of our

N E W S & V I E W S T H AT H AV E B E E N M A K I N G HEADLINES IN THE ARTS WORLD

HAMILTON MAKING HISTORY Alexander Hamilton. He was once the ‘forgotten’ founding father' of America. He was never President but he did set in motion the US economy and founded Wall Street.

IS IT EVEN ART IF NOT DONE BY A HUMAN HAND?

self-told narrative is whispered away even before the next

In In Praise of Weird, writer and cartoonist Kaz Cooke

If we said ‘harmonograph’ you may not know the

Now, thanks to a book that was made into a musical, history

task – bathrooming or kitchening. The thing is, that little

harnesses her insightful wit to wave the flag for every one

instrument immediately, but if you’ve visited a museum

has its eye firmly on Hamilton. Not many in the industry were

FOR PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE S TO R I E S M AT T E R .

of us ever told we didn’t fit in, belong, or seem likeable.

tale was probably the first of many we’ll tell ourselves as the

Inspired by Matilda The Musical, she encourages all of us

day unfolds.

to implode the myth that strange is bad and points to the The things we tell ourselves…our own flights of fancy,

wild irony that we too frequently talk about innovation

meditations, fairy tales, religion, belief, myth.

while simultaneously supporting systems that

of Tony Awards. (The musical didn't quite win a record amount but 11 Tonys is nothing to sneer at). But what about

sways and creates a piece of art. A flick of the pendulum

The ideas, people, musings and moments assembled here are an

controversial dismissal from the Catholic Church was a critical plot point in his own story and one that has inspired the play St Mary’s in Exile. And so, whatever the stories we tell - to ourselves or to others - it seems to me we can all benefit from a little more

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the Great

musical that uses colour-blind casting and is the hottest ticket

Bard’s death.

on Broadway. Shakespeare – whoever ‘he’ was, had an indelible impact on the English language, how we tell stories, art, drama and even

The haters will point out that musicals come and go and

This year, Google made headlines when its artificial

advertising, changed its sorting algorithm and sought out

this is merely Hamilton’s 'five minutes of fame' and really it

history. His aphorisms are spoken daily, many without us even

intelligence AlphaGo (a super computer) bested the Go

partnerships and sales tools to entice and engage. How

hasn’t done much else for anyone. Love it or hate it though,

knowing it, and his name and his writings are still performed

authentic is any of it, though? When you search parodies

there’s no denying it’s making waves that are expanding more

and also relies on players’ high levels of intuition to

like Boyfriends of Instagram and see what happens to

broadly than just New York.

‘read’ the board and the other player. Until now, artificial

get the perfect shot, it all comes undone. Now a new(er)

world champion. Go, like Chess, is a game of strategy

imagine possible futures.

ANNIVERSARY OF THE BARD'S DEATH

a game changer: a musical about history that uses elements of rap and pop, mixed with ballads and ensemble pieces, a

acquired, it has made its way onto our phones, into our relationships and even into bed. Since its takeover of Instagram, that social media platform has increased its

invitation to use art as a lens to know yourself; see others and

As well as fairy tales, across our program over the second half of 2016 are productions that explore religion,

Pulitzer Prize for the book about making the musical? There are lovers and haters of Hamilton: the lovers will tell you it’s

SNAPCHAT - THE NEW KID Facebook has long been king of social media. It has

technology be credited as artist? Where is the human

create an artwork is not without controversy… should the

Judith McLean continues her exploration of courageous leadership in a conversation with Peter Kennedy. Variously considered a hero or heretic, Kennedy’s

princes and passive heroines. And also about how over centuries, these tales have been read, reinterpreted, subverted and co-opted.

element? Is it even art if not done by human hand?

sets the piece in a new direction. Using technology to

In her regular piece, our Scholar in Residence Professor

in large part by our presentation of Ballet Preljocaj’s Snow White, we’ve been talking a lot about fairy tales. Ideas of good and evil, darkness, betrayal, magic, witches, charming

when Lin Manuel Miranda (who wrote the musical) won the

generate random movements. The result is the pens, seemingly independently, create a drawing before your eyes. Movement, lines, form - the undulating pendulum

encourage conformity. In this edition of our own aptly titled Story, one of the most enduring kinds of story looms large - fairy tale. Inspired

surprised when Hamilton was nominated for a record number

or the Sciencentre at South Bank, you may have seen one in action. A harmonograph uses pens attached to pendulums which, when activated with a gentle push,

and studied around the world. Reflecting on the death of Shakespeare, and the death of many great artists in 2016, reminds us to consider who owns creative

spirituality, ritual, symbol and morality. What it means

time reflecting on why we’re telling them. With Story, we are

intelligence worked on a devised program which, once

medium is making waves - Snapchat. No longer just for

to belong to a community that subscribes to the same

seeking to spark and support conversation about a

set, was not easily adapted. AlphaGo is different – the

teenagers, Snapchat is picking up on what a lot of people

works after the creator dies. There may be copyright and legal

really want - an experience. Facebook and Instagram are

ownership, but in the case of Prince’s death, intestate, who

narrative as you and what it means to be on the outside, in exile.

range of issues connected with our work in the cultural

machine adapted, it interpreted the situation and made

sector and the communities we are part of. In doing so we

changes to its program. A step forward for technology?

look for expert and divergent voices who bring insight, It’s prompted us to ask the question – what are the myths

humour and wisdom. This edition is a wonderful collection

we each live by? In common usage ‘myth’ is too frequently

of these voices.

all about capturing data and keeping it. Snapchat is like

speaks for what the artist may have wanted? To come full

live performance - ephemeral. Once you view a picture or

circle on the role of technology in our modern era – we can

Talking of technology, a 3D printer has also been in the

video it disappears…so you had better be paying attention.

news. Academics programmed the computer to read

Enjoy, live in the moment and appreciate a good story.

capture, hold and share information in large volume with ease. But should we? Prince never wanted his music available on streaming services like Pandora and Spotify. He left no written

300 Rembrandt paintings. An algorithm analysed each

substituted for ‘lie’. Here, I use myth as the narrative that embodies our beliefs and ways of seeing the world.

painting and then set about creating its own masterpiece.

Recently the Tribeca Film Festival partnered with

instructions on what to do with his recordings and music.

The result is not an exact replica but a version worthy of

Snapchat to help young filmmakers tell their stories. And

Who owns his legacy and speaks for him now?

Writer and commentator Helen Razer looks at how we

a gallery according to those behind the project named

all they had to have was a phone and the Snapchat app

see the world as it’s reflected by ourselves and others. She

The Next Rembrandt.

- ‘Audiences’ - that is, you, me and anyone who watched

focuses her gaze on the practice of looking in the mirror

could see some truly great filmmaking, all in the guise that

and how from Narcissus to Snow White’s Evil Queen to Kim

it’s temporary, fun and short. YouTube may still be the

Kardashian we are prone to either punish or reward those

pinnacle of online video sharing, but Snapchat is proving

PHOTO: MINDI COOKE

who deem obsessed with their own image.

itself a worthy app to watch. Especially for those who love a good tale.

DISCOVER MORE STORIES AND READ RELATED

ARTICLES AT QPAC.COM.AU/STORY

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The cast of VELVET performed at QPAC’s Cremorne Theatre in April and May 2016. Photo: Sam Oster.

John Kotzas, Chief Executive, QPAC. Photo: Mindi Cooke.

Harmonograph. Photo: Shutterstock. P

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IT IS TRUE THAT QUEENIE HAS SUFFERED A FEW

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SHE AND HER MIRROR ARE IMMENSELY INSTRUCTIVE,

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shiny surfaces, in the perceptions

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probably thought, as many professional thinkers

followed and visit the Spessart Museum where you’ll

of others and in a dazzling array of

have, about the things that divide the state of just

see the blacksmith instruments that may have made

constructed and apparently candid

being to that of the kind of being that occurs when

the Queen’s hot and deadly slippers. You will also

we’re being looked at, by ourselves or by others.

see a chatty eighteenth century mirror that certainly

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orchards which may have produced the poison apple, trek the escape route the innocent brunette may have

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If you make it to Bavaria, you can tour one of the

the question “who am I?”, it’s entirely likely you’ve reflected on the human need to be reflected. You’ve

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eye of an existential storm.

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nobles. If a lady didn’t care to look at the bare truth of her reflection in fine glass, she could look to the

thought: hmm. Maybe I am being in a different

You’ll never believe this but, Once

frame of the “talking” mirror, such as the one held in the museum at Lohr. In one corner is inscribed the message, “She is such a beauty!” But in another, the

here?” and run off to look in a mirror. If you have

hazard of unnatural self-love, or “amour-propre”

found yourself in an existential loop of the type:

is described.

to be more than a little bit wicked.

doubt the very foundation of your being, but it

If you have previously taken your doubt to a

does put you in the company of history’s greatest

philosophy department, you’ll recognise this phrase from the work of Rousseau. He was just as keen on

thinkers—Hegel. Freud. Nietzsche.

Once Upon a Time, such habits were

warning against excessive self-love as fairy tales,

punished. Now, of course, we more

Greek myths and critics of Kim Kardashian.

They’ve all had your issues. And, you’re also in the

often call this self-enchantment

company of the best dressed fairy tale monster, the

“positive body image”. And we

Rousseau borrowed from a French tradition that

Evil Queen. It is true that Queenie has suffered a

even reward some of its better known proponents.

few centuries of very bad press. It is also true that

saw the love of the self when it was derived from the

she and her mirror are immensely instructive,

opinion of others as corrupt. In short, it is okay to love yourself for the natural Cartesian being you are—

especially for those of us who have found ourselves 2 0A

For the crime of vanity, Narcissus is

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drowned in a pool and Snow White’s Evil Queen is put to death in a pair of burning shoes. For the virtue of empowerment, Kim Kardashian,

in the eye of an existential storm. There’s a reason

which is to say, you can get off on “I think therefore

that Snow White has been interpreted by Disney,

I am” as much as you want, but you must not value

Preljocaj and every psychoanalyst ever, and it’s

yourself in the terms of the other. At first glance into

not nearly all down to our troublingly nice titular

the mirror, amour-propre might seem like a sin. But, it’s sin status is problematised by the twentieth

heroine. It’s Queenie that makes this text richer

who recently published Selfish, a collection of self-portraits, is widely celebrated—that is, when she’s not

than a butterscotch latte. It’s Queenie. And of

century psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan—we’ll get to this

course, her talking mirror, whose purported

mirror-obsessed descendent of Freud in a jiffy—but also by Queenie. Who may, or may not, have been

origin story is now worth our brief gaze.

being narrowly despised by hellfire

inspired by an imperial countess of Lohr.

traditionalists who would prefer a

The small mirror-making town of Lohr am Main

return to redemptive drowning and burning.

Long Day Care • Kindergarten • Family Day Care

German proletariat. What a charming story.)

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www.candk.asn.au

Regardless of its basis in fact, the mirror, which

congratulations. It might have been painful to

Upon a Time, all those charmed by

growth was radically stunted by the poor diet of the 1

way when I’m contained in a gaze? Perhaps you’ve then thought, “omigod, you guys! Am I even

Evil Queen and her mirror get a bit of a raw deal.

Fabular science—a posh term for the attempt to prove that fairy tales are real—makes a convincing case that a lass called Maria, Baroness von Erthal, was Snow

luckily remains unbroken, is an artefact that tells us about the conditions that makes Snow White the sort

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of tale we have so long loved to tell. Value yourself,

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says the mirror, as Rousseau does. But do not allow the register of that value to be other people. As much as the cultural tolerance for selfies and other public

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reflections has increased in the centuries since the mirror was cut in Lohr, this message is strikingly

YOUR NEW SOCIAL NETWORK

53 49

similar to the sort of thing we might see written on the virtual mirror of Instagram, or in a brochure for Botox treatment. “I am doing this for myself,” say our era’s social media celebrities. “I am not doing this for other people.” What utter, deluded rot. Like most people with a smartphone, I have taken and published selfies. I didn’t do it “just for me”. I didn’t do it to “empower” myself beyond a state of amour-propre. I did it, as everyone does, for attention and to see myself as

Th a n k s t o our volunteers & partners

others do. And, of course, to assuage the persistent human fear that I don’t really exist. Lacan, who had as little time for the moralising of L3,SP102918

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The selfie. Illustration: Gin Poppelwell

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AV IS ON

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The Queen. Illustration: Gin Poppelwell

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THE FUN STARTS HERE

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the concept of the Mirror Stage to the history of thought.

Rousseau as he would have for the Instagram claim “I’m doing it just for me!”, is quite famous for adding

the way, were likely to have been mine workers whose

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White and her stepmother, Claudia, Countess of Reichenstein, was the Evil Queen. (The dwarves, by

that it is the true home of Snow White.

169

of a Brothers Grimm brand box of chocolates, has been trying to convince the world for some time

claims to house the “genuine” Snow White looking glass. Lohr, the sort of place that looks like the lid

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of Freddie Mercury is enough to make

Tales of rebels in dystopic futures are a staple, but this is no Mad Max: Fury Road. The characters are well crafted,

it work despite a rocky beginning.

but most of the gags involve pretty lazy references to contemporary pop culture as rediscovered and interpreted by these futuristic rebels. They’re occasionally funny — I challenge anybody to not crack a smile at the line, ‘Britney

In describing the particular vocal strengths of Freddie Mercury, Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe, who recorded

is loss of public space. Community and economic development scholar Carl Grodach suggests reductions in our shared spaces aren’t just the result of increased urbanisation, but also of the way many existing public institutions function. Around the world a variety of cultural

an album with the Queen lead singer, stated, ‘His technique was astonishing. No problem of tempo, he sang with an incisive sense of rhythm, his vocal placement was very

difficult start. So the second production after the UK – which took place in Australia – was where I managed to get

Yet it’s not widely known that We Will Rock You was a

2003 and I took those changes back to London.’

everything right. A lot of that fixing up was done here in musical that almost didn’t get made. According to guitarist Elton doesn’t deny that there was some strong resistance to

had first discussed the prospect of a jukebox musical of

the launching of the original production of the show, but

Queen songs in the mid 1990s.

he doesn’t see any lingering irony in its belated acceptance.

The initial aim was to create a musical biography of

concept originally, and they probably still hate it.

always looks easy. But hello, is it really that easy? Or does it just look that easy?’

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‘There were probably about a dozen people who hated the L1,SP180810

Freddie Mercury. A number of potential production partners such as Robert De Niro’s Tribeca outfit dropped

‘But the numbers on the other side of the coin have

out along the way, citing concept difficulties. It was

definitely increased. Something like 16 million fans have

regarded as a great idea but hard to get off the ground.

clearly loved the show since it leapt out on stage.

Ben Elton, by then a high profile UK based radio and TV

‘There’s no denying that a show like We Will Rock You often leaves critics bemused. They’re not sure what to make of a show which is clearly entertaining. The audience is laughing at the jokes and waving their arms in the air at the songs.

Queen’s music.

Where does that leave the critics?

Elton said that he was partly inspired by the computer

‘This is a bit of a problem for entertainment which is

controlled dystopia of the sci-fi film The Matrix.

popular. And that’s why you just have to soldier on. They

Basically the musical tells the story of a band of

succeed. What do they say about that? What doesn’t

tried to kill us when we first started out but they didn’t bohemians who struggle to restore the free exchange of

destroy you only makes you stronger. And it only made

thought, fashion and live music in a distant future where

us more determined.’

‘With all the technological innovations that were predicted - such as the whole idea that people would get their entertainment streamed directly to their pocket - has happened since then,’ Elton said. The astonishing dimensions of the concert audience that

social connection, cultural expression, and political engagement. However, this publicness is often delivered in the form of highly programmed and commercialised experiences aimed at branding

Mercury’s performance style, saying, ‘Of all the more theatrical rock performers, Freddie took it further than

the cultural organisation and the city. Public cultural institutions

the rest... he took it over the edge. And of course, I always

have long defined the conflict between civic and market values.

admired a man who wears tights. I only saw him in concert

They should redefine their mandate around their role as public

once and as they say, he was definitely a man who could hold

spaces rather than selling experiences.

an audience in the palm of his hand.’ The interesting thing about public space is that it is both a

Queen guitarist Brian May wrote that Mercury could make,

venerated goal of urbanists and a quixotic dream defined by

‘the last person at the back of the furthest stand in a stadium

contradictory roles. Public space may serve as a means of building

feel that he was connected.’ Overall, there can no doubting

community. It is a place where we come together and partake

the slam-bang impact of the late Freddie Mercury. ‘I’ve

in shared traditions and celebrations. Yet, public space is also

been asked before about what other rock acts I might like to

the common ground we share with strangers. It is a stage for

WWRY has created in its wake (as to a lesser degree have

collaborate with in the future. So I pondered the possibilities.

a culturally diverse society—a particularly important role for

‘Let’s look at the Rolling Stones, for instance. Much as I’ve

countries like Australia that are wrestling with their increasing

Four Seasons’ admirable mid 60s repertoire) and to a lesser

loved them all my life, I have to be frank and admit that I

diversity. At the same time, public space can be a site of political

extent, MAMMA MIA!, repolishing the soft rock pastures of

don’t think their music would make for a great stage musical.

dissent and debate, but it is also simply for leisure, a place where

‘They are pure R & B. It’s a very specific kind of music, and

we go to see and be seen.

Sweden’s Abba) might be discerned as an emerging trend in

probably not eclectic enough. Whereas Queen’s music is so

Ben Elton doesn’t hear it like that. ‘There have been

vehicle for corporate branding in return for attracting new visitors and donors. High-end restaurants, themed cafés, and specialised merchandise from Monet T-shirts and mugs to museum-branded bottled water have become standard alongside programmed activities such as yoga, wine tasting, and all-night DJs. At the same time, cultural institution architecture has moved from neoclassical temples of art and brutalist fortresses to spectacular and iconic buildings designed by renowned architects. Yet, many of the most impressive cultural buildings like the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao or even the Sydney Opera House actually work poorly as integrated public spaces. They may offer grand views and remarkable architecture, but remain isolated monuments disconnected from the surrounding city. These cultural complexes have nonetheless become fundamental to city redevelopment strategies the world over. This is less to bring art and creativity into the lives of a city’s diverse publics than to impress global investors, attract tourists, and enhance centre city property values. Cities ranging from Brisbane to Hong Kong,

throughout the city where they might amplify local street life and encourage people to explore different places.

jukebox show off the ground on stage in New York, but it just

W E W I L L R OC K YO U

didn’t fly.

10 July - 14 August 2016 Lyric Theatre, QPAC

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PAG E 24 Singer-songwriter Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) performing with British rock group Queen, 1974. Photo: Michael Putland/ Getty Images.

PAG E 21 Singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) of British rock group Queen, performing on stage, 1986. Photo: Dave Hogan/ Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

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entertainment experiences rather than public spaces. They host major shows and exhibitions with movie tie-ins like Jurassic World or host luxury products like Bulgari and Chanel, which provide a

highly visible and centralised districts rather than integrating them

it’s custom made for the theatre.’

numerous attempts to create successful jukebox musicals,’ he example, there was an attempt last year to get a Beach Boys

challenges, most cultural institutions have become purveyors of

Brisbane CBD. Illustration: Brisbane City Council. 45 9 L60,S P131968

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everyone dresses, thinks and acts the same. Musical instruments and composers are forbidden and rock

Cultural institutions are at the centre of these public space conflicts. As they have worked to shed their elitist past and

Oslo, and Dallas, Texas collect their major cultural institutions in

diverse and widely appealing. It’s fantastically eclectic, and so

immediately acknowledges. ‘But they don’t always work. For

music is all but unknown.

arts centres, museums, and libraries create opportunities for

at the farewell to Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1991 and recorded the song Under Pressure with Queen, praised

Jersey Boys (hoisted up on the classic rock foundations of The

live theatre.

a means to exclude rather than foster inclusion and

become more inclusive, they have tended to accomplish this

significant public spaces and, in this capacity, play an integral role in reflecting and shaping urban life. At their best, our performing

comedian and personality, was approached in 2000 and he suggested a change in artistic direction. He opted for an original story that would embrace the spirit of

Elton felt it was important to upgrade the show in tune with 2016. It’s 16 years old now and it was – after all – set in the future. The future has overtaken it now.

appropriate permit. Instead, we have big screen TVs that broadcast talk shows in central public squares in front of city hall. As public

through consumption, branding, and spectacle. Facing financial

Even as distinguished a contemporary as the recently departed David Bowie poured masses of acclaim upon the frail shoulders of Mr Mercury. David Bowie, who performed

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and sidewalks, CCTV, and private security guards all serve to regulate use and send signals as to who belongs. No sleeping, no panhandling, and no skateboards. No buskers without the

civic engagement.

Cultural institutions provide cities with some of their most

of the show’s satire wasn’t even mentioned in critical

grandeur, public space is frequently designed and policed to regulate behaviour and communicate a specific form of public experience. The design of pedestrian amenities like benches

space has become regulated and commercialised, it also becomes

in the collective lives of our cities.

subtle, delicate and sweet or energetic and slamming.

appraisals. The thing about really good comedy is that it

privately owned and managed, or closely regulated by government. Whether performing as an amenity to attract customers to downtown shopping districts and malls, or as a symbol of civic

institutions – from libraries, galleries,

He was able to find the right colouring or expressive nuance

Looking back on the beginning, the 57 year old Elton

squares, parks—and cultural institutions— must be open and flexible. Yet the reality is that many of our public spaces are

museums & performing arts centres - are

for each word.’

allowed that he was, ‘Disappointed at the start that much

To even begin to fulfill these conflicting roles, our streets, public

rethinking their role as important players

good and he was able to glide effortlessly from a register to another. He also had a great musicality. His phrasing was

Ben Elton continued, ‘The first London show had a very

genre. With 16 million bums attached to sold seats around the planet, the Queen inspired musical boasts a highly crunchable success rate by any definition.

Ritchie Yorke chats with We Will Rock You creator Ben Elton

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in the world waiting to be put into the theatre. They were familiar with theatrical illusions and vaudeville and opera – these aspects were as much a part of their music as rock is.’

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and enduring Queen leader Brian May, the band’s manager

Rock journalist

Spears died to save us all.’

We Will Rock You is undoubtedly the most celebrated and commercially successful product of the jukebox musical

multiple challenges, not least of which

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online Daily Review showbiz site pointed out, ‘while the plotting and storytelling has been bolstered up significantly since the show’s premiere, it’s still not particularly strong.

Which of course is something that Ben Elton was able to do in bringing Queen to the theatrical zone throne. ‘I was lucky that I was able to start with the best rock and pop songwriters

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Rock You creator Ben Elton about why Queen and the enduring genius

CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS &

the challenge of public space.

vital that I just have to get that combination of music and story totally right.’

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and manufactured.’ A review of the recent Sydney return of the show in the

Cities around the world are facing

where would I go if you had to choose any other band to write a story around? That’s not easy to answer because it’s

Ritchie Yorke chats with We Will

‘It all comes back to the story. The story has to be about the spirit of the band. That’s what sorts it out. People ask me

GENIUS

also described the production as, ‘ruthlessly packaged

this risible story.’ The Guardian claimed that the show’s purpose was, ‘really as sixth form as it sounds.’ The paper

a band based musical. Rock journalist

Mercury could make, ‘the last person at the back of the furthest stand in a stadium feel that he was connected.’

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The London critics were united in their dislike of the show. The Daily Mirror noted that Ben Elton, ‘should be shot for

the rock musical genre.

NME profiles of enigmatic lead singers aren’t enough to ensure the success of

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We Will Rock You, neither Brian May or Roger Taylor (the two still active Queen players) were admirers of

Rolling Stone magazine covers and

It was especially interesting that prior to working on

A wall full of platinum albums,

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The mirrors of Lohr were said to always reflect the truth and so became a favour exchanged by European

You may have complicated things a bit, as slightly less old French guys Sartre and Lacan did, and

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French guys Descartes and Rousseau did, that you are the same being, no matter who else is around.

intent behind all this intense self gazing and whether Snow White’s

an image of themselves were held

UNCONTAINED

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flattered some imperial lady. You may have come to the conclusion, as old

broadcaster Helen Razer looks at the

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OURSELVES IN THE 25

social media tableaus. Writer and

By Helen Razer

If you’ve ever given over a serious afternoon to

and project our own reflections on

Mirror Mirror

CENTURIES OF VERY BAD PRESS. IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT

In one way or another we all seek

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ANGELIN PRELJOCAJ

Transfigured by the dance

In the mid-1960s on the outskirts of

ON MUSTERING THE COURAGE TO FOLLOW HIS DREAMS…

Paris, two dance teachers welcomed a young boy in judo pants into a

then I go to dance. And it is very nice because the people

his parents. Two decades later

money because they wanted me to continue to dance

Angelin Preljocaj founded his own

to come.

now has 24 dancers and occupies

ARTIST AS PHILOSOPHER

the iconic Pavillon Noir, a purpose

AND SOCIAL CRITIC…

built choreographic centre, in Aix-

It’s always, for me, a pleasure and astonishing to see that

Out of this, however, some cultural institutions are rethinking

Dallas capped a freeway with a wildly popular park to better link its

their role as public spaces. For example, institutions in the

arts district with surrounding areas. The North Carolina Museum of Art works with its park setting to promote active living and

the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio have redesigned their

environmental sustainability through publicly interactive

facilities to create more open, permeable connections to their

art installations.

read share imagine

better access and smaller public spaces that allow more casual

These publically-minded moves around design and function better

use. They incorporate ‘cinematic facades’ into their buildings

integrate cultural institutions into their surroundings and make

that offer expansive views between the street and gallery and

them more social spaces. However, while cultural institutions have

performance spaces inside.

become good at providing social experiences, many struggle with cultural and political engagement, largely serving patrons rather

Libraries have gone from reticent community reading rooms to

than publics. Their programs too often support cities interested

mixed use, multipurpose spaces that catalyse social interaction.

in building centre city consumption destinations rather than open

They are no longer just spaces to consume literature but

public spaces. Cultural institutions and cities together need to

foundries for cultural production. Throughout Australia, many

break down the cultural precinct and explore new ways to build a

have established makerspaces where people share ideas and

broader public realm.

collaborate on myriad projects. Others approach public space as an extension of the institution. programming of interactive exhibits alongside a diversity of

institutions are becoming more integrated through urban parks.

violence of humanity exists, everybody knows that, but it’s

AG E L I N R E C A L L S H OW H E WA S

not so often that you can see the violence in dance because

D R AW N TO DA N C E …

the idea of most of the people is dance is beautiful and

I was 11 years old and I met a girl in my school. She gave me

for example, painted Guernica which was very hard and

a book about dance and I read this book and suddenly I was

violent and he expressed through his heart what humanity

completely fascinated by an image, a photograph, of Rudolph

is and what happened in our conscience and in our body.

schoolyard or the slow burn of a

ignore the violence that a lot of bodies receive? It would

‘Rudolf Nureyev transfigured by the dance.’ And when I read

by a future Treasurer.

of a snicker hurled across the passive aggressive ‘compliment’

be very inconsistent. Just to make beautiful things is just

in the workplace. Embracing the

entertainment, but without deepness.

that I was thinking, ‘Wow what is this dance that can make

school tie,’ may not just be emblematic of connections; it

to never have felt the sting

Can you imagine an artist who is involved with the body

Nureyev jumping in a fantastic position and with a beauty on his face, it was amazing, and I see that and the caption says

odd, writer and cartoonist Kaz

somebody so beautiful?’ And then, when I give back the book to my young friend I ask, ‘Where do you dance?’ and she says

Cooke flouts the norm and raises

at this school. And then I follow her with my judo uniform and

the flag for weirdos everywhere.

then I started my first dance class, it was a revelation for me.

BRISBANE OPEN HOUSE

they’re living it. The CVs of political leaders bristle with schools known for an elite standard of bullying. ‘The old

punishable by everything from taunting to torching. Only a fortunate few would claim

graceful. But dance really needs to be an art, like Picasso,

Kids don’t need Lord of the Flies on the curriculum to know

else has long been a crime

[My parents] didn’t want to know at all that I had become a

might also represent the fear of being garotted on the oval

dancer. It was my first fight with them…

My Miss Trunchbull was my Year 1 teacher: Miss Pitts (yes, really), who once deposited me into the classroom rubbish bin. My crime was reading the hand-out book too quickly. ‘You little liar, you can’t possibly have finished it,’ she said.

8 & 9 October 2016,

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

uplit.com.au

QPAC & Brisbane-wide

of humanity? This is in music also, in the theatre, and for also in dance which is made with the body, which is a specific tool for the choreographer and for the dancer. The

7 - 11 September 2016 Full program available 23 July

other activities, which they see as creating opportunities for cultural participation rather than consumption. Some cultural

Not being the same as everyone

the history of the painting, you can see and feel the history

to Brisbane.

Brisbane Writers Festival

The redevelopment of the Perth Cultural Centre led to the

By Kaz Cooke

FOR BALLET PRELJOCAJ’S SNOW WHITE.

artist and to dance. I think, you know if you take the field of the painting, for example, and you see the painting and

and artistic director on a recent visit

surroundings. New designs go beyond formal plazas to provide

Gaultier

I am here dancing, you know? At the moment, people are suffering on this earth and it’s a great opportunity to be an

award winning French choreographer

US as different as Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and

JEAN PAUL

because I said that my parents didn’t want me to, and they say ok, no problem, come if you can. And I decided

company, Ballet Preljocaj, which

Of Weird

COSTUME SKETCHES BY

believed in me. The teachers of ballet didn’t ask me for

en-Provence. QPAC spoke with the

UP LIT

IN PRAISE

Well, first of all I had to go to ballet class without my parents knowing that, and so I said, ‘I’m going to judo,’ but

ballet class, despite protests from

Book Now

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Lincoln Center, New York. Photo: Getty Images.

Angelin Preljocaj. Photo: Joerg Letz.

Snow White costume designs. Illustrations: Jean Paul Gaultier.

Cartoon copyright Kaz Cooke, from Girl Stuff, published by Penguin Random House.

T H E D R A M AT I C A R C

Leader

- BEGINNING

return to life outside without proper support. This insight sets the South Brisbane community on a trajectory working for and

his life is divinely ordained as God’s will.

with the dispossessed and the poor, attracting others from all

Principal, Kennedy’s peripatetic life spans from Texas in the south to Ravenshoe in the north. Australia in the mid to late 1940s offers the young boy foundational experiences in sync institutions of the day. God (through the

Behind the scenes

Tylesova was careful the ‘heavy and cumbersome’ costumes could be worn while still singing, so she

Sitting down with the infamous Peter Kennedy

Holy Trinity) is in His heaven, meat isn’t

on a crisp autumn day, I found a thoughtful,

allowed on Fridays, sins are committed and purged through three Hail Marys.

passionate man whose life story would make

Jesus appears through transubstantiation

a fabulous Australian movie and, in fact, is the

by the mysterious powers of priests dressed in haute couture, exotic gowns of

subject of an upcoming Queensland Theatre

fitted harnesses and joints to the ensembles.

colourful silk, painstakingly embroidered

Company play.

by delicate worn hands of local women

Kennedy’s narrative has all the ingredients for

frankincense transport the young Peter

(parishioners). Flowers are arranged, music is calming and uplifting, wafts of into the sublime, the transcendent, to a

great story telling - passion, intrigue, and a real

place of complete stillness.

David-and-Goliath battle against the hierarchy

There’s a scene with Peter leaving school

of the Roman Catholic Church.

and appearing as a somewhat hapless young man working in a lacklustre to enter the priesthood. His early priestly life is happy and uneventful, a spell as a

if his story was such a tale or if it was in his words, a tale of a ‘leader by default’.

tells the tale of Australia’s colonisation

career before announcing his intention

In line with previous exploration about what makes a great leader, I wondered

The Rabbits, based on John Marsden and Shaun Tan’s acclaimed children’s book,

Navy Chaplain adds colour, but nothing

other than really just a young man serving God’s flock and loving the life

soon realise their rabbit visitors are,

This photographic series offers a glimpse inside the dressing room and captures the careful process of two of the artists transforming into character. Kanen Breen and Marcus Corowa transform into

world, while ensuring they were functional and wearable pieces for

a Rabbit and Marsupial just before The Rabbits’ matinee curtain call during Opera Australia’s season at QPAC in March 2016.

the stage.

Freed and others had composed about 25 years earlier.

T H E D R A M AT I C A R C

One of the most appealing elements is the setting: Hollywood in 1927, the year of The Jazz Singer, the year that that new-

- CLIMAX

fangled invention ‘the talkies’ started to replace that unique art form, the silent film. Although the screenplay, by husband and

The climactic scene in the dramatic arc is a

wife team Betty Comden and Adolph Green, makes fun of the

fateful meeting between the Archbishop of

excesses of silent screen acting, the film is surprisingly accurate

the day, John Bathersby (Kennedy calls him

in its depiction of the panic that swept the industry when sound

the church’s CEO), yelling and insisting he,

was introduced. For Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), the Douglas

Terry Fitzpatrick, St Mary’s curate, and the

Fairbanks-like swashbuckler, the advent of sound poses few

St Mary’s community desist in their radical

problems as he has an acceptable ‘voice’. But for his glamorous

behaviour. In welcoming the poor and the

co-star, Lina Lamont ( Jean Hagen) it’s another matter altogether

broken, they go too far and are reported to

– though she herself seems unaware of it, Lina has a voice that

higher authorities. Particularly galling to the Church hierarchy was blessing homosexual

could shatter glass.

COME ON

couples and encouraging women to take a leading ecclesiastic role in Church affairs.

The now familiar plot involves the transformation of the pair’s

hell and purgatory and that Rome demands St Mary’s return to the traditions of the faith. There is more yelling and Kennedy leaves. Walking away from the Archbishop’s residence, Kennedy seals his fate. He sits in his car and we hear his despair, ‘oh my God, what have I done’. As a man of conscience, he walks away.

voice used in place of Lina’s (there were many actual examples of this: in 1929, Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail featured Czech actress Anny Ondra playing a Londoner, and her voice was dubbed by Joan Barry).

RESOLUTION)

It’s his appointment to St Mary’s in South Brisbane where the

The denouement depicts an older man now retired who

the ‘poor and the broken’. It’s here his life takes a major detour.

occasionally gives homilies, he’s ever humble about his role

Until that time his life as a parish priest followed the orthodoxies

in past events yet today he seems braver, more forthright.

of his religion. Peter tells us that it was through the first hand

He says he’s liberated from being a priest and doesn’t believe

experiences of prisoners, the fragility and injustices of their lives

the teachings of the church any longer. However, he sounds

that, in his words ‘changed me irrevocably’.

and appears spiritual.

Kelly and Stanley Donen, himself a dancer and choreographer;

Donald O’Connor, a former child

the pair had met during the Broadway production of Pal Joey, in

actor whose performance as Cosmo, Don’s long-time friend (perhaps

which Kelly had played the leading role, and they had devised

There’s a distinct romanticism that surrounds Hollywood’s Golden Age – stories crammed to the bow tie with glamorous women, handsome fellows, wondrous frocks, and dancing, dancing, dancing. Film critic and television personality David Stratton shares why one movie musical is dearest to his heart.

narrative’s rising action really kicks in. Peter’s world is turned

funniest musicals, partly thanks to

Singin’ in the Rain was the second of three films co-directed by

By David Stratton

– DENOUEMENT (FINAL

upside down as his canonical work brings him face to face with

DISCOVER MORE - VIEW THE ENTIRE BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTO GALLERY AT QPAC.COM.AU/STORY

latest romantic swashbuckler into a musical, with Kathy Seldon’s

with the rain

In this scene, Bathersby tells Kennedy that he was never more certain of heaven and

T H E D R A M AT I C A R C

- RISING ACTION

The intricate costumes were created by Sydneybased set and costume designer Gabriela Tylesova and paid homage to the book’s surreal

stood head and shoulders above the rest. The best of them was Singin’ in the Rain, released in 1952, and inspired by songs that

deeply about such injustices.

loves. The drama explodes and a schism ensues.

T H E D R A M AT I C A R C

in fact, invaders.

I grew up on a diet of such films, and I loved them. Each of the major studios had their distinctive house style, but the musicals made at MGM, especially those produced by Arthur Freed,

over the city. St Mary’s becomes a hotspot parish with a reputation for anyone who cares

He loses his vocation and he loses his life as a priest, a life he

it offers.

through the eyes of native marsupials who

parade originated in movie musicals, and hardly a week went by without a new musical being launched – and these were almost always screen originals, rarely adaptations of Broadway shows.

have barristers to keep them out of jail’, prisoners are alone or

down from his older brother Jim), carefree, happy and secure in the belief that all’s well with the world and the natural order of

with the major cultural and religious

By Judith McLean

movie was, alongside the western, the most popular form of entertainment. Almost all the songs that made it to the hit

poverty and structural economic, political and social injustices. His worldview is expended with the realisation that ‘rich people

after Sunday Mass on an obviously second hand bike (passed

IN EXILE

Awakening to the hopelessness of the prisoners’ plight, his beliefs and values are brought into sharp focus forcing him to deeper understandings of the direct relationship between

denouement - of Kennedy’s story might feature an opening scene with a small boy dressed in altar boy vestments framed against the huge Australian landscape. Picture Peter riding home

The son of an Irish Catholic school

Throughout the 1940s, and for most of the 1950s, the musical

It was here that his stable world begins to disintegrate.

The dramatic arc - beginning, rising action, climax and

the choreography for several Kelly musicals since. Their first

the Stanley Donen character) is

collaboration, On the Town (1949), was distinguished by musical

hilarious, especially in the Make ‘em

It’s the supreme example of the MGM musical at its finest.

Cavalier; the aforementioned Make ‘em Laugh routine; and, of course, the great title sequence in which Kelly sings and sloshes his way through a studioconstructed Hollywood set and

scenes that were shot on the streets of New York – something

Laugh number; O’Connor was never able to equal his performance

the camera soars above him as the music rises and he happily dances

almost unheard of at the time. Singin’ in the Rain was made

in this film. Kelly has fun with his own screen image, playing up

out into roadway. The sequence is an enduring masterpiece.

the corniness and vanity of Don. Jean Hagen’s Lina is ridiculous

entirely on the MGM backlot, but the skill with which Kelly and Donen devised the musical numbers, and the creative

and, eventually, rather sad – and the reality behind the character

The big set-piece, Broadway Melody, that climaxes the film, and

camerawork that complements the dance, made the film an

is what makes her so engaging. And Debbie Reynolds, who was 19

features the dancing of Cyd Charisse, is typical of similar ‘ballet’

when she was cast as Kathy, personifies innocence and grit in her

scenes used in musicals at the time, and probably the best of them.

but this was probably due to the fact that the previous year

first screen role. It’s deeply ironic that, in a film that makes fun of

It’s the supreme example of the MGM musical at its finest.

another Kelly musical, Vincente Minnelli’s An American in Paris,

the habit of dubbing the voice of one actor with that of another,

instant classic when it was released. It won no Oscars in 1952,

had won the Oscar for Best Film and Kelly himself had been

that Reynolds’ herself was dubbed; her singing voice in the film

awarded for his choreography.

belongs to somebody else.

There are many standout scenes. My own favourites are the Good

A number of elements make Singin’ in the Rain a timeless

S I N G I N' I N T H E R A I N

but none was as gracious, relaxed, funny and open as Kelly. He was

experience. As noted above, the storyline is based on truth, and

Morning number, in which the three leads celebrate the fact that

a remarkable talent, and his masterpiece is, and always will be, my

this fact anchors the comedy and the drama. It’s also one of the

they have worked out how to salvage the disaster of The Duelling

favourite movie.

Lyric Theatre, QPAC

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22 September - 16 October 2016

Opportunities of rare size and scale don’t occur to most of us every day.

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Behind the scenes at The Rabbits. Photos: Darren Thomas.

Silhouette of churches. Photo: Shutterstock.

This undated file photo shows US actor Gene Kelly with actress Debbie Reynolds from the movie Singin' in the Rain. Photo: FILE/AFP/Getty Images.

1952: American actor-dancer Gene Kelly (1912 - 1996) rehearsing with Debbie Reynolds for the MGM musical Singin' In The Rain, directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

Tunnel Vision

TO TREND

PRESIDENT DWIGHT D EISENHOWER 1953-1961

PRESIDENT JOHN F KENNEDY 1961-1963

TOP HITS OF 1950

TOP HITS OF 1960

1952 TV’s Ozzie & Harriet: America’s ideal family.

The Tunnel exhibitions delve deeper into the performing arts and the themes

AUGUST 16 1958 Madonna

programming. The exhibitions explore the context, impact and historical importance of productions, artists and the concepts

1930-1940

Salsa

explored in their work. Wander through

TO TREND a square dance performed typically by four couples and containing five figures, each of which is a complete dance in itself.

6 February

on your way through South Bank.

JULY 19 1967 Elvis Presley starts work at MGM on his 27th movie: Speedway with Nancy Sinatra JULY 31 1969 Elvis begins a four week engagement at Las Vegas International Hotel, reputedly netting $1.5 million

Quadrille

for free before or after a performance or

MAY 9 1960 FDA approves birth control pill

1965 US Surgeon General mandates ‘Caution: Smoking may be hazardous to your health’ notices on cigarette packages.

and ideas explored through QPAC’s

or not PRESIDENT LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON 1963-1969

6 5

In an age of quick bites – and bytes – food trends are the order of

start

the day. Brisbane writer Desta Cullen questions whether it’s worth

start 6

3 1

following the social media-driven crowd or being a steadfast outsider.

Increasingly though, food sits at the very heart of our experiences, inextricably linked to the concept of culture.

What was once seasonal is now swipe-able in two seconds. Hot or not, double tap this, viral that; the transition from fad to trend to mainstream is quicker than ever.

Keep in touch

served a predominantly functional purpose. So then, to add ‘food destination’ to its roster of offerings was (and is) a matter of cautious evolution.

Places can be as symbolic as they are physical, commanding space, and feelings of ownership, in the collective mind of a city. So the question remains: to To trend is an easy path to consider. In illustrating the challenge the visitor and audience (at risk of alienation), subtle, but important difference between fads and trends, or satisfy the need for social capital by being of the modern-day marketing philosopher Seth Godin makes a moment? To trend or not to trend? valuable point about the power of trends: choosing to trend is a thoroughly human desire. 'We enjoy a fad because our Those that do fall prey to the whims of the crowd peers are into it as well. A trend, on the other hand, satisfies – attempting to satiate a cynical, a different human need. A trend gains overexposed and fickle audience – oft find power over time, because it’s not merely AT SOME POINT, THE themselves adrift in a sea of discarded fads part of a moment, it’s a tool, a connector before too long; share plates, American that will become more valuable as other TIME AND MOMENT super-sized dishes oozing excess, or the people commit to engaging in it,' pan-Asian bites are the flotsam and jetsam he says. WILL BE OVER, in the current ocean. But at some point, the time and moment AND DEVOTEES Again, the test lies in treading the line will be over, and devotees will have moved onto a shiny new thing (a cronut, WILL HAVE MOVED between reinvention and relevance, and maintaining identity, legacy and a maxed-out milkshake, [insert crazy ONTO A SHINY providence. In other words, remaining frankenfood mashup here]). genuine while simultaneously resisting the NEW THING (A charade of paying lip service to the mood And so, the existential sentiment of of the moment – and leaving enough Hamlet’s dilemma comes into sharp CRONUT, A MAXED- room for playful interpretation. focus in the modern gastronomic landscape; how does a business, brand OUT MILKSHAKE, Trends (inherently more reflective of or an institution stay relevant in a world a certain time period) are dangerous constantly hungry for the next trend? [INSERT CRAZY catalysts for reinvention, particularly for a cultural institution. So the physical FRANKENFOOD QPAC – a public place with massive environment becomes the base for cultural significance – sits at the MASHUP HERE]). inspiration. confluence of food, art, culture and community. This position carries with Luckily Queensland, although historically it the weight of expectation – and the bereft of a foodie scene like that of our southern ongoing challenge of creative reinvention, siblings, makes for a great muse brimming with which is an inherently risky business. bountiful produce and alfresco living as it is. In a wider context of technology and creativity, the role Indeed, the typically insouciant nature of our lifestyle that food plays in defining a place, is another interesting extends to our approach to culture and food, which in question too. turn lends itself to the establishment of a food identity and style that’s authentic and real. When chef and social media golden boy, David Chang brought his famed Momofuku concept to Sydney in 2011, in A true identity is borne not of mimicry, rather, it is the form of Momofuku Seiōbo, it was just the tip of the ‘food found in showing deference to the heritage of a place. as drawcard’ iceberg. And when the world is awash with trends, refusing to be swept away by the current takes on a refreshingly Culinary tourism was a growing sector – fans were flocking provocative timbre. to Spain’s El Bulli and Denmark’s Noma – and celebrity chef-dom had reached a fever pitch. So it made sense that the galleries and cultural attractions of the world would follow suit, looking at how best to weave this gourmet magic into their destinations. For QPAC, whose multifaceted identity has been part of the Brisbane psyche for more than 30 years, it’s a somewhat tricky proposition. Food had always been in the wings, but

Q PA C WAT E R C O O L E R C H AT S Quick chats, big ideas Is poetry dead? What makes a stage show a ‘work of art’? Do adults have just as much to learn from children as they do from us? Is it the responsibility of the artist to create morally and ethically sound works? Twice a month, QPAC staff and friends gather around the metaphorical watercooler for a 30 minute chat about news and issues relating to arts and culture – new thinking, sponsorship, popular culture, digital innovations, venue management, festivals, technology and more. Join in and tell us what you think each fortnight or follow the conversation on Twitter #QPACchat ENEWS The latest shows and events

I will stay the night

Subscribe to QPAC Enews for the latest show and events at qpac.com.au SOCIAL Put yourself in the picture

With Brisbane’s cultural precinct right on the doorstep, you simply can’t go past Mantra South Bank. Located on Grey Street, Mantra South Bank provides contemporary Studio Rooms, Hotel Rooms and One and Two Bedroom Apartments, just walking distance from the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

QPAC’s social media channels feature news, information, behind the scenes insights, competitions and conversation. Be our friend, follow us and stay across all that happens in a busy performing arts centre. #QPAC #QPACSTORY

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To book, call 13 15 17 or visit mantra.com.au

L Y R E B I R D R E S TA U R A N T Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm QPAC 07 3840 7598

PAG E 53

PAG E 55

PAG E 57

PAG E 60

Kelton Pell and Nathaniel Dean star in

The Tunnel. Photo: Mindi Cooke.

Blue paper plate with blue fork and knife on pink table. Photo: iStock.

The Red Tree commissioned for Out of the Box Festival, 2004. Set and costumer designed by Richard Jeziorny, based on the book by Shaun Tan. Photo: Michael Dare.

Queensland Theatre Company’s presentation of Sydney Theatre Company’s The Secret River by Kate Grenville, an adaptation for the stage by Andrew Bovell. The work was performed at QPAC’s Playhouse in February and March 2016. Photo Heidrun Löhr.

W H AT ’ S O N

QPAC

9 SEP

1 JUL 1 – 3 JUL 2 JUL 9 JUL 9 – 23 J U L 10 J U L – 14 AU G 10 J U L – 7 AU G 12 – 31 J U L 13 & 14 J U L 15 & 16 J U L

FOREVER DIAMOND CARL BARRON QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PLAYS DVOŘÁK AU S T R A L I A N C H A M B E R O R C H E S T R A S E Q U E N Z A I TA L I A N A OPERA QUEENSLAND THE BARBER OF SEVILLE Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A C A R N I VA L I N V E N I C E W E W I L L R OC K YO U BAD JEWS T H E S I M O N & G A R F U N K E L S TO RY JIMEOIN

CONCERT HALL

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L A M I D S U M M E R N I G H T ’ S D R E A M B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L P I N K M A R T I N I

CONCERT HALL

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L L I P P Y

C R E M O R N E T H E AT R E

15 – 18 SEP

THE BEAST

P L AY H O U S E

QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA THE RUSSIANS

CONCERT HALL

at character-based comedy. For me, I find the greatest humour

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L YO U , M E A N D T H E S PA C E B E T W E E N

C R E M O R N E T H E AT R E

comes from a connection with a character who is trying to get the

20 – 24 SEP

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L L A V E R I TA SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

circumstances. I really connect with struggle, and obstacles, and the

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L S Y M P H O N Y F O R M E

CONCERT HALL

space between who we are and who we would like to be. Humans are

T H E N E X T S T E P W I L D R H Y T H M TO U R

CONCERT HALL

28 SEP

JOE BONAMASSA

CONCERT HALL

29 SEP

IN THE MOOD

CONCERT HALL

30 SEP

MARINA PRIOR AND MARK VINCENT IN CONCERT

CONCERT HALL

CO N C E R T H A L L

OCTOBER

CO N C E R T H A L L SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

LOUIS THEROUX

CO N C E R T H A L L

4 OC T

PACO P E N A F L A M E N CO I N CO N C E R T

5 – 15 OC T

S H A K E & S T I R T H E AT R E CO T E Q U I L A M OC K I N G B I R D

C R E M O R N E T H E AT R E

8 OC T

QLD POPS BEST OF POPS ORCHESTRA

CO N C E R T H A L L

P L AY H O U S E

9 OC T

M E D I C I CO N C E R T S JAY S O N G I L L H A M AU S T R A L I A N C H A M B E R O R C H E S T R A J U L I A L E Z H N E VA B A R OQ U E B R I L L I A N C E

CO N C E R T H A L L

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A B E E T H OV E N CO N C E R TO S 2+5

CO N C E R T H A L L

14 OC T – 6 N OV

Q U E E N S L A N D T H E AT R E CO M PA N Y D I S G R AC E D

P L AY H O U S E

B I L L Y C RY S TA L

CO N C E R T H A L L

23 J U L

G O !! S H OW G O L D

CO N C E R T H A L L

15 OC T

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A B E E T H O V E N C YC L E # 2

CO N C E R T H A L L

29 JUL – 6 AUG

QUEENSLAND BALLET LEST WE FORGET

P L AY H O U S E

18 OC T

GLEN HANSARD

CO N C E R T H A L L

P L AY H O U S E

NO VEMBER

22 OC T 29 OC T

AUGUST U N T I L 6 AU G

30 OC T

QUEENSLAND BALLET LEST WE FORGET W E W I L L R OC K YO U T H E P R O D I G Y CO L L E C T I V E : A N I N T E R N AT I O N A L G AT H E R I N G O F YO U T H O R C H E S T R AS

L Y R I C T H E AT R E CONCERT HALL

5 AU G

T H E P R O D I G Y CO L L E C T I V E : A N I N T E R N AT I O N A L G AT H E R I N G O F YO U T H O R C H E S T R AS

CONCERT HALL

8 AU G

AU S T R A L I A N B R A N D E N B U R G O R C H E S T R A : B L A Z I N G B A R OQ U E

CONCERT HALL

9 – 20 AU G

S H A K E & S T I R T H E AT R E CO E N DG A M E

C R E M O R N E T H E AT R E

9 AU G

P U N C H B R OT H E R S

CONCERT HALL

12 AU G

C A B A R E T D E PA R I S

CONCERT HALL

12 – 20 AU G

B A N G A R R A DA N C E T H E AT R E O U R L A N D P E O P L E S TO R I E S

P L AY H O U S E

13 AU G

Q L D P O P S R H O N DA B U R C H M O R E O N B R OA DWAY

CO N C E R T H A L L

14 AU G

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A A R O U N D T H E W O R L D & B AC K

CO N C E R T H A L L

18 AU G 19 AU G 20 AU G 21 AU G 23 AU G 23 AU G 23 & 24 AU G 23 – 28 AU G 25 AU G 25 AU G

BEN FOLDS WITH YMUSIC

CO N C E R T H A L L

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A P L AY S TC H A I K 5

CO N C E R T H A L L

Q U E E N S L A N D YO U T H O R C H E S T R A T E D E U M JIMMY BARNES J O S H UA R E D M A N / B R A D M E H L DAU D U O

CO N C E R T H A L L CO N C E R T H A L L CO N C E R T H A L L

ALAN CARR

CONCERT HALL

TANGO FIRE

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

S H A DOW L A N D

P L AY H O U S E

U N T I L 6 N OV

A T R I B U T E TO R O Y O R B I S O N & T H E E V E R L Y B R O T H E R S

CO N C E R T H A L L

Q U E E N S L A N D YO U T H O R C H E S T R A F I N A L E

CO N C E R T H A L L

T H E TA L L I S S C H O L A R S

CO N C E R T H A L L

Q U E E N S L A N D T H E AT R E CO M PA N Y D I S G R AC E D

P L AY H O U S E

CO N C E R T H A L L CO N C E R T H A L L

MAKING A MURDERER

CONCERT HALL

AU S T R A L I A C H A M B E R O R C H E S T R A S L AVA , R O D R I G O & B E E T H OV E N V I I

CONCERT HALL

AU S T R A L I A N B R A N D E N B U R G O R C H E S T R A AV I AV I TA L

CONCERT HALL

8 N OV

R O N A N K E AT I N G

CONCERT HALL

12 N OV

O P E R A Q U E E N S L A N D K I S S M E , K AT E I N CO N C E R T

CO N C E R T H A L L

12 N OV – 4 D E C

Q U E E N S L A N D T H E AT R E CO M PA N Y TA R T U F F E

P L AY H O U S E

13 N OV

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A PAS S I O N & R O M A N C E

18 N OV

A T R I B U T E TO E L V I S – I F I C A N D R E A M

CONCERT HALL

M AT I L DA T H E M U S I C A L

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

25 N OV – 29 JA N

CONCERT HALL

27 N OV

S O U T H E R N C R O S S S O L O I S T S H E AV E N L Y V O I C E

CO N C E R T H A L L

29 & 30 N OV

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A S E AS O N F I N A L E V E N G E R OV

CO N C E R T H A L L

M AT I L DA T H E M U S I C A L

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

DECEMBER THROUGHOUT DECEMBER UNTIL 4 DEC

P L AY H O U S E

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

2 DEC

T H E M O N K E E S ’ 50 T H A N N I V E R SA RY TO U R

CO N C E R T H A L L

BRISBANE SINGS

CO N C E R T H A L L

3 DEC

QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HANDEL MESSIAH

CO N C E R T H A L L

4 DEC

BALLET PRELJOCAJ SNOW WHITE

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L E N AVA N T , M A R C H E !

P L AY H O U S E

SNOW WHITE: THE STUDENT MOVEMENT

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

The singer-songwriter, pianist, comedian, writer and actor has appeared on shows from Play School to Offspring. You’ve seen him as Alexander Downer in Keating! The Musical and in his own work Shane Warne The Musical. He has so much talent he’s now to decide whether others have any when

Q U E E N S L A N D T H E AT R E CO M PA N Y TA R T U F F E

QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CARMINA BURANA UMBILICAL BROTHERS

7 SEP

MEAN TO YOU?

C A M E R ATA O F S T J O H N ’ S G Y P S Y

he moves into the judge’s chair on Australia’s Got Talent.

Q U E E N S L A N D B A L L E T T H E N U TC R AC K E R

P L AY H O U S E

Q U E E N S L A N D YO U T H O R C H E S T R A M A H L E R 5

CONCERT HALL

23 & 24 D E C

S P I R I T O F C H R I S T M AS

CONCERT HALL

28 D E C – 8 JA N

FAW L T Y TOW E R S L I V E

P L AY H O U S E

old fashioned magic and like everything beautiful and good, it changes every time. Some nights there's this electric charge in the room; even a show that is totally firing can have moments where its transcendent and wild. It’s real. You have to deal with others. You have to leave your house. You have to go to the toilet at interval with

Q PAC T V

all the other humans. You have to sit next to strangers. You have

C O N TA C T PO Box 3567, South Bank, Qld, 4101 (07) 3840 7444 | qpac.com.au/story ABN: 13 967 571 1218

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Queensland Performing Arts Trust is a statutory body of the

to put pants on. Watching television is great, but it’s passive. With

State of Queensland and is partially funded by the Queensland

performing arts, you have to put your pants on.

Government: The Honourable Annastacia Palasczuk MP, Premier and

A N D F I N A L L Y , W H AT C A N ’ T Y O U L E AV E T H E

Cabinet: David Stewart.

Minister for the Arts; Director-General, Department of Premier and

HOUSE WITHOUT? I have this ridiculous bag that is full of so much crap; lyric books, pens, Play School and Offspring scripts, whatever books I’m reading, pieces of paper my manager gives me that are supposedly important but which I never look at again. It’s really heavy, and I should probably clean it out, but I know it’s got everything I need in it so

CO N C E R T H A L L

9 – 23 D E C 17 D E C

@ ATQ PA C

with an audience. It means suspending disbelief and telling a story in real time with real reactions. It means freedom; being able to

27 AUG

2 – 11 SEP

@Q PAC

W H AT D O E S T H E P E R F O R M I N G A R T S

It means being in a room with creatives, and then being in a room

say the things and do the things they won’t let you do on telly. It’s

6 N OV

@ ATQ PA C

the corner.

CO N C E R T H A L L CO N C E R T H A L L

28 AUG

3 – 7 SEP

CONNECT

Not that I necessarily get it. I’m a December birthday, so nobody (including me) has time for that shit with Christmas around

SMOKIE LIVE

27 AUG

SEPTEMBER

Eddie Perfect

designed for theatre and dance; and Cremorne Theatre (312 seats) is an intimate and versatile black box theatre space.

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A P L AY S G R I E G

7 N OV

(1,600 seats) is a versatile space, designed primarily for orchestra comedy and presentations; Playhouse (850 seats) is primarily

REQUEST EACH YEAR? I’m not a cake person. I like cheese. I ask for a cheese platter.

2 N OV

BEATLES BACK2BACK: SGT PEPPERS AND ABBEY ROAD DAN & PHIL: THE AMAZING TOUR IS NOT ON FIRE

OUR VENUES

Lyric Theatre (2,000 seats) is designed primarily for opera, ballet and large-scale theatre events such as musicals; Concert Hall performances and also used for contemporary music, stand-up

W H AT K I N D O F B I R T H D AY C A K E D O Y O U

FIVE MINUTES WITH

5 N OV

8 N OV

heart of each production. Through the warmth and expertise of our staff, we have become a trusted curator, presenter and host; a place to come together to relax, reflect, share stories and celebrate.

QPAC has four theatres suitable for a range of performance styles:

they need all that hedge?

CO N C E R T H A L L

10 OC T 14 OC T

visitors to more than 1,200 performances each year, we embrace the best in live performance – the world renowned alongside the emerging, local and new – and connect to the stories and ideas at the

W H AT ’ S A J O K E T H AT Y O U ’ V E TO L D T H AT

compared to how I feel about hedgehogs. They’re tiny. Why do

CO N C E R T H A L L

CO N C E R T H A L L CO N C E R T H A L L

A B O U T Q PAC Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is one of Australia’s leading centres for live performance. Welcoming over 1.4 million

H A S A B S O L U T E L Y F A L L E N F L AT ? My wife’s a doona hog. It really annoys me. But that’s nothing

U N T I L 16 OC T 1 OC T

CO N C E R T H A L L

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

Q U E E N S L A N D S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A P L AY S M A H L E R 4 C H O I R O F T R I N I T Y CO L L E G E

U N T I L 14 AU G

strange, both individually and collectively, and I find the comedic possibilities in humans smashing into each other endless.

CONCERT HALL L Y R I C T H E AT R E

P L AY H O U S E CO N C E R T H A L L

C R E M O R N E T H E AT R E

16 J U L

5 AU G

thing they want in uncomfortable, absurd, hostile or ridiculous

P L AY H O U S E

22 SEP – 16 OCT

17 J U L 18 & 19 J U L

W H AT M A K E S Y O U L A U G H ? I find myself laughing less and less at stand-up comedy and more

L Y R I C T H E AT R E

16 & 17 SEP 20 – 24 SEP

26 SEP

JULY

B R I S B A N E F E S T I VA L G E O R G E

9 – 17 SEP 10 SEP 14 – 17 SEPT

23 SEPT

it’s easier just to take it everywhere.

Lyric Theatre

THE BEAST 15 to 18 September 2016

not accept responsibility for statements made by advertisers. All information was

DISCOVER MORE - READ THE FULL INTERVIEW AND OTHERS, AT QPAC.COM.AU/STORY

correct at time of printing. Story welcomes editorial contributions or comments. They should be sent by email to story@qpac.com.au. Printed July 2016.

V I S I T Q PAC . CO M . AU O R CA L L 136 246 F O R B OO K I N G S O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N . I N F O R M AT I O N CO R R E C T AT T I M E O F P R I N T I N G .

PAG E 61

PAG E 65

Goran Bregovic in concert at QPAC’s Concert Hall, 2016. Photo: Darren Thomas.

Eddie Perfect.

INSIDE BACK COVER The Tunnel. Photo: Mindi Cooke.

W H AT M A K E S Y O U L A U G H ? I find myself laughing less and less at stand-up comedy and more at character-based comedy. For me, I find the greatest humour comes from a connection with a character who is trying to get the thing they want in uncomfortable, absurd, hostile or ridiculous circumstances. I really connect with struggle, and obstacles, and the space between who we are and who we would like to be. Humans are strange, both individually and collectively, and I find the comedic possibilities in humans smashing into each other endless.

W H AT ’ S A J O K E T H AT Y O U ’ V E TO L D T H AT H A S A B S O L U T E L Y F A L L E N F L AT ? My wife’s a doona hog. It really annoys me. But that’s nothing compared to how I feel about hedgehogs. They’re tiny. Why do they need all that hedge?

W H AT K I N D O F B I R T H D AY C A K E D O Y O U

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Eddie Perfect

REQUEST EACH YEAR? I’m not a cake person. I like cheese. I ask for a cheese platter. Not that I necessarily get it. I’m a December birthday, so nobody (including me) has time for that shit with Christmas around the corner.

W H AT D O E S T H E P E R F O R M I N G A R T S M E A N TO YOU? It means being in a room with creatives, and then being in a room with an audience. It means suspending disbelief and telling a story in real time with real reactions. It means freedom; being able to say the things and do the things they won’t let you do on telly. It’s

The singer-songwriter, pianist, comedian,

old fashioned magic and like everything beautiful and good, it

writer and actor has appeared on shows

room; even a show that is totally firing can have moments where its

from Play School to Offspring. You’ve seen him as Alexander Downer in Keating! The Musical and in his own work Shane Warne

changes every time. Some nights there's this electric charge in the transcendent and wild. It’s real. You have to deal with others. You have to leave your house. You have to go to the toilet at interval with all the other humans. You have to sit next to strangers. You have to put pants on. Watching television is great, but it’s passive. With performing arts, you have to put your pants on.

The Musical. He has so much talent he’s now to decide whether others have any when he moves into the judge’s chair on Australia’s Got Talent.

A N D F I N A L L Y , W H AT C A N ’ T Y O U L E AV E T H E HOUSE WITHOUT? I have this ridiculous bag that is full of so much crap; lyric books, pens, Play School and Offspring scripts, whatever books I’m reading, pieces of paper my manager gives me that are supposedly important but which I never look at again. It’s really heavy, and I should probably clean it out, but I know it’s got everything I need in it so it’s easier just to take it everywhere.

THE BEAST 15 to 18 September 2016 Lyric Theatre, QPAC

DISCOVER MORE - READ THE FULL INTERVIEW AND OTHERS, AT QPAC.COM.AU/STORY

Queensland Performing Arts Centre

Act 2 2016

Mirror, mirror Story: Act 2, 2016

QPAC.COM.AU

For the creative and curious...

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DISCOVER A DARKER SHADE OF SNOW BY HELEN RAZER

COME ON WITH

the rain B Y D AV I D S T R AT TO N

KAZ COOKE

IN PRAISE OF WEIRD

CONNECT @ ATQ PA C @Q PAC @ ATQ PA C Q PAC T V

C O N TA C T PO Box 3567, South Bank, Qld, 4101 (07) 3840 7444 | qpac.com.au/story ABN: 13 967 571 1218