Common Ground Written and Directed by Kate Wild Developed in conjunction with 2nd year Bachelor of Acting students
CONTENT WARNING: Patrons are advised that this productions contains strong language, adult themes, simulated violence, theatrical haze, strobe lighting, prop cigarettes and prop vape
This performance runs for 2 hours and 20 mins including a 15 minute interval 2
Welcome from Jaqui Somerville
Welcome to the final Bachelor of Acting play in the Burke Street Studio Theatre. This year we bring you Common Ground written and directed by Kate Wild, set in an Australian campsite. This is the second time Kate has developed and directed work for us and it has been a pleasure to have her back. The last time she was directing in this space was with her adaptation of Maxim Gorky’s Summerfolk for our class of 2022. Kate has a beautiful eye for detail and it is wonderful for the students to work with an award-winning artist who is based here in Queensland. It has always been important to me to create a space where new work can evolve, giving the Bachelor of Acting students the understanding of what it means to create a character from scratch. To have an insight into the workings of a creative mind, inspire that artist and be inspired by that artist to create a strong piece of work for the theatre. Since 2019 our 2nd year Acting students have worked with five different living playwrights and have developed in conjunction with them five new Australian plays: An Exact Point in Time with Claire Christian (Class of 2020), Night-Time over Our Town with Elise Greig (Class of 2021), The Deepest Deep with Steve Pirie (Class of 2022), Ownsville with Maxine Mellor (Class of 2023), Common Ground with Kate Wild (Class of 2024). An Exact Point in Time went on to be produced by two students of that year at the Anywhere Festival, where they won an Award from Queensland Theatre for Best Emerging Artist. From next year the Bachelor of Acting will be based at the Conservatorium at South Bank and our productions will be performed in various spaces around Brisbane and beyond. 3
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Paul Sabey for his support and encouragement of the work undertaken on the Bachelor of Acting course. His leadership as Head of Performing Arts since 2018 has been exemplary, especially his guidance through the pandemic. I wish him all the best for his new venture with the Queensland Academy of Excellence in Musical Theatre, it has been a pleasure to work alongside him and his students of the Bachelor of Musical Theatre. Thank you for joining us for this production. The class of 2024 are proving to be an exciting group - I had the good fortune of directing them in The Cherry Orchard in their first year and was constantly delighted by them. I think you are in for a treat with this production. Thank you to Kate for her work with the students, Dr Elise Greig for her voice support, to Keith Clark for his beautiful lighting and to Aaron Jeffery, Brooklyn Pace, Amy Hauser and the rest of the QCGU Technical team who always go above and beyond. I hope to see you again as we venture to our new home at South Bank within the Queensland Conservatorium walls.
Jacqui Somerville
Program Director - Bachelor of Actiing 4
From the Director What happens when we leave the familiarity and security of four walls? How does a night under canvas change the way we look at our lives? With the theme of connection – to the land, to each other, to ourselves – Common Ground follows the lives of fifteen young people as they head into the Queensland outback and set up camp. Common Ground was written over twelve months with the contribution of the Second Year Acting students. With the starting location of a campground in contemporary outback Queensland, each student dreamed up a character they could imagine in that place. We then grouped characters into shared storylines and from these I wrote the script. Over many readings and rehearsals, the students and I have interrogated, critiqued, fleshed-out and ruthlessly trimmed the fat from several drafts to produce the script as you will see it performed today. It’s been a rigorous and rewarding process and I’ve been inspired by the intelligence, instincts and sensitivity displayed by these emerging artists. I’d like to thank the cast, crew and staff for the opportunity to create this new work. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I’ve enjoyed making it. Kate Wild
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Kate Wild Writer and Director
Kate is the writer and director of The Sound of a Finished Kiss which won Best Independent Production and Best Musical at the 2018 Matilda Awards. Kate has worked with some of the UK’s most prestigious theatres including the Young Vic, English Touring Theatre, and the Gate Theatre. After relocating to Brisbane in 2015, she founded Now Look Here and directed Splendour, A Slight Ache and The Seagull for the company. Other directing credits include: Mariana Pineda (Gate Theatre), Simply Heavenly (Young Vic Youth Theatre), The Cherry Orchard (Southwark Playhouse and fortyfive downstairs), A Doll’s House (Alma Theatre), Drowned World (The Storeroom) and Billy Liar (RWCMD). In 2021 she directed Rising for Playlab Theatre and Conviction as part of The Hive Collective’s inaugural season at Metro Arts.
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The Cast Kate Rebecca Harland Frankie Siena D’Arienzo Bill Ethan Waerea Dorian Alexander James Harvey Logan So Leon Dylan Hodge Claire Charlotte Pitt Alex Harrison Everingham Tyler Angus Freer Gertie Jade Jose Isaac Michael Probets Jane Sophia Marzano Dave Sebastien Skubala Chrys Caitlin Weld Rory Isabella Kirkwood
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FOR THE PRODUCTION Director Kate Wild Voice Support Elise Greig
STUDENT PRODUCTION ROLES Production Manager Charlotte Pitt
Intimacy Coordinator Jacqui Somerville
Assistant Stage Managers Jade Jose Sophia Marzano Caitlin Weld
Fight Choreographer Jason McKell
Sound Designer Sebastien Skubala
Lighting Designer Keith Clark
Musical Directors Harrison Everingham Siena D’Arienzo Jade Jose Michael Probets
Production Manager Amy Hauser Stage Manager Aaron Jeffery Sound & AV Technician Brooklyn Pace Program Dominique Fegan
Practical Lighting and AV Logan So Alexander James Props Rebecca Harland Isabella Kirkwood Ethan Waerea Costumes Angus Freer Dylan Hodge Publicity Siena D’Arienzo Voice Captain Sebastien Skubala Fight Captain Alexander James 8
FOR THE QUEENSLAND CONSERVATORIUM Director Professor Bernard Lanskey Deputy Director (Engagement) Professor Peter Morris Program Director Bachelor of Acting Jacqui Somerville Business Manager Stuart Jones Front of House Operations Manager Michael Hibbard Technical Team Leader Cameron Hipwell Technical Officers Keith Clark Amy Hauser Len McPherson Acting Administration Dominique Fegan Cathy Healy 9
With Thanks The seeds for this production were sown during the creative development of the SITE project which sadly succumbed to the challenges of the pandemic. However, the insights and perspectives of collaborators Merlynn Tong, Ellen Van Neerven, Sarah Winter, Saffron Benner, Sally McRea and Aunty Colleen Wall laid the foundation for the work you are seeing today. I’d like to acknowledge their contribution, along with funding from the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council for that earlier project. (KW) Additional thanks to Karrine Kanaan for publicity photography and Cooper Huizing for making our publicity trailer.
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Connect with us /queenslandconservatorium qldCon_Griffith @qldcon @qldcon griffith.edu.au/acting griffith.edu.au/queenslandconservatorium queenslandconservatorium.com.au Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work, and pays respect to the Elders past, present and emerging. Tel: +61 (7) 3735 0006 Email: acting@griffith.edu.au Location: 140 Grey Street, South Bank 4101