EDGE
Wednesdays, 14th September - 16th November 2016
Chrissie Parrott Studio, Boorloo (Perth)
10 shows. 10 Writers. 23 actors and you.
Each night a new script is brought to life and the audience is invited behind the scenes to contribute to the show in a working theatre space. EDGE is an immersive theatre experience. It's theatre made with you.
This immersive season was developed from the desire to share with audiences the first moment in rehearsals where something new is discovered; where something massive drops in for a performer or a key realisation is made. You only ever see that moment if you are in the room and it can never be replicated, so we developed an immersive process that invited audiences to witness these initial moments of discovery by making the show with them.
Each night focuses on one short script, which the audience influences through facilitated development tasks, exposing something new in every repetition. The tasks are designed to give the audience agency and the performers room to play through shifting the context, imagery, symbolism and staging of each scene.
Immersive Forms
Exposing Theme
At the start of the show, the scene is read twice. The first reading focuses on the script, with the stage directions read aloud. The second reading introduces character and objective.
The audience identifies the themes and issues they saw within the work and they write them onto palm cards. These are read aloud by the cast - at pace - and discussed as a group.
Given Circumstances
The audience is invited to suggest a set of given circumstances for the script. This is done by voting on suggestions with coloured paddles. Once a set of circumstances has been decided, we run the scene within this new context. We develop at least two sets of given circumstances and the audience votes on the context they want to explore for the rest of the evening.
Rewind
This is a simple improvisation exercise that gives the audience the autonomy to rewind the dialogue and see a different version of that moment. It is a gold mine for unexpected action and physicality.
We play the scene, and when the audience wants to see a moment played again, they clap, and the performers rewind three lines and play the scene with a new action and intention.
Object as Subtext
The audience is asked to choose an object from a selection of props that we have brought with us: coloured ropes, elastic, paper, bed sheets, torches, etc.
The scene is played using the object to express the subtext, intentions and objectives within the scene. This form unlocks physicality for the performers and surfaces imagery based metaphor from the scene.
Object as Symbol
The audience chooses a theme within the scene and an object to symbolise that theme. They are encouraged to think beyond what we have brought with us and choose from any object in the space.
Architecture and Staging
The audience is invited to suggest a unique immersive staging of the scene. This is a challenging request for any audience so we always have something prepared as a backup.
Sound and Light
A number of scripts called for music, soundscapes or immersive lighting, which the audience were enlisted to create. There were always objects, torches and a variety of light sources available to be used.
Stage Management and Tech
All the tech in the space was operated via Bluetooth remotes. This meant that we were able to operate lighting and sound from anywhere in the room. This was important because the staging could change at any moment. We also had a spotlight on the floor with gels for creating a colour wash and an ever growing kit of things to play with over ten weeks.
Concept: Cohan
Director and Facilitator: Cohan
Writers: See show sections
Performers: See show section
Lighting Design: Cohan, Rachel Woodward, Chris Issacs
Props: Cohan, Rachel Woodward
Producers: Cesarina Fitzgerald, Cohan, Harley Bell
Stage Manager: Rachel Woodward
Venue Manager: Mitchell Whelan
Production Stills: Harley Bell
Marketing and Design: Park Street
Produced by: Blank Space Productions
With thanks to: Chris Issacs
Wanting and Needing
By Jackson Used
performed by: Elijha Melvin and Mary Soudi
14th September 2016
Chrissie Parrott Arts, Boorloo (Perth)
We find James and Anna, in a bedroom, at a turning point in their relationship. The sex isn’t enough for Anna. She needs James to play rough. James is content, she is everything he ever wanted.
For the final staging on this night the audience designed the layout of the bedroom and bathroom, establishing the walls with their chairs and witnessing the intimate details of this evening as if they were the walls.
Check Up
by Charlotte Otten
Performed by: Barnaby Pollock, Julie Holmshaw and Martyn Chucher
21st September 2016
Chrissie Parrott Arts, Boorloo (Perth)
Ray is old, alone and ready to die. Gabe is young, a nurse and annoyingly positive. Ray has been evading Gabe for months, but today he arrives at Ray’s door with pizza and coffee - both laced with her medication. Ray can’t manage to be rude enough to get rid of him and somehow they find a middle ground. Gabe will come back tomorrow, without medication, and they will watch home movies.
One suggestion from the audience was for Ray’s dead husband to haunt the scene, and we were lucky enough to have a volunteer to play the role! We also experimented with sound, and the audience creates a soundscape for the scene with objects at hand.
Benny Bo
by Vidya Rajan
Performed by: James McMillan and Sean Crofton
28th September 2016
Chrissie Parrott Arts, Boorloo (Perth)
Benny and Bo are siblings - and - they are both up for an argument. That is where the similarities stop. Today they are cleaning out their Mum's house after her passing. These kind of days are never easy, but they manage to make this one particularly hard on each other.
The highlight of this week was the ‘rewind’ exercise. This script allowed for highly physical staging and James McMillan and Sean Crofton delivered on this with creativity, instinct and energy as the audience pushed them to rewind the action, find new pathways through the scene and build the stakes.
Bad liar
by George Ashforth
Performed by: Andrew Sutherland and Nicola Renton
5th October 2016
Chrissie Parrott Arts, Boorloo (Perth)
Sean was never an easy child. Something about the violence of his anger always frightened his Mum. Sneaking into the lounge room of his family home, he is now old enough to know better. He is wanted by police for hitting his friend in the temple with a brick. His Mum records their interaction as she finds a way to get a confession out of him, something only a person who knows him better than he knows himself could do.
On this night the audience chose to symbolise guilt with wine and innocence with water. In one of the photos above we see Sean’s mother pouring out his innocence as she forces him to confess to the assault.
Temple
by Andrew Sutherland
Performed by: Haydon Wilson, Maja Liwszyc, Pete Townsend and Zoe Street
12th October 2016
Chrissie Parrott Arts, Boorloo (Perth)
This work explores the intentions of Malinche, the Aztec partner of Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes. This script is delicately self aware, with two modern day narrators navigating possible reasons, actions and justifications for Malinche’s role in this bloody epoch of history. Malinche and Cortes move though these possible worlds as if seen through a window into the past.
In the final version of this scene the audience placed their chairs in the performance space throughout the scene to symbolise the death of Aztec women under the reign of Cortes.
The Boats
by Eloise Carter
Performed by: Haydon Wilson and Indigo Keane
19th October 2016
Chrissie Parrott Arts, Boorloo (Perth)
Stacey and Tom have bumped into each other on a bridge. They are family friends and have spent every childhood holiday and Christmas together that they can remember.
From this point EGDE took a turn as the audience navigated Eloise Carter’s choose your own adventure script. There was one beginning and eight possible endings, filled with unrequited love, betrayal, an accidental death, suicide, secrets and lies. The audience was witness to both of the possible directions for the path ahead before choosing one direction and losing the other. With amazing dedication to creating relevant, unabashed and interesting theatre they discussed and co-created the show that they wanted to see together.
Sunday in the Dark With George
by Eloise Carter
Performed by: James McMillan, Jess Harlond-Kenny, Sam Hayes and Timothy Green
26th October 2016
Chrissie Parrott Arts, Boorloo (Perth)
This script brought the audience into a huge discussion about the church, child abuse, accountability and ‘God’. The scene gives weight and credence to all of these elements as a church leader is preparing to publicly address claims of abuse and struggling to listen to his faith. The scene ends in a twist as the celestial parent flickers out of existence with the church's refusal to take accountability.
The audience took control of the symbolism in this story by using light and darkness. The final scene was lit entirely with hand held torches, which were turned off as each individual audience member perceived Pastor George’s soul had moved beyond a point of no return.
The Faith Healer
by Geordie Crawley
Performed by: Sean Gusatavino And Isobel McDonald
2nd November 2016
Chrissie Parrott Arts, Boorloo (Perth)
Action arrives immediately in Geordie Crawley’s The Faith Healer as Sarah, a disbeliever, pulls a gun on Daniel in front of his congregation. She is determined to expose the truth of his fraud, forcing him to reveal that his skin is not marked by God as he claims. He slanders her as a stalker and details abuse he alleges he has suffered at her hands. Between them the truth is not easy to find. But when Sarah turns the gun on herself, Daniel heals her.
The audience took this high stakes scene in hand, offering detailed and bold interpretations of place, time and character to direct Isabelle McDonald and Sean Guastavino’s choices. They joined in the action of the final scene, playing the role of the congregation as active participants.
Lights Out
by Mararo Wangai
Performed by: Mararo Wangai And Rubeun Yorkshire
9th November 2016
Chrissie Parrott Arts, Boorloo (Perth)
Lights Out zooms into a small window of time for two inmates the night before they are sentenced to be hung. They navigate a difficult place of hope and friendship from either side of a thick wall. In one cell there is a mouse - or perhaps the story of a mouse. The other prisoners' happiness and hope is tied to the fate of these small creatures. When the mouse eats her babies, he loses a bet, and in devastation has to sing a song. The two men sing together, and it is revealed that the mouse and her babies are fine.
This script is as soft and hopeful as it is hard. Mararo Wangai, Martyn Churcher and Rubeun Yorkshire found a fine balance between power and softness. The audience chose to build upon that and created a musical underscoring for the scene with objects they found in the space and their voices.
forever
by Cohan
Performed by: Paul Grabovac and Zoe Hollyoak
16th November 2016
Chrissie Parrott Arts, Boorloo (Perth)
Frankie is running away from her abusive partner and his tight knit family. Tony, her partner's brother, finds her packing and is determined to stop the escape. Frankie is in the fight of her life, but she is physically outmatched, she has to talk her way out of this room. She digs deep into their shared history and touches on a softer, now hidden side of Tony’s humanity. He helps her to leave, unsure of the risk to himself.
Exploring themes of family, obligation, violence and love the audience was interested in physicalising the ties between these two characters with ropes and long lengths of elastic. This made the tension in the room literally visible as Zoe Hollyoak and Paul Grabovac negotiated the scenarios the audience created for them.