One character: the titular Esme (played by Kate Hood), a wheelchair user who lives alone on the 17th floor of a housing commission estate where the lift doesn’t always work. Two goals: an exploration of what living with disability can look like, and how accessibility can be embedded into theatrical performance. Three monologues: the first,Continue reading “[Take Over!] Queen Esme of Collingwood”
Author Archives: Jaya Berged
[Take Over!] We’ve Been Here Before
Govind Pillai and Raina Peterson (Karma Dance) have been working on a new show, We’ve Been Here Before, a work that explores themes of isolation and pandemic life, approaching them through metaphors and traditional-contemporary expressions of Indian classical dance. A preview into the development of this work was live streamed as part of Take Over!Continue reading “[Take Over!] We’ve Been Here Before”
[Take Over!] Giraru Galing Ganhagirri
Melbourne-based artist and choreographer Joel Bray, a proud Wiradjuri man, is in the process of creating a new work: Giraru Galing Ganhagirri (which translates to The Wind Will Bring The Rain in the Wiradjuri language). In this work, he uses film as a medium to explore the meditative themes of country, cycles of nature, andContinue reading “[Take Over!] Giraru Galing Ganhagirri”
[Take Over!] The Crying Room
Getting through life can be a challenge at the best of times, but 2020 has been a special nightmare. The world as we knew it has been turned upside down by the pandemic, and for many of us, these uncertain times have been an ambush of familiar and unfamiliar emotions. There’s an ever-growing need forContinue reading “[Take Over!] The Crying Room”
SAIGON
“This is how we tell stories in Vietnam – with lots of tears.” Paris, 1996. The play opens in a Vietnamese restaurant run by Marie Antoinette and her niece Lam. The restaurant has a warm, homely vibe, and is clearly loved by the regular clientele who frequent the spot for the interactions with each otherContinue reading “SAIGON”
Unleash the Beast
You head up the stairs of The Butterfly Club, imagining that you’re about to witness the release of some sort of majestic fanged creature into an arena where it will display its power. When you get to the bar, though, you find that this “beast” is already unleashed, and is happily socializing with its audienceContinue reading “Unleash the Beast”
Samsara
A dancer (Hu Shenyuan) takes centre stage, his lithe body guided by an atmospheric soundscape into movements of breathtaking fluidity. His limbs and torso are delicately lit, allowing our eyes to soak in the full impact of his movements, isolating different parts of his body from one moment to the next. At the end ofContinue reading “Samsara”
The Winter’s Tale
Hong Kong leader Leontes has a falling out with his old friend, the Australian politician Polixenes, over suspicions of his involvement with Leontes’ wife, Hermione. Jealous and unrestrained, Leontes goes on a bridge-burning frenzy – alienating friends, deserting his newborn, and even causing the death of his innocent wife. He ends up falling into aContinue reading “The Winter’s Tale”
Abida Parveen
Four musicians sit cross-legged on the floor of the stage for the entirety of the concert. The lead performer, a singer in her 60s, sings songs of love, wisdom, and experience. Her lyrics are inspired by the poetry of old Sufi saints, her music and her thoughts are all addressed to Allah, the divine. ThereContinue reading “Abida Parveen”
Hades Fading (Hades Memudar)
The world as we know it has ended, the human race is extinct. Devastation has extended beyond this world into the next: Hades, the home of the dead, is fading, along with all its residents. After all, how can stories survive without human minds for them to live in? Hades Fading is a bilingual productionContinue reading “Hades Fading (Hades Memudar)”
Jaya Berged 