Melbourne independent theatre

Melbourne Fringe Award: Best Kids Show

We are over the moon to announce that Reasons to Stay Inside received the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Award for Best Kids Show.

Reasons to Stay Inside was only a success because of the brilliant and dedicated team who worked so tirelessly on it.

As a playwright, I am always in a huge debt to director, Prue Clark for her beautiful, insightful, rigorous and generous exploration and realisation of the words I write.

Emma Annand and Oliver Coleman as Flora and Pedro won their audiences over within the first ten seconds of the show. They were engaging, open, delightful performers.

The creative and clever design team of Amelia Lever-Davidson (lighting), Yvette Turnbull (set and costumes) and Lachlan Millsom (sound) really brought this piece to life – I was blown away but what they managed to achieve in our tiny space and with our tiny budget.

Finally, stage manager Luke Preer held us altogether and kept the show running smoothly from a technical difficulty on opening to the bump-out on closing. An absolute legend.

This recognition from the Melbourne Fringe adjudicators is such a boost to the work we do. We cannot thank them enough for their support of our work.

Reasons to Stay Inside opens at Melbourne Fringe

Reasons to Stay Inside has opened at the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

A departure from my usual work, this is a play for kids and families. I wanted to create a piece that I could share with my nieces and nephews. I also really wanted to tell a story about anxiety. I think this is a show I would have liked the 10 year old version of myself to see – so I knew I wasn’t alone and so I could talk about it more easily with my family. Maybe.

Reasons to Stay Inside is about Pedro who, one day, just can’t go outside. Instead, he builds a giant pillow fort. And he won’t leave it. Flora, his best friend, tries everything she can to get Pedro to come back outside. You can’t stay in your fort forever, can you?

A show for 8 to 108 year olds about irritating best friends, dancing pegacorns, pillow forts and that weird anxious feeling.

Playing at Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall – Tuesday 22 September to Saturday 3 October (no shows Monday or Sunday) 1pm (45 minutes). Tickets available online or call 03 9660 9666.

***

Directed by Prue Clark

Starring Emma Annand and Oliver Coleman

Lighting Design by Amelia Lever-Davidson

Set, Props and Costume Design by Yvetter Turnbull

Sound Design by Lachlan Millsom

Stage Management by Luke Preer

Written and Produced by Katy Warner

Dropped published by Playlab Indie

The legends over at Playlab have just published Dropped through Playlab Indie.

You can now get your own hands on your very own (digital) copy and recreate moments from the show in your lounge-room.

Playlab Indie is committed to promoting independent work and providing exposure for playwrights. They are doing great work for Australian playwrights and independent theatre. Check them out!

Dropped – Closing Night

What an opportunity it has been to rework, reimagine and remount Dropped for a season at La Mama. As a playwright it is all too rare to have the chance to revisit your work; once it is out there it is done – judged, seen, over … Sure, you have some photos and a video recording (video never can quite capture theatre can it?) but the ethereal nature of theatre, particularly a show like Dropped, means once it’s gone it’s gone. Just … Like …That ….

Thankfully La Mama picked us up and we had another go at it. The Fringe Festival season was successful but now, looking back, feels like the creative development of the piece. It was where we got to “try it out” and figure out how we could all work together. We worked quickly. We worked cheaply. We were exhausted. But we got our work on and seen. Getting your work out there; that is what Fringe is all about for me.

We were happy with the Fringe season but I desperately wanted to do the show again. I felt we hadn’t finished with Dropped yet …

The beauty, and frustration, of theatre is that we can never quite have it all figured out. There will always be things I could change and alter and develop in Dropped; I could be rewriting this piece forever. Even so, having the chance to rework the piece through reflecting on that first season has been an absolute treat. Feedback from the director, actors, designers, audiences all helped in the development of the work – I am confident that the piece is stronger for it.

As the show closes tonight I have started the reflection process again: What could I do differently? What needs to be stronger? How can I make that bit more effective? What the hell am I trying to say there? And the rewrites will start again … hopefully for a final time but who knows?

I will have to leave it alone one day I am sure.

But, as Dropped closes for a second time in Melbourne, we are looking towards another “go” at it in another place at another time – not too far from now …

Watch this space!

Dropped – opens soon at La Mama

Dropped. Actor: Matilda Reed / Photographer: Jessie Prince

Dropped is gearing up for its return season at La Mama Theatre, Carlton.

This time around, Brigid Gallacher joins Matilda Reed on-stage in this all-female production, directed by Prue Clark.

Tickets are available now: http://lamama.com.au/summer-2014/dropped/

written by warner