Category: Interviews

Posted on

Conversation with the audience: Sven Swenson (Interview 4)

Photo: Leesa Connelly

I’ve known Sven Swenson and admired his work since 1996, the year his first play Vertigo and the Virginia workshopped for Queensland Theatre Company.  Since then Sven’s completed 15 plays, but he notes there are 33 others “in various stages of disrepair.”  His latest work, The Bitterling premieres next week as the opening production of the inaugural La Boite Indie program; ‘opening’ and ‘inaugural’ – a lot of firsts, and a lot of expectations.  He’s writer and director.

He tells me, “We know we are the indie guinea-pigs, we’re all keenly aware of this.  There is constant dialogue between the participants and La Boite, who are extremely supportive and available.  They have a genuine and profound desire to see good indie theatre develop.”  He goes on, “There’s a real air of excitement right now, and it’s helping us to create at our best.”

I’m glad to catch up with Sven, one of Brisbane’s most prolific and also proudly parochial writers.  I want to know more about the inaugural winner (2002) for Road to the She Devil’s Salon and then finalist (2008) of the prestigious Queensland Premier’s Drama Award.  His play Beautiful Souls was produced Off-Broadway (2007) and also in Los Angeles.  Among other things we talk about beginnings, influences, how he works, and the local theatre scene. He has a few surprises for me along the way. Continue reading “Conversation with the audience: Sven Swenson (Interview 4)”

Posted on

Flloyd Kennedy (Interview 3)

Image of Flloyd Kennedy

Brisbane has the right to a healthy layer of DIY theatre – partially supported and encouraged, venue or company based – in professional, independent companies that evolve.  People need to be empowered to work outside the prevalent bureaucratic funding model. My passion is theatre where performers do their thing – performers in an empty room – not big sets and costume stuff.  Then the audience brings its own life, energy and imagination to it; that’s the kind of theatre I love – that’s fringe.

I spoke a little while back with Flloyd Kennedy actor, blogger, voice-coach, theatre-maker and enthusiast.  She’s so committed to the importance of theatre-making that she (initially) single-handedly organised the inaugural one-day Bits Festival of fringe theatre held in Brisbane last November.  I was intrigued by the concept and keen to talk with Flloyd about what brought her to do such an extraordinary thing – creating a fringe festival event from scratch is hardly for the faint of heart, but then that’s not a label that would stick long to Flloyd.

… there is still not the opportunity here for audiences to experience new ideas or for rough, raw, experimental work to get a first showing. There’s still a missing layer.. Continue reading “Flloyd Kennedy (Interview 3)”

Posted on

Out of bed and on the job: David Burton (Interview 2)

David Burton

I was delighted to speak with David – Dave to his friends – Burton late last week about his playwrighting, and especially his latest work Lazarus Won’t Get Out of Bed.  I can tell from the outset that he is upbeat – excited even.  It was a good opening night the preceding evening – the buzz is good he tells me.  But as we talk I can see that he’s just as excited by the opportunities that are out there for a young playwright. “I can’t keep up; anyone who says there aren’t enough creative development opportunities or support programs for young writers is not trying hard enough, or not looking in the right places.” We go on to speak a lot about support during the course of our conversation; it becomes a theme almost. Continue reading “Out of bed and on the job: David Burton (Interview 2)”

Posted on

“Shut up, listen, and just do the work!” Kathryn Fray and 23rd Productions (Interview 1)

K_Fray

It’s late morning, and I’m interviewing Kathryn Fray via Skype. The artistic director of the Brisbane-based independent theatre company 23rd Productions looks and sounds … well … almost too perky for someone who is in the middle of producing a brand new play.  She’s clearly busy; for a start her Facebook status has been showing ‘Living in the land of Pinter’ for a while now. The Pinter in question is, of course, the one and only, late and great Harold Pinter, British playwright and Nobel Prize winner. The play in question My Night With Harold is a new work, a team-written “massive challenge and wild experiment” she says, “which we were unsure we could pull off.  It was a great idea, but there was nothing really for a producer to hang anything on.”  That initial idea has already gone through a creative development process, and is now in the middle of rehearsals for its first full production.  Whether or not Kathryn and 23rd Productions pull it off will be known at the end of this week when My Night With Harold opens as part of the Under the Radar independent theatre festival within the wider orbit of the Brisbane Festival.  On opening night 19 September 23rd Productions will be very much front and centre on the city’s theatre radar. Continue reading ““Shut up, listen, and just do the work!” Kathryn Fray and 23rd Productions (Interview 1)”