StopPanicking - it's worse than you think

Music, Music, Music. Music.

2008-11-10T04:25:00.004+11:00

After playing a really soul affirming set at Soft Belly last week, I'm playing once again with Ms White as The Baby Drivers this Friday at CERES Community Environment Park in East Brunswick. The Weekend People (featuring the disgustingly talented Nicholas Roy) are also playing. We'd so very much love to share some of our new tunes with you, so those without plans - you now have exciting ones with much promise. Hope to see you there from around 7 (we're on at 9pm). Costs $8/$5 at CERES cnr Stewart & Roberts St, East brunswick.

I'm also hoping to get back onto some theatre thoughts and reviews in the near future, now that I have finally finished work on my own projects (for the time being).

Let's talk soon, shall we?

Babies at the Bender

2008-06-20T02:21:00.003+10:00

Hi drivers everywhere,
thanks to everyone who came to our rather noisy debut at the Bender Bar in May.
This coming Thursday we're doing it all again this time with the rather brilliant and bluesy STEPH BRETT supporting!

This could be one of our last full shows til August as Monica is travelling to the US and Rhys is doing some theatre in Brisbane so come on in and share a tune or two to get you through the working week.

You can listening to some of our new recordings now online at www.myspace.com/babydrivers and www.myspace.com/rhysauteri

Stay tuned for some Rhys solo shows in August, plus a fundraiser appearance in July...

Cheers,
Rhys & Monica

"...I was never, never, never enough but I can try, try, to toughen up..."

BABY DRIVERS with STEPH BRETT
Thursday. June 26
Bender Bar, 635 High St, Thornbury

Henson Circus

2008-05-28T18:29:00.002+10:00

Visit Theatre Notes for Alison Croggon's wonderful open letter in support of Bill Henson - complete with a number of comments posted (many of which make my skin crawl).

It's a bit scary out there at times...

REVIEW: The Feigned Inconstancy

2008-05-25T19:08:00.005+10:00

This article was originally published here on Vibewire.

Pierre Marivaux’s The Feigned Inconstancy is one of two 18th century comedies being presented by the VCA’s graduating company of actors for 2008. Like its accompanying piece in the series – Goldoni’s The Fan – The Feigned Inconstancy is a farce centred around vain but star-crossed lovers and their attempts to secure one another’s affections. Director David Wicks has produced a solid work, making the most of a well-paced script that still manages to make us laugh knowingly about the fickle nature of love and relationships.

The title of the piece refers to the plan that the Marquise (Zahra Newman) and Dorante (Thomas Larkin) concoct to reclaim their wayward lovers the Captain (Josh Price) and the Countess (Julia Grace). By pretending to have fallen for each other, they hope to fill the true objects of their desire with jealousy and thus be reunited with them. But the path of love is never so simple, of course. While the characters are presented as almost cartoonish, the validity and depth of their emotions are never in question. This grounding in reality makes us care about these ludicrous characters, as we can recognise our own insecurities, personal failings and foolish romanticism exposed before our eyes. It keeps this 200 year-old comedy relevant and accessible for modern theatre-goers.

The cast seems to revel in the extreme silliness of the production. The show opens with a musical flourish, with the characters engaging in a series of exaggerated tableaux that foreshadow the developments to come. They jump up and down at various intervals, as if performing a demanding calisthenics routine. Similar choreographed vignettes take place between each of the acts, emphasising the intricate dance Marivaux’s characters perform as they swap allegiances and put elaborate schemes into practice. This over-the-top presentation is ever-present and works exceedingly well – the actors’ stylised, heightened performances feed their characters’ postulating and grand-standing. Music is also used cheekily to announce the arrival of characters to a scene, or emphasise visual gags.

The play is presented as it might have been to an unruly mob two centuries ago. Innuendos are punctuated with knowing winks to the audience, the language of the modern audience is sometimes used to contrast against the pomposity of these characters – a master gives his servant an encouraging thumbs up, the captain is unable to restrain himself from shouting “fuck” in a moment of exasperation. The actors play up to the audience’s laughter and sighs of sympathy - particularly the luckless Frontin, who stole many a scene with his shameless sulking thanks largely to an imaginative portrayal by Nick Cook.

While The Feigned Inconsistency does not quite reach its potential, it is a genuinely entertaining production with fine performances and enough ideas to give it ongoing momentum and charm.

THE FEIGNED INCONSTANCY

VCA Drama Company 2008

Dates: Tuesday 20 May – Wednesday 28 May 2008

Times: Mon-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm

Address: Performance Studio One, VCA Drama, 28 Dodds Street Southbank

Prices: $20 / $12

Bookings: vca-drama@unimelb.edu.au / 9685 9225

REVIEW: Paradise City

2008-05-19T16:46:00.004+10:00

This article was originally published here on Vibewire.

The interplay between people and the urban environment has been the focus of Arts House’s excellent Urbanology series. Branch Nebula’s Paradise City is a fitting end to the series, exploring the physical relationship between six artists and the unforgiving concrete landscape of the city with breathtaking grace. A dancer, a BMX rider, a skater, a break-dancer, an acrobat and a “fallen diva” all collide (literally) with one another in this dream-like fusion of movement styles.

The opening sequences have a ritualistic air. The performers cautiously feel out the possibilities of the space: skateboarder Petera Hona slowly works his board’s wheels over the stark floor of the set; dancer Kathryn Puie lets her body slide down one of the two ramps. Singer Inga Liljeström’s haunting, abstract compositions seem to call the performers to the sacred site. The piece slowly builds momentum – the performers chase each other in a circle – forming a centrifuge that illustrates the power they possess as well as the force that draws them to the space.

The performers ‘dance’ with one another, seeking out each other’s skills and styles. Acrobat Alexandra Harrison flirts cheekily with biker Simon O’Brien, repeatedly trying to bring him unstuck with her own athletic tricks. In another instance, Harrison and Puie attempt to mimic break-dancer Anthony Lawang’s moves, but the physicality of their preferred art forms still permeates their imitation. In many ways, each of the performers become part of the landscape themselves – sometimes obstacles to avoid, sometimes objects to play with. At times the group will gang up on one performer – Anthony Lawang is buried during a dance routine by roadblocks hurled at him by the five other artists.

Paradise City is a mesmerising examination of identity. It suggests that to interact with another being you must interact also with their culture, their self-expression. In one pivotal sequence, acrobat Harrison skilfully finesses the evening dress and high heels off the diva and attempts to mimic her gestures. While Liljeström sings “I’m held by a thread that starts at my heart”, Harrison stumbles around in her shoes – unable to recapture her own fluent style, let alone become the diva she desires to be. The performers continue to define themselves the more they fight against, instigate, terminate, play with, antagonise, and mimic one another. The music soundtrack also has separate, distinct styles and personalities – from electronica to classical – each time changing the way we view the action on stage.

Creators Lee Wilson & Mirabelle Wouters have put together a group of extremely talented individuals from disparate movement forms to create a work that toys with the boundaries between them. The clarity of the images is such that some motifs are repeated that do not need to be reinforced, with the momentum suffering somewhat as a result. While at times the pacing is a little too gradual, when all the elements are at work it is a riveting experience. As with the rest of the Urbanology series, Paradise City asserts that the stark and lifeless façades of the city streets is no match for the creative souls moving through them.

PARADISE CITY

Branch Nebula

Dates: Wednesday 14 May – Saturday 17 May 2008
Times: 7:30pm Wed-Sat; 7:30pm & 2pm Sat
Theatre, Address: Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall
Prices: $25 / $18
Bookings: 03 9639 0096 / www.easytix.com.au/artshouse

MyMusic at MySpace

2008-05-14T02:04:00.003+10:00

For those of you who have heard my music and those who haven't, I've recently put up three new recordings at www.myspace.com/rhysauteri. I'd love to hear any comments or thoughts you may have. The songs are SMS Me which I wrote late last year, No Difference from 2006 and Overeducated Underachiever written in early '07.

I'm playing a Baby Drivers gig on Friday 23rd (see below) with hopefully some solo dates to follow in June. Keep checking in for more recordings this year - there should be a couple of Baby Driver tracks at www.myspace.com/babydrivers in the next month.

You can sign up for the mailing list for my solo shows as well as Baby Driver shows by emailing babydrivers@gmail.com.

Music in May from me and Monica...

2008-05-12T01:08:00.004+10:00

Hi everyone,
Well we've been pretty busy doing anything BUT performing music lately but the BABY DRIVERS will be playing again on FRIDAY MAY 23 from 9:30pm at the awesome BENDER BAR (635 High St, Thornbury).

Also appearing are the laid back jazz and funk outfit SUNDAY BEST, plus a special set by our friend Ben Mitchell - plus it's FREE ENTRY.

It's going to be a great night of music at a cool venue so please pencil us into your diaries!

Stay tuned for more dates in June. We have also been busy recording of late, so expect some great new recordings to appear soon on www.myspace.com/babydrivers and www.myspace.com/rhysauteri

You can join us for updates and recordings by searching for the 'Baby Drivers' group on Facebook or subscribing to our mailing list by emailing babydrivers@gmail.com

Cheers all,
Rhys & Monica

REVIEW: Get a Grip - L'Art du Déplacement

2008-05-12T00:59:00.003+10:00

This article was originally published here on Vibewire.

The thrill of witnessing a spectacle often lies in the moment we witness something that we are completely incapable of doing ourselves. In extreme cases it is something we thought humanly impossible. We gasp. We cheer. We fly through the air with our heroes. Olympians, acrobats and magicians fit comfortably in this category. We ought probably now add the exponents of Parkour. In Get a Grip – L’Art du Déplacement, the athletic members of Trace Elements seem to thoroughly enjoy making a spectacle of themselves as they leap around an elaborate jungle of scaffolding and platforms.

Get a Grip is an intimate, close-up look at the spectacular and relatively new movement forms of parkour and freerunning. With echoes of gymnastics, ballet and martial arts, parkour is part movement style, part extreme sport, part way of life. A lone figure performs simple stretches in dim light as the audience file into North Melbourne Town Hall. As the show progresses, the complexity and difficulty escalates. First the five performers leap repeatedly over a wooden box, demonstrating the myriad ways of doing so, each adding their own character and individuality. Then there are two boxes to clear. Then three.

While this is more of a demonstrative introduction than a fully formed art work, Get a Grip still has the potential to move you – not just through the beauty of the physical manoeuvres but also through the philosophy that is omnipresent in the actions. Dotted throughout the film footage are brief testimonials from some of the performers. They explain how parkour has helped them overcome personal fears such as heights, improved their self confidence, and provided direction for their lives. The film’s cinematography is impressive, and the image of the group scaling the arc over the Southbank footbridge whilst bewildered pedestrians pass by below is particularly striking. Their leaping and tumbling through the urban maze provokes a primal response, evoking images of the human being as graceful hunter. As these practitioners or traceurs fly between the buildings and multi-storey car parks of Melbourne, they manage to transform not only their bodies but also the environment around them. A fence is no longer a boundary but a tool used to catapult themselves forwards.

The live component is, surprisingly, the slightly less compelling of the two. After exploring breathtaking expanses and rock formations in rural Victoria, the constructed scaffolding bars seem cold and restrictive in comparison. Part of the pleasure of watching Parkour is seeing traceurs plot a path through their environment. In fact, Parkour is partly designed to help overcome obstacles whilst being pursued or in an emergency. The restrictions of performing in a theatre make the live sections seem more like a training session. But there is still an incredible array of skills on display, from climbing vertical boards to swiftly traversing scaffolding bars with perfect balance.

Get a Grip is a generous and entertaining introduction to the ‘art of displacement’. It doesn’t try too hard to exceed this simple brief, nor does it need to. The incredible skills on display, combined with its thoughtful intellectual basis, provide more than enough elements to entrance.

GET A GRIP L'ART DU DEPLACEMENT

Trace Elements

Dates: Tuesday 6 May – Thursday 8 May 2008
Times: 7:30pm
Theatre, Address: Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall
Prices: $20 / $15
Bookings: www.easytix.com.au/artshouse

For Your Information

2008-05-07T18:44:00.002+10:00

This hilarious but true informational sign confronted me in a toilet recently. Made my day.

Villanus News

2008-05-07T01:01:00.007+10:00

Villanus, a piece I created with Vlad Mijic for Welcome Stranger last year, has been selected for the Under the Radar program at this year's Brisbane Festival. This is our first time touring a show interstate and we're excited to have the chance to be exposed in what looks to be a great festival, including works from Declan Donnellan, Barrie Kosky and Peter Brooks (who's doing an adaptation of The Grand Inquisitor, from one of my favourite books The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky).

For those who saw Villanus last year, we are redeveloping the show at the moment for Brisbane and are hopeful of showing the results in Melbourne at this year's Fringe Festival - we'd love to see you all there (more spruiking to come, obiously).

For those interested, you can find photos and reviews of Villanus here at the Welcome Stranger website.

REVIEW: Blazeblue Oneline

2008-05-06T00:56:00.011+10:00

This article was originally published here on Vibewire.

Creator Antony Hamilton describes Blazeblue Oneline as an “abstract snapshot of everything he loves to see, hear and feel”. Judging by the enthusiastic response of opening night, the audience also loved what they saw, heard and felt in this exuberant and ambitious mix of dance, visual art and street culture. Hamilton, who has worked with artists such as Lucy Guerin and Chunky Move, has created a fast-paced, acid infused, visual stream-of-consciousness with an infectious sense of fun.

Hamilton’s work uses carefully selected elements to consistently surprising, inventive and engaging effect. These are the elements of urban Melbourne – cardboard boxes, trash, spray cans, graffiti, and street culture. The stark white floor and walls of the set are literally a blank canvas for Hamilton’s explosion of colourful graffiti and fluorescent costumes. After a symphonic prelude that blares out like a siren announcing the arrival of something otherworldly, the lights come up on a sole figure in the urban uniform of an oversized tracksuit. After tagging the walls with the concentration of a calligraphic artist, he transforms elusively into a whirling collection of paper and trash before our eyes. Later a dancer manipulates a disassembled cardboard box into performing a series of flowing manoeuvres and shapes.

At times, the constant flow of ideas can almost be too much. One of the early sequences involves a heartbreaking duet danced by two large cardboard boxes. Later we are confronted by a life-size reanimated toy robot constructed from cardboard. Two dancers engage it by generating makeshift weapons from discarded aluminium foil. This narrative thread of an abstract sci-fi battle is suggested throughout the work, using Japanese anime and ‘80s culture as reference points. The piece moves at break-neck pace, its complexity snowballing with each new idea. These ideas feed off and inform one another well, but are not quite successful in supporting the overall structure and ending.

Perhaps the most successful and satisfying aspect of Blazeblue Oneline is its blurring of the line between dance and visual art. The set and lighting by Bluebottle continually demand we view the entire stage as one complete visual image. The set itself resembles the stark white environment of an art exhibition. Under strobe lighting, performance sequences such as the ‘dancing boxes’ resemble stop-motion animation of visual art installations. The two art forms blend seamlessly, with the choreography always responding to (and often helping to create) its visual environment. The act of graffiti art is of particular interest to Hamilton. Dances mimicking the way a graffiti artist moves when working work particularly well when set amongst the intricate images created earlier in the show. The ingenuity of some of the set devices – a jacket that magically slides up a wall; graffiti that is revealed as if being written by an invisible artist – is sometimes so technically fascinating that it almost detracts from the images themselves.

Blazeblue Oneline is, above all else, a celebration. It is chaotic and brash but always grounded by a sense of playfulness. At times it moves too fast for its own good – visual art often requires time and consideration for a viewer to get the most out of it, and the style of this performance constantly shifts our attention. Hamilton’s passion permeates throughout the work, and it is a performance that skilfully engages our own sense of wonder, asking us to review and reassess the everyday images around us.

Antony Hamilton presents BLAZEBLUE ONELINE

Dates: Wednesday 30 April – Sunday 4 May 2008
Times: Wed-Sat 7:30, Sun 6pm
Theatre, Address: Arts House, Meat Market
Prices: $25 / $18
Bookings: www.easytix.com.au/artshouse

REVIEW: Kristen Schaal – As You Have Probably Never Seen Her Before (from 25.3.08)

2008-05-06T00:34:00.005+10:00

This article was originally published here on Vibewire.

With her cherub features and timid voice, Kristen Schaal instantly endeared herself to an enthusiastic crowd under the Melbourne Town Hall. Best known for her role as super-fan Mel on the popular television show Flight of the Conchords, Schaal has garnered a growing reputation for her “quirky” humour, winning awards including the Andy Kaufman Award for Creativity in Comedy. Her quirky creativity is certainly present in As You Have Probably Never Seen Her Before – a show that pleases as much as it confounds and intrigues.

Schaal’s performance is a mish-mash of styles and threads that often tends to work in spite of itself. There is no overriding structure to the material save for wherever Shaal’s often stream-of-consciousness logic takes us. One moment we are in familiar stand-up territory with Schaal riffing on iPhones and life on the comedy tour, the next we are in a comedic sketch with her partner Kurt, and later we are treated to a ‘sneak peek’ of her of her one-woman theatre piece on Anne Boleyn. She often treats the stage as some sort of therapeutic confessional - sharing intimate details of her dreams, as well as inviting us to critique her audition for an upcoming role on Law & Order: SVU. There are few traditional ‘jokes’ – the humour is largely drawn from Schaal’s persona, a character whose fragility, timidity and naïveté masks the vicious wit and brilliant force of ideas lurking beneath the surface.

While it is billed as a solo show, just under half the material is performed with her partner Kurt Braunohler – including some of the show’s more successful endeavours. Their interplay and sketches all show off Schaal’s persona to its greatest effect. This is largely due to Braunohler’s performance, which is also character driven, and the devotion and adoration his persona displays for Schaal.

The show is intentionally amateurish and anarchic in its execution. At times this style works wonderfully – Schaal hilariously transforms into Anne Boleyn simply by donning a black cloak and a woeful accent, and becomes Pocahontas by putting on an ‘authentic’ Indian headdress. Not everything hits its mark, however, and there is a thin line between anarchic comedy and anarchy. The emergence of her ‘boyfriend’ and later Winston Churchill from within the audience seemed to be more trouble than the effect warranted.

In many ways it is a credit to Kristen Schaal that she leaves the audience wanting more. Like comedians such as Demetri Martin she displays a truly unique and brilliant imagination that engages a well as entertains. However the material, as entertaining as it was, suffered from being stretched a little thin over the 60 minute performance. The pacing of the show often laboured slightly, with some material going on longer than needed. That said, Schaal’s performance is consistently funny, imaginative, playful and, above all, unique.

Announcements & Apologies

2008-01-15T01:41:00.000+11:00

Hello again. Of late I have been inexcusably distracted from conributing to this troublesome but well meaning blog. To the half dozen or so of you out there who do check in every now and then, I apologise and hope to be a little more regular in 2008.

To start with, I am aiming to post a few thoughts on the theatre I saw in '07 in the next week or so.

What have I been up to? Much musical rehearsing with Baby Driver #2 - expect some performance dates in mid February.

Villanus took up much of my time last year, with some encouraging success. More to add later.

This minute, I am rehearsing Welcome Stranger's brand new production This Is Good Advice, opening January 30. I am acting (for the first time in quite a while) as well as tackling set design with Mr Mijic of Villanus. The show is a double bill of short plays by two of my favourite playwrights, Caryl Churchill and Martin Crimp. I am including the press release below for your viewing pleasure. You can also find more information as well as booking details on our fancy new website at www.welcomestranger.org . If you're interested in keeping up to date with Welcome Stranger's theatrical goings-on, please join our mailing list through the site.

The show has a lot of exciting elements - Lauren Barnes (fresh from the UK) directing, original music by Reuben Stanton from Because of Ghosts, two exciting playwrights, and a whole bunch of very talented performers including Michael Finney, Kristy Barnes-Cullen, Kim Swalwell, John Latham and Tania Lentini to name just a few.

We're kicking things off with a WS fundraiser on Wednesday 23rd - Melbourne bands Hot Little Hands and Sly Hats will be playing at Gertrude's in Fitzroy from 8pm, entry $8.

Hopefully this will be WS's biggest year yet. I hope to see you at the show...

More blogs to come - just bare with me.

Welcome Stranger presents
THIS IS GOOD ADVICE
This is a Chair by Caryl Churchill
Advice to Iraqi Women by Martin Crimp (Aus. Premiere)

Directed by Lauren Barnes
Music by Reuben Stanton (Because of Ghosts)
Featuring Michael Finney (History Boys, MTC), Kristy Barnes-Cullen (Summer Heights High, ABC TV), Rhys Auteri, Raphael Hammond, John Latham, Tania Lentini, Vlad Mijic, Ben Mitchell, Harriet O'Donnell and Kim Swalwell

SEASON DETAILS
Dates: 30/1 – 10/2 Wed – Sun 8pm
Venue: New Ballroom, Trades Hall
(cnr Lygon & Victoria St)
Times: Wed – Sun 8pm
Tickets: $17 full, $12 concession
Bookings: 9782 2625 or http://www.welcomestranger.org/

MEDIA ENQUIRIES to Avi Lipski at avi.lipski [at] gmail [dot] com

THIS IS GOOD ADVICE

The protection of children is a priority.
Your house is a potential war zone for a child: the corners of tables, chip pans, and the stairs – particularly the stairs – are all potential sources of harm.
A car, just like a home, just like an orchard, just like a zip, is a minefield for a child.
Don’t let your child burn. Even on a hazy day it might still burn.
- Advice to Iraqi Women, Martin Crimp

After the success of their 2007 season of Villanus (‘…a profoundly intriguing work’ RealTime), daring new theatre company Welcome Stranger returns to Trades Hall with a compelling double bill of short works. Along for the ride is Because of Ghosts’ Reuben Stanton (‘This is beautiful, rewarding stuff’ The Age) to create an unmissable night of theatre.

One of Caryl Churchill’s most stylistically challenging texts, This is a Chair defies the traditional boundaries of theatre. Churchill looks at the political through the eyes of the personal, awakening the audience to the deeply intimate nature of political tension. This is a Chair is a series of surreal scenarios, named after the political headline they seek to excavate; for example, the UK and China’s diplomatic position on Hong Kong is unpicked through an argument about fidelity between Tom and Leo. Churchill’s scenarios theatricalise French surrealist René Magritte’s artistic conceit Ceci n'est pas une pipe (This is not a pipe), at once contradicting and demanding comparison to the reality they label.

The work is paired with Martin Crimp’s powerful and engaging Advice to Iraqi Women. A scathing satirical attack on modern society, Advice to Iraqi Women asks an important question: how can we begin to extol advice upon a society in which we have created terror and danger?

Who would worry about the UV rays in their backyard over the potential threat of their child dying in an ambushed bus? Advice to Iraqi Women is a short play of massive impact. More than an agit-prop comment on the Iraqi war, Crimp’s play is sharp satire of our own society.

Praise for This is A Chair
‘Churchill, who constantly reinvents dramatic form, has come up with something compelling and strange, an intimate revue about the increasing surreality of modern life.’ - The Guardian

Praise for Advice to Iraqi Women
‘… A perfect example of how resonance is achieved by indirection and metaphor.’ - Aleks Sierz, Performing Arts Journal

Welcome Stranger
Welcome Stranger have been quietly beavering away at theatre since their debut work The End of Civil Twilight drew acclaim in 2002. The work won the Development Award at the inaugural Malthouse Theatre 3D Fest, leading to a successful stand alone season. They followed this with two seasons of Martin Crimp’s Attempts on Her Life (2004) and an adaptation of an Ursula LeGuin story in Towards Omelas (2006). More recently, in 2007, they raised eyebrows and critics' pens with the self-devised work Villanus.

Praise for Welcome Stranger :
‘…well worth a look for anyone interested in the livelier edges of Melbourne theatre.’ - Alison Croggon, Theatre Notes

‘… this one-man show doesn’t so much explore evil as creep up on it from behind, dagger in hand.’ - Cameron Woodhead, The Age

‘…a profoundly intriguing work.’ - John Bailey, RealTime

‘[A] refreshing approach to staging and direction … excellent performances... An innovative production.’ - Stage Left

Where In The World Is Rhys Sandiego?

2007-05-03T01:47:00.000+10:00

Rhys lives! Yes, it's true.
Where on earth have he been? I've been trying out various undercover identities, including a stint as an aspiring social work student, but have been found out and had to 'break cover' (spy-speak). As the dust settles, I have been keeping honest in a law firm typing out letters and words. I have been keeping busy working with Cowboy Mouth on a new piece that will be on around early September (the plugs blackmailing you all to come won't begin just yet... but soon!). I've taken a bit of time off from my tunes, but I am set to start playing a few dates later in the month.

But enough about me. Let's talk about my blog! I've been pretty neglectful of late, and would love to have written more on the things I've been seeing lately - I will try and remedy this in the days to come. For those curious, this is a very, very truncated set of thoughts on some recent expeditions (unfortunately a lot of this will only make sense to those who also saw these pieces)...

24.3 Black at the Malthouse
Not knowing much about the piece's subject (the murder of Betty Short), I really enjoyed this intriguing work. The central performance was hypnotic. The set of windows/mirrors in the middle, the real whispers (as opposed to stage whispers), the 'looped' nature of the show... it all certainly emphasised the mystery of the Black Dahlia. It was a great exercise in deconstructing evidence that was not static, but unchanging, incomplete and indecipherable. I also really liked the books cased in melting blocks of ice and the working mechanism that led to the water activating a terrifying alarm of cutlery (that's my best attempt at a description of it!). I enjoyed the freedom of roaming around the performers, to work more autonomously as an audience member. It was, however, a very dense work and I almost wish there were even more objects and 'artifacts' as part of the installation - more 'clues' to help illustrate the story.

24.3 180 Seconds in Heaven or Hell at NMTH
What a party! This gathering of artists to deliver a barrage of 3 minute performances had a carnival, almost (adult) rave feel to it - like a bachaanal even. Some of my favs were Lucy Guerin's vaccum man piece, Ingrid Weisfelt's mad nun, Angus Cerini and Chris Kohn's piece, and CW Stoneking - who was a bit of a revelation to me. Lawrence Leun was a fine host, and I particularly liked the last minute, informal feel of it. Hope it becomes an annual event.

29.3 Marcel and Albertine: Proust on Love at The Stork
My first initiation to Proust. The performances were great (particularly Nicola Gunn) and it the venue complemented the work perfectly - the intimacy and austere nature of the space particularly. It's examination of social class, scandal and sexuality has aged particularly well, and I was surprised at how contemporary and relevant it felt. Full of playfulness and melodrama, as well as authentic emotion.

9.4 The Ghost Writer at The Arts Centre
I was really looking forward to this as I had loved Contruction of a Human Heart by the same playwright. The piece was solid enough, as were the performances (particularly Belinda McClory). However, the space was far too big for the work, and director Julian Meyrick squandered alot of the play's life with his too-slow pacing. I sqiurmed at a couple of 'MTC moments' - for example when the mother of a dead daughter does a small monologue on the loss of her daughter - cue 'serious' music, lighting change... puke (apologies, I will try and clean up my language). Still, some fine writing and a nice set too.

15.4 The Pitch at the Malthouse
This was a real crowd pleaser from Peter Houghton. It was an energetic and sincere performance - Houghton has a great knack for conjuring up images and is a fine story teller. It was a well paced satire of Hollywood, as well as (a little less satisfactorally) a sympathetic look at a writer struggling for success and for love. The central character's back-story seemed a tiny bit underdone, and the set was great but revealed itself to be very versatile in the final scene (and as such I think Houghton could have benefitted from using it more. I really enjoyed myself and laughed alot, but was always a little aware of the 'strings' or the 'craft' - perhaps this too would have benefitted from a smaller space (it was initially staged at La Mama i believe - and you can't get much smaller than that!).

- End Part One
- Part Two (later this week) will include Exit The King, Tense Dave and OT.

Farewell friends, feel free to drop a message telling me what you're up to. Also I'd love to hear what others have thought of these shows.

Later all.

New Rhys-Goodness in the World

2007-03-13T00:52:00.000+11:00

Some rather glorious procrastination has led to me setting up a myspace site for both myself and for my other project the Baby Drivers. The sites are pretty bare at the moment, but I have added a dash of colour to distract from this. I have also uploaded a Baby Driver song and a solo song - both are pretty old recordings now and not quite where I/we are now but at least those of you who haven't been able to come to my/our gigs can get a small sample of our music.

You too can procrastinate by visiting:
www.myspace.com/rhysauteri and www.myspace.com/babydrivers

Anyone who has myspace is encouraged to become a 'friend' (i know i know) and to leave a comment that might make me look far more popular than is actually the case!

More soon, amigos.

Facelifting

2007-03-02T01:29:00.000+11:00

As you may have noticed, my page design has had a quick shave and haircut. Not sure of the results yet, but there were so many pretty designs available I thought it was wasteful to stick to one look forever.

I too am currently undergoing what feels strangely like a facelift procedure. I have returned once more to the loving arms of university - this time to begin a slightly more 'practical' course than Performing Arts: Social Work. I am hoping to use the degree to lead to a part-time career that will leave me a bit more secure and free to make theatre and music. So far, the results have been mixed. I have enjoyed a couple of the lectures, but can't help feeling like I am 'betraying' my arts background - this is not, after all the Master in Perf Arts I'm still considering, nor is it the VCA Animateuring course. Nor is it Rhys spreading his impressive theatrical (and musical) talents throughout Melbourne with an ever-growing canon of challenging work.

While I have a genuine interest in SW, I must admit one of the most appealling facets of the course is the guarantee of (paid!) work afterwards. For all the hours I have spent in rehearsals and at gigs, I am yet to see the millions in renumeration I had anticipated. Yes, Perf Arts is a difficult way to make a living - you need to be driven, but you also need to be lucky. I often find myself envying those who are able to live entirely off their artistic endeavours. Whether they are famous actors/singers, or avant garde companies doing the festival circuit, I often see their situation as ideal. However, perhaps being a 'full time' artist is not in the artist's best interests. If art is a tool to comment on the lives we lead, then perhaps the first step to becoming a successful artist is to get a life. (Ha! I'm scoff at my own argument).

We shall see. I made other plans and now I expect life to happen to me. John Lennon had better be right.

Thoughts on 'The Nature of Things: Relics & Time'

2007-02-20T04:50:00.000+11:00

I've been a long time admirer of Renato Cuocolo and Roberta Bosetti's ongoing investigations into the performance experience. However, whilst I enjoyed The Diary Room and particularly Private Eye, I often feel I am never quite getting the full affect the pair may have intended. As I wrote my honours thesis on the role of the audience, I am particularly drawn to presentation, and innovative approaches to 'conversing' with the spectator. The problem is that often the 'hook' of the conventions used in IRAA's work (eg the one-on-one [or so it seemed..] experience offered in Private Eye) overshadows or possibly even distorts the content of the work. Their work is typically driven by memories, secrets - often presented in wordy, revealing 'confessions' and usually performed primarily by Bosetti. It's not always easy work. The writing is dense, poetic and full of imagery - and it is not always easy to understand Bosetti's thick Italian accent (though, admittedly, focusing intently and decoding the language is half the fun).

So it was with great curiosity that I showed up at their residence last week for 'season one' of their latest work - The Nature of Things: Relics & Time. We entered, and were left to wait in a sparse room, where a TV in the fireplace ran a video 'tour' of the house in Vercelli (i think it was). Then we were finally called and taken through the house, shown actual objects and objects similar to those in Roberta's childhood home. All the while she began relating to us her memories of the house, the kitchen, certain objects - in particular a certain table cloth. This object is the catalyst for her memories of a particular time in her life that become clearer and clearer to both her and us as the evening wears on.

On a purely academic level, it was thrilling. I loved the concept of trying to revive and transplant the ghosts of your childhood home into a foreign setting decades later to a room full of strangers. We witness Roberta, through a process of repetition and noting down details, having a 'revelation' about the past, that causes her to reassess her memories, and the memories she associates with certain objects. Near the beginning of the piece, she chats with us briefly, asking us to share memories about our early homes. In turn, with her revelation, we must question our own shared memories - are they fact, fiction, or somewhere in between?

I attended with five friends. Four of them absolutely hated this piece while the other (Vlad the Cowboy Mouth) liked it quite a lot. I admit to falling somewhere in the middle. As I said, I very much liked the ideas involved - and as I write about them here they sound even better than I remembered!, but the piece really failed to make any connection with me (and I it) in real time, in a meaningful way. Again (and I hate to say this because it seems such a petty criticism), Roberta's accent made the effort required to follow the language quite considerable. It also made her 'conversational' style and casual interaction with us seem stilted - in a way I could see the 'script' and it felt a bit like seeing the strings on a puppet. I felt that the objects or 'relics' in the house did not go far enough in realising the theme of dislocation - perhaps more objects, more details would have been useful. While IRAA's work has never intrinsically included audience 'participation' as such, they have attempted to bridge the gap created by many theatre formalities - both in their performance location and in their presentation and style. A real intimacy with the audience is often offered and achieved. I feel The Nature of Things failed in this aspect. Yes, we were invited into their home, but it felt quite clearly choreographed and scripted (as it was, of course) and the 'story' itself failed to fully engage the visitors (especially the ones I saw it with).

In the end, it was another satisfying experience - seeing fine performance makers at work, with a challenging idea and another innovative presentation. Whilst this time it felt a little hollow, it certainly won't stop me catching their next work.

For Your Records...

2007-02-18T03:22:00.000+11:00

I am a
Snapdragon

What Flower
Are You?

"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

Well, boredom and the internet have yielded another indispensible love child of information. This is what I am, apparently. For the record, I love plants, nature, the outdoors - all of that green stuff. Preferrably when it's on TV. Nurturing my own plants? Taking valuable minutes out of my flashy but brief existence on this planet to do so? Please. I'm an artist - not a robot! I vote NO to personal plants. I do, however, like cats, puppies and fish. With garden salad, of course.

Thoughts on 'Chocolate Monkey'

2007-02-10T04:37:00.000+11:00

Just a quick recording of some of the thoughts I had on The Amazing Business' Chocolate Monkey which I managed to catch on Wednesday 7th. It was so easy to enjoy this piece. It was frenetic, funny, honest, and many artists will identify with many of the struggles John-Paul Hussey plays out. In many ways, it appears to be a piece about a piece - one that's failure was the ovum from which this work appeared.

Hussey is the sole story teller here, and does so through a number of characterisations and accents. He excels with te accents - not so much for their technical perfection, but for the spirit and tone of the characters he portrays. I often felt he was least comfortable as himself - stumbling over a few lines over the evening. Hussey's energy and physicality sort of belies his stocky, pot-bellied form (with his bald head he resembled Little Britain's Matt Lucas). When he initially introduces himself to the audience as 'the cheeky monkey', it is not a stretch to imagine him as such - and I think this part of his charm, and why everyone responds to his heartfelt tales of the ups and downs of the independent theatre scene so strongly.

Of course, the piece is about much more than theatre. It is about beginnings and endings, inspiration and isolation. While the piece was easy to enjoy, I couldn't help feeling there were some themes and ideas that deserved more investigation. The conclusion and some of the metaphors involving the 'ovum', a Kinder Surprise and the toy within were a little too neat and at times rather obvious. Also, there were a couple of ideas that appeared early on, hinting at something more before being mysteriously forgotten about - leaving their inclusion seeming rather incongruous. For example, near the start Hussey tells in three easy steps how to speak Japanese - in effect it turns out to be how to 'appear' to be speaking Japanese (pretend to be constipated etc). It was almost offensive, but seemed to hint at the idea of stripping things down to their most basic (perceived) elements. I was certainly interested in where in might go, but it wasn't referred to again and I have no idea what its purpose was. In the end, however, it doesn't really matter. It is Hussey's own story that is pivotal. His struggle with weight, the failure of his theatre piece, the endless questioning of his day-to-day existence - it is a very personal story, and as such it is certainly effective.

Anyway, that's about it. It was nicely staged at the Black Box (a venue a really like, despite the immovable columns). The music was almost a character in itself at times, and the lighting and wall and floor projections worked really well also. In short, I had a lot of fun.

Express Myself

2007-01-24T02:46:00.000+11:00

This will surely be a test of how many people actually read this blog (i have this horrible feeling it's just me).

I found myself quite frustrated in the last couple of days as I was struggling to find 'inspiration' whilst playing my guitar. I think this is partly due to the fact that I have been very creative and productive this last month, and I'm simply not happy that I'm having a slow week(!).
When I was very, very young (this will give you an idea of just how sad I am) a bored young but musically gifted Rhys would take old letters written by grandparents and compose melodies to the words - whatever they were ('my corns are getting woooorse'.)
In my teens I actually helped a couple of friends by turning their lines of poetry or lyrics into a song. I always found working with another persons words or ideas very helpful in leading me in new directions. Here, finally, is the point of this entry -
If you are interested in having your poetry or lyrics turned into a song by Rhys - please feel free to email them to rhysauteri [at] hotmail [dot] com. It doesn't have to be a poem, it could be a short story or true life experience you would like me to try and adapt. I'll pick the best two or three (or none if no one is interested) and make a song, and try and record it for this page (or alternatively perform it at an upcoming gig.

I hope this doesn't sound too much like me trying to get others to write lyrics for me! I actually think it's pretty cool that two people can collaborate on a song without meeting or possibly not even knowing each other. Anyway, let me know...

Thoughts on Don's Party

2007-01-24T02:07:00.000+11:00

I attended this revisiting of one of David Williamson's earlier (and considered by many to be one of his best) about a week ago - primarily to understand the seemingly immense popularity of this playwright. The play has aged fairly well, considering, and much of the coarse language surprisingly retains its startling quality ('cunt features' was my personal favourite). It follows the events of the night of the 1969 election, where everything is looking up for Don and his fellow Labor Party would-be revolutionaries - until the inevitable happens and their spirits tumble. It is a revealing examination of the male psyche, the political mindset of those on both the left and right, as well as the subtle ways the 'big picture' can effect everyday people (and vice versa). In many ways it is still a relevant play, and a piece that deserves new examination.

That said, I am unsure as to what the MTC was hoping to achieve with this production. Peter Evans thwarted almost every opportunity to breathe life into this piece. The set was bright and colourful - almost stereotypically '70s. In any case, the layout was wasted as it sprawled out across the vacuous Playhouse stage - sucking the energy out of every exchange. Indeed, the pacing was laboriously slow and most of the comedy seemed to be focused on the paraphenalia, customs and fashions popular in the era - a move which unnecessarily devalued the human stories (and made the more cathartic moments in the second act seem awkward).

The performances were solid, particularly Mandy McElhinney - but were still often the presented as the broad characters Williamson has done to death in the past (it was as if each actor/character felt they needed their own particular 'quirk'). In this and many other ways it almost had the feeling of farce - but it should have been more than that (and it made for a pretty poorly paced farce at that).

From the knowing laughs, 'oohs' and 'aahs' of the audience (I shit you not) i got the feeling this was a production for everyone who fondly remembered the original to revisit it in a fairly accomodating form. This is a philosophy which does not serve the MTC well. In short: I was pretty bored.

The 2006 List

2007-01-10T00:12:00.000+11:00

Hi everybody and happy new year!

I've been exceptionally lazy with this blog lately, but I've been busy rehearsing for a couple of gigs and getting excited about playing music again.

Anyway, I've been meaning to post a list of my favourite shows for '06 - so here goes. I was pretty busy this year finishing my honours in Performing Arts, as well as putting on my own show Towards Omelas, so there were many shows I missed that many others highly recommended. In particular, I didn't see anything from the VCA this year (a shame as I have really enjoyed their work over the last couple of years), and missed The Skriker which both Alison Croggin and Vlad Mijic adored. This is not a 'wrap' or commentary on the year - though I may do one next year, depending how much I am able to see.

Over all I had some great theatre experiences last year (although I must say I thought 2005 was an exceptionally rich year for Melbourne theatre.

Anyway - my top six plays for Oh Six:
1: Pichet Klunchun and Myself - Jerome Bel & Pichet Klunchun
(this was one of the best theatre experiences I've ever had - a beautifully engaging piece filled with humour and a quest for understanding)

2: Tragedia Endogonidia: BR.#04 Brussels - Societas Raffaello Sanzio

3: The Importance of Being Earnest / How To Be Funny - Ridiculusmus

4: Peepshow - Marie Brassard

5: Delicacy - Dir. Wesley Enoch

6: Mantalk - Neil Thomas & David Wells

Other shows I loved: Structure and Sadness (Lucy Guerin), Objects For Meditation (William Yang), Timepieces (Circa), La Douleur (Laurence Strangio), A Mile In Her Shadow (Store Room), Translations (Malthouse), The Telling (Masters students from Monash Uni), Headlock (Malthouse), Honour Bound (Malthouse).

Well, there you go. Feel free to agree/disagree/add your own thoughts. For a more complete wrap of the year's work, visit Theatre Notes or Chris Boyd's site (or Vlad's site - he is promising such a post!).

Here's to another great year of theatre.

Ember Lounge this Thursday

2006-12-31T04:26:00.000+11:00

Take a moment to admire the grace and style of my small promotional image for my next gig. Photoshop. Ten minutes. That baby has never looked better (nor has he or she ever said anything so important).

To those around Melbourne - come along to the Ember Lounge this Thursday 4th at 8pm for my first solo set for the year - satisfaction guaranteed!

Christmas Music

2006-12-27T02:22:00.000+11:00

Hi Kids.
I hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas break, catching up with friends and family, and recuperating from the hectic year that was.
This is just a short post to let you know of a couple of gig dates I have coming up for those inclined to listen to music of the highest standards.

Thurs, Jan 4th (next week!) - solo set at about 9pm
Thurs, Jan 11th - Baby Drivers (me & monica) after 9pm

More info on exact times to follow. Both sets are at the Ember Lounge & Tapas (I guess they also sell tapas) which is at 111 High St, Northcote (Vic). Any queries or to subscribe to the Baby Drivers mailing list for upcoming dates email: babydrivers [at] gmail [dot] com.

Post Modern

2006-12-20T05:37:00.000+11:00

Just so you know, StopPanicking was not my first choice for this blog's name. My other considered addresses were:

1. bloodymess (a great show by Forced Entertainment, also the name of a song I wrote)

2. emotionalcripple (my medical condition, also the name of a song I wrote)

3. masterofnone (a favourite phrase, also the name of a play I am trying to write)

4. tothedogs (a show by Lone Twin, also I like dogs)

Alas, all of these were taken. It all made me feel pretty unoriginal. I finally settled on 'StopPanicking' (my favourite piece of advice [as a giver not a taker], also [rather predictable now ain't it?] the name of a song I wrote).

Anyway, just after I've set everything up, I think of a blog name that would have perfectly summed me and my brief blog experience up - and it wasn't taken!
www.rhysfails.blogspot.com
Rhys fails again.
Stop panicking.

Thoughts on Volver

2006-12-20T04:57:00.000+11:00

As the theatre season is winding to a halt over Christmas, it looks like my first 'review' will be of a film. Actually, I'm not sure about using the word 'review' for so many reasons (Cowboy Mouth & I have had many conversations about the difference between a 'reviewer' and a 'critic', with me at one point suggesting that a 'critic' is merely a 'reviewer' who is doing their job correctly). Well then, this is not a 'review' nor a 'critique'. In this case just my personal impressions before I fall asleep and turn off the computer (probably in that order).

Ever since I saw All About My Mother (1999), I have relished getting to know Pedro Almodóvar's colourful, stylish and touching work. However, Volver (and its predecessor, Bad Education (2004)) were both enjoyable yet somehow underwhelming. Volver brought to mind Hitchcock in many of its imaginative shots and themes (think The Trouble With Harry or Spellbound) and even the score. The story concerns the mother of two sisters returning as a ghost and helping sort out the problems she left unfinished in her life. Unlike Hitchcock, the problem with this story was in the telling. There are a few plot turns and developments that are telegraphed to you pretty early on, and so I lost a lot of interest early on (not that this film is a mystery or thriller by any means). It's hard to fault a film with fine performances (Cruz is very good, as is Carmen Maura as the mother), good direction - it's all there. Missing, perhaps, is Almodóvar's cheeky sense of fun found in his earlier films. Still, pretty enjoyable overall, I'm just holding Pedro to a higher standard.

Again, just some random thoughts there - mainly for Vlad who I know is dying to see it.

Pennies from Heaven

2006-12-17T04:13:00.000+11:00

And so I begin my second ever entry which I think means that this is officially turning into a real blog. I was walking in sunny Frankston this afternoon when provided with a glorious sight - a Christian on a soapbox! I love the whole concept of the soapbox and think they are sadly becoming a thing of the past (perhaps I would be using one if I didn't have this soapblog to hoist myself above the flotsam and jetsam of internet foot traffic). I was lucky enough to spend some time in London a couple of years ago where every week people traditionally set up a soap box in one of the parks and just let fly with whatever was on their mind (it usually was not soap).

In Frankston, this sight was a true find. A bearded man was shouting loudly about the ten commandments and how we should all admit our personal sins (he himself generously admitted to stealing - just to kick things off I felt). Being a practicing atheist, I have to check myself against getting instantly annoyed and even angry at Christians (especially loud ones) who are telling me what I should and should not do with my life. After all, I don't have a problem with some of the underlying principles of the faith, just the zealous groups that continue to meddle within the political framework, as if we non-believers don't know what's good for us. This particular soldier of God seemed to be harmless, and I actually felt pity for him - Frankston is a tough crowd at the best times. I'm an actor and musician and have performed lots of times and in different situations, but I don't think I'd ever have the guts to perform this man's task.

Anyway, a group of likely local lads approached me, and I noticed them carrying a couple of what appeared to be 100 dollar notes (apparently they were being handed out by the shouting man). Their conversation was approximately as follows:
(looking at the notes) "What the fuck is this shit?"
"Look at that, 'one million dollars'."
"Hey man, it's got a million bucks written on it."
"What the fuck is this shit?"
"A fake one million dollar note. What the fuck am I supposed to do with a fake one million dollar note?"
At this point he threw the note away and they moved on. The note, however, was caught up in the breeze and flittered around - all the while losing altitude - before hitting the ground as I passed by it. Poor little guy. I was tempted to pick it up, but I didn't want the Christians to think I would believe in things that don't exist.

You Are Welcome Here

2006-12-14T03:12:00.000+11:00

I'd like to say i had nobler reasos for beginning this blog but it is primarily because two pals (loz the credible witness and vlad the cowboy mouth) took the leap into cyberimmortality. I'm not sure what this will become, but I have a feeling it may include the odd theatre review/ruminations (i see a lot of theatre) as well as reflections on my own work as a writer, theatrician and singer-songwriter. In the next week or so (like cowboy mouth) I will be sharing lists of my fav theatre/film/TV and books for '06.
At the very least i hope to use this as an exercise to help keep me constantly writing, keep the motor whirring. Arts and culture are a big part of my life, but I don't read many blogs so have no real formula to follow. I'm certain, however, that this will not be simply a theatre or music blog, but a blog that also accomodates the ramblings of someone still wondering what the hell he will waste his time on next.
In the meantime, you are welcome here.