Bronwyn Fullerton

KINETIC ENERGY CELEBRATES 40 YEARS

Kinetic Energy- inset
Featured pic has Jepke and Graham looking through posters going back some 40 years

Graham Jones founded the successful Kinetic Energy Dance Company in 1975, opening the first artistic warehouse space in Sydney’s CBD in Liverpool Street.

The company this year is celebrating 40 years over two big weekends.

Jones met and married co-director, Dutch actress and director, Jepke Goudsmit, in 1985 and together they moved to King Street, Newtown and named their new space, The Edge.

Currently operating at St Luke’s Hall in Enmore, Jones and Goudsmit have kept their theatre company alive through sheer determination, hard work and creativity. Their shows incorporate music, dance and theatre, reflecting poignant social and political issues.

They collaborate with guest artists, have recently began touring schools and started the Kinetic Jazz Festival in 2010, an annual event which brings some formidable musicians into the theatre.

Their current show HOME played last weekend, the 18th, 19th and 20th of September, and will be returning again for another season.

HOME is essentially about the ever-widening gap between rich and poor and its subsequent effect on young people, in this case, a group of young, homeless people. They are brought together, fed and nurtured by their angel of charity, Sista Jo, played with great warmth and humanity by Jepke Goudsmit.

Paddy, the streetwise old hobo is played with humour and tenderness by Graham Jones.

Written and directed by Jones and Goudsmit, the young and talented cast of colourful characters tell stories of ‘defiance and resistance, pain and pathos, kindness, vitality and love’.  The soundscape includes jazz, contemporary rap and spoken word poetry.

Melanie Eden, who plays The Jockey, opens the show with a song in the foyer and her operatic/rock voice is hypnotic.

Henriette Tkalec is magnetic on stage and sings beautifully as well.  Robert Gray plays Shakespeare, a character obsessed with The Bard, poetry and rap.  He brings great energy to the show.

Shane Millward as Zack, Dimitra Alexandria as Nicky, Forever Tupou as Sonya and Janaka Biyanwila in various roles all play a vibrant percussion piece and make this a great ensemble cast.

Next weekend brings ILLUMINATE on the 25th and 26th of September, which celebrates much of the company’s work with live performance, film and stories and images spanning 40 years. Pianist/composer Kevin Hunt will play on Friday and saxophonist/composer Don Reid will join in on Saturday.

On Sunday the 27th there will be a one day Kinetic Jazz event featuring four bands, beginning at 4pm, which should be fantastic.

The venue, St Luke’s Hall is at 11 Stanmore Road, Enmore and the phone number is 9665 6489.

Published by Bronwyn Fullerton

Bronwyn Fullerton worked as an actress and singer for over 20 years after training with Hayes Gordon at The Ensemble Theatre Studios in Sydney in the 70s. She has worked for The Ensemble Theatre, Stables Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival, Theatre-in-Education touring, Rocks Theatre at The Sailor’s Home, Balmain Loft, North Coast Theatre Co., Giniby Theatre Co., Bondi Pavilion Theatre and two years with the Marionette Theatre of Australia, including a tour from Alice Springs to Arnhem Land. As well as Film and Television (Chopper Squad) and Voice Overs, Bronwyn worked for the Gate Theatre Club in London and studied mime in Paris. She now teaches ESL English to foreign students and completed a Post-Grad in Film & Video at UTS in 2009/10.