I have always admired the director, Barrie Kosky. My admiration started with his King Lear for Bell Shakespeare and grew after his production of Seneca’s Oedipus in 2000 and by the time he had created the epic based on the work of the Roman poet Ovid, The Lost Echo (that I had to go to twice – 16 hours all up) I had become a deeply committed fan.
It wasn’t just because his work was confronting, at times confusing, completely irreverent, bizarre and insightful to the point of genius. It was also his constant questioning of the state of the Arts and how the Arts are viewed here in Australia.
What worried Kosky most about the arts in Australia is that he believed that the bland was denying the erotic and the disturbing. He also expressed a belief that there wasn’t enough dialogue, enough pushing of the boundaries, enough support to experiment and potentially even “fail” without judgement.
He loved it when audience members booed and walked out of his productions. I saw it happen every time I went. I guess seeing John Bell as a gaudy, high-camp version of a Lear who carrying a dildo as his sceptre crossing the moor in a pink negligee was too much for some.
But the point is, it’s important to keep experimenting and exploring new ways to tell our old stories and developing new stories to tell in interesting and contemporary ways.
Bearfoot Theatre in the Hunter is a LGBTQIA+ company who “develop original, experimental work without creative limitations. Bearfoot has a mission to keep contemporary theatre engaging and relevant by producing unique, original works of theatre which tackle current themes, challenge audiences and give voice to young and diverse artists”.
“Challenge” is the word that keeps catching my eye. They like to experiment with how the work is presented, as well as addressing significant issues and concerns for the LGBTQIA+ community. No tired old tales or techniques for them and that commitment has earned them quite a swag of CONDA nominations and awards since forming in 2017.
HERE, THERE and EVERYWHERE, written and directed by Nicholas Thoroughgood with assistant direction by Zoe Walker, inadvertently has strong references to the 1970 film Love Story starring Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neal.
I know, I know that reference is only good for the minority now but humour me please.
Amber (Anna Lambert) and Joan (Belinda Hodgson) have reunited in their early twenties after years of separation. They had formed a relationship in High School, but complex circumstances had separated them, leaving Joan with some confusion, insecurity and resentment.
Joan’s sister, Sasha (Hannah Richens) is deeply distrustful of Amber and her intentions, even after Amber sets Sasha up with another of her ex-lovers, Harry (Lachlan Fairhall).
Joan and Amber settle into a life together as do Sasha and Harry, but Amber’s desire to pursue her dream of attending a prestigious drama school much further down south creates conflict and stress. This is further fuelled by Sasha seeing it as history repeating and vociferously expressing that viewpoint, while a more sanquine and emotionally aware Harry tries to calm the waters.
Then tragedy strikes. A shock diagnosis throws more moral dilemmas into the mix and challenges the concept of selflessness and how much should we should sacrifice for love. Or give.
So, the narrative’s theme is universal and timeless. Its soap opera; the constant intimate and emotional conversations about their relationships, emotions and the minutiae of being a couple with niggling doubts and insecurities about the significant other’s love being reciprocated. There’s also the dredging up of old hurts and memories, monster arguments and cross purposes of will.
Nothing new there.
It’s the how it is presented that is different. Nicholas Thoroughgood has set up a large projector screen downstage centre, positioned the action at various locations on and around the stage area, including the foyer, orchestra pit and wings of the stage and had the entire performance projected live onto the screen from the fixed and roving cameras. (James Hilton, Matthew Hudson, Brayden Porter, Russell Stockhammer and Alex Tinker).
At times we can see all or part of the actors on the stage, other times only the screen. It’s a marrying of film and theatre that serves the short, episodic scenes effectively, allowing for time and place jump information to be projected and supplementary information and footage to be given between scenes and acts.
A delightful sound design by Bill Barry and Nicholas Thoroughgood adds to the atmosphere and intention.
As audience we are more like voyeurs, particularly when we can see the actors on the stage. It’s as if we are peeking in windows and listening in on their intimate and loving conversations. There’s a certain tedium in watching the “lovey dovey” at times and I’m truly not sure if that was deliberate. I do know that it was a relief at one stage when there was a joke about a Texan and his horse.
There was also a time glitch with the projections with the sound ahead of the visuals. Bit like watching Monkey Magic.
Bearfoot assists the development of local writers and practitioners by providing opportunities to workshop their scripts and explore theatrical potential and new ideas. So, the work may have a work-in-progress feel at times, a sense of experimentation and raw edginess. That’s the point.
The script HERE, THERE and EVERWHERE may be given a dramaturgical overhaul and continue to be developed and structurally refined. Or not. The film/theatre combo may be explored further and refined. There’s a solid chance it will be as it’s a great concept and deserves more experimentation.
Most importantly, this young company is providing much needed artistic opportunities and giving emerging practitioners a “supportive and professional setting” in which to play and hopefully springboard into careers.
Nicholas Thoroughgood is one of those talents. His creativity, intelligence and undeniable ability is a force and being able to comfortably explore his theatrical ideas and concepts is invaluable in assisting his development as an artist. Writing and directing your own work and exploring new techniques is more challenging and riskier than dredging through the “classics.” It’s also eminently worthwhile going to have a look at this, his latest work.
These young people are the artistic movers and shakers of the future. So, my apologies to the company for references to late 1960’s/early 70’s film and television and even early 2000 theatre. Shame on me for looking backwards.
Bearfoot Theatre’s looking forwards and taking their audiences with them.
Bearfoot Theatre’s
HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE by Nicholas Thoroughgood.
Performance Season:
Friday 30th July: 7:00pm
Saturday 31st July: 2:00pm & 7:00pm
Venue : The Creative Arts Space, 145 Beaumont Street, HAMILTON, NSW 2303
Booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=755385&
Featured image : Anna Lambert as Amber and Belinda Hodgson as Joan in Nicholas Thoroughgood’s ‘Here, There and Everywhere’