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Pretty cool eh?!

As part of a Ten Days on the Island program, and on top of his already demanding schedule with Everyone’s A Critic for This Is Living, James Waites led a group of aspiring critics through the review process. Some of these reviews were published online, with links in the post below… the rest are here on the Arts Tasmania website. Worth a read!

Some mixed and varied responses to the show, all based on the performance at the DEC in Glenorchy. They offer good insight, ask many questions and appreciate the depth and breadth of this process driven work…

Australian Stage - by Sara Wright

Arts Hub - by Lucy Wilson Magnus

The Tasmanian Writers Centre - by Mark Cutler

Spark - by Kylie Eastley

Just found this sweet article on Australian Stage about This Is Living… always nice to know when we get a mention!

The ‘Everyone’s A Critic’ program has bolted out of the starting gates with two class groups initiated and one complete. In Wynyard, where the show premiered, we had a lively mixed group aged between 15 and 83. Keeping this diversity of ‘living’ experience in mind, I put an idea to the group that they choose to write their reviews from a variety of formats from ‘a drawing’ (an opportunity taken up by Big hART Artistic Director Scott Rankin’s son, Darcy Rankin) to Janet Sell’s ‘letter to a friend’, to variations of other more conventional formats.

The ‘lessons’, if that’s not too formal a word, break into two formats. The first meeting involves an idea of exploring what might lie at the core of the ‘idea of theatre’ as an art form. The second, after seeing This is Living, involves a group discussion about the show itself; followed by a exploration at the white board of what a well put together review might involve.

The second group, who came to see the show in Latrobe, was mostly comprised of year 12 students from Devonport’s Don Academy. This is a very go-ahead school with drama as a subject on the curriculum. The students are bright and engaging, but no more than the three ‘adults’ in the class. This group included three lively ‘grown-ups, including 80-something Mrs Curtis, a retired librarian who ‘had trod the boards’ in her heyday, who brought great vigour and fresh insights to the discussion.  Angela McDermott, previously editor for Rubicon River Arts, who was keen to learn more about writing about the arts.  And Mary Kille, who was part of the Wynyard cast and is a talented poet.

Below are some contributions from the Wynyard group participants. But to start with, here is Mary Kille’s magnificent poem capturing a special moment while performing on stage with lead actor Anne Grigg. 

James Waites

 

 

Missed cue

 

I was transfixed by transient beauty,

as you descended that extraordinary stage,

and all your words and all your song

flowed like the river

where once you had swam

naked and glistening as a fish,

secretive,

in dark water.

You spoke and sang of love and loss,

and yearning for the joy you’d known,

which now was gone for ever.

And I, a novice, bit-part player wept,

as those pedestrian, banal, intruding words

which I was meant to speak,

died in my throat;

and the guitarist, with his thrumming chords,

covered my lapse.

‘twixt audience and actor,

as from a spangled dew-dropped spider’s web,

the thread shone,

jewelled

and unbroken.

Mary Kille

Contributions from participants

Is the latest Scott Rankin Big hArt play, This Is Living, an example of brilliant community theatre highlighted by the powerful evocative performances of trio Anne Grigg, Lex Marinos and Bruce Myles? Or is it a powerful evocative drama overly complicated by parallel worlds dramatised by skateboarding local kids and whispering elderly Witnesses?

Unarguably though, the play was beautifully held together with tender ballads played by the quartet called the Dunaways, and sung on a clean stream of emotion by Anne Grigg.

Scott Rankin’s play about the interwoven intimate lives of small-town people certainly held a sell-out crowd crammed into the old Wynyard Theatre transfixed. So much so, that the ‘young people moments’ created in many the indignant moment of fear so often felt in reality when an elderly person is confronted by the energy and vitality of the young. The crowd came in intending to be pleased by a quality performance being held in their home town, involving many of their young and not-so-young residents. They cheerfully chatted on the pavement for the additional half- hour it took before the doors were opened. They sat uncomplaining in their cramped plastic seats for the duration, and streamed out full of pleasure at having been entertained for two hours - living proof of the value of community theatre. 

The complexity of This Is Living is enormous. The central tableau is frequently paused while (almost too) subtly connected side platters are presented. A group of memories from our common past offer a garnish to the present. This is portrayed by older people from the local community, clad in newspaper-printed washed-out clothing, whispering their lines which have been taken from reminiscing interviews. They are sometimes, enormously effective; on other occasions, an untimely halt to the fascinating unfolding of the lives on stage. A few among the older members of the audience were visibly moved by voices which could easily have been from their own pasts.

Data projections back-stage and on the side walls, and complex moving light effects added even more sensory stimulus, with further complexity introduced by appearances by local skateboarding enthusiasts. Their presence was heard, not in spoken lines, but through the resounding crashes, scrapes and bangs of the boards, and the loud music. Marvellous parallels of small town life: but often too invasive to allow some in the audience the luxury of staying with the magic. 

A fascinating evening, and a performance worth attending; perhaps as much for its positive effect on small town culture, as for the stage performance.

Rees Campbell

 

 

Scott Rankin’s multi-layered work is highly technical and often circular themed. This is evident in the new production titled This Is Living, which starts at the end, has a circular stage in addition to props; and is played in a local pub/theatre where many local stories have arisen over the years. The show will soon become local history and photographs will see that it is remembered by a few people who get awfully nostalgic and decide to erect a museum containing important community events such as this one.

Having experienced most aspects of art production including film, acting and backstage, I can say without question that it is hard to bring so many different aspects of the arts into one piece. In This Is Living, Scott and his crew have done this. Bringing many different age groups, spanning from young people and adolescents to people near the middle of their life and older people, accentuates the circular theme by having a lifecycle of people. This will be beneficial to communities to bring an understanding of each age group.

Darcy Rankin – Wynyard High School

 

I found it a great learning experience to participate in the workshops and view the show, This Is Living.  It was an experience which evoked the unfolding of many memories, some sad, some happy. As the story unfolded, I almost felt that time had stood still and that I was living in the 60’s again; so much of the dialogue was so relevant to me.  It also reinforced my thinking about my future, the changes and challenges that I may have to face as I am now in my 81st year. The actors skillfully portrayed so many facets of living such as loneliness, friendship, depression, loyalty, discontentment, love, infidelity, and the ending of life.

The teenage skateboarders with video back-drop represented the youth of the community with excellent dexterity. They brought the exuberance of youth into the show: not all have the same opportunities. We need to be careful not to stereotype images concerning the young and old - they are individuals.

As a pianist with a great love of music, I was enthralled by the sensitivity and tenderness in the music presented by the Dunaways.

Yes! This Is Living was an experience - a story line with much to ponder on.

Margaret Pegus

 

This is Living, written and directed by Scott Rankin and produced by Big hART had its world premiere at the Wynyard Wharf Theatre on Friday 22 March 2009. 

This is Living is a story of a married couple, and the love triangle they are involved in. The main actors - Bruce Myles, Lex Marinos and Anne Grigg - all play the roles of ageing citizens on the cusp of retirement and dealing with all the problems that come with old age.

I spoke to a few of the people involved in This is Living and they all seemed to have been enjoying themselves and benefited from the opportunity they have been given.

I would not recommend this show to many children or teenagers, as I myself did not enjoy the actual show very much; although I did appreciate the amount of work that had been put into it.

I think most people aged above twenty would enjoy watching This is Living, while everyone would benefit from watching. I think it is especially aimed at people aged fifty onwards, as they could relate to the things happening in the lives of the main characters, like dealing with old age, retirement and reminiscing on old and forgotten memories. The older people in the community could relate to the show, because it reminded them of past experiences and forgotten times.

The whole show linked together fairly well, but the skaters and the heavy metal music could have been worked into the show better. I would have liked to have seen the younger people and skaters more involved in the show as they represent the passage from youth to old age. 

Before the show started, while standing outside, I thought the skaters on the ramp and the choir provided good entertainment while waiting to be seated.

The audience was not involved very much, so I would also have liked to have seen more of that. The Dunaways, the band who played at the start and during the show, were very talented and entertaining. 

This is Living is now moving on and being shown in Latrobe and in a couple of places in Southern Tasmania. I am sure that it would be a positive experience for most who attend and they will be very entertained by it.

Jacob Handley – Wynyard High School

 

In his latest creation, Scott Rankin has produced a quite different and exciting theatrical experience. His story is told in a novel setting, unfolding on a circle of reality, set in a sea of nostalgia, with echoes of youth flashing across the background. This is Living is a new look at the age-old eternal triangle theme, beautifully portrayed by the professional actors in the cast. The theme unfolds in the context of a ‘small-town’ environment and experience. Personal stories become a vital part of the plot by clever use of historical material, mostly personal stories gathered from interviews, which are expressed through poems by a chorus of local citizens – ‘witnesses’ or ‘ghosts’ from the town’s past.

The evening began outside the theatre, where a group of young people were vigorously skate-boarding against a counterpoint of harmonic singing from a seniors’ choir. The scene was thereby set for a tale of failed relationships in later life which had started with so much hope in youth.

Jan (Anne Grigg) and Morgan (Bruce Myles) have been married over 30 years, and have a close friendship of similar longevity with Ron (Lex Marinos). Morgan, a press photographer, is the dreamer; Jan the practical housewife; and Ron the pragmatic ex-sportsman who has remained ‘footloose’. The unfolding account of their past and evolving relationships is triggered by Morgan’s retirement, and we are drawn inexorably into an increasingly complex web. The skilfully balanced performances by the principals makes the characters totally believable, and we can all too readily identify with them as they grapple with the difficulties which beset them.

The music, written and performed by The Dunaways, is much more than incidental; it adds immeasurably to the effect of the story, as do Anne Grigg’s haunting renditions, as Jan, of the main songs. 

It was great to see the involvement of youth in a theatrical experience, but - on opening night - they did not seem to achieve full integration with the core story; and times, almost a diversion. There were also some awkward moments between the Witnesses and the main cast, but these appeared capable of smoothing out over time. Certainly, the use of local people in these roles moving around the main performance platform was very effective, working well as an indicator of ‘moving’ time. The community participants are to be congratulated for the dedication, which was apparent in their performances.

The unexpected twists and turns of the plot maintain our interest, with perhaps a slightly slow area early in the second act; but with a build-up to a somewhat enigmatic climax and a resolution of sorts. The production as a while is certainly a rewarding, if confronting experience; and the occasional touches of levity are welcome. In the end I was left with this thought: “This is living: it ain’t pretty, but you just have to get on with it as best you can, and enjoy the memories.” It was a powerful and well presented message.

Endzzzzz

Michael Cook

 

 

This Is Living is a story of love and betrayal: underneath the humour is the cold bitterness of reality. With this, Scott Rankin has formed a trip down memory lane using many archival photographs and oral histories from individuals around the community. This Is Living also gives an insight into the lives and skills of younger people. Witnesses (played by older people), the three main characters (Morgan, Ron and Jan), the skateboarding, movie visuals, lighting and the band all work hand-in-hand to make this idiosyncratic show. The story line goes into depth about how Morgan (Bruce Myles) and Jan (Anne Grigg) seemed to be happily married until Morgan retired; and that’s when the dominos really start to fall.

Anne Grigg plays the beautiful role of Jan in This Is Living. She was my favourite and her vocals were superb, she really came through as my favorite character. The music is a great aspect of This Is Living; it enhances the most enjoyable scene of all, where all the Witnesses get up and dance so freely it really makes an uplifting atmosphere. I do think that the Witnesses stories had so much potential if only they could have been heard from their hushed voices.

All too often you get a show that just doesn’t hang together, but This Is Living really did. 

Samantha Flight – Wynyard High School

 

The new stage attracts the eye like a full moon tilted in the sky, surrounded with many stars.  Around the stage ghosts are seen drifting and observing the progress of the world.  Moving at speed, boys on skateboards can be compared to life with all its ups and downs.

Freda Cook

 

 

Music ensemble, the Dunaways, exceeded my expectations in creating soulful melodies inspired by 60’s pop and folk music.  And so I ask the question: does the music suit the show and vice versa?  The answer is an emphatic – amazingly!  For those of you attending, all I can say is be prepared to be impressed.  Big hART has once again put on ‘the big show!

Dillon Roberts

 

 Janet Sell’s Letter to a Friend

Dear Chris 

You asked the other day if I miss life in London and all the joys of live theatre and music? It’s hard to explain, but I’m much more involved in it here, as a participant, not just an observer. To prove the point, we’ve just had the world premiere of a performance piece called This is Living in the old theatre here in Wynyard. It’s going to be part of a festival called ‘10 Days on the Island’. This work has evolved from many months of interviews and activities in the community, involving schoolchildren, members of Service clubs, nursing homes, local choirs and senior citizen groups.  The professional writer/producer, Scott Rankin, (who by the way is very dishy) lives locally, and he has used his knowledge of the State to create a show which is designed to make people think about current social issues. The main theme is that young people are now growing up in an ageing community and both young and old have to face that reality and learn how to make the most of it.  Being part of that older group we know what it’s like! 

Several friends were selected to perform, and so for months I’ve been hearing snippets about the workshops and preparation with the production team.  It’s been obvious that they have been having a ball!  In fact I’ve been a bit envious.  So when I was offered a chance to attend a Workshop with a professional theatre critic, James Waites, I leapt at the chance.  On the first evening, a small group of us met James for dinner and then attended what was to be the final dress rehearsal. Due to some last minute hitches, all we really saw was the technical rehearsal.  In many ways this was more interesting.  The set was so different, nothing like the beautiful but complicated and frequently changing scenery we have for our annual Music Hall, which you’ve heard me complain about before!  The technical rehearsal revealed some very different problems, adjusting more sophisticated multi-media equipment and performance to a very old theatre, with a mix of professional and non-professional crew and performers, both young and old (some in their 80’s)! 

The Workshop was great, held in two parts before and after seeing the opening night.  Discussing what makes a good theatre critic was enlightening, although I am sure few are as empathetic as James.  He provided lots of examples and insights into what makes a theatrical experience special, and I will be looking with fresh eyes and hopefully a more open mind.  Different to my previous rather black-and-white judgement of, simply, ‘whether I’ve seen a good show or not’!   

After all the discussion and anticipation, I have to admit that opening night was a bit disappointing for me.  The acting and music were good, there were some amusing lines, the story was powerful but there was something missing.  Something to do with connections, between the old and young,  But perhaps this was deliberate?  

Many in the audience were asking in the interval: ‘What’s it all about?’ - ‘Why was so and so doing that….’ - ‘Why were the kids on skateboards?’ They were confused about the story: as was I, in parts, even with the preparation.  I found myself trying to defend the show, saying how lucky we were to see a premiere, the birth of a new concept in theatre.  Their argument was that they had paid to see a show and expected to be entertained, as I would have done before the workshop! 

Do you remember the first time we saw a Mike Leigh play, where the actors had not been scripted but worked it out as they went?  That was pretty powerful stuff, novel at that time – was it the 60’s or 70’s, I’ve forgotten?   Performances have moved on from there and I think this piece is the next step: the title says it all ‘This is Living’.  Community theatre is much more evolving and involving than mainstream productions and the intriguing thing for me is that the final performance on the Festival Tour is likely to be very different to what we saw here on opening night.  Already I’ve heard that there were substantial changes in the next night’s performance, and some of those reflected our comments at the workshop! Isn’t that fantastic? 

When we moved here eight years ago I had no idea of the creativity rampant in this area. It’s just amazing, and as Anna said recently – it must be contagious!   

So no, I don’t really miss London at all, but it would have been nice to have shared this experience with you! 

Cheers,

Jan

Janet Sell 

 

This Is Living

An ambitious production that not only had Director and Writer Scott Rankin on the edge, but also the audience.

Big hART has a record of drawing inspiration from the very communities where the show is performed. Wynyard is no different. The Witnesses are older locals and some couldn’t live much closer. Dicko and his pumpkins for example live over the fence from the Wynyard Theatre.

The story is a familiar one to many of us. We are an ageing community - confronting our mortality, reassessing relationships, and reflecting on memories.

Two stages work simultaneously to accommodate to it. The original stage is taken over by the young performers who are a constant reminder of our youth - emerging from the darkness at various intervals to reveal intensely good times. The new elliptical stage is set among the audience on the main floor with the Witnesses providing a conduit for our thoughts and memories, several seamlessly double as lighting assistants.

The juxtaposition of stages is really a statement about life itself. The main characters have lead dual lives too. Revelations, non-disclosures and pragmatic tolerance over time provide interesting insights into one couple’s journey with their best friend.

Music by the Dunaways, memories projected onto the theatre walls, the ebb and flow of the Witnesses all support the unfolding story which, in Scott Rankin’s own inimitable style, has a surprise in store after the final applause.

Does the show ever end?

Richard Muir Wilson

 

 

And so King Scott

stands tall amongst the minions

bustling to his bidding

with friendly smile and outstretched arm

ready to bestow

a thoughtful greeting or helping hand.

Benevolent dictator

whose blink can cause 

not chaos in the rainforest

but a storm to tear through dressing room

and tech director, through the musos and the chorus

sweep under stage boards

onto those whispered words

now hanging

impotently in time

While actors pray for a royal pardon

but fear as punishment,

exile from this promised land of fame

And so King Scott

admires his laden trestles

gifts of plenty from those who love.

Tangled cables, screens of buzzing light, or melody of tune

invention of wood and steel, of electricity

and magic in intention

And so King Scott

stands hidden in the darkness

while his actors and his players take their bows

amongst the whistles and the stamping

the adulation of applause

for this night amongst many

in the kingdom of hedonism

And they bow to him

© Rees Campbell 2009 

Here are the latest additions to our growing body of work!  Enjoy this fabulous collection of reviews from the Latrobe Everyone’s a Critic group.

 

This is Living – A Review by Jessie McCormack

As part of the 10 Days on the Island festival, Big hART (a company dedicated to making art around Australia in areas where people wouldn’t have much of a opportunity to do so otherwise) put on a production entitled This is Living, which has been described as “a local history of intimacy”, challenging viewers to find answers to questions such as ‘do our elderly often feel invisible?’, ‘what is living for the elderly and dying?’, and ‘why are older people scared of youth, and vice-versa?’

Director Scott Rankin describes it as “much more than a performance piece; it acts as a magnet for creativity reaching back in time through thousands of archived photographs, through oral histories from individuals, families, and organizations, but it also reaches forward through the lives and skills of younger people in each community.”

The entire presentation began even before the audience entered the theatre, with live music from the local brass band and skating demonstrations on the grounds in front of the entrance. Once the audience was seated the play begun at its end, and then flashed back to its beginning so as to fill the audience in on the rest of the story. The plot was told in the centre of the performing space, but there were all sorts of other things going on around the centre, not connected, and yet complimentary to the main story, which gave the whole presentation the feeling of being just one story in a rich, dynamic history.

The cast were divided into three parts; the first being the three actors who were playing the main story. Bruce Myles played Morgan, a recently retired man who once had a passion for photography. When he discovers his forgotten collection of black-and-white photos which he took when he was younger in an old box, he attempts to set up an exhibition, much to the dismay of his wife, Jan.

Jan was played by Anne Grigg. She had always wanted to travel, but instead found herself as a typical housewife cooking and cleaning for her husband. During the production, she became determined not to do it anymore.

Finally, Morgan’s best friend Ron was played by Lex Marinos. Trying his best to keep Morgan out of trouble, Ron attempted to convince his friend that the bowling club is a better option than pie-in-the-sky dreams such as a photography exhibition. Ron had also been to hospital a couple of times for some tests, the results of which aren’t very good for him; and to top it all off, he had a very serious secret which he has tried to hide from Morgan for years.

The performance of each actor wasn’t completely convincing, however this didn’t matter, as the production seems to be more about making a point than putting on a world-class performance, and the acting was still remarkably good.

The second part of the cast was the ‘witnesses’ or ‘ghosts’; elderly people who shared their part in the local history at various points throughout the production. They were the memories of the town, and their stories about their first dance, experience in their father’s butcher shop, favourite tree to climb when they were children, or something similar, were complimented by old photos on screens either side of the stage. 

Finally the seemingly oblivious youth situated at the very rear of the stage were the third part of the cast. Their short episodes of skating, moshing, and extremely loud metal music framed the whole presentation, functioning as ‘punctuation’ by separating each scene of the plot.

Also included in the production were The Dunaways, a band that provided the backing music for Jan’s songs, as well as instrumental music which set the mood for each scene very effectively.

Obviously, the main themes of this production are about growing older and making the most of life, but there were also subtle themes which one only realizes when they are deeply thought about. The lighting, for example, was set up to look similar to photography studio lights, which along with the slides complimenting the stories of the witnesses, fitted in with Morgan’s hobby of photography. The stage had been extended with a circular sloping platform. Together with the fact that the plot had started at its end, gone back to the beginning and back to the end again, it hinted at the theme of the cycle of life. This theme was also enhanced by the witnesses at ground level, below the stage and its circular extension in the muted light, representing the faded memories of the past, the main actors in the centre of the performing space, telling the story unfolding right now, and representing the well-defined present, and the young people situated far away from the audience, at the dimly and inconsistently lit back of the stage, representing flickering glimpses of the future. The cycle-of-life theme was brought to an ultimate climax at the very end, with a young child playing her brass instrument as the entire cast left the theatre. As the performing had started outside with the local brass band, we had once again been brought right back to the beginning.

 

‘This is Living’ from the inside - Mary Kille

An experience as a ‘Witness’.

Apart from an unremarkable performance as a forget-me-knot fairy at the ages of five, (I can still recall the words, and the fear!) I have never appeared on stage.

However, when invited, for unspecified reasons, to turn up at the Railway Institute Hall in Wynyard on a frigid day last September, I found an assortment of people whose commonality appeared to be that they were “elderly” and that they were all, apart from me, accomplished singers.

At this and subsequent sporadic sessions, we were worked upon by Associate Director Chris Mead, and the lovely choreographer Kelly Alexander, and were taught gently, and with humour, to express with our bodies, regret, delight, and grief, either individually, or in groups. Most significantly, we were given encouragement to physically touch each other as a way of showing these feelings.

Great care was taken to ensure we warmed up gently, and did not injure ourselves, but yet were able to develop a relaxed and intimate style and relationship with each other.

We became, over the weeks, a tightly integrated group, caring deeply for each other, and aware of the stresses, difficulties, and minor triumphs we experienced.

Came the performances, and, in spite of all the reassurances and training, we were all taut and challenged.

But some amazing minor moments occurred, as when Terry, a retired policeman, fell from his seat to the floor, so realistically, that I wondered whether one of the nearby medicos in the audience might have leapt to his feet and attempted resuscitation. That would have been an interesting test of the director’s aplomb!

Just before the first show, we had been issued with a form of indemnity from injury and death during the performance process. We were all ‘aged’ and were placed under considerable stress, so the lawyers probably had given reasonable advice!

I, for one, have changed already, in my attitude to the young skaters whizzing along the streets of Wynyard; and I, and others, no longer feel their presence threatening, and are happy to talk with them about their experience in the show. We hope they, too, regard us slightly differently, as people whose memories have validity.

  

Review by Alastair Yeates

Big hART’s, This Is Living, directed and written by Scott Rankin is a bravely confronting, yet beautiful play in which young and old are brought together to paint a complex picture of life and love in an ageing society.

This Is Living made this reviewer think more deeply about his life than any play has done for quite some time. There were definitely issues in there that I did not want to think about but I was forced to by this play. There is one message in particular that struck me and will continue to do so away for this play: that is, we all get old, there’s no escaping it. Yes, I know that’s a bit obvious but let me finish, some people let it get the better of them, age overcomes them and they just give in to the inevitable, give into the cycle of birth, life and death. But there are others who still have the vitality of youth within them, even though the exterior isn’t really up to scratch.

The linking between the young and the old provided a surprisingly effective contrast with the scene changes masked by artists in the form of beanie-wearing skaters and blasting heavy metal music. Not realising the significance of this until later on in the performance I must admit I was surprised and confused as to what the point of this was. However as the play progressed, it was more obvious that there was “method behind their madness”, as it were. This incorporation shows that even though the age gap is wide the youth of “then” and the youth of “now” are not really that different: they fell in love, we fall in love, they danced, we “mosh”. You can see a pattern forming now can’t you?

The stage design honed in on the very crux of the play. The round was the centrepiece of the set and was striking in its contribution to the deeper meaning of the play. Throughout the performance the idea of a cycle was reinforced over and over again and the stage was defiantly a focal point for this: life is not a straight line, from beginning to end but a circle, birthing, living, dying and then the cycle begins anew.

The lighting designer, Nicholas Higgins, created an ambience that complemented the performance superbly. This play is about unwrapping the stories surrounding someone to find the real person inside and what better way to do that in something as intimate and as revealing as a photo shoot? This was complete with a lighting crane and mobile flash bulbs providing the somewhat dim lighting and I thought this kept some of the actor’s more detailed expressions shrouded in shadow. This would have been a major technical error in many other plays but not this one. It was only minor. It did distance the audience from the characters slightly but it allowed the audience to focus more on the unravelling of the characters’ stories rather than the physical elements of the actors. It is a very fine balance between the two but it just didn’t weigh up in Thursday’s performance.

The highlight of the night for this reviewer was most definitely the gripping performance of the three actors: Bruce Myles playing “Morgan”, Anne Grigg playing “Jan” and Lex Marinos playing “Ron”. However this success was only revealed for the second act. In the very beginnings of the play, when Grigg’s microphone malfunctioned, the confidence seemed to flow out of not only the main characters but the band and supporting actors too.

A highly respected reviewer once said “Great theatre dies as it is born”, unfortunately it wasn’t even born in the first act. Second act, compared to the first was the swan compared to the ugly duckling-stunning.

Grigg dominated the stage as “Jan” and her highlight of the night was her captivating poem, expressing her innermost feelings or wistfulness, grief, happiness and love. However the standout of the night was “Ron”. Marinos played this part with virtuosity capturing his audience in Ron’s struggle to survive, and the slow descent into near immobility due to his debilitating disease. What really stuck me personally in Marinos’ performance was that even in scenes with gut-wrenching sadness, he had the ability to still make the audience laugh at Ron’s roguish nature, which to me is an exceptional achievement.

 

This is Living - Review by Kelcie Meldrum

(Editor’s note: there was a technical hitch in the opening scene of the performance seen by this reviewer – main actor Anne Grigg’s audio microphone failed for a short period causing some confusion for both tech crew and the audience: a  point referred to by Kelcie Meldrum in this review)

Big hART in collaboration with Ten Days on the Island has returned to the stage yet again with the performance This is Living, a confronting and thought provoking play. Written and directed by Scott Rankin this play explores the concept of living and the contrasts between the youth and elderly in today’s society.

On par with Big hART’s regular tradition, the performance involves a mixture of local community members from around the North-West coast of Tasmania and semi-professional actors. This touring production, as the title suggests, delves into the issues raised from the question: what is living? The confronting but everyday situations that are enacted by this skilled cast cause the audience to reflect on their own lives and how they would respond to what has been put before them. The emotional connection between the actors and the audience is enhanced because they witness an issue that could have been their own.

The set construction was artistically construed with the use of a circular stage representing the cycle of life while adding a different dimension to the show by incorporating something unlike the everyday stage. Memories are like snapshots of your life imprinted in your brain, thus explaining the use of photography throughout the show and the remainder of the set being symbolic of a photo-shoot of the actors’ lives. The two large light bulbs flashing when memories are recalled, and the overhead crane casting shadows on the actors as these memories fade. The overall effect of the lighting increased the intensity of the mood in moments of stress; however the minor flaw with this lighting outlay was that it detracted from the actor’s expressions portrayed on the actor’s faces and sometimes caused difficulty in differentiating who was speaking. 

The final form of setting used is the community members, who played shadows wandering around the cycle of life, being so close to the living yet not disturbing it in any way. The concept of the setting was beautifully thought out and in nearly all elements added to the feel of the show. The only criticism would be that, at times, the setting became overcrowded which made deciding on the focal point a hard task for audience members. 

The live music from The Dunaways became an essential part of the performance despite the minimalistic slip of overpowering the actors at the beginning of the show. This was soon corrected however and the music was exquisite for the remainder of the show adding to the overall mood felt; especially a feeling of intimacy between the cast and the audience.  

The first half of the performance lacked emotional connection due to the cast morale falling slightly due to technical errors which resulted in a safe first half. To the cast’s credit they recovered well for the second half and regained their connection to the audience which resulted in tangible emotion felt in the theatre.

During this second act, the performance of the three main characters played by Annie Grigg, Bruce Myles and Lex Marinos was a definite highlight. The high intensity of the characters emotions encompassed the audience shrouding the room in a stunned silence. Grieg’s defining moment in this performance was when she expressed her emotions, baring her soul in her heartfelt poem. Despite this, the standout of the night was Marinos as ‘Ron’: his struggle to survive this character’s problems was hauntingly captivating. His control and courage in playing ‘Ron’ was an outstanding credit showing his obvious talent.

Credit must also go to the writer of the show as the dialogue used was ideal in portraying the issues the show raised, while also being cleverly written as to imply incidents which are open to audience interpretation without openly stating what has occurred.

This is Living offers a strong, emotional and thought provoking performance. The cast and crew have done a magnificent job in pulling this together and it is a show that I would recommend for the younger and older generations of our society as it presents a fascinating insight into life.

 

‘This is Living’ critique by Mary Kille

Wynyard 2009

So, what was in the mind of writer and director Scott Rankin when he embarked on the production of This is Living (‘a local history of intimacy coming to a town near you?’

I had seen his earlier show, Love Zombies at the Wynyard High School in November 2008, and so was prepared for a complex and arresting combination of lighting, sound, choreography and highly unusual theatrical devices.

However, even after five months of increasing involvement as a ‘Witness’, and even after the dress rehearsal, I was still in the dark as to his intentions.

Only when the first night revealed the mix of street theatre and high drama, and, most significantly the role of two alienated sections of society, the teenagers and the old, did I feel that this was an important and life-changing experiment.

Here were represented the past, present and future: the past, a group of drably-clad, detached, dissimilar elderly people, ‘the Witnesses’, acting as a Greek chorus in a play by Aristophanes, subtly recalling their own personal memories but powerless to control the present, and with no understanding of the future.

The present dominated the stage, a challenging, tilted wooden oval, on which three professional actors, Bruce Myles, Lex Marinos, and Anne Grigg, played out a triangular story of tragedy, not of epic proportions, but of fairly ordinary people making life-changing decisions.

At a higher level, behind the black veil of a curtain on the conventional stage, was our future: the teenagers, many accomplished skate-boarders, recruited from the streets and persuaded that their role was of the highest importance. They played a very exacting part, having to remain still and silent for most of two hours, but ready, on their cues, for instant response, with exuberant displays of their wild, balletic art.

The music of the Dunaways, haunting and beautiful, complemented every aspect of the play, as did the sound, designed by Andrew Poppleton, and the lighting by Nicholas Higgins.

I was so privileged, as were all the amateur actors, to play a minor part in such a significant production.

The effect on the citizens of the four towns, so fortunate to host this event, Wynyard, Latrobe, Glenorchy and Franklin, will last for a long time, as it indeed fulfilled the director’s perceived intention, to change lives.

 

This is Living

A Play by Scott Rankin with Big hART

Review by Mrs Elizabeth Curtis

Adam and Eve and the Serpent were the perpetrators of the ‘Eternal Triangle’. In legend, as in real life, it has been a contentious issue in every society throughout the ages.

In his play This is Living, Scott Rankin has treated it in a novel manner.  The central characters are an ageing married couple and a man who is a long-time friend of both husband and wife.

The complex nature of the relationship is revealed when there are a number of crises which affect them all. In addition, there is an undercurrent which hints that: ‘Things are seldom what they seem.’  This is made manifest by some good ‘by-play’, when the two men reminisce over some old photographs.

The quality performance of all three actors - by both voice and manner - clearly defines the characters they are portraying.

The arrangement of the set is unique, as is the deployment of the other players - old and young - and their respective activities, which symbolise time: past and present.

The music is appropriate, adjusting in tone and volume to suit the mood of the moment. The off-stage sound effects are electrifying! 

The unforeseen resolution of their problem followed by the reconciliation, leads to a satisfactory ending of the play. This is a thought-provoking experience of theatre to savour.

THIS IS LIVING

A review by Angela McDermott

31/03/09

‘This IS living!’ Scott Rankin: you’ve hit the nail on the head. Around and around it goes, the cycle of life, like the broad wooden disk on which Anne Grigg, Bruce Myles and Lex Marinos remind us what it’s all about.

Premiering as part of Ten Days on the Island 2009 and presented by Big hART, This Is Living takes a look at intimacy in its various forms.

The Latrobe Federal Band greeted guests with classic tunes and skateboarders entertained the audience with their daring skills outside the Latrobe Memorial Hall 

The program represents a roll of film and the set, a photographer’s studio, designed to depict a theme of history in pictures. Images of life are revisited, recalling vivid memories and awakening intense emotions. You may be drawn into a vortex of reflection only to be tossed out again to face the reality of now.

The sloping circular stage suggests a camera lens through which we can see into the lives of the characters. A level centrepiece serves as a dais, a desk and a seat for a smooch. Hidden within are secrets and memories of a life linked to newsworthy moments of local history.

Like interlacing loops, the plot paves a path you’d find in any town. It is your option to skate over the top or stop, and peer into the nooks and crannies. You may recall a place or a time, because this is your life, your town and these are your people.

Framed by the naivety of youth and haunting memories of days gone by, a couple breaks the seal on secret and suspicion; a snapshot of life as it is now, always was and always will be.

Anne Grigg gracefully voices song and poem equally with ease. Lex Marinos once again excels in his art, depicting his character rich in light and shade. Bruce Myles completes the ménage a trios, successfully complementing the other two participants. Inclusion of local elderly and youth in the production certainly gives a genuine touch along with research into regional history, photos and locations.

The Dunaways weave felicitous tunes through the two acts, contrasted with brief blasts of youthful metal music breaking the scenes to remind us of who is watching.

More than once I was distracted by painful flashbacks when snippets of my own history were wrenched from their slumber in shattering sound and agonising graphics because this is my life, my town, and yes, these are my people. Don’t let that possibility stop you seeing the play – the point is we may all suffer in varying degrees but we are not alone.

Gratefully, I was transported again to a time of joy with humour when happy recollections were revisited. Mention of familiar haunts stirred the occasional stifled chuckle of ‘been there, done that’.

by Angela McDermott

 

 

The first of our Glenorchy workshops was with a drama production class at Rosetta High School.  Half of the class performed in the This is Living show at the DEC.  It was fantastic that the other half of the class joined in the Everyone’s a Critic workshop.  Thanks Rosetta High - we thoroughly enjoyed your contributions to the workshops.

This is Living – Review 

What I thought about the play, This Is Living, was that it was boring. It was not funny at all. I thought it would have made sense between the old people and the younger people.

 I did not like the younger people being at the back of the stage. You could not see any of the people in our class (the young actors) at the back of the stage that well. The younger kids hardy did anything. All that I saw was they were sitting down the whole time. When we came back and talked about it, even the people that were in the play did not get the key points to the play.

But there was one thing that I thought about the play that was good and it was the set up of the stage. It was well thought out.  I liked the way the stage was going down a bit at the front rather than it being flat.

What else I thought did not make sense was the man when he was in that circle. I am not sure what it was but when we came back and talked about it, we found out that it was him in the ball of his life.

Overall I thought it was a play more for the older pubic than the younger public. I would give it a rating of 3 out of 10.

Daniel Fitzallen

 

This is Living - Review

This is Living. Firstly I would like to congratulate the cast and crew of this production, you all did very well to bring this show together. The three main actors on the centre stage were wonderful. They portrayed their characters to a tee and made you believe that maybe they really were the people they played.

While on topic of the stage, I would like to mention the innovation and creativity shown: it was like nothing I had ever seen before. But I do have a one little thing to say about it.  The back of the stage needed to be less covered up, as in some seats it wasn’t seen clearly or at all (so go for a seat in the centre.)

This storyline was a fantastic idea and something that almost everyone could relate to; which is a very important thing in a production like this, aimed at smaller communities. But the ‘ghosts’ or ‘witnesses’ as they were referred to on the ground stage, needed to be clearer about who or what they were and why they were there. The lighting was very clever and different but at some stages looked accidental as if the weren’t operating correctly - maybe the lighting could be made more deliberately, or changed.  

This production made me think so much about the circle of life. To be honest it frightened me to the core. If you were intending on going to see a play that would be an escape from the troubles of life today, I would not recommend this to you. But if you are open the challenges this show presents you with then it’s worth going to have a look at.

Lana Castle

 

This is Living - Review

In the performance, ‘This is Living’, I found it interesting but at times it got a bit boring.  For example, when the old people talked for a long period of time. I also thought the backstage skater people weren’t in it enough. For example, they should have actually been in the show more than what they were and instead of being at the back of the stage they could have been up the front.

The play wasn’t my type; I don’t think it was suitable for high school children because it is for suited to adults and not younger children or teenagers.  The pictures on the side of the curtains with the projector were also a bit of a problem because then the audience got side-tracked watching them instead of actually watching the performance.  A lot of people also thought they were a pretty silly thing because you could also not see them properly.  Projecting onto curtains was not a good idea.

Other than those few things, I think Big hART did a pretty good job to get the show up and running.  They also did a good job in organizing it.  It was good that some of our local community were involved.

Emma Currie

 

This is Living - Review

Ten Days on the Island festival featured the show This is Living at the Derwent Entertainment Centre. The show was more like reality than anything else. The storyline was based on a married couple and the wife had been cheating on her husband for the 40 years they had been married.

The three layers were hard to follow. People who had heard news back about the show said there was a connection between the older people and youth but that we probably wouldn’t have understood it. The staging seemed to separate them even more than they probably should have been. The lighting of the show was rather different and gave it an ominous feeling.

Overall the show was good, whether the staging was how they wanted it or not, the show had to go on. It may have worked better in a smaller theatre.

Kristen Gatty

 

This is Living - Review

This is Living is a theatre piece which is part of the Ten Days on the Island Festival. This show was produced by Big hART, an Australian drama company. The show has three main actors positioned centre stage. The whole play was completely different to any I have seen. The idea was to create layers.  At the back were the young carefree group of people, the middle layer featured the middle-aged retired couple and their friend, and the third layer were the old people who were dead, ghosts or witnesses as Scott Rankin, the director, called them. I think the show was meant to show aging and how different you are when you become older.

The show was meant to convey the connection between young and old, but I feel it failed to do so for several reasons. The young people were younger than what the actors were remembering. The random skating and dance was exactly that, random and out of place. There was a screen between the young people and the rest of the cast further separating them. You couldn’t see the young people at all from my seat. There was also a light on a stand also making it hard to see the youth.

The show in itself was pretty good in spite of a few obvious mistakes. The three main actors did a fabulous job at keeping their characters; you didn’t feel like you were watching a play but actually their life. The show is great for anyone else who actually wants to sit and think about what they are seeing and get something out of the experience.

Tash Cantlay

 

This is Living - Review

For a production that was only put together in a matter of weeks, this was quality. This is Living was based around three main characters and a group of skaters who were members of the community. The whole production was about the three main characters and their life growing up. Since they were experienced actors, they made the show believable. It felt like they were actually telling us the story of their life.

This is Living was a big circle. They went from being in one year then back to their teen years, back to where they were at the beginning of the production.

This is Living made me, and others, think about what it is going to be like when we’re older, and it makes you want to enjoy being young. Since the DEC was such a big space, there wasn’t very good lighting or seating which wasn’t good for watching the show. 

This is Living made me and others think about what it’s going to be like when we’re older and it makes you want to enjoy being young. For a small community show, this was fantastic and definitely one to go and see, especially if you lived or grew up in the Glenorchy area.

Katelin Jones

This is Living - Review

This Is Living was a part of the Ten Days on the Island Festival, a show that was chosen to be seen by our grade 9/10 students. The story was based on a connection between three people and how their life has gone on and how it has changed since then.

My first thought of the play was it was going to be about the elderly people connecting with the young people, but after watching it I didn’t really see any connection there. They could have added a bit more to connect all the people (elderly and young). Other than that, the production was good and at some time humorous; but at some stages it did get to the point of being quite boring and I didn’t see the whole message of what the production was trying to put out there.

I thought the professional actors did well, and acted out all their parts with clear speaking and good use of stage. I also thought the rest of the actors, like the young and elderly, did well in their parts; like the old people walking around being ghosts, and the young people going on with life without a care in the world

For a big place like the Derwent Entertainment Centre, the lighting could have been better. I thought they did a good job adding the pictures of the things the actor had taken in previous years and how they added sound effects during the car crash; and this gave it more meaning to the play. Until we discussed it, I didn’t see what some things meant like the rolling cage the man was in or the effect of the slanted stage.

The recommendation I would give is to older people to go watch it because they know what it’s all about since they were there back then; and young people like me probably don’t get the whole message and miss out on certain points.

By Brett Green

 

This is Living Review

By Natalie Wood

This is Living was a creative out-there show. It was very different to all the other shows I have seen.

I enjoyed some aspects of the show. One thing I didn’t really understand was the connection between the elderly and the youth. I think if I wasn’t told, before the show, that there was a connection it would have made a little bit more sense. Having the expectation sort of ruined the performance.

The lighting of the show was fairly distracting to people sitting in lower levels. If the audience wasn’t down as far as it was the lighting would have been better.

 I liked the twist of the story and how the story made you think when it finished because there was no happy ending.

 I think the show was very realistic in a way and the actors portrayed their characters to a level where you could actually believe they were them and it was happening. It was like we had a window on their life.

This is Living was probably more targeted at older people because they have had the experience to understand what was happening in the show. I think the idea of a community-based show is great as it really intrigues the audience that bit more because they know people in it.

I would rate This is Living a 3 out of 5 because it was a very creative interesting show, but there were some aspects of the show I didn’t understand because it isn’t something I’ve experienced.

By Natalie Wood

 

This is Living – A Review

This is Living was a very complicated show because we were told that there was a big connection between the young and the elder. A lot of people really did not see this  - including me.

I thought that the centre-stage bit was pretty cool, but it would have been better if the young and the elder were more involved on that stage.

The lighting was pretty awesome. I liked the bit when they had the camera flash and when there was a car accident.

The set up was alright but I didn’t see the point of putting the kids in the back. When I first saw that I thought that it was kind of steps like the young were first and the middle was the older people fighting. I think that the dead people were showing what will happen to them. At the start you could not tell that the elders were dead.  Smoke effects might have helped me understand more.

But overall the show was held under good control: even when a lady fell off the stage, they all stayed well in focus. I liked how all the actors were actually friends in real life; it made more sense in the end.

 Thank you for the opportunity to see something different!

By Luke Turner

 

This is Living Review by Tom Kirk

The production was about three friends, two who were married and a single friend. The wife and the husband’s best friend were having an affair. The central plot also revealed that the friend had a fatal illness. The illness seemed to trigger a divorce and exposed the affair.  The main characters talked a lot about the past and their interests and their failures and their lost dreams. That segment was very strong because the actors were good at portraying their roles. 

There were freeze snapshots of the younger generation who didn’t seem to have much of a part as the older generation. Their role was probably unsatisfying because it was too small and the scenes too short to really develop a feel for young people today.

A bright light three feet in front of me prevented me from seeing some of the right side of the stage.

The old people were good because of their timing and voice.

The costuming was bland but I suppose it was meant to be like that because it was a dark play.

I didn’t know that the dead people were meant to be ghosts. I didn’t realise that they were meant to be dead either. I thought they were from an old folks’ home that the friend refused to go to for care.

I think the show had a strong message which was live life and cherish what you have. Overall I would give it 3.5 out of 5 because the message was powerful and true but, as a teenager, I would have liked more shown about our generation.

By Tom Kirk

 

This is Living

Review

This is Living wrapped up its final performance at the Derwent Entertainment Centre, performing to crowds of young teenagers and the elderly.

The show was about relationship battles and sending everyone a message to live your life while you have the time.

The three main actors were all exceptional and delivered their parts with great energy. However many members of the audience didn’t feel the same about other members of the cast such as the youth (skateboarders).

The show was not designed to be performed in a big theatre. It was more suited for a small town hall and suffered for that at the DEC.

But apart from those small things the show was a huge success and delivered a strong message to all people with its twist at the end. It wasn’t your average happy ending.

By Hannah Knight.

 

Earlier in the week Dad and i had a long chat with Terry at Hobart FM… all went very well, until Dad started bumbling on about growing old and aching bones!

Meanwhile… Mr Rankin was waxing lyrical with Tim Cox over at the ABC, regaling Tasmania with the news of Big hART’s much deserved, prestigious Sidney Myer Group Award for Performing Arts. He managed to get a little about Junk Theory and This Is Living in there too! Find out more about the Award here…

We finished off our media frnzy with a final stint on Community Radio down in the Geeveston with Rod on Huon FM. That was a family affair with mum and dad spending a full hour and a half chatting away. We certainly did the round on Tassie’s community radion netwroks… great stuff.