The Fury

10/05/2012 – 19/05/2012

Year
2012
Author
Alice Dawes, Eric Gardiner, with devising from the cast
Abstract
The Fury has been made through a collaborative process, which means it is in every way the creation of all the people involved. Last year, with a group of interested students, I started looking for a concept.  We were torn between the idea of doing a classic play, and devising a new work ourselves. In the end we wound up doing both. Afficionados of modern European theatre will recognize elements (and names) from Durrenmatt’s 1950s classic, The Visit, which we raided for it’s dramatic premise – a rich and powerful woman returns to her small home town with devastating effect – but we have grafted it onto a very different concept!   The text for our play, about an OH&S obsessed community, confronted by risk and danger in the form of a visiting rock ‘goddess’ and her entourage, has been largely generated through improvisations which we video-ed, transcribed and refined. Some of my favourite scenes are virtually verbatim from the original inspired performances. Other scenes have been developed out of improvisations and a few written from scratch by our dedicated writing team.   Another crucial element has been our collaboration with The Call Up. The band’s involvement has injected an element of energy and authenticity that we’ve had to rise to. Working with live music is always a blast and in this case – particularly so – as you will hear!   This has been an exhausting and risky project (appropriately, give the subject matter); we could easily have wound up with material that was dull or that we didn’t like, we could have run out of time (we nearly did), we could have lost patience with each other – many things could have gone wrong. However thanks to the energy, imagination and bravery of the student cast, student designers and crew, and to our brilliant set and lighting designer, Nicola Andrews, we made it through. I hope you agree with me that it was worth it!
Director
Tom Gutteridge
Music director
Eric Gardiner
Choreographer
Teresa Blake
Designer
Nicola Andrews
Cast
Claire – Grace Cummings Guitarist – Eric Woodward Gimp/Panther – Shannon Loughnane Groupie – Georgia Marett Bodyguard 1 – Clancy Moore Bodyguard 2 – Rohan Byrne Alfred – Josiah Lulham Alfred’s girlfriend – Hannah Warnaar CEO – Yvette Turner Security Officer – Bella Vadiveloo OH&S Officer 1 – Lana Nguyen OH&S Officer 2 – Jacob Rodrigo Doctor – Jeremy Russo Teacher – Dana McMillan Artist – Camilla Best The Band: The Call Up (thecallup.bandcamp.com) Robert Villella – Bass/Guitar Calum Field – Bass/Guitar/Keys Eric Gardiner – Keys Kane Potter – Drums Nikos Shannon – Guitar/Bass/Keys
Crew
Director – Tom Gutteridge Assistant Director – Dione Joseph Writers – Alice Dawes, Eric Gardiner International Dramaturg – Tilly Lunken Set and LX Designer – Nicola Andrews Costume Designer – Amy Dyke Music and Sound Designer – Eric Gardiner Make Up Designer – Hannah Navissi Movement Choreographer – Teresa Blake Production Manager – Gus Macdonald Stage Manager – Hannah Denison Assistant Stage Manager – Eden Elliot Head Technician – Clynton Jones Set Construction – Simon Smith Bump-in Crew – Adam Grikepelis, Gene Hedley, Tristan Lawrence, Nick Liley Lighting Operator – Corey Koeleman Producer: Josephine Byrt Promotion and Marketing: Erin Adams Front of House Manager: Aleks Bliszczyk and Christa Jonathan Photography: Vikk Shayen Wong Rehearsal Photos: Alice Dawes Graphic Design: Brenton Gaw and Christian McGilloway Video Documentation: David Haidon