My self-penned solo show debut, #DearDiary on at the Melbourne Fringe Festival 2015, is now officially launched! I am chuffed to say that tickets already began selling within hours of it going live! Click here, for full details.
The Insomnia Project
I've just finished a successful season of new music theatre work, The Insomnia Project at La Mama Courthouse Theatre. We received some lovely reviews and great houses. Here are some of the beautiful photos from this haunting production. (All images by Dan A'Vard)
Portrait of Andi
Last week, I went to the Melbourne Polytechnic Art Exhibition, which featured this oil painting done by illustrator, Leo Flander, entitled Portrait of Andi. He was great to collaborate with and we're hoping to work together again. It's certainly not every day that you come face to face with yourself!
Workshop with David Razowsky
Last week, I had the pleasure of working with improv legend, David Razowsky who is currently out from L.A to both teach and perform. David is the former Artistic Director of The Second City, trained with Del Close at Improv Olympic, and has a strong interest in connecting improvisers to their work through the Viewpoints technique. It was great to be reminded yet again that everything I need as an improviser is right there in front of me at all moments!
Riding the Air Waves on 94.1FM
This Thursday, I'll be riding the air waves on 3WBC 94.1FM radio. I've been invited to guest on chatty, artsy program "Anything Goes," where I'll be discussing all things theatre and whatever else comes out of my mouth! I'll be talking about The Insomnia Project on at La Mama Theatre which I'm currently in rehearsal for, as well as a special secret. Tune in from 11.30am-1pm and all shall be revealed!
Photoshoot for Art Project
Last week, I worked with artist Leo Flander, who snapped me in a range of extreme emotional states for an exhibition he is putting together. He is interested in creating surreal portraits through "animated photographs" and "moving paintings." Check out his beautiful work here.
The Insomnia Project at La Mama Courthouse
I'm soon to begin rehearsals for The Insomnia Project which will have a season at La Mama Courthouse 29th July - 9th August. It's a disturbing, unconventional piece which follows four insomniacs over the course of one night. There are songs and physical theatre woven throughout. I can't wait to get choreographing.
Guest Speaker at Rotary event
I was recently invited by the Rotary organisation to speak at their Charter Anniversary event on the theme of "Looking Back to the Future." I was lucky enough to be sponsored by Rotary in 1998 to go on their incredible Youth Exchange program which saw me spend one year in a French high school at the age of 15. This experience certainly shaped the course of my life, so I was more than honoured to speak at the event about my life since exchange and in particular, my seven years working as an actor in Europe. I've done a lot of MCing and presenting over the years, but it was a much more personal experience, sharing my life journey so far.
Following the talk, I will now be doing more work with Rotary to help them spread their message of international goodwill and understanding through their exchange program. The timing of all this is uncanny, as I have recently begun writing a show about how our past connects to our present and the day I was reading a diary I wrote in 1998, was the day Rotary contacted me to speak. It's funny how serendipitous life is sometimes.
Haunting Photoshoot
This week, I collaborated with photographer Dan A'Vard of Opencage Photography to create some atmospheric stills. The results are rather disturbing...
Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2015
I'm gearing up to perform in my 4th Melbourne International Comedy Festival show. This time, it's Hoo-Haa Gladiators, an improvised comedy battle-off, complete with lycra, bad puns and 90s TV cheese! We're on every Friday, Saturday & Sunday night of the Festival from 6-7pm at The Imperial Hotel. It's gonna be fist-pumping good!
Funny Babe Fest
I'm babin' it up at Funny Babe Fest this Thursday 9pm at The Butterfly Club, which is a showcase of some of Melbourne's funniest women. I'll be doing a set of improvised comedy with three of my fellow The Big Hoo-Haa babes, and all funds raised from the gig will go towards Equality Now. It'll be like "Babe: Pig in the City" but with babes plural and no pigs.
Welcoming 2015 with Workshops
I love to kick off any new year with workshops that will inspire me for the year ahead. I've been lucky enough to do an Improvisation Masterclass with Patti Stiles - a globally respected teacher of improvisation, as well as her more experimental Gender/Genre class and her Scenes That Matter class. I've also gone back to my old stomping ground Meisner Melbourne and been working with Clare Dea. And if all that isn't enough, I'm also in the thick of a 5-week ActionTheater course with Dani Cresp, looking at Physical Improvisation. It feels like a wonderfully creative start to 2015!
6-hour Chekhov Improvisation
Today I had an amazing time living and breathing the character of Simeonov-Pishchik from Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard for 6 hours straight of improvisation. This was an interactive theatrical experience run by Pop Up Playground called New Life In This House. Set in the hauntingly beautiful Abbotsford Convent, we improvised according to the whims of our audience and re-wrote the story of the doomed Ranyevsky estate.
Coles TVC Shoot
This week was one of those weeks where things move fast. You wake up Monday morning with a TVC casting and within 48 hours, you're shooting it! I love this unpredictable side to the industry where suddenly work lands in your lap out of nowhere. It sure makes up for all the down time. I had a great shoot on a great set with a big crew who ran like clockwork. Looking forward to seeing the ad when it comes out.
Improvised Comedy Xmas Show!
Deck the Halls with wit and folly! This Thursday night I'll be performing with my professional impro group The Big Hoo-Haa Melbourne in our XMAS MEGA SHOW! Everything will be totally improvised and LOLtastic! It's our last show of 2014 and also our last ever show at The Portland Hotel - which has been our home for the past 4 years. We will be announcing our exciting new venue at the show! Details here.
Q&A Hosting - La Mama Theatre
On Tuesday 9th December at 9.30pm I will be hosting a Q&A Forum at La Mama Theatre, Carlton, following a performance of Dog Day Trio as part of the Explorations season. I've done Q&A hosting before and love engaging with the audience and creatives in a way that is so different to what I'm used to as an actor.
Festival Entertainment
Another job I do regularly is Roving Characters at Festivals and this weekend is no exception. Today, my duo "The Litter Sisters" (who are experts in talking rubbish) roved the Johnston Street Festival in Fitzroy. We had a hoot bantering with everyone and anyone and introducing our pooch puppet to the crowd. We also wore a lot of ridiculous things.
MC Gig
I've done quite a bit of MCing in my time from music festival stages to large-scale corporate functions to cabaret nights and now, I can add to my list book launches. Last night, I MCed the launch of "The One Breast Goddess" - an inspirational book written by life coach and acting teacher, Clare Elizabeth Dea. It was a fantastic evening with live music and speeches and plenty of bad puns from me!
Corporate Video Shoot
This week I shot a corporate video playing the lead role for Westpac. I got to play a Restaurant Owner transitioning to a new EFTPOS system. I love doing Corporate Videos!
Monologue for a Murderer
I'm currently in rehearsal for an intriguing new play called "Monologue for a Murderer" by Kate Rice and directed by Jeremy Rice of Always Working Artists. It's an intense play which delves into the dark depths of a high school shooting that took place in Germany in 2002. Our season at La Mama Courthouse runs from Wed 29th Oct - Sun 9th Nov. Further info and tix here.