#DearDiary at Adelaide Fringe 2016

Following a hugely successful run at Melbourne Fringe 2015, my one-woman existential joyride, #DearDiary is about to head over to Adelaide. Tickets are already selling faster than I can write in my diary and I am pumped! Full details can be found HERE in the official, hot-off-the-press Adelaide Fringe Guide. Or, if you're more of a Facebook kinda person, the official Event is HERE.

Performing for Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Last night, I had the pleasure of performing a rather unusual role for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's Secret Symphony. For an hour prior to the concert at the State Library of Victoria, I entertained (or perhaps, freaked out!) the audience as my interactive character who recited poetry and gave away clues to a crowd piecing together the puzzle of which symphony would be performed. Here are some shots taken at the event:

#DearDiary is done!

I've just finished a dream run of my debut solo show, #DearDiary at The Butterfly Club as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival 2015. I am blown away by the extraordinary response which I have received, from complete strangers tracking me down to let me know how much the show affected them, to an Opening Night standing ovation, to the post-show foyer buzz, to the wonderful reviews. Here are links to some of the reviews:

★★★★ "Snelling has so much material to draw on, and is so skilled at getting the audience onside, that you're left wanting more." - Daily Review http://dailyreview.com.au/deardiary-review-melbourne-fringe-festival/30600

★★★★1/2 "You can't help but love Snelling's animated facial expressions and pantomime-like movements. Her style is unique, clever and charming." - Planet Arts http://www.planetartsmelb.com/122555

"It's an extraordinary show, full of heart and pathos... The writing is impeccable... It's hashtag poignant." - Aussie Theatre http://aussietheatre.com.au/reviews/melbourne-fringe-deardiary

"One of the most standout solo shows of the Melbourne Fringe Festival this year." - The Plus Ones
https://theplusones.com/melbourne/2015/09/25/fringe-review-deardiary/

"Beautifully honest and funny" - Beat http://www.beat.com.au/arts/dear-diary

"Funny and brave construction of art from life... Andi is very funny, witty and a natural clown... This is a packed 60 minutes with no false steps and very revealing." - 3MBS Radio

"A beautifully crafted work, packed with clever charm and brilliant timing." - Melbourne Press http://melbournepress.com/2015/09/28/a-snippet-of-the-fringe/

"An outstanding performance by Andi. This show is a testament to her talent and stage versatility." - Weekend Notes http://www.weekendnotes.com/dear-diary-rehashing-the-past-butterfly-club/

 

#DearDiary - Rehashing the Past. (Image 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!

            Improv teacher and director, David Razowsky. (Image via Monterey County Weekly)


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! 

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.

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.

                                              Myself, Sarah Reuben, Michelle Nussey & Bri Williams.

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.