Audiences gasp at play's world premiere
Our audiences laughed and gasped at the unexpected twists in 'Virus - a Fugue', the play by Norwegian playwright Fredrik Brattberg, which featured actors, puppets and a string ensemble in an oddly familiar dystopia.
About the playwright
Fredrik Brattberg is both an author and composer. He is the third most produced living Norwegian playwright. His plays have been translated into almost twenty languages and staged in China, New York, Iceland, Denmark, France, Indonesia, Czech Republic, England and Norway. He won the Ibsen Award in 2012.
And then there were the puppets!
Hand puppets invade model village
One paranoia-inducing event in ‘Virus-A Fugue’ was the appearance of potentially-infected small people in the model village - mini versions of the 'He' and 'She' actors. Katie Williams (pictured), a NIDA-trained actor, puppeter, and puppet maker created the hand puppets. She has collaborated on projects for UK National Theatre, Warner Bros, Disney, and HBO, with her favourite to date being a Coldplay music video in collaboration with Aardman Animation.
Shadow puppets shred nerves
Our singers and dancers worked hard to become proficient shadow puppeteers in the course of the production. These eerie phantoms became the moving backdrop for the live action on stage and the puppet drama. In a nod to current events at the time, Donald Trump had the gigantic spray in the dramatic denouement of the play.
then came the giants ...
The climax of the play was the appearance of the largest 'He' and 'She' puppet inhabitants, as reason and proportion are finally overrun by rumour and panic in the model village. Our lovely pianist Stephanie and volunteer Justin mastered the manipulation of these 4 metre 'gigantes', which are a feature of street festivals from Spain to Cambodia.
Experienced street puppeter Emmy Collins (pictured seated on floor alongside a giant head below) was instrumental in bringing these huge puppets to life. Eventually these overwhelming figures bring an end to the humans.
The production was generously supported by Create NSW and Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council.
like to be involved in future productions?
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