May 223 min read
POV combines live theatre, with live cinema, “directed” by a young performer
re:group performance collective collaborate with two young performers and thirty six unrehearsed actors in their latest theatre work, POV
Each night of the latest docudrama experimentfrom re:group performance collective, two new unrehearsed adult actors join a young performer onstage. Through her direction,they are led through reenacted scenes, negotiating difficult questions aboutfamily, agency, mental health and how we speak to children. POV premieres at Belvoir St Theatre as part of 25A, running 28 May – 16 June 2024.
A kid with a camera. Two adults. No rehearsal.
Bub is 11-years old and obsessed with documentary filmmaking. In the aftermath of her family breakdown, Bub turns to dramatised re-enactments to get to the truth. POV is a new theatre work that builds on re:group’s interest in the intersections of cinema and theatre, this time turning our attention to documentary filmmaking.
For the first time, re:group are collaborating with young performers to create the show. Two child actors, Edith Whitehead and Mabelle Rose, will alternate the role of Bub in the work, the central figure and director of the ‘documentary’. The unique aspect of the show is that Bub has different co-stars for parents every night.
This rotating cast of performers, who know almost nothing about what to expect, are fed lines from the child on stage, planted scripts, hidden screens and via in-ear prompting.
“For us, the real, live negotiation between two adults and a child constitutesthe ‘documentary’ in the work – even though the scenesthey are re-enacting are mostly fictional,” says director and co-creator, Solomon Thomas.
The star-studded line-up of guest actors includes Yael Stone, Ewen Leslie, Zindzi Okenyo, Eden Falk, Gareth Davies, Vaishnavi Suryaprakash, and Benedict Hardie; each night a new interpretation of parenthood laid bare.
On a personal level, the work reflects lived experiences of the complexities of family life, childhood and mental health within the creative team.
“The question of how we talk to our kids about mental health isreal, and affects our everyday lives…” explains writer and co-creator, Mark Rogers, “We hope the meta-theatricalstaging of the show belies a simple and emotionally resonant idea: talking about mental health with children is essential, even (and perhaps especially) when it is difficult to do so.”
POV is the fifth work that captures the company’s interest in inhabiting and remaking popular cinematic forms for a theatre context. Following Sci-Fi (UFO, ROUTE DASH NINER), Nostalgic Indie Movie (COIL), and Oscar baiting performance (LOVELY), this show centres the least fashionable and most maligned aspect of documentary filmmaking – the dramatic re-enactment.
Book tickets to POV using the link below:
https://belvoir.com.au/productions/pov/
ABOUT RE:GROUP
re:group performance collective is Mark Rogers, Solomon Thomas, Malcolm Whittaker, Steve Wilson-Alexander and Carly Young. Inspired by the highs and lows of pop culture, we mash theatre and movie-making together to create “live cinema”. Our aim is to turn the typically comfortable and passive movie-going experience into something immersive, irreverent, sweaty, and live.
ABOUT 25A
25A, housed in Belvoir’s intimate downstairs theatre, is an exciting program of low-cost, independent theatre making and emerging theatrical talent. The 25A challenge is to produce the most essential theatre while celebrating acting, story and community. The shows in 25A have been made by independent and emerging artists. They have been produced and marketed by the theatre makers themselves. They get 100% of the box office and the theatre for free. Their task is to make a show for less than $2500.
POV BY RE:GROUP PERFORMANCE COLLECTIVE
Direction/Video Design: Solomon Thomas
Text: Mark Rogers
Creative Team: Mark Rogers, Solomon Thomas, Malcolm Whittaker, Steve Wilson-Alexander, Carly Young
Composer: Ashley Bundang
Stage Manager/Operator: Cris Chavez
Production Assistant: Daniel Evans
Performers: Edith Whitehead / Mabelle Rose
Guest Performers: Violette Ayad, Danny Ball, Nicholas Brown, Tom Conroy, Michael Cullen, Gareth Davies, Chloé Déchery, Eden Falk, Eamon Flack, Charlie Garber, Janie Gibson, Harriet Gillies, Benedict Hardie, Lucy Heffernan, Nikki Heywood, Michael Ho, Shelly Lauman, Ewen Leslie, Rose Maher, Rebecca Massey, Harry McGee, Katia Molino, Zindzi Okenyo, Tony Osborne, Ella Prince, Duncan Ragg, Julia Robertson, Grace Rouvray, Charlotte Salusinszky, Jack Scott, Yael Stone, Vaishnavi Suryaprakash, Simon Vaughan, Tim Walker, Jane Watt.
Dates: Previews 28 – 30 May 2024 Season 31 May – 16 June 2024
