I love the information that all of you feed me...
The latest bit of news to come off the rumour-mill is that Sarah Blasko is to compose for next year's Bell Shakespeare production of Hamlet.
Directed by Marion Potts and starring Brendan Cowell (who is still finding the mountain of the Hamlet character hard to climb), her involvement is a great salute from the performing arts industry.
The ARIA winning artist recently told The Daily Telegraph that there was a lack of respect for female song-writers.
"I don't think female writers are acknowledged in the same kind of way," she said."I think often they are lumped together. It's looked upon as a genre - female singer/songwriter."
Apparently Potts is creating a much more raw version of the production, moving in the direction of a more bareboards production style and away from the glitz and glamour of the typical Bell Shakespeare high-production-value-sets-are-better-than-art house style.
Blasko's involvement could be extremely interesting. Take the lyrics from one of her songs, Remorse, which could be an ode to the fair Ophelia;
There is a wailing girl at your feet
Tears overflowing, burnt like the rest
Don't waste your time, she's a weapon tonight
With no direction, bound to start a fight
Her love is only wasted on remorse
True or two-timing faker
Her only choice
There's a relation, but they are not the same
She is fire, him embers - one cannot put the other out
New, worn or discarded are we all not the same?
Funny how it happened now there's nowhere to put the blame
Their love is only wasted on remorse
True for two diamond fakers
Their only choice
Their love is only wasted on remorse
True for two diamond fakers
Their only choice
Speeches to learn
Secrets to burn
Fate is a debt
Silence is overspent
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
Bell and Blasko
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5 comments:
It doesn't surprise me that Marion Potts would think laterally like this. She is one of the most intelligent, well-read and sophisticated people working in theatre today. Her youth and energy and more European sensibility will give Bell a real boost. It was a very wise decision on John Bell's part to embrace her.
I don't doubt Potts' potential at all... but I must admit I am yet to be convinced.
I thoroughly enjoyed Blair's portrayal of Othello this year, but the overall production was underwhelming... maybe even a bit tacky.
Here's to a more simplistic theatre practice - the hardest of them all.
What happened to the Kookaburra blog? I was going to add that as someone who flew from Adelaide to Sydney for what was a cancelled production of Pippin and then booked flights to see Floyd Collins I doubt very much whether I can support the company again.
Good question anonymous. I very much hope our Mr. Pickard didn't bow to pressure and banish it simply because a few hard truths got spoken. Explain yourself, sir!
Yeah Nick, what happened after the official spin was posted? I had to go back to work and missed any responses to the 'we're great' post from Kookaburra that sought to dismiss us mere 'subjectives'. Did it get nasty after that? If so, you did say that you wanted to encourage argy bargy...
On the topic at hand however, I look forward to future Bell productions from Potts despite being underwhelmed by Othello. And why did everyone like Marcus Graham in that so much? Overacting in the extreme in my humble opinion. I wanted to nail his feet to the stage and make him stop wriggling and prancing about so much. maybe I'm a bad audience member, but he keep making me laugh with how out of place his performance style was...
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