Theatre in Decay
Encyclopedia
Theatre in Decay is an independent theatre company operating in Melbourne
, Australia
. It was founded in 2000 by artistic director
Robert Reid
and producer
Anniene Stockton.Theatre in Decay is a multi award winning independent theatre company, which has produced 28 unfunded original shows in various locations, in venues such as The Arts Centre
, The Store Room, La Mama
and Theatreworks, as well as pubs, subways, hotel bedrooms, city rooftops, alleys and inside cars parked on the street.
10 minute play festival.
Frustrated with the amount and quality of new Australian theatre being produced at the time, Stockton and Reid formed theatre in decay as a direct response to what they saw as an industry wide malaise. In their original 2000 manifesto, entitled "This isn’t Art, it’s War", they declared “We believe that theatre has nothing to do with money. That live performance is much more than just pretty costumes and impressive sets. Theatre can happen anywhere, all it needs is an audience.”
Together they developed a style of working specifically tailored to the chaotic environment of pub band stages and urban environments. Reid was quoted in an interview for stageleft being denied access to the stages of the world turned "entire cities into our stage.”
Stylistically its focus is on audience relationship and engagement. Drawing variously on performative techniques of direct address, puppetry, bouffant
clowning combined with poor theatre and Brechtian staging techniques, and site specific works they have developed a unique and distinctive style.
Theatre in decay was an early and widely recognised company amongst the independent theatre community in Melbourne contemporary with companies such as Stuck Pigs Squealing, Theatre@Risk, and Red Stitch Actors Theatre.
, Barry Dickins
, Mellissa Reeves and Ben Ellis
.
Significant shows for theatre in decay included:
Sad Bird Boy and the Scalpel Fingered Girl
Staged an entry to the 2005 Melbourne Short and Sweet ten minute play festival held at The Victorian Arts Centre, Sad Bird Boy and the Scalpel Fingered Girl is a dark fantasy of conformity and escapism. It received both the Best Production by an Independent Theatre Company and The Best Overall Performance awards. It was written by Reid and directed by Jason Lehane.
Empire
Presented at the 2004 Melbourne Fringe Festival and again at the 2006 Adelaide Fringe Festival. Empire is staged in a car parked on the street with two actors in the front seat and a maximum of three audience in the back seat. It deals with issues of terrorism, racism and notions of "mateship". Five different cars were used simultaneously in 2004, directed by Ian Pidd, David Myles, Nic Velissaris, Wayne Chappel and Xan Coleman and four in 2006 directed by Bec Russel, Clare Watson, Robert Reid and Xan Coleman.
Sweet Staccato Rising
Presented at The Storeroom in 2004 as part of their first instorage season, Sweet Staccato Rising explores issues of adolescent confusion, media politics and suburban boredom. It was written by Reid and directed by Lauren Taylor.
A Mile in Her Shadow
Originally produced at The Storeroom as part of their inaugural Storeroom Theatre Workshop series, A Mile in Her Shadow explores depression, depersonalisation and other stress related mental health issues. Written by Reid it was originally directed by Ben Harkin and has subsequently been supported by the R.E. Ross Trust Development award, and presented at the 33rd Australian National Playwright Centre’s Conference.
All of Which are American Dreams
Presented at Theatreworks in 2003, All of Which are American Dreams was a response to Australia's involvement in the 2003 invasion of and occupation of Iraq. Written in collaboration with playwrights, Stephen Sewell, Barry Dickins, Melissa Reeves, Robert Reid and Ben Ellis, the three act bouffant influenced performance explored the potential implications of Australia's military involvement using the metaphor of a travelling circus. It was Directed by Jason Lehane and Yvonne Virsik.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was founded in 2000 by artistic director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
Robert Reid
Robert Reid
Robert Reid may refer to:*Robert Reid , Scottish architect*Robert Reid , merchant and member of the Victorian Legislative Council*Robert Reid , American basketball player...
and producer
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
Anniene Stockton.Theatre in Decay is a multi award winning independent theatre company, which has produced 28 unfunded original shows in various locations, in venues such as The Arts Centre
The Arts Centre (Melbourne)
The Victorian Arts Centre is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the inner Melbourne suburb of Southbank in Victoria, Australia....
, The Store Room, La Mama
La Mama Theatre (Melbourne)
The La Mama Theatre is a theatrical venue located at 205 Faraday St, Carlton, Victoria. It opened in a former factory building on 30 July 1967 and still operates today under the direction of Liz Jones....
and Theatreworks, as well as pubs, subways, hotel bedrooms, city rooftops, alleys and inside cars parked on the street.
History
Theatre in decay had its most active period between 2000 – and 2004 during which time it produced 23 full scale productions, two cabaret style reviews, two performance installations, two art exhibitions and two ‘zines. In the years following this period theatre in decay toured two of their most acclaimed shows to Adelaide Fringe and produced a multi award winning puppet show for the Short and SweetShort and Sweet
Short+Sweet is a multi-form arts platform presenting festivals in theatre, dance, music-theatre and cabaret across Australia and Asia...
10 minute play festival.
Frustrated with the amount and quality of new Australian theatre being produced at the time, Stockton and Reid formed theatre in decay as a direct response to what they saw as an industry wide malaise. In their original 2000 manifesto, entitled "This isn’t Art, it’s War", they declared “We believe that theatre has nothing to do with money. That live performance is much more than just pretty costumes and impressive sets. Theatre can happen anywhere, all it needs is an audience.”
Together they developed a style of working specifically tailored to the chaotic environment of pub band stages and urban environments. Reid was quoted in an interview for stageleft being denied access to the stages of the world turned "entire cities into our stage.”
Stylistically its focus is on audience relationship and engagement. Drawing variously on performative techniques of direct address, puppetry, bouffant
Bouffant
A bouffant is a type of hairstyle characterized by hair piled high on the head and hanging down on the sides.-History:The bouffant was a mainstream hairstyle in the mid-to-late 18th century in western Europe. It was thought to be created for Marie Antoinette, as she had relatively thin hair and...
clowning combined with poor theatre and Brechtian staging techniques, and site specific works they have developed a unique and distinctive style.
Theatre in decay was an early and widely recognised company amongst the independent theatre community in Melbourne contemporary with companies such as Stuck Pigs Squealing, Theatre@Risk, and Red Stitch Actors Theatre.
Shows
Concepts for works by theatre in decay are developed by Reid and Stockton and generally written and directed by Reid, with notable exceptions being Another Sun, written by Adam Cass and All of Which are American Dreams, written in collaboration with Stephen SewellStephen Sewell
Stephen Sewell may refer to:*Stephen Sewell , early Canadian lawyer and politician*Stephen Sewell , Australian screen and play writer-See also:*Steve Sewell , former American football player...
, Barry Dickins
Barry Dickins
Barry Dickins is an Australian author, artist and playwright.He was born in the Melbourne suburb of Reservoir. Leaving school early he worked in a factory and then as a set-painter for television. Through his association with La Mama Theatre, his first play, Ghosts, was performed in 1974. He has...
, Mellissa Reeves and Ben Ellis
Ben Ellis (playwright)
Ben Ellis is a playwright from Gippsland in Australia, now based in London. His significant works include Post Felicity , Falling Petals , a stage adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis , and more recently Poet No. 7 and The Final Shot , both premiering in London...
.
Significant shows for theatre in decay included:
Sad Bird Boy and the Scalpel Fingered Girl
Staged an entry to the 2005 Melbourne Short and Sweet ten minute play festival held at The Victorian Arts Centre, Sad Bird Boy and the Scalpel Fingered Girl is a dark fantasy of conformity and escapism. It received both the Best Production by an Independent Theatre Company and The Best Overall Performance awards. It was written by Reid and directed by Jason Lehane.
Empire
Presented at the 2004 Melbourne Fringe Festival and again at the 2006 Adelaide Fringe Festival. Empire is staged in a car parked on the street with two actors in the front seat and a maximum of three audience in the back seat. It deals with issues of terrorism, racism and notions of "mateship". Five different cars were used simultaneously in 2004, directed by Ian Pidd, David Myles, Nic Velissaris, Wayne Chappel and Xan Coleman and four in 2006 directed by Bec Russel, Clare Watson, Robert Reid and Xan Coleman.
Sweet Staccato Rising
Presented at The Storeroom in 2004 as part of their first instorage season, Sweet Staccato Rising explores issues of adolescent confusion, media politics and suburban boredom. It was written by Reid and directed by Lauren Taylor.
A Mile in Her Shadow
Originally produced at The Storeroom as part of their inaugural Storeroom Theatre Workshop series, A Mile in Her Shadow explores depression, depersonalisation and other stress related mental health issues. Written by Reid it was originally directed by Ben Harkin and has subsequently been supported by the R.E. Ross Trust Development award, and presented at the 33rd Australian National Playwright Centre’s Conference.
All of Which are American Dreams
Presented at Theatreworks in 2003, All of Which are American Dreams was a response to Australia's involvement in the 2003 invasion of and occupation of Iraq. Written in collaboration with playwrights, Stephen Sewell, Barry Dickins, Melissa Reeves, Robert Reid and Ben Ellis, the three act bouffant influenced performance explored the potential implications of Australia's military involvement using the metaphor of a travelling circus. It was Directed by Jason Lehane and Yvonne Virsik.