INCONSOLABLE plus 4
PROGRAM NOTE
Roulette, written here in Melbourne in the early 90s, depicts a society in flux. Our particular collection of five plays present characters that are struggling to find their place in a rapidly changing socio-political climate. Against a backdrop of modernity, gentrification and callous anonymity, the characters are searching for meaning and connection in a society that offers them little hope for a connected future. 90s Melbourne underwent significant cultural and social changes, and while our production continues to reflect the zeitgeist of that era it has been transposed to a more timeless, recent setting, while still exploring the same themes of
isolation, desperation, and the search for identity.
This production simultaneously embraces and opposes the concept of ‘hyper-realism’, presenting the audience with a bleak and unflinching portrait of the characters' lives, while also abstracting their place in it through striking design choices. The plays are highly deterministic, deep diving into the idea that the characters are trapped in a cycle of destructive (and self-destructive) behaviour from which they cannot escape. The structure of our collection, with repeated gestures, haunting crossovers and subtle allusions to previous plays, reinforces this sense of determinism, suggesting that the characters' fates are preordained and destined to repeat day after day, forever.
Two central values have emerged in rehearsals: escape and power. The characters in the play are all searching for a way out of their bleak circumstances, asserting their power over each other, seeking dominance in a world that seems determined to crush them. Through our staging and design choices, we have attempted to amplify these values, creating a world that is both suffocating and exhilarating, expansive and stifling, where the characters are in a brutal cage match and endless fight for survival. Our hope is that this production will not only capture the bleakness and desperation of the world of the play but highlight its underlying humanity and optimism.
- Program note from the Dramaturg, Tim Overton
CAST
Inconsolable
Tom*
Zachariah Blampied/Harry McGee
Kat
Niamh Corcoran
Fortune
Terri
Gabrielle Ng
Billie
Sarah Iman
Hotel
Tara
Roxy Henry
Jane
Louisa Cusumano
Break-in
Cam
Jay Gold
Julie
Raven Rogers-Wright
Night
Natasha
Anna Rasheed
Rachel
Rebecca Vincent
* Please note the role of Tom was rehearsed by Zachariah Blampied, with Harry McGee appearing in all performances.
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director
Georgina Naidu
Dramaturg
Tim Overton
Voice Coach
Matt Furlani
Intimacy Coordinator
Isabella Vadiveloo
Movement Director
Colin Sneesby
Set Designer
Ishan Vivekanantham^
Costume Designer
Atulya Pulikkottil^
Lighting Designer
Amber Swank *
Sound Designer
Mq Iser-Smith
Technical Manager
Harrison Croft*
Stage Manager
Jessica Smart*
Assistant Stage Manager
Stephanie McNally
Workshop Head of Department (Props)
Sara Bayley*
Workshop Head of Department (Scenic)
Ranko Hong*
Workshop Head of Department (Staging)
Bradley Hora*
Workshop Assistants
Nigel Chua
Dee Lee
Nellie Summerfield
Lokan Woerz
Senior Costumier
Kiara Brown*
Taishah Simcox*
Costume Manager
Tait Adams*
Costume Assistant/s
Sarah Browne
^Second year Master of Production Design (Stage) student
*Third year Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) student
PROFESSIONAL STAFF
Production Coordinator
David Harrod
Stagecraft Project Coordinator
Alan Logan
Workshop Art Director
Morgan Jones
Workshop Technicians
Jeremy Ford
Yvette James
Jah Maskell
Kari McInnerny-Rae
Mungo McKenzie
Sasha Vulling
Costume Supervisor
Rose McCormick
Costumiers
Jenni Langford
Eleanor Hutchison
Lighting Technician
Robert Brown
ACADEMIC STAFF
Production Academic Mentors
Brittany Coombs, Bronwyn Pringle, Sophie Woodward
VCA Design and Production Academic Staff
Jo Briscoe, Emily Collett, Anna Cordingley, Martyn Coutts, Jo Evans, Dale Ferguson, John Ford, Amanda Hitten, Lisa Mibus, Lisa Osborn, Richard Roberts, Leon Salom, Matt Scott, Christina Smith
VCA Theatre Undergraduate Academic Staff
Dr Chris Mead, Dr Sarah Austin, Georgina Naidu, Nazaree Dickerson, Keith Brockett, Alice Qin, Amy Hume, Colin Sneesby, Steph Kehoe, Isabella Vadiveloo, Jonathan Graffam.