aniram
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Post by aniram on Feb 20, 2008 15:57:04 GMT 10
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Post by nyandra on Feb 20, 2008 16:08:23 GMT 10
Woodley wasn't the only crazy physical performer behind his new solo show, writes Jo Roberts.
COMEDIAN Frank Woodley knew he had the right director for his new solo show when, on the first day that a set of prop stairs arrived, Kate Denborough suggested how Woodley could fall down them — by throwing herself down them first.
"There's not too many directors who would say 'maybe you could fall down them like this'," says Woodley, mimicking a tumbling body, " 'or like this!' She was falling down the stairs and I'm the one who's meant to be the crazy physical performer. I'm going 'you're gonna hurt yourself!' "
Denborough is directing Woodley in Possessed, the Melbourne comic's second solo show, which is premiering this week at the Adelaide Fringe Festival ahead of a season as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Possessed is a love story about a lonely introvert called Louie, who poignantly dreams of adventure as he builds model ships in his basement, until one day when he is visited by a mischievous ghost named Phoebe, who possesses him in an attempt to escape her spiritual limbo.
Woodley last appeared at the Comedy Festival in 2006 as half of Lano and Woodley, the hugely successful comedic partnership he shared with Colin Lane for 20 years. The pair performed their final show, Good Bye, in November that year, after a career of accolades including the golden chalice of comedy, the Perrier Award, at the 1994 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Woodley has done just one solo show, 2003's The Happy Dickwit, a well-received stand-up show about "a whole lot of unrelated ideas", says Woodley. But for the more ambitious Possessed, he decided some outside help was needed. He had seen Denborough's work with her physical theatre company, Kage — including 2003's visually arresting Nowhere Man and 2006's gripping Headlock — so sent her an email asking if she would work with him. To his surprise, she declined.
"She turned me down! And I thought it was because she was too busy, but it turned out it was because I'd asked her to direct the show for an intensive three-week period and she doesn't like to work like that," Woodley says. "She likes to spend more time."
Denborough knew if she took on Possessed, it had to be on her terms and said as much when Woodley and his team approached her again. "I was quite blunt about how I would like the process to go and part of that process was meeting regularly beforehand so we had enough time, because it's a really ambitious work. I thought I'd try to make it as difficult as possible and see if they still wanted me, and they did," she laughs. The pair began working on the piece last July and in December gave it six showings as a work in progress at St Martin's Theatre in South Yarra, which saw the show's length and pace wrangled from a breakneck, exhausting two hours to a little over an hour.
"I didn't realise how much time I would spend on stage with Col doing Lano and Woodley just standing there listening to him, not doing anything," Woodley says. "But over the course of six shows we worked out how to pace it a bit better."
Music is provided by multi-ARIA award-winning musician-producer Paul Mac (Itch-e and Scratch-e, Disassociatives, Silverchair), with effects from Jethro Woodward. Woodley met Mac on the first series of the TV show Good News Week when Mac was its music director.
Woodley wanted a score that would support his comedy in the way music buoyed the physical comedy of artists such as Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, but in a contemporary way — "the last thing I wanted was a clinky piano". Mac's music, says Woodley, surpassed what he had hoped for.
"And the other good thing is, he was touring with Silverchair while he was creating the music, so I think that gives us a bit of rock'n'roll cred as well."
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Post by nyandra on Feb 20, 2008 16:09:22 GMT 10
But my best advice is that when you get the Fringe Guide, buy your tickets fast because if you’ve got a vibe about something, chances are others have too. The big names always sell fast, so get in quick.”
A man possessed
Comedian Frank Woodley, formerly of Lano and Woodley, is appearing at the Adelaide Fringe in his solo show, Possessed.
What can we expect from your show at the Adelaide Fringe? The show is a romantic comedy about a man who falls in love with a ghost, who possesses him. It’s a very physical show, lots of stunts and visual antics. I’m rehearsing it at the moment, and nursing a crick in my neck from falling down stairs – that stunt won’t be repeated every night! Kate Denborough is directing. I’d seen her beautiful and awe-inspiring theatrical shows with Kage Physical Theatre – and I’m really happy with the way we’re working together on Possessed.
I hear electronic music guru Paul Mac is doing the music? Yes, and as we rehearse, I’m finding his music is lifting the gags to a whole new level of emotional intensity.
When did you and Lano ‘split up’ and why? We’d been together for 20 years – imagine being stuck in a car with your best friend for 20 years, then sitting down in a room together and trying to write comedy. Seriously though, we loved doing Lano and Woodley so much, we didn’t want it to become stale, so we thought we’d go out on a high note. And our last year together was probably our best. We did our last show in November 2006.
What do you like about the Adelaide Fringe? We’ve been going to the Fringe for years – we’ve done 11 shows there. I think that’s more than anyone, except for maybe Greg Fleet. Adelaide turns into a party town, and the atmosphere is great – everyone’s out and about. The thing that makes it special is that anyone with a crazy idea and some self-belief can perform, so you get these inspired, experimental shows. Plus we always seem to get a great turn-out in Adelaide.
For tickets call 1300 FRINGE (374 643) within Australia.
Oh and there's a great picture in the first link, guys!
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