Romance, action, strange men in rabbit masks, Super Night Shot has it all. Proving all the world’s a stage, renegade theatre making collective Gob Squad sync their watches, pick up their video cameras and take to the streets of Northbridge exactly one hour before start time to make your show.

Declaring a ‘war on anonymity’ this crack team capture chance encounters, bewilderment, impromptu comedy and declarations of love in an urgent and surprising theatrical snapshot of urban nightlife which will blow you away.

Live-mixed multi-screen film and a DJ soundtrack make Perth the location of a new blockbuster made nightly.

Membership is only $25 for the year, and tickets to see the show is $25. If you’re not a member yet, click here. To book yourself a place, email adam@waytco.com with the subject heading ‘Super Night Shot’ or comment below and we’ll explain how to join the group outing. On the night, we will announce the winner and refund the ticket price.

Fringe World are looking for an enthusiastic team of volunteers to join us for the FRINGE WORLD Festival 2012.

If you have an interest in building your skills in production, administration, front of house & box office, event management or you just want to get amongst it, they’d love to hear from you.

Volunteers have a unique opportunity to work behind the scenes and gain hands-on experience, working closely with the FRINGE WORLD team in all aspects of running of the festival.

If you have some available time between 25th Jan – 19th Feb, are happy to work evenings, you can express your interest by emailing volunteers@fringeworld.com.au

To find out more about what benefits are involved and areas of activity available, please contact them no later than Tuesday 17th January.

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 18,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

1. MINE by Jane Bodie directed by Renato Fabretti

Production at the Hampstead Theatre, London 2007

This gem of a play written by the current head of playwriting at NIDA was written for the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. Jane is working with Renato Fabretti (director of WAYTCo’s DNA in 2010) to bring this play to Perth in 2012. With a cast of 16 – most of the characters under the age of 20 – we’re really excited about this play. Staged at the Subiaco Arts Centre in May, we are holding auditions in February. Only WAYTCo members will be allowed to audition.

2. THEATRE CLUB

We are regularly going to the theatre as a group in 2012, with  shows at the State Theatre Centre, Blue Room Theatre and others. We negotiate the cheapest prices and in return see the best and most interesting shows. In February we’ve scored tickets to see ‘Super Night Shot’ as part of the Perth International Arts Festival at the super-cheap rate of $25 a ticket which is almost half the normal price. There are only 15 tickets available and it’s a members only offer.

3. CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

If you’re serious about acting and performance, we’re serious about letting you acquire the skills and confidence you’ll need. Being in a play is good, but nothing beats the thrill of training, breakthroughs, discipline and the honing of a seriously awesome toolkit in movement, voice, sensory and emotional portrayal, character and text analysis, improvisation and of course devising. We use professional tutors and have a variety of opportunities available for all levels and abilities throughout the year.

4. MENTORING AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMERGING THEATRE ARTISTS

If you’re a director, designer or in production for the stage in Perth, we offer opportunities for paid professional work combined with mentoring from highly experienced theatre makers, producers and production staff. With newly acquired funding from the Ian Potter Foundation, we’re increasing our capacity to help emerging theatre artists get the support they need to get started in their chosen careers.

5. WIND – devised theatre project for 2012

A 328-foot tall wind turbine burst into flames after high winds cause the blades to turn too fast.

After the amazing EARTH at the Blue Room Theatre which caused a sensation, we’re challenging YOU, cream of Western Australia’s performing arts community, to get involved with WIND. This evocative word, with all its rich meanings, responses and connotations will be explored in full and something amazing will be created and presented at the end of the year created by YOU. Get in on the ground floor and become a member to be involved and informed.

The Australian Stage 10 December 2011

Earth | WAYTCo
Written by Julia Hern
Saturday, 10 December 2011 18:17
Left – Liam Graham

One of my friends updated his facebook status after seeing this production. It said something along the lines of “Earth gave me an artistic hard on”. I thought this was an apt description given the nature of the, often sexually driven, devised play by WAYTCo.

Within the first few minutes of the show, it became evident that all 8 of the young people in the cast had well and truly passed “Acting 1.01”. To qualify for WAYTCo, they need to be under the age of 27 (with the youngest in this production probably being about 19), despite this, they’ve acquired impressive CVs and there is already a wealth of experience among their ranks.

The first section of Earth gave us a somewhat voyeuristic perspective of a group of young people with a creative mission. Dressed in matching red tracksuits, the cast started by explaining what this play would or wouldn’t be about. Acting as a heightened version of themselves, they quibbled, suggested, interacted and workshopped, saying plenty and nothing simultaneously. Random and gratuitous though some scenes were, it was exciting, funny, moving and unpredictable. I found this portion of the production to be the most interesting.

The second section, while beautifully delivered with skill and creativity, was stock standard youth theatre. Each of the 8 actors did what they said at the beginning they wouldn’t. They indulged in traditional youth issues, like sex, belonging and relationships.

For the last few months, the actors have been keeping blogs for an alter ego they were developing. From each of the blogs sprung a monologue, based on the issues of the character they had built. Strung together with a unified voice by director Jeffrey Jay Fowler, and interspersed with the ambient architecture of sound scapes and general discussion between the actors, it was easy to allow each character to draw us into their moment in time.

Where Earth really excelled was in the way that they tackled heavy issues with intense commitment one moment and then superficial farce the next. They allowed the audience to decide what their reaction would be to each approach, and the topic itself. In his Director’s notes, Jeffrey Jay Fowler states that the “theatrical scaffolding is still visible”. One of the most humorous examples of this for me was at the conclusion of the play when one actor asked us “did you like it?” This dissolved into a discussion about taboos and post-show theatre foyer etiquette.

I’m pleased to report that the last few shows of Earth are sold out because it is a piece that thrives on the energy of the viewer. The first of a trilogy, Earth sets a high standard and I will certainly be keen to attend the next two plays in the series, Wind and Fire.

THEATRE AUSTRALIA www.theatre.asn.au
Reviewer: Gordon the Optom December 7th 2011

A group of actors run onto the stage, wearing their bright red, nylon tracksuits. Then, in a wonderful example of synchronicity, they explain how they are about to perform a play about ‘the earth’. They look eagerly for the audience’s reaction, and then the facial enthusiasm is seen to fade as they realise that the punters are staring blankly back, waiting to be entertained.

      The play starts by relating the feedback they get from friends and family in relation to their being actors.

       A young actress (Siobhan Crabb) steps forward and talks about the performance that she has just finished. Her well-meaning mother (Megan Hollier) sympathetically pats her on the shoulder and says ‘At least you tried’, and then goes on to remind the poor girl how her successful friend has become ‘an accountant’. Her father (Iskandar Sharazuddin) is far more supportive, perhaps too much so!

       A friend (Thomas James Vowles) finds the whole acting scene extremely stressful and suffers a nervous breakdown.

       On his way home from a party, a young man (Cody Fern) is worried about the safety of a girl (Lauren Lloyd Williams) walking the streets in the dark, and offers her a lift in his car. This is a move he rapidly regrets. She turns out to be a vegan, tree hugging, women’s lib supporter and staunch supporter of another half dozen causes that she is determined to stand-up for, even if no one asks. Another girl (Alex Malone) at the party describes her sexual fantasy with a gorgeous man (Liam Graham), but is he gay?

The play goes on to point out the horrendous self-interest of the world’s ‘powerful’ and their incredible ability to ignore the suffering of the people, animals and vegetation of the fragile planet. Jeffrey Jay’s writing is outstanding, as he gets straight to the roots of the problems showing the hypocrisy of the general population.

Jeffery Jay is renowned for his inventiveness. A few months ago, his production that dealt with the various kinds of drinks was totally novel, and went on to win an award. Now we have another great idea. The eight performers have been gathering and probing their alter egos for months, to produce this collection of teenage outlooks. There is a great deal of humour, blended with an acerbic message. The topics and language may not be to your grandmother’s liking, but the dialogue is true to life and filled with interest. There are literally dozens of sensitive subjects discussed.

With the help of assistant director Isabella Moore, Jeffery Jay has produced a slick, fast moving 80-minute production. The pace galloped along as the team, in turn, related their own monologues.

Lighting designer, Glyn McNamara has produced a design that at first glances is quite simple, but is in fact complex. For example, whilst talking about a shopping centre, the girl walks outside and there was a subtle increase in the brightness level coupled with a colour temperature change as the indoor fluoros went and the sun took over. The production manager, Emily Stokoe, has carried through the theme of the world being born equal, by having identical props and costumes for the cast.

If any one runs an acting school, or wishes to teach actors about character study, demonstrate different moods and conquer clever timing, this is a brilliant piece to use in the training.

Another quality, innovative piece of writing, congratulation Jeffrey you have done it again.

The West Australian 5 December 2011

Strong, focused action

Theatre

Blue Room: This performance runs until December 10th at 8:30pm

Review: Robin Pascoe in The West Australian Monday December 5th 2011

Eight young people in vivid red tracksuits march onto and off-white square of carpet and sharply draw in breath as they eyeball the audience. The WA Theatre Company’s first production in an Earth, Wind and Fire trilogy announced its intentions with humour mixed with wry self-referential directness.

The opening ensemble section of the play used repetition, vocal rhythms, controlled use of face and gesture and a sense of playfulness to frame the action. It ironically dismissed the sometimes-criticised commonplaces of contemporary youth theatre (sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll), though there was still a tendency in paces to go for shock value (possible grandparent alert).

Megan Hollier and ensemble in EARTH

With the tracksuits shucked off in favour of street clothes, the action moved to eight sensitive character-driven monologues – some of which need editing but each with power and a sense of character journey. In future explorations in the trilogy it would be interesting to see the development of duologues, more often the basis for drama.
In an ensemble it is difficult to single out performers who shared the space so well. Alex Malone handled challenging material sensitively. Iskandar Sharazuddin had engaging comic presence. Thomas Vowels managed transitions between calm and anger perceptively.

The tight ensemble of performers gave strong focused performances under the direction of Jeffrey Jay Fowler. It is good to see WAYTCo nurturing a young emerging director and writer who has capably brought to the stage the best from the young cast.

The play posed interesting questions: what is the subject matter for devised youth theatre made by seemingly middle class white kids in Perth? What are the things that matter to this group of young people and beyond them to others like them? It is tightly scripted and constructed and rewards the audience by paying off jokes set up in the opening section.
Overall this was satisfying, intimate and interesting theatre with maturity and bite.

ARTSHUB 6 December 2011

Earth

By Nerida Dickinson ArtsHub | Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Earth, Thomas Vowles

Earth is a Western Australian Youth Theatre Company production, featuring the talents of company members, both performing and in technical work, all under the age of 27. It is the first performance of the Earth, Wind and Fire trilogy, which will be created and performed over the next three years.

Any further details of the show will be spoilers, so if you like to approach works in the spirit intended, please avoid this and any other coverage of the production beforehand.

Commencing with a self-consciously static tableau, standing in a straight row and wearing matching shapeless red tracksuits and grins that were held a little too long, the cast of eight gave us our first taste of the embrace of awkwardness that featured through the work. The cast “workshopped” the concept of a play about Earth, after filling us in on the background of the theatre company, introducing the work of the director and then gradually distracting themselves with wilder and more far-fetched ideas.

The group then explore further some physical and conceptual theatre, returning to the ‘Earth’ concept each time they realise how far their imaginings have taken them off track.

The next part of the performance saw the uniforms removed, and performers outfitted for their monologues. Each of these saw the portrayal of part of the life of various personae as developed through blogs kept by the performers/devisers. As well as allowing individual actors to demonstrate their dramatic range, these pieces saw further tight ensemble work as the rest of the cast came into play as chorus or scenery as needed.

Within the monologues, cast members made the most of celebrating their lives and the lives of their personae, leaving a succession of descriptions of life in Perth at the present time. A few wordy sections revealed the pieces’ blogging genesis, but in the main they were presented with an exuberant good humour. An inspired piece of technical work had all cast members sitting in the dark, with their faces lit up by their smart phones, setting the scene for the next monologue.

Earthwas a constantly changing, but very appealing production. The cast bravely embraced the “youth” element of WAYTCO and made it a feature of the performance, self-parodying contemporary stereotypes of youth and youth theatre. The depth of talent and commitment of the cast to a well-developed script made this element a strength of the show rather than coming off as a jejune gimmick.

In the end, after many Gen Y-style digressions, we may have seen a play about “Earth”, but we have definitely been entertained and reassured that the future of the performing arts in the West is in capable hands.

Rating: 4 stars

WA Youth Theatre Company presents
Earth
Writer/Director: Jeffrey Jay Fowler
Assistant Director: Isabella Moore
Stage Manager and Production Manager: Emily Stokoe
Lighting Designer: Glyn McNamara
Performers/Devisers: Siobhan Crabb, Cody Fern, Liam Graham, Megan Hollier, Alex Malone, Iskandar R. Sharazuddin, Thomas James Vowles, Lauren Lloyd Williams

Here are some of the quotes from people on Facebook -

From Zoe Hollyoak
“EARTH by Jeffrey Jay Fowler. A magnificent piece of theatre – so clever, witty, thought-provoking and beautifully written. Make time to go and see this show!”

rom Scott Corbett
“In the words of Thomas James Vowles, EARTH by Jeffrey Jay Fowler can only be described as “WOW”! It is an amazingly funny, witty, intellegent and challenging piece of theatre driven by 8 of the most talented actors around! Dont miss out!”

From Ky Foote:
“EARTH. A play. A Play about Earth. I could tell you about EARTH, describe the events in order, the playful honesty and desperate search for meaning that is EARTH. However this a journey you must experience for yourself. The brilliant ensemble cast take the Earth and attempt to create meaning, resulting in a both bizarre and wonderful splatter painting of ideas and a chillingly truthful exploration of our internal thoughts. Find out what Earth is through the vision of Jeffrey Jay Fowler”

“I really enjoyed the show. I laughed my socks off. Really clever and great fun.”

“Hey Earth Team. I have been hearing nothing but great things. People are soundly impressed by your performances, and are thinking, I mean THINKING, thanks to the content.”

You can listen to the RTR FM interview with Jeffrey Jay Fowler and Megan Hollier here

Liam Graham, Lauren Lloyd Williams and Cody Fern in EARTH

Tickets $25 / $15 concessions

As we have our VIP opening night tonight after three intense and EARTH shattering previews, it’s time to give you a little taste of our latest production with some pics, quotes and press.

Cody Fern in EARTH

Artistic Director Phil Thomson writes:

We believe we have a duty to encourage young people to make their own plays that give voice to their aspirations and fears. Theatre is a great communicator of ideas and emotional responses to the world. We believe that by empowering our members to use this medium we give the community an insight into the concerns of West Australian Youth.

Thomas James Vowels in EARTH

Director Jeffrey Jay Fowler writes:

This has been a very challenging, fulfilling and fun opportunity for me. It’s been a thrill to work with a new ensemble of theatre makers. Every single one of them is a unique joy.

Siobhan Crabb in EARTH

Finally, todays X-Press magazine has run a feature on the show.

WAYTCo is proud to be sponsored by Act-Belong-Commit

With only $1700 left to raise we’re trying our hardest to get those messages out there and get pledges in

EARTH starts previewing at the Blue Room Theatre tomorrow night and opens next week

We’re keen for people to help raise funds and awareness. There are many rewards or the donation is tax deductible.

The show runs Wednesday November 30 to Saturday December 10, 8.30pm Tuesday to Saturday at The Blue Room Theatre, Northbridge.

To enter the draw, visit our Pozible crowdfunding page and pledge a dollar. Or five dollars and you’ll also pick up a poster signed by the director and cast. Share your donation using any of the promote tools on the site and BOOM! You’re in the draw!

The draw will take place on Wednesday November 16 and the lucky winner will be announced on Thursday November 17.

Of course if you can’t wait for the draw and want to book tickets now, click here or call 9227 7005

CALL OUT FOR VOLUNTEER FRONT-OF-HOUSE USHERS FOR EARTH AT THE BLUE ROOM
We need people to help with the ushering duties at the Blue Room during the run. You get a seat to see the show and it’s just to help people to their seats and out of their seats if there’s an issue (perhaps someone is feeling ill etc). You’ll get training, and the Blue Room will have someone else take on most of the responsibility, and you’ll be helping us out! All volunteers will get a complimentary WAYTCo t-shirt to keep as well. The dates are Nov 25 & 26, Nov 29 & 30, Dec 1,2,3,6,7,8,9 email adam@waytco.com or phone 92262144 to get involved.

THEATRELAB
Don’t forget that Wednesdays 6-9pm is TheatreLab – street performance with Phil Thomson. Come to King St, be brave and bring performing out of the theatre and onto the street. Free for members.

CROWDFUNDING – ever wanted to be a producer?
http://earth.pozible.com is where you go to pledge a donation to help stage the EARTH project. From as little as $5 you can get rewards of posters, tickets, t-shirts and VIP passes. Check it out and pester people to give generously. We have 24 days to raise $2000 – let’s get on it!

UNDER OFFER – a new play by cutting room floor
Five performers have developed a performance about living together which is surreal, witty, clever and full of energy and passion. Several WAYTCo members are involved. Tickets are only $10
Y CULTURE REGIONAL
The YCulture Regional grant of $5000 for young people in regional areas under 26 still has a substantial pool of money available for this year. If you know young people in regional areas who are keen on an arts project and need money, encourage them to apply.
http://www.countryartswa.asn.au/cms/cawa/pages/communities/funding/fund_yculture.html
A Healthway youth arts fund designed to promote the Drug Aware message, these grants of up to $5,000 is available to support young people make their own youth arts and culture projects happen. The focus is on youth skills development and can include music workshops, script writing and production, skills development in graffiti art, writing and illustration, dance residencies, new media and theatre.
Invitation
Artist Talks: Young People and the Arts International Scholarship
Are you looking to pursue overseas study? If you answered ‘yes’, and you’re aged 29 years or under, the Young People and the Arts International Scholarship could be for you! Join us for this inspiring and informative session about DCA’s annual $30,000 Young People and the Arts International Scholarship and learn about other funding available to young emerging artists. Wednesday 30 November 2011, 6pm – 7pm Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA), Perth Cultural Centre – RSVP by Friday 25 November via email youngpeople@dca.wa.gov.au or phone (08) 9224 7300