Artists and Projects Announced for Antipodes’ 2021 Winter Lab

Antipodes Theatre Company is excited to announce the lead artists who will be participating in their second annual Winter Lab for bold work and new ideas, taking place 16-27 June, 2021. A total of nine projects were selected, ranging from physical theatre and devised work to comedy and musicals. In addition to in-person development sessions for each project, participants will take part in a variety of online workshops, panel discussions, and presentations focused on mental wellbeing and assessing the current state of the arts industry.

From Artistic Director Brandon Pape:

I am so thrilled with the breadth of experiences, genres, and stories that are represented in this year’s Winter Lab. This incubator for new work is our opportunity to not only accelerate projects in development, but to assemble a vibrant community where artists can connect, collaborate and expand their own potential in a creative and supportive environment.

This unique development initiative pairs lead artists from across Australia with a variety of collaborators (actors, dramaturges, directors, musicians, singers, designers, choreographers, photographers, and more) based on the needs of the project in its current stage of development. The other main objective of the Winter Lab is to create a space where artists can network and get to know each other outside of their individual projects through group activities and open rehearsals.

Artists who were chosen to develop projects as part of the Winter Lab include: Michele Gould (She/Her), William Hinz (They/Them), Sam Hooper (He/Him), Vidya Makan (She/Her), Phoebe Panaretos (She/Her), Alex Gibson-Giorgio (He/Him), Reuben James (He/Him), Alison Murphy (She/Her), R. Johns (She/Her), Jacinda Patty (She/Her), Ebony Rattle (They/Them), Casey Rice (They/Them), Sarah-Jayde Tracey (She/Her), Mary Angley (She/They), Jamila Main (They/Them), and Francesca Waters (She/Her). Additional collaborators and panellists will be announced at a later date.

Antipodes Theatre Company seeks to provide a collaborative and inclusive environment for producing independent theatre in Melbourne by maintaining or exceeding a minimum of 50% representation – on stage and off – by women, ethnically diverse artists, people with disability, trans and non-binary people, seniors, or other members of historically or culturally marginalised communities who are not well represented on stage.

For more information, visit antipodestheatre.com/2021winterlab


ANTIPODES THEATRE COMPANY’S 2021 WINTER LAB

107 by Michele Gould
A musical comedy about teenage girls in Australia and how awkward, infuriating, alienating and hilariously bad highschool can be. Michele Gould is a performing artist, writer and activist who trained in Musical Theatre at WAAPA and Principal Academy of Dance. Her debut musical Passing premiered at Fringe World 2021.

Residue by William Hinz
Three queer teenagers in a rural Australian town must cope with the claustrophobia of their community and an education system that has failed them. William Hinz is an Australian playwright, lyricist and performer whose play Guerilla Sabbath recently played a sold-out run at La Mama Theatre as part of Midsumma Festival 2021.

Regrowth by Sam Hooper, with Music by Vidya Makan
Co-Developed by Phoebe Panaretos and Alex Gibson-Giorgio
A musical that follows Thea, who recently began to lose her hair from alopecia after her mother passed away, and her ensuing journey with her father, her support group, her love interest, and the loss of femininity in her life. This is the first collaboration for Sam Hooper (Mamma Mia), Vidya Makan (SIX the Musical), Phoebe Panaretos (Strictly Ballroom) and Alex Gibson-Giorgio (Aladdin).

Wilt by Reuben James
Dance, circus, spoken word and live music will mingle on stage in this exploration of physical and auditory communication and its influence on our senses of comfort and seclusion as a society. Reuben James is a multi- disciplinary artist and founder of Variation Three, whose debut work Bent was part of Midsumma Festival 2021.

Astitva/Identity by Alison Murphy and R. Johns
This new work follows Alison’s epic and transformative journey culturally, geographically and mentally as she physically transitions amid landscapes of harassment, discrimination, sexism, colonial and postcolonial tropes. Alison Murphy was born in Pakistan and migrated to Australia, recently completing a diploma in Makeup and Media. R. Johns is a published playwright and current Vice-President of Women Playwrights International.

Tinder Cindy by Jacinda Patty
Through storytelling, dance and rollerskating, Cindy struggles with dating while living with her grandmother after returning from a two-year adventure with her “safety banana” (yes, the banana speaks). Jacinda Patty is a dancer and circus artist whose one-woman show Safety Banana was part of MICF 2021.

A Place For Dogs by Ebony Rattle, with Compositions by Casey Rice
Created in response to the collective trauma felt throughout the trans/gender diverse community in 2020, this devised work will blend contemporary writing and experimental composition to create an unapologetic exploration into what it means to be transgender in the contemporary landscape. Ebony Rattle is a sound/vision technician, designer and writer/director who recently presented Ring, Ring! at TheatreWorks. Casey Rice is an audio engineer/producer with thirty years experience in music and technology-based interactive art installation.

Are You Better Yet? by Sarah-Jayde Tracey with Jamila Main, Directed by Mary Angley
Two disabled and chronically ill actors explore themes of disability, medical gaslighting, unsolicited advice and navigating relationships, knowing they will never get better. Sarah-Jayde Tracey and Mary Angley collaborated on Paper Mouth Theatre’s Hedda GablerGablerGabler, slated for production at La Mama Theatre in 2021. Jamila Main is an actor, playwright, queer disability activist and Co-Chair of the Equity Diversity Committee.

You Can’t Get There From Here by Francesca Waters
A personal account of a ridiculously varied life that explores how we are connected by language, culture and music in order to question perceptions of “Us and Them” that are dividing our world. Francesca Waters is an actor who has traveled to over fifty countries and is passionate about theatre being a platform for social change.

Gabi Bergman

Gabi Bergman is a Melbourne-based performer and educator, and is the current Deputy Editor-in-Chief of AussieTheatre.com. She holds a Double Arts degree in Theatre Studies and Film/Screen Studies and a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education). Gabi has always been an avid lover of theatre, specifically musicals, and spends way too much money than she’d like to admit on tickets. Her most prized possession is her crate of theatre programs.

Gabi Bergman

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