Tender Napalm: Australian Premiere in Perth

The Australian Premiere of British playwright Philip Ridley’s new work Tender Napalm will open at the State Theatre Centre of WA next week. 

 The Australian Premiere of British playwright Philip Ridley’s new work Tender Napalm will open at the State Theatre Centre of WA next week.   Described by the show’s young star, Josh Brennan as “a love story in an age of terror”, Tender Napalm is an astonishing, impolite and deeply felt work presented by the Perth Theatre Company.  “It’s about a couple, and it jumps between fantasy and reality.Two people trying to cope with pain and loss and grief, and the coping mechanisms they use to get by”, said Brennan.  A current 3rd year acting student at the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Brennan considers the chance to perform with co-star Anna Houston (a favourite of the Bell Shakespeare Company, and other professional companies such as B Sharp and New Theatricals) an incredible opportunity.  “It’s extremely lucky to be a part of something before I graduate [from uni]. This is my first professional acting gig, and WAAPA have given me permission to do the show”, he said.  The play is directed by Perth Theatre Company Artistic Director, Melissa Cantwell, who saw Brennan performing in a WAAPA production of Reuben Guthrie and extended an invitation for him to audition for Tender Napalm. She emphasises that the Ridley’s play is both confronting and unique: “Philip Ridley is a writer who studied visual art and his background is evident in the remarkable images he paints with words. His skill with language is nothing short of breathtaking. He is multi awarded, confronting, enlightening and unique. His writing may not be for the fainthearted, but it is rich, dynamic, swirling, painful and joyous.” explains Cantwell.   The two-handed acting piece, also incorporates elements of physical theatre, skilfully designed by and choreographed by another WA born artist, Russell Leonard.  “It is an acting piece, but the set is quite minimal and because there are a lot of fanciful elements to [the play], we need to create different realities. [Choreographer] Russell comes from a dance and circus background, and he has incorporated a lot of that into the fight sequences between me and Anna, which is great”, Brennan explains.  Despite plans to move ‘Over East’ once he graduates from WAAPA, Brennan is thrilled with the state of the theatrical industry in WA.  “We have some really great venues here in Perth now, and there is a lot going on in Fremantle and here in Perth”, he said. “I think Perth Theatre Company have a lot of different content to some of the companies, and they are trying to produce different things, which is really nice.”
After 4 weeks of rehearsals and one technical rehearsal week, the show is gearing up to Opening Night next Tuesday, 19 August at the Studio Underground (State Theatre Centre of WA) and plays until 10 September 2011 Bookings: