Reflections on the SHAKESPEARE ON THE LAKE experience... (See what I did there? Reflections... on the lake... uh... anyway)

Woo! The site administrators have finally allowed me the power of blogging. Ahahahahah! THE FOOLS!! In point of fact I have never blogged before and I feel, more than anything, a wee bit intimidated. Are my personal thoughts worthy of noting, I find myself wondering? For some strange reason I can confidently write a review full of (sometimes brutal) honesty about a show I've just seen, yet the thought of sharing something of MYSELF is almost petrifying. Could this contradiction be the same as the actor's dilemma? The only reason that I can set foot on stage at all is because I am no longer, at the point of stepping out, ME. I have to take on the persona of another in order to brave public scrutiny... perhaps the difference between writing and blogging is much the same. Argh, enough existential angst. I'm here, you're here. Let's trust each other, shall we? It's been quite a year and a half for yours truly. Just over 18 months ago I was fired from my job because, in their words, I was not 'call centre material'. I have to admit I wasn't heartbroken by this devastating revelation, but it did leave me wondering where I was going in life. After some self contemplation lasting an entire afternoon, I decided I was finally going to get myself an agent, and begin pursuing my artistic passions in earnest. Five days later I'd successfully auditioned for Actor's Now (Hi Max!) and the new and improved me was beginning to wonder what other mountains to climb. That's when it hit me... my old degree! Back in 1996 I began a BA (Drama) degree at Edith Cowan University, and did well for a year and a bit before I began to suffer from a variety of life's more demanding distractions: Love, death, break-ups, break-downs, bills, new love, true love, mortgages, and the seductive need for full-time work. In short, my studies fell by the wayside, with no real hope of resumption. Until last year. Three weeks after getting the sack I was at ECU applying to finish what I'd begun more than a decade earlier. Unfortunately the old Drama degree had been shelved, so they very sportingly allowed me to transfer my completed course work into a different BA. It turns out that Writing was the best option, in all respects. Thus it was that the Badger went back to school: Lightsabre on his belt and world domination in his mind. Rock on! That's when the successes started to build. In September of that year I won the Best Actor Award at the ITA Dramafest. A few weeks later I received a commendation and a prize for a poem I'd entered in Edith Cowan University's annual Talus Prize. Furthermore, I was receiving marks I'd never acheived in my prior university career. My new direction was definitely up! That's when my (at that time) fiancee (Joanne Williams), my best friend (Garreth Bradshaw), and I decided we needed to form our own production group. Upstart Theatre Company was born just after the new year, and plans for our first production were underway. For those of you who have never seen the Woodlake Ampitheatre at Ellenbrook... it is GORGEOUS. A huge circular staging area with sweeping views across a man-made lake to a waterfall in the near distance. It is truly breathtaking. I first discovered it by accident some years ago, and knew immediately that it would be perfect for a summer Shakespeare experience. After some pleading with Jo I managed to get her to have a look at the location... whereupon she immediately decided that it would be the perfect venue for a summer Shakespeare experience. Then we managed to convince Garreth to have a look... whereupon he declared it would the perfect place for a summer Shakespeare experience. Our location and playwright was decided... but which play? That was the question. Our first thought was Othello... which would have been fantastic, but our feeling was that we needed to start off with a comedy, since we were mainly going to be attracting family crowds. I was pushing to do Taming of the Shrew, as it was the first Shakespeare I'd ever performed in, having played Grumio at the tender age of fifteen. The others ignored me for a long time, until they suddenly realised that Taming of the Shrew was the perfect play for us to start with, as it would allow Garreth to direct, and Jo and I to play the two leads. Nepotism aside, it sounded like a great idea... I just sat back with a smug smile. Yes, it's been an amazing 18 months... and it's not over yet. Fast forward to today... (Jo and I got married in August, I graduated in september, and last week I received another prize in the Talus). We now have a cast of enthusiastic actors, have been rehearsing for about a month, and I'm having the most fun I've had at rehearsals for a long time. The show is shaping up very nicely indeed. It has plenty of gags for all ages, some truly hilarious characterisations, and (on a personal note) I've finally got a leading lady who isn't afraid to slap me as hard as she can. Love your work, baby! What's more, thanks to the generosity of the City of Swan, the Ellenbrook Cultural Foundation, Craig Stewart Photography, and of various other individuals, we will be putting on The Taming of the Shrew for free. FREE! That's right folks, it won't cost you a thing to turn up with a picnic and blanket and watch us perform one of Shakespeare's best-known works. We hope to see you there! (Make sure you call the booking number, though. It'll give us an idea of numbers.) I'm going to be blogging updates on the show as regularly as I can, so keep an eye on this space. I promise they won't be as long as this one ;-) freddie the rocking jedi badger