"Love, Lust and a Little Diana Day Dreaming"

Anticipation for 'Agency' at the Blue Room really begins to move towards boiling-point this week, as the opening night is just 10 days away. This carefully nursed, very original dark comedy is looking very much like the 'Dark Horse' production of the season.

The following, excellent interview is currently featured on the 'IndiePerth' site... enjoy! Kudos to Allison Browning for noticing the originality of this piece.

Regards,
Jason

Link: http://www.indielondon.co.uk/perth/theatre.html

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"Love, Lust and a Little Diana Day Dreaming"

Interview: Allison Browning

LOCAL writer and director, Diana Day, is in the last stages of rehearsal of her most recent play, Agency, which will soon be showing at The Blue Room.

Agency takes a comic approach to the dating game, looking at the possibility of perfect matches between imperfect people and the fun to be had in the process. Day hopes that Agency will provide a titillating sexual smorgasbord for her audiences.

Indieperth had the pleasure of speaking with the woman herself - unafraid to put herself out there and gain first-hand experience in the dating game.

Q: What's the show about?

A: The eternal search for reciprocated love. It's about eight imperfect people seeking perfect matches. It's about the vast chasm between how we see ourselves and how we are seen, about the need for honesty and an acceptable level of compromise in every successful relationship.

The story line is that Lillith's agency is under threat of closure and she needs a tremendous success in improving the sum of human happiness in order to win out.

She realises that the obvious failures of computer matching stem from human cunning and self-deception and uses her millennia of knowledge to match them with total success.

Q: How will it relate to Perth audiences?

A: I hope it would relate to men and women everywhere. Agency is actually located in the Garden of Eden which, as every Perth resident knows, is right here. I chose the Garden as my characters are all somewhat outside the 'real' world, having put an important part of their lives on hold.

Legend has it that Lillith, Adam's first wife, was sacked for disobedience (she refused to perpetually adopt the missionary position) and stayed in the Garden to later tell Eve the truth about the apple on the Tree.

I imagine she would have remained to care for the casualties of carnal love that followed the eating.

Although it's particularly aimed at the 40+ age group, we have a delightful young gopher who has passed the script around her 20-25-year-old mates and the response has been, "but that's so TRUE. That's the way we feel about things'.

I now quiver with indignation at Hamlet's speech to his mother: "You cannot call it love; for at your age, the hey-day in the blood is tame, it's humble, and waits upon the judgment..." (Act III Scene iv)

But I needed to pass my 60th birthday to understand that the only difference between my current self and the hopes and dreams of a 20-year-old is that we get a bit more cunning at hiding our vulnerability's. And perhaps a bit more sensible about compromise.

Q: What compelled you to write the show?

A: I had advertised in 'Women Seeking Men' - the ad began 'Good cond, low maint, 60'... finishing 'allergic to swank, PC and SNAGs. Seeks similar for physical and mental entertainment.'

I met a number of most interesting men and it was in conversation with one who was entertaining me with some of his experiences in the middle-aged, post-divorce mating game that I thought, 'there's a script in this'.

I must say that three of my respondents were very enthusiastic about the idea and contributed significantly to the script. I expect to see them all at the show with their current 'significant others'.

Q: What are the challenges for you in directing this piece and what is your approach to the process?

A: I believe a director's purpose is to create the situation in which actors do what they do best.

You might think it's a bit of a problem having one actor play four men, one actress play four women, but my cast - as well as the SM [stage manager], who's been a very strong creative influence - has shown such ingenuity and enthusiasm that although I think the script wasn't half bad when I got the green light from the Blue Room for its production, it wasn't anywhere near as good as it is now, with such intelligent and generous input.

I was very impressed some time ago with an SBS feature on Lars Von Trier and the 'dogme' school of film directing. One of their commandments is that a film be shot from beginning to end, so that the actors can develop with the script.

I have run the rehearsals on alternate nights on Acts One and Two, with Sundays for a full run from beginning to end.

We have, of course, dissected each character - and I've learned a lot from my actors who are, perhaps, more focussed on the individual, whereas I am looking at the whole.

This timetable has meant the actors are developing their roles together, reacting to one another in a way that would not have been possible had I said: "Here's the script. We start blocking once you've learned it."

And because it's my script we could start from the point that the words aren't chiselled in stone, that changes can be made as new ideas and understanding come with familiarity.

I think that the actors were delighted when I said, 'no more changes' - the poor souls quivered each week I turned up with a few more subtractions/additions because there's always room for improvement.

That's my main challenge - knowing when the lily's as gilded as it can comfortably be.

Q: What do you hope audiences will take away with them after seeing the show?

A: I really hope that they will be looking with fresh eyes at the good things in their relationships, rather than yearning for what they do not have. And that for those who are still seeking, they burn into their souls: "If you want to be loved, be lovable."

And I also hope they'll have the warmth of a good night out, with some fairly bawdy humour and some classic jokes to retell.

And that both men and women will acknowledge the truth of Alice's speech: "Of course, women are as interested in sex as men are. Real sex, I mean. If men want a couple of grunts and a quick squirt, it's in their own hands."

There's been a fairly favourable response to that little observation from both genders.

I hope that they see I've been even-handed in the male/female balance. As Lillith says: "Men aren't from Mars and women from Venus. We all want the same things, just in different amounts and at different times."

I believe that.

Agency runs from August 11 to 28 at The Blue Room, Northbridge. Bookings: 92277005. Tickets are $18/$12 conc.