Dead Funny (Late) Review

Dead funny is a show that finds the humour, whether it is in cereal or death, it is there to be found and shared with the audience. We are greeted by a lonely lodger attempting to eat breakfast as he negotiates the tv remote and the telephone. A delightful comic scene draws to a close when he kills himself shaving with a kitchen knife and well, dies. Supposedly. You see Death is late and in a scenario rapidly developing into Terry Pratchett-esque absurdity he is forced into coercing said lodger to accepting his mortal ending.

This is Theatre injects the fun into death and written by Michael Fee for City Pigeons Theatre Dead Funny announces the arrival of a newly fledged (!) theatre company that incorporates a lot of comedy styling in its feathers (!).

Clever and fun, this production is full of physical comedy, mad characters and some lines that will stick with you long after you have left the theatre. Having debuted at Mudfest before moving to the Fringe Festival and then up north to FAST Dead Funny is a show that fits all sorts of audiences in all sorts of venues. I saw it in the Mudclub, and it worked very well in a tight squishy space that typified the limits of life and death that were imposed on the characters. But equally a larger space would allow for the slapstick to play out on a larger scale. One gets the feeling that much like its content Dead Funny is a play that everyone gets (eventually).

Apologies again for the obscenely late writing and publishing of this review, I really loved it and if you get the chance to see it in any of its incarnations now or into the future DO!

iQuest: The Creative Process

"Test-driving a new game takes a life-changing turn for Larry as his avatar, Cassius, goes on the Ultimate Quest, facing challenge after challenge, including that of Larry’s own life…"

iQuest is an original musical written by ROC'UM, the newest musical theatre company at the University of Melbourne. It will be performed at Union Theatre on Friday 26/8 9pm and Saturday 27/8 3pm & 6:30pm. I spoke with Eden Elliott (Director), Joshua Chang (Musical Director) and Tasha Irina (Book Writer) earlier this week – asking them about how the show was created and why you should go see it!

I’m curious about the creative process of iQuest — how did it start?
Eden: iQuest happened mostly by accident. The production team of the previous show already had ideas in the works, but we decided it would be more according to ROC'UM's principles to write something collectively. A little bit of brainstorming around the Mudfest 'kaleidoscopic' theme landed us instantly in the cyber-world. Anyone who volunteered helped write or compose.
Tasha: We wanted to do something that hasn't been done before. This is what we have :)

How did the collaboration start? Did it start with the script, or the music?
Eden: Collaboration worked mostly on a scene-by-scene basis. The writer produced the initial version of a scene; composers immediately got to work. Except in the case of the opening number, everything developed scene-first and was adapted in later versions. The composers also developed the over-arching themes of the musical using reprises and motifs, to help keep things cogent and really emphasise the satirical nature of the show.
Josh: Lyrics versus music varied. For example, in the avatar building song and P-Jizzle's rap, a writer produced the lyrics, which were then put to music by a composer. In other scenes, composers were given the characters, setting and dialoge around, and then wrote the song.

What inspired you when you were writing & developing iQuest?
Tasha: The Mudfest theme helped guide us but basically when it came down to it, it was a team effort. Characters and script were mainly my forte but everyone could bring their ideas in. Essentially it's like a trip down memory lane.
Eden: I will add that in almost every rehearsal, someone would make a joke or reference based on the script and we'd decide to include it.

How long did it take to write & develop iQuest?
Eden: The show has certainly taken its time – without the readily, instantly accessible internet, we couldn't have pulled this off. Despite the limitations of the Mudfest time frame, this show has been written and performed by amateurs all at once, remarkably. Some songs have been in place for months now – some for less than a week!
Josh: I'll add that I think that time pressure can force art to be good, or at least tight, without loose lazy bits.

How do you feel the collaborative process among cast members and the creative team has shaped the show?
Eden: For ROC'UM, the collaborative process is the show. The whole purpose of this theatre company is that everyone partake, and learn about any and all aspects of what it takes to put on a show. Some of the cast members have really grown a lot and everyone's skills have been put to good use.
Josh: And this is wonderful, because the marker of how good an experience is how much people grow – individually and in their bonds with others.

What are some of the things that you wish to achieve with iQuest?
Eden: for iQuest? I want everyone involved to be proud of what we've made, and for our audiences to understand exactly how difficult and wonderful ROC'UM is. For the company herself, we want more people involved who understand the ROC'UM spirit, and to establish ourselves so that in the future we can work with other, more experienced theatre companies to give our team just that little bit more knowledge.
Tasha: To let people discover skills they didn't know they had, to entertain and have fun... and possibly show that it's okay to be a geek :)

What has been the most challenging thing about writing, composing and developing the show – and realising it from page to stage?

Eden: I'm not afraid the show will fail to make money or entertain. I'm afraid the people involved won't feel good about it – and they deserve to! The most challenging part will be bringing the audience an understanding of where we come from and importantly why we exist.
Josh: I think the hardest thing was maintaining the momentum, development and flow of the show. I think the scriptwriters did and excellent job of this – I would've struggled in their places.
Tasha: The constant revision of the script but it was all worth it.

What do you enjoy most about being involved in iQuest?

Eden: Vocal direction is my passion. Being able to realise the harmonies in one's head, even in part, is always a great thing.

Josh: I love being able to perform good music as a group, and to see tremendous growth and improvement, which is clearly visible among the members of ROC'UM. Of course, entertaining an audience will be the funnest part of it all.
Tasha: Getting to work with passionate and great people. They're like family now.

Describe iQuest in three words!
Eden: I don't need three – wonderful, in the original sense of the word.
Josh: Hilarious Musical Satire / Majorly Unprecedented Awesomeness / Songs, Comedy, Collectibles / Questions e-Society Musically.
Tasha: Irrevocable Indescribable Awesomeness.

Why should people go & see iQuest?
Eden: ^see all above
Josh: People should see iQuest because it contains the best songs released in 2011. Seriously.
Tasha: Because it's fun, it's original, and a new experience for all.

Is there anything else you'd like to add about iQuest or ROC'UM?
Eden: Come and be welcomed!
Josh: I think that everyone should know that we in ROC'UM call ourselves the doughnuts. Do-nut make fun of this.
Tasha: All I can say is <3

photos by Adilah Ikram Shah

24 Hour Musical at 21 hours!

Room for an Interview?!

[Artist Ben Volchok gets some entertainment out of responding to our terribly straightly bowled questions!!]

Company name: I didn't even know whe had to have a company. And no, that's not the name.

Show/artwork: A Room with Revue

Dates: 19/8/11, 21/8/11, 24/8/11.

What was your initial motivation for joining the Mudfest Kaliedoscope in 2011?
Ambition/foolishness. That hasn't changed.

Is this your first mudfest show?
Participating, no. Being in charge of, yes.

Are their future plans for this show?
Are their future plans for this show what? And whose plans?

[Why yes, clearly writing questions for interviews at 2am is a bad idea when it comes to correct spelling and grammar, ahem!]

Who is involved?
I am, and so are some other people. Their names are Silvi Vann-Wall and Sam Rankin.

What is the most appropriate adjective about the show?
"Painful".

How do you think audiences will react?
Painfully.

[We actually loved it and laughed a lot. Please see under reviews section for not one but TWO reviews of Room with a Revue so far...]

Website/ blog?
Not that I know of.

Any info on the theatre company.
I haven't got one.

Anything else of interest?
Ozone smells faintly of geraniums.

[Yes, indeed we watch QI as well!]

Scratch a Little with Joshua Lynzaat!

Company name: Scratch and Sniff
Artist name: Joshua Lynzaat
Show/artwork: Spilt Milk
Dates: August 19-22, 12pm-2pm.

What was your initial motivation for joining the Mudfest Kaliedoscope in 2011?
Bek and I met at the start of the year and decided pretty quickly that we needed to work together. Mudfest was the perfect oppurtunity to test a new creative relationship, with clowning our shtick.

Is this your first mudfest show?
No. I was in a couple of devised theatre works during Mudfest 2009 and also installed a sound installation in the Rowden White with Max Piantoni. Bek, however, is a Muddy Virgin.

Are their future plans for this show?
Yes. Having 'tested a new creative relationship' the results are reading POSITIVE... We want this relationship to continue into the future.

Who is involved?
... Me and Bek. And Bek's mum Helen who learnt from Jacques Lecoq in Paris. Can you imagine how excited I was when Bek told me this? Madness. Helen's been a well of knowledge and an incredible mentor.

What is the most exciting thing about the show?
It's a fun show! It's a cute show. It's often a hilarious show, and if rehearsals are anything to go by: a MESSY show. Yes!

How do you think audiences will react?
Spilt Milk is a roaming performance that is largely improvised. I think the show's quite lovely, because the audience gets to be part of the performance as it is created. I'm excited about the inclusive and spontaneous nature of the piece. Hopefully audiences are excited by this too, otherwise we might have a problem...

About Scratch and Sniff:
Scratch and Sniff was formed to create and perform new work. Their first show- a devised physical theatre piece called 'The Goods'- was performed in the Guild Theatre in October of last year. Since then the company has been slowly growing. This year Scratch and Sniff created a movement piece with The Occasional String quartet and Forest Collective in a performance of Ravel's String Quartet in F. For Mudfest 2011 Scratch and Sniff is presenting a clowning piece, 'Spilt Milk', and is also hosting the special event 'Everything Speaks'- a sound installation using human bodies.

Check out details on Spilt Milk on the Mudfest Program.

Something to Wait for!

Waiting for Eurovision

Footsteps.

Important The Happening Information!!

What is the Happening? Well what indeed - things are heating up with Mudfest with The Happening issuing WARNING STATEMENTS about what is entailed when participating. It looks like a lot of fun and a lot of colour!!

Here's the warning:

There is to be used powdered pigment paint that is going to make into a normal paint consistency, however the dyes are natural and they stain hair, skin and nails. TAKE NOTE we need to get as few people as possible complaining that their favourite dress is  now multi coloured.

So the things that need to be noted  that might get stained are: the paint will stain skin, hair and nails. To prevent this people can put olive or canola oil in their hair then it will wash out after. To prevent stains on skin people can put moisturising lotion on their skin. For nails people can simply paint their nails a dark colour and then remove the varnish.

We here suggest that you put on old leggings and a t-shirt and get into the fun and the games!

Also, the dyes are all natural but there is always a risk that people may have a reaction, as is with anything you put on your skin, so maybe wear long sleeves.

Anyways, it is all a-happening at the happening Sat 20th in the Mudclub from 10pm. Be there!

Muddy Flicks!

3 hours. 30 films. Free. Uninterrupted. Movie magic. The moving image segment of Mudfest, Muddyflicks celebrates the magical works created by Melbourne University students, old and new. Showcasing some of the best works that made heads turn not just on the campus but in international film circuits as well, these films are where the journey began for this set of generation next in moving images. A free event, just walk in to the... Rowden White Library between 8 and 11 p.m. on August 24 to catch as many student works as possible. If you pride yourself on your movie knowledge, take part in our short quiz and walk home with some cool prizes from ACMI!! watch out for these head turners on international film circuits at Muddyflicks! 1. At the Formal by Andrew Kavanagh Transmission Films Award for Emerging Australian Filmmaker at MIFF 2011 Selected for Locarno International Film Festival 2. Kwik Fix by Kelly Hucker Cannes International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Moscow International Film Festival 3. Payload Stuart Willis Palm Springs Film Festival 4. Shoplifting by Neil Triffet, 14 ms Official Selection: Canberra Film Festival, September 2011 Official Selection: Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF), August 2011 Official Selection: Fresh Film Fest, Prague Czech Republic, August 2011 Awarded: Best Short Film; Show Us Your Shorts program, Warburton Film Festival, Australia, June 2011 Official Selection: St Kilda Film Festival, Australia, May 2011 Nominated: Best Achievement in Directing, VCA, December 2010 Awarded: Most Outstanding Undergraduate Student, VCA, December 2010

Muddy Month!

It’s the first week of August and the intensity in the Mudfest office is increasing along with a corresponding frenetic creativity. When you put creative types to work – boy can they get the job done, in record time.

Our wonderful Visual Arts Producer has been busy sewing gorgeously colourful quilts for our Mudfest Tramstop Installation. With not much help (yet! contact info.mudfest[at]gmail.com with your wishes to assist) she has been whipping up these warming additions to both the main Melbourne Uni tramstop and the VCA tramstop. This of course is tied together with our sponsorship from the lovely people at Yarra Trams

The festival directors have been busy (as usual). They have had a photo shoot for publicity and have brought us the 10-Day-Party – on tonight! Deals have been finalised with the Mudclub and the centralised production team are all manically sorting out everything that gets emailed their way.

It’s a busy time as we count down to Opening Night, steps are taken to start finalising the Special Curatorial Event; costumes are being sourced for shows; the Arts Lab is bustling with the Operations team painting venue signs; banners are being painted. [Deep Breath!]
Publicity has sent out the Festival Press Release and advertisements have been published in print media as well as facebook events popping up all over the place for Mudfest shows. It is clear not only from our very pretty website that we HAVE A FESTIVAL!

Rehearsals have started for Tastings productions; mentors have been met, cast have been cast and creative teams selected. We know that many shows are well into production and rehearsal and are ticking along nicely as we hit the last two weeks before the festival opening. A few branches have snapped (my own included) for a moment or two but overall the tenacity of this team will be testament in just how amazing this festival will be.

Here meetings have been occurring like mad and we have on board an official Muddy Leaks photographer! Who is incredibly talented and is eager to document the process. Whilst there have been some teething issues in terms of connecting to the Mudfest Main site we are getting to be all set. And at least this is happening two weeks out rather than the night before.

Oh and the 24 Hr Musical Team are after Cast and Creative Team to produce – maximum commitment for minimal time!

Onwards and Upwards Muddy Friends

Love, Lilly

Geurrillas in the Mud.

Check out the awesomness that is the Publicity team and the tactics they are starting to advertise MUDFEST!

Two videos in a row on here but hey, this one is way more relevant and way more creative (Jedward-Pedward) and... here you go!

10 Day PARTY!

Another week and another Party, this time a 10 (working day) Party - it is literally that close to Mudfest that we can taste the kaliedoscope of what is on offer. JOIN US in celebrating the amazingness that is Mudfest 2011 and what is to come!

More details to be found on facebook!!

Muddy Arts Officers

All these lovely shots are by Danny Phung and some are being used for official publicity purposes. Dani and Justin are the Artistic Directors; Festival Directors and Arts Officers for Mudfest 2011. They wear many hats and are fabulously hardworking and committed to this festival.

Mudfest Promotion of Weekend Notes!

Our wonderful co-co-ordinator of reviewers here at Muddy Leaks has been blogging about Mudfest on Weekend Notes. Click on the link to read article!

Sponsorship Love

Are they not all darlings?

Muddy Mondays and Massive Developments!

Well, today was a busy one for everyone involved in Mudfest. It has been a MAJOR day as well for everyone associated with the festival. So today

THE MUDFEST WEBSITE IS LIVE

and also dear patrons of the arts

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE.

It doesn't get more real than that!

Working Bee Photos Round 2

 M is for Mudfest!

THIS BUNTING IS INCREDIBLE!
....INCREDIBLE AND INCREDIBLY LONG!!!!.....

Working Bee Photos Round 1

It's been busybusybusy in the Arts Lab this week. Check out the amazing bunting done by the creative lovlies in the publicity collectives. More photos coming soon!!

A Very Special (un)Official Announcement

In some exciting news it has been revealed that the lovely Alison Croggon of Theatre Notes is going to be a sort-of-Ambassador for Mudfest 2011. This means that she will be attending and engaging with the works online. Check out her blog at:

http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com/

And stay tuned for some AWESOME Mufest related writing.

MUDDY WORKING BEE!!

As Mudfest 2011 is entirely paper-free, we need to get crafty with the publicity for the festival and each individual show, so the Mudfest team will be hosting a working bee from 10am-4pm on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th July (during o-week). Bring: friends and any crafty supplies you have at home! In the Arts Lab in Union House.

So far we are planning:
- Stencils fo...r chalking around the campuses
- TShirt/other fabulous outfit making
- Bunting!
- Making the information booth, which will hopefully be mobile
- Boards for event listings at venues
- Anything else we can think of!

[PS: Just to be clear, the working bee runs from 10-4 on Monday and Tuesday. It's not a 30 hour event, as appealing as that may be.]

IT WILL BE MARVELOUS AND FANTASTIC AND WONDERFUL AND AMAZING. SO COME!!! X