What: Red Leap Theatre Open Day
Where and when: NBR NZ Opera Studios, 107 Neilson St, Onehunga, tomorrow 10am-3pm
Throughout the rehearsal process, Julie Nolan and Kate Parker had few doubts their theatre production The Arrival would be a success.
But one day Nolan was struck with fear. "It could be a load of rubbish. We could be waving these cardboard things on sticks. It could be awful. I hadn't thought about that until that moment."
It wasn't, of course. Their first production under the Red Leap Theatre company banner proved to be an imaginative and evocative physical interpretation of Australian Shaun Tan's award-winning graphic novel. With its delicate paper puppets, use of shadow play and almost wordless moving story, it made a magical impression on those who saw it.
It did so well within its short life at the Auckland Festival this year, it was picked up for next year's Sydney Festival and Hong Kong Arts Festival, after which it will travel to Wellington's International Arts Festival in March. As if to answer Parker's prayers, Shaun Tan has confirmed he will be at the opening night in Sydney.
It's a huge achievement for the little company. And although the pair are thrilled their production has an extended lifespan, getting 16 people and 400 props and set items abroad is an expensive exercise that requires at least another $20,000 on top of the Creative New Zealand contributions they've so far received.
To help raise funds as well as their profile, Red Leap Theatre are holding an Open Day at their Onehunga studio tomorrow. Anyone is welcome to participate in what Nolan and Parker hope will demystify the world of devised theatre and encourage participants to network and get inspired.
"There's no secret to it," says Nolan. "We just play. We make stuff up. My family and friends don't have a clue what I do when I go to rehearsal."
Tomorrow begins with an auction of original sketches and prints donated by Shaun Tan and ceramics donated from Parker's father, ceramicist Richard Parker. Participants can also take part in workshops, such as a "hardcore" muscle and bone dance warm up with Charles Koroneho, much like a typical rehearsal. The company's props workshop will also be open to view.
"It's about raising people's awareness of us within the community," says Parker. "It's like we're announcing ourselves. It's a celebration."
Since graduating from Melbourne's John Bolton Theatre School more than a decade ago, Parker and Nolan have been working tirelessly to get to this point, their aim to keep travelling and producing works that dazzle with bold imagery.
Since returning to New Zealand they've staged many memorable productions, including Beyond the Blue, The Butcher's Daughter and Moahunting, stories told with movement of the body, innovative set design, shadow play and puppetry.
While physical theatre has strong roots in Europe, in New Zealand the scene is only just starting to take off. "There's definitely an increase in devising, with more actors coming through drama school seeking physical work," says Nolan.
"They want to learn how to show stories, not just tell them, and learn how to show their own stories, not just other people's.
"We auditioned people two weeks ago for our new work and we were amazed there were so many people wanting to make their own. And we thought, why aren't they? We just do it."
Amid the many hours of unpaid toil dedicated to their stage projects, both women are mothers making a living teaching and taking on individual projects and contracts. The Red Leap company was started specifically for The Arrival and as a way to amalgamate their achievements and secure future funding, with help from producer Lauren Hughes.
"When it was just Julie and I, we'd do all the devising and write our own proposals and our budget, production-manage, stage-manage, act, direct, " says Parker.
Adds Nolan: "There's no future doing it like that. Now we've got a producer and a structure you can look at five or 10-year plans. We'd like to be the great aunties of the devising community one day."
Plans are already under way to develop their next show, tentatively titled Collisions. The production explores the smoke-and-mirrors world of magic, an old-fashioned concept now.
Nolan says it also explores the concept of collective thought and the so-called Butterfly Effect - "how a tiny touch of hands impacts the whole universe".
