Teapots and Puppets

Recently, I caught up with a friend who works in The Arts. As a result, she very rarely views The Arts, so busy is she working within them. She mentioned a concept she and some other Arts friends used to participate in, Cultural Sunday. Basically, every Sunday they would take themselves to some sort of cultural event, be it a gallery, an arena spectacular, a play. Sometimes the events would be fabulous, sometimes they'd be a baffling loss of several hours. The last few days seem like a microcosm of Cultural Sunday.

Yesterday was fabulous. 4 - 8pm was blissfully spent at the Taste of Melbourne Festival. For the record, Melbourne tastes delicious, and is great value for money, especially if you're willing to experiment, share and walk a fair distance. I'll write more in another blog post.

Earlier, though, I spotted a picture in the newspaper and booked last minute tickets to the Teapot Ensemble of Australia, performing at La Mama Theatre. What a fabulous spur of the moment decision! For starters, it took me back to La Mama, which I love and which I have neglected for some time. The positive atmosphere of this tiny space is immense, and in the current struggle to buy La Mama and keep it as a theatre space, I encourage EVERYONE to go see a show there. Every ticket include a tax deductible donation to the Save La Mama fund, and shows are intimate, often experimental, and almost always enjoyable.

But back to the teapots. Oh the teapots. The Teapot Ensemble of Australia (or TEA) is a group of four talented musicians and singers who primarily perform through the medium of teapots. Yes, that's right. Their collection of 'instruments' is huge and hilarious, from the standard medium white pot, to bright little dinky pots, to a red and white spotted pot which moos. Singing through these vessels, the group combine beautiful music with an absolutely hilarious aesthetic. The performance I saw was specifically for kids, and so elements of the show were hammed up to the max (cue whoopie cushions and silly dancing), but it truly was suitable for all ages. Reminiscent of the Adam Simmons Toy Band, but with a strong focus on the glory of tea. I was literally crying from laughter by the end of the show, yet completely moved by the beauty of the music. You simply haven't lived until you've heard Beethoven played through a teapot.

Unfortunately, my Friday night theatre going experience was somewhat more ambiguous. 'The Plains' is a VCA Masters of Theatre performance, and ambitiously combines acting, puppetry, and animation. It's about... um.... well you know what? I'm just not sure. 'The Plains' was inspired by a gallery exhibition, which was in turn inspired by a novel (all of the same name), and tackles notions of ideas bigger than the ability to realise them. I think. Now, I have to admit that I was still recovering from a cold, and that the show was on later than we'd first thought but... well... I almost fell asleep. I don't think that's a good sign. That said, parts of the show were amazing. The puppeteers were simply incredible, both in their manipulative abilities and their vocal control. The set and lighting were really interesting explorations of the space available. But in the end, that's a few hours I'll never get back. At least there were puppets...

Anyway, find below proof that I partake in Cultural Sunday style events from time to time, and even write about them (at the request of my friend Lisa, now located in Paris).

A review of a Sudanese fusion performance for Refugee Week:
http://www.vibewire.net/Members/nmaes/melbourne-under-construction/

A review of the 48 Hour Play Generator, as part of the Emerging Writers' Festival:
http://www.vibewire.net/Members/nmaes/melbourne-48-hour-play-generator/