Observatory Theatre are tapping into Anywhere Festival
Newcomers to the Brisbane theatre scene, Observatory Theatre are tapping up a storm at the Anywhere Festival this May.
Launching their brand new 2021 season, the new independent theatre group are testing the limits at Hamilton Town Hall in Ascot, from 16-22 May, in their dancing, clowning, comedy extravaganza, ‘Utopia! And the Caravan Calamity’.
The wacky plot follows a band of oddballs as they travel through a distant planet far far away. However, trouble strikes as their less than road-worthy caravan breaks down on their voyage towards ‘paradise’. The motley crew are forced to band together and, with the help of some gypsy jazz music, slapstick comedy and general comradery the team finds new friendships and learns that mateship is the only way out.
Anywhere Festival gives performers the opportunity to perform…anywhere! Running from 6-23 May, the festival takes over Brisbane’s fringe venues and allows independent artists to minimise the financial burden that comes with creating new work. From backyards to shopping centres, plant nurseries and coffee shops, any venue is up for grabs and this unpredictability adds a new layer of excitement to the theatrical experience.
‘Utopia! And the Caravan Calamity’ is bound to follow in the Anywhere Festival’s branding of unpredictability. Co-creator and choreographer, Kara Fisher says that combining tap dancing and a plot is an unusual mix for live performance.
“Tap dancing in a show is not usually used in a plot setting…we’re telling the story through physical movement, not just tap dance, but clowning and other physical aspects’.
Co-director, Rory Cooper promises the show will be filled with eye-popping designs, slapstick comedy and interactive performers which will transport audiences to a new world.
“Audiences should expect to be immediately immersed into the world as some very skilled and enthusiastic actors embark on this journey,” Cooper said.
Observatory Theatre aims to bring new work to Brisbane audiences that tests boundaries and creates meaningful, vibrant experiences for their audiences.
“Observatory Theatre formed when I met several close friends at university, each studying either business, drama and film, and all of us with a love for live performance,” explained company creative director and producer, Lachlan Driscoll.
“The name, ‘Observatory Theatre’, comes from the inner child in us all looking up at the night sky, seeing the stars and dreaming of the places there are still to explore. We use an observatory as a way for audiences to see new realities and to experience new and vibrant works.”
Driscoll is the co-creator of ‘Utopia! And the Caravan Calamity’ alongside Fisher and is bound to make his mark as the team continues to devise inventive, new works that border on fantastical.
Tickets for ‘Utopia! And the Caravan Calamity’ are on sale now on the Anywhere Festival website. Find more information at the Observatory Theatre website.
Media release and images provided by Observatory Theatre
