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photo by Marg Horwell

The first day of a rehearsal, I often say, is only useful because it allows you to  get to the second day of rehearsal. Beginning is fraught, expectations are scattered, energies meet at different levels, strangers meet for the first time; there is no rhythm.

This was a different kind of first day. Three performers, in a fantastic studio (Broken Mirror in Brunswick) on a stage roughly marked and filled with curious objects (including the kitchen sink) by Marg, with Darrin’s early sounds filling the room, Frances teaching us how to tie each other up via skype, from Brussels. Different levels of preparedness to be sure, but I like that.

The obvious observation is that with Hamlet, you can do almost anything; gestures, words, different objects and play are all amplified by the presence of that text/artifact/thing. On a more practical level, the trio (Ophelia/Gertrude/Hamlet) feels absolutely right for this chamber adaptation and the diversity of skills in the room is thrilling.

So, we have begun in the best possible way. I will continue to report from the room, although I am so loathe to talk about the process, even with those involved, that the detail may well be sporadic or opaque. Talking, naming, describing is so often a fear-response, a need-to-lock-in-meaning in the face of the unknown. We shall see. It seems Frances might try her hand at it too. Who knows, maybe somewhere in the space between the two of us, something might make sense.

Born London, England, Dominique is a make-up and special effects artist who works across film, television, advertising, theatre, music videos and major events. Her television credits include Winners and Losers (Channel 7) and Angry Boys (HBO/ABC), her film credits include Sarah Watt’s My Year Without Sex (Hibiscus Films) and Ana Kokkinos’ Blessed .

With Daniel Schlusser:

• Peer Gynt
• Life is a Dream

Born Melbourne, Australia. Darrin Verhagen is a freelance composer for Theatre, Dance, Computer Games and Screen.

His theatrical scores for have included work for, Playbox/Malthouse, the Melbourne Theatre Company, the Sydney Theatre Company, Moira Finucane, and the Keene Taylor Theatre Project. His Meat Party score was nominated for a Green Room Award in 2003, and he won the award in 2005 and 2010 for his soundtracks to Memory of Water and Schlusser’s Poet #7 respectively.

Choreographic works include material for Chunky Move, Australian Dance Theatre, Lucy Guerin, Sue Healey, and Mary Oslund/USA. Installations have included pieces for Patricia Piccinini Digital Monkey/ADT, and Gina Czarnecki.

He has performed at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2002), The Transmediale Festival (Berlin 2003), mounted a Shinjuku Thief tour across Europe in 2005, a large “EPA” audiovisual performance in 2006 in collaboration with Richard Grant, and has been  a regular participant in the Liquid Architecture, and Immersion Festivals in Melbourne and Sydney.

www.darrinverhagen.com

Darrin lectures in Sound Design, and “Technology, Composition & Perception” at RMIT University and is currently undertaking postgraduate research into Noise Music and neurology.

With Daniel Schlusser:

• Prodigal Son
• Medea
• The Zombie State
• Life is a Dream
• Poet #7
• Ophelia doesn’t live here anymore

Sarah has worked as a Melbourne-based arts administrator and manager for over 10 years she has held ongoing positions for Melbourne Workers Theatre, Chamber Made Opera, Next Wave Festival, Snuff Puppets and, most recently, Arts House, where she was Artistic Administrator from 2007 to 2009. In a freelance capacity she has worked with independent artists, festivals and companies including: Melbourne Fringe, Melbourne International Film Festival, Ranters Theatre, Astra Chamber Music Group, Express Media and On Invisible Wings. Sarah has worked across performance, print media, community radio and in the visual arts, on events at ACCA and the National Gallery of Victoria.

With Daniel Schlusser:

• Life is a Dream
• The Dollhouse
• The Master and Margarita

Born Tilburg, Netherlands, Karen trained at the The Drama Academy, Eindhoven she performed in Het iets en Het Niets (Anke Boerstra/ Theater de New Vorst) and Cement directed by Merel Beernink, which toured nationally. Karen furthered her training at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne and was subsequently selected for the graduate program of the Red Stitch Actors ensemble appearing in The Gronholm Method (dir: Nadia Tass) and Oh well never mind bye (dir: Gary Abrahams). She has recently performed in The Colour of Glass (Andrew Grey/La Mama) and Elektra (Adena Jacobs/The Dog Theatre).

With Daniel Schlusser:

• The Master and Margarita
• Peer Gynt
• Ophelia doesn’t live here anymore

Born Perth, Australia Josh completed a degree in Performance Studies at Curtin University in Western Australia and appeared in The Visit (Matt Lutton/Black Swan) and Terrorism (John Sheedy/Black Swan) before moving to Melbourne to study acting at the Victorian College of the Arts. Recent theatre credits include Self Torture and Strenuous Exercise (Artisan Collective), Something Natural But Very Childish (La Mama/ Dirty Pretty Theatre), Delectable Shelter (Hayloft Project/TheatreWorks) and his 2010 Victorian Green Room nominated performance in Elektra (Adena Jacobs/ The Dog Theatre).

With Daniel Schlusser:

• Life is a Dream
• Peer Gynt
• Master and Margarita
• The Dollhouse