4 APRIL- 28 APRIL 2019 LEARNING RESOURCES Belvoir, in association with Vicki Gordon Music Productions Pty Ltd, presents BARBARA AND THE CAMP DOGS

Writers & ALANA VALENTINE Director LETICIA CÁCERES Songs by ALANA VALENTINE, URSULA YOVICH & ADM VENTOURA*

This production of Barbara and the Camp Dogs opened at Belvoir St Theatre on Friday 5 April 2019.

Set Designer Stephen Curtis Costume Designer Chloe Greaves Lighting Designer Karen Norris Lighting Realiser Matt Cox Sound Designer Steve Toulmin Musical Rehearsal Director Adm Ventoura Stage Manager Cecilia Nelson Assistant Stage Manager Brooke Kiss Observing Director Riley Spadaro

With Troy Brady Elaine Crombie Ursula Yovich

Musicians Musical Director and Bass Guitar JESSICA DUNN Guitar SORCHA ALBUQUERQUE Drums MICHELLE VINCENT

*Vicki Gordon also contributed music to ‘Tick Sista’, Merenia Gillies contributed to ‘Chained to You’ and James Warwick Shipstone Contributed to ‘.Pieces’

Indigenous Theatre at Belvoir is supported by the Balnaves Foundation

We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation who are the traditional custodians of the land on which Belvoir St Theatre is built. We also pay respect to the Elders past and present, and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

CONTENTS

About Belvoir 1 Cast and Creative Team 2 The Director 3 Co-Writer's Note 4 Production Elements 7 interview With The Lighting Designer 10 Costume Design References 11 Post Show Discussion 15 Podcast 19 Contact Education 20

Cover Image / Brett Boardman 2017 Learning Resources compiled by Belvoir’ Education, March 2019 Rehearsal Photos / Brett Boardman 2017 Production Photos / Brett Boardman 2017 ABOUT BELVOIR

One building. Six hundred people. Thousands of stories.

When the Nimrod Theatre building in Belvoir Street, Surry Hills, was threatened with redevelopment in 1984, more than 600 people – ardent theatre lovers together with arts, entertainment and media professionals – formed a syndicate to buy the building and save this unique performance space in inner city .

Thirty years later, under Artistic Director Eamon Flack and Executive Director Sue Donnelly, Belvoir engages Australia’s most prominent and promising playwrights, directors, actors and designers to realise an annual season of work that is dynamic, challenging and visionary. As well as performing at home, Belvoir regularly takes to the road, touring both nationally and internationally.

Belvoir Education

Our Education Program provides students and teachers with insights into the work of Belvoir and first hand experiences of the theatre-making process.

Belvoir Education offers student workshops, teacher professional development workshops, work experience, VET placements, archival viewings and a wealth of online resources designed to support work in the drama classroom. Our arts access programs assist schools in Regional NSW and Western Sydney to access the company’s work.

Explore our education pages at www.belvoir.com.au/education

1 CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

Ursula Yovich Alana Valentine Leticia Cáceres Sorcha Troy Brady Co-Writer/Songwriter/ Co-Writer/Songwriter Director Albuquerque Joseph Barbara Guitar

Matt Cox Elaine Crombie Stephen Curtis Jessica Dunn Vicki Gordon Lighting Realiser René Set Designer Musical Director & Bass Co-Producer Guitar

Chloe Greaves Brooke Kiss Cecilia Nelson Karen Norris Riley Spadoro Costume Designer Assistant Stage Stage Manager Lighting Designer Observing Director Manager

Steve Toulmin Adm Ventoura Michelle Vincent Sound Designer Songwriter/Musical Drums Rehearsal Director

2 THE DIRECTOR: LETICIA CÁCERES

Leticia is one of the most in-demand directors for new writing in Australia. Leticia won the Helpmann Award for Best Direction of a Mainstage production for The Drover’s Wife by Leah Purcell, for Belvoir in 2016. Other Belvoir credits include the world premiere of Barbara and the Camp Dogs by Alana Valentine and Ursula Yovich (2017) and Random by debbie tucker green (2018). In 2018 Leticia also directed The Space In Between by Steve Vizard and Paul Grabowsky at Arts Centre Melbourne, Going Down by Michele Lee for Malthouse/STC, and The House of Bernada Alba by Patricia Cornelius at MTC.

Leticia has received Screen Australia funding to transition into film and TV. Her debut short Wild won ‘Best First Time Film’ at the London Film Awards and ‘Next-Gen Film Award’ at the 2018 Melbourne Women in Film Festival. Her second film heT True History of Billie the Kid premiered at the 2018 Melbourne International Film Festival.

Leticia Cáceres

3 CO-WRITER’S NOTE URSULA YOVICH & ALANA VALENTINE

Alana So, we’ve written the play together so we should write the note together too, right?

Ursula Yeah.

Alana You go first.

Ursula Just shut up and go first will you?

Alana There she is, there’s Barbara.

Ursula Yeah, so fuckin’ get on with it.

Alana I first met Ursula Yovich’s alter-ego ‘Barbara’ at the in 2008. My play Parramatta Girls had been nominated but not won and I was having a consoling champagne on an after-party couch.

Ursula Yeah, you were sulking.

Alana No, I wasn’t.

Ursula Yeah, you were.

Alana Anyway, Ms Yovich, who had won the Helpmann for Best Female Actor in 2007 for her performance in Capricornia and whom I admired as one of Australia’s most talented performers, began to regale the partygoers with a ‘persona’ that was very different to the version of herself that Ursula said she was given the opportunity to expose on the Australian stage at that time.

Ursula Barbara was pissed off, ramped up, foul-mouthed, shamelessly sexual, flirtatious, and dangerous.

Alana She was wild-eyed, hip-shaking, loud-laughing and brilliant good fun. If you could continue to watch her between tears of helpless laughter and howls of disbelief, this was a version of First Nations female power to conjure stereotype-busting magic with.

Ursula I guess it was a version of me that was pretty raw and exposed. A version that doesn’t usually see the light of day.

Alana It was one of those moments when you witness something profound, you open your eyes to see what has always been there and you can never see that person in the same way again.

Ursula When Vicki Gordon began managing my music career in 2010, she encouraged Alana and I to work together on a show for Barbara. You didn’t have to ask me twice. I had already felt the power of Alana’s words when we worked together on Barefoot Divas. I was given a monologue that encapsulated my frustration

4 and anger. I was fired up and it felt like a natural progression to create an entire show around this anger and frustration and who better to tell this story than Barbara?

Alana Stephen Page, having met Barbara, I supposed, on a few occasions, joked that Barbara could have her own band called the Camp Dogs, after the dogs that hang around camp fires in the Territory and elsewhere.

Ursula Yes, this has been a running joke since 1999. With Vicki’s help, I applied to the Australia Council which funded development workshops of the musical.

Alana With the brilliant Elaine Crombie and Jeremy Brennan, and the powerhouse Casey Donovan, directed by Leah Purcell.

Ursula Vicki brought in stylist Melaine Knight and bass player Adam Ventoura who invited Debbie Yap and Michelle Vincent into the ‘all girl, sort of’ band.

Alana When Eamon Flack came to a rough draft showing of the work in 2013 on a rainy Saturday out at the University of NSW, he saw the Barbara that we all saw that day – untamed, furious and sizzling hot.

Ursula With Belvoir’s support we continued to work on the drama, and Adam and Alana and I would meet up and write songs.

Alana Sitting in a circle and waiting as Ursula brought the remarkable instrument that is her singing voice to cohere the words and melodies.

Ursula Vicki contributed her punk heritage influence with music for ‘Tick Sista’, brought in Jessica Dunn, and with Troy Brady and Elaine Crombie the show was ready to rock.

Alana During rehearsals Ursula and I would to sit next to each other and pass the laptop literally back and forth, as she wrote a section or revised a lyric and then passed it back to me to augment and write more. I can honestly say that it was a bizarre and wonderful experience of having two brains synchronised to one voice. Thank you to Sharne McGee and the many Katherine residents who have welcomed me to their town – especially Toni Tapp Coutts and Jill and Bill Pettigrew. This journey has been all about Ms Yovich and her profoundly unique spirit and I’m very grateful to have been able to ride with her in Barbara’s motorbike sidecar.

Ursula I’d like to put Barbara aside for a just a moment and give my love and appreciation to Alana for guiding and nurturing me as a new writer. For sharing belly laugh after belly laugh and encouraging me to bring Barbara into the foreground and to always jump head first into the shamelessness of this wonderful, complicated, intelligent and messed-up woman. Barbara is a mix of two very strong spirits and she could not have been conjured up without Alana, myself and every strong woman we have crossed paths with in our lives thus far.

A & U We’d like to thank Leticia Cáceres for her incredible care, passion and vision for this work and for assembling such an amazing design and production team. Special thanks to Kamahi Djordon King for the original

5 artwork fabric. We also thank all the staff at Belvoir, especially Eamon Flack for supporting us to let Barbara and René and Joseph and the Camp Dogs loose onto the world.

Ursula Thank you to Monica Keightley and the rest of the MKM family and of course to my family, my father Slobodan Jović (Stan the Man) and my siblings who are my heart. My daughter Djarla and to Stewart for putting up with my extreme highs and my lows.

Alana I guess we should give a language warning for this play.

Ursula You mean the c-bombs and f-bombs.

Alana There’s a few.

Ursula And is that likely to worry anyone?

Alana Well, since the play premiered in 2017 it’s been nominated for Best New Australian Work and Best Original score in the Sydney Theatre Awards, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Drama and the NSW Premier’s Literary Award Nick Enright Prize for Drama.

Ursula Sweet.

Alana So buy the CD?

Ursula Yeah, buy the CD.

Alana And enjoy the show.

Ursula Indigenous Sovereignty has never been ceded or extinguished. Respect and thanks to the elders of this Gadigal land. Enjoy the show.

Ursula Yovich and Alana Valentine

6 PRODUCTION ELEMENTS

The elements of production are the technical and visual elements used to manipulate the elements of drama in order to effectively tell a play’s story.

In these notes we are going to look at Barbara and the Camp Dogs Set model box Costume references & renderings Lighting Design

SET DESIGN Before a set is made for a production, a set designer creates a design for a model box built to the scale of the theatre. Usually this model box is exactly 25 times smaller than the real size of the theatre (1:25 scale). The purpose of this step in the design process is to give the creative and production team a chance to review the design before it is constructed. The model box provides specific information about texture, materials, look and detail of a set.

Set Model Box by Stephen Curtis

7 The set of Barbara and the Camp Dogs Set Design Stephen Curtis

Questions to consider after seeing this production

1. What is the key difference between the early model box design & the final set design? 2. Why might this change have taken place? 3. How many different locations were represented in the production? 4. How were the set pieces used to represent different locations? 5. How has the designer used stage space, texture, colour and composition to enhance dramatic meaning?

8 AN INTERVIEW WITH LIGHTING DESIGNER KAREN NORRIS

Karen has extensive experience as a lighting designer for theatre, dance and music throughout Australia and Europe. She has worked for numerous theatre and dance companies including Belvoir, Sydney Theatre Company, State Theatre Company South Australia, Melbourne Theatre Company, Ensemble Theatre, Griffin, , Bangarra Dance Theatre, Red Shed Theatre Company, One Extra Dance Company, Powerhouse Museum and Sydney Dance Company. Barbara and the Camp Dogs is the third production that Karen has designed the lighting for at Belvoir

How did you get started as a lighting designer? I had a very interesting introduction to lighting design. I was always into the arts. I wanted to be an actor or a dancer or an artist. I always saw myself doing something like that. Then when I was really young - just out of school - my boyfriend was working as a musician and he needed someone to do the lights. That’s how I started doing lighting design. For me it was another form of art. Painting with light. To start with I learned on the job. Later I did more formal training when I moved to Australia and worked at the Opera House and then I got a job at the Australian Opera. I was their first female technician. I then received an Australia Council grant to work with Nigel Levings and learn the techniques in more detail.

As a lighting designer, what do you look for during a first read of the play? Emotion. When I sit down and read I just go with it. I’m totally visual and it’s all emotive. I’m looking at the whole journey the play takes you on. I see things visually.

What were your initial thoughts when you first read Barbara and the Camp Dogs? I just knew it was a winner and the songs blow it away. It takes you on so many different levels that we all identify with which makes it a special piece of work. I’m very excited to work on it.

Could you describe the first step in your design process after you have read the script? A really important thing as a designer is all of the technical specifications that come from the theatre and your budget. That’s really important. But even more important than that is talking with your director and your set designer and having an understanding of their journey and what they want out of the piece. So you’re kind of marrying everything so that we’re all on the same page because a really important thing about design is all working together. It’s not about egos. Design is also about being flexible. We might get in to the theatre and something will change so you’ve just got to be able to be flexible with your vision as well.

Where did you go to find design references and inspiration for Barbara and the Camp Dogs? I grew up in the music industry. My boyfriend was in rock ‘n' roll and I lit rock ‘n' roll before I moved into theatre. That’s my beginning. So that’s where my inspiration comes from.

How does the music influence your lighting design? Big time. It’s everything. Especially this one because it goes on so many different tangents. And the music does that whole emotional journey. Especially the way that Leticia has blocked the songs on stage. Music is all emotion.

9 You have limited time to get the lighting design right in the theatre. What kind of paperwork and plans do you prepare for your design to ensure that everything runs smoothly once in the theatre? We’ve got a very intensive drawing that I have worked on a lot with my assistant. That’s changed about three times already. Just little things. You’ve got to make sure everything is to scale. When you get into the theatre you’ve got so many technicians working on the rig and everyone’s up against the pump because we only have two days for bump in then we start focusing. That drawing is everything. Everything in that show is on that drawing. All of the colours; the patching; the channel numbers. Our production manager will make sure that they have patches for every channel. The lighting operator will come in and will work on the lighting board pre-programming. So there’s a lot of stuff that goes on before we even start to focus. It’s tight. It’s a busy and exciting process and then a week later it’s all up and in the hands of the cast and the stage manager.

What advice would you have for anyone looking to pursue a career in lighting design? The best thing that happened to me was actually going out and doing it and learning myself and learning in a good venue where you get to work on lots of different shows. That’s how I learnt. Also try to find someone to learn from. I take on students and teach them and I have assistants. I love taking students on because I didn’t get that until I worked with Nigel Levings. If I had had that opportunity earlier it would’ve made things so much quicker for me.

Elaine Crombie & Ursula Yovich (2017)

10 COSTUME DESIGN: REFERENCES & RENDERINGS

Character: BARBARA

Costume references by Chloe Greaves

Costume rendering by Chloe Greaves Ursula Yovich as Barbara

11 Character: RENÉ

Costume references by Chloe Greaves

Costume rendering by Chloe Greaves Elaine Crombie as René

12 Character: JOSEPH

Costume references by Chloe Greaves

Costume rendering by Chloe Greaves Troy Brady as Joseph

13 Character: THE CAMP DOGS

Costume references by Chloe Greaves

Costume rendering by Chloe Greaves Jessica Dunn as one of The Camp Dogs

14 POST SHOW DISCUSSION

The characters Barbara and Renè often break the fourth wall. What was the impact of these moments of direct address?

Ursula Yovich (2017)

The narrative is interspersed with songs. How did the actors transition from scene to song?

Troy Brady (2017)

15 The band remains visible onstage for the duration of the performance. What is the impact of their presence?

Debbie Yap, Michelle Vincent & Jessica Dunn (2017)

What was the impact of having audience members seated on stage?

Elaine Crombie & Ursula Yovich (2017)

16 How is humour used in the production to lighten moments and to provoke thought on serious issues?

Ursula Yovich (2017)

The play explores the personal relationship between Barbara and her cousin René. How does the play use this exploration to draw attention to broader social concerns?

Ursula Yovich & Elaine Crombie (2017)

17 Which character did you identify with the most? Why?

Elaine Crombie & Ursula Yovich (2017)

How did you feel at the end of the production? Why do you think the decision was made to end the production with a song?

Elaine Crombie, Ursula Yovich & Troy Brady (2017)

18 PODCAST

Step behind the scenes with co-writers Alana Valentine and Ursula Yovich, and actor Elaine Crombie as they discuss this powerful new work.

*Please note that there is some strong language used in this podcast.

Produced by Zoe Ferguson for Belvoir

Listen to the Barbara and the Camp Dogs podcast online here: https://omny.fm/shows/belvoir/barbara-and-the-camp-dogs-backstage

19 CONTACT EDUCATION

JANE MAY, EDUCATION MANAGER 02 8396 6222 [email protected]

Belvoir Education would like to thank Chloe Greaves, Karen Norris, Michael Kennedy, Krista Tanuwibawa and Paige Ahearn for their support creating these resources.

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