Battling Narnia for the best wardrobe in
town at Big West Festival will be Wolf
Boy and Zombie Dad. With a combination of puppetry, mime, sound and image,
father and son team, Anthony and Callum Crowley, will be taking audiences
through a unique journey on life and time.
"The show is about how precious time
is and how we choose to experience it, as it constantly moves through us and
away from us," explains Anthony. "It's about children and how they
consume it; the paradox of time. How you can dedicate hours of time to creating
nothing and then how a second can reveal the universe if you are in tune to the
moment."
Both Crowleys come from strong artistic and
theatrical backgrounds; Anthony works as a teaching artist for various schools
and was the Artistic Director of St.Martins Youth Arts Centre between 2005 - 2008.
Ten-year-old Callum, has been learning
dance for five years, has trained with West Side circus, undertaken puppetry
workshops, and created his own acrobatic routines. He has also performed with
Action Youth in Altona and Altona City Theatre.
The concept of Wolf Boy and Zombie Dad began from some simple games between the
two. "It started as a game that Callum and I will play in the car - when
he will imagine there is a werewolf on the road and we will improvise as we tried
to deal with the problem, very unsuccessfully." Anthony says.
"Then Callum has this other game he
likes to play pretending there is a monster in the cupboard only I refuse to
see it, until I DO see it and get the FRIGHT OF MY LIFE. None of that will
necessarily end up in the performance we create but it got us thinking about
how to take our playfulness and turn it into something intriguing for an
audience. Then my wife found an old wardrobe in a Salvo's store and we thought
it would make a cool puppet box to play with," He explains.
Despite their extensive work and
involvement with theatre and performing, there are still some nerves about the
upcoming show. "My carpentry isn't world class and we're not sure how to
tie the wardrobe to the roof of the car yet! But the process is everything when
you make a piece of theatre, and our process has been steady and meaningful and
has brought us closer together as father and son, it is allowing us both to
express something from our hearts and souls."
The intent behind the show is not just pure
entertainment but to stop and reflect on life, even for just a moment. "We
hope audiences will take away the beauty of children, the absurdity of parents
and the existential bliss of family life in all its forms from seeing this
show. We hope it stimulates great discussion around the dinner table.”
Venue: HOUSE at the Big West Village, Corner of Paisley & French Streets, Footscray
Season: 20 - 21 November | Fri-Sat 6 - 7.30pm
Tickets: FREE
Info: Big West Festival
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