My Father’s Wars – a crazy night…
We had an extraordinary night on Friday past – the public showing of My Father’s Wars – the theatre production.
An audience of students, teachers, stakeholders and friends.
The final stage of a journey through different mediums, different conceptions, responding to different audiences and levels of access. And creating different futures for the work – digital and live, in schools, community centres, perhaps RSLs, aged care homes.
Some feedback suggested this might speak to young and old audiences – 16yo HALO players – and 70 year old Vietnam veterans and their families…
The last week has been ridiculous: manoeuvring through the suddenly changed COVID requirements on public performances, keeping an eye on news posts, printing off new checklists and signage, Plans C and D, ironing, speed runs, sugar hits from chocolate and cheese cakes; recording some of the Ed videos – “I’ll tell them to be quiet,” says Barb Lowing of the chatty off-stage cast – and God help them if she arrived as her alter-egos, ‘Trish’ or ‘Aunty Muriel’!… you’re caught between hysterical laughter or sphincter-clenching fear!
But then it was about the story…
And the storm – can you believe the fricking, thundering storm that hammered down, on cue, and was taken as SFX by half the audience – even though the actors suddenly increased their projection by 50%!
So, a huge thank-you to the company for the love, hard work, giggles, curries, burritos, cakes, and commitment.
Thanks to Yeronga SHS for their welcome and their fabulous students and staff.
Thanks to family and friends who have ferried, and graphically designed, and hosted and fed us and shopped, and those who advised, and dealt with somewhat frayed tempers and reminded us that it’s not brain surgery – no-one’s going to die…
My Father’s Wars has been supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. It has also been supported by the State Library of Queensland through the QANZAC 100 Fellowships, and, previously, by the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and the Tivoli.
