Written By Thor Morrison
Upcoming creatives need a place to experiment, to prosper, to explore, and even to sometimes miss the mark. It is essential that spaces that allow this to happen exist, especially in a world obsessed with perfectionism. The Freshblood Festival is an annual event run by QUT Student Theatre Company Vena Cava, focused on young writers and performers, and it does just that. It provides a space for the new and upcoming creatives of Brisbane and surrounds to experiment, have fun, and create really exciting performances. Held at BackDock Arts in Fortitude Valley, and running over two consecutive weekends, it is a massive endeavour Vena Cava have given themselves. 14 independent shows, two play readings, and 8 music acts ensure that Freshblood has something for everyone to enjoy, and shows the variety and scale of the Festival itself. Drama Dispatch was able to attend most of the second weekend, seeing a total of seven shows and a play reading, and was greatly impressed by the variety of styles and subject matter on display. Improv or shows with improv within them were in abundance, as well as the more traditional storylines. There were a wide range of comedy styles ranging from absurdist to irreverent, as well as a large selection of works centred on more serious topics.
BackDock Arts is a small venue, with a setup that is tricky to navigate. Built into the ground floor and courtyard of an old house, it has limited seating and a small stage, but one that Freshblood managed to utilise to its fullest potential. The sets of each production were simple and small, but well thought-out, and enhanced each storyline beautifully. The courtyard outside was also used to showcase the music acts, and provided an space to sit in the lull between shows. This lull is the only real piece of critique I have for the Festival, as it felt like a missed opportunity for Vena Cava to showcase more young and upcoming creative’s work, perhaps in the form of market stalls. The ability to buy food and drink onsite would also have been a welcome addition to the Festival.
There’s A Bear Out There
An absurdist comedy version of a chamber play, depicting two characters stuck inside a cabin while a bear patrols outside. The two actors Cadence McManus and Cleo had a solid connection as frustrated roommates, and had a good sense of combined comedic timing. Writer and director Kyle O’Donohue created a funny and engaging story, with a refreshing sense of the absurd, and their direction complemented this. The play answered its own questions in a funny and interesting way, and the surprise of a bear appearing onstage was met with laughter and applause. The humour was genuinely funny and engaging, while managing to tread the line of awkward, which was refreshing and worked well. This production was enjoyable and appealing, with solid acting, directing, and storyline.
Theatre for Dummies
Improv, dystopia, and as many drama nerd references as possible, what’s not to like? Theatre for Dummies follows two siblings in a dystopian world attempting to connect with their parent, whose role as the keeper of knowledge, called the Human Library, has caused them to go mad. Lottie Nella, writer and director, created a dystopian world that was believable, by no means an easy feat for a show with a 30minute runtime, and a cast of characters that were intriguing and fun. References throughout the play to works such as Shakespeare, and to drama theory such as “yes and” had the audience laughing and engaged, without causing them to break out of the story. The performance from the cast of three, Azz Buckley-Oldfield, Cameron Grimmett, and Andrew Oxford, captured the world they inhabited, and allowed the themes of the play to come through with care, similar to the care shown to the Human Library, Buckley-Oldfield’s character in the play. Grimmett and Oxford had a great dynamic as the siblings, and Buckley-Oldfield’s portrayal of a slightly tortured parent struggling to connect with their children brilliantly trod the line between heartbreaking and heartwarming.
Renegade: The Types of Heartbreak
An interesting flip on the traditional heartbreak story, showing moments of genuine human connection and kindness. Renegade: The Types of Heartbreak follows a number of short stories showcasing the people who are there for us when we need them most, the friends or family that help us dig ourselves out of the hole we sometimes find ourselves. Writer Claire Stockwell has created a simple but effective story, showcasing five scenes of heartbreak and how those affected can be helped by the simplest of measures, human kindness and connection. It is a gentle reminder that the people that we love are always there for us, and that it goes both ways. Claire Stockwell and Codirector Ad Reid crafted onstage moments with the care that the story required, allowing characters to simply sit with their emotions as well as openly portray them to the audience. The character of the Narrator played by Isabelle Arthur moved through the stories linking each one, while staying aloof from it all, with an air of gentle parenting in the best possible way. Jade-Monet Calleija, James Grant, Gracie Hosie, Andrew Oxford and Zoe Tempany all gave excellent performances as their respective multiple characters, representing the many faces of heartbreak with honesty and respect.
A Heart’s Echo (reading)
Cheesy romance extraordinaire! A Heart’s Echo follows an ex-long-term partner who turns up at the wedding of his beloved to finally learn the secret of why she dumped him. Written by Edwina Saudners, Jordyn Wittman and Sophie Duck this play felt like a Wattpad romance in a good way, cheesy and enjoyable as long as you kept it light and didn’t think about it to hard. It was a staged reading, so while the actors had scripts in hand they also had blocking, and obviously had made strong character choices. Rutika Nagarkar, Kaden Jackson, Andrew Oxford, Tess Cummins and Abraham Watterson all seemed to be having fun in the world of A Heart’s Echo and it showed to the audience, who were engaged and along for the ride.
Thicker than Water
A completely improvised show, centred on family dynamics and supplemented by audience prompts. Thicker than Water was the only fully improvised show I saw, despite many of the plays having elements of improv throughout. Asking the audience for prompts about bizarre family ended up with a story centred around a TikTok drug dealer, and it progressed from there! Daniel Johnston’s direction set up the two performers with a clear premise and mechanics which worked throughout. Ella Humphreys and Ben Spalding had a strong connection, were engaging and quick-witted, and able to take on multiple different characters convincingly and clearly present them to the audience. Thicker than Water showcased fun, enjoyable, and impressive improv.
Dying!
Absolute frenzied fun, surrealism and comedy and chaos. Dying! deals with existentialism, and the consideration that all may not be real… This production was big on audience participation and made it clear from the start. Writer and director Kodi Ryke began the show with an introduction that said just that, and encouraged the audience to shout suggestions, laugh out loud, and stand up out of their seats, which people were happy to comply with. The atmosphere for the whole show was electric, heightened and tense, with raucous laughter from the audience punctuated by the shrieks and yells from cast on stage. The improv skills displayed by the cast were excellent, with the story kept front and centre even while things went off the rails. The ensemble comprised of Monica Behrenbrunch, Tara Bennett, Jade King, and Dylan Spokes played wickedly cheerful and exuberant characters, which may or may not have been figments of the imagination of Jamie Power-Lake’s character. Adria Cunningham was the voice of reason (possibly?) within the play, but who really knows with this show. Cunningham’s acting showed compassion and care, as well as the insanity required for this play, and Power-Lake’s acting as the concerned and confused lead was a lovely mix of bewilderment and strength. Dying! dragged the audience along for an epic adventure, and it was worth every second of it. This production would not feel out of place in a bigger Fringe Festival setting, pushing boundaries and revelling in the pure aliveness of the work.
12 Letters of Literature
Wattpad fanfic heaven! Funny, bawdy and bursting with life, 12 Letters of Literature explored what could happen if Shakespeare himself reviewed some of Wattpad fanfiction’s choicest offerings. As you can imagine, this does not go down particularly well with the Bard, a very different reaction to that of the audience. Laughter was in abundance, with each new fanfiction prompting squeals of delight with a fair amount of intentional cringing. The creators and actors Brianna Wilkie, Tianna Major, Kaity Fogarty, Hollie Pianta, Dominic Mitchell, Ethan Malcomson, Drew Tenkate, Emma Nelson and Claudia Lyons wrote short stories that appealed to a large range of fandoms from A Court of Thorns and Roses to Star Wars, Harry Potter to Twilight, with varying degrees of raunchiness and fun. The whole show felt like the guilty pleasure fanfiction can be, and the audience loved every second. This is the show that provoked the most laughter, and took everyone along for a wild journey through sordid imagination and fun.
Never Blue
Never Blue was the headline show of Freshblood Festival, developed through Vena Cava’s Evolution Program under Liv Gainsford, and tackled the experience of a person going through the loss of their partner, and being subsequently sent to a wellness retreat called Never Blue. The other visitors of the retreat all have their own reasons for being there, and the owner may be an alcoholic, but who says it won’t work out? Tori Brown has written a moving piece of theatre which manages to look at a number of topics in its short runtime, and provides believable and fleshed-out characters to compliment them. Director Darcy Neville created beautiful moments as well as poignant ones, in particular the dream sequences of the play felt well thought-out and presented. Holly Lightbody was excellent as the lead actor,
portraying a grieving partner with tenderness and care, even within the anger that the character so often presented to the world. Elisabeth Dunn played the retreat’s alcoholic psychologist with a wonderful mix of laissez-faire and genuine concern for the retreat’s patients. Artemisia’s portrayal of Lightbody’s deceased partner was what really cemented the dream sequences as some of the best moments in the production. Azz Buckley-Oldfield, Lucy Holt, Mackenzie, and Tehana Weston played the retreat’s other occupants with enthusiasm and detail, providing well-rounded characters to fill the world of Never Blue. The Production team, Stage Manager Carys Walsh and Assistant Stage Manager Levi Paroz, use of set complemented the action beautifully, and allowed the world to open up for the audience. Everything was in place and well utilised, with no prop or set piece there without reason. This is the production that I can most see living a life beyond Freshblood Festival, and continuing on to a deeper exploration of its themes and characters. I hope it does!
Freshblood Festival was a great success, with many creatives able to spread their wings and fly on its small stage. Keep an eye out for when it returns next year see some of the best emerging artists in Brisbane as this is where you will find them.
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