Bridges Health & Community Care will soon host theatrical performance Ready or Not in Bundaberg as part of an initiative that champions regional Queensland artists and creates meaningful experiences for regional audiences.
Ready or Not is a theatrical retelling of the legacy that remains when innocence is taken away.
Gold Coast-based artist Ainslee Palmer will perform her work, directed by Lisa Smith, in Bundaberg on the 22 and 23 November.
In Ready or Not, Ainslee finds her voice in the character of Darling, a voiceless woman yearning for conversation.
The work is a highly physical, deeply personal fever dream of birthday parties, horse races and Stepford Wives, and an honest and often moving interrogation of what is left behind once ‘closed doors’ are opened.
Whilst the games and sunny dispositions of Ready or Not play with the audience’s imagination, the real game is in prompting the audience to consider the secrets we keep, the stories we survive, and the light that can still shine through into the darkest of places.
Ainslee said Ready or Not came out of the question “How do we find light in the darkness?”
“For me, that was through games,” she said.
“I made up a game to escape situations that felt unliveable, and I thought to myself “Surely other people have done that too?”
“Through many hours of conversation and replaying games from childhood, I discovered this is how we survived and thrived, and now how we can talk about the hard moments.
“I hope Ready or Not is an entertaining journey to a deeper conversation around inter-family violence and how we cannot feel ‘too much’ in our story.”
Ready or Not resonates with the vision for Bridges’ Arts-Led Wellbeing programming.
“It brings difficult conversations and stories to light through cleverly crafted theatre that we can all find meaning in,” explained Bridges Health & Community Care CEO Sharon Sarah.
Bridges is a proud partner in the Driving and Activating Regional Theatre Sector (DARTS) through JUTE Theatre in Cairns.
This is the second show that Bridges has hosted as part of this initiative that champions regional Queensland artists and creates meaningful experiences for regional audiences.
As part of the tour, Bridges are also hosting a workshop with White Rabbit Theatre for writers and theatre makers to experience the process that was used to develop the show. HERE I COME explores the magic of metaphor and autobiographical storytelling.
The two-hour workshop is open to participants aged 16 and over who are keen to experiment and play.
“Bridges is keen to support the development of local artists and encourage them to share stories through various artforms. This workshop with Ainslee and Lisa from White Rabbit Theatre will be a valuable experience for our local creatives,” said Sharon Sarah.
Workshop details
Here I Come, at venue to be confirmed (Bundaberg CBD)
Date: Thursday 21 November, 6.30- 8.30 pm
Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/here-i-come-workshop-for-writers-and-theatre-makers
Show details
Ready or Not at St Lukes Anglican School Performing Arts Centre
Address: 4 Mesger Street, Kalkie
Show dates: 22 and 23 November, 7 pm
Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/ready-or-not-by-white-rabbit-theatre
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