Acclaimed theatre maker Giema Contini has created (and performs in) 'Awesome Ocean Party', about a woman who believes she is half octopus.
We're all invited into the depths of her three hearts, as she presents a tale asking how we can transform pain and fear into vulnerability and courage – because being flawless is overrated and it's way more rewarding to realise that to be human is to be imperfect.
Giema gives us all the info on this show, which features original music by Nathan Stoneham and was nominated for Best Cabaret at Melbourne Fringe in 2016.
What's an 'Awesome Ocean Party'?
'Awesome Ocean Party' is a magic-realism-cabaret cross birthday party hosted by a woman who believes she is half octopus. Expect nostalgic covers of under-the-sea themed songs, cake, original music, recorder solos, personal stories of love, loss and loneliness and legends of amphibious family histories.
When you began to create this, what were your intentions?
I first started making this work back in 2012 through a funded programme called JUMP Mentorship Program (which sadly doesn’t exist anymore!). I had input from leading UK theatre director Pia Furtado and I wanted to make a show in response to my fascination with Broken Heart Syndrome (BHS): A diagnosable medical condition where people can literally die from a broken heart. I knew I wanted the show to have original live music, so I enlisted Nathan Stoneham from the beginning and I wanted the work to find a perfect balance of humour and pathos in order to connect with and move my audience.
Looking at the finished product, do you believe your intentions were met?
I think so! The show has beautiful original music written by Nathan (and some pretty fun covers of nostalgic tunes too) and I think the work hits that sweet-spot of a rollicking good time along with depth and meaning too.
Where did the idea to present the show as a woman who is half octopus come from?!
My original fascination with BHS led me there! The medical term for BHS is Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. It was named this because during the acute phase of the syndrome, the left ventricle bulges and takes on a balloon shape. This shape is similar in appearance to the Japanese fisherman's tako-tsubo, meaning an octopus trap. When I discovered this, I went down a rabbit-hole of research into octopuses and discovered so many amazing things! Like, they have three hearts and blue blood, they can taste everything they touch and according to the Hawaiian creation myth, they are considered to be the last living survivors from the previous universe. My imagination ran wild and from there a character was born who was half human, half octopus: With an octopus-man as her father (he was, of course, the last living descendent of the previous universe) and a human mother with a spot inside her heart perfectly shaped to fit an octopus.
What are you most looking forward to about bringing 'Awesome Ocean Party' to Wonderland Festival?
I’m most excited about sharing the work in its most ‘new and improved’ form! I had a revelation about the show last year which has led me to rewriting the ending and incorporating some new songs. I can’t wait to share it with audiences!
Why do you think it's a good fit for the event?
I’m pretty sure Wonderland Festival was made for shows like this! Wonderland celebrates the weird and the wonderful and 'Awesome Ocean Party' is exactly that: A theatrical birthday party cross cabaret hosted by a woman who is half octopus. . . Need I say more!?
What is the biggest challenge you have faced putting the performance together, and how have you overcome it?
This time around we were unfortunately denied permission to use a couple of very key songs in the show. The songs were of the very well-known under-the-sea themed cartoon variety. . . *cough Disney*. . . Not having permission to use these this time around has forced me to really get specific about the purpose of the songs and it’s meant I’ve had to get creative and rework whole sections of the show. Which means we now have three new songs! This is actually quite exciting in the end as I get to bring new music to life for this special Wonderland season.
How are you hoping your audiences react to the show?
I have been inspired by the work of Brené Brown in the creation of this show: Her research and writing on vulnerability, connection and shame in particular. She says that in order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be vulnerably seen and to believe we are worthy of connection. I hope the audience take a slice of this away with them and through experiencing this octopus woman’s story, they feel inspired to be courageously vulnerable: Feeling loved and connected.
Describe the show using a line from one of the original songs in 'Awesome Ocean Party'.
Underneath the birthday celebrations, the soft underbelly of the show can be described by these lines from the show’s song 'Lullaby':
“Child of mine
I breathed you into the dark.”
