The Cast Of Sunnytown Shine Down On Brisbane

'Sunnytown' takes the audience on a trip into a young girl's mind as part of La Boite Theatre's 2015 Indie Season.

The play alternates between a 13-year-old girl's troubled domestic life and her subconscious as she retreats into herself to escape life's problems. Director Heather Fairbairn joined production after she “fell in love with [the] magical surrealism” of the script. “It's a little bit like an Australian 'Alice In Wonderland'. We follow this girl's journey as she goes inside her mind, into an extravagant shopping centre that she has conjured in order to escape from the problems of living with her warring parents.”

Cast members Caroline Dunphy, Olivia Hall-Smith, Vanessa Krummenacher and Ron Kelly delve into their characters, the plot and Sunnytown:

What is the role of your character in the play?
Caroline: Marg – Dani’s Mum.
Olivia: I play the role of Danika, or Dani, who is the daughter of Margaret and Jim, as well as Miranda’s best friend. She’s a young girl whose strategy to cope with her surroundings takes the form of an extravagant, made-up place called Sunnytown, where she goes to escape when things get a bit too much for her to handle.
Vanessa: I play the role of Miranda.
Ron: I play the role of Jim. He's a far from perfect but perfectly recognisable kind of guy...

Olivia Hall-Smith

What attracted you most to the story of 'Sunnytown'?
C: Very much reality vs. the imagination! The play is grounded in a not so perfect household situation (of a marriage gone haywire and the repercussions on an only child) but then surprisingly takes us on a roller coaster ride through a playful abstract existence of Dani’s (the daughter’s) mind. I love the clash of worlds! This play challenges the very real roles and responsibilities of parenting, and with that it ,pushes the characters to play out the unsuspecting dark, humorous danger zones. For me, it’s definitely that unexpected, almost Roald Dahl-type territory based in an identifiable truth.
O: I think I was most drawn to how the play explores the ways that people cope with elements of their life, such as the situations or the relationships that they’re in, whether that be in a negative or a positive way.
V: I love that the story is so real and prevalent in the lives we live today.
So often a family household will look so normal to the eye from the outside but we never really know what is happening on the inside. And I guess this can relate to so many other situations.
R: To be honest, I was drawn to the tension of 'Sunnytown'. Having the complex worlds of a 'normal' family unfold. It's a complex and compelling play, raw, with nowhere to hide, therefore a challenge and also appealing. Best reason for wanting to do a show I suppose.

Caroline Dunphy

Have you done much acting previously?
C: Yes I trained as an actor and have pursued that career in theatre, film and television (also through less traditional pathways) for almost two decades while merging into directing.
O: Well, I started classes for drama and theatre when I was about seven and continued that training at various places throughout primary and high school, as well as performing in small amateur theatre productions and school productions during that time. Since graduating high school in 2013, I’ve tried to throw myself headfirst into the industry and have been in a number of plays, short films and musicals since then.
V: I was trained at the Conservatorium Of Music, graduating in 2013 with a Bachelor Of Musical Theatre. I have been performing professionally for two years now for a range of company's throughout Australia and Internationally. It's important to be versatile in order to be able to take on as many opportunities as possible!
R: I've been around for years but don't do a lot of theatre really. I've worked with most companies around town. I also spent five years touring regularly both here and overseas with a show that kept me out of the loop a bit too. Most importantly, I'm still hungry to learn and I'm doing that with 'Sunnytown'. Heather's process is new and challenging to me and having Krystal at rehearsals is very helpful with the script and character analysis.

Ron Kelly

How do you get into the mindset of your character?
C: Connectedness to the real world and the psychological workings of people, but I’m also a big believer in imaginative play with character. Also getting in touch with my own strengths and sensitivities.
O: I think for me, it’s just about finding the honesty of what Dani’s going through within myself. Trying to explore the parts of me and the experiences that I’ve had that relate to what Dani’s going through, and then using those things to bring Dani’s world to life in an authentic and truthful way.
V: I usually always bring a part of myself to a character I'm playing.
For Miranda in particular she is such a cheeky and playful soul, this side of her is really enjoyable for me! I also always remember my characters intentions and objectives which contribute to her overall journey.
R: Heather and Krystal have been great with their breakdowns and insight into the worlds of Sunnytown. The work we have done so far has helped map out a very clear picture of Jim and all the characters. It helps us to all be on the same page so to speak.

Vanessa Krummenacher

How are you approaching the more surreal elements of the play?
C: I enjoy the world of the surreal as an actor having worked for many years in avant-garde theatre and being passionate about art. Working with dancers also whilst training in the Suzuki Actor Training Method taught me a lot about body and movement on stage and how to execute some of those ideas and constructs as an actor through the psychological and heightened physicality combined. I guess it’s very much in my nature now as an actor so I’m comfortable with moving in and out of this sort of play.
O: With excitement a very open mind. I love watching surreal and abstract theatre, so actually being able to create that kind of work and to be a part of that process is super enjoyable for me.
V: I'm trying to approach every part of the play, whether surreal or naturalistic, as an extension of our minds, an expression of our human nature and what we as humans can experience on a day to day basis.
R: I'm just throwing myself in and trusting in the script, the process and the cast, including me. The way it's coming together is very exciting. I'm doing things I've never done and in good company. Can't ask for more really.

Heather Fairbairn

What's going to surprise people about this show?
C: Definitely it’s very unique humorous spark and perhaps the ‘no go’ zones which the characters surprisingly take to task head on.
O: I think people are going to see the show and, regardless of the fantastical surreal elements of it, they’re going to find themselves being able to completely relate to the characters in one way or another. Whether it is through their own experiences, or be it through the observations they’ve made of other people and their relationships, they’ll find something that really resonates with them - as is what happens with any great piece of theatre.
V: There's a lot to be revealed, a lot of inner truth of each character to be explored that may not meet people's expectations of what will happen.
R: I don't know how much I should say... I think audiences will appreciate the staging. Its all on front of you, with nothing hidden. All the worlds that make the Harts who they are. Its also a stylised and stylish play. I know that if I wasn't in 'Sunnytown', I'd want to see it.

'Sunnytown' plays at La Boite, 14-31 October.