Adelaide Festival Of Arts presents the Australian premiere of 'The Country', the latest work from dynamic Adelaide-based theatre and dance creative team Jo Stone and Paulo Castro – Stone/Casto.
Written by daring contemporary playwright and “one of British theatre’s best-kept secrets,” (The Arts Desk) Martin Crimp, 'The' Country is a cryptic, psychological thriller set against an idyllic rural backdrop.
Director Paulo Castro discussed the performance in-depth:
What initially attracted Stone/Castro to this play?
We’ve been doing a lot of self-devised plays lately, but in reality my background is directing plays from writers, and transforming their plays in my particular style. 'The Country' attracted me a lot because Martin Crimp is the kind of writer who doesn’t give too many stage directions, I like writers who don’t go into too many special stage directions in their text because I try to find my own directions and put creativity in my work.
So 'The Country' is a text of Martin Crimp but in the end the play is finished very much in my style of work. I like this play a lot because he doesn’t explain too much, he makes characters disappear without explanations and that is what attracted me most, he leaves the ends of his plays very open.
Can you tell us a bit more about the themes explored in this work?
The themes in this play are around how a couple move to the country to find a better life, but in reality this same country suffocates them, makes them fall apart, destroys them with a fake ending. Their relationship is near the end with so many lies. Everything is camouflaged and at times it appears nothing is happening. In this play it appears that everything is falling apart; the characters, the set, the lights... everything will be served in a big collapse.
Since Stone/Castro is an Adelaide-based company, is it still exciting for you to premiere your work to a home crowd?
Yes, it’s very exciting to premiere our show here in Adelaide Festival in front of our fantastic audiences (and being in such a fantastic festival with a huge line-up). One of the things I am very proud of with Stone/Castro is that we win a particular audience year after year. The proof is that we’ve been selling so many tickets to 'The Country' some of the sessions are near sold out. It’s amazing to feel that.
It’s amazing to feel the support of the audience because our work is not commercial and I don’t worry about that. I am just worried about serving an object with quality. I don’t care if it looks radical or raw. It’s amazing we can premiere here in Adelaide and after that jump to Portugal with the show. Teatro Nacional S.Joao Porto are already interested to receive this work.
Can you give a sneak peek into what to expect in your production of 'The Country'?
I think people will be surprised with the quality of Martin Crimp’s text. My theatre is very symbolic and because of that it’s full of imaginary, full of craziness, full of risk, and that is what the audience need to expect in this play.
'The Country' plays State Opera Studio 7-13 March as part of Adelaide Festival which runs 26 February - 14 March.
