Shock Therapy Productions and Zeal Theatre collide in 'The Forwards', a show about a little town called Pintoon.
Nothing ever happens in Pintoon... Except the footy. 'The Forwards' delves into the pressures of being a young person in the sporting world. Co-founder of Shock Therapy Productions and actor in the show Sam Foster answers some questions.
This show is going to 'blur the line between actor and audience'… How so?
As the audience enter the Visy theatre they find themselves stepping inside the town of Pintoon. They see players stretching and warming up and they are bestowed with names of characters in the town (Shovelbrain, Shaker, Grumpsy, etc). They are encouraged to cheer and get behind the Mighty Pintoon Parrots in the lead up to the big game. Alongside Hayden Jones, you founded Shock Therapy Productions in 2015.
What is the goal when it comes to this company?
Our motivation is to tell stories that are meaningful and thought-provoking. To entertain while at the same time make people to think and feel. To examine our humanity through a storytelling style that is both confronting and cathartic. Our goal is to establish Shock Therapy Productions as a leading international company.
As well as being the founder of Shock Therapy productions, you also perform as part of this show. What's your role?
All the actors in 'The Forwards' play multiple characters (about ten each). The main character I play is Hoges. Hoges is one of the three star forwards (alongside Gary Rabbit and Tractor) in the Pintoon Parrots.
It was written by Stefo Nantsou of Zeal Theatre. Has Shock Therapy been working closely with Stefo to put this show together?
I have been performing a schools touring version of 'The Forwards' under the banner of Zeal Theatre Qld since 2007. This new and extended version of the show was first produced for a season at the Arts Centre Gold Coast in 2015. Stefo has been my personal mentor and friend for many years and Zeal and Shock Therapy work very closely together not only on this production but on a number of projects.
'The Forwards' is set in a small town with a passion for footy. What else can you tell us about this show?
'The Forwards' is much more than just a show about footy. It is a unique style of theatre featuring multi-skilled performers who bring to life a range of characters in a very physical performance. 'The Forwards' is lifted by its theatricality – it's not a bunch of characters sitting around talking about their problems. It's people doing what they do – kicking a ball, dancing to a band down the pub, going to parties, being in dangerous situations, holding secrets, cheating, gambling, raising hopes and disappointing loved ones.
There are lots of relevant themes in this show like drinking, violence and more. Why do you think including things like this is important?
Because they are part of life. This show is based on true stories collected from real people in real communities. These are the issues that they are faced with on a daily basis, it is reality for them. If we expect to grow as a society then we must be able to examine these issues and understand the causes before we can change.
What do the rest of the cast bring to this performance?
One the strengths of both Zeal Theatre and Shock Therapy Productions is the sense of ensemble in our work. It is what sets us apart from some of the major companies who work with different actors all the time and have a limited amount of time to build relationships. We work with the same cast on a regular basis, which builds trust and complicité and allows us to understand how everyone can work together to deliver the best performance.
How has putting 'The Forwards' together and seeing it come to life been so far?
As we have already performed the show in the past it is more a case of 'how can we make it better?'. We are constantly looking for ways to improve the show. It’s a huge amount of fun. We love performing this show and we are all excited about the opportunity to finally share it with audiences at the Powerhouse.
What are you hoping people leave this show thinking and feeling?
I hope that audiences leave the show feeling impressed by the energy of the performers and the power of live theatre. I hope that they connect with the stories and the characters in the show and it makes them stop and think about their own lives. Maybe reflecting on the things they are grateful for, the mistakes they have made, their own relationships with friends and family and their own responsibilities.
