ARTIST OF THE WEEK: Q&A WITH IAIN SINCLAIR
What are you working on currently?
The Highway Crossing or The tale of the Golden Fish by The Estonian artist Jan Taate. An offbeat modern telling of the Russian fairy tale and a fascinating meditation on capitalism and greed from a country that experienced a massive and rapid shift in economies from soviet to capitalist. It has been translated by Hendrik Elstein and adapted by Duncan Graham. I’m acting in it with Hendrik, Aimee Horne and Sam Haft. It’s a co-op in the truest sense and an excellent exercise in old fashioned mind bending storytelling. I’m dramaturg on Angela Beitzein’s fantastic new work Helicopter down in Melbourne right now for an MTC season which deals with Australia’s growing obsession with safety and how that intersects with parenthood and immigration, Angela is one of the funniest, most honest, brilliantly cruel and ethical playwrights I have ever come across, its a project that I’m very excited about, she might just be a new Romeril. I also get to work on it with director Leticia Caceres whose In the Dark Room caused such a splash last year. I’m directing Allsop & Henderson’s new work “The Pork Stilleto”, I have been a fan of this comic duo since they smashed my tiny mind into a kaleidoscope of delights with their show “A Porthole into the Minds of the Vanquished”, this one is getting dramaturgy by Phil Spencer and is shaping up to be a frame within a frame within a mirror within a maze inside a thriller based around the panoply of different “philias” that exist in the world, two philias that come to mind are: Chrematistophilia where a person can only become sexually aroused if they are being blackmailedinto it and Altocalcicarnephilia where someone can only become aroused if their partner is wearing stilettos made out of meat. Did I mention that it was a comedy?
What was the most interesting thing you saw recently?
A dog swallowing, he had his heard out a car window and I nearly wept, what a simple joy. Two people I know who are pretending that they are not in love with each other. A sign at the urinals of the German club saying “do not place children here”. An Arab/Israeli restaurant opposite the UN. Vietnamese water puppets. Ghostfaced Killah pouring words like water out of jug last Saturday night. The person who donated their face for the world’s first face transplant saying in their will that they wanted their donation to ‘remain anonymous’.
What is the best piece of advice that you’ve been given?
“Shy boys never get any sweets” (from my Nanna Dot). “Even though its really fun always resist the urge to slag off another director” (From Max Stafford Clark) “The best way to ruin a recipe is by putting too much stuff in stuff” (From my second chef).
Who, past or present, would you like to share a meal with and why?
Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory so I could pretend I was the camera in My Dinner with Andre II. My Grandad George who worked down the pits in Durham County and died too soon, Damien Ryan because I think he is a damn fine director … everyone is supposed to say Ghandi and Shakespeare right? But Ghandi only ate dhal and drank his own wee and Elizabethan meals were all grey dripping and goose fat so I’d opt just for a friendly morning visit with those two … there are so many … although I did realise a dream the year before last when I had dinner with Tracy Letts when he was in town for August Osage County. August Osage County was the last time I heard a full theatre audibly gasp in unison. Ah good old fashioned no effing around straight up dramatic action. It’s true that a chair can be a horse if you put a bucket on it but if I had my druthers I’d choose an awesome piece of new playwrighting acted lean and hard over a chair and a bucket.
‘The Highway Crossing’ is currently in production.
Season June 9 to June 29 2012
Days & Times Tues – Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm
Prices Adult $33 / Concession $25 / Cheap Tuesdays $21 / Beer Taco Show Deal $42 ($35 on Cheap Tuesdays)
Check it out here.
