Listen to The Will to Be, Shawn the Sheep’s Circus Show and Mayflies and Stars39:3915 April 2021

This week on SmartArts, Theatre-maker Mark Salvestro joins Richard to discuss ‘The Will to Be’, an award-winning solo show running at La Mama as part of Midsumma 2021. The piece blends Shakespearean language and Australian history to explore societal attitudes towards homosexuality in the 1960s.

Artistic Director of Circa Yaron Lifschitz introduces the company’s latest performance, ‘Shawn the Sheep’s Circus Show’ produced in collaboration with UK animation studio Aardman.

Finally, artist Kyoko Imazu talks about ‘Mayflies and Stars’, a visual arts exhibition at ArtSpace in Ringwood. Created during last year’s lockdown, the display draws attention to the tiny creatures who share the world with us through intricate paper cuts and shadow puppetry.

About this program

Visual art, theatre, film and literature. Segments include:

  • 'Art Attack' - fortnightly visual arts reviews with Ace Wagstaff and Tai Snaith.
  • 'Shoot the Messenger' - fortnightly theatre news & reviews with Fleur Kilpatrick.
  • 'Drawn Out' - monthly chat about comic books and graphic novels with Bernard Caleo.

Please email talks@rrr.org.au for all interview requests.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Richard Watts has many years experience working in the arts industry, including five years as the Artistic Director of the youth arts organisation Express Media, seven years on the Board of Melbourne Fringe (including three years as Chair), and six years on the Committee of Management at La Mama Theatre, where he currently serves as Chair. Richard has helped program a range of festivals including Next Wave, the National Young Writers' Festival, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival and the Emerging Writers' Festival (which he founded) and he has written for various broadsheets, journals, zines and magazines. Currently he pays the rent by working as the Performing Arts Editor at www.artshub.com.au. In his spare time he watches old Doctor Who episodes.


The podcast intro and outro theme is Soft Illusion and was generously provided by Andras.

https://andras.bandcamp.com/track/soft-illusion

Presenters