Richard speaks with playwright Merrilee Moss about her new work Running with Emus. Moss was inspired to write this work when she moved to a country town and was "thrust into the role of outsider, otherwise known as blow-in".
Then Richard talks with Sam Strong the director of the new version of David Williamson's play Emerald City, which has been put on to celebrate Williamson's 50th year as a playwright. Strong believes that people have a right to represent their own stories in their own voice. He says that this play was originally groundbreaking in representing an Australian story in an Australian voice, and such works have since helped people of other groups to do the same.
Finally Richard interviews artist Matthew Sleeth about his work A Drone Opera. This work is the culmination of ongoing multi-disclipinary practice around the themes of surveillance, fetishisation of technology, and the military aspect of drones.
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
