Two Bright Lakes Blog

Seagull‘s Chris Bolton has lent his compositional gifts to a new theatre performance directed and devised by John Bolton and performed by Chris and Tom Davies. It’s showing now at La Mama Theatre in Carlton until March 3rd, get your tickets below while you still can.

Tickets available online
http://lamama.com.au/now-showing/summer-2013/what-a-joy-to-be-alive/
or via 03 9347 6142
$25 Full | $15 Concession

Wed, Fri, Sun 6:30pm | Thu, Sat 8:30pm
La Mama Theatre
205 Faraday Street, Carlton

What a Joy To Be Alive

The hypothesis must be entertained that I’ve got blood on my hands, but look, there’s nothin. Nah! Even under the fingernails. Nothin!

A duet for a musician and a man on the run, his crime unknown and his love remembered. Performed by Tom Davies and Chris Bolton, What a Joy to be Alive builds upon Home Stretch, the previous work of Davies and director JohnBolton, first developed for La Mama’s Explorations Season and then presented by The Dog Theatre.

The character played by Tom Davies has a mischievous glint in his eye. Sometimes we glimpse his deep sadness, sometimes he horrifies us, and sometimes he is incredibly funny. He moves like a strange animal, performs an obscene melodramatic pantomime and dances to exhaustion. The language employed by this character is spare, visceral and poetic: of the gut, the gutter and of beauty.

The music for the work is composed and performed by Chris Bolton. He plays a multitude of musical styles, which may be lyrical and atmospheric, loud and ferocious, classical Spanish guitar, samples, loops, or a haunting love song.

John Bolton weaves together the music, the humanity of the character and lighting by Shane Grant, to create a unique theatrical language rich in ambiguity and complexity. What a Joy to be Alive paints a picture, which is both figural and abstract; at times we see a distinctive character with his troubles and hopes, at other times body, music and light bleed together to create an enigmatic world unto itself.

“Vividly crafted…Davies harnesses the rarest of commodities in Australian theatre – unadulterated testosterone – to an effortless performance style” – Cameron Woodhead, The Age (on Home Stretch)

Directed and devised by John Bolton
Performed, devised and composition by Chris Bolton
Performed, devised and written by Tom Davies
Lighting design by Shane Grant

Tickets available online
http://lamama.com.au/now-showing/summer-2013/what-a-joy-to-be-alive/
or via 03 9347 6142
$25 Full | $15 Concession

Wed, Fri, Sun 6:30pm | Thu, Sat 8:30pm
La Mama Theatre
205 Faraday Street, Carlton