Talc & Two Gates
14 July - 1 August 2010 TAP Gallery
Talc
Written by Daniela Giorgi
With Lucas Connolly and Jo Richards
Sam and Kate are happy. They’re in love. They’ve moved in together. Then Kate commits a terrible crime. But no-one sees. No-one wants to. Some things are just too hard.
Talc – a powerful new play about the evil decent people do.
Two Gates
Written by Paul Gilchrist
With Heidi Lupprian
“In Life there is only the trivial and the overwhelming. There is nothing in between. I am that nothing.”
At turns hilarious and heartbreaking,
a young Australian traveler chronicles
how she escaped the “everyday”,
only to face the “never again”
Director: Paul Gilchrist
Producer: Daniela Giorgi
Design: Emma Vine
“A tightly-written, tautly-performed, visceral piece [Talc]…
Performances by Jo Richards and Lucas Connolly are outstanding…
Gilchrist (once again) shows himself to be a deft writer of comedy [Two Gates],
but one enviably able to shift from a laugh a minute to the depths of poignancy; Lupprian's near-flawless one-womanship was well beyond engaging;
it was spellbinding. That such a young actor should have such command and surefootedness is breathtaking… Both plays had lines any ambitious writer
would wish they'd written. In fact, it's pretty much true of both plays in their entirety. Both augur well, not only for subtlenuance future as a distinctive, important, independent voice in Australian theatre,
but for the future of Australian theatre at large” Australian Stage Online
"[Talc is] a well crafted and well acted emotional hour of must-see theatre…
Two Gates is a superbly acted one-woman show performed by Heidi Lupprian...
a well written, funny and taut script... the audience is served such a powerful
message in a subtle yet beautiful manner" Aussie Theatre
"Australian works of originality and independence… [Talc is] enlightening and at times subtlety comical. Giorgi has created two intriguingly complex characters... an astute portrayal of human life and desires... [Two Gates] performed by Heidi Lupprian is a tribute to Paul Gilchrist's aptitude as a skilled writer. So cleverly interwoven with perceptive questioning is his writing that you begin to feel as though Gilchrist's understanding of the human psyche is on a different more-in-tuned level...Lupprian's emerging talents should not go unnoticed" The Blurb
“a provocative edge, welding the personal into the political with a light touch.
It's a theatre that is executed in deceptively simple terms, with minimalism
and depth to the staging across the board… the performances are at a
very high standard…it's possible to laugh both at and with the protagonists
as their various bubbles slowly burst. It's no mean feat for the artists to
balance on the two sides of the coin that are comedy and tragedy,
with empathy, pathos and irony all at once… While the actors are keeping us engaged, it's also a testament to the depth of the writing that you don't necessarily notice the tricks of light and shade playing out through
the dialogue, at least not until after they've had their way with you...
[These plays] represent grassroots Australian voices
that resonate on a global front” The 5th Wall
“Talc is a powerful piece… I loved the structure of the play,
how the first and last scenes fit together, and how the intensity of emotions increases with each scene. The writing is excellent, and the sparse,
white setting enhances the emotional aspects of the play.
Lucas Connolly and Jo Richards do a very good job
– you’re there with them all the way” Alive With Words
A Thing of Beauty
by Paul Gilchrist
performed by Jo Richards
March, July, September 2010 Royal Oak Hotel, Old Fitz, Factory Theatre
Naomi and Ruth are travelling.
But change is a challenge.
And Ruth craves simplicity.
She finds it - in snow-domes, guidebooks, mannequins - anything to make the mayhem manageable.
A hilarious mix of movement, multi-media and razor-sharp wit.
With Jo Richards
Director: Paul Gilchrist
Producer: Daniela Giorgi
Design: Emma Vine
"subtlenuance last evening presented a sneak preview of their pop-up theatre experiment, A Thing Of Beauty. And it was. It was also, moreover, a thing of affecting comedy and incisive social commentary, performed solo, and brilliantly, by Jo Richards.
As an actor, of course, it's always reassuring to know you've got great material with
which to work and it doesn't get a whole lot better than that written, and directed,
by Paul Gilchrist... short, sweet, piquant and pithy. I'm hoping it will galvanise
a cult following, and pop-up will become as commonplace as MKR.
It deserves to. Pop along and see it" Australian Stage
“writer/director Paul Gilchrist has chosen to expose the psychology, sociology, politics and phoniness behind our fascination with travel. And he does it all with a combination of
laugh-out-loud one-liners and attention to detail in vivid recollections of adolescent memories… one perfectly cast actress, Jo Richards, keeping an audience captivated…Julia Roberts’ Eat, Pray, Love may be the most highly-anticipated travel story this spring but I reckon our very own Jo Richards will give the other J.R. a run for her money…
one inspired one-woman show” Alternative Media
"non-stop energy, laughs and no time to glance at your watch, it comes to
an end and you are left wanting more… It is impossible not to see someone
you know in either of our two female characters which allows the audience to be captivated by Richards' performance… A Thing of Beauty has light and shade and possesses emotional depth. It is another great example of clever writing
from Gilchrist and of Richards' talents... see it before it sells out and
you miss out on a fine piece of theatre" Aussie Theatre
Life is Impossible
by Paul Gilchrist
29 September - 16 October 2010 Newtown Theatre
With Lucas Connolly, Heidi Lupprian, Brett Nevill
and Jo Richards
Director: Paul Gilchrist
Produced by Daniela Giorgi
Design: Emma Vine
Stage Manager: Emily Read
It is 1942.
The world is at war.
But Elaine is in New York for the first time.
She’s in love with the skyline, the fashion,
the musicals, and Tom.
The conflict seems so far away – until she meets Simone,
a French Jewish refugee with a terrible secret.
Based on the true story of one of the most
controversial women of the twentieth century.
"a profound piece of theatre that explores the human psyche
whilst simultaneously questioning it…
Life is Impossible deserves a tip of the hat to subtlenuance’s
efforts, talent and integrity. It's an enjoyable show, with
thought-provoking one-liners spotted with songs, a touch of dance and all-round bittersweet intrigue.
Make sure you see this entertaining production"
[small] LUSTS
"Life Is Impossible is a credit to the ability of Paul Gilchrist…
and is a visual treat… Richards as Simone Weil is taken from
real life… Her manner captures the audience"
Aussie Theatre
"The playwright effectively directs the play himself, and wins good performances from his cast… a darker kind of theatre with a strong philosophical and political bent" Sydney Arts Guide
"It’s pretty meta… with kissing and philosophy and a bunch of people who burst into song… the writing is sharp
and the performances solid"
The Drum Media.
Photo Credits: Talc & Two Gates, Greg Price; A Thing of Beauty, Paul Gilchrist; Life is Impossible, Daniela Giorgi