A GIG THEATRE EXPERIENCE
WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY
· YARA ALKURD · KAYA BYRNE · MATILDA HASSAL ·
· CONOR MOREL · LUCY O’BRIEN · CALEB THIADAY ·
DEVISED BY
CHRISTIAN CAVALLO
A NEW GENERATION.
SHARING EXPERIENCE AND VIEWPOINTS.
Six exciting emerging talents come together for the first time to share their stories as young Australian artists in 2020. Through contemporary music, they share stories and experiences across the social and political spectrum as they sift through the pieces left by a firetorn country, a pandemic and ongoing campaigns for equality.
The Artists
Yara Alkurd
Yara is a musician/singer-songwriter and has spent the past couple of years playing shows in Melbourne’s local music scene, as well as running an all female identifying jam session space at Fitzroy’s Night Cat nightclub. Influenced by the likes of Amy winehouse, Lianne La Havas and Emily King, whether she is solo or accompanied her 6 piece band, YARA’s smooth sound is a melting pot of neo soul, indie R&B and jazz. YARA had her debut earlier this year, with spicy track “man hater” to set the tone. Shortly followed by a blooming music video shot by an empowering all female crew.
Yara’s driving passion for human rights and equality is led by the experience of growing up in a war zone, The Gaza strip/Palestine, and being an immigrant in so called Australia for a little over a decade.
Kaya Byrne
Kaya is a graduate of The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) where he completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theatre. Since leaving VCA, Kaya has performed in Handa Opera On Sydney Harbour: West Side Story (Opera Australia), Lazarus and Ragtime (both with The Production Company), appeared in multiple seasons of The Wind In The Willows (Australian Shakespeare Company), Gilligan’s Island: The Musical (Left Bauer Productions) and has completed three educational theatre tours with Echelon Productions. Kaya is also an avid writer and composer, writing for theatre as well as his own solo music projects.
Matilda Hassall
Hassall is a 21yr old singer-songwriter & self-confessed rambler from the bottom right corner of regional Victoria.
Stirring together addictive vocal hooks, taboo topics & lyrics that are relatable in the way you don’t want to admit it, she emerges into a style self-described as ‘Australian sharehouse-pop’.
Fresh, yet familiar, jangly guitar and countrysoulsex-esque vocals compliment her inexhaustible lyrics, just as conversational as they are confessional, self-critical and considerably crude.
“I attend your gigs because your songs tell me more about you than you ever will” - her mother, to her.
Conor Morel
Connor is in the final year of his Bachelor of Music Theatre at Federation University. Connor is an avid writer, and his songs have been heard locally, nationally and internationally through his band ‘The Run’, and as a group they have toured both nationally and internationally. They were the Australian finalist for Global Battle of the Bands in 2016 and were voted the crowd favourite at the grand final at SO36 in Berlin. Connor is currently penning a song-cycle based on relationships with and through the internet. Connor’s music theatre credits include Shane Warne in Shane Warne the Musical (FEDERATION UNIVERSITY), Roger in Rent (JAMES TERRY COLLECTIVE), Jason ‘JD’ Dean in Heathers (GSODA), Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde (GLTS), Laurie in Little Women (THEATRE COLLECTIVE), Robbie Hart in Wedding Singer (ACT) and Robertson Ay in Mary Poppins (FOOTLIGHT PRODUCTIONS), among others. Connor directed and produced MICF show ‘Blaise It In Your PJ's’ in 2017, and was producing 2020 MICF show ‘The Totally Scripted Improv Show’ before the festival’s cancellation due to COVID-19.
Lucy O’Brien
Lucy is a composer and music director from Melbourne, Australia. She recently graduated from the Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU, with assistance from the Australia Council and the American Australian Association.
Lucy has numerous music direction credits both in Australia and NYC. Some highlights include Watch This’ Company (fortyfivedownstairs & tour), Room8’s Godspell, (Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Arts Centre) and Tony Bartuccio’s Menopause the Musical (national tour).
Her credits as a composer include Madame President (NYU) Gabrielle Burch and Jessie Field, Adventurers!, with Alex Higgin-Houser (workshopped in 2020 by Underscore Theatre in Chicago), mini-musical The Fox, with Jamie Buxton (part of The Ceiling Project, London 2019), Jack of Two Trades with Andrew Strano, (inaugural recipient of the Pratt Foundation’s Artist in Residence program at Monash University in 2017), and A Sharp Intake of Breath (Melbourne Fringe Festival 2018, and the Grassroots Initiative, 2017).
Caleb Thiaday
Caleb Thaiday is a Meriam (Torres Strait Islands) singer, songwriter and musician who grew up in Cairns and is currently based in Melbourne. He completed a Bachelor of Music Technology at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University in 2016 and has then been using his talent in music, sound design and composition in many different art forms including drag, dance, film and theatre. Throughout his career, he’s performed in many productions, events and talent nights, including as his drag persona, Cerulean.
Now living on Kulin land since mid-2018, they’ve been working closely with ILBIJERRI. Music is incorporates in all he does and performing is where he’s meant to be. Feeling at home on the piano, his original music reveals where he is at and how he relates the world around him. Caleb is a big advocate for change within the POC and Queer community and utilises music to express how he feels.
Christian Cavallo
Christian is a graduate of the Masters in Directing for Performance at the Victorian College of the Arts (University of Melbourne). He has directed numerous theatre productions around the Geelong and Melbourne region including H#SHED OUT, The Eight Reindeer Monologues, Kinky Boots, Heathers The Musical, Dusty The Original Pop Diva and more.
Through COVID-19, Christian was one the Creative Directors who delivered Hope. New Works Development Initiative, producing and facilitating the series of ten developments for new plays and music theatre, as well as directing three.
Christian works as a freelance graphic designer. His company, Cav Creative, specialises in entertainment advertising design. He is Artistic Director of emerging company Bravo Arts.
www.christiancavallo.com
STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT:
Stage 1: Creative Development 1. (Four Weeks, part-time) — Stage completed.
This development period is held over Video conference. Sharing ideas and collecting stories with which to inform the work. Initial writing of material and collaboration on text and dramaturgy.
Stage 2: Creative Development 2. (Two weeks, full-time/ Four weeks, part time)
This second development period involves the group meeting in a studio space to further the material originated from the first development period and work collaboratively on the music and arrangements while considering initial staging, and/or digital output options.
Stage 3: Workshop. (Two weeks, full-time/ Four weeks, part time)
Stage three requires a workshop period to build upon the staging of the piece. Given current restrictions due to COVID19, the project would progress in either of these two trajectories to ensure health and safety:
Digital Recording/ Live-Stream Outcome – Due to COVID19, a first iteration of this project may be best as a digital option for streaming. This stage would consider set, lighting, costume, videography and/or multimedia design.
Live Performance Outcome — Depending on health and safety guidelines, we may consider rehearsing the piece for live performance. This stage would consider set, lighting, costume, videography and/or multimedia design.
Stage 4: Rehearsal. (Two weeks full-time) Once the piece has been workshopped, it will require two weeks full-time rehearsal to make sure it is ready for performance. This period should take place, ideally before the project is filmed for streaming purposes or is performed live in either a digital or theatrical setting. Requirements: A studio space to hold the workshop. Instruments supplied by artists. Support infrastructure regarding technology, ie. filming equipment, sound and amplificatication would be ideal. Remuneration for the artists. Access to co-working and meeting spaces.
Stage 5: Performance Outcomes.
Option 1. RECORDING
Option 2. LIVE STREAM
Option 3. LIVE PERFORMANCE
Given the current climate surrounding the live performance industry, I am reluctant to lock in a definitive performance outcome. The project will adapt with the times and health requirements, however I foresee the project being able to adapt to any of the outcome options above.