Lost Property, Etcetera Theatre
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There’s further taste of international theatre coming to Camden with Tuia Suter and Amelia Dunn, whose show Lost Property is coming all the way from Australia. After successful runs in Melbourne and Adelaide, next up is Camden for this show that explores modern womanhood.
We managed to work out the time difference to catch some time with Tuia and Amelia before they jumped on a plane to London to ask some all important questions.
Lost Property will play at Etcetera Theatre on 1 and 2 August, tickets here.
What can audiences expect from the show?
Audiences can expect a sharp, surreal and comedic exploration of modern womanhood from the perspective of Alice, an unrelenting optimist on a quest to reclaim a lost possession. Set entirely during a morning tram commute across Melbourne, Lost Property blends absurd comedy with sharp social observation to challenge what it means to be a ‘good woman’ today, unpacking themes of female solidarity, guilt, and forgiveness.
Through the voices of Alice’s friends, therapists, and former lovers, the show takes the audience on a zany and emotionally honest journey as she retraces her steps over the past year – confronting recent decisions and re-examining her view of womanhood in order to recover what she’s lost.
Is Camden Fringe going to be the show’s first time on stage, or have you already performed elsewhere?
We’ve been fortunate enough to debut this show in Melbourne in November last year and again at the Adelaide Fringe in March this year! Adelaide was truly a wonderful experience for us as creatives. We networked with some wonderful people and connected with several audience members who are going to see the show again when we take it to Edinburgh! We are incredibly excited to be taking this show to Camden Fringe as it’s the very first time this piece will be seen by an international audience.
What was your inspiration behind the show?
The show was born from conversations about the sometimes murky emotional terrain of womanhood. We were interested in what it means to be a ‘good woman’ in the eyes of other women – and what happens when you feel like you’ve failed at that.
How long have you been working on the play?
Just over a year!
Is this version how you originally envisioned it or has it changed drastically since you first put pen to paper?
It’s changed A LOT. But there is this really beautiful thing that happens when you relinquish control over where you wanted it to go versus where it needed to go when you allow it to run its course.
What is it about your character that you most enjoy?
Amelia: She is so much FUN! In the space of 50 minutes I get to explore the complete transformation of this human being. From one end of the emotional spectrum to the other and I get to be really big whilst doing it.
How challenging has this role been for you?
Amelia: Challenging in the way that I want to do her justice. She’s a very misunderstood person, mostly by herself, and I don’t want people to see her in this cartoonish way. She’s very complicated and I want the audience to fall in love with her the way I have.
What brought you all together?
Working together on a previous play brought us together and created a solid foundation for collaboration!
Being a fringe festival, we all know sets have to be bare minimum, how have you got around this with your set and props?
Tuia: We wrote the show with the intention to take it to Fringe festivals, so the bare minimum approach was always on our mind fortunately. However, we have experimented a lot with character movement to portray certain surroundings in our ‘world’, as well as using sound and lighting to help depict certain things in place of sets and props which has been really useful!
If you had to describe your show as a colour what would it be?
PINK! The show explores themes of female solidarity in the modern world, which is naturally suggestive of pink/femininity.
If you could perform this show anywhere in the world where would it be?
New York! It would be such an incredible opportunity to bring this piece to another completely new audience – and it would be fun to see how Americans interact with our show.
What words of advice/encouragement would you give anyone thinking about doing Camden Fringe next year?
Budget budget budget – utilise crowd funding sources and funding options so that once you’re there you can focus on the creative and networking opportunities!
Thanks to Tuia and Amelia for the chat. Lost Property plays at Etcetera Theatre on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 August.
