16 December 2012

Chat: Melissa Fergusson, PlaySix


PlaySix
Williamstown Little Theatre
13–15 December 2012


The PlaySix annual short play festival was founded in 2006 to provide exposure to the work of emerging and established playwrights and to act as a networking forum for Melbourne actors and directors. Directed by Shannon Woollard, the seventh festival takes place 13–15 December at the Williamstown Little Theatre.

Melissa Fergusson is the Creative Director and founder of the New Zealandbased company charlatan clinic, and is directing The Death of Caesar by Alex Broun for PlaySix.


What six words best describe your PlaySix play?
Honest, tender, poignant, raw, dark, confronting

What makes a good short play?
Succinct storytelling.

What’s something else that’s good when it’s short?
Coffee, short black.

What’s something that should never be short?
Holidays.

Apart from the PlaySix, what other short-play festivals have you been involved in?
Short + Sweet, Auckland.

What else should people do while they’re in Williamstown?
Check out the many historic homes in Williamstown, including one that was used for the police station set for Blue Heelers.

Write a Tweet about PlaySix.
Amazing theatre performing in Williamstown, PlaySix on Dec 13–15, 8pm. Innovative theatre at a small price! See you there!

If you could invite anyone to see this show (and you know they would come), who would it be?
Alex Broun, playwright

What is the best directing advice you’ve received?
It’s all about the work, not about the ego.

As a director, what advice do you give to actors?
Trust the process.

What’s a great book you’ve read recently?
Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom.

What play would you love to direct?
Betrayal by Harold Pinter.

What work changed how you make theatre? Why?
The Shape of Things by Neil Labute. This play explores love and what we are willing to risk, to have it all.  The work is provocative and captures the vulnerabilities of love.

What’s the first piece of theatre you remember seeing?
The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde.

What director/actor/writer/creator would you just die to work with?
Cate Blanchett.

What would you like to get this gift-giving season?
MacBook please Santa.

What would you like to give this gift-giving season?
To make clean water accessible to the developing world (over 1 billion people).

This was on AussieTheatre.com