Boat of Faith
All Ages
30 September - 3 October
Wednesday
30th September
Friday
2nd October
Saturday
3rd October
Yagan Square
40 minutes
Born in a Taxi
Free event
A lurching boat travels the streets, with an optimist, a cynic and a poem.
Take a dreamily absurd and comically surreal voyage in the Boat of Faith, with Mr Curly at the helm. Ask the “direction-finding duck” for directions, get caught in Mr Curly’s net of possibilities or be embraced by an angel. Inspired by the poetry and art of Michael Leunig.
With a poem etched into its sail, The Boat of Faith is a dedication to the poetry and art of Australian cartoonist, Micheal Leunig. It operates as a travelling story through image, music, audience interaction and humorous scenarios. Accompanying soundscape composed by Helen Mountford (My Friend the Chocolate Cake)
The relationship between the innocent Mr Curly (an optimist who’s seeing everything for the first time) and the Angel (a cynic who has seen everything a million times before and is depressed about his lack of power to change anything) forms the basis of this delicate work.
Commissioned by Melbourne Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival
About Born in a Taxi
Born in at Taxi is one of Melbourne’s most highly regarded, award-winning physical theatre ensembles and creators of contemporary performance. Recognised for producing highly original, physically driven, and participatory works in theatres, site-specific and outdoor contexts that focus on real-time co-creation.
Renowned for their immediacy, responsiveness, and interaction with their audience, mixing dance with humour, the profound with the profane, and the familiar with the unlikely. Born in a Taxi's co-artistic directors are Carolyn Hanna and Penny Baron who share a deep investigation into the relationship between performer and audience through the mediums of dance, theatre, live art, visual art, improvisation, and sound.
Taxi love the democracy of working in public space with audiences of all ages and cultures.
Credits
- Concept: Michael Leunig Poem
- Devisers: Carolyn Hanna, Penny Baron, Nick Papas
- Set/Costume/Mask Designer & Maker: Bryony Anderson
- Music Composition: Helen Mountford
- Performers: Fiona Roake, Katy Burrows, Fabio Motto
Accessibility Guide
Lighting and Sound
Total blackout (audience)
Lighting level
Outdoors
Flashing lights
Loud sounds
Repetitive noises
Drums
High-pitched tones
Unexpected sounds
Background Music
There is a portable sound system on board the boat
Interactivity and Participation
Children invited on stage
This is in the street, so not on stage but children are invited to a take part and interact if they want
Artist goes into audience
The Angel sometimes goes into the audience
Manual activity (e.g. read, draw, sing, paint, construct things)
Some moments invite you to read a message in a bottle, and you're welcome to respond with a drawing if you'd like
Undertake direct movement
Participation in groups/pairs
Parent/carer can support in participation
Capacity for a child slower in their movements to participate
Senses, Emotions and Effects
Distinctive smells
Special effects
Textures
Balloons
Characters express anger
No, but the Angel can get frustrated and express this in a comic way
Dialogue driven
Props
Attention Span
Intermission/break
Introduction
Children need to sit in one place
You are welcome to follow the Boat as it meanders
Appropriate to make noise/move around
