Royal Shakespeare Company's Writer Goes Gory

Royal Shakespeare Company's Writer Goes Gory

Unrequited love, rape, infanticide and cannibalism are a tall order to produce on a stage slightly bigger than a queen size bed - but The Three Birds, directed by Geoff Pinfield at Studio 77, manages it.

The first play written by Joanna Laurens (now the Royal Shakespeare Company's writer in residence), The Three Birds is a physical and lyrical retelling of an ancient Greek myth that was the inspiration for Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus.

"The Three Birds is my graduation production for the Masters directing course run by Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School and Victoria University," said Geoff Pinfield. "So I'm incorporating everything I've learnt over the last two years - not only is the writing incredibly beautiful, but we're using mask, puppetry, aerial work, choral work and live music to tell the story in a really visceral way."

The Three Birds is using the space at Studio 77 (77 Fairlie Tce, Victoria University) in a new way - the sixty audience members surround a small triangular space roughly 6 meters on each side, ensuring the audience is intimately involved in the tragedy.

"It's very intense," said Pinfield, "But you get that with the Greeks; passion goes wrong and the inevitability of destruction just rolls on in."

The cast includes Heather O'Carroll (SEEyD), Rosella Hart, Emma Deakin (Netballers), Felix Prevel and Adam Jones, joined by dancer Sacha Copland (Espresso), and is rounded out by Richard Knowles, currently a first year acting students at Toi Whakaari.

The Three Birds is Geoff's fourth and last project of his Master of Theatre Arts degree. The MTA is run by Toi Whakaari: The New Zealand Drama School and The Film and Theatre Programme of Victoria University.

What The Three Birds

When 8pm, 21 - 29 November (no show Sunday)

Where Studio 77, Victoria University, 77 Fairlie Terrace (free shuttle leaves cnr Blair & Courtenay at 7.30pm)

Cost $12 / $10 bookings on 04 389 9056 (automated line)

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