Get ready for 'Bard in the Yard', a down to earth experience that anyone can enjoy and immerse themselves in
Angus Thorburn, the Director of As You Like It and the Artistic Director of ThunderBear Productions dished to Nothing Ever Happens in Brisbane recently about his latest production for the 2021 Anywhere Festival. Angus is a passionate Actor, Director and a Core member of the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble. He is fascinated by stories that test the bounds of human nature in all its contradictions and As You Like It is no exception for him.
Tell us about the show in 100 words or less.
Shakespeare’s Pastoral Comedy, set in the unpredictable Forest of Arden. Rosalind is banished from her home and decides to run to the Forest to start a new life under the guise of a man called Ganymede. Accompanied by her cousin and their clown, she soon discovers that anything is possible in the Forest, but actions still have their consequences. They will encounter such characters as the Scornful Phoebe, the Lovesick Silvius, the Melancholy Jaques and the brave and determined Orlando, whom Rosalind falls in love with, but can’t tell him because she’s still disguised as a man…
Anywhere Festival takes place anywhere but a theatre. Tell us about your venue. What is it about your space that adds to your audience experience?
Our “theatre” venue is the backyard of a suburban Queenslander house, Bard in the Yard, if you will. The audience will be personally welcomed by myself and the venue owners when they step into our simple but elegant performance space. Since As You Like It is set in a forest, the audience will be able to see and feel real grass and real trees. They will connect more with the environment around them and interact with it in the same way the actors will. It will truly be a down to earth experience that anyone can enjoy and immerse themselves in.
What is your creative process like?
I start by analysing the text. I look for patterns in the dialogue and see what happens when those patterns break. I then see what interpretations the actors have made and what effect they have on the scene. Once we have made progress on the text-analysis, we block the scenes, but I like to give the actors room to play with ideas on the floor. All this time, I still encourage discussions with the actors about the scenes, character arcs motivations. I find this collaboration important for any creative process.
Image: Images by Anderson
Tell us your origin story. How did your company/show/collaboration start?
I started ThunderBear Productions in 2019 as a creative platform to put on my own theatre. Throughout acting school, we were taught and encouraged to create our own work so that we wouldn’t have to wait by the phone, hoping someone would cast us in their production. My first show I directed was Have I None by Edward Bond for Anywhere Festival in 2019. It has been an ambition of mine for a few years to put on my own Shakespeare production and I wanted to come into 2021 with a bang, so here we are.
Who is your perfect audience member? Who is going to LOVE this event?
Anyone who enjoys classic works such as Shakespeare or relaxed and freeing outdoor performances. These people, I am sure, will LOVE this show.
Is there anything else we simply MUST know about the show?
This show has a strong and predominantly female cast, though all the actors possesses a high calibre of unique performance skills that have added new elements to this popular play. In particular, our male love-interest, Orlando will be played by a female against a female Rosalind to bend the traditional casting of the play while retaining the gender dynamic of the two main characters.
As You Like It takes place as part of Anywhere Festival on 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, & 22 May 2021 at a backyard of a suburban Queenslander house in Taringa.
