How did you sleep last night? If you’ve had any experience with the frustrations of the sleepless wee hours, Night Sweats is the Fringe show for you. Seesaw caught up with creator Timothy Green to talk about his first solo dance work and more.
Seesaw: When did you first know that you wanted to be an artist?
Timothy Green: My earliest memory of performing is when I was six years old, playing a lion in a Club-Med kids show in Bali, I’m pretty sure the artistic bug had bitten me long before that though. It sounds clichéd, but I have been art-obsessed since I can remember.
S: Did you do formal training, learn on-the-job, or a bit of both?
TG: I trained for three years at WAAPA studying the Bachelor of Performing Arts course in its first year, which was really groundbreaking for me creatively and personally. During my degree I travelled to New York and continued to study physical theatre and Butoh through Leimay’s Ludus Lab program, as well as going on exchange to the International Theatre Institute in Singapore. Since graduating I’ve continued to develop my practice through workshops with OzFrank as well as STRUT Dance — I’m starting a ten day workshop with STRUT/Maxine Doyle two days after Night Sweats closes!
S: Career highlight so far?
TG: The year after graduating, Samantha Maclean (one of the other co-founders of Static Drive Co) and I co-directed and presented Tissue at The Blue Room Theatre. I learned so much during the process, and all from of the other members of the creative team. It wasn’t a walk in the park (but when is it ever?) but ultimately I was really proud of the work.
S: What do you love most about what you do?
TG: I love getting to be creative and collaborative in a room, or around a table — working with a group of people, taking an idea and pulling it apart, putting it back together and joining forces to make something bigger, better and more interesting. I have a background in graphic design and marketing, so I always try to be involved in the creation of the promotional material and branding of the work, which is a really fun aspect of the process for me.
S: What made you decide to give Fringe World a whirl?
TG: Fringe is my favourite time of the year; the weather, the people, everything – I’m all about it! I’ve wanted to put something in Fringe for a while, but haven’t had the right work at the right time before now. I’m really excited to be testing out my first solo show, and really excited that it’s part of Summer Nights.
S: Tell us about Night Sweats…
TG: Night Sweats is a show with one man and a million thoughts. It explores the tangential way our brains work, and how it is possible that we can be our own best friend and worst enemy at the same time through storytelling, song and movement. Trying to get to sleep in a continually more connected and detached world can be tricky at the best of times, so when stress and neurosis and rambling thoughts start to creep in, it can feel like a Herculean feat.
S: Aside from your show, what are you looking forward to seeing/doing at Fringe?
TG: To choose a few I’d say godeatgod, 19 Weeks, The Big Dark, Joan and Sudden Skies are my picks – I’m always proud to see local Perth artists representing our industry during Fringe so most of my picks are WA artists except for Joan! But who can resist gender-bending cabaret?
S: What is your favourite playground equipment?
TG: I’m a monkey bars man through and through.
‘Night Sweats’ is showing at The Blue Room from February 2-10.
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