In Conversation with GEORGIE DURHAM & DRAF DRAFFIN | The Selkie Project
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- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
In this week's Backstage Blog, we get to chat with both writer/actor, Georgie Durham, and director, Draf Draffin, about their upcoming show The Selkie Project!
The Selkie: a creature of myth; a seal who removes her sealskin to taste the pleasures of the human world for a night.
But when a man steals her sealskin, she is imprisoned on land, an animal caught in the wrong skin of woman and mother. After the Selkie escapes, her misfit hybrid daughter, a feral punk poet, is left with the weight of a story she never chose.
Coming to Explosives Factory 12 to 21 June, this show is a masterpiece of intense themes and deeper questions. Keep reading below to find out more from Georgie and Draf!
Q. What should audiences expect when they come to see 'The Selkie Project'?
A: (DRAF) A collaboratively created project, in which text, image, sound and performance are intimately intertwined, drawing on an ancient myth and finding contemporary parallels. Including a juggernaut performance from Georgie.
Q: What inspired you to create such a unique show and story?
A: (GEORGIE) The story! It's such an evocative tale with so many iterations. But it also spoke to each of us on many levels, as misfits, parents, women/AFAB people, children of immigrants. We found a lot to explore around the difference between who you are inside yourself, complex and multitudinous, and who other people think you are. The scope of the story is so vast.
(DRAF) It started from asking an actor, 'What have you wanted to do on stage and never been allowed to do?' Georgie’s answer: coming up from underwater for breath after nearly drowning. How this led to the selkie is the mystery of the muse!
Q. What was the process for creating a multi-media show in this way? Did you have specific inspiration for this?
A. (DRAF) The process for creating this show was the unique Liminal Theatre & Performance methodology, developed over multiple projects and 20 years, sparked by the interaction of contemporary theatre and Asian traditional theatre practices. All the creators (director, dramaturg, video artist, composer, performer) are present in the creation of the work, from the very beginning. And those roles merge – everyone contributes, so a shared imagination is built. The process combines deep poetic research, discussion, and iterative exploration on the floor. Our composer, video artist, and performer improvised together, throwing in text, sounds, music, movement, projected imagery at the same time and working off each other.
Specific inspiration for The Selkie Project came from our poetic research on the Selkie myth, a shape shifting seal/woman which originates from Northern Europe.
Q. What do you hope audiences will take away after seeing 'The Selkie Project'?
A. (DRAF) That myths can live in a contemporary world. The word myth retains its original meaning of a 'story to dwell on', not a lie. We hope they’re transported by the richness and complexities of the story itself.
Q. What has been the most memorable moment through this creative process?
A. (GEORGIE) Working with a masterful director such as Draf, who has such a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and is such a joy for me, a real honour. He is such an intuitive, deeply curious and playful director and we often share many laughs on the door encountering the work.
Our creative development in St Kilda in 2023, largely funded by our philanthropic supporters and fellow artists. We received wonderful support from our local community.
It is remarkable that a group of artists who have remained together for over 5 years have sustained a creative process and produced an exciting and provocative new work with little funding.
You don't want to miss out on this massive multimedia show - featuring beautiful projection and live music! Get your tickets now using the link below.
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