Machina
by Richard Jordon
Richard Jordan is a 23-year-old freelance writer based in Brisbane Australia. His first play ‘Into the Nile’ was short-listed for the 2002 QTC George Landen Dann Award, while his second play ‘like, dead’ received a successful four-night season at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, Brisbane, in March 2005, after being completed as part of a Master of Arts (Research) degree at the Queensland University of Technology. In July 2005 he was selected from hundreds of candidates to attend the World Interplay festival of young playwrights in Townsville, North Queensland. His feature articles and poetry have appeared in several Brisbane publications.
Plot
One month ago, David Sergeant made the ultimate commitment to social media, choosing to forever separate mind and body by uploading his consciousness into social networking site Machina. An experimental and irreversible new process known as ‘going inside’, the user discards their need for a physical body and attains a kind of digital immortality in the cloud. Now, as David’s family, friends and ex-lovers struggle to come to terms with his physical absence, questions are being asked about why this promising young man committed the equivalent of social suicide. Did he go willingly? Or was he pushed? David’s mother is determined to find out, even if it means reaching out to her son from the other side.
La Boite Brisbane
Cast – La Boite Brisbane 2014 Production
Kaye Stevenson, Luisa Prosser, Liam Nunan, Jack Kelly, Peter Rasmussen and Judy Hainsworth.
Creative – La Boite Brisbane
Writer / Producer Richard Jordan
Director / Producer Catarina Hebbard
Production Manager Lucy Kelland
Lighting & Set Designer Andrew ‘Panda’ Haden
Composer / Sound Designer Phil Hagstrom
Costume Designer Susan Marquet
Dramaturgy Errol Bray & Stephen Carleton
Stage Manager Nicole Goulter
Marketing Manager Amy Church
Transmedia Campaign Creator Nathan Sibthorpe
Writer / Producer: Richard Jordan Richard Jordan is an award-winning Brisbane-based playwright, whose work has been performed in the UK, Australia, and the United States. His first play Into the Nile was shortlisted for the Queensland Theatre Company Young Playwrights Award in 2002. His second play like, dead was produced at the Judith Wright Centre for Contemporary Arts in 2005, and again by Vena Cava Theatre Company in 2009. He was a member of the prestigious Royal Court Theatre Young Writers Programme in London from 2007-08. His third play 25 Down won the 2008-09 Queensland Premier’s Drama Award, was produced by Queensland Theatre Company in 2009, and published by Playlab Press. Richard is the recipient of two Matilda Awards (2010), a Marrickville Council Artist’s Residency (2011), and a MacDowell Colony Creative Fellowship, New Hampshire (2012/13). He is a full member of the Australian Writers’ Guild, and is currently completing a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Queensland.
Director / Producer: Catarina Hebbard Catarina is a graduate of both QUT and Griffith University. As a Director, her major theatre credits include The Pitch, Eight & That’s Not What Happened (QTC), The Boy From Oz (Ignatians Musical Society), The Laramie Project (QUT), Last Drinks (Short and Sweet 2013), Nobody Does it Like Me & Hardly the Portrait of a Lady (NDILM Productions), Sweetest Things (Vena Cava), Chicago, Working and Between these Lines (Harvest Rain Internship), Catholic School Girls (co-production with Three Sisters) and Minefields and Miniskirts *nominated for 2 Matilda Awards, (MadCat Creative connections), Critters (Out of the Box/Qld Museum) and The Taming of the Shrew, The Merry Wives of Windsor & Romeo and Juliet (4MBS Classic FM). AsAssistant Director, her credits include The King Hereafter (Michael Gow & Brisbane Festival) Water Falling Down (QTC) & Faustus (QTC/Bell Shakespeare), Tender (…and Moor Theatre), Amadeus (4MBS Classic FM) and Bronte (Three Sisters Productions). Catarina also has numerous acting credits to her name including her film and TV work in Girl Clock, the Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, & K9. Following on from Machina Catarina will direct Company for Ignatians. Catarina is Co-Founder of MadCat Creative Connections.
Kaye Stevenson (Isobel) Kaye has been an actor for over 40 years and has appeared in over 60 stage productions, playing leading roles with QTC, La Boite and TN! Theatre. Kaye’s performances with Queensland Theatre Companyinclude roles in Macbeth, Pygmalion, The August Moon, Oedipus, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, The Hope of the World, Good Works, And A Nightingale Sang, A Cheery Soul (Adelaide Festival), Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Emerald City and Love’s Labour’s Lost. For La Boite: Summer of the Seventeenth Doll The Shoehorn Sonata, Painted Woman, But I’m Still Here, No Worries, Vocations, Female Parts, and The Anniversary, to name a few. ForThe TN! Company: Loot, Catch me if You Can, Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Recruiting Officer, Trumpets and Drums, Hedda Gabler, Mother Courage and her Children, and many others. In 2001, after a successful Brisbane season her one woman show, Hildegard transferred to Sydneyfor a season at Belvoir Street – Downstairs. Awards: Matilda Award for Best Supporting Actor for Summer of the 17th Doll. Alan Edward’s Lifetime Achievement Award for contribution to the Arts in Brisbane. Film: Evil Angels, Waiting, Deadly and Rough Diamonds. Television: The Wrapper, Cyber Girl, A Country Practice, Home and Away.
Luisa Prosser (Amanda) British born Luisa trained at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (BA Acting) and The Birmingham Theatre School. Theatre workincludes: Therese Raquin (Zen Zen Zo – Matilda award winner for best actress in a supporting role), Henry V (Shakespeare on Oxford), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (4MBS Classic Arts/QPAC) L’heureux Strategeme and Showtime (National Theatre Studio, London) Habeas Corpus, Wild Honey, She Stoops to Conquer (Pitlochry Festival Theatre – Leon Sinden award winner for best actress in a supporting role), As You Like It (Globe Theatre/William Poel Festival) The Winter’s Tale, A Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night (Glasgow Repertory Company), Playing For Time (Salisbury Playhouse), Standing Wave (Tron Theatre, Glasgow), Such Is Nature (Dundee Repertory Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Byre Theatre, St Andrews) and The Bald Prima Donna (Gateway Theatre). Her Film andTelevisionwork includes: Doctors (BBC) Terra Nova (20th Century Fox TV), Rarer Monsters, and 18 (Rarer Monsters Pty Ltd).
Liam Nunan (Tom) Liam began training with Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre Company in 2005, before graduating from The Actors Workshop in 2008. In 2009 he starred in Queensland Theatre Company’s premiere production of 25 Down – from which he was nominated for a Matilda Award for best male actor in a lead role. He graduated from NIDA in 2012. Theatre workincludes: A Butcher of Distinction and Details Unknown (James Dalton) for We do not unhappen, Owen Wingrave (Imara Savage) for Sydney Chamber Orchestra, Keep Everything You Love (Crystal Arons) and Titus Andronicus (Malcolm Steele) for Nash Theatre Company, Pirates (Damien Lee) for Stage Door Dinner Theatre Company. The Wood Demon (Kathy Burns) for The Actor’s Workshop, and 25 Down (Jon Halpin) for Queeensland Theatre Company. NIDA productions: The Tatty Hollow Story (Kevin Jackson), Pool No Water (Virginia Savage), Waiting for lefty (Stefanos Rassios), The Winter’s tale (Lee Lewis), The Cassandra Project (Legs on the wall), The last Day’s of Judas Iscariot (Mel Shapiro), Electronic City (Netta Yashchin), The Illusion (Kate Whoriskey), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Paige Rattray). Television: Puzzle Play, Toasted TV, K9. Film: Dartworth (QPIX).
Peter Rasmussen (Adam) Peter is an Actor, Casting Director and Acting Coach. Graduating with a BA in Acting from QUT, Peter worked extensively with Grin and Tonic theatre troupe before moving into Casting and Teaching. As a Casting Director Peter has led or worked on Arctic Blast (Brian Trenchard Smith), Australia on Trial (Anna Kokkinos, Lisa Mitchell), Crawlspace (Dir: Justin Dix), Singularity (Dir: Roland Joffe) John Doe, The Killer Elite, the Underbelly telemovies (Dir: Shawn Seet and Grant Brown), Crownies, H20 Series 3, Heartbeat (UK), Neighbours, Packed to the Rafters, Sea Patrol Series 3, and Sundowners. Peter also runs his own acting school, and is a guest teacher in the QUT Fine Arts program, the Griffith University Film School, the Howard Fine School, Melbourne, and runs workshops throughout Australia and in Tokyo. In 2013 Peter stepped back on stage in The Taming of the Shrew for the 4MBS Shakespeare Festival.
Judy Hainsworth (Hannah) Judy Hainsworth is one of Brisbane’s most dynamic performers and is in constant demand as an actor and a singer. Her theatre work includes: Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts and Statespeare (shake & stir/La Boite); The Narcissist (STC/La Boite) – which toured nationally and earned her a Matilda Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress; Handle with Care (Joymas Creative), Holy Guacamole (The Good Room); The Reunion (Metro Arts Independents); James and the Giant Peach, Little Women, Into the Woods, The Best of Broadway (Harvest Rain); Assassins, Parade (Warehaus); He Died with a Felafel in his Hand (Someone), Shakespeare’s Women (Toowoomba Shakespeare Festival), Hansel and Gretel and Turandot (Opera Queensland). Judy also wrote the cabaret #FirstWorldWhiteGirls, which will be premiering in June, and she is also a member of cabaret group Babushka. She has featured as a Vocal Soloist for the Queensland Pops Orchestra, Q150 Celebrations, Lord Mayor’s Seniors’ Christmas Parties, and Hats Off Bris Vegas. Judy has a Bachelor of Theatre Arts (Acting) with Distinction from the University of Southern Queensland.
Jack Kelly (Scott) Jack graduated from a two year Musical Theatre Internship with Harvest Rain Theatre Company in 2010. He then went on to complete short courses with La Boite, Patrick Studios Australia and Peter Rasmussen. Theatre workincludes: Boy&Girl (Oscar Theatre Company), Into The Woods (Ignations Theatre Company), Predrinks (Rocketboy Productions), Avenue Q (Brisbane Arts Theatre), James and The Giant Peach, Sweet Charity, Honk, Grease, Aladdin and His Mysterious Magical Lamp and Between These Lines (Harvest Rain Theatre Company). Writing creditsinclude: Boy&Girl (Oscar Theatre Company), This Is It (Short Film), Sibling Love (Short Film) and Speaking Freely (Play). Speaking Freely was recently accepted into Anywhere Theatre Festival 2014. Jack is also a proud touring puppeteer for the children’s cancer charity, Camp Quality. This is Jack’s first time working with La Boite Indie and he could not be more thrilled to be part of such a dedicated team. Jack would also like to thank Catarina Hebbard and Richard Jordan for believing in him enough to go on this incredible journey with them.
Dramaturg: Errol Bray Errol is a playwright; theatre director; dramaturg; founding director of major arts projects – Shopfront Theatre, Sydney; World Interplay; Emerge Project, Brisbane – and is now also a novelist (Berzoo; Clouds of Magellan). He is from Sydney, lives in Brisbane, and travels a lot.
Dramaturg: Stephen Carleton Stephen is the winner of the 2004/05 Patrick White Playwrights’ Award for Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset. His plays have been produced by Queensland Theatre Company, La Boite, Sydney Theatre Company, Darwin Theatre Company and JUTE. Stephen is co-Artistic Director of Knock-em-Down Theatre, a company that produces live shows in Queensland and the Northern Territory, and has written and produced plays that have been toured in the Across the Top initiative with KeDT in conjunction with JUTE since 2004. He currently convenes the Drama major at The University of Queensland, where he teaches courses in playwriting and dramaturgy, Australian Drama, and theatre history.
Lighting and Set Designer: Andrew ‘Panda’ Haden Andrew studied a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Technical Production) with an emphasis on Lighting Design at QUT. Lighting positions include: Lighting Designer for Club Med, Lindeman Island; Corporate and Large Scale design for Lightsounds (creating installations seen in many Brisbane venues); and Head Technical Officer for Moreton Bay Regional Council. Theatre work includes: Flights of Fantasy (MBRC; Producer, Lighting & Set Design), Closer to Heaven (OPC; Lighting Design), The Boy From Oz (Ignatians; Lighting & Set Design), Rent (Lighting Design), Sweeney Todd (TSO; Lighting Design), The Last Five Years (TWO; Co Lighting Design), and The Phantom Of The Opera (RMT; Lighting Design).
Composer / Sound Designer: Philip Hagstrom Phil Hagstrom has worked as a composer, sound designer and sound recordist for eight years, since graduating with a Bachelor of Music from James Cook University. Theatre work includes: Water falling Down (Queensland Theatre Company), Tender (…and moor theatre), and My Night With Harold (23rd Productions). Television includes: Mysteries of the Shark Coast (Discovery Channel), Worlds Worst Venom (National Geographic), and Barney’s Barrier Reef (CBBC). Phil has also composed for many short films.
Costume Designer: Susan Marquet Susan is delighted to be working on Machina as costume designer. Susan trained as a Graphic Designer and Art Teacher before becoming involved in community theatre as a performer, scenic artist, costume designer, producer and director. Currently Susan is working as Performing Arts Assistant at an Independent College. In 2010 Susan designed the costumes for the Mad Cat / Three Sisters production of Catholic School Girls at Metro Arts. This is her first time working with La Boite Indie.
Stage Manager: Nicole Goulter Nicole Goulter studied Stage Management and Technical Production at the University of Southern Queensland. Previous credits include: A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Deputy SM, Shakespeare in the Park 2011; Dir: Scott Alderdice); Sweeney Todd (Ignatians 2012), Flights of Fantasy (Redcliffe Cultural Centre 2012), The Boy From Oz (Ignatians 2013), Medea – The River Runs Backwards (Zen Zen Zo 2013), The Scarlet Pimpernel (Ignatians 2013), Motherland (Metro Arts independents 2013) and The Phantom of the Opera (Redcliffe Musical Society 2013).
Production Manager: Lucy Kelland Lucy Kelland has been an active arts manager within the Brisbane Community for many years. Previous credits include: Production Manager of The Boy From Oz (Ignatians, 2013) and Joy, Fear and Poetry (La Boite Indie, 2013); Stage manager of Into the Woods (Ignatians, 2013), The Flu Season (Vena Cava Productions, 2010) and Richard III (Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble, 2010), Deputy Stage Manager of Motherland (Metro Arts Independents, 2013) and Sweeney Todd (Ignatians, 2012). Lucy was also the Site Design and Resources Coordinator for the 2012 2high Festival and the Associate Artistic Director Head of Productions for Vena Cava in 2011. Lucy is excited to be working with such an exciting and vibrant team.
Marketing Manager: Amy Church Amy is an enthusiastic and experienced Arts Marketer. She is extremely passionate about the arts industry within Queensland, having spent the last five years working as an integral member of The Arts Centre Gold Coast’s marketing team. After recent stints in New York and Sydney refining her arts marketing skills, Amy is excited to be back in Queensland working on Machina and engaging in the Brisbane arts and culture sectors. When she’s not managing marketing campaigns she is also a performer, most recently appearing in RobWil Productions’ feature film Colourful and Impossible (Eliza) and The Blacklight Collective’s second development of Astraeus (Actor/ Singer/ Collaborator).
Digital Marketing: Nathan Sibthorpe Nathan is in the process of developing a career as a performance-maker and an AV designer, but is also happy to perform when someone’s watching and write when someone’s reading. Notable Achievements: Director of Into the Woods (Ignatians, 2013); Co-creator of Total Dik (Queensland Theatre Company, 2013); Writer/Director of Some Dumb Play (Metro Arts Allies, 2012); Writer/Director of Voice (La Trobe Student Theatre & Film: Northcote Season 2012, FAST 2011, Capillaries Festival 2010); Performer/AV designer in I Feel Awful (QTC, Brisbane Festival 2011); AV design for The Harbinger (La Boite Indie 2011 – Groundling award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Multimedia in Theatre); Assistant Director for Colder (La Boite Indie 2011); AV design for Gaijin (Gardens Theatre 2011); Director of Practising Passion and The Voyeurs (Short + Sweet Festivals, 2010/2011 – Best Director award for 2011); AV design for Alice in Wonderland (Flipside Circus, 2010). Nathan was previously Queensland Theatre Company’s Geek-In-Residence in 2012-14 and an Australia Council JUMP artist in 2012. This year, Nathan will be directing the Short+Sweet Festival at Brisbane Powerhouse. Previously he worked with Markwell Presents and with his own web and graphic design company Misc Media. Nathan has a BFA in Fine Arts Drama from QUT, with distinction.
