Interplay Interstice

We're roughly halfway through the Interplay festival, and so far I've learnt a number of vital lessons:

1. I am too nice for my own good.
2. I am also, strangely, an angry young man.
3. I have an eccentric sense of the epic that is unusual in young writing.
4. I should not attempt to climb stone walls by leaping at their corners, chin-first.
5. A lot of world drama does not translate effectively into English.
6. A lot of Australia, especially Queensland, is still amazingly racist.
7. I am extremely privileged to live in a country where the theatre scene is multicultural, commercial and experimental, yet which still offers opportunities for young people.
8. I am extremely privileged to live in a country where I do not grow up with a nonchalant hatred for merchant races, such as Jews or Indians.
9. It is very easy, if you are proud of your achievements or your culture, to stop listening, to stop learning.
10. I look good in long sleeves and stubble.


Enough with the posturing. Some photos:

Me and my roommate, Richard Stratton, the only playwright from Brisbane and also the only other out gay man (as far as we know) among the delegates. No nooky though; roomcest (i.e. room-incest) is risky. But look! We're both wearing DJ-monkey T-shirts!

This is my base-group: a group of six young playwrights and three tutors. Pictured are Suzanne Heathcote of London, Ola Animashawn of London (tutor), Adam Mitchell of Perth (tutor), Martin Kordic of Hildesheim and Anna Barnes of Melbourne. Not pictured is the handsome Ivor Martinic of Splitz, Croatia. We can only see the brim of San Francisco/New Yorker Krista Knight.

Our third tutor, Assoc Prof Dr Hassan Erkek of Ankara, is also a hottie. He's met the Finger Players via videoconferencing!

James Cook canteen food leaves something to be desired.

Cultural exchange: here's Hamidah from Lambung talking to Ajtony of Budapest.

There's a volleyball court outside the canteen/dorm area though. It's also plenty warm in the afternoon so we play matches at times.

One more group shot.