Tales of conflict brought home
Performers in paper costumes are getting beyond the headlines in a stage show inspired by Perth-born Walkley Award-winning journalist Sophie McNeill's reports from many of the world's trouble spots.
Perth Theatre Company opens its 2015 season next week with From the Rubble, a tale of three girls caught up in a conflict zone.
The show involves some of Perth's brightest young theatrical talents on a paper set with puppets, projections and animation by visual artist Fleur Elise Noble.
Artistic director Melissa Cantwell said the world premiere - four years in development - gave a visceral, engaging insight into the lives of women and other civilians in war zones.
"In the stories of Sophie I felt drawn to, there were some deeply theatrical and human moments of survival, resilience and determination that felt full of hope and beauty," Cantwell said. "I hope ultimately that people leave feeling that they gained a different insight into the world of others.
"The piece reminds us of how lucky we are in this beautiful, free environment. I would like it to reinforce that shared humanity and tha people can walk out feeling a little lighter about their own load they are carrying."
The paper costumes and set design evoked the "recording of history" and the "impermanence of home, security and belonging", she said.
Puppets were used to disarm the audience of prejudices and preconceived ideas.
"They connect with the child in all of us, to be open and receive stories in a very genuine way," Cantwell said.
McNeill, a former SBS Dateline reporter who has written on the Middle East for _The West Australian _, was recently appointed Middle East correspondent for the ABC.
Speaking from assignment in Bangalore, India, she said she was flattered that Cantwell had been so moved by her documentaries that the director had wanted to try to highlight the stories to a wider audience.
"I'm a storyteller and she's a storyteller and we both come at it from very different aspects," McNeill said.
"It is exciting to think that someone has devoted their artistic talents to tell these stories in a different way. I am chuffed that some of my stories are the ones that inspired her and are going to get a wider audience.
"I've been spellbound by some of the theatre productions I have seen over the years. They can come at you in a different way and bring you inside a story when it is sitting there in front of you.
"Does it have more effect than journalism? Who knows? I don't know the answer. My passion is telling stories from people all over the world who aren't as lucky as we are.
"Whatever method or mode we can use to make people back home give a s…, I'm in favour of. We are so lucky living where we live, especially in Perth. I'll never forget where I'm from and I love nothing more than trying to show people in my favourite part of the world, Western Australia, just how lucky they are.
"I have seen people in some of the worst circumstances all over the world and I am so thrilled that Mel is using her talent, and time and precious funds in the arts world to do this.
"It will be interesting to see what has the most effect, what really makes people care. I'm interested in finding new ways."
McNeill has had a long connection to the Middle East. Between 2006-10 she lived in Jerusalem and Beirut and reported from both for SBS Dateline as a VJ. She won the Walkley Award for her work on the program. She joined the ABC in 2011, working on Triple J's current affairs program Hack. She later became a reporter and producer on Foreign Correspondent.
She has produced films and news reports from as far afield as Jordan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Thailand and Mexico.
From the Rubble is at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts from March 16-28.
