The Book of Loco17 July – 2 August

Malthouse Theatre presents

By / Alirio ZavarceDirected by / Sasha ZahraDesign / Jonathon OxladeVideo & Graphics / Chris MoreComposition / Duncan CampbellLighting Realisation / Neil Jensen from the original design by David GasdenArtist’s Associates / Belle Bassin, Bradley WilliamsProduction Manager / Neil JensenAssistant Stage Manager / Harriet GregoryCast / Alirio Zavarce

Beckett Theatre 17 July – 2 August 2014

The Book of Loco

Proudly supported by Avant Card.

Produced by Loose Canon Art Services.

Andrew Curtis

A note from Malthouse Theatre’s Artistic Director

In a mad world, only the mad are sane.Alirio Zavarce’s path and mine have crossed several times over the last few years. I’m a great fan of Windmill Theatre and attend whenever I’m in Adelaide. And if you’ve ever seen a Windmill show, you have probably seen Alirio – as an Adelaide stalwart he regularly performs upon their stages. I’ve been treated to the breadth of his talent in The Wizard of Oz and, later, Pinocchio, which I adored so much I programmed it as our family show in 2012. The Book of Loco is a real display of his theatrical instinct as a performer, but also as a writer – his appetite for an audience, his ability to reach inside people, his sense of fun and, well, for the kind of madness that keeps us all sane.

Alirio identifies very much as an Australian, but he’s also a proud Venezuelan, and articulates more

clearly than most the wrench that belonging to two cultures inevitably brings – his palpable connections and relationships demonstrate his attachment to both places. This is a very personal story that brings a global perspective to some of our most intimate joys and woes – experiences such as divorce or the loss of a parent – that are both universal and entirely individual. Our coping mechanism for dealing with these moments of craziness may well be our recourse to a kind of madness that reflects and runs with it. In the end, Alirio’s heartfelt piece advocates for our need to accept the irrationality of the world and embrace our inner loco.

Marion Potts / Malthouse Theatre Artistic Director

Pia Johnson

A note from the Director

Reflections, rants and memories.On day one of our first development back in 2010, Alirio arrived with his arms laden with small notebooks of many different colours, sizes and shapes. Their contents – hand written thoughts, stories, scribblings, theories, reflections, rants and memories (some in English and many in Spanish) were our departure point for the creation of this work.

As we were fortunate enough to be supported to incubate The Book of Loco over a long period of time, our creative process has been paced, responsive, flexible, reflective and driven by the needs of the work. There were a lot of ideas, a lot of words and a lot of stories. Sifting, navigating, shaping and finessing the many possibilities has been both the challenge and the joy of arriving at this incarnation of The Book of Loco.

Many amazing artists and collaborators have worked with us along the way. I would like to acknowledge their input and thank them.

I’d also like to give my thanks to two people at the heart of the project: to Alirio for his honesty, bravery and willingness to share his story with the world and for inviting me to be a part of this journey with him; and also to Janine Peacock (Loose Canon Art Services), our producer, who has been by our side since the beginning of the ride.

This is The Book of Loco.

Now over to you our audience, our listeners. Enjoy.

Sasha Zahra / Director

Pia Johnson

Pia Johnson

Pia Johnson

I have gone and I have come back, but something always goes missing in that brief period between take-off and landing. — Alirio Zavarce

Belle Bassin / Artist’s Associate Belle is a visual artist who has manifested the Jonathon Oxlade set design for The Book of Loco. Belle’s recent group exhibitions include Ode to Form (West Space), Legends: Obsessions with the incomprehensible and the uncanny (Latrobe Regional Gallery), It’s easier to look at your skin (Cites des Artes) and The Terror of N (Fehily Contemporary). In 2007, Bassin was the recipient of the Wallara Travelling Scholarship, the Westspace Award and the George Hicks Award. She has been a Gertrude Contemporary Studio resident, an RMIT Printmaking Resident and, in 2012, a Cite Studio resident. Belle’s work is held in the Monash University Museum of Art and in private collections throughout Australia. She is currently an MFA candidate at Monash University.

Duncan Campbell / Composition Duncan is an accomplished sound engineer in film, television, theatre and music. After years of freelance work recording and producing bands, composing and sound editing for film, he now works full-time as a sound technician at the South Australian Film Corporation. Recent film and television credits include 52 Tuesdays, Charlie’s Country, Danger 5, The Infinite Man, Wastelander Panda and Wolf Creek 2.

Harriet Gregory / Assistant Stage Manager Harriet Gregory’s poetry has appeared in publications such as Voiceworks and Capsule Fiction. In 2011 she completed a Diploma of Live Production at Box Hill Institute and now works as a professional stage manager in Melbourne. Most recently Harriet has worked on productions with Sisters Grimm, Little Ones Theatre, The Hayloft Project and Circus Oz.

Chris More / Video & Graphics Chris’ creative practice has been shaped by his background in multimedia and interactive design. His work with the moving image has led to several creative collaborations for live performance and theatre including: Game Show (Aphids); Pinocchio (Windmill Theatre/Malthouse Theatre/Sydney Theatre Company); School Dance (Windmill Theatre); Star Chaser (Arena Theatre Company); Half Real (The Border Project); The Wizard of Oz (Windmill Theatre); Girl Who Cried Wolf (Arena Theatre Company); Criminology (Malthouse Theatre/Arena Theatre Company); and Skid 180 (Arena Theatre Company/Contact).

Neil Jensen / Production Manager & Lighting Realisation Neil is a problem solver, developer and concept realiser. Neil has been involved in technical production for his entire working life. Since graduating from the Centre for the Performing Arts in the early 90s he has worked on diverse projects including almost every Adelaide Festival and Fringe since 1992. In recent years he has been concentrating primarily on production and tour management, development of theatre technology systems and lighting design. Highlights include: site co-ordinating WOMADelaide; production managing Come Out Festival, Adelaide Film Festival and Leigh Warren & Dancers; touring the world with shows such as Stalker Performance Projects’ RED and StiltBreak; developing and constructing wireless video screens for Force Majeure’s The Age I’m In and Chooky Dancer’s Wrong Skin; and production and tour managing for Marguerite Pepper Productions on various shows including Shaun Parker’s This Show is About People and The Leaping Loonies’ Crate Show.

Jonathon Oxlade / Design Jonathon studied illustration and sculpture at Queensland College of Art. He has designed set and costumes for Malthouse Theate, Windmill Theatre, Queensland Theatre Company, Is This Yours?, Aphids, Circa, Arena Theatre Company, Polyglot, Bell Shakespeare, Polytoxic, Men of Steel, The Real TV Project, Terrapin Puppet Theatre, The Escapists, The Border Project, State Theatre Company of South Australia and LaBoite Theatre. His work for venues and festivals include: Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Festival, Adelaide Festival, Performance Space and Queensland Art Gallery. Jonathon illustrated the picture books The Empty City (Hachette Livre/Lothian) and the Edie Amelia series by Sophie Lee. He was the festival designer of 2010 Out of the Box and is currently the resident designer at Windmill Theatre. He was the recipient of the Matilda Award for Best Designer in 2005 for A Christmas Carol (Queensland Theatre Company) and in 2008 for Attack of the Attacking Attackers (The Escapists/La Boite). He was nominated for the Green Room Award for Best Design in 2009 for Goodbye Vaudeville Charlie Mudd (Malthouse Theatre/Arena Theatre Company) and in 2013 for Skeleton (Malthouse Theatre/Larissa McGowen); and the 2013 Helpmann Award for Best Scenic Design (School Dance, Windmill Theatre/Adelaide Festival). In 2007 Jonathon was awarded the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Young and Emerging Artists Fellowship to attend the Prague International Scenography and Theatre Architecture Quadrennial.

Pia Johnson

Pia Johnson

Sam Oster

Bradley Williams / Artist’s Associate Brad is a performer and theatre maker. He is a founding member and the current artistic director of independent theatre company five.point.one, based in Adelaide. In Melbourne, Brad has performed in Dying City (Hoy Polloy), The Nightwatchman (Theatre Works), 22 Short Plays (MKA) and the workshop development of MKA’s The Economist with Van Badham. In Adelaide, Brad has performed in The Under Room, The Eisteddfod, Muff, The Lake and Notoriously Yours (five.point.one). He was a stage manager and performer in I Am Not an Animal (The Border Project), and assistant to the director throughout the final phase of development of Sons & Mothers (No Strings Attached/Windmill Theatre). Most recently Brad has had roles on the television mini-series Anzac Girls (ABC) and Deadline Gallipoli (Foxtel); and collaborated with five.point.one and Van Badham to create Notoriously Yours for the 2014 Adelaide Fringe.

Sasha Zahra / Director Sasha is a director, producer, theatre maker, performer and deviser. She is a graduate of Drama Studies from Adelaide University and since 2010 she has been the creative producer of Adelaide Fringe. In 2004, Sasha undertook an Australia Council for the Arts residency with Wan Smolbag Theatre in Vanuatu, where, in 2009, she curated and produced the Australian contingent of the inaugural Wan Smolbag International Theatre Festival, and in 2014 was a programmer and producer of the festival. Previously, Sasha has been the artistic director of D Faces of Youth Arts and Kurruru Indigenous Youth Performing Arts. Her directing credits include: Soaring and Books and Bites (Come Out Festival); Crossing Paths (Adelaide Fringe, winner 2006 Fringe Award for Best Dance Show); Second to None (Vitalstatistix, nominated for a 2008 Ruby Award); and Purratendi (Port Adelaide Festival). Her other work includes: assistant director on Catherine Fitzgerald’s Frozen (State Theatre Company of South Australia); associate artistic director of Come Out Festival 2009; and dramaturg on Saltbush: Children’s Cheering Carpet (Compagnia TPO/ Come Out Festival). In 2013 Sasha directed The Book of Loco (winner of the 2013 Fringe Award for Best Theatre Production, Adelaide Festival Centre inSPACE: Development Award), and she recently performed in Cutaway: A Portrait (Vitalstatistix) directed by Roslyn Oades.

Alirio Zavarce / Writer & Performer Alirio was born in Caracas, Venezuela and migrated to Australia in 1992. In 2000 he graduated from Flinders University Drama Centre. Over the last 14 years Alirio has performed at Malthouse Theatre, Windmill Theatre, State Theatre Company of South Australia and Sydney Theatre Company. He is a founding member of The Border Project and has performed in and co-created all of its productions. Alirio has developed and directed projects for: Nexus Multicultural Arts Centre, SYTE, Urban Myth, Multicultural Community Council of South Australia, Flinders University Drama Centre and the Community Arts Network. For No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability, Alirio directed, wrote and performed Trapped (winner of the 2011 Fringe Peace Foundation Award) and Sons & Mothers (winner of the 2012 Fringe Award for Best Theatre Production, the Adelaide Festival Centre inSPACE: Development Award and the Adelaide Critics Circle Best in Fringe Award). In 2013 Alirio wrote and performed The Book of Loco (winner of the 2013 Fringe Award for Best Theatre Production and the Adelaide Festival Centre inSPACE: Development Award); and wrote and directed The Migration Project, which was presented as part of 2013 Come Out Festival. Alirio produced and directed the 2014 Adelaide Fringe venue Live From Channel 9 Studios, for which he created and performed The Chapel of Love and directed True North Youth Theatre Ensemble’s A Sense of Home (winner of the 2014 Fringe Peace Foundation Award). He performed the role of Geppetto in Windmill Theatre’s Pinocchio (Malthouse Theatre/Sydney Theatre Company). Alirio is the Artistic Director of AJZ Productions and True North Youth Theatre Ensemble.

The development and premieres of The Book of Loco were made possible with support from the South Australian Government through Art SA’s Triennenial Project Fund.

Our Supporters

URANIA—Muse of The Stars—$25,000+ Annamila Pty Ltd, Craig Reeves, The Dara Foundation, The Danielle & Daniel Besen Foundation, Mary-Ruth & Peter McLennan, Maureen & Tony Wheeler

CLIO—Muse of History—$10,000+ Betty Amsden OAM, John & Lorraine Bates, Michele Levine, The Pratt Foundation, Carol & Alan Schwartz AM, Anonymous (1)

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CATALYST SYNDICATE Warwick & Lida Bray, John Carruthers & Rosie Purcell, Charles Gillies & Penelope Allen, Nick Glenning & Jenny Proimos, Sarah Morgan, Corrie Perkin & Peter Loder, Maria Prendergast OAM, Robert Sessions & Christina Fitzgerald, Simon Westcott & Dr Ben Keith

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Thank you, Malthouse Muses, for supporting our artistic vision and helping us to create a unique and dynamic environment for artists and audiences.

Our Staff

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michele Levine (Chair), John Daley (Deputy Chair), Frankie Airey, Ian McRae AO, Sarah Morgan, Nick Schlieper, Thea Snow, Sigrid Thornton, Kerri Turner, Leonard Vary

Artistic Director Marion Potts

Executive Producer Sarah Neal

Executive Assistant Nicole Benson

Associate Artist (Composition) David Chisholm

Associate Artist (Writing) Lally Katz

Associate Artist (Direction) Matthew Lutton

Dramaturg Mark Pritchard

Female Director in Residence Clare Watson

Indigenous Engagement Jason Tamiru

Associate Producer Josh Wright

Administrator Narda Shanley

Company Manager Alice Muhling

Finance Manager Mario Agostinoni

Finance Administrator Liz White

Marketing & Communications Manager Lisa Scicluna

Digital Strategy & Marketing Coordinator Alice Gage

Communications Coordinator Emily Fiori

Graphic Designer Jane Roberts

Development Manager Rachel Petchesky

Development Coordinator Kim Brockett

Building Manager Peter Mandersloot

Ticketing Manager Emma Quinn

Assistant Ticketing Manager Lauren White

Production Manager David Miller

Technical Manager Baird McKenna

Operations Manager Dexter Varley

Head of Lighting Stephen Hawker

Head Mechanist Andy Moore

Theatre Technician Nathanael Bristow

Head of Wardrobe Delia Spicer

Workshop Supervisor David Craig

Steel Fabricator Goffredo Mameli

Workshop Staff Mitch O’Sullivan, Elizabeth Whitton

Front of House Managers Sean Ladhams, Anita Posterino

Bar Manager Cherry Rivers

Box Office Staff Abbey Barnes, Paul Buckley, Mark Byrne, Kate Gregory, Suzie Hardgrave, Michelle Hines, Ian Michael, Jade Thomson, Liz White, Fiona Wiseman, Benjamin Woolley

Front of House/ Bar Staff Matt Adair, Thomas Banks, Hannah Bolt, Jacqui Brown, Emma Corbett, Ray Chong Nee, Nadine Dimitrievitch, Alice Dixon, Graham Downey, Tanja George, Kate Gregory, Mark Hoffman, Kathryn Joy, Evona Lee, Ian Michael, Anna Nalpantidis, Ruby Nolan, Syrie Payne, Claire Richardson, Sanne Rodenstein, Phoebe Taylor, Jade Thomson, Lee Threadgold, Noel Turner, Matilda Woodroofe

Malthouse Theatre would like to acknowledge the people of the Kulin nation on whose land this work is being presented.

Malthouse Theatre would also like to acknowledge the ongoing support of its volunteers.