Theatre Maker.
here’s a spotlight on some recent works, and what’s up next
Ivy and Sylvia
Ivy and Sylvia is an imagined conversation between two real-life nurses, who served the local area in the first half of the last century. It's the story of two women with remarkably different approaches to their shared goals: providing healthcare in Melbourne's west during a time of economic recession, prioritising women when many others refused, and working tirelessly with little to no recognition of their efforts.
Written by Mia Boonen, this two-woman play depicts a meeting between these two characters in the present day, as they haunt the former Altona Hospital (now the Louis Joel Arts and Community Centre). Together, Ivy and Sylvia remember their past, navigate their relationship in the afterlife, and discuss not only what's changed about the state of healthcare in Australia, but also what's stayed the same.
Join us for a show at Melbourne Fringe Festival that weaves together imagined conversations with real-life historical records, piecing together the life's work of two women who had a huge impact on the Altona community, and recognising the untold stories of historical women throughout time.
Peacemongers - The People Make Theatre
Darebin Arts Speakeasy, April/May 2024
‘Fairground’ by Dramawerkz Youth Theatre
dir. Mia Boonen
Melbourne Fringe Festival 2024
’B**ch’ by Water Closette Co.
“In the before, Tide gave us two high tides and two low tides every day.
But that all changed when the birds fell out of the sky…. among other things.”
It’s the end of the human era.
Six creatures pick at life along the shoreline, clutching at traces of the past and playing games to distract themselves from their washed-up present.
With B**CH, Water Closette creates a truly absurd world where hope, though entirely necessary, might be the most absurd thing of all.
November 2021 @ VCA
Sounds of the Steps
These are the sounds from the steps outside the VCA theatre building, captured on Boonwurrung Country. We used to rest there, make plans there, and count down the days till we could leave.
This sound piece was created alongside the women with whom I fought the University of Melbourne in a public campaign in 2022. We protested the University’s mishandling of sexual assault and harassment complaints, which ultimately resulted in a public apology and several policy changes.
This piece was produced while we were in the midst of news interviews, social media campaigning and a heated public debate around our experiences, and, in going back to a place that held so many memories of our university days, we aimed to reclaim it with this work.