Jacky is a new Australian play by Arrernte playwright Declan Furber Gillick, commissioned as part of Melbourne Theatre Company’s Next Stage Writers Program. The play was originally programmed in the 2021 season, but was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. The design’s stripped back aesthetic removes naturalistic constraints to enable space as dramaturgy. Initially divided through the use of light, Jacky’s attempts to compartmentalise his dual worlds of family and work. As the relationships in the play become messy, the defined spaces become similarly blurred and overlapping, resulting in a unified stage where there is no neat resolution. By extending the auditorium around the upper rear of the stage space, the audience become aware of their complicity as spectators during the pivotal scene for the characters.
NTRO Output Category
- Original Creative Work : Design / architectural Work
Place
Melbourne, AustraliaVenue
Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre MelbourneNTRO Publisher
Melbourne Theatre CompanyMedium
Design for Live PerformanceResearch Statement
Jacky is a new Australian play by Arrernte playwright Declan Furber Gillick, commissioned as part of Melbourne Theatre Company’s Next Stage Writers Program. The play was originally programmed in the 2021 season, but was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The design’s stripped back aesthetic removes naturalistic constraints to enable space as dramaturgy. Initially divided through the use of light, Jacky’s attempts to compartmentalise his dual worlds of family and work. As the relationships in the play become messy, the defined spaces become similarly blurred and overlapping, resulting in a unified stage where there is no neat resolution. By extending the auditorium around the upper rear of the stage space, the audience become aware of their complicity as spectators during the pivotal scene for the characters.
The excellence of this work is evidenced by:
• The producing company, Melbourne Theatre Company, is the state theatre company of Victoria and a member of the Australian Major Performing Arts Group, receiving both federal and state arts funding.
• The production received a broad range of critical reviews from major national publications, notably from The Guardian by Tim Byrne, ArtsHub by Kate Mulqueen and The Age by Sonia Nair.
• A live performance was recorded and is intended to become available for streaming as part of Melbourne Theatre Company’s Digital Theatre Plus program in 2024.
• The production received a nomination for Best Production in the Theatre Companies category of the Green Room Awards, Victoria’s premiere industry awards.Size or Duration of Work
1 hour 40 minutes, 38 performancesAffiliation
Christina Smith, University of Melbourne
