What do you enjoy about playing Jeremiah in Boom?

Jeremiah is a great example of a character that is pushed into a responsibility in which he is in way over his head, yet is forced to account for due to the inherent nature of his authority position from his job. He exists as morally and duty driven, yet is unhiding in his anxiety, uncomfortability, and even anger. This range of complexity in his emotions makes him a character that encourages a range of subtle to loud displays and reactions across his scenes, and I feel I can really try many different forms of expressions that make him very stimulating for me to play.

What has the process been like bringing the character of Jeremiah to life in Slanted Theatre’s production of Boom?

Its been a steady amount of work, since this is the biggest role I've probably ever had in a show before. Tiffany, my director, has been really great in understanding that while I have had some previous acting experience, I am not a formally trained actor, and she's been feeding me different techniques and methods to better approach understanding how to perform the character. Certainly trying techniques I have not used before is a trial-and-error experience to know what works for me personally, but it's an exciting process to work out for sure!

If you could play another character in Boom, who would it be?

This may be a bit funny but I think I would like to play Jeremiah's patronising, self-confident boss, the Director. I'm a fan of the way in which Mel portrays the role, and I would like to try putting my own twist on it!

After studying props at NIDA, what drew you to acting?

I used to do acting back in my schooling years in Singapore, and I have always kept the acting bug in a little jar with me. Props was a great way for me to learn to make with many different materials and techniques, which is something I like as a person who enjoys making things. But after three years of being a props maker, I realised the part of my personality that was at home with performing was feeling unfulfilled, and I finally decided to try auditioning for shows in the indie theatre scene when I realised it had been ten years since I had last acted in a show.

What is your favourite thing about acting and performing?

From a collaborative point of view, it would be the way which I can creatively engage with other performing artists and practitioners to interpret and realise a performance. From a more self-fulfilling point of view, it's the way I feel the energy of an audience that's giving its attention to a performance. In both cases, I really find the energy of people around me to be very stimulating, especially in a creative space.

What have you been reading/watching and loving lately?

Currently reading Ned Kelly: A Short Life by Ian Jones, as well as Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. 

What would you like to see more of in Sydney theatre?

I would like to see more experimentation with temporary theatre structures. While I was at NIDA I managed to catch a showing of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Pop Up Globe, which was when they set up a cardboard replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre at Moore Park, and it was a novel experience for me. I really want to see more innovative use of public spaces for theatrical performance.

Daniel will be performing as Jeremiah in Slanted Theatre’s production of Boom at KXT on Broadway in Sydney from 6 to 21 October 2023.

You can follow Daniel’s prop making @danmackprops and Slanted Theatre @slantedtheatre on Instagram.

This year, Disa has played Sye in Sunny Productions’ Happy Meals Happy Kids, filmed their first short film as Little Sister in Sunspot Cinematic’s Halo and worked as Sound Operator for Canberra REP’s Home, I’m Darling. They are currently developing and performing Sympathetic Resonance by Canberra Youth Theatre’s Emerge Company and working on some smaller projects. Disa will also be playing the role of Anika in Canberra Youth Theatre’s Rosieville later this year. 

What do you enjoy about being part of Canberra Youth Theatre’s Emerge Company?

As an Emerge Company artist, I am able to develop my skills as an actor, writer, director, designer, and more. Emerge Company has provided me with a supportive environment that has encouraged me to experiment and grow as an artist.

I have had the pleasure to learn from industry professionals such as Emerge Company’s mentor, Christopher Carroll; set and costume designer, Aislinn King; playwright, Dylan Van Den Berg and artist and producer, Bonnie Curtis.

As my time with Emerge Company comes to an end, I feel that I have gained so much experience and a skill set that otherwise may have taken years to acquire. Emerge Company demystified so many aspects of theatre making and the theatre/arts industry which made me feel a lot more confident as a theatre maker and a little less terrified as an emerging artist. 

 What is Emerge Company’s new show Sympathetic Resonance about?

Sympathetic Resonance is about communication and all the ways it can affect our lives. Communication is such a broad concept and we look at all the ways that it can be used and manipulated. Sympathetic Resonance is a collage of those unforgettable people, moments and feelings that you think about when you’re lying awake at 2:47 in the morning. From bearing your heart to your closest friend to that awkward interaction with a stranger on the street, Sympathetic Resonance examines the complexity of communication in its many forms. 

Sympathetic Resonance is devised and performed by seven emerging artists. What is it like to devise and perform in a new work?

It has been an incredible experience to watch an idea evolve into a production over the course of just a few weeks. Being able to have had a hand in every part of the production process has been, although quite stressful, a dream come true. The seven of us all have our own creative styles and interests so it’s been really wonderful to have had complete freedom with the forms and styles of theatre in each scene that we’ve developed. It means that we’re able to look at each concept from different perspectives and make it the best possible version it can be.

There have been so many changes along the way so it’s quite refreshing to see it all come together as we enter tech week. I think that as we approach production week and shift focus to the acting portion of our roles, we’ve all had a little difficulty letting our scenes be and not tampering with them too much or coming up with new ideas for the show.

Devising and acting in a show can be a blessing and a curse because you can have all the fun and freedom you want when you’re devising your scenes but you eventually have to stop and put it to rest. It’s a very emotional process for an already stressful and exhausting (and exciting) week. 

What is involved in the process of collaborating on the creation of Sympathetic Resonance with six other emerging artists like yourself? 

Sympathetic Resonance is a collection of fragmented scenes and stories so we’ve all been able to offer and develop our own ideas of what communication can be and do. We have all had the opportunity to be writers, directors and/or actors for our own scenes and ideas while helping others to develop theirs. The creative freedom of working on this show has allowed us all to experiment with our styles and test the boundaries of what theatre can be. There has been so much curiosity and creativity from the beginning which is what makes our show so dynamic and entertaining. 

You’ve been involved both on and behind the stage in different theatrical productions. What draws you to both on and offstage roles? 

I am fascinated with every aspect of theatre. There are very few limitations of what theatre can be and there are so many roles that go into making any production. For a while, I was only interested in acting in theatre. The process of reading a terrific script and then creating a character, building their world from the ground up alongside a team of artists and the immediacy of performing to a live audience was and is still one of my favourite things in this world.

When I first started working as an actor on productions, I always wanted to know what was going on for other creatives and crew. I would try to be within earshot of directors and designers as they discussed ideas and changes and I would note down literally anything that happened during rehearsals and tried to learn from it.

When I was offered to work as the Assistant Stage Manager on Canberra Youth Theatre’s The Initiation (2022), I thought that it would be a good opportunity to gain some first hand experience of what it was like to be an active part of those decisions and to see theatre from another point of view. Working on The Initiation made me fall in love with stage management and made me even more curious about other roles.

I have found that every time I work in a new area, the process of creating a show becomes so much more complicated, confusing, elaborate and fun. It also makes being an audience member really exciting. Whenever I watch a play, I can see all of the different elements a little bit clearer and better appreciate all of the thought, care, effort and pain that it took to make them come alive. It makes me ecstatic but also a little dizzy. I think that I’m just tremendously passionate and curious about theatre and everything that goes into it. 

What have you been reading/watching and loving lately?

I am currently reading Supper Club by Lara Williams which has become my new favourite book. I’ve been rewatching the 2017 series of Howards End and once Sympathetic Resonance has closed, I plan to rewatch Killing Eve. I also recently saw Griffin Theatre’s Pony on tour at the Canberra Theatre Centre and oh my goodness it was incredible! 

What would you like to see more of in Canberra theatre?

I would love to see more local theatre being supported and celebrated. Canberra has so many incredible theatre makers who create innovative and exciting new works but they are often overshadowed by larger touring productions. I would also love for Canberra to be more inclusive to emerging artists. So many terrific young theatre makers and actors are planning on leaving Canberra as soon as they can because they feel that there aren’t enough creative opportunities here and I would love to see that change. 

Disa is currently performing in Canberra Youth Theatre’s production of Sympathetic Resonance at Gorman Arts Centre (C Block Theatre) in Canberra from 14 to 16 July 2023 and will be playing Anika in Canberra Youth Theatre’s production of Rosieville from 29 September to 8 October 2023.

You can follow them @disaswifte on Instagram.

What do you enjoy about playing Lainey in Short Blanket?

The thing I enjoy most about playing Lainey is that she is unfiltered, distilled chaos. She’s incredibly stressed out which manifests in different ways. She wears her heart on her sleeve and always speaks her mind.

What is the best part of being involved in Short Blanket?

The best part I would say is working with like-minded people. It’s rare to work with a predominantly Asian crew. I hadn’t worked with anybody on this team before up until now and everyone has been supportive, fun and kind. Everyone on the team has a great sense of humour – it’s cultivated a fun space to play.

How does working on the world premiere of a play differ to working on a reinterpretation of a pre-existing play?

Great question! When working on reinterpretations of a pre-existing play, sometimes, it can feel as though you have nothing new to bring to a character because it’s all been done before by many, many actors – which is completely untrue as there is always room for your own take. In this mindset, you question how to truly make a character your own. However, with working on a world premiere you’re covering new ground. In that sense, I’d say it’s special because my interpretation of Lainey on stage is its first.

Working on a world premiere play and a new work has been a collaborative process, and often there are continuous changes made to the script to fine tune it which keeps you on your toes! That doesn’t happen to reinterpretations of pre-existing plays on same scale of a new work.

Who are your biggest inspirations or influences as an actor?

Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, Stephanie Hsu, Aubrey Plaza are my biggest inspirations. I’d say that Aubrey Plaza has influenced me a lot, I was obsessed with April Ludgate from Parks & Recreation as a teen.

What have you been reading/watching and loving lately?

I’m currently reading Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong. I’ve been watching Beef, I’m on episode three – it’s completely unhinged and I’m all for it. I’ve also been watching Ted Lasso, I mean, how can you not? Oh, and also The Great – it’s so good.

What would you like to see more of in Sydney theatre?

Personally, I’d like to see more movement pieces. I saw Moon Rabbit Rising last year and the application of storytelling without using words was really beautiful and inherently moving. But more importantly, I’d also like to see younger people go to the theatre. I don’t know, theatre has always been revered as a high class art. A lot of my friends who are non-theatre goers view it that way, but I’ve been slowly converting them and showing them that that’s not necessarily true. I don’t really know how to change that on a grand scale nor do I know the answer to it.

Andrea is currently performing as Lainey in Slanted Theatre’s production of Short Blanket at Meraki Arts Bar in Sydney from 18 May to 3 June 2023.

What do you love about acting?

I engage with characters a lot when analysing media, and to actively make decisions in how these characters are portrayed to an audience just elevates the experience for me. I love resonating with words on page and bringing whatever I can offer to it, and helping the audience see what I saw in it. 

What do you enjoy about playing Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility?

Edward’s a challenging role for me, because unlike some of my previous roles, where I really got to ham it up and go all out, Edward requires a bit of restraint to work in Sense and Sensibility. He’s a quiet, nervous, and very awkward character to play. I’m honestly surprised at how much turmoil I had in figuring out the basics of his character. I wanted to keep it restrained, but to also make his presence noticeable, yet not overpowering, which is something that’s very difficult with quiet characters like him. It’s that challenge that has really made me value the experience of playing him. 

What is the best part of being involved in Sense and Sensibility?

It’s got to be the cast. Sense and Sensibility has got a really great cast of actors. They’re friendly, talented, but above all else, they’re really, really funny. Their collective comedic value really shines in this show, and it’s honestly been one of the most fun rehearsal periods I’ve ever had with a cast. 

How did you first get into acting?

My mother absolutely adored performing in Canberra theatre back in the day, so when she heard my high school was doing a musical, she encouraged me to go for it. Every year since, I always shot for that annual musical, because it was a fun extra-curricular activity. When I was around 17, I was encouraged by a friend to audition for a show that was being put on by a community theatre company, and so I went for it and landed a role. It was fun, and it was an experience full of very welcoming people. And so far, that’s been the repeat experience for every show I’ve done thus far, and I think that’s what keeps me coming back.

What’s your dream role?

Guildenstern in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead has always been at the top of the list. 

What have you been reading/watching and loving lately?

I’ve been enjoying Better Call Saul, Heartstopper, and House of the Dragon. Other than that, I’ve kept myself too busy to really engage with much other media.

What would you like to see more of in Canberra theatre?

That’s a difficult question to answer. I’m very satisfied with the Canberra theatre scene, as it seems to be constantly evolving, and I’ve been seeing some incredible opportunities for actors and directors come up as a result. Additionally, stuff like Canberra Youth Theatre is invaluable in getting the young ‘uns into theatre in more ways than just performance. I suppose the only thing I could ask for is more of it, and that the community really bands together to support these efforts and ensure they thrive! 

John is currently performing as Edward Ferrars in Canberra REP Theatre’s production of Sense and Sensibility from 17 November to 3 December 2022.