David Jobling
Helly's Magic Cup
:
Helly's Heroic Journey Begins
Link: www.windmill.org.au/
Rehearsals are under way in Adelaide for Windmill Performing Arts' much anticipated 2008 production, Helly's Magic Cup which has its world premiere in the Space Theatre on Saturday 30 August at 6.00pm. The season will run through until 13 September.Helly's Magic Cup is the first professional commissioned play to be written by celebrated actor and director Rosalba Clemente. Ms Clemente is Chair of the Theatre Board at The Australia Council, and a former Artistic Director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia.
Set on a South Australian farm 400km north of Adelaide Helly's Magic Cup tells a contemporary Australian story from a child's perspective for audiences aged 8 to 80. The farm, run by a second-generation immigrant family, is being consumed by drought and as 11-year-old Helly sets out to find her family's saviour, she discovers their knight in shining armour isn't who she thought it would be. The production demonstrates the severe impacts drought has on both the lands and the families trying to survive. Appropriately, the Corporate Project Partner for the Adelaide season is SA Water.
Casting features Joseph Del Re as Nick Saunders, Elena Carapetis as Mary D'Oro (Helly's mother), Andrea Demetriades as Helly D'Oro (11 years), Carmel Johnson as Guinevere (the cow) Renato Musolino - as Joe D'Oro (Helly's father) and Ezra Juanta as Loo D'Oro (Helly's brother aged 8). A chorus, who perform insects and the voices of the land, are formed variously by all the above. Set design is by Cath Cantlon with lighting design by Mark Pennington and sound by Andrew Howard.
Directed by David Mealor and produced by Windmill's Rosemary Myers, Helly's Magic Cup has received three pre-production accolades at state, national and international levels comprising: A mid-career fellowship from Arts SA for Rosalba Clemente to research and write the play; Script development at the New Visions/New Voices workshop at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC; The 2007 Rodney Seaborn Playwright's Award and a reading at Play Writing Australia's National Play Festival earlier this year in Brisbane.
David Mealor said, 'Helly's Magic Cup is inspired by one of the world's greatest quests - the Grail legend with influences from The Wizard of Oz, as the young immigrant family deal with a drought ridden Australian landscape - that's 'no place like home'. It is a questing play, a classical hero's journey presented with a rough hand made magic realism and poetic comedy. The kingdom (the farm) is in trouble - how this will be overcome, who will be the heroes and what growth and obstacles do they face internally on this voyage as wisdom comes at a price.'
Hellys Magic Cup is presented in association with the Adelaide Festival Centre, as part of their Australian Stories Program. The season will run 29 August (preview) 30 August - 13 September in the Space Theatre. Tickets are available now through BASS 131 246 . Performance duration - 90 minutes.
Public Season: Friday 29 August - 6.30pm, Saturday 30 August - 2.00pm 6.00pm; Friday 5 September - 6.30pm Saturday 6 September - 2.00pm 6.00pm; Friday 12 September - 6.30pm; Saturday 13 September - 2.00pm 6.00pm
Schools: 1 September - 4 September 11.00am and 8 September - 11 September 11.00am.
