Who is Roslyn Oades?
I’m a Naarm-based theatremaker and dramaturg best known for my inventive approaches to documentary performance and installation experiences. My most recent work was The Nightline (co-created with Bob Scott) presented at Malthouse last month, a theatrical audio installation featuring hundreds of real-life anonymous voice messages left between the hours of midnight-6am. When I have my dramaturg hat on, I’m passionate about supporting lead artists to realise inventive and big-hearted original works.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
I think I’d enjoy being a park ranger, especially if I was working with a nice crew of big-hearted humans. It’s often about who I’m working with, that brings me the most joy.
Who inspires you and why?
As I get older, I increasingly find myself looking toward sage female artists who are older than me and still going. Particularly those that have continued being very inventive and surprising – who continue evolving creatively – which is what I aspire to.
I value witnessing role models that demonstrate in a powerful and positive way that my hoped-for career trajectory is viable in what can sometime feel like an ageist industry, particularly in regard to women. Some of my role models are: Laurie Anderson, Janet Cardiff, Caryl Churchill, Rebecca Solnit, Toni Morrison and Dolly Parton – to name a few.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Oh gosh, I don’t know where to start – the state of the world is so overwhelming right now. I think community-building and kindness are more important then ever. There is power in numbers, and while it feels like the multi-billionaires are controlling the world, there is hope in people coming together – maybe we could start a revolution…
Favourite holiday destination and why?
As a full-time freelance artist, I don’t really have holiday-holidays, however, whenever I’m invited to work in another state, I love slipping in a sneaky side adventure before flying home (so my travel is covered!). My favourite thing to do is visit old growth forests and/or rainforests around Australia.
In my books, they’re nature’s equivalent of a grand cathedral but better. They fill me with awe and wonder – and I always leave feeling refreshed and more alive. For my last birthday my mum gave me a hand lens, which is essentially a portable magnifying glass, so I can look at patches of moss in close up. I realise this makes me sound like a nerd, and I can’t deny that.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
I’m not great in the mornings, so I always suggest starting off with a compulsory visit to Marios café (my local) for a coffee or two. Once I’m fully awake, my go-to fav daytrip with visitors is heading off to see (and hear) the incredible lyrebird population in Sherbrooke Forest (Dandenong Ranges National Park). As an artist interested in sound and the voice, their extraordinary mimicry skills are magical. They also sometimes have very good moss 😊
What are you currently reading?
I always like to have a non-fiction and fiction book on the go. As part of my research for The Enormous Radio, I’m reading a fascinating book called Sounds Wild and Broken by David George Haskell which explores the sounds of the living Earth from microscopic animals to whales and how sound has evolved over millennia (definitely one for sound and/or nature nerds).
In terms of fiction, I’ve just finished The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout, which I’m still savoring. In terms of capturing the complexities of community and evoking deep empathy, her observations of the human condition at this moment in time are extraordinary. Still enjoying the afterglow of that one – and might need to read everything she’s ever written now.
What are you currently listening to?
Well, I’m a proud PBS member, and this year I’ve dedicated myself to listening solely to PBS radio while tinkering with old radios – which has been a lot of fun. The Enormous Radio features 70 modified old valve radios, so this has taken up significant portion of my past year. I’m a huge fan of community radio and all they do to support the arts to thrive.
In Melbourne we’re blessed with the best around. By stepping away from my usual algorithms and go-to playlists I’ve deepened my knowledge of the local music scene – and music in general – through tuning in to PBS’ diverse range of specialist music programs and knowledgeable presenters.
Happiness is?
Spending times with dear friends and family members who accept you for you are warts and all. If you throw in a Devonshire tea and a jigsaw puzzle and a fireplace and a cosy house in a forest (with lots of lush moss) – I’d be in heaven.
What does the future hold for you?
In the immediate future – I’m 100% locked onto realising the premiere season of The Enormous Radio – our epic haunted sound installation experience that is in essence a homage to wild animals – co-created with Aria Award-winning sound artist Bob Scott and a talented team of collaborators. It’s been three years in the making and we’re very excited about this one.
Beyond that – not sure! As a fulltime freelance artist, I go where the work is and am led by where my curiosity takes me, which is an ever-changing meandering pathway. As a sole trader, my work diary is very nimble and I am continually surprised by who approaches me and what new projects opens up. I often find one project opens the door to another I’d never dreamed of.
As we all know, there are a lot of disadvantages to being an artist (mostly around financial insecurity), but one of the wonderful things is the adventure of never quite knowing what you’ll be making next or who you’ll be making it with. I love the company of big-hearted artists and, when things are going well, it such a privilege to be part of the mercurial process of making something new and sharing it with the world.
Roslyn (with Bob Scott and collaborators) has created The Enormous Radio – which will be presented by Chamber Made at The Substation, Newport, as part of the 2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival, from 30 September – 10 October.
Image: Roslyn Oades – photo by Thomas McCammon