Presented as part of the 2015 Darebin Arts’ Speakeasy MICF Season, Backwards heralds the return of Emily Taylor with another premiere season during Melbourne’s much-loved Festival until the 18 April 2015.
Six months in the making and created in collaboration with students from Brunswick East Primary School, Backwards is a unique, hilarious and revealing celebration of youth from award-winning writer and performer, Emily Taylor.
Known for her superb character work on previous award-winning shows Cannonball and PET, Taylor transforms between roles with lightening speed during this hour long rollercoaster, creating a layered depiction of the world that is gleeful, clever, and full of possibility.
They hoard and devour undeserved treats, have tantrums in traffic, and indulge in disgusting habits when they think nobody’s watching. Sure, they use big words like “antidisestablishmentarianism”… but aren’t adults just big kids playing grown-ups?
Heading straight to the source, Backwards draws directly on the opinions and ideas of children to create characters and story lines. Taylor has spent many hours delving into the murky depths with the children of Brunswick East Primary School to create her latest, hilarious offering.
Working with a core group of 8 – 10 children between the ages of 6 and 10, Taylor explains the drive behind her latest opus: “As an actor I’m constantly playing games. I daydream, I jump on my trampoline, I don’t have a “real” job, I’m mad about animals, I like treats, I don’t know how to drive. This got me thinking: is it just me? Or are all adults just pretending to be grown ups?”
Darebin Arts’ Speakeasy program of independent theatre is the home of cutting-edge performing arts north of the Yarra. Presenting a year-round program of new, exciting and dangerous theatre productions from around Australia, Speakeasy seeks to enliven the greater Melbourne area with world-class art, and performances.
Backwards
Northcote Town Hall, 189 High Street, Northcote
Season: 26 March – 18 April 2015
Bookings: (03) 9481 9500 or online at: www.darebinarts.com.au/speakeasy
For more information, visit: www.comedyfestival.com.au or www.emilytayloractor.com for details.
Image: Emily Taylor – photo by Sarah Walker