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Studio Shorts
25 October 2011 - 29 October 2011
Grab a cheeky beverage, nestle into your beanbag and be seduced by the funkiest vintage style swing band ever to come out of Brisbane - punctuated by two sassy snappy short plays. Then stay awhile and groove to our home grown performance DJ...
'Studio Shorts' was unleashed on Cairns and they loved it! Audiences were absolutely delighted from the first beat of the DJ till the last roar of applause from the final play 'Hotel'. It was awesome to see the crowd embracing their beanbags in between trips to the cage bar, before being hit by gripping performances from Ella Watson-Russell and Natalie Taylor in 'Night'. Then the band 'Fox Lane' burst onto another stage and took the audience off into the clouds with their seductive style with a capital 'S'izzle! Then came Laura Pike and Liz Hurley in 'Hotel' - once again jaws dropped as the action played out a few centimetres from the engrossed audience - they were right in the middle of it all.
Check out the reviews and pictures from the season, we look forward to unleashing the next exciting production in 'The Space' in 2012.
THE LINE UP
Check out the reviews and pictures from the season, we look forward to unleashing the next exciting production in 'The Space' in 2012.
THE LINE UP
6pm Cage bar open
6.30pm till 9pm
DJ 'Brett Walsh'
'Night' by Raimondo Cortese
Director: Nerissa Brandenberger / Cast: Natalie Taylor & Ella Watson-Russell
'Fox Lane' 1930's vintage style swing band from Brissie
'Hotel' by Raimondo Cortese
Director: Simon Hapea / Cast: Liz Hurley & Laura Pike
RATED MA 15+ (course language / adult themes)
WATCH NOW
Follow JUTE's Artistic Director/CEO Suellen Maunder through the Centre of Contemporary Arts car park into The Space to meet some of the actors & directors during the first week of Studio Shorts rehearsals.STUDIO SHORTS
Embrace the warm summer night by throwing on your shorts, gathering your mates and heading through the car park at the Centre of Contemporary Arts into a new performance place The Space. Once inside 'Studio Shorts' will breakdown the traditional realms of theatre removing the gap between audience and performance. You will be drawn into an intimate and revealing mosaic of human interaction across a range of emotional landscapes, set amongst an evening of non-stop performance entertainment.THE PLAYS 'Night' & 'Hotel'
Two short, snappy, sassy plays by Australian playwright Raimondo Cortese.'Night' by Raimondo Cortese
A young woman meets another woman at a bar. They both get excessively drunk until one makes a pass at the other.
DIRECTOR Nerissa Brandenberger FEATURING Natalie Taylor & Ella Watson-Russell
'Hotel' by Raimondo Cortese
Two female cleaners in a Hotel. The everyday power struggles, politics (and ultimately, violence) of two cleaners, as they talk while working. DIRECTOR Simon Hapea FEATURING Liz Hurley & Laura Pike
DESIGNER Luke Ede / LIGHTING DESIGNER Ben Hughes
THE BAND FOX LANE
Brisbane based trio, Fox Lane, will fill your martini glass to the brim with their quirky tunes and tempestuous tales of love, lust, murder, revenge and shoes! Queen of song, Kylie Southwell will lead the audience on a merry dance back to 1930’s Paris jazz and the streets of Spain with a mix of instrumental flamenco sounds. Guitar and banjo musician Gerard Mapstone has worked alongside the best in World Music (La Orquesta de Buena Vista Social Club, Estrella Morente and Tomatito to name a few) and carved a reputation on the world stage through his unique style. Kylie and Gerard are joined by Jan Van Dijk on the violin to complete this charming and quirky ensemble.THE DJ BRETT WALSH
Cairns performance artist and well known art identity, Brett Walsh, will bring his unique blend of performance DJ to the Studio Shorts arena. With Brett on the decks you can be assured you'll be grooving in your beanbags.DATES 25 - 29 October 2011
TIMES
6pm Bar & box office open
6.30pm till 9pm
'Brett Walsh' DJ
'Night' by Raimondo Cortese / Directed by: Nerissa Brandenberger
'Fox Lane' 1930's vintage style swing band from Brissie
'Hotel' by Raimondo Cortese / Directed by: Simon Hapea
VENUE
The Space
Centre of Contemporary Arts, 96 Abbott St, Cairns, QLD 4870
Access to the Studio Shorts venue 'The Space' is via the front of the building - look for the line of shorts!
PARKING
Off street parking is available at the rear of the Centre of Contemporary Arts building; access is via the driveway. Free on street parking is available on Abbott Street in front of the building.
TIMES
6pm Bar & box office open
6.30pm till 9pm
'Brett Walsh' DJ
'Night' by Raimondo Cortese / Directed by: Nerissa Brandenberger
'Fox Lane' 1930's vintage style swing band from Brissie
'Hotel' by Raimondo Cortese / Directed by: Simon Hapea
VENUE
The Space
Centre of Contemporary Arts, 96 Abbott St, Cairns, QLD 4870
Access to the Studio Shorts venue 'The Space' is via the front of the building - look for the line of shorts!
PARKING
Off street parking is available at the rear of the Centre of Contemporary Arts building; access is via the driveway. Free on street parking is available on Abbott Street in front of the building.
Reviewer & audience feedback:
“I took three girlfriends along to Studio Shorts last night, and it was FUN. We were all impressed with ‘The Space’ at JUTE Theatre, it was intimate, relaxed, interactive and we loved that we could have a glass of bubbly while we watched.….” Kirsten Le Roux, Artshub Reviewer 26.10.11
"Sensationally talented musicians, awesome acting & a great atmosphere ***** " Audience feedback, 25.10.11
"In short, JUTE Theatre’s latest production is one of the most engaging, genre-bending shows you’ll see this year. From the moment you tuck into your beanbag in new venue The Space, it’s clear Studio Shorts isn’t quite like anything you’ve experienced at the Centre of Contemporary Arts. Beginning with a relaxed, nightclub-style vibe where punters mingle in the audience space to tunes by local DJ Brett Walsh, it’s lucky they dim the lights when the first play begins – otherwise you might mistake stars Natalie Taylor and Ella Watson‑Russell as audience members. However, it’s not long before Raimondo Cortese’s Night will have you firmly in its grip, with a hilarious tale of debauchery between two lonely strangers in a nightclub. Both Natalie and Ella put in stellar, convincing performances, mastering the nuances of extreme drunkenness with ease and keeping us locked in until their fateful moment at the end. After they stumble off stage, you’ll need to swivel in your chair a full 180 degrees and prepare to be captivated by Brisbane outfit Fox Lane. Their Parisian jazz sound are the perfect fit for the night and space. Without giving too much away, the next play Hotel – also by Raimondo Cortese – will literally sweep you off your feet, with a confronting look into the private lives of two hotel cleaning ladies. Again, actors Liz Hurley and Laura Pike put in fantastic performances. Nerissa Brandenberger (Night) and Simon Hapea (Hotel) also deserve commendation for their first shots in the director’s chairs - they handled it like pros. A must-see!"
Jesse Kush, Review timeOut (The Cairns Post) 27.10.11
“I took three girlfriends along to Studio Shorts last night, and it was FUN. We were all impressed with ‘The Space’ at JUTE Theatre, it was intimate, relaxed, interactive and we loved that we could have a glass of bubbly while we watched.….” Kirsten Le Roux, Artshub Reviewer 26.10.11
"Sensationally talented musicians, awesome acting & a great atmosphere ***** " Audience feedback, 25.10.11
"In short, JUTE Theatre’s latest production is one of the most engaging, genre-bending shows you’ll see this year. From the moment you tuck into your beanbag in new venue The Space, it’s clear Studio Shorts isn’t quite like anything you’ve experienced at the Centre of Contemporary Arts. Beginning with a relaxed, nightclub-style vibe where punters mingle in the audience space to tunes by local DJ Brett Walsh, it’s lucky they dim the lights when the first play begins – otherwise you might mistake stars Natalie Taylor and Ella Watson‑Russell as audience members. However, it’s not long before Raimondo Cortese’s Night will have you firmly in its grip, with a hilarious tale of debauchery between two lonely strangers in a nightclub. Both Natalie and Ella put in stellar, convincing performances, mastering the nuances of extreme drunkenness with ease and keeping us locked in until their fateful moment at the end. After they stumble off stage, you’ll need to swivel in your chair a full 180 degrees and prepare to be captivated by Brisbane outfit Fox Lane. Their Parisian jazz sound are the perfect fit for the night and space. Without giving too much away, the next play Hotel – also by Raimondo Cortese – will literally sweep you off your feet, with a confronting look into the private lives of two hotel cleaning ladies. Again, actors Liz Hurley and Laura Pike put in fantastic performances. Nerissa Brandenberger (Night) and Simon Hapea (Hotel) also deserve commendation for their first shots in the director’s chairs - they handled it like pros. A must-see!"
Jesse Kush, Review timeOut (The Cairns Post) 27.10.11
