Keeping up with Jake in October

G’day from Sydney where I’m moon-lighting for Belvoir St Theatre for the next couple of months. Tomorrow I’ll do the 20 minute walk through Chinatown and Surry Hills, buy my lunch in advance from the $6 sandwich place, climb the stairs of Belvoir St Theatre’s rehearsal rooms and have a costume fitting.

By my estimate there’ll be 7-8 costumes just for me. There’s seven other South Asian actors and two musicians to be fitted. The play I’m in rehearsals for, The Jungle and the Sea, written and directed by S.Shakthidharan and Eamon Flack, is three hours long with two intervals.

The story spans 27 years, two countries, and follows a family caught in the Sri Lankan civil war. It’s performed on a revolving stage that is in continuous motion at various speeds (including break-neck!), and the choreography required for scene changes is mesmerizing. I’ve been rehearsing for four weeks now and the beauty of this production still takes my breath away.

We open next month and I know most of you won’t get to see it but don’t worry, I plan to steal plenty of ideas to use in the next Indian Ink show. Obviously, the budget will be tighter. It’ll probably end up being a solo show on a Lazy Susan – small but revolutionary!

 

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