Federation University’s Arts Academy to bring two iconic stories to life on stage
Federation University’s Arts Academy is set to dazzle audiences in Ballarat this month with performances of Orlando and Pippin, highlighting the incredible talents of students and showcasing the vibrant creative work emerging from the academy.
Orlando, adapted from Virginia Woolf’s novel by Neil Bartlett and directed by Federation’s Kim Durban, is a romantic story that explores themes of time and gender, and celebrates the journey to authenticity.
It transports audiences through historical eras, including the Elizabethan Great Frost, Constantinople, Jacobean England, the Restoration, and Victorian England, where the boundaries of masculinity and femininity blend and shift. Incorporating elements of music hall, drag, burlesque, and poetry, Orlando is a vibrant celebration of youth and identity.
Orlando features music by local legend Sam Boon and choreography by Eden Read, set design by Adam (Gus) Powers and lighting design by Nick Glen.
Third-year student and Orlando cast member Lachlan Whatman said every element of the show was ‘fantastical’ and an experience to treasure.
“Orlando invokes wonder, and I think that is what I would like the audience to gather from it.”
Pippin is a medieval fantasy of a young prince on his search for meaning and is based on the book by Roger O. Hirson with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
Twenty-four graduating music-theatre students will celebrate their talents in the poignant coming-of-age story, written during the late 1960s and early 1970s against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, and the hippie era.
Pippin is directed by Kirsten von Bibra, with music direction by Dan Tusjak and choreography by Teresa Colantuono.
Ms von Bibra said the production was a journey about reality, fantasy and about aspiring to be extraordinary.
“I think people will leave feeling entertained, but also that they've been fed with something significant to go away and think about. The cast have been truly phenomenal.”
Third-year student Imogen Brown, who plays the character Leading Player in Pippin, said she felt thankful that there is a community at Federation that offers a place for artists to pursue their passion, and was excited about how the show will be received.
“Audiences will leave with the realisation that everything we think we want may not be what our heart needs and that, sometimes, the best things are the simple joys.”
“It’s a really wonderful journey that we as a group get to go on together, we keep discovering new things every day.”
Arts Academy Director Professor Richard Chew says the two productions allow students’ talents to be showcased in productions that are innovative and challenging.
"It's important for the students to really extend their skills at this stage of their training," Professor Chew said.
Tickets to the shows can be found here:
Orlando: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/orlando-tickets-1564769641119
Pippin: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/pippin-tickets-1564759701389