FREE THEATRE CHRISTCHURCH
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      • Last Days of Mankind
      • Medea
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Distraction Camp

DISTRACTION CAMP
Premiered at the University Theatre, November 2009
Toured to BATS Theatre, Wellington Sept 2010
Production Credits

Picture
Image: Tjalling De Vries
beautifully elegant... mesmerizing... disarming..."
Lynn Freeman, Capital Times

As the audience walk in, the performance has already begun. They are welcomed into a House of Illusions: the live music from a twin pianist and cellist is in full swing and the actors dance together on a small dance floor, centre of the stage. The performance (and the audience) are reflected back by large mirrors, and also on monitors, which show previously captured images from the town outside intercut with a live video feed from a roaming camera operator inside. The House of Illusion allows a potential for freedom from the outside world, but it is also constantly under surveillance. Between tango dances and songs, the actors move to small dressing areas at the edge of the stage, and prepare for a series of performances, given for the audience and for each other: A bishop hears the Confession of a young penitent, and gives absolution and penance. As the scene reaches its climax, it is interrupted: the Bishop is not a Bishop, but a client in a brothel; A judge hears the testimony of a thief, who is consequently punished severely by an ominous masked figure; A camp commandant trains his "horse" - a young woman who must be disciplined and properly put through her paces; A woman sings soulfully in remembrance of times past; The thief sings for the camp commandant, and in reward is given the head of her torturer in a box. Throughout actors reflect on what is going on inside and outside the theatre, addressing the audience, blurring the lines between actor, character and spectator. The play ends as actors invite audience members to join them on the dance floor.

Reviews


Free form freak-out
Faith Oxenbridge, Listener

Then what is freedom?
Whetu Fala, Theatreview, Christchurch

Play hard work, but worth the effort
Alan Scott, The Press

Driven to distraction
Lynn Freeman, Capital Times

No escape as reality and illusion unite
Laurie Atkinson, Dominion Post

The puzzlement and pain of paradox
John Smythe, Theatreview, Wellington

Distraction Camp
Uther Dean, Salient

Interviews and Articles

Interview with the cast at BATS Theatre, Wellington
TV3's Nightline

Lynn Freeman comes to a rehearsal
RadioNZ's Arts On Sunday

Eva Radich interviews Emma Johnston and Peter Falkenberg RadioNZ's Upbeat

Preview
Christchurch Press

Camp Concentration
DominionPost

Tango, BDSM and the SS
SCOOP

Director's Note
Peter Falkenberg

the_theatre_as_counterpublic-_from_the_balcony_to_distraction_camp.pdf
File Size: 113 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

press_kit_dc__bats3.pdf
File Size: 5579 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

E-flyer for Distraction Camp in Wellington - front / back
Picture
Picture
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • A brief history...
    • Jarry, Ubu, Pataphysics and Free Theatres
    • Manifestos and Writings
    • Who We Are
    • Shirley Horrocks documentary
    • Training and Devising
    • Home, Space and Design
    • Praise and Awards
  • Te Puna Toi
    • Past Te Puna Toi Projects
    • Artists in Residence
  • UPCOMING
    • Woyzeck
  • EDUCATION
    • Kidsfest and Holiday Programmes
    • Schools Workshops
    • Adult workshops
  • ARCHIVE
    • Productions 1979 - present >
      • The Tempest
      • The Axe
      • Endgame
      • Digitising Performance
      • Erewhon: Over the Range
      • A Summer Night's Dream
      • How Dare You
      • A Winter's Tale
      • Ubu Nights >
        • Past Ubu Nights >
          • Ma Ubu Night
          • Ubu Through the Looking Glass
          • Ubu in Wonderland Ubu Night
          • Frankenstein Ubu Night
          • Casablanca Ubu Night
          • Faust Ubu Night
          • Not Hamlet Ubu Night
          • Punk Ubu Night
          • The Art of the Deal Ubu Night
          • Crossroads Ubu Night
          • Ubu Shows Us the Way to Brecht's Whiskey Bar
          • The Devil and the Blues Ubu Night
          • Bowie Ubu Night
          • Warhol Ubu Night
          • Berlin Kabarette
          • Beat Ubu Night
          • Twin Peaks Ubu Night
          • David Lynch Ubu Night
          • Kafka Ubu Night
          • Tango Ubu Night
          • Ubu Ubu Night
          • Lovecraft Ubu Night
      • Ars Acustica
      • Alice
      • The Black Rider
      • Frankenstein
      • The Mauricio Kagel Project
      • Te Puna Toi 2015: Footprints/Tapuwae
      • Kafka's Amerika
      • The Soldier's Tale
      • Canterbury Tales
      • I Sing the Body Electric
      • Hereafter
      • Passion, Pulse and Power
      • The Earthquake in Chile
      • Doctor Faustus
      • The Marvellous Corricks >
        • Corricks - Credits
      • Distraction Camp
      • Remake
      • Ella and Susn
      • Free Theatre - 25 years and counting...
      • Faust Chroma
      • Enigma Emmy Goering/Nico Sphinx of Ice
      • Faust Feast
      • Diana Down Under
      • Philoctetes >
        • Production Credits - Piloctetes
      • Fantasia
      • Christmas Shopping
      • Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
      • Achternbusch in the Antipodes
      • Caucasian Chalk Circle
      • Samson Airline
      • Kabarett Kabul
      • Footprints/Tapuwae
      • Last Days of Mankind
      • Medea
      • Bakkhai / Diotek
      • Krapp's Last Tape
      • Murderer Hope of Women / The Philosopher's Stone
      • Comrade Savage
      • Love on a Bicycle
      • Resolution Island
      • Songs for the Judges
      • Crusoe
      • Oedipus Rex/Oedipus at Colonus
      • States of Shock
      • Empire Builders
      • Yes
      • Power
      • Robinson Crusoe: Or I THat Was Born To Be My Own Destroyer
      • Newsbites
      • Dumped in Space
      • MedeaMaterial
      • Salome
      • Electra
      • Sphinx and Strawmen
      • The Girl Who Sings Waterfalls
      • Hamletmachine
      • Oresteia
      • A Respectable Wedding
      • Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
      • Double Act and Postponeless
      • Cloudkiwiland
      • Preversions
      • G.O.P. Helpomatic
      • The Mortal Pleasure of Wander Lust
      • Red Cross & Takeaway
      • Lulu Earth Spirit
      • The Meeting
      • Action / Tongues
      • Cowboy Mouth
      • The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
      • A Letter from L
      • Dinosaurs and All the Rubbish / The Hunting of the Snark
      • The Ride Across Lake Constance
      • Electra
      • In Three Minds
      • The Rapist Over Suzannah
      • 1984: The Future Is Now
      • Leonce and Lena
      • Kabernette
      • The Joffongract
      • My Foot, My Tutor
      • King Lear
      • King Ubu
      • Jazz Cellar Dada / Heavy Metal Cabaret
      • Kabarett
      • Black Cat Cabaret
      • The Gas Heart/Ox on the Roof/The Mirror Wardrobe One Fine Evening
      • Round Dance
      • Woyzeck
      • Make-up Ground down / Texts for Decomposition
      • Court Case: Arts Centre vs Free Theatre
    • Image Gallery 1979 - present
    • TV3 Clips
    • Selected Reviews
  • SUPPORT
  • BLOG