A COMEDY… Sort of: “I Worked With Heath Ledger Once… ” is an original play based on a true story about an ill-fated documentary that almost came to be…
Maya, a young film student, decides to make a documentary about an aspiring actor with a pact to either “Make it or Quit it” by the time he turns 30, except he’s almost 35. Under pressure to tell a more personal, serious story about her difficult past and issues faced by BIPOC in modern-day Sydney, she begins to get involved with, and even intervene in the actor’s life to find a better ending for her film.
ABOUT THE VENUE (107 REDFERN):
A repurposed car garage in Redfern that is now a multipurpose creative hub. Focused on providing affordable and flexible facilities, 107 Redfern supports exhibition and performance spaces, artist studios, workshop, event and co-working spaces, offices, a rooftop garden and public social areas. This independent community hub has proudly been serving the community since 2011.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT:
This play is deeply personal for me as not only my first outing as a theatrical director, but as the writer – I have put so much of my life and the experiences of people close to me in this, I’ve never felt more vulnerable and terrified.
It has not been a linear journey to say the least, but it has been interesting… Originating as a disposal idea for a sketch/short film for the internet in between COVID lockdowns, I knew it was “the most unoriginal idea ever” to make a Mockumentary about actors. Thankfully, I didn’t throw it away, but took that as a challenge to find something original and fresh where you’d least expect it. I tried to find the story over many months, shaping and re-shaping it into a short film, a long- form short, a half-hour TV series, a one-hour TV series and even a feature film, before finding the most satisfaction as a play – but a hybrid one at that.
Along the way, it became an homage to my former Film School and the wonderful people whose dream of a bohemian, alternative approach to film education had recently been dashed and destroyed by government cuts and buy-outs from profit driven “educators”. This made it both personal and relevant, and yet it was the deeper connections and desires of the characters within this world that gave it the freshness I was looking for.
While it is a Mockumentary, this is not at all about “mocking” or making light of the struggles and dreams of creatives, it is about the universal need to be seen and heard. Both of the lead characters are intent on controlling how people see them, in fighting all of the expectations on them, but they make decisions that will hurt them in the long term simply because they are afraid of facing the entire scope of their identity. Figuring out who we are, and how to accept or even love ourselves is no easy task for the best of us, but within an industry built upon false and shifting identities, it is that much more complicated.
My hope is that people will see themselves in these characters, that they will double over laughing, and walk away with something personal and indescribable for themselves in their own journey of self-love. I optimistically believe that to be human is to find connection, and that even the most foolish and foolhardy among us deserves to be loved.
The production features a cast of eight as well as additional crew working to film and edit scenes played throughout as part of the “documentary”. It holds importance at a time when diverse stories are receiving more attention than ever, and yet the reactionary voices are growing louder in their distaste for decades of progress.
PRODUCER’S STATEMENT:
This play offers a unique and humorous look at the struggles of actors and filmmakers, all while addressing deeper themes of ambition, identity, and the ethical lines we cross in pursuit of our dreams. It’s a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever faced a crossroads in their career.
CAST :
Richard Cotter, Lisa Hanssens, Jarred Keane, Koa McIntyre, Jade Nicholson-Lamb, Ani Sidzambia, Ricky Price
CREW :
Writer/Director – Jarred Keane, Producer – Westley Cornwell, Production Assistant – Grayson Friend, Production Assistant – Lyndsey Fey Macnaught, BTS Videography and Photography – Matej Haki ‘Jennifer’ Nat Astwood – Nat Ashwood, DJ/Dominic – Laren Bigg
107 Projects Redfern | 115 minutes
Thursday 26 Sep – 8pm PRICE: $39
Friday 27 Sep – 8pm PRICE: $49
Saturday 28 Sep – 2pm PRICE: $39
Saturday 28 Sep – 8pm PRICE: $49
Visit SydneyFringe.com.au for more, or go direct –
https://sydneyfringe.com/events/i-worked-with-heath- ledger-once/
