Sauce

Eleven years ago, a woman named Jenny shut herself away in her room for the first time. Drug-addled and desperate, she was faced with a life-and-death choice, made popular when Hamlet first uttered those inimitable words – to be or not to be? This month, Mudlark Theatre’s production of Junk Rooms, written and directed by Stephanie Briarwood, revisits Jenny, shut away in that room, on the verge of that decision. To be or not to be – that’s not a question I asked actor, Jane Binning (JB) and Associate Producer, Stuart Loone (SL)… but here are some questions I did ask…

How did Junk Rooms come about?
JB - The play came from [the writer], Steph and I can’t really tell you about her inspiration - that’s up to her. But the first production came from two performing artists who really wanted to tell an original story and work in an industry that they were passionate about. Steph and I decided to remount Junk Rooms eleven years later because we wanted to work together and we felt that Junk Rooms was still a relevant story that had plenty of room for further exploration. Plus we both really love the play.

How does this incarnation of the script differ from its first performance?
JB - The play, in terms of theme and structure, has grown enormously. When we put it on in ‘96, it was a brand new work. It hadn’t had a reading or a workshop or anything; it was raw. Since then it’s had dramaturgical work and has had several productions by different companies around Australia. For Steph and I to get the chance to revisit the script eleven years after we first put it on has been a real opportunity. In a way, we’ve both been acting as dramaturges and the script has evolved even further.

In what ways has your performance mutated from the original productions?
JB - I’ve grown a fair bit myself in the last eleven years. The first time I played Jenny, I was very much focussed on her addiction and the fact she was a junkie. This time around I’ve really got to know the woman behind all that and the portrayal is stronger and deeper as a result.

What experiences or associations inform your performance in this play?
JB - Well I’ve never shot up smack before if that’s what you’re asking! But I have certainly used diversion to ignore personal pain, like my character Jenny. I have felt trapped and alone and desperate because life hasn’t always worked out how I imagined. I have also connected with a great inner strength. Although Jenny’s experiences are not mine the play has such a strong sense of truth about it that I have found it quite easy to make real connections to that truth.

Tell us a bit about your character, Jenny…
JB - I love Jenny. Steph and I both really love her. She is a very bright, funny, sensitive woman with a huge imagination and a deep inner strength. She has learnt to use humour to dance around her deeper, more painful memories and thoughts. Ultimately, she has to make a life and death choice and face up to who she is and what she could be. If you want to know what all that means you’ll have to come along and watch the play!

Why should people switch off the telly and come see Junk Rooms?
SL - It’s a story that you don’t see on television. You’re in the same room as Jenny. She’s pouring out her story in front of you – flesh and blood, right there – not trapped in a little box in a corner being viewed by millions. There’s hopefully going to be real electricity between the character and the audience; that’s what live theatre’s about – engaging with people directly. Every performance is unique and can’t be replicated. Theatre’s also really social – you get to get go with friends, go for a drink, then watch a show and talk about it all afterwards. I can’t really see people doing that with Sea Patrol. Looking at the telly guide, it’s a choice between RPA, Motorway Patrol: Westside Speeder, animated Mr Bean or Junk Rooms.

How do you think theatre can benefit people… and how can people benefit theatre?
SL - Big question… theatre is food for the soul. It challenges and entertains in a way that is unique and it’s a great way to tell a story because it comes in all different forms – there’s such a massive range of theatre experiences an audience can have. It gives them an intimate, immediate look into the stories of people - stories that you wouldn’t come across otherwise. People can benefit theatre by turning up and being open to being challenged. There’s no theatre without an audience.

Get your soul fed! Junk Rooms runs in Launceston at the Arts Alive Space in Charles Street, Launceston September 5-8, 12-15 and Hobart’s Backspace Theatre September 20-22. Performances commence at 8pm all nights.
Adult: $20, Concession: $15
Bookings: 0400 429 436