Entertainment
6 November, 2024
A trip down memory lane
BEFORE embarking on an epic regional tour, the one-woman show ‘Ready or Not’ is coming to the Bulmba-ja Arts Centre for two nights for a nostalgic and thought-provoking ride down memory lane on November 14 and 15.
A collaboration with the Gold Coast-based White Rabbit Theatre and JUTE Theatre Company will see the official premiere of Ready or Not in Cairns on Thursday, November 14 and Friday, November 15 to culminate a very successful theatre season for JUTE.
Directed by White Rabbit Theatre’s Lisa Smith, ‘Ready or Not’ is the debut work of Gold Coast theatre maker Ainslee Palmer.
Palmer is physical, funny and masterful in the role of ‘Darling’, a character she brings to life in “the theatrical retelling of the legacy that remains when innocence is taken away”.
In this story of a voiceless woman yearning for connection, Ready or Not is an exploration of self that resembles a highly physical and profoundly personal fever dream filled with birthday parties, horse races and Stepford wives. It looks at what can be revealed when normally closed doors are opened.
After the show on opening night there will be a free masterclass with the director plus a Q&A session with Ms Palmer.
“Ready or Not came from the question, how do we find light in the darkness? For me, that was through games. I made up a game to escape unliveable situations, and I thought, surely other people have done that too?” Ms Palmer said.
“Through many hours of conversation and replaying games from childhood, I discovered this is how we survived and thrived, and now how we can talk about the hard moments.
“I hope Ready or Not is an entertaining journey to a deeper conversation around inter-family trauma and how we cannot feel ‘too much’ in our story.”
The Cairns season of Ready or Not will conclude a dynamic year for JUTE. The company’s artistic director and chief executive Suellen Maunder said this had been a great year for JUTE.
“From hosting a series of skills-based training modules post-COVID to the ultimate prize of regional touring, 2024 has been a watershed year, and we have made real inroads into the growth of Queensland’s regional theatre industry,” Ms Maunder said.
“It’s wonderful for our audiences and regional theatre makers to experience a diverse and vibrant selection of productions, showcasing the talents of both emerging and established theatre companies from across the state.”
To buy tickets, visit https://bit.ly/49tq1zb
