Written and performed by Camilla Blunden

Jay's head is buzzing. Dismissed by young girls, unseen in public places,worried by anti-aging ads she feels invisible. Is she the incredible shrinking woman, a faint dot? Inside her is plenty piled up but out there silence reigns. Ignored once too often as 'just an old woman' she wants answers is on a quest investigating this 'third stage of life.' ‘Retiree’ but from what…..life? “ The Caillech and the Furies may help. Her wrinkles and crinkles hold secrets and stories and she’s not a fossil. Are people like her now a nuisance, are there too many of them? do they cost too much? “Age comes to us all you know”. All This Living! A contemporary, solo piece of theatre full of humour, mixed with home truths and leaps of imagination tells, an older woman, Jay’s story.

The performance is followed by a Q&A/chat between actor and audience.

Venue Format
Theatre, Hall, Black Box Venue
Technical Rating
D
Touring Party
2
Considerations

That the performance is designed to play in a variety of spaces, audience should be on 3 sides if possible or very close. Has played in a Black Box Theatre, on the floor of 2 Country Town Halls, an Old Courthouse and The Foyer of a theatre. It plays at The Butterfly Club in February 2017, in Tamworth area in March. We can use already existing lighting rigs, can carry our own simple one and can bring sound rig. All the technical information is up on my website. The Q&A/chat usually goes for about 20 minutes, which is extra to the 55 minute running time for performance. That a variety of times for performances can help to target particular audiences ranging from matinees, early evening eg. 5 or 6pm or the usual evening times round 7 or 7.30 or 8pm. We can do more than one show in a day and did so in our Canberra season.

All This Living! a contemporary solo work packed with humour, home truths, mythical stories and leaps of Imagination. 'Jay's' head is buzzing, is she the incredible shrinking woman, a faint dot? Why is she disappearing? She's on a quest and wants answers.
Created in Canberra through the Street Theatre Hive program where it played 2 seasons and has toured to 4 country towns in NSW and will be seen at The Butterfly Club in Melbourne In February 2017 as well as some other venues. It is totally portable and ready to do more touring. One performer one StageManager/Operator.

Review quotes "There is a joy, an acknowledgment, a defiance and an independence that gives a proud and hopeful voice to all women in their later years." The Canberra Times

“Retired? Retired from what? Life?” All This Living is sharp, defiant, surreal story-telling” ….. “wry observations on situations women of any age will recognise" Stage Whispers

Audience quotes “I loved the interweaving of classic references with the everyday. It will strike a chord with many people. ”I am inspired to draw on Baba Yaga's fire and fingernails!”

Company Website
camillablunden.com

Unique Selling Point

This is a contemporary woman in her 70’s whose story moves between the everyday and the mythical. She is living in this society now. She is active and vibrant, like so many of her age. She is Anglo, but she also references other cultural attitudes to aging. Is aging viewed negatively? do older people have sex or is it ‘gross?’ do we talk about death? Is it a technical problem to be solved? Often the actor hears a ‘yes’ coming from the audience at certain moments. Quote from audience member “There should be more plays with this type of subject.”

Marketing Materials

On my website under All This Living! there are a variety of poster, eflier, bookmark designs all of which are available to print and have local details added in, (there are also ones that were used before), press releases, articles, reviews, audience comments, interview with Camilla for The Street Theatre, business card with show information, photos from the performance, short teaser video, longer video which shows moments from the show and Camilla talking about it, program, production team information, a longer CV for Camilla,

http://www.camillablunden.com/

Community Engagement

All This Living! is a disarmingly intimate work filled with offbeat anecdotes and soul-baring revelations challenging us to see and value people of all generations. It reaches across generations. It's creation involved conversations, within focus groups, with a variety of women who were open, honest and happy to talk about everything. This truth exists within the play. It is one story there could be many more told. The character 'Jay' engages directly with the audience in the performance, she is an individual not a stereotype, as she says "We're not all the same! we're not all rosy cheeked, invisible, sweet gentle grannies....." The Q&A/chat with the actor after the performance adds to the relationship built in the space and audience members often tell of their own experiences as well as asking questions. Once this is formally finished, the conversation can continue and often does. It can be a social occasion.

Camilla could run a workshop in the community using Verbatim Theatre techniques (she has already done one at Delegate) to encourage people to dig into the richness of what is available around them through personal stories, anecdotes, observations, history etc. and how this could be made into a performance.