Two blokes in an office. One older, one younger.

A cross between The Office and a cage-fight, this game of comical one-upmanship builds to a moment of impact where everything is suspended. A flash of bared teeth, the desperation of needing to prove yourself vs the need to hold on to what you’ve got.

Cockfight explores the power play between men, the frailty of the ageing body and questions our culture’s desperate desire for achievement.

Skilfully enacting a full-throttle mash-up of extreme physical risk-taking, graceful movement and slow-mo fight sequences, this darkly humorous and surprisingly tender piece of dance theatre by newly formed Gold Coast/Berlin company The Farm, sees long-time collaborators Joshua Thomson and Gavin Webber reassess who is in charge.

At The Farm work is made in a collaborative process where everyone brings their expertise without being confined to it. All animals are equal.

Cockfight is produced by The Farm in association with Performing Lines and NORPA. The work premiered at NORPA in September 2015 and toured to Townsville (Dance North) and Cairns (CoCA) in October 2015. The work had a full-length showcase at APAM in February 2016 and a season at Dance Massive in Melbourne in March 2017.

Venue Format
Theatre, Black Box Venue
Technical Rating
B, C, The production can be modified to suit most venues
Touring Party
4
Considerations

The work can bump in one day and open the next.

THE FARM is the Gold Coast's first professional dance theatre company. Funded in its first year of operation through the Gold Coast City Council, members of THE FARM are multiskilled, like-minded dance and theatre artists who share principles of collaboration as a means to create great performance art.

Currently comprised of eight individuals, ranging from choreographers, directors and dancers to light and sound designers, THE FARM’S artistic direction is led by Gavin Webber and Grayson Millwood, who have been working together for more than fifteen years. In that time they have created a number of highly regarded and successful dance-­theatre performances that have toured the world. We believe our new company structure will see us deliver a high standard of performance practice regionally, nationally and internationally; invigorate and expand the network of artists living on the Gold Coast; and engage with the local community on many levels.

Perhaps most importantly, we are a company that creates work that transcends common definitions and expectations of what dance can be and how and where it should be viewed.

Company Website
performinglines.org.au/cockfight

Unique Selling Point

We create work that has wide appeal and communicates to people who have no experience in dance.

The subject matter, the humour and the dangerous physicality of Cockfight are all appealing to audiences. It is a given in Australia that women make up the majority of the contemporary dance audience. We aim to target the reluctant partners of these women and their friends. This will be supported by the marketing collateral we create. The name Cockfight itself, is a way to challenge the expectations of contemporary dance and attract male audiences to the show.

Marketing Materials

High quality images, broadcast quality footage, dance theatre workshops targeted to senior high school students and dancers, teachers notes.

Community Engagement

Cockfight offers communities the opportunity to interact with highly skilled, internationally recognised dancers (Gavin Webber, Josh Thomson) and sound artist (Luke Smiles). We welcome the opportunity to talk with presenters about their communities and community needs to best craft community engagement activities beyond workshops.

Background During its first year THE FARM will create pilot workshops for schools, a trial period of research and engagement towards developing a fully-fledged schools program. The schools workshops flow into developing a youth ensemble program (15 - 20 yrs).

THE FARM aims to radically change preconceptions of contemporary dance. The Farm is driven by a desire to connect to anyone, from dance and theatre virgins to aficionados and professionals. Often described as cinematic, our work is based on universal subjects and themes that matter. Finally and perhaps most importantly, The Farm create contemporary performances that transcend expectations of what dance can be and how and where it should be viewed.