Your new workSex Objectis set to open at The Depot Theatre. What’s the play about?
Fundamentally it’s about relationships, and different kinds of relationships. The two lead characters are brother and sister, so there’s the different interactions between themselves, their partners, and then their partners with each other. I was aiming to look into the way people may change depending on who they’re around and why. So there’s that, up against the background of porn, sex objects and a woman named Lou. But I won’t ruin it too much.
Are sexual and romantic relationships more difficult to navigate in 2017 than ever?
Well, I don’t know. I don’t know if it would have been as hard as, like, having one during a war, or the depression. But who knows… maybe that was easy? I think what people believe has changed is the ‘right’ way to go about relationships. Which should be liberating, in the way that there’s no longer such a regimented direction through sex and romance and life. But lots of people find that distressing, because they don’t want to make their own minds up. Porn and iPhones might have thrown in some confusion as well.
Is there a particular Sydney-centric angle to the story, or can it translate universally?
There’s possibly one or two Sydney-centric digs. But the play is more about a generation of people than it is a geographic setting. That being said, much of the vernacular in the writing could be seen as ‘Australian-specific’, possibly not translating elsewhere.
Did you always plan to appear in the production yourself?
I was an actor before I was ever a writer, and while I wanted to try and leave most of the casting up to Michael Abercromby, I finished the play and realised there was a bit of Ben in myself that I really wanted to show onstage. Couldn’t help myself.
How creative is the JackRabbit Theatre environment for a young artist?
JackRabbit Theatre has really hit its stride in the last year or so, producing a lot of great new, relevant work. JackRabbit is made up of only young artists, which doesn’t mean it’s tailored solely towards a young audience, just that it gives room for younger writers, directors and actors to put their hands up. We’ve had a focus on telling stories about youth in a modern era, with phones, short attention spans and a dictionary of abbreviations, and hope to continue to tell stories of youth of all different circumstances.
Sex ObjectrunsWednesday April 19 – Saturday April 29 atThe Depot Theatre.
