Inspired by recent tragic and heart-breakingly ‘too-bad-to-be-true’ events, Gangboard Theatre’s maiden production explores the lengths, mistakes and lessons one goes through in the name of love. Liz Arday’s work is a rapid burst of emotion, a punch in the face of betrayal, deception, unrequited adoration and ultimately, the fight fought for love.
Begging the question of what is worse, to have your heart broken or your back stabbed, Your Heart Is My Piñata is the story of a couple, Abby and Jack (played by Lana Kershaw and Clay Moss) who are recently engaged upon returning from a trip to Mexico. However Jack isn’t letting Abby into the apartment and the nervous laughter is making the air taut with anxiety and curiosity as to what Mexico did to these two lovers, clueless as to how a loving relationship could change for the worse so rapidly.
It transpires that Abby found Jack in bed with another woman just two days after his proposal, shattering her dreams of a ‘happy ever after’ life as fleetingly as it was hers to enjoy. Jack’s best friend, T-Bone (Matt Hume) a Joey-esque character; handsome, strong, kind-hearted but ultimately thick-headed, confesses his love to Abby. There on in the ribbons of their three lives unravel, entwine and become caught in a battle for freedom, happiness and affection.
Arday’s dramatic licence has cast her own story in a new light, illuminated as humorously tragic, with the upbeat Mexican songs played juxtaposing with the heartbreak onstage, and the slang terms like ‘are you serial?’ and ‘sexed’ subtly mock and deride the context they’re placed in, as if Arday is implicitly giving her ex-partner the finger.
With lies of mother’s deaths and secret girlfriends swirling through the thick air of treachery and heartbreak, the question leaks from the stage into the audience, of what lengths would you go to for love? I’ll leave the details of the bitter-sweet denouement to you when you see it (last date May 7) but let’s just say, it was shockingly cathartic, for better or worse.
Taking time out to chat to Zoe, Liz reveals her story with love, theatre and Gangboard Theatre.
Having seen Piñata last night, it told a story only that little voice in our head tells us, that paranoid ‘what if’ thought – how did you feel when that actually happened to you?
Without digging up the well buried, over a year ago what was an amazing and idyllic love was destroyed within an instant- or should I say replaced? Due to a certain someone’s continual lying, cowardice and general retardedness, I still haven’t worked out exactly what happened or why, as nothing I know put together makes sense. What caught me though was how in your head you can say “No! Game over! You’re dead to me!” but your broken heart keeps you chasing after, falling prey to all sorts of ugly humiliation and hurt.
What inspired you to make a play about this experience?
I needed to work out everything in my head and writing seemed to be rather effective. What started as a short play found its way into a full length. A few of my girlfriends were going through somewhat similar situations at the time and I guess I wanted to write one for the girls: a twisted love story I suppose. They read it and loved it and I though others might like it too- after all haven’t we all been knifed in the heart, or stabbed in the back at some point? Oh, and it’s quite nice to spin pain into laughter.
Having made the transition from actor to writer/director, what do you love most about the theatre and the creative process that it entails?
Theatre’s dangerous and there’s something so rock and roll about it. The idea of locking a group of people in a room for a couple of hours, snatching their money and showing them your way of seeing the world is a little tantalising. I love the ever changing dialogue between audience, actors and story- every night it’s a different adventure, never to be repeated and only for those present to witness and share. I’m enjoying writing and directing. I feel much more involved in the creative process than I did as an actor, and it’s been brilliant working with such talented actors (Lana Kershaw, Clay Moss and Matt Hume) in a highly playful and collaborative process.
Gangboard Theatre’s got two more shows for 2011, what can you tell us about those?
First up we’ll be staging “Thoughts of a Dying Anarchist” a punchy and crazy two hander about an ill and aging punk visited by his angelic and estranged little sister. It’s about family, God and getting old. In December we’ll be back at TAP with “Bad Thursday!” about a rad and filthy pack of kids who’ve stole away from suburbia to a camping music festival with disastrous consequences- it’s a group coming of age story laced with a bit of good ole sex, drugs and rock and roll! Find us on facebook to keep up with our adventures- We’d love for you to join us on one soon!