The Spinster and the Whippet is a Sydney- based production company, founded by two intelligent and dedicated ladies; Jenna Martin and Carolyn Burns. They are committed to producing engaging, intelligent and politically relevant theatre and their debut play Careers For Attractive Ladies is being showcased at the Sydney Fringe Festival. With green lights ahead, Jenna takes a short break to chat with Zoe Ferguson about the company.

Where did you and Carolyn meet and start The Spinster and the Whippet?
We were high school friends, and embarrassingly enough, we had this in-joke that we would grow up to be spinsters who bred whippets, who are ultimately just the worst kind of dog. But we made this joke Facebook group about 5 or 6 years ago titled “The Whippet Breeding Spinster Society” and funnily enough it took off; people were sending us photos of their Whippets they’d bred and we were shocked that people thought we were serious with that title! Officially, The Spinster and the Whippet began January of this year; so it’s early days.

What was your inspiration to create this great production company?
I’ve always been drawn to the creative and performance arts, even at a young age I was enamoured with theatre. I saw my first play when I was 14 years old, it was an Aboriginal play at Sydney Theatre Company and I remember walking down the poster-faced walls of the long walkway and knowing I wanted to have my own theatre and production company one day, to not only act but to produce, direct and write, all this passion from an overwhelming motivation to be in the industry. So Carolyn had written Careers For Attractive Ladies in Edinburgh and wanted to put it on and I was complaining that I wanted more acting work, so we decided to do both and the best way we thought to do that was to make our own production company.

What’s happening right now and what’s on next?
Well Careers For Attractive Ladies is on at Fringe Festival in September, which is very exciting, and we’d love to take the play beyond  Fringe, get sponsorship for the company etc, but then after that we’re also interested in short (and long) films. Our company isn’t just a theatre company, but a production company, so we’ve got a few ideas of various paths to go down in the near future.

What is Careers For Attractive Ladies about and why do you think it’s important to put it onstage?
Careers For Attractive Ladies is about Australian expats living in London in 1972 through the Gough Whitlam era; they’re all misfits, from feminists to gays, and are aspiring artists and intellectuals. The play has a feminist edge (which echoes the company’s name) and Carolyn and I both are interested in feminism. Overall it portrays how we as individuals and as a mass put hopes, ideals and dreams into politicians and the promises they make. Carolyn based the play on her experience overseas, and that sense of young people living abroad with hopes and dreams of the future really speaks out.

So where can we find you guys when you’re not working?
Restaurant:  For its sentimental value I love L’Incontro, a beautiful Italian restaurant in North Sydney; I’ve pretty much grown up eating there with my family, from a young girl, to having my 21st there, it’s very special. Even though I’m not vegetarian I love Yulli’s on Crown Street – they have the best Haloumi cheese pizza. Or Mint for its Moroccan food!
Bar: Pocket Bar or the Glenmore Hotel in the Rocks, and even though their chicken wings are extremely overpriced I do enjoy the Blu Horizon Bar, on the 36th floor of the Shangri-La Hotel.
Cafe: Cafe Cash on Elizabeth St for their Toby’s Estate coffee and delicious soups or The Book Cafe on Devonshire St, Surry Hills!
Venues: I love Belvoir St Theatre of course, where I work, and the STC.
 

Jenna and Carolyn are extremely talented and full of innovation, so don't miss their show at Fringe, on the 16th, 18th, 19th and 23rd of September, and of course follow their attractive careers...they're already posing half-nude on trunks, what more could you want?