A Conversation with Fizzy Rascals about their experiences working In THE DPS LAB

Next up on my local artists segment I will be interviewing three independent theatre companies and collectives who have been working with Dead Puppet Society on professional developments as a part a professional development program called THE DPS Lab. First up was the Naughty Corner Collective and next up are the Fizzy Rascals, a group of experimental theatre makers interested in pushing the boundaries of form and visual aesthetic. Their core team consists of four members: Jennifer Bagg, Fiona MacDonald, Mark McDonald and Linnea Tengroth. Working collaboratively to devise works with a focus on movement and striking images, we believe in striving for a universal language in storytelling. Our works are handmade with vigour and passion, accumulating skills with each new process and striving for big images. We bring expertise in areas such as devising, physical theatre, acting and directing. Currently we are pursuing an interdisciplinary practice, exploring ways of incorporating the language of film, puppetry and dance into live performance. Here's what they had to say...

VIRAG: What has it been like to delve into different forms of theatre and work in visual theatre?

THE FIZZY RASCALS: As a newly formed company, we have been playing with visual theatre practice from our foundation. We trained together at WAAPA and did a lot of physical theatre work, so a lot of our work stems from that background. We've been comfortable in the more abstract, surrealistic approach to theatre for a while. It's been great to really dive into visual theatre with an approach guided by puppetry and materials. We've been loving the doors that've opened up to us as far as storytelling goes and what it means to be a performer on stage.

VIRAG: What's the creative process been like and how has it been developing under the guidance of DPS?

THE FIZZY RASCALS: Our general approach to making work has always been through exploration on the floor, bringing big ideas and going down rabbit holes. Dead Puppet Society has really given us a strong structure to ground that exploration. We've learnt a lot about narrative theory and structure, particularly the value in thorough planning. Our usual process is the complete opposite, starting from images and layering narrative on top once it starts to appear in the work. The DPS team has been super supportive in this process, guiding us on how to adapt and meld the two approaches into something that's really effective for us. It's given us a really strong foundation to start devising on the floor from. These tools have also given us really strong rules to follow that guide our practice. The fun thing about rules, and something we've learned about ourselves as a company, is breaking them. We aren't rascals for no reason, we're a collective of rule breakers, we throw what happens in a regular making process on its head. DPS has created a really safe environment for us to be daring and bold in our exploration, pushing us to go further and wilder, and we've come up with a really fun and evocative show because of it.

VIRAG: Has working in a rehearsal room collaboratively again came as a huge relief post covid lockdowns and restrictions?

The four of us travelled from WA to participate in DPS' academy program in Brisbane. When we left WA, theatres were still closed and opportunities were very limited, so it's been a major relief and source of excitement to come to Brisbane where theatre's are coming back to life, and we get to stretch our creative muscles. We formed as a company through studying a Bachelor of Performing Arts at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), which has a heavy emphasis on collaborative devising. Graduating into the landscape of 2020 has obviously been difficult and disheartening at times as this style of creating work has, appropriately, had to be put on hold. This is why we are currently filled with a deep gratitude and profound sense of privilege to have the opportunity to make work again and see the work of other young artists like ourselves. It's also been great to see what the live performance scene is like over here in Brisbane, as well as generally travelling and exploring the city.

VIRAG: Where would you like to take this work in progress? What does its next chapter look like?

THE FIZZY RASCALS: The next step for the project will be to apply for grants and source funding to further develop it towards a full length show. We still have more devising to do, but we hope to get it programmed either in Queensland or Western Australia for 2021, preferably both! This could be through the Fringe Festival circuit or independent theaters looking for new works. Ultimately, we want to get the work out to as many people as we can. Being an environmental piece, we're really passionate about stimulating the conversation around climate change action and getting people to engage with the topic.

VIRAG: Lastly, how can we support your company during these times? Are there any projects that we can look out for?

THE FIZZY RASCALS: We've got some works under development currently which you can keep an eye out for in 2021. Besides The Branch That Kept Bleeding, we've been working on a kids puppetry show that we're hoping to tour next year to schools and regional venues. This is a really exciting show that creates an intimate space for kids to engage with climate change and connect to a sense of place. To keep up to date with Fizzy Rascal's movements and projects you can follow us on facebook at @fizzyrascals and instagram at @fizzyrascalstheatre. We're also excited to be launching our new company website soon, so you'll be able to look deeper into the history of the company and its members, plus find out more about what's to come when it goes live.

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