Tara Notcutt

Performed in English and Afrikaans, …miskien is the story of two guys: best friends stuck in dead end jobs and nondescript lives, both waiting for Happy Hour at the end of each day to drag them unceremoniously into the next.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Firstly, I wanted to be a farmer’s wife. Then, I wanted to be a lawyer. Finally, in Grade 11, a play I’d written and directed won the award for Best Play at our high school’s one act play competition, and I thought “well, I seem to be better at this, so why not?”

When did you know you would work in the arts?
I’ve always been involved in it, right from my parents dragging me to their own rehearsals as a child, so I’ve been exposed to it all my life. There’s nothing else I want to do really. Or rather, nothing else I CAN do.

Where did you get your start in the arts?
My dad is a drama teacher and currently runs and independent theatre in Cape Town, and my mom is a dance teacher with her own community company. So it’s always been in my blood.

What did you think of your first Fringe World festival?
I thought it was a fantastically put together festival! The way the artists were treated was outstanding – we really felt taken care of and appreciated. The artists hubs (Treasury and Orchard) were awesome and different in their own rights, making for a party any night of the week. The Blue Room also treated us wonderfully, so coupled with the awesome staff from Artrage and Fringe World, it was a recipe for success.

How does Fringe World compare to other Fringe festivals around the world?
It’s very new, which I think made it incredibly exciting and fun. The sense of community between artists was warm, and it was easy to feel at home quite quickly. Having only experienced the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown and the Amsterdam Fringe, I can say that even though it is brand new and very young, it is as organized as any of the others.

What was your favourite part of Fringe World?
The fantastic venue and support team (Fringe World and Blue Room!)

Was this your first time in Perth? What did you enjoy about the city?
It was indeed. It was fascinating to see how similar to South Africa it is, but also different. I (and we) enjoyed and appreciated how small it is. Not that it’s very small, it’s just that it’s the right size to be able to wrap your head around it in a few days, which was great.

How would you describe your work to a complete stranger?
It’s a story about two ordinary people seeking connection, and how you can be so close to someone, but there are still things that are unsayable between you.

Who in your industry most inspires you?
Wow, that’s always such a tough question… There are some really amazing South African directors like Jaco Bouwer and Rob Murray, who are such great people and make the most exciting work that I think is coming out of SA at the moment.

What is the best thing about your job?
Being able to do what I love every day.

What advice would you give anyone looking to break into the field?
Love it. Work hard. Be nice to people.

What is next for you?
I have a lot of stuff that’s coming up: working on a one-man show with Albert (who is in ‘…miskien’), picking up some old shows for National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, as well as creating something new with top actors in SA Rob van Vuuren and James Cairns. It will also be the final year of Grahamstown for ‘…miskien’. We’ll be doing a modern adaptation of The Three Little Pigs, which is going to be very cool. And The Pink Couch has been commissioned to write a new work for Aardklop, another of our national arts festivals, for October.