News, analysis and comment - performing arts |
Barnaby Chiverton is the writer of Distant Bodies, set to be performed at the Northcote Town Hall this April. He took the time to answer our ArtsHub Career Profile questions.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I loved biology at school and wanted David Attenborough’s job but was fearful that I’d end up counting seagulls on some remote island so I didn’t pursue it.
When did you know you would be creative?
Always. I only realized how important it was when I took on an uncreative job. But gee it was nice being rich for the three months I could bear it!
How would you describe your job to a complete stranger?
I’m an architect who loves architecture and focuses on houses and housing. I make theatre that explores how we get by.
What's your background - are there degrees that prepare you for this?
I studied architecture. I think it is a great education for creativity generally because it focuses on getting a good end result.
What's the first thing career related you usually do each day?
Worry.
Can you describe an "average" working day for you?
In the office at 9am, computer, leave at 6pm. I need the non average days to make up for it.
What's the one thing - piece of equipment, toy, security blanket – that you can't create without?
Quiet.
What gets you fired up?
When I’m on a creative roll; when one idea informs another and something good gets generated.
Who in the industry most inspires you?
Architecturally Le Corbusier. Theatrically Walt Whitman in conflict.
What in the industry do you despair about?
Architecturally the Melbourne plague of facadism. Theatrically - TV
What is the best thing about your job?
Seeing ideas being realized.
What’s the worst?
Reliance on computers.
What are the top three skills you need in this game?
Vision, determination and optimism.
What advice would you give a young creative professional looking to break into the field?
Have a clear idea of where you want to be and how to get there.
When do you know you’ve made it?
When status anxiety has fallen by the wayside and you enter a beatific state, apparently.
Distant Bodies will be playing at the Northcote Town Hall from 22nd April – 9th May. For bookings call 03 9481 9500.
Lynne Lancaster 8 Feb 2012
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE: Warm, wonderful and hilariously witty, this is a superb fantasia on midsummer madness and the meaning of love and life.
Lynne Lancaster 8 Feb 2012
SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY: A minimalist contemporary version of George Bernard Shaw's famous play, this STC production is analytical and thought-provoking.
Sally Peters 8 Feb 2012
QPAC: Transporting the theatre to a vast land of ancient cultural wealth, Gypsy Pathways was a stunning show, full of passion.
Nerida Dickinson 8 Feb 2012
FRINGE WORLD: Engaging, clever, and never entirely predictable, Frisky and Mannish find and share more culture in pop music than ever seen on MTV.
Tomas Boot 7 Feb 2012
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE: This 40th anniversary screening of the iconic surf flick, accompanied by live music, proved that it's still as relevant today as it was back then.
Siobhan Argent 6 Feb 2012
STUDIO 246, BRUNSWICK: While showcasing the promising and consistent offerings at Studio 246, Here, In the Sugarcane could perhaps do with a tweak.
Patricia Maunder 6 Feb 2012
MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: This local version of the BBC's Doctor Who Proms is a treat for Doctor Who fans, but not as much for classical music fans.
Rebecca Butterworth 6 Feb 2012
COMEDY THEATRE, MELBOURNE: It was always going to be difficult to live up to the beloved TV shows, but Yes, Prime Minister the stage show is still entertaining.
Angela Perry 6 Feb 2012
FRINGE WORLD: A tantalising mix of circus, music, dance, cabaret and burlesque combine in the Burlesque Garden.
Nerida Dickinson 6 Feb 2012
FRINGE WORLD: John Conway demonstrates the power of madcap positivity to generate further antics in his high energy Fringe World comedy mishmash.
Matt D’Silva 4 Feb 2012
BONDI PAVILION: A quirky, slapstick comedy in the manner of Month Python, The Jinglists will make you laugh.
Chloe Papas 4 Feb 2012
FRINGE WORLD: Ali Kennedy-Scott's play chronicling the stories of everyday heroes who fought Victoria's ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires takes audiences on unrestrained emotional ride.
Astrid Francis 3 Feb 2012
FRINGE WORLD: LA-based writer Brian Finkelstein weaves together tales of the US Writers' Strike of 2007 and Haymarket Massacre of 1886 into an ultimately gratifying whole.
Astrid Francis 3 Feb 2012
FRINGE WORLD: If you want to have a dream interpreted in an unusual context, this is the show for you; if you are looking for something more theatrical, not so much.
Jennie Sharpe 4 Feb 2012
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE: The Metropolitan Opera's The Magic Flute, reproduced by Opera Australia, does everything possible to bring it into the 21st century.
Angela Perry 1 Feb 2012
FRINGE WORLD: Cirque Appetit is a collective from Perth’s circus and theatre schools, who used comedy, performance art, circus, dance and physical theatre to delight the audience.
Mariyon Slany 31 Jan 2012
FRINGE WORLD: Good old-fashioned entertainment, Barry Morgan’s World of Organs is an innuendo-filled 1970s spoof on sales pitches, organs, bad polyester suits and organs.
Jessica Keath 31 Jan 2012
SYDNEY FESTIVAL: Meow Meow's sold-out festival closing night performance was a rare pleasure and a delight.
Patricia Maunder 30 Jan 2012
VICTORIAN OPERA: Outgoing musical director Richard Gill put on an unexpected yet entirely logical addition to his outstanding legacy with this all-too-short season of Cinderella.
Victor Kline 30 Jan 2012
SYDNEY FESTIVAL: A presentation of the classic West Side Story with music performed live by the Sydney Symphony, this was a fun multi-media night fit to win over the cynics.