'Australia breeds its women tough – and adventurous. Intrepid performers Roxanne McDonald and Barbara Lowing get behind the wheel and navigate us into risky terrain, journeying through the heart line of their lives and into the hilarious misadventures of the women who made them who they are today.
'Celebrate the grit and daring of women trailblazers with two of our best-loved actors in the rough and tumble of multiple stories and characters.'
Source: Northern Rivers Performing Arts Centre.
Premiered at Northern Rivers Performing Arts Centre (NORPA), 17 and 18 August 2018. Co-produced by NORPA and Belloo Creative.
Director: Caroline Dunphy.
Starring: Roxanne McDonald and Barbara Lowing.
Dramaturg: Kathryn Kelly.
Producer: Danielle Shankey.
Touring production (presented by Belloo Creative and Critical Stages Touring) set to be performed through regional Queensland and the Northern Territory during 2020.
Production cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two 'webisodes' were produced with Roxanne McDonald and Barbara Lowing in various locations, including Redcliffe and the Glasshouse Mountains.
'This article offers a perspective on strategies for community engagement by independent performance-makers and cultural institutions in Australia today. Beginning with an overview of community engagement in Australian performance, the article then describes a specific casestudy drawn from personal practice: Belloo Creative's 'Rovers' which was a new performance work based on the lives of its performers, Roxanne MacDonald and Barbara Lowing. As part of the production of Rovers, Belloo Creative, working with young Aboriginal artist Emily Coleman, trialled a community engagement project to welcome Aboriginal audiences to the 2018 Brisbane Festival. The article includes a personal reflection on 'Rovers' that interleaves the commentary of Emily and Kathryn as the two artists who lead the community engagement project, and concludes by suggesting some key considerations for other independent companies who might wish to engage with community.' (Publication abstract)
'This article offers a perspective on strategies for community engagement by independent performance-makers and cultural institutions in Australia today. Beginning with an overview of community engagement in Australian performance, the article then describes a specific casestudy drawn from personal practice: Belloo Creative's 'Rovers' which was a new performance work based on the lives of its performers, Roxanne MacDonald and Barbara Lowing. As part of the production of Rovers, Belloo Creative, working with young Aboriginal artist Emily Coleman, trialled a community engagement project to welcome Aboriginal audiences to the 2018 Brisbane Festival. The article includes a personal reflection on 'Rovers' that interleaves the commentary of Emily and Kathryn as the two artists who lead the community engagement project, and concludes by suggesting some key considerations for other independent companies who might wish to engage with community.' (Publication abstract)
