'Theatre is sometimes imagined as an art form at risk. From movies and television to global pandemics, these risks to theatre are significant and their impact on production is real. In Sydney, which provides a locus for this study, the arrival of talking pictures in the 1920s and the advent of broadcast television in the 1950s coincided with the demise of commercial enterprises and the demolition of old theatres in the city centre. More recently, the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on theatre programming and venue management is playing out across the city.' (Publication abstract)
'There is often a significant gap between the rhetoric used to promote cultural diversity and the harsh reality of living as a visibly different or culturally different Australian. Institutions, such as schools, universities, government departments and corporations often engage in a form of official 'virtue signalling' that creates the impression of embracing egalitarian values - it is now common for academics, for example, to use email signatures that announce politically correct alliances with marginalised groups.' (Publication abstract)
'In 2020, I conducted a study of five Australian theatre companies that have toured to China over the last decade. This article draws on a study of three of those theatre companies: Windmill Theatre Co., Insite Arts and Red Stitch Actors' Theatre. It examines the development of three productions by the companies and the extent of their adaptation for audiences in China. The case study productions include 'Baba Yaga', a children's play and co-production between Adelaide's Windmill Theatre Co. and Scotland's Imaginate; 'Saltbush', an immersive theatre production from Insite Arts; and 'desert, 6.29pm', a play produced by the Red Stitch Actors' Theatre, who were invited to perform at the Wuzhen Theatre Festival in 2018.' (Publication abstract)
