The Konstantin Projekt 2023
The Loft, Chapel Off Chapel
23 – 25 June
Konstantin: Grandmother’s Tongue, is a multicultural, multidisciplinary, slyly political and highly creative performance piece about chickens and human migration set to take the Loft Theatre stage at Chapel Off Chapel from 23 – 25 June.
Five years in the making, the production is helmed by writer and performer Alison Richards, with accomplished collaborators including Bosnian-Australian composer and musical director Nela Trifković, and Polish-born visual dramaturg and designer Dagmara Gieysztor, with images and animations by Abstract Productions.
The work explores themes of heroism and displacement, drawing on Slavic folk traditions. Grandmother Babcia and her hen Kazia are in quest of the truth about our hero Konstantin, the loudest rooster in Poland. Where did he come from – and where is he now when we need him? Based around an original song cycle by Alison Richards and Nela Trifković, the show features a live performance ensemble of eight with music, puppetry, storytelling, and digital animation. This dark and funny work reveals the hidden intertwined histories of chickens and people through the ages, challenging us to stay hopeful through disaster and uncertainty.
Konstantin: Grandmother’s Tongue is the third stage of The Konstantin Projekt. The project began pre-pandemic with workshops on chicken history, puppetry and animation and continued to develop throughout lockdown. A live concert in 2022, now a full musical theatre experience with a dynamic crew from diverse cultural backgrounds and creative disciplines.
Alison Richards says, “In Konstantin: Grandmother’s Tongue we tell stories about stories: stories we have been told, stories we tell ourselves, stories we think we know, stories we have never heard and especially, stories we don’t often let ourselves hear. The journey of chickens across the globe tracks the history of human migration; its hidden tales of triumph and despair, love and courage, blood and feathers.”
Alison has been a champion of social inclusion, creative collaboration, and community-centred performance art throughout her 50-year career as a theatre maker, writer, performer, teacher, and researcher. Working with her on this production, Nela Trifković, Dagmara Gieysztor and an outstanding creative ensemble of master artists in the performance crafts have created an extraordinary experience for audiences of all ages and backgrounds – especially those who know what it is like to find a new home in a strange land.
Konstantin: Grandmother’s Tongue
The Loft, Chapel Off Chapel
23 – 25 June
Tickets: $20-$40
Duration: 70 minutes
Featuring Alison Richards as Grandmother Babcia
with singers, musicians, puppeteers and performers Justine Anderson, Victoria Bilogan, Eva Glover, Ernie Gruner, Kaira Hachefa, Gemma Horbury and David Howell.
