Tammy & Kite

Tammy & Kite

As part of Sydney Fringe, independent theatre group Montague Basement has assembled an all-female cast and crew to create an intimate, sensitive play dealing with the difficult subject of childhood grief.

Tammy & Kite is the creation of Hannah Cox and Caitlin West, who also play the title roles. Cox is Tammy, a 16-year-old girl, and West is her 9-year-old sister, Kite. They are the only people on stage, although there is also a duck puppet named Philip and some imaginary characters. The story unfolds through Kite’s innocent eyes, where memory and imagination are indistinguishable. Undulating through childish glee and sombre darkness, there is ambiguity about what is real and what is illusion, ending with a startling revelation.

“It’s about giving a voice to something that is often lost within the more dominant adult narrative…it’s looking to legitimise the experiences of children,” said Cox.

Both Cox and West shared a desire to express how children see the world and how they use imagination to deal with grief and life events. They didn’t use child actors because it would have been a distraction and they wanted to challenge “adults to contemplate childhood retrospectively and in very real way”.

Emerging composers Josephine Gibson and Alexis Weaver have built a soundscape of musical motifs, distorted tunes, voices and effects that reinforce the mood.

Producer Imogen Gardam was deliberate about having an all-female project. Asked about this, Cox replied:

“…While having female voices in the room when you’re developing a story about female experiences is, needless to say, crucial, these voices are also the best for the job. [We need to acknowledge] the very real talent and ability of women and their absolute right to be represented in the art they see.” (RB)

Sep 13–17, 7pm. Erskineville Town Hall (Main Hall), 104 Erskineville Road, Erskineville. $11-$22.20. Tickets & info: www.montaguebasement.com

BY RITA BRATOVICH

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