Lovely Mess (48 Stories of Shame)
A celebration of adolescent awkwardness. A confession. A cleansing ritual.
Lovely Mess uses memories as a channel to examine the universal (and at times mortifying) experiences of childhood:
That time the teacher told you that you eat too much in front of the entire class;
That time the cute lifeguard tried to save you from drowning but you were actually just floating;
That time you didn’t speak up when your best friend was getting picked on.
Teenagers on the cusp of adulthood shed the skins of childhood embarrassment in order to move on with their lives.
Part conference, part improvisation and part live art, Lovely Mess is a collaboration between Riot Stage and projection artist Yandell Walton exploring themes of mental health.
Premiere Season: 1 night only, 17 March 2017, commissioned by Moonee Valley City Council
Duration: 60 mins.
Venue: Incinerator Gallery
Second Season: 22 - 23 March, 2018, as part of the Melbourne Festival of Live Art
Duration: 60 mins.
Venue: Footscray Community Arts Centre
Second Season: 14 - 16 September, 2018, as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival (*nominated: Best Live Art)
Duration: 60 mins.
Venue: Melbourne Fringe Hub
Co-creator/Director: Katrina Cornwell
Co-creator/Writer: Morgan Rose
Projection Artist: Yandell Walton
Lighting Design (premiere season): Megz Evans
Lighting Design (FOLA season): Amelia Lever-Davidson
Sound Design and Composer (FOLA season): Raya Slavin
Stage Manager (FOLA season): Genevieve Davidson
Performers and Co-creators: Amelia Newman, Alanna Marshall, Bonnie Brown, Alex Velijanovski, Jeremy Webb, Anna Louey, Jack Zapsalis, Sunny Chiron, Sarah Conroy & Ashanti Joy
Promotional Image by: Jack Zapsalis
Production Images by: Yandell Walton
This production was supported by Moonee Valley City Council, the Melbourne Festival of Live Art, Maribrynong City Council, Footscray Community Arts Centre, & Women's Circus.