Twelve Times He Spoke
Actor Guy Hooper performs.
A THOROUGHLY Tasmanian play written, performed and directed by three Tasmanian men, will come to Deloraine’s Little Theatre on the 15th November. Twelve Times He Spoke is a one-man play written by award-winning Irishman Finegan Kruckemeyer, who moved to Hobart in 2004 and has had 86 commissioned plays performed on five continents and translated into six languages. His work has enjoyed seasons in 200 international festivals, including at the Sydney Opera House.
The play’s only performer, Guy Hooper, moved to Hobart with his family in 2007 and has appeared in many productions there including plays for the Tasmanian Theatre Company and Blue Cow Theatre. Director Ben Winspear is the only one of the three born in Tasmania. Married to actor Marta Dusseldorp (Janet King, Jack Irish), the two have become a power couple of Australian theatre, performing together in TV’s A Place To Call Home and on stage in Scenes From A Marriage.
Twelve Times He Spoke premiered at the Theatre Royal in June this year, telling a man’s story through 12 speeches. It begins simply enough, mapping the twists and turns of one man’s unremarkable life. But the course he has charted is not the one that unfolds and he ends up in places – some quite dark – that were never part of his plan.
The play, commissioned by Guy Hooper, Blue Cow Theatre and Tasmania Performs, has been lauded. Hobart theatre director Robert Jarman said: “In just 75 minutes he conjures an entire life, encompassing some 50+ years of a man’s journey from boyhood to maturity.
It is a marvel of storytelling imagination, technical/structural proficiency and heartfelt compassion. “And beyond all that, it has something profound to say about the way we live our lives; about the direction our lives take, the choices we make, and how we cope when things go off the rails. It is actually a helpful play.”
Twelve Times He Spoke is presented by Arts Deloraine and is suitable only for ages 16+. 15th November, 7.30pm The Little Theatre, Deloraine, Cost: $25.00 adults, $20.00 Arts Deloraine members. Tickets: The Alpaca Shop, Deloraine; www.trybooking. com/yrxs
Photo | Tony McKendrick
