Performance
A giant heatproof man shovels the contents of the entire world into the furnace; a housebound middle-aged man delivers his tirade to a young innocent about the dangers of the world outside the loungeroom; a dishevelled hermit of a man develops an obsessive relationship with the ghost of his dead wife; two sodden sailors battle the terrors of the deep, whilst grappling with each other over the affections of the long since drowned maiden, Maree.
Four Rogues is a series of four vignettes, merging live storytelling music with highly expressive visual theatre, creating an atmospherically rich performance. Like a giant Victorian era optical toy, a sliding wooden screen is pushed aside to reveal each unique piece of the show.
Four Rogues promises uproariously unique live music, aural atmospheres and informative narration from Pete and the Tar Gang as they stomp, wail, clang, thud and roar through four short performances of ramshackle and ‘rogue-ish’ intrigue.
“The Tar Gang is a rollicking ride on a leaky vessel lost in the North Sea and accompanied by madmen. It’s hiding in a barn from blunderbuss attack as dogs bark forlornly. There are elements of Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, David Lynch.”
The Fly Newspaper
Presented by Pete and the Tar Gang.
Artist/s:
Peter Reid (Creator/Performer), Jean Macarthur Brown (Musician), Kirri Buchler (Musician), Sean Louth-Robins (Musician), Carla Ori (Musician), Carmen Reid (Construction/Creation), Will Tait (Musician)
[ Read more about the artist/s ]
About the artist/s:
Peter Reid (Creator/Performer)
Amongst his various wanderings over the wilds of the world in pursuit of strange tales, Peter Reid has worked extensively as a performer, theatre and music maker. Having completed a Bachelor of Performing Arts at the University of Tasmania in 2002, Peter set sail for Melbourne to broaden his horizons in theatre and music.
Since then, Peter has been continuously developing his ideas and skills, as well as signing up suitable collaborators for his projects and contributing his performance abilities to local Melbourne Theatre. His recent highlights as a performer include going to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2006 to be a deranged and prophetic crippled lunatic in the White Whale Theatre production of Macbeth Rearisen; acting as an absconding and cannibalising Van Diemens Land convict in a 2007 Melbourne Fringe Festival Show based on the novel For the Term of His Natural Life; and playing ‘Neutral Onlooker’ in the Black Lung Theatre company’s Short and Sweet Festival frolick A Ramble Through the Wooded Glen. His musical group, Pete and the Tar Gang, is dedicated to creating atmospherically rich and experimental music of a lyrically-based, theatrical and storytelling nature. The Tar Gang has been together since 2006 and has played at various venues around Melbourne, with a recent highlight being the Village Festival in the Edinburgh Gardens. As an artist, Peter is dedicated to creating original work cultivated from his own ideas, inspirations and imagination, as well as expressing something intrinsic to his own view of the wild old world.
Will Tait (Pianist)
As an Englishman, Will Tait has seafaring in his blood. Unfortunately, this is combined with a set of landlubbering legs, so you’ll see him mostly on shore. Will’s pianist fingers have created enjoyable musical atmospheres in various bands and jams in Melbourne over the past five years. Those fingers are also in a number of theatrical pies including environmental theatre-in-education through Our Planet Enterprises, and multisensory, barefoot, blindfold theatre through Roundangle.
Sean Louth-Robins (Of the Singing Saw)
Sean Louth-Robins, or The Baron Delude as he is publicly known, has played the singing saw with the Tars since before his memory gave out. He is also part of The Barons Of Tang, Scurvy, Mojo Juju and The Snake Oil Merchants and The Black Lung Theatre. He is very, very sorry for any harm he may have caused.
Carmen Reid began her theatrical career as a child, performing puppet shows for her brothers from behind the couch on sick days. The tables have now turned and it is her brother Pete Reid, of the acclaimed Tar Gang, who does the performing. Carmen has since shifted her attention to constructing sets, props and costumes, and pursuing a career as a visual artist. With interests ranging across numerous disciplines including drawing, animation and three-dimensional practice, Carmen aims to combine material qualities to create textural imagery with unique and evocative atmospheres. She is currently in her final year of an undergraduate degree in sculpture at RMIT University.
Carla Ori (Percussion) started playing percussion just three years ago on the streets. Not long after picking up the drum kit, she joined The Steppers playing reggae beats. She then moved on to play percussion in a Balkan Gypsy band called Chalga Party and has recently joined the Slivovitch Orchestra who also play music from the Balkan region. In between music she has explored some small obscure theatre performances and has been working on her own compositions. As a member of Pete and the Tar Gang, Carla brings to stage a bag full of sardines and a suitcase stinkin’ of drums.
Jean Macarthur Brown (Sound Effects) is studying graphic arts at RMIT University and has done various film and visual projects in her three years as a Melbourne resident. She was quite literally roped into service as a Tar Gang tar on sound effects while working upon the notorious cargo ship Fortuna, while Pete Reid was first mate on the vessel. She was glad of the promotion.
Kirri Buchler (Violinist) is a musician/violinist/tar of mystery and intrigue… (until this bio). Previous musical work in a theatrical field include Q 4 A Dog (2002), a multi-media musical directed by Dario VaCirca; Poppies (2002): a Westside Circus Production; Madam ZuZu (2003): a Fringe Mock Russian Caberet; The Cherry Orchard (2004): a critically acclaimed production directed by Kate Wild; The Picture of Dorian Gray (2005): a Dancing with Strangers production in which Kirri was composer, musical director and performer; Holy Gash (2005): written by Sandra Durso performed as part of the Melbourne Comedy Festival; Faust (2006): a silent film screening in which Kirri performed a live score with a sextet; The Maids (2006): an Alliance d’ Francaise production where Kirri co-composed the score; The Lower Depths (2006): directed by John Bolton, which she also co-composed the score for; Sad Bird Boy and Other Tales of the City in 2006: live violin as part of the International Puppet Festival; and Beyond Sheep (2007) as part of the Village Festival.
Bands Kirri has worked in include Croque Monsieur, Madam ZuZu, Babamanouche, The Wintership Quartet and The Slivovitch Orchestra, as well as having played as a guest performer with Doch and MoJo JuJu.
www.kirri.org
More information:
[ Project website: www.myspace.com/peteandthetargang ]
