Younes Bachir Art_Act
Confined Old Gaol
Drawing on Ovid's myth, Narcissus and Echo; Confined presents an original libretto conceived, written and performed by Tammy Brennan (Dramaturgy by Gayelene Carbis) with music composed
by Barton Staggs, Sofie Loizou, Tammy Brennan and Jonathon Wilson. Local artist Ben Ward has produced dynamic visuals inspired by the Central Australian landscape featured throughout the performance.
International Director and performance maker Younes Bachir has come from Barcelona, Spain to further develop and direct the work.
Tammy participated in Bachir’s ‘Andante’ masterclass during the 2011 Darwin Festival where she became inspired by the Andante performance language that focuses on the constant dialogue and friction between the audience, setting and performer.
Confined follows the journey of a young woman’s descent into the underworld, as she comes to terms with the trauma of her past and consequences of irreversible action. Through the beauty of opera and the uneasy setting of the Gaol, the immersive nature of the performance will transport the audience into an intimate setting visiting themes around trauma, sexual abuse, voice hearing, schizophrenia, depression and suicide.
A challenging and beautiful story, Confined invites conversation about some difficult subjects, that we often do not want to talk about. One in five Australians experience a mental illness at some stage in their lives – it is currently considered one of the biggest health challenges facing the 21st century.
Featuring excerpts from Journals of a Madman (1988 – 1992) written by Australia’s most celebrated Outsider artist, Anthony Mannix, whilst inside Gladesville and Rozelle psychiatric hospitals, Sydney. Mannix is primarily concerned with documenting the state of psychosis and its landscape.
"I attempt sometimes to reproduce schizophrenia, sometimes to find an intelligable or emotionally communicable core which can be imparted to the listener.”
Confined is Tammy Brennan’s first presentation of a contemporary opera in the Northern Territory. Tammy is an experimental musician and singer with a repertoire that extends across multiple genres. Her music has been commissioned both nationally and internationally. Locally she is noted for her Cabaret performances with Cat’s Meow Cabaret.
The work presents a bold new contemporary operatic performance language exploring physical and aerial theatre and striking visual installations.
