NEW SHOW November 2019 Real Festival, Penrith Sydney

Video performance created during the Andante Project in Perth (Australia)

Stage Direction : Alex Ollé & Younes Bachir

Tesla Nix is an American recording artist, songwriter, actress, producer and stage performer based in Barcelona, Spain. Living in Seattle, Washington in the 1990s, she sang in hip-hop, acid jazz, and rhythm and blues bands all the while surrounded by grunge music. But she was forever changed by artists from the trip-hop genre like Massive Attack with their intelligent beats, sexy dub bass lines and sensual vocals.

Confined an Australian Chamber Opera written over a three year period in Alice Springs, "I attempt sometimes to reproduce schizophrenia, sometimes to find an intelligible or emotionally communicable core which can be imparted to the listener.” Mannix

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.

Collaboration as Actor. Video for the opera ´Histoire du Soldat , de Stravinsky directed by Alex Ollé. Opera National de Lyon 2018. Video Artist: Emmanuel Carlier.

Fablice´s Song was presented at 45 Downstairs Theatre (Melbourne) with Deborah Leiser Moore

NAUMAQUIA /2003-2009 Artisitic Team : Carlus Padrissa ( art director Fura dels Baus ) , Younes Bachir Director de actores, NAUMAQUÍA ( Fura dels Baus ) La primera entrega de la Tetralogía Anfibia es una naumaquia concebida para ser representada en el barco Naumon, y que podría ser definida como un espectáculo de marionetas cósmicas. Los principales actores son dos gigantes y dos personajes fundamentales: uno, Tamor, que representa el hombre como viajero, encarnándose en él la metamorfosis de las edades, de los sexos y de las razas; el otro, Dai es una presencia que va adquiriendo las distintas formas del mundo a medida que transcurre la representación. La naumaquia está dividida en cuatro partes y tiene como protagonismo absoluto el espíritu creador, tanto desde el punto de vista de la naturaleza y del cosmos, como desde el punto de vista humano. La primera de las cuatro partes sería la creación vista desde la orbita de la naturaleza y empezaría con la idea de un grito que equivale a la oscuridad y el caos. A partir de ese grito se va conformando el cosmos, se va conformando el universo como una lucha de dos fuerzas antagónicas. Culminaría esta primera parte con la composición de un mandala de cuerpos que sería la metáfora del cosmos. En la segunda parte se trata la creación de la vida. De las construcciones y destrucciones del Bailarín Cósmico se pasaría a la idea del gran árbol que lo conecta todo, donde se reflejarían tanto las tradiciones míticas como la ciencia moderna, a través del ADN y del genoma. Acabaría con un viaje del ser humano, a través de su propio interior. La tercera parte se desarrolla con el protagonismo del hombre que, a través de la creación, es capaz de prolongar su propia vida. Aparece en escena un escultor que esculpe el mar hasta extraer una sirena. A partir de la relación entre creador y criatura, se refleja la conciencia del tiempo y de la muerte. Paralelamente el hombre se revela contra su propio destino sus fronteras y sus límites. La cuarta parte pone en escena una recreación actual del infierno y del paraíso. A continuación tiene lugar la propuesta central de la obra, un viaje iniciático del conocimiento que toma como símbolo el propio barco NAUMON. Se cierra así el circulo de la creación entendido como un juego eterno. R. Argullol