Quarantine continues
Dark character of Quarantine.
Quarantine transports a willing audience into a modern quarantine set in the dark period of the late 1800s during which large-scale, real-life quarantines were held, just north of Wellington harbour, to prevent the spread of diseases, such as smallpox, scarlet fever, typhoid, and measles.
Not many Wellingtonians know of the island’s dark history, and director Paul Stephanus says: “people often gloss over the history of quarantines, so I wanted to uncover the mystery.” After Frogs Under the Waterfront in 2009, the same team, Bard Productions, got back to work with this historical horror set on Somes Island. A cast of five actors play diseased individuals and debate the audience’s fate. The modern-day, quarantined audience is the “driving force behind the characters actions”, Stephanus commented.
“The show is an extension of the experience, he says”
Miranda Clayton, chairwoman of the Fringe Arts Trust, thinks Quarantine is the perfect example of a Fringe show – innovative, all about Wellington and pushing the boundaries. “That’s what Fringe is about: allowing artists to take risks,” Clayton says.
Stephanus plans to take the show around the various quarantine islands of New Zealand. So far Bard Productions plan on heading to Motuihe Island in Auckland, Quail Island in Christchurch, and Quarantine Island in Dunedin, and the stories will be altered to fit the different histories of each island.
Quarantine, East by West Ferry terminal, Wellington Waterfront, 7.30pm sharp, February 17, 18, 19, 25, March 4, 5.
Have Your Say
0 Comments
No comments.