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CASSIE PROUDFOOT talks to Sue and Paul Belsham, the couple behind the Canberra revival of the much-loved '60s musical, about their production. |
It can't be true, but it is. The event which has precipitated this happening is a midnight hippie showing of the stage musical Hair. This Canberra-based version of the tribal love-rock '60s musical has been brought about by Canberra's leading theatre-craft couple Sue and Paul Belsham, in conjunction with Tuggeranong Community Arts Centre and the Street Theatre.
Being children of the '60s themselves, the Belshams have found it easy to put heart and soul into this production. They have poured out their vivid memories of that time of torrid emotion to the cast, who have come to understand that there was a lot more to the flower power era than free love and rose petals.
"We have made an effort with this production to add an almost documentary aspect, exploring why the show made such an enormous social impact in its time; rather than just replying the original show," Paul Belsham says. He is musical director of Hair, and plays drums in the four-piece '60s rock band which will be backing the production.
"There is nudity and language in this production, but only where it would occur naturally, and is part of the momentum of what is going on," adds Sue Belsham, director of the production.
"The main push is to have it feeling real, and true to the time that produced the original show."
It has been a challenge for the Belshams to bring their young cast to understand the undercurrents of society feeling which brought about the musical Hair in the '60s.
"There was a real innocence in the early '60s," Paul Belsham says, "but in the latter half of the decade that had all gone. We were watching people getting killed on the news every night, and no one was even really sure who the enemy was.
"The push to stop the craziness brought about a real feeling of unity and strength in young people of the time. Today's kids are just about unshockable, and the issues of the day are so different. Unemployment doesn't unite people, it isolates them."
As director, Sue Belsham found that Hair had to be approached in a unique manner. "There is almost a formula for putting on a stage musical blocking out the steps, walking through the dialogue, and so on; but with this production that just wasn't applicable. There is no score as such.
"I have had to ask the cast to really internalise their acting. I didn't want anybody moving on stage with a typical 'chorus face' expression. It has been hard work for the cast, but they are having a tremendous amount of fun as well."
"We have a cast of 27, including Ra Khan [who played the lead in Joseph's Technicolour Dreamcoat] and Jacqui Keys. We are building up a group of regular performers from our productions, as well as some new people for Hair.
"Now that we are building up a reputation people are very keen to be a part of things. There is a wealth of talent in Canberra -- we had to turn away about 30 people who wanted to be in the show."
The Belshams have attracted a solid core of talented collaborators over recent years, such as choreographer Katelyn Keys and producer Domenic Mico.
In the tough world of commercial theatre the Belshams have a quite impressive success rate. Booking is almost essential for their shows. This time the special midnight session was well filled before the season opened.
There may not be a formula for staging Hair, but the Belshams do seem to have hit upon a successful formula for staging theatre in Canberra.
This production of Hair is a chance to experience this couple's work, on a production they love, and understand intimately. So whether you want to get back to your roots, or discover them, Hair is the place to be.