Following the critically acclaimed season at La Mama Theatre HQ (20 to 28 March 2024) - please open 'MORE' for relevant Reviews -
in collaboration with the Museum of Chinese Australian History we present a showing of a recorded performance and a Q&A session for everyone who could not see the play live or wants to see it again and talk with the playwright, production team and actors on
Sunday 28 April 2024 at 1:30pm.
Information and direct ticket booking for the event:
https://www.trybooking.com/CQZOJ
Until 16 April 2024 you can still see the full recording of Farewell Lady Autumn for $10 getting La Mama's "On Screen" link:
https://watch.lamama.com.au/programs/farewell-lady-autumn
It is the year 1903 when China is ruled by the weakening Manchurian Qing Dynasty. Poverty, starvation, consequences of the opium trade, and other threats by Western powers are crippling the country. Anti-Qing sentiment increases and rebellions against Qing rule and imperialism become more and more prevalent.
The same year, Qiu Jin moves to Beijing. A woman ahead of her time, a poet and a writer, she dreams of a gender revolution to liberate women from the foot-binding practice, arranged marriages, and by fighting for women's right of receiving formal education. Yet, her days in the country’s capital are basically filled with looking after her children and dealing with her conservative husband. Still, defying another socially accepted practice she is teaching her long-term servant, once illiterate and quite naïve, to read and write.
Not until Qiu Jin meets a fellow writer with a secret past, she finally realises that her fight has already begun, a fight through writing she believes could put an end to the most acute fear of having to bind her daughter's feet as the ultimate sign of upper class male dominance and culturally accepted societal suppression of women’s freedom. But soon she discovers making change happen is not that easy. Then a charismatic ambitious political revolutionary leader she got into contact with, Xilin, offers her an alternative path to achieve her dreams, a more practical one and for sure...more dangerous...
PRODUCTION TEAM, CAST, CREW biogs:
Melka Stansah (Playwright)
Melka is an Australian writer/playwright of Chinese-Indonesian background. She writes short stories, poems, novels and play scripts in both Indonesian and English. Her short story 'Saving B-2098' was shortlisted for 2018 International Literary Prize by Hammond House Publishing and published in their 2018 anthology 'Precious'. Other works include a monologue 'Intoxicated' performed on ‘Love Kills’ program as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival 2017 and a ten-minute play 'Breaking Down Sarah Jane' performed in the 1812 Theatre Melbourne. Her debut full length play - the futuristic drama DEFECT - had a season at Club Voltaire/Nth Melbourne in June 2022.
Being versatile and adventurous in genres, styles and themes is how she sees herself as a writer / playwright. Especially with her multicultural background, she always aimed to create shows that can be enjoyed by both Australian and worldwide audiences.
Author’s Note
With this play I want to emphasise Qiu Jin’s impact on the evolving feminism in China. She is mostly remembered as a revolutionary martyr and her pivotal contribution to the feminist movement in modern China is often overlooked. I believe in giving Qiu Jin’s poetry which is a integral part of the play a prominent voice when telling her life’s story.
The main character ‘Qiu Jin’ is well known in China as one of the revolutionaries of the early 20th Century who fought for the change of the county’s governance system from the Qing Dynasty to a republic, the first step into what is now known as the People’s Republic of China after the communists under Mao Zedong added the prefix “People’s” in 1949.
Little does the public know that Qiu Jin was an accomplished poet using her poetry to openly express the sentiment of feminism that was already prevalent amongst the members of a group of progressive women. Only after her self-funded time studying in Japan in 1903 where she was exposed to and participated in revolutionary activities by expat Chinese students who left their country to fight for the change of the Chinese Governance system in secret from a safe distance unbeknownst by the Japanese government she became a leader in the anti-imperial movement, a ’Comrade’.
Back in China she maintained her philosophy expressed in her poetry about the importance of women’s rights, such as the freedom to marry, freedom of education and abolishment of the practice of foot-binding.
In 1907 Qiu Jin was executed for the failed assassination attempt of a Qing official by a closely affiliated comrade.
https://www.facebook.com/melkastansahauthor?mibextid=ZbWKwL
https://melkastansahauthor.wordpress.com/author/melkastansah/
Wolf Heidecker (Director/Producer)
Though this play gives an insight into the life of Qiu Jin, a real person, is set in the early 20th Century China, is based on historical facts, and even conveys some of her original poetry it is not intended to be a semi-biographical period drama.
The main character was a forerunner of what today is called Feminism, a widely misunderstood term, a worldwide philosophy and movement of women [and some men] that is still trying to fight for gender equality rather than gender dominance.
Wolf is a trained performing artist/director, Behavioural/Communications Analyst, and theatre producer who spent half of his professional career in the German arts industry as Admin and PR-officer, Tour Manager, Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer/General Manager with several German opera and theatre companies. In Australia he gained extensive experience with ethnic groups and theatres working with Indian and Vietnamese writers and ensembles as well as Aboriginal, Maori and South Pacific Islander groups.
Most recently with his production company WHAM he toured in May 2021 Bernard Clancy’s play about PTSD Foxholes of the Mind which premiered in 2010 at La Mama to SA, ACT, TAS and NSW and directed the futuristic play DEFECT by Melka Stansah at Club Voltaire/Nth Melbourne in June 2022, followed by the Australasian Chinese Theatre Company’s intercultural play Covid Baby by Moni Lai Storz.
Richard Lyford-Pike (LX/Sound/Visual Designer,
Head Tech/Operator)
Richard is a trained musician and professional sound and lighting engineer, with an university background in textiles, interior design, and film.
Richard has also produced and animated several short Animations which are still travelling through Film Festivals around the world. One of which has earned him an Academy Awards ‘Oscar’ for Best Animation in 2021.
He is well experienced in the live theatre and touring scene having been involved with performances on stage for over 20 years and involved with independent live theatre itself for 7 years; locally, interstate and on overseas tours. While working in his field, Richard has also assisted in set design, pre-production and back-stage cues. Recent theatre works have been: 2021 - Foxholes of the Mind (Australian tour), 2021 - Streets of Melbourne (Banksia Festival/Opening La Mama), 2019 - Mei Ling in Melbourne (Australasian Chinese Theatre Company), 2015 – Muffins at the Death Café; 2014 – Travel art Dance Company – Winter warming; 2014 – Travel art dance company – Search for Xiao Li’s Head; 2014 – A.C.T. – Hyper Reality & A Wife’s revenge; 2013 & 2014 – Reaction Theatre – Heart Thy Neighbour; 2014 – Dive (Musical/Melbourne)
instagram: @richie_valentino
Website: https://www.delvalentinoproductions.com/
CAST
Isabelle Wang (Qiu Jin)
[Cultural Advisor, Translator/Editor of original poems by Qiu Jin]
Isabelle graduated from the Victoria College of the Arts-Bachelor of Performing Arts, and NIDA - Screen Actor Studio.
After graduation she worked professionally as an actress in China both in film and television before moving back to Australia in 2019.
TV credits:
main cast in “Blue Lily”; “If you are happy”; and “Glass marriage”.
Film credits:
Indo - Singapore International Film Festival winner “ Play on” lead Caitlin;
“Confucius”- staring Chow Yun-Fat with Oscar winner Cinematographer Peter Pau;
“ Blood Brothers”- produced by John Woo, portraying real life Hollywood starlet Anna May Wong.
Theatre credits:
Australasian Chinese Theatre Company and WHAM’s production of “Mei Ling in Melbourne” 2019 portraying Mei Ling and “Covid Baby” 2022.
Fanny Hanusin (Ping Ping)
Fanny Hanusin is a performer of Chinese-Indonesian origin. She received Green Room Award for her performance in Hospital of the Lost Coin and The Vanishing Box in La Mama.
Highlights of past productions included Asylum (Wal Cherry Play of the Year) and Serial Blogger (Green Room nominee for Alternative/Hybrid Production) that integrated street located touch screens, YouTube and live performance. Another highlight was performing in Attract/Repel, an honest and hilarious exploration of personal stories on racism. The show was awarded Kultour Tour Development Award by Melbourne Fringe.
She also performed in Chinese Whispers that won Best Live Art and Innovation in Culturally Diverse Practice in Melbourne Fringe.
Fanny’s television credits included Offspring, The Slap, Wentworth, Get Crack!n, The Spooky Files and a main cast role in Bogan Pride, a musical comedy miniseries on SBS. She has also performed for MTC in Happy Ending and Beached. Her latest production in La Mama was Miss W Treads that celebrated one of the early stars of Sydney stages, Eliza Winstanley.
Lansy Feng (Zhihyua, Madam Wu)
Lansy Feng is an actor, singer, writer, theatre-maker and filmmaker who trained at Howard Fine Acting Studio and National Theatre Drama. Besides numerous credits for stage and screen, she has created several original works including the highly reviewed cabaret ‘How I Met My Dead Husband’(2018-2019 Butterfly Club, Gasworks, Bluestone Church Arts, The Bowery Theatre), highly praised theatre play ‘Dear Mama, There’s Something Maybe I Should Tell You…’’ ( 2022 Brunswick Mechanic Institute, BCAS, The Bowery), and the award-winning short film ‘ Of Course I Speak French’ (2020). She is excited to perform in ‘Farewell Lady Autumn’ with WHAM at La Mama!
Instagram handle @lansyfeng
Website https://www.lansyfeng.com/
Jamie Vu (Xilin/Tingjun)
Jamie is a 31-year-old Melbourne based actor. He studied at Brave Studios, 16th Street Actors Studio, and is currently pursuing part-time studies at TAFTA.
The previous theatre show that Jamie worked with Wolf Heidecker was called Vivid by Hoa Pham at Footscray Community Arts Centre. He anticipates to be showcasing his exceptional talent and dedication to the craft.
Natulie Moffatt (Stage Manager)
Natulie is a seasoned theatre enthusiast with a rich tapestry of experiences. She garnered awards as an actor, writer, director, and props master. She holds certified expertise in OHS, first aid, weapons and firearms for film, martial arts, bookkeeping, information management, IT, hospitality, construction, and music (winning the Grand Final round in 'Local Rockstar's Karaoke Competition').
A big Thankyou for their support:
La Mama admin and tech team, Darren Gill for his brilliant creative photography
Gisela Heidecker for assisting set/props production
TIPPING POINT 2029 by Wolf Heidecker/Werner Mittelstaedt - venue for season not determined, yet.
Recently, United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, issued a dire warning to representatives from 40 countries at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, calling for more concrete action to tackle what he called a “climate emergency. “We have a choice,” Mr. Guterres said in a video message. “Collective action or collective suicide. It is in our hands.”
In that speech Guterres also officially used the term ‘Tipping Point’ that seems to be very close.
There are not many stage-plays around about Climate Change and Global Warming, topics important for artists to comment on and to raise awareness in word and song, especially in the theatre, a place where socially and politically relevant topics historically have their forum.
The new Australian play Tipping Point 2029 by Wolf Heidecker is based on a book by German Futurist, scientific environmental activist, and Futurism-Philosopher Werner Mittelstaedt who, in close cooperation with his Australian writing partner, provided the actual figures and facts referred to in the script.
The play is set in a TV-Studio prior to the recording of a panel discussion and offers a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ view behind the scenes which is quite informative but also entertaining as is inherent in the genre.
2029 – for many years Australia has experienced the devastating consequences of global warming.
A life discussion in an European TV show created worldwide panic – for the first time it was officially announced that the earth has reached the »Tipping Point«, the point of no return in the destruction of the environment. Climate change with a non-reversible perspective.
An Australian TV-station has invited nationally renowned personalities to calm the situation by informing the population about the »facts« and »data« instead of spreading fear and innuendo. It is accomplished TV-Presenter Bettina Roland’s job to get the most positive outlook into the future from her discussion.
Get an intriguing look behind the scenes of this TV production that has no precedence, the tensions and blunt truth of a panel discussion recorded and not live streamed for a reason …
Is that the future – our future?
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