Experience the high highs and the low lows of fame with ALLSTARS, presented by Just Friends Theatre Company.
This raucous sketch comedy show, opening Jan 24 at Fringe World, explores what we all really want… to be famous and filthy rich! But at what cost?
The ALLSTARS team, comprising of Hannah Davidson, Rebecca Fingher and Sian Murphy, set some time aside from their A-lister duties to chat with Magazine 6000…
What’s your ALLSTARS elevator pitch?
Funny, irreverant and ready to have a laugh this comedy strips away tall poppy syndrome and embraces the ego. Let’s get famous!
ALLSTARS is a collaborative work, can you talk us through the creative process?
The process has been fun, we went in knowing that we wanted to have fun, and we want the audience to have fun with us. That’s been the basis of our devising process. We’ve been working with an incredible director/maker, Charlotte Otton (Feminah, Let me finish), to help guide us shape the work. At the beginning of this project we would get together, talk about fame and then put funny/wacky ideas up on the floor. It didn’t matter if they were good, bad, if they made sense or didn’t, all that mattered was that we were up and making every rehearsal. From the content we created over a couple of months, we’ve carved out a show that isn’t afraid to be silly.
ALLSTARS Cast. Photography by Tim Green
What kind of characters will we see in ALLSTARS?
Our personalities on over drive, with a dash of extroverted ego. Plus, some pretty big, audacious and energetic characters make some appearances that will leave a lasting impression.
Is the lust for fame a universal experience?
Success is. No matter what you’re doing, we think success has a very big allure. What that is changes. In our case, it’s fame, fortune and recognition. And let’s be real, we want the cash dollars, and famous people tend to have a lot of it.
ALLSTARS Cast. Photography by Tim Green
In a city with a well-known performing arts academy, how do you feel its presence and reputation impacts artists both during and after studying there?
I think we are all grateful for our training for many reasons, but especially bringing us together so we could create Just Friends Theatre Company. While we have similar training, we all have different styles and ways of working. We are fortunate that the training we had gives us tools and ways of communicating to work together. Our course was also strongly influenced by different ways of working, different ideas and we were strongly encouraged to see work outside of an institution so that we had a broader understanding of the many great works and processes happening around us, especially in Perth. We also acknowledge that going to any university, let alone a performing arts academy is a privilege, and that it isn’t the only pathway, or suits everyone. We would really like to see these institutions become more accessible and more diverse in people, ideas and ways of working, which we can all benefit from.
Who should see ALLSTARS?
People who want to laugh! Anyone who likes TikTok! Anyone who has ever dreamt of going viral or being famous! People who need some light-hearted theatre after a tough two years. People who are famous, Isla Fisher, Sascha Baaron Cohen, Rove McManus…see you there 😉 People who love the arts. People who want a laugh. And my Mum. Mum, if you’re reading this, please come and bring your whole book club.
ALLSTARS opens runs from Jan 24 to Jan 29