The creative team recently concluded a successful seeding development at the Theatre Royal in Hobart for new work TROPHY

Over the residency co-creators Natalie Allen and director Sally Richardson has the opportunity to explore on the floor ideas for their next collaboration, a new solo dance theatre, site specific performance that investigates our complex relationship with sport. The team worked with lighting and vision designer Jason Gareth James, and introduced TAS based creative producer Clare Spillman to the project. Music created by composer Louis Frere-Harvey was also part of the mix.

The team also met and shared their ideas with Kathryn McCann from new local AFL club the Tassie Devils.

RAWspace provided a wonderful opportunity to 'kick off' TROPHY with creative intensives led by industry mentors Paige Rattray, Margi Brown Ash and Julian Lanarch.

At the end of the process the team presented excerpts from the work over two showings to invited peers and local colleagues.

Captivating..raw..fierce...powerful..it was very beautiful... theatrical, sexy, spectacular...evocative..Natalie has as physicality that demands respect..Showing audience

In TROPHY, embodied by the extraordinary Natalie Allen, women's sport functions as a framework through which to explore the emotional extremities of a range of human scenarios - triumph, defeat, crowd behaviour, ferocity, competitiveness, endurance. Sally and Natalie’s creative partnership allows them to skillfully deconstruct familiar imagery and sequences from this world we know so well, and turns them into intense, often painfully relatable and sometime s very funny archetypes. It’s mythic at times, observing the momentary transcendence of sport to strive beyond mere human limitations, emotionally moving - the pain of defeat - but also entertaining and full of surprises as the movement encompasses the stage and seating, and Natalie interacts fearlessly with the audience. This is an area of exploration that Sally plans to take further in sports venues, which is fun.

I believe that TROPHY, when finished, will be immediately accessible to audiences of all kinds, bringing two worlds - dance and sport - together in an unexpected and exciting way. We all loved what we saw in Hobart and I look forward to watching its progress to realisation and seeing how audiences respond to it! Dr Lindy Hume OAM, Former Artistic Director Perth, Sydney & Ten Days on the Island Festivals

The pieces are already carrying the hallmarks of being incredibly well constructed and emotive...Sally and Natalie are clearly committed to developing and presenting a very high-quality work, this is abundantly evident watching Natalie perform onstage, but it also manifests in their generous, transparent and thoughtful approach to the work as they talk about and wrestle with it... I am excited to see where this work goes..Steve Mayhew, Program Manager, Theatre Royal

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