SEARCHLIGHT

Hard Rubbish
Men Of Steel

Venue: Piano Bar
When: Mon 27 Feb 09:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Genre: Physical Theatre / Circus / Puppetry
Main Audience: Family
Producer: Natalie Lidgerwood
No. in touring party: 5

Hard Rubbish

Hard Rubbish is the new object theatre extravaganza by Melbourne-based ensemble Men Of Steel. Shifting their focus from kitchen objects to large and unwieldy pieces of furniture, Men Of Steel will humorously (and messily) engage with how we define ourselves by the objects and furnishings we live with.

Replaced by a bunch of Swedish minimalist homewares, a pile of discarded furniture sits on the verge. But, true to its name, this hard rubbish is not taking it lying down. Featuring couch transformers, seasick washing machines and martial arts chests of drawers, all communicating in Men Of Steel’s notorious invented language, Hard Rubbish will entertain an audience of all ages.

Men Of Steel’s anarchic object theatre has toured nationally and internationally including Japan, South Korea, UK, Singapore and New Zealand. An initial stage of the development of this new work has been supported by Arts Victoria and the Australia Council. The work will be ready for a final development and a production season in mid-to-late 2012.

“Puppetry at its most ingenious and disarming…fabulously imaginative.” – The Age.
“This glorious, preposterous exercise in object puppetry and Antipodean drollery is a blast.” – Time Out, London.

Men Of Steel

Men Of Steel is the only object theatre company in Australia and its self-titled premiere work is one of the most exported works of contemporary puppet theatre in recent times. Men of Steel - the show - has played in seven Australian capital cities and has toured to Dublin, China, London, Hong Kong, Edinburgh, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Singapore.

The ensemble created Men of Steel for the 2006 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, where it was awarded the Festival Director’s Award, received a ‘Highly Commended’ recognition from The Age Critics’ Award and a five star review. The company has since enjoyed 22 successful seasons and tours.

The Men Of Steel ensemble is comprised of co-creators Hamish Fletcher, Tamara Rewse, Sam Routledge and Philip McInnes and sound design and technical director Jared Lewis. Ensemble members have worked individually with some of Australia’s most highly regarded performance companies including My Darling Patricia, Terrapin Puppet Theatre, Arena Theatre Company, Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image, Knee High Puppeteers, Windmill Theatre and Polyglot, as well as undertaking numerous international residences.

In 2008, Men Of Steel collaborated with Arena Theatre Company to create a new work for children aged 5 – 12, Mr Freezy, which has since toured to Sydney, Parramatta, Adelaide and Pittsburgh.