Scab Program

T

SCAB

by Danny Ball A YOUNG INDUSTRY STUDIO PRODUCTION

Y

A

P

“People can be more than one thing, Eleni, places can be more than one thing.”

—Jan

Scab, 2024. Photos by Lillie Bailey.

SCAB

ATYP would like to acknowledge that we are a company that is based on the traditional lands and waters of the Gadigal people, delivering programs in the lands of our First Nations people across this country, rich with history of storytelling.

We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Scab Written by Danny Ball A Young Industry Studio production

Writer Danny Ball

Season 16–19 May 2024

Director Claudia Osborne

The Rebel Theatre Eora Country Pier 2/3 Suite 2/13A Hickson Road Dawes Point NSW

Assistant Director Thomas Filer

Duration 80 minutes (no interval) Age recommendation 13+ Content Warnings Mild swearing, on-stage violence, and references to the death of a young person Cover design by Bec Herkess

Dramaturg Jane FitzGerald Set, Props & Costume Designer Hailley Hunt Lighting Designer Saint Clair Sound Designer Madeleine Picard

With ROFL Cast Thursday & Saturday Ewan Buchanan-Constable Ben Buenen Tanish Gautam Eve Guilfoyle O'Rourke Lexi McLean Billy Nicolaou Scarlett Saunders Aurielle Smith And LMAO Cast Friday & Sunday Mia Denine Jeffrey Dimi Connor Doney Alexandro Gould-Arocha Chloe Harnisch-Rojas Catherine Layard Jasper Reucassel Maya Yoneda Hutchings

Producer Alana Dunn Stage Manager Douglas Guo

Young Industry Studio ATYP’s Young Industry Studio programs are designed for experienced young creatives who want to take their skills to the next level. Learning from industry professionals, the ATYP Young Industry Studio brings the arts industry and young people together to grow and develop the creative leaders of the future.

Participants of the ATYP Young Industry Studio program learn skills and techniques that enhance their performance and theatre-making ability and provide valuable connections with the arts industry and their peers. Across a range of disciplines, these programs provide practical training in a challenging, creative and collaborative ensemble environment.

Foundation Commissions The ATYP Foundation was established in 2003 to create and maintain a capital fund to ensure the future of the national youth theatre company and to help it reach many more young Australians. In the unpredictable world of Arts funding, the ATYP Foundation offers stability and permanence to Australia’s oldest theatre company dedicated to young people.

In 2010 the ATYP Foundation made a commitment to supporting the commissioning of new Australian plays for young people to perform. In 2012 this support was formalised in the establishment of the ATYP Foundation Commission Award. To date, the ATYP Foundation has supported the creation and development of 21 plays.

1

Director’s note When I first read Danny Ball’s Scab, set in 2004, I found it (maybe unsurprisingly) incredibly relatable. ROFL, LMAO, MSN, Nokia 3310... this is my youth!

After spending the last four months with this wonderful cast, working, collaborating, and unpacking the rationale behind keeping your text messages under 160 characters, it’s clear that I’m not the only one connecting to the material.

In Scab, Danny has perfectly captured the full spectrum of teendom – truly the best and the worst of times, a world where crippling insecurity and blind conviction walk hand-in-hand (a sausage roll, in a roll... if you will).

Scab’s resonance isn’t limited to its themes. Danny has seamlessly (and fearlessly) tapped into the rhythms of youth. The dialogue is quick, clever and sometimes cruel in a way that only teenagers can be. But amidst the chaos of schoolyard banter, moments of vulnerability, insecurity and truth begin to surface.

Watching talented young people grow and mature both as performers and humans is magic. Their vitality, wit and creativity has infused every single character you see on stage (which is particularly evident when you see how uniquely each cast has approached the material).

It’s been such a joy to work with this cast and creative team to bring this seriously ‘turbo’ show to life. Never in my life did I think I’d be given the chance to house Sean Paul, Delta Goodrem and Arnott’s BBQ Shapes in the one production, and for that alone, I'm truly grateful.

Claudia Osborne

© ATYP 2024

SCAB

Writer’s note Most of my high school memories involve being doubled over in hysterics at the buffoonery of my mates. I had some real idiots for friends.

One time, I answered a question in class, and Pat leaned over and whispered, ‘Bro, did your dad read you textbooks while you were in the womb?’

There is a danger in writing a play for young people, that you will obliterate their voices in favour of your own. The last thing I want to do is obliterate a voice like Pat’s.

As an adult looking both retrospectively at my teenage years as well as at young people in my orbit today, I sometimes have a tendency to neatly define experiences, to flatten out complexity; to reduce young people to broad categorical definitions.

Certainly, within high school dramas, there is an instinctive pull towards stereotypes: the bully, the nerd, the popular kid, the loner, the rebel, etc. But humans are not just one thing, we aren’t the embodiment of an idea - we are a collection of contradicting impulses, desires and opinions. This is especially true of teenagers.

My intention in writing Scab was to gently shake up the typical representation of young people.

A group of high school students attempting to scab money during lunchtime is simple enough… but what happens when money is an extremely valuable commodity? All of the central characters in Scab are wrestling with social and financial circumstances they’ve inherited, and are fighting tooth and nail to define themselves and what their futures will look like.

Each of the seven main characters has a vision for who they’d like to be, and through this lunchtime, are forced to confront the thing that is holding them back; to heal their scabs and propel themselves into the rest of their lives.

It has ultimately been my experience that young people who are confronted with a lack of resources become infinitely more resourceful than those around them. They create their own type of resourcefulness: wit, tenacity, irreverence and autonomy.

Scab pays homage to those extraordinary young people.

The play, like the teenagers it represents, is built with joy, chaos, idiocy, strength and an irrepressible desire for selfactualisation.

When I was in year eight, our science teacher walked into class with a vest on, and my mate Shukri said: ‘Ey, Sir - I didn’t know it was bring-a-vest-to-school day’.

Like Shukri, I encourage young performers rehearsing this play to go for gold. No matter where you’re from, who you hang out with, or what your grades are; come as you are, and it will be more than enough.

Danny Ball

3

Creative Team Cherry Orchard (Belvoir St Theatre, dir. Eamon Flack), The Real Thing (Sydney Theatre Company, dir.

Simon Phillips), and Titus Andronicus (Bell Shakespeare, dir. Adena Jacobs).

Danny Ball

Claudia Osborne

Danny Ball is an actor, writer and educator. He grew up in Melbourne to Italian-Australian parents before moving to Sydney, graduating from NIDA with a BFA (Acting).

Claudia Osborne is a Sydney-based director, writer, dramaturg and the co-director of independent theatre company, FERVOUR. She graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 2019, and holds a Master of Directing for Performance.

Since graduating from NIDA, Claudia has worked with theatre companies across Sydney, including Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre Company and Bell Shakespeare.

Writer

Previous acting credits include Holding the Man (Belvoir), The Italians, Darwin’s Reptilia (Belvoir 25a), Loaded (Malthouse Theatre), for which he won a Green Room Award for Outstanding Performer, Cleansed (Old Fitz), Much Ado About Nothing, The Players (Bell Shakespeare), The Making of Sasha Fein (ARA Theatre), Blackrock (Seymour Centre), Mercury Fur, The Serpent’s Teeth (KXT), Totally Completely Fine (STAN), A Beginner’s Guide to Grief (SBS), Home & Away (Seven Network), KICK (SBS).

Director

Danny is also an educator and acting coach, teaching for NIDA, JMC, Bell Shakespeare, ATYP, the McDonald College, Parramatta Actor’s Centre as well as through his own coaching business.

Her directing credits in theatre include Everybody (Actors Centre Australia), BURN WITCH BURN (FERVOUR/Old Fitz), Picnic At Hanging Rock (NIDA), Destroy, She Said (FERVOUR/25A), Delilah By The Hour (FERVOUR/Brand X Flying Nun), Homesick (Bontom, Old 505), The Lady or the Tiger (FERVOUR), LULU: A Modern Sex Tragedy (NIDA), The Library of Babel (FERVOUR), and HeySorryGottaGoBye (FERVOUR).

His debut play The Italians premiered at Belvoir 25a in 2022 to a sold-out critically acclaimed season, and was subsequently filmed by Australian Theatre Live.

As an assistant director in theatre, Tell Me I’m Here (Belvoir St Theatre, dir.

Leticia Caceres), Love and Information (NIDA, dir.

Anthea Williams), The

© ATYP 2024

Claudia is a 2022 Gloria Payten and Gloria Dawn Foundation Fellow. Support from the Glorias Foundation allowed her to travel to Germany to assistant direct for Lydia Steier on Strauss’ Die Frau Ohne Schatten.

In 2024, Claudia wrote and directed her first short film, Rash. In October she will direct a new adaptation of Wedekind's Spring Awakening for the NIDA October season.

Thomas Filer

Assistant Director

Thomas Filer is an actor, writer, and teaching artist.

Thomas has worked in the film, TV, and theatre industries within Australia since 2016 and has worked with ATYP since 2020.

Scab is his first production working as an assistant director and he is thrilled to be part of the incredible creative team bringing this play to life.

Jane FitzGerald

Dramaturg

Jane is Resident Dramaturg at ATYP, where she oversees the company’s writing programs and commissions, and mentors emerging writers and dramaturgs through the Fresh Ink, National Studio and Cultivate programs.

Recent productions for ATYP include Saplings, Reboot, The Resistance and Shack. Other work includes Summer of Harold (Ensemble Theatre), Soul Trading (Steps & Holes Theatre, Canberra Youth Theatre), Black Cockatoo (Sydney Festival/Ensemble Theatre), Lost Boys (Merrigong Theatre Company) and The Big Dry (Ensemble Theatre/ATYP).

Previously Jane has been a Literary Manager at Ensemble Theatre (shared role). For Sydney Theatre Company she has been Literary Manager, Artistic Associate and administrator of the Patrick White Playwrights' Award as well as a dramaturg on new writing and mainstage productions. She has worked as a script reader for the Royal Court London, Playwriting Australia, ANPC and Playworks, and has worked extensively as a Mentor with Year 12 students on HSC creative writing projects.

SCAB

Hailley Hunt

Set, Props & Costume Designer Hailley is an emerging Set and Costume Designer in Sydney, her recent design credits include Set and Costume Designer for Aurat Raj at Belvoir 25A (2024), Set Designer for Shitty, also at Belvoir 25A (2024), Associate Set Designer for The Hello Girls at the Hayes Theatre (2024), Set and Costume designer for Forgetting Tim Minchin by Jules Orcullo and Feminazi

by Laneikka Denne as a part of Belvoir’s 2023 25A Season, Set and Costume Designer for How to Win a Plebiscite (And Tennis) (2022) by Lachlan Parry, and Set Designer for NIDA’s 2022 production of Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Saint Clair Lighting Designer Saint Clair is a Sydneybased lighting designer, producer, writer, and graduate of NIDA. Her recent credits as LD

include, Not Now Not Ever: A Parliament of Women, Darwin’s Reptilia (25A), and The Swell, How to Defend Yourself (Old Fitz Theatre).

At KXT her credits include, The Wind in the Willows, The Marriage Agency, Lilac, and One Hour No Oil. Previously she’s worked extensively at Griffin Theatre as Lighting Associate, on Ghosting the Party, A is for Apple and Whitefella Yella Tree. Other credits as an associate include Shack (Monkey Baa), Destroy She Said (25A) and Ulster American (Seymour Theatre and Riverside Theatres).

(Sydney Fringe Festival). As lighting & video designer: The Writer (NIDA). As video associate: Zombie! The Musical (Hayes Theatre).

She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Technical Theatre and Stage Management) from NIDA.

Alana Dunn

Madeleine Picard Sound Designer

Madeleine is a sound designer, composer & technical theatre practitioner. Combining her background in technical theatre and music, she is interested in storytelling through sound and in being part of the creation of new Australian theatrical works.

Select credits include: As sound designer: The Weekend (Belvoir St Theatre). As sound designer & composer: Shitty (essential workers & Belvoir 25A); Grain in the Blood (Virginia Plain & KXT); Ephemera; How to Win a Plebiscite [and tennis]; Picnic at Hanging Rock (NIDA); Venus in Fur

Residency Weeks and Young Playwrights Awards.

Alana has also directed as part of La Boite Theatre’s Assembly program. She is incredibly excited to be working down in Sydney and has thoroughly enjoyed producing Scab as part of ATYP’s Young Industry Studio workshops program.

Producer

Douglas Guo

Alana has recently joined ATYP as the Workshops Manager. In 2018 she completed a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Entertainment Industries and Management) at QUT. That same year, Alana travelled to France to work at MIPCOM, an international film and television conference.

Having had a production background, Alana has worked as a Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager on various productions across Backyard Theatre Collective, QUT and Queensland Theatre’s Young Artists’ Ensemble productions. Prior to ATYP Alana was the Youth Program Coordinator for Education, Youth and Regional Engagement at Queensland Theatre.

Alana’s work with Queensland Theatre led her to produce the company’s youth programs and shows including the ensemble productions, Theatre

Born in China. Studied at University of Sydney.

Douglas began his experience in theatre early as a student stage manager for Shore's 2015 and 2016 annual musicals. Douglas was involved in Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Sydney’s production of The Gondolier, as the lighting designer and operator.

Since then, he has worked as a theatre technician for several school theatres across Sydney. Notably, returning to Shore as the technical coordinator for their 2022 musical, The Music Man. More recently, Douglas was involved in the 2022 Opera on Cockatoo Island production of Carmen, as a follow-spot operator and has since worked for Opera Australia's Sydney Opera House seasons as a lighting technician. Douglas is delighted to be a part of ATYP's production of Scab as his first production with ATYP.

Stage Manager

5

Cast

RO FL

Ewan Buchanan-Constable

Ben Buenen

Tanish Gautam

Eve Guilfoyle O'Rourke

Lexi McLean

Billy Nicolaou

Scarlett Saunders

Aurielle Smith

© ATYP 2024

SCAB

LM AO

Mia Denine

Jeffrey Dimi

Connor Doney

Alexandro Gould-Arocha

Chloe Harnisch-Rojas

Catherine Layard

Jasper Reucassel

Maya Yoneda Hutchings

7

Scab, 2024. Photos by Lillie Bailey.

“You’re not Cate Blanchett, you’re Marcus Peppernickle! Your mum’s a dole bludger and your dad’s the manager at a stationary shop.

You’re common as. You’re not going to NIDA.” —Cedric

© ATYP 2024

7

SCAB

Thanks & Acknowledgements The Kappa Krew King himself, Danny Ball, is the heart and soul of Scab. Congratulations Danny on winning the 2022 Senior Foundation Commission and managing to transport us all back to early 2000s school days. It has been incredible working with you and we are so excited to bring your world to life. Enjoy the nostalgia!

This process would not have been possible without our incredible creative team, Claudia, Thomas, Jane, Hailley, Madeleine, Saint, Douglas and Dan - thank you for all of your super speedy and adaptable hard work, your vision of this world and your care of our cast. It has been an absolute joy to collaborate with you. Thank you to the ATYP team who’ve supported and championed this show, cast, creatives, crew and myself.

There are some people that we want more than anyone to stick around like a bad protein stain. To our AMAZING cast who keep us ROFL-ing and LMAO-ing. Thank you for time-travelling back with us and bringing your all to these characters. We hope that your talent takes you anywhere you want it to, whether that be to NEDA or becoming the next Kate Blank Cheque or even just becoming maths genius jocks. Embrace your inner Jan and keep being the best versions of yourself that you can be. We have loved working with you and we will see you very soon!

— Alana Dunn, Workshop Manager and producer of Scab I'd like to thank the ATYP Foundation as well as ATYP for selecting my play for the Senior Foundation Commission and Jane FitzGerald for all her extraordinary dramaturgical support and guidance. I'd also like to acknowledge some of my peers who donated their time to a development reading of the play: Philip D'Ambrosio, Kieran McGrath, Brandon Scane, Romney Hamilton, Imogen Sage, Emma O'Sullivan, Jess Bell and Grace Valerie-Lynette.

— Danny Ball, Writer Thank you to the young performers who contributed to the development reading of the play: Nick Annas, Ben Buenen, Ruby Frost, Alexandro Gould-Arocha, Adelaide Kennedy, Lara Lawson, Jasper Reucassel, Aurielle Smith and Adelaide Tustian.

— ATYP

Supporters

#ATYP_Scab #ATYP_Workshops #ATYP_YoungIndustryStudio #OnlyAtTheRebel

© ATYP 2024

9