<I>

  <&>Wellington Corpus of Spoken New Zealand English Version One</&>
  <&>Copyright 1998 School of Linguistics & Applied Language Studies</&>
  <&>Victoria University of Wellington</&>

  <&>side one</&>
  <&>0:06</&>
  

  <WSC#DGI152:0005:CP>
      i um got into theatre as a kid <,> pretty much

  <WSC#DGI152:0010:CP>
      when i was fourteen my mum took me to drama classes but theatre
      at large was founded in nineteen ninety when i met anna marbrook
      or i'd met her previously but we founded theatre at large in
      nineteen ninety in auckland <O>inhales</O> and er <.>i</.> i'd
      been in australia prior to that training at <drawls>a</drawls>
      mask and improvisational school called the drama action centre
      <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0015:IA>
      oh yes <{><[>mhm</[>

  <WSC#DGI152:0020:CP>
      <[><O>inhales</O></[></{> and um <,> <O>voc</O> i was interested
      in forming a company and was looking for someone to do that with
      and um both anna and i were interested in kind of making some a
      form of theatre that was <,> physical image based but told good
      stories <O>inhales</O> um much like some of the work i'd seen in
      australia and trained in and had been influenced from a lot from
      europe really a lot of that work from that that background <O>inhales</O>
      so we set up that company and began to work in nineteen ninety
      and that's principally been my work

  <WSC#DGI152:0025:IA>
      describe to us the sort of things theatre at large indulge
      themselves in

  <WSC#DGI152:0030:CP>
      it's a it's always a tricky question to answer what you know
      what is your own work <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0035:IA>
      mhm

  <WSC#DGI152:0040:CP>
      but <,> <O>tut</O> principally we're we've been interested in
      making theatre that's um exciting <,> theatrically <O>inhales</O>
      so <O>voc</O> initially we were interested in theatre that was
      more theatrical than the theatre we were seeing traditionally
      <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0045:IA>
      oh <{><[>okay</[>

  <WSC#DGI152:0050:CP>
      <[>in</[></{> in auckland and around the country

  <WSC#DGI152:0055:IA>
      would we dare call it contemporary

  <WSC#DGI152:0060:CP>
      yeah

  <WSC#DGI152:0065:IA>
      yeah? <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0070:CP>
      and that's what people are calling this kind of theatre now <.>m</.>
      more often

  <WSC#DGI152:0075:CP>
      <.>they</.> ey it was broadly called physical theatre for a
      period but people are tending to call it um contemporary theatre
      <{1><[1><O>inhales</O></[1> so i suppose <?>that's</?> a theatre
      that both has has a <&>2:00</&> text but not a <.>h</.> not a
      complete emphasis on the text er linguistic text so the so the
      movement of <drawls>the</drawls> bodies and er um combination of
      body sound and lighting come together to make a <O>inhales</O>
      powerful theatrical image mixed with a text <{2><[2><O>inhales</O></[2>
      and in theatre at large we've blended that both with our own
      work created by the companies like <title>henry eight</title>
      <O>tut</O> and also with texts shakespearean um jacobean and
      contemporary and more recently um oscar wilde

  <WSC#DGI152:0080:IA>
      <[1>oh okay</[1></{1>

  <WSC#DGI152:0085:IA>
      <[2><quietly>oh okay</quietly></[2></{2>

  <WSC#DGI152:0090:IA>
      <O>tut</O> <{><[>oh how exciting</[>

  <WSC#DGI152:0095:CP>
      <[><O>inhales</O> <O>exhales</O></[></{> yeah

  <WSC#DGI152:0100:IA>
      okay um now the history of um <{><[>theatre</[> at large they've
      done <title>the butcher's wife</title> and um <title>romeo and
      juliet</title>

  <WSC#DGI152:0105:IA>
      is there anything else besides those two

  <WSC#DGI152:0110:CP>
      <[>mm</[></{>

  <WSC#DGI152:0115:CP>
      well those are the shows that <.>you</.> we've done in
      wellington <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0120:IA>
      aha <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0125:CP>
      and we also made our first show here called <title>kiss me kill
      me</title> which was in bats in nineteen ninety <O>inhales</O>
      er

  <WSC#DGI152:0130:CP>
      apart from that we've done a <.>l</.> <.>d</.> both of these
      shows <title>henry eight</title> and <title>the butcher's wife</title>
      in auckland <&>3:00</&> um directed for a whole range of people
      including the new zealand drama school and um <O>inhales</O> <O>voc</O>
      other institutions both here and australia <O>inhales</O> <O>voc</O>
      so in theatre at large we've mixed a lot of teaching work also
      with our directing work <O>inhales</O> but the shows that we're
      known by that we act in and by we i mean anna and i act in as
      well as direct are <title>the butcher's wife</title> that was
      done at taki rua and also um <O>inhales</O> <title>henry eight</title>

  <WSC#DGI152:0135:IA>
      <title>henry the eighth</title> and which is being shown at taki
      rua at the moment isn't it <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0140:CP>
      yeah

  <WSC#DGI152:0145:IA>
      that's right

  <WSC#DGI152:0150:CP>
      yeah <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0155:IA>
      and is that in cooperation with the fringe festival or not is
      that just solo

  <WSC#DGI152:0160:CP>
      yeah it is

  <WSC#DGI152:0165:CP>
      <{1><[1>it's</[1> the first show in the fringe festival <{2><[2>this</[2>
      year

  <WSC#DGI152:0170:IA>
      <[1>it is?</[1></{1>

  <WSC#DGI152:0175:IA>
      <[2>oh</[2></{2>

  <WSC#DGI152:0180:IA>
      on your perspective how do you think the show is going

  <WSC#DGI152:0185:CP>
      <.>i</.> i think it's going very well

  <WSC#DGI152:0190:CP>
      it's a <.>r</.> it's a reworked version

  <WSC#DGI152:0195:CP>
      this show was first seen in auckland in ninety two <,> <O>tut</O>
      where um it was very successful and <O>voc</O> the listener
      critic there <O>voc</O> thought it was the best show of ninety
      two

  <WSC#DGI152:0200:CP>
      we've reworked it with a new cast <&>4:00</&> since the original
      cast were overseas <O>inhales</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0205:CP>
      we found a lot of <O>voc</O> more richness to it if you like

  <WSC#DGI152:0210:CP>
      it's a powerful show imagistically <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0215:IA>
      mhm <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0220:CP>
      but i think doing it a second time we're able to like explore
      more of the um <O>voc</O> detail and texture <O>inhales</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0225:CP>
      these words are so kind of <{1><[1>hard to say without without
      seeing</[1> the show

  <WSC#DGI152:0230:CP>
      you've seen <{2><[2>it so though but if you haven't seen it</[2>
      it's hard to know <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0235:IA>
      <[1>mm <O>laughs</O> i know yeah <.>as</.></[1></{1>

  <WSC#DGI152:0240:IA>
      <[2>yeah absolutely <unclear>word</unclear></[2></{2>

  <WSC#DGI152:0245:IA>
      yeah

  <WSC#DGI152:0250:CP>
      but it's a <.>d</.> <O>voc</O> we were interested in exploring
      the kind of the royal the world of a court

  <WSC#DGI152:0255:IA>
      right

  <WSC#DGI152:0260:CP>
      not <.>spec</.> it's based on henry the eighth's court but it
      could be <{><[>anywhere</[> yeah

  <WSC#DGI152:0265:IA>
      <[>anybody</[></{>

  <WSC#DGI152:0270:IA>
      right

  <WSC#DGI152:0275:CP>
      and er particularly the kind of the relationships between the
      king and his queens

  <WSC#DGI152:0280:IA>
      mhm

  <WSC#DGI152:0285:CP>
      <O>inhales</O> so <drawls><with creaky voice><.>i</.></with creaky voice></drawls>
      in redoing it we've found <drawls>more</drawls> <O>voc</O> grit
      if you like and more um subtlety i think

  <WSC#DGI152:0290:IA>
      why did you choose acting as a career

  <WSC#DGI152:0295:CP>
      <loudly>i'm</loudly> considering myself more and more an actor
      director <O>tut</O> because i end up doing a lot i'm doing a lot
      <.>o</.> more directing in fact <&>5:00</&> than i'm doing
      acting

  <WSC#DGI152:0300:CP>
      it's hard to know why

  <WSC#DGI152:0305:CP>
      <.>i</.> i had some really strong memories of as a child of or
      at least when i began theatre why i was attracted to it <O>swallows</O>
      and i think particularly the sense of <indig=Maori>whanau</indig=Maori>
      you know <{><[>like</[> family that was in the theatre <O>inhales</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0310:CP>
      i remember being in this pantomime when i was twelve and just
      seeing all the actors like embracing each other and and thinking
      oh that's great

  <WSC#DGI152:0315:IA>
      <[>mhm</[></{>

  <WSC#DGI152:0320:CP>
      <{1><[1><O>laughs</O> i</[1> could have <{2><[2>some</[2> of
      that <{3><[3><O>laughs</O></[3>

  <WSC#DGI152:0325:IA>
      <[1><O>laughs</O></[1></{1>

  <WSC#DGI152:0330:IA>
      <[2><?>wow</?></[2></{2>

  <WSC#DGI152:0335:IA>
      <[3><O>laughs</O></[3></{3> i want to be part of that <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0340:CP>
      yeah <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0345:IA>
      yeah

  <WSC#DGI152:0350:CP>
      and <O>inhales</O> <O>voc</O> er since then it's grown into
      being more um it's er it's a way that i can express my creative
      self really and <O>voc</O> with anna creating theatre at large
      we've been able to make theatre that people <.>i</.> in new
      zealand at least have found very um refreshing <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0355:IA>
      mm

  <WSC#DGI152:0360:CP>
      we have had a sense that we are kind of leading the way
      somewhere <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0365:IA>
      so you had a lot of support though the community and family and
      <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0370:CP>
      particularly from our families who and also from people who are
      interested <drawls>in</drawls> in <&>6:00</&> seeing theatre
      move forward

  <WSC#DGI152:0375:IA>
      right

  <WSC#DGI152:0380:CP>
      because <O>voc</O> it's not traditional theatre so the people
      that are interested in seeing what <.>i</.> what is the kind of
      next um next step if you like <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0385:IA>
      right <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0390:CP>
      have been very supportive <{><[>and</[> that's that's been
      continually exciting <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0395:IA>
      <[>oh yeah</[></{>

  <WSC#DGI152:0400:IA>
      so you're sort of <.>you're</.> you're forever pushing and
      readjusting that borderline

  <WSC#DGI152:0405:CP>
      yeah and <.>i</.> i think <title>henry eight</title> is
      definitely pushing that borderline

  <WSC#DGI152:0410:IA>
      let's talk about the cast and the <with creaky voice>characters</with creaky voice>
      within the play <title>henry eighth</title> um and the ROLE
      changes that goes on

  <WSC#DGI152:0415:CP>
      like you say <.>the</.> the the show's completely crosscast
      meaning that <drawls>um</drawls> men play the women's roles as
      in a shakespearean company and <.>the</.> but the women play the
      men <O>inhales</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0420:CP>
      the lead is henry eight and we use the numeral eight rather than
      the eighTH <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0425:IA>
      the roman <{><[>numeral</[>

  <WSC#DGI152:0430:CP>
      <[>yeah</[></{> to to make him a different figure if you like to
      say that it's not exactly him

  <WSC#DGI152:0435:CP>
      we're not telling history as it were

  <WSC#DGI152:0440:IA>
      right

  <WSC#DGI152:0445:CP>
      <O>inhales</O> and he he's played by alison bruce <&>7:00</&>
      who trained at er theatre corporate in auckland and then with
      the mercury theatre <.>f</.> worked there for a long time

  <WSC#DGI152:0450:IA>
      mhm

  <WSC#DGI152:0455:CP>
      <O>tut</O> <O>inhales</O> and henry is basically um <?>er</?>
      wanting a male heir <.>o</.> a son that he can pass on his
      kingdom to <O>inhales</O> and he is having great difficulty
      getting that out of his wife catherine of aragon <O>tut</O>
      <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0460:IA>
      which you play <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0465:CP>
      i play <{><[><O>laughs</O></[>

  <WSC#DGI152:0470:CP>
      and um she <.>i</.> in history at least <.>w</.> is spanish <O>exhales</O>
      <O>voc</O> at least <O>laughs</O> she is spanish and was spanish
      and DID in fact have <.>prod</.> difficulty producing a male
      heir

  <WSC#DGI152:0475:CP>
      she had female children but to the to the british monarchy they
      were pretty much <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0480:IA>
      <[><O>laughs</O></[></{>

  <WSC#DGI152:0485:IA>
      mm <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0490:CP>
      useless <O>inhales</O> <O>voc</O> so he's he's mad with her and
      his his <O>swallows</O> sidekick if you like is cardinal wolsey
      who was the head of the church at that point the catholic church
      <with creaky voice>in england</with creaky voice> <O>inhales</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0495:CP>
      he's played by anna marbrook the other director of theatre at
      large and she is um <,> <O>swallows</O> <O>tut</O> she he this
      is where it gets <laughs>very <{><[>confusing</laughs></[>

  <WSC#DGI152:0500:CP>
      wolsely is um <O>voc</O> desperately trying to maintain the
      state status quo so keep henry um help him produce a male heir
      but also keep him under wraps controlled <O>inhales</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0505:CP>
      catherine has two maids and <.>these</.> this is factual

  <WSC#DGI152:0510:CP>
      mary boleyn the sister of anne boleyn

  <WSC#DGI152:0515:CP>
      <.>a</.> anne boleyn is the more infamous <O>voc</O> but in our
      reading we discovered she did in fact have a sister mary who had
      an affair with henry

  <WSC#DGI152:0520:IA>
      <[><O>laughs</O></[></{>

  <WSC#DGI152:0525:IA>
      oh

  <WSC#DGI152:0530:CP>
      and this was kind of the beginning of the piece really thinking
      <O>voc</O> well if he she if he made love to both of these
      sisters there's a story in this <O>inhales</O> <O>swallows</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0535:CP>
      mary is naive and um <O>voc</O> gets misled really

  <WSC#DGI152:0540:CP>
      <?><.>h</.></?> she desires kind of a closer contact with the
      king but this gets out of hand and in fact it's her more um <O>inhales</O>
      <,> <O>tut</O> conniving if you <{1><[1>like sister anne who who</[1>
      makes her way to the top and eventually becomes queen <O>inhales</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0545:CP>
      anne is played by jed brophy who's well known to wellington
      audiences and <.>m</.> mary's played by tim spite also <{2><[2>another</[2>
      excellent wellington actor

  <WSC#DGI152:0550:CP>
      we were interested in exploring how these these the lives of
      these women were <drawls>so</drawls> ruled and and dominated by
      um <O>tut</O> sex really like that their gender and their
      sexuality was their only form of power in the court at that
      point <O>inhales</O> and we felt that in order to explore that
      in our in a in a good and strong way we needed to reverse the
      roles

  <WSC#DGI152:0555:IA>
      <[1><O>laughs</O></[1></{1>

  <WSC#DGI152:0560:IA>
      <[2>mm</[2></{2>

  <WSC#DGI152:0565:IA>
      tell us the future plans for theatre at large

  <WSC#DGI152:0570:CP>
      er <drawls>we're</drawls> be writing a new play when we get back
      to auckland with a with a new company

  <WSC#DGI152:0575:CP>
      we kind of write our work with the <drawls>company</drawls>

  <WSC#DGI152:0580:CP>
      it's devised and written at the same time

  <WSC#DGI152:0585:IA>
      <{><[>mm</[>

  <WSC#DGI152:0590:CP>
      <[><O>inhales</O></[></{> the show's at this stage has a working
      title <title>arohanui</title> and it's um gonna be a love story
      between an irish vaudevillian performing artiste and a maori
      chief in the um eighteen sixties set about the time of the new
      <&>10:00</&> zealand wars <O>inhales</O> and um <O>swallows</O>
      it basically tells the story of this love affair that takes
      place while these people are touring around the country with the
      first pakeha theatre company

  <WSC#DGI152:0595:IA>
      is there any maori input in the play <title>arohanui</title>
      yeah? <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0600:CP>
      we have a <indig=Maori>kaumatua</indig=Maori> te warena taua
      from auckland museum <O>tut</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0605:CP>
      he's acting as a guide for us on that <O>inhales</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0610:CP>
      we're mixing it in some ways in that we use we <.>m</.> we're
      creating this story so it's not factual in in much the way that
      <title>henry eight</title> was done <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0615:IA>
      right <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0620:CP>
      so we're looking for something that is of the period but not <{><[>exactly
      <drawls>tied</drawls> to it</[>

  <WSC#DGI152:0625:IA>
      <[><unclear>word</unclear> right</[></{> okay

  <WSC#DGI152:0630:IA>
      what direction do you want to take theatre at large <O>tut</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0635:IA>
      are you forever challenging <O>voc</O> yourself <{><[><.>and</.></[>
      er and the group

  <WSC#DGI152:0640:CP>
      <[><O>voc</O></[></{>

  <WSC#DGI152:0645:CP>
      <O>inhales</O> <.>i</.> i think um last year anna and i got a
      arts council grant to study in europe and we did some excellent
      study there with a a <.>fr</.> a french teacher a man called <?>gaullier</?>
      <O>inhales</O> and that work has had a big influence
      <&>10:00</&> on us <O>swallows</O> and i think that will be the
      next emphasis <O>inhales</O>

  <WSC#DGI152:0650:CP>
      <title>henry eight</title> is is powerful theatre both in a
      physical sense and a um emotional <.>se</.> it's kind of it's
      it's hard hitting if you like <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0655:IA>
      mhm <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0660:CP>
      i think <O>inhales</O> and i think the next show will be um <O>voc</O>
      emotionally um more <with creaky voice><.>r</.> richer</with creaky voice>
      and subtle and um <.>f</.> you know and a love story

  <WSC#DGI152:0665:CP>
      i mean there's not a technique particularly that i want to
      <drawls>explore</drawls>

  <WSC#DGI152:0670:IA>
      right <latch>

  <WSC#DGI152:0675:IA>
      in theatre at large but i do want to make theatre ALWAYS make
      theatre that impacts on people <O>inhales</O> <O>voc</O> i want
      the next story to have er er tug on the heart <&>11:38</&> <&>end
      of sample</&>
</I>
