JUMPING THE SHARK FANTASTIC

2014

Performance, Theatre

Artist/s: Malcolm Whittaker, Campbelltown Amateur Theatre Society

Jumping the Shark Fantastic is a new work by Malcolm Whittaker, based on the teasing premise of being “the best theatre show ever”, which will be developed and presented at CAC in July 2014. It presents the artist as a dancing bear that has exhausted his routine. Rather than continue in vain to entertain, when most don't even recognise this as dance or entertainment anymore, he stops to ask: "What do you want?". What the people want, based on survey material from the residents of Campbelltown and what they would like to see on their local stages, is then performed by the artist and members of Campbelltown Amateur Theatre Society. This performance takes the form of descriptions of what takes place on the stage in the “best show ever” according to these members of the local community. There are also vain attempts by the cast to actualise the spectacle which is beyond the bounds of financial limitation and the most basic laws of time and space. Generated from material collected in a two week residency prior to the presentation, Malcolm will be in residence at the Centre for two weeks prior to the presentation of this work.