On purposely nonsensical is how Fernando do Campo has described his coming home project for Mona Foma.
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Kookaburra Self Relocation Project (who is laughing jackass?) is one of the Mona Foma performances you'll be lucky to catch.
For just three shows only and in locations across the city, it will be hard to tell if there are really kookaburras laughing, or if it's the performance.
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- The performance explores kookaburras being introduced to Tasmania as part of nationalism, do Campo said.
"Jackass was the colloquial name for kookaburras when they were introduced to Tasmania, in the turn of the century as an arguably nationalistic moment," he said.
"The work is kind of saying like what if the kookaburra has some of its own agency in its own history, you know, would it want to go back to the mainland?"
The performance is a collaboration between do Campo, who is now based at the University of NSW, and an emerging local theatre company: IO Performance.
All of the performers first met on Thursday morning, and by the afternoon there was a well-rehearsed full dress run.
A total of nine performers will take part in the roaming performance, including two of do Campo's UNSW alumni, visual arts students from UTAS' Inveresk campus, and UTAS theatre graduates.
IO Performance co-artistic director Grace Roberts said the company likes doing things that are a little bit different.
"Our niche is doing a bit different things, because in Launceston there isn't really much of that except for when mofo comes or Junction," she said.
"But we kind of do it all year round a bit. We've discovered that it's not everyone's cup of tea."
Roberts and do Campo think the audiences will be a little shocked by the performance, but enjoy it.
The three shows will be held on Friday between 9.30 and 10.30 at around Royal Park, Seaport and Home Point. Saturday the performance will be at Harvest Launceston, the Brisbane Street Mall and Civic Square, from 9.30am and on Sunday from 11.30am until 12.30pm at Harvest Launceston and City Park.
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Journalist at The Examiner Newspaper
Journalist at The Examiner Newspaper
