Five minutes with Director, Jason Langley.
Name and Role: Jason Langley – Director.
Plug your show! Incredible mindfuck of a play, amazing writing with an awesome twist, hot actor, brilliant creative team, hot-ticket venue in the hub of the fringe, Here Lies Henry will give you bang for your buck! We promise you that this is the one to see.
Where did the idea for your show come from? Initially the idea was conceived from the brilliant mind of Canadian playwright Daniel McIvor. The idea to present it at this year's Sydney Fringe began evolving 12 years ago when I saw Daniel MacIvor performing his own play Monster, which completely blew my mind. So I devoured as much of his writing as I could find. Flash forward to 2011. I was working in a play alongside actor Matthew Hyde, who, while rehearsing a scene, managed to knock me out cold. That incident blossomed into a friendship and while watching a one-person play that we both agreed was fairly ordinary, I suggested Matt read a much better monologue play that had been stuck in my heart and mind for 12 years.
What have the past few months or so been like in the lead-up to Fringe? A mad and delicious whirlwind of acquiring rights, finding a producer, courting venues, creating an eye-catching image, forming TurnAround Productions, launching TurnAround Productions with a fundraiser, filming a promo video, finding a top production team, starting rehearsals and launching a crowdfunding campaign (check it out too and if you can throw us some dollars we'll shower you with sexy love and rewards – http://pozible.com/tap).
What inspires you artistically? Innovative and inspired storytelling, no matter what the genre.
What the most cringe-worthy thing you've seen on stage? There's been a few, but cringe-worthy is a completely subjective notion so it's unfair to say.
What other shows are you looking forward to at this year's Fringe? Grimm Tales, Sleeping Kingdom Waking Beauty, Don't Tell The Women, Dogs Barking, Pearls Before Swine, Vanessa Raspa and the Zombie Cats.
What excites you about being involved in the Sydney Fringe 2012? Being part of an incredible community gagging to unleash their stories on the world.
WHEN & WHERE: Monday 17 to Sunday 23 September, New Theatre