FORMER Goulburn man Mark Churchill has just directed a play at NIDA.
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Mr Churchill directed a version of A Clockwork Orange, based on the book, as part of his studies in a Masters of Fine Arts in Directing at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA).
He said he chose A Clockwork Orange because he was interested in exploring masculine violence and its relationship to power through it.
“We did a loose adaptation of the first part of the book, rather than the film. It was abstract, but we tried to make it contemporary. They weren’t running around in cod pieces like in the film but in Adidas tracksuits, another guy was a punk - we were being playful with masculine sub-cultures throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.”
The play involved other former Goulburn men in Braydon May, who is studying his third year in performance at UOW and Josh Churchill, who is is studying A Diploma of Makeup at NIDA and who did the makeup for the show.
Prior to studying at NIDA, Mr Churchill graduated with a Bachelor of Performance at the UOW, where he received the inaugural Emerging Theatre Artist’s Award and the Merrigong Performance Prize.
“When I was at Wollongong, I started directing lots in my second year, so i became increasingly interested in directing,” Mr Churchill said.
“I took a show called Duet & Bogeyman to Singapore last year as part of the Asian Pacific Bureau Theatre Schools Festival in Singapore.”
Mr Churchill started his acting career at the Lieder Theatre in 2008, in a production of Macbeth.
“My mum had been involved since ’95, I think. So then one day Chrisjohn needed a young lad so I came along and really enjoyed it, so then I just kept doing more plays,” he said.
He also co-devised The Colour Play (2009), which toured independent theatre festivals overseas.
Mark said the Lieder laid good foundations for his career.
“The professional, hard-working atmosphere is a great stepping stone for anyone interested in the industry,” he said.
“The Lieder were very supportive and they pushed me - but treated me like an adult and the same was expected of me.”
Apart from theatre work, Mr Churchill has directed music videos for people including Daniel Trackell for Triple J unearthed.
“I am confident - this year has been grounding and humbling. I will follow opportunities as they arise,” he said.