The experience of migration
"We began to explore the image of the boastful rooster as a hero, which in turn led us into questions of journeying, migration and the status of claims to the ownership of animals, objects and ideas."
So why is the chicken still crossing the sea? The Konstantin Projekt draws on Eastern European folk music, fairytale, art and storytelling traditions to offer new perspectives on the intertwined history of chickens and people – the experience of migration from a woman’s (and a chicken’s) point of view.
Konstantin: Grandmother’s Tongue is a multicultural, multidisciplinary, slyly political and highly creative performance piece about chickens and human migration, set to take the Loft Theatre stage at Chapel off Chapel from June 23-25.
The work explores themes of heroism and displacement, drawing on Slavic folk traditions. Grandmother Babcia and her hen Kazia are in quest of the truth about the hero Konstantin, the loudest rooster in Poland. Where did he come from – and where is he now when we need him?
The 70-minute production reveals the hidden intertwined histories of chickens and people through the ages, challenging us to stay hopeful through disaster and uncertainty.
Konstantin: Grandmother’s Tongue is the third stage of The Konstantin Projekt, which began before the pandemic with workshops on chicken history, puppetry and animation, and continued to develop throughout the lockdowns.
A live concert in 2022 has now transformed into a full musical theatre experience with a dynamic crew from diverse cultural backgrounds and creative disciplines.
Five years in the making, the production is helmed by writer and performer Alison Richards, Bosnian-Australian composer and musical director Nela Trifkovic, and Polish-born visual dramaturg and designer Dagmara Gieysztor, with images and animations by Abstract Productions.
Richards has been a champion of social inclusion, creative collaboration, and community-centred performance art throughout her 50-year career as a theatre maker, writer, performer, teacher, and researcher. Her passion has taken her across the globe and around Australia, giving touring performances and workshops in regional and remote areas. Having worked with professionals, young people and community participants across performance disciplines and cultures, she’s generated over 50 different original works for performance.
Richard’s fascination with fairy tales and the way difficult questions are addressed in folk traditions, particularly in the Slavic world, provided a plethora of inspiration for this production.
“The difficult questions we wanted to deal with include overproduction, war, intolerance, climate change, the refugee crisis and the legacy of humanism at the advent of the Anthropocene – just a few small issues,” Richards reflected.
“We began to explore the image of the boastful rooster as a hero, which in turn led us into questions of journeying, migration and the status of claims to the ownership of animals, objects and ideas. For me as writer and performer, every rehearsal and performance, each creative conversation and exploration on the floor brings promises of new insights.”
Richards hopes that audiences leave the production bursting to share their stories with each other.
“We hope they walk away with some reawakened cultural memories, fresh perspectives and new questions about their place in the world. And of course, with a few tunes and images they can’t get out of their heads!” Richards expressed.
Tickets can be found at chapeloffchapel.com.au/show/konstantin-grandmothers-tongue/
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