A FERKNERKLE HISTORY

In 1991 actor/writer/director Malcolm Frawley initiated a fortnightly improvisation workshop involving a variety of other actors and writers (including still current regulars Brett Danalake and Chris Galletti). The aim was to meet regularly and develop and hone impro skills and to possibly develop and workshop scripts. The unnamed group worked in studios at Ultimo, Newtown, Annandale and Glebe before moving, in 2002, to the studios of Action Acting in Rozelle.

During the period at Glebe, in the Greek Street premises of Keane Kids and Gala Studios, Malcolm converted one of the studios into an in-the-round theatre in which student showcases could be performed. As Drama Co-ordinator of the Studios, Malcolm enjoyed unlimited access to an affordable performing space and the impro group metamorphosed into Ferknerkle Productions - a co-operative theatre group.

In September 1998 two new Australian short plays – Right Place, Wrong Time and Simon Says - were premiered by the newly-formed co-op. Over the next three and a half years the company mounted more than two dozen productions in the space at Glebe, most of which were world premieres of new Australian work written by (or for) members of the group.

“New” writers Brett Danalake, Jean Dixon, Darren James and Claire Gandy all seized the opportunity to have their first plays (and more) professionally produced. Peter Fleming, an experienced playwright and close associate of the group, also wrote two plays specifically for the Greek Street venue.

All productions were cast from within the Company where possible but outside actors were often employed. Core company members enjoyed a tremendous variety of roles during this period, delighting regular audiences with the range of characters portrayed. Brett Danalake, Claire Gandy and Fairlie Adams-Hamilton also mounted their first productions as fledgling directors.

Ferknerkle also committed itself to an ongoing mentorship scheme, through which Malcolm introduced promising young actors from his Keane Kids teen classes to the group, initially operating lighting and/or sound. Ellie Saffron, Katrina Harrison, Olivia Solomons, Kim Blumenthal and Jade Muratore all enjoyed their first experiences in professional theatre at age 15. Eventually, Ellie, Katrina, Olivia and Kim were awarded the invaluable opportunity of performing in plays with seasoned professionals. Jade later composed the musical score for our short film See Of Love.

In early 2002 the Greek Street premises were sold and both Keane Kids and Ferknerkle productions were forced to vacate. At this point the regular (new shows, and usually new plays, every six weeks!) performances came to a grinding halt. Only one production was staged that year, a revival of Famous Last Words (written and directed by Mal) coupled with a series of structured improvisations entitled Ferking About at Studio 1 in Uni of NSW.

In 2003 two more revivals were successfully staged at the Cat And Fiddle Hotel – King Of The Castle and Speaking Of Nothing (both written and directed by Brett).

In 2004 we entered Newtown Theatre’s Short & Sweet Festival with the specially-written (by Mal) Previously On.

2005 saw two new pieces at Short & Sweet – It’s Not You (by Brett and company associate Iain Triffitt) and Single Selfish Act (by Mal).

Remember This by Iain and Brett was our 2006 Short & Sweet entry. They had a second play – Faithless – also in competition.

In August 2006 we staged our first ever fund raiser, a fabulously successful trivia Night held at Gladesville R.S.L. Club. We attracted 120 supporters and raised nearly $2,500 during a great night’s entertainment.

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In December 2006 Brett directed Mal’s play A Delicate Egg in our triumphant return to the professional theatre. Zoe Carides starred in this entrant in Darlinghurst Theatre’s In The Raw season.

In 2007 Brett and Iain again provided our Short & Sweet words, through their outrageous comedy The Entrée Was Death for which we were selected Best Independent Theatre Company.

We are currently in negotiation with Newtown Theatre to stage a season of Mal’s play Sniper later on in 2007.

And we are also in the planning stages for our next fund raiser.

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Several members of the Company are also film-makers (Chris Weekes, Malcolm Frawley, Brett Danalake, Ken James) and a variety of short films have been made under the auspices of the group (Beautiful, Room Mates, Dead Rite, the treatment, Perfect Match, Breakfast In Bed, Loser Takes All, See Of Love, No Accounting [directed by company associate J. D. Cohen]).

Chris Weekes’ first feature film (currently untitled), which stars Noni Hazlehurst, Leanna Walsmann, Gary Sweet, Matt Newtown and Rhys Muldoon, was recently picked up for distribution by Icon productions.

In 2005 we shot three short films – Stay Awhile (written & directed by Mal and produced by Olivia [who has come a long way since being a 15 year old a.s.m.), Therapy (written and directed by Mal and produced by Olivia) and Whatever It Takes (written by Mal, produced and directed by Brett and Mal).

We are now in pre-production for our most ambitious short – a 20 minute mockumentary entitled Love Your Work written by Mal and to be directed by company associate Chris Panagis.

The improvisation workshop has now entered its 16^th year! Our current group consists of Malcolm Frawley, Brett Danalake, Chris Galletti, Olivia Solomons, Ken James, Chris Weekes, Phillippa Iemma, Maria Latrofa, Max Brown, Gina Pollock, Jakki Delmege, Fran Bickmore and Aaron Noakes.

While the Ferksters are yet to attract significant media attention there is little doubt that they are amongst the most creative and prolific performing arts practitioners in the country. Or is there another group that has staged twenty-eight theatrical productions (including over twenty world premieres of new Australian work), and shot a dozen short films, using only money it has raised itself, in under nine years?