The Open Lid Ensemble is a brave new physical theatre troupe, breaking onto the Perth theatre scene with their debut performance Halina. Inspired by the methodologies of Japanese theatre styles and the foundations of Lecoq’s signature ‘clown’, the Open Lid Ensemble is an amalgamation of Curtin University Performance Studies graduates who have come together with the plight to tell visceral and universal stories through the body. Ensemble member and fringe regular Ann-Marie Biagioni notes that OLE aim to reconnect a contemporary audience to the joy, terror, excitement and collectiveness of the human experience. 'And what better way is there to do that then with body language!' She adds.

Halina is a rough-and-tumble physical exploration of the balance between rigidity and fluidity, clay and stone. “Halina explores how hard it can be to cope with change. Just when you think you’ve finally got yourself together, life throws another spanner in the works! So what contributes to your decisions in these situations? How does your flexibility or rigidity affect your ability to cope?” says Katherine Shaw, another member of the all-female ensemble. “While we’re exploring this from the point of view of a 20-something woman, the story really is a universal one and something we think everyone will connect with.”

Halina is an entertainingly wild frolic through alternate universes - some recognisable and some summoned from the depths of the imagination. But as we travel with Halina and her posse of loveable (and sometimes terrifying) misfits we delve deeper. How does a young woman break the moulds and expectations perpetuated upon her by popular culture? And when your world turns upside down how do you cope and recover your mental health?

Season Information
Date Wednesday 27 January to Sunday 31 January 2016
Venue The Laneway Lounge, 414A Murray Street, Perth 
Time 7pmTickets $15-$25
Bookings www.fringeworld.com.au
Contact Katherine Shaw M: 0458 946 065 E:katshaw65@gmail.com