Collaboration with Eric Kuhlmann 2011
Red Light Songs of Lust, Love and Death
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We meet, we root, we fall in love and then we die. And we make friends and create families along the way. Red Light Songs of Lust, Love and Death is a brutally funny exploration of sex, love, death and family featuring original songs plus old favourites from Tina Turner and Edith Piaf.
Eric Kuhlmann 2011 |
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Images: Ian Buckland
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AVAILABLE FOR TOURING!
"His songs are funny, he has wit and with that he will make you laugh till you cry, but toward the end, those tears will be for the tragedies of wasted lives – both which may have been saved. It’s definitely an adults-only production. It peels back the taboos around sex, drugs, love and, of course, death. It’s unmissable." Daniel G Taylor Stage Whispers "Feelings of lurid lust? Bring it on. Sex and drugs? It’s all out on the table. Tragic deaths? Not a problem. Eric Kuhlmann is a consummate storyteller, who unabashedly sings about all these things and more in a poetic, whimsical way. Throughout the set is a collection of witty and funny original songs with a few interesting interpretations of Tina Turner and Piaf numbers.
Looking pensive with a guitar, he professes his desire for his teacher, his classmate and hairy men. He also describes his colourful friends and wild escapades. The tone shifts when he shares the story of loss, when two of the closest people in his life get let down by the system and prejudice. Though unsentimental, he tells the heartbreaking tale with pain, frustration and quiet anger in his voice that stir that deep emotion. Woven into this, is a tender love story that brings a ray of light.
The distracting dance music beats from the outside during his monologues notwithstanding, Kuhlmann delivers a strong, memorable, and unexpectedly therapeutic performance. Highly recommended." Cabaret Confessions
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___ Eric's Notes
When I went on stage on 15 November 2011 to perform the opening night of Red Light Songs, it was the culmination of a 3 year obsession for me. The original idea for the show came in early 2009 when I needed something to perform in Perth for the Pride Festival there. So I came up with the name Red Light Songs of Lust, Love and Death, and sang 20 songs at Connections Nightclub in Perth. It was way too long and nobody came, but it was a fertile skeleton to build on for the following few years. By the time Stephen House saw the script in July 2011, there was a cohesive back story linking the songs together, but it was still way too long and it read like a short story rather than a script for performance. Stephen and I spent several months meeting for coffee on Rundle Street and talking about how to turn a moderately entertaining story in to a compelling piece of performance. Enter Michelle Outram. Michelle and I worked together way back in high school in the early 90s, on high school plays and with our folk punk band Chocolate Prong, along with our good mate David Kelleher. It was a fruitfull collaboration, one I tried to recreate with different people over the years that followed, never successfully. Working with Michelle again in 2011 was a joy. She brought a fresh perspective to the sometimes difficult content of Red Light Songs, and worked tirelessly to polish my story and delivery. Several long term fans have commented on the polished and professional quality to my performance in Red Light Songs, and this is largely due to Michelle's hard work. Michelle's Notes Eric and I go way back – probably to the back of Mr Coelli's maths class. We had a band called 'Chocolate Prong' and didn't know at the time how good we were and what a productive collaboration it was (in hindsight, not with nostalgia). Anyway, the end of high school took us all in different directions, but couldn't keep us apart forever! Everything has changed; nothing has changed. I am no longer the girl who didn't have the confidence to propose to the band that we also play my songs (which, again with hindsight was probably a good thing); Eric is still extraordinary. It is a privilege to have worked with Eric again and (as a woman) on this material rooted in the experience of a man. It was, for me, not about bringing a feminine presence to the work but rather an acknowledgement that making queer work does not have to be bound by common perceptions of sex, gender or sexuality. Working with Eric was exciting and fruitful. Given our long history we were able to work in very practical, dynamic and honest ways. We physically trained; we did a lot of script work; we cut favourite text and songs; and we worked hard on developing Eric's presence and relationship with the audience through a series of specially developed exercises. It is always satisfying seeing a work come together and even more satisfying when a work continues to grow and move the people who know it best. Additional Information & Selected Collaborations Collaborative Practice Collaboration with Manuel Vason Collaboration with Platform 27 _ |