PETE REID and TAR PIT PROJECTS
~ POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE OF THE WORLD ~
'Postcards from the edge which raise hell in a hand!'
One man and his entourage recount and recreate their trials in facing the edge of the world. An intimate, epic and existential performance utilizing storytelling, projected animation and live music to convey a journey to the heart of the abyss. On the way, expect to witness the trials of a boy stuck in a well, a cannibalizing shipwrecked sailor, and an alcoholic pyrotechnics expert on an ill planned mission of revenge. Expect to learn that when we stare into the abyss we must face the abyss within ourselves, and that the edge of the world is found both very near and very far, both within and without.
Postcards... is the sibling project of Songs From The Edge Of The World, and was first developed and performed in 2011, with support from the Jump mentorship program and Mikelangelo (The Black Sea Gentlemen) as the project mentor. It was performed in a Melbourne shed, an East London warehouse, and then had a full season in Edinburgh festival at Underbelly. Since late 2012, the project has been undergoing a process of being rewritten and redeveloped, in collaboration with performance maker Ahmanya Price, musician Jeremy Parker, artist Catherine Scobie and MKA Theatre Of New Writing.
The 2011 Team
Writer, Maker and Performer - Pete Reid
Project Mentor - Mikelangelo
Director - David Pidd
Lighting Design - Nick Wollan
Sound Design - Alister Mews
Additional Soundtrack - Kirri Buchler
Co Maker of Props - Maya Sollier
Writing Dramaturge and performance feedback - Nick Bendal
Photo by Max Milne Photography, 2011
‘Reid invests his whole show with an air of resonant quality. Whether speaking, singing or acting in character, he's a classy performer whose deep, rich voice and world-weary expressions you'll carry for a long time afterwards.’ The Scotsman
'The stories had the grandeur, larger-than-life-likeness, and absurdity of fairytales....
One of the things I enjoyed about Pete’s performance, from which comedians could learn, was how much he trusted his audience. He confidently gave his best, and just as confidently expected people to meet him halfway. The manner in which he did this showed respect for the audience’s intelligence and imagination...
I am so glad I had the opportunity to see Postcards from the Edge of the World. I look forward to seeing more from Pete Reid'
Katherine Phelps (AUS)
'Reid has the voice, the charisma and theatricality for telling tales. But his stories might more accurately be regarded as fragments, brief glimpses of people on the edge – of the world, of sanity, of emotion. Reid inhabits each character, tweaking his clothing, voice and facial expressions to suit. Leaping about the stage, teetering on a wooden pallet or cowering on the floor... determined to drag his audience to the same extremes as his characters... Reid is gifted with a rich, sonorous voice, and the songs are haunting and melancholy. It is easy to believe the singer has been to the ends of the world and back...
With elements of comedy, theatre, storytelling, cabaret, live music and puppetry, this is a wee gem of a show for anyone wanting something a bit different'
Edinburgh Spotlight (UK)