For many of those who follow historical Greek mythologies, the story of Medea is one of the greatest tragedies. While there are multiple renditions of the story, the key elements are clear: the love between the titular sorceress and the brave hero, the challenges they faced to obtain the Golden Fleece, and the former’s abandonment leading to despair and revenge… and in many stories, her opting to take the lives of her children. In a unique take on this story of the ages, writers Kate Mulvany and Anne-Louise Sarks crafted an 80-minute tale revolving around the young boys, in a fresh modern locale, as they are somewhat isolated from the events outside until the deed is done.
Being presented as part of Queensland Theatre’s 2024 Season, it proved to be a unique telling of the tragedy through the lens of children, and very much captivating. The Brisbane-exclusive season features Helen Cassidy in the titular role, with two sets of Brisbane youth – Jeremiah Rees and Edward Hill (Aka. The Hercules Cast) and Orlando Dunn-Mura and Felix Pearn (Aka. The Cornelius Cast) in the roles of Medea’s children, Leon and Jasper. For more, check out my full review of Queensland Theatre’s Medea.
A fixture of the Brisbane (and Australian) theatrical scene for decades now, if you have seen more than a couple of performances on stages in the state, you would have likely encountered her performing – from a range of Queensland Theatre productions including Family Values, As You Like It and, Boston Marriage, working with other Queensland theatrical companies including in shake & stir theatre co’s Tae Tae in the Land of YAAAS! and Fourteen, Woodward Productions’ The Mystery of the Valkyrie and so many more.
Among their undoubtedly busy schedule of performing in Medea daily from Monday through Saturday, we are greatly thankful to have the opportunity to speak with Helen Cassidy about their insights into their work on and impressions of Medea, their experience working with some of Queensland Theatre’s youngest ever actors, and their insights for those looking to enter the industry themselves.
Medea opened last week (as of writing) and you are now several performances into the production’s run. How have you been finding the experience so far, both on-stage and during your rehearsal period?
Working on Medea has been one of the most unique and memorable projects of my career. We have two different casts of young artists, which means there is never a dull moment, and I got to rehearse everything twice over (usually in the same day) which was quite luxurious as I never felt rushed!
The actual role of Medea requires a huge emotional investment. Although she only has three entrances in this adaptation, I need to bring the mythos of Euripides’ Medea through the door with me each time. It’s definitely taxing in a different way to other roles, so I’m resting a lot off stage and looking for fun, joy-filled activities.
As the only adult member of Medea’s cast, what have been some of the highlights and/or unique experiences in working with the four young Queensland artists sharing the role of Leon and Jasper?
There is so much energy in the room! We have had a lot of fun playing games in rehearsals — Grandma’s Footsteps was a favourite — and at one point we even had a huge Nerf Gun battle! The boys are obviously not allowed to work as long and hard as adult actors, so I’ve been enjoying the reduced hours and extra break time.
Having performed alongside both the Hercules and Cornelius casts, have you noticed any differences in the dynamics between the two actors, or between yourself and each pair, which may provide a slightly different experience for patrons wishing to see both casts?
Absolutely! There is a huge difference between the two casts. Our incredible director Daniel Evans is so gifted in working with young people. He nurtured such a sense of play and freedom in the rehearsal room that the shows are built around the dynamics of those casts, so the delivery, the tone, the humour, and blocking can be quite different.
I will say that for me personally, Medea’s back story and her love for her sons does not change, so I always come on ready to go with the flow of whichever cast I’m working with. We have some subscribers and audience members coming back to see the alternate cast for this very reason.
You are playing the titular character, who while only appearing a few times on-stage, is a main driver of the narrative’s progression. Historically she has been perceived in a number of different lights – a victim of circumstance, someone pushed to their breaking point mentally, a villain. What are your impressions of your character in the context of this production against a modern backdrop, and what do you hope audience members will leave thinking about her and the tale itself?
Kate Mulvany and Anne-Louise Sarks’ brilliant adaptation of Medea presents her as softer and more loving than the Medea of our classic lore. Here we meet Medea the Mother, and witness first hand her deep love for her sons, who are her world. She is still heartbroken, enraged, and desperate. Her entire world is still collapsing, she’s about to have her children removed from her care and be exiled from the country; however, she masks all this emotion from her children, as parents are often forced to do.
Within this tumult and emotional free-fall, we see a cornered woman, facing a ticking clock, who believes she has no way out and makes her final move by taking ultimate control of the situation. We hope audiences leave thinking about the tragic victims of these crimes of passion around the country today. That all too often behind the closed walls of suburbia there are great mythic tragedies taking place. Why do we miss them and how can we stop them?
Having watched you perform last Saturday afternoon (specifically, the performance this review was written about), you were so emotive, so switched on in the role of Medea. Is there any process you have to get yourself into the headspace of the character / filling her shoes so to speak.
It’s my job to bring the myth of Medea through the door when I enter. To bring those massive stakes in with me definitely requires a great deal of focus and prep backstage. I have a private darkened space (separate from my dressing room) which is filled with stimulus material. I use visual aids, backstory, pictures, read passages and monologues. However the greatest help is music, I use an aural soundscape that really helps me enter with the right vibration.
One of the many aspects of the production which stood out to me was the staging, with the bedroom set being closed off from the audience by the two glass walls. To me it was technologically impressive in a multitude of ways, but what is the set of Medea like to perform on when you are in that room?
It was so bizarre and thrilling to finally enter that space in tech week! It’s surprisingly soundproof, so you really can’t hear what’s happening outside; which means we lose some connection to the audience’s reactions. We can’t feel their breathing and hear their gasps and micro-reactions, so we relied on Dan Evans to feedback what was working.
Working behind glass of course means we are all mic-ed and don’t need to project. Not only does this mean it feels more like a film set, but it also allows us to work with real subtlety and different vocal energies.
You have a rich history of working with Queensland Theatre on a number of their productions (based on the Medea program alone, I count at least 15 including Medea), in addition to a range of other companies based in Queensland. What is your perception of the Queensland theatre landscape over the years?
This is a great question! You do feel the landscape ebb and flow over the years. But our community remains passionate and supportive. I think it’s simply easier to create and stage work within the city of Brisbane due to our lifestyle. This means as a performer, you can gain more experience than artists in the southern states.
I’d argue this is the same with circus and physical theatre companies which is why we’ve been able to nurture independent companies like Shake & Stir, Dead Puppet’s Society, Little Red, Circa and Briefs into major national and international touring companies. Hopefully the cost-of-living crisis will start to ease soon because it really takes a toll on the Arts sector.
What specific advice would you give to aspiring performers looking to follow in your footsteps and pursue a career in the performing arts?
Be tenacious, never stop training, never stop networking and meeting people, work and train across genres, try to travel and see work nationally and internationally. If you can land a job touring to schools, take it, it’s the best training ground for theatre.
As someone with many, many years of experience performing on the stage, what do you love most about the industry, and what has kept you performing for so long?
I love the people! I love the process of collaborating and making new work. I love playing a small part of weaving a new thread into the cultural fabric of our society. I love waiting in the wings as a hush descends on the audience as they anticipate being transported and moved by good storytelling
I would like to once again pass on my sincerest thanks and gratitude to Helen Cassidy for taking the time to share their insight into this production, this work and the Queensland performing arts industry more broadly. I wish them all the best for the remainder of the season, and everything which follows. I would also like to pass on my thanks to Queensland Theatre and the publicity team at IVY PR for facilitating this opportunity.
Have you read this interview, or my review of Medea and find yourself wanting to see it for yourself? There is still time, with the season running until 8 June 2024! Medea is being performed at Queensland Theatre’s Billie Brown Theatre six days / eight shows per week. For more information and to book tickets, visit the Queensland Theatre website.
