charlatan clinic presents 'The Artefact Project'

The Artefact Project is a compilation of three short plays, Phobia, Pause and Pie that is based on the lives of two characters, Richard and Ruby, and explores the dynamics of friendship through life’s challenges.

Phobia - Set in Singapore in 2003, is based on the friendship between Ruby and Richard in their late twenties that has been of a platonic nature for some years. It challenges relationship boundaries between a man and a woman, and brings underlying elements to the surface. Some people simply do not want to commit; it’s their phobia.

Pause - Ruby and Richard meet in Sydney in 2010 for a long weekend. Ruby has her two-year-old son with her. Ruby questions Richard’s life direction. People pause and think about what they want out of life regularly; pausing creates procrastination.

Pie - Ruby and Richard meet in London in 2017 to discuss the reality of her becoming a grandmother for the first time and her resistance to growing old. Ruby makes the revelation that her Elliot has been drugging her for the past few years, and is forced to eat humble pie through self-realisation.

Phobia was first performed as a play reading by James Jennings (Richard) and Melissa Fergusson (Ruby) at Uptown Trust community arts event, called Six Plinth, at Myers Park, Auckland CBD, New Zealand in April 2011 to a captured audience. It was then performed by Jerry Beale (Richard) and Angeline Andrews (Ruby) at the official launch of charlatan clinic on 21st May 2011 at Satellite Gallery, Newton, Auckland, New Zealand.

Phobia was well received by audiences and fostered the creation of Pause and Pie. Together they form The Artefact Project, with a performance debut at Letham Gallery in Ponsonby, Auckland on August 26th, September 2nd and 9th, 2011. The Artefact Project is presented by charlatan clinic and features Benjamin Murray as Richard and Kahurangi Carter as Ruby, under the leadership of Artistic Director and Playwright Melissa Fergusson.

Event listed by charlatan_clinic

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