Fat Fruit’s Sarah Ward Discusses the Creativity and Collaboration Behind The Rainbow Tree
Fat Fruit’s Bec Matthews and Sarah Ward (photo by Alexis Desaulniers)
“There’s something very fresh, magical and unapologetic about a child's approach to art.”
Ahead of their Sydney WorldPride show The Rainbow Tree, we had a chat with Fat Fruit’s Sarah Ward about what it was like developing a show with kids for kids (and during a lockdown no less). We talked about creativity, collaboration and the beautifully unique minds of children.
Hannah: Hello, my name is Hannah and I’m the Communications Manager at Darlinghurst Theatre Company. I’m super excited to have The Rainbow Tree by Fat Fruit as part of DTC’s Sydney WorldPride Program. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Fat Fruit, particularly about your approach to developing work that is unapologetically feminist, queer and boundary-pushing. What was the inspiration behind developing a kids show?
Sarah: Lots of Fat Fruit’s regular audiences have children, and they wanted to share our particular brand of mischief and politics with their children. Also we find the way children's minds work is radical. We knew we wanted to develop a work with children and adapt their words, ideas and style of talking into a show for children. There’s something very fresh, magical and unapologetic about a child's approach to art.
The Rainbow Tree (photo by Sarah Walker)
Hannah: You developed The Rainbow Tree with seven kids from Rainbow families. Did you come across any unique challenges working with children (compared to when you collaborate with just the two of you, or with a group of adults)?
Sarah: I don’t remember any challenges because everything they offered us was an opportunity. I think obstacles and challenges occur with children if you try to squeeze their self-expression into an adult mode of collaborating. It means we needed to listen to everything they said intently, then explore a shared area of interest. Of course collaborating online during the lockdown over screen was a challenge, as developing trust through a screen is difficult, but we managed to enjoy playing in our imaginations over our collaborative writing sessions. It allowed us an opportunity to escape.
Hannah: Conversely, was there anything special you learnt from working with children? I know for me personally, some of the funniest stories I have come from my conversations with kids. They haven’t yet developed the filter that stops adults from living authentically, so most kids are refreshingly honest in the best way.
Sarah: Most children in our society are free to be curious about things. Time is different when you’re young, days are longer, the school holidays feels like five years. Children have the time to investigate things, like the feel of a leaf or the sound a vacuum cleaner pipe makes when you blow into it or what peanut butter and lettuce taste like together…(yum by the way). There’s detail in their imagined worlds. Also, children are teaching adults now about things like gender expression and gender exploration. They are developing a new language and a new world which is a lot safer, kinder and more open for those who are non-binary, gender fluid, trans and queer.
The Rainbow Tree features musical storytelling that explores connection and family (photo by Alexis Desaulniers)
Hannah: What can we expect from this show? I know it has some musical numbers, and what looks like a few crazy characters!
Sarah: This show is basically a gorgeous little cabaret with songs and stories written by children with beautiful moving images by Jolyon James and animations of the children with their own voices. Aunty Bear and ZaZa are the performers. They are musicians and Aunties who take us through a journey of trying to understand what and where The Rainbow Tree is. In the end we discover that it’s a beautiful place where anything is possible and everyone is welcome. It becomes a metaphor for families… All families are unique, different and important.
Hannah: And finally, What are you excited to check out while you're in town for Sydney WorldPride?
Sarah: Betty Grumble’s 24 Hour Grumble Boogie and Blessed Union. Sadly, we’re only in Sydney for the week we’re performing, but honestly, there’s so much to choose from…what a program. Get on it Sydney!
The Rainbow Tree plays at Darlinghurst Theatre Company as part of Sydney WorldPride from 18 to 19 February.
Photo by Sarah Walker