Sunbury’s BoilOver taking ‘BUOY’ to St Albans

Sarah is part of the cast for Sunbury BoilOver's new show, 'BUOY'. (Damjan Janevski) 281755_01

Sunbury-based inclusive physical theatre company BoilOver is ecstatic to finally perform its production BUOY after two pandemic years.

Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health’s (SCCH) BoilOver has collaborated with Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology’s SensiLab, disability-led arts organisation Your DNA and physical theatre company 5AngryMen to bring the show alive.

The group is taking the show to the Bowery Theatre in St Albans on Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4, thanks to funding from Regional Arts Victoria and Brimbank Council.

“Our aim is to push the boundaries, challenge perceptions and raise the bar on what artists with diverse abilities can achieve,” BoilOver’s creative producer Carmen Maddison said.

“In this production, the combination of high-tech audio visuals and aerial stunts featuring performers with a disability is something that hasn’t been done before in the Bowery Theatre and we’re really excited to be able to bring this to the Brimbank community and beyond,” she said.

For 13 years, BoilOver has given disabled artists the opportunity to explore their skills and creativity in the theatre, led by arts industry professionals.

The internationally acclaimed 5AngryMen – a group of performers, theatre makers, riggers and disability support workers – choreographed the incredible aerial components of the show, helping the cast push through physical and emotional comfort zones.

SensiLab tailored the technology to the needs of BoilOver’s artists, including AirSticks, which look like drumsticks but convert movement into sound, making music creation more accessible to people with disability.

Ms Madison said BUOY takes the audience deep sea diving “within an oceanic dream where things are not all they seem”.

“BUOY is a physical, bold, and visually striking contemporary performance where we explore stories of what separates us and what keeps us connected,” Ms Madison said.

Elsie Lange