Get ready to step back in time and reminisce about browsing the isles of your local video store, as Thirroul's Leading Edge video is brought back to life on the Wollongong stage this July.
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Coil is not just an ode to the last standing video rental store in the Illawarra, but an ode to every video store that ever existed and is now no more.
"Audiences will really vibe with [it], because it's about the loss of spaces, it's about the loss of those sorts of cultural lifelines ... that makes you feel connected to the world," said Steve Wilson-Alexander.
He said it would especially hit home for regional audiences where connection with popular culture through film - even if it was a terrible B-grade movie off the bargain rack - they kept people "in touch" with the world around them.
Wilson-Alexander co-wrote the play and stars in it, and said it was "wild" he and the re:group performance collective were getting to tour their masterpiece around Australia.
The play itself mixes film and theatre, as a group of video store employees make a movie inside their shop live on stage.
In formulating and scripting the Coil, the collective consulted former owners of Leading Edge Video Thirroul, John and Marion Wallace, to be able to reflect upon the joys, perils and pitfalls of nostalgia, and how to grapple with goodbyes.
Wilson-Alexander grew up in the northern suburbs of Wollongong was a regular at the long-standing store on Lawrence Hargrave Drive, noting he does miss going in for "a wander".
"There were lots of times where I went in and didn't really pick anything or I would be doing the three weeklies for the $10 bargain and I would pick the first two in about three minutes and then the last movie would take me half an hour," he said.
Even if he left the store empty-handed, he said he still felt fulfilled having gone on an outing, as opposed to being "frustrated" when unable to find a movie to watch via a streaming service.
Coil is at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, July 26 to 29. A post show Q&A will be on July 27.
It's inspired by the highs and lows of pop culture and the near-to-home closure of Leading Edge video store in Thirroul. Re:group mash theatre and movie-making together to create something immersive, irreverent, and inherently live.
Running time is around one hour, no interval, and suitable for ages 10 and up. Tickets are through, www.merrigong.com.au.
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Desiree Savage
At the helm of Australia's premier publication for people aged over 55, covering hard hitting issues, travel, lifestyle and entertainment. Got a hot tip? Email me - edit@TheSenior.com.au
At the helm of Australia's premier publication for people aged over 55, covering hard hitting issues, travel, lifestyle and entertainment. Got a hot tip? Email me - edit@TheSenior.com.au
