Produced by Asking for Trouble & Critical Stages
Created & Performed by Christy Flaws and Luke O’Connor
Technician / Stage Manager Brendan Jellie
The Bottle Collector is a thrilling combination of circus/physical theatre and object-based puppetry where a collection of bottles provides impetus to share poetic images, remarkable physicality and stories of humanity.
The show has been inspired by observing children and their collections, their delight in arranging coins or buttons, capturing small creatures and gathering pockets full of shells.
Bottle Collector involves two characters one with their valuable case of precious bottles and another character whose collections at first seem a lot like rubbish. A gentle commentary on how we value things with a price tag and a musing that perhaps there is more joy and beauty to be found in unexpected places than we realise.
Award-winning Clunes based physical theatre company Asking for Trouble presents their new show for families, be astounded as they pull messages out of bottles and create stories out of thin air using a teaspoon of magic, a pinch of puppetry and a daring dollop of circus tricks.
Touring in 2021
Tour dates to be announced soon!
Artform
Theatre for Children & Families, Physical Theatre, Visual Theatre
Audience
Ideally suited for ages 3- 10
Duration
50 minutes + Q & A 10 minutes
Minimum Stage
Minimum 4M x 3M x 3.5M performance space. Height negotiable, can do abbreviated version of show for lower ceilings.
Previous Seasons
Premiered Clunes Neighbourhood House, 2018
Smeaton – Andersons Mill, Regional Centre for Culture
Regional Arts Victoria Arts & Education on the Road tour, 2018 to 9 schools and venues within regional Victoria
What people are saying
‘Best Kids Event Nomination’, Melbourne Fringe 2018
Responses to the 2018 Bottle Collector Tour:
“I love how they are so friendly and are not afraid to share their personal stories with us and I likes they asked us if we had questions. You guys are the best.” Bottle Collector tour 2018
“Our students and teachers loved this performance. We also had Asking for Trouble last year and our teachers have said they would love to have them back year after year. This show was especially well received for being accessible to all of our students including ESL and hearing impaired students who often do not get the full experience of a performance due to language/hearing barriers.” Bottle Collector our 2018
“These guys are incredibly creative and ingenious in their application of circus skills. We laughed our heads off and when there was silence you could have heard a pin drop. Their connection to each other and to the audience is powerful! Their attention to detail is mind blowing.” Bottle Collector tour 2018
2021 Tour Dates
29 June
Horsham Town Hall
30 June
Elmore Memorial Hall
1 July
Heathcote RSL Hall
2 July
Bendigo Bank Theatre
5 July
Shirley Burke Theatre, Kingston
12 October
Ararat Town Hall
14 – 15 October
Portland Arts Centre
Good to Know
- Perfectly suited for Families, Children (in particular 3-10 year olds) who enjoy collecting objects and creating imaginary worlds, as well as any circus and contemporary clown audiences.
- Parents interested in encouraging imaginative non screen/ technology based play.
- FoRT is visual/physical theatre and is ideal for non English speaking communities.
- We are also interested in opportunities to pair tours of this show with Asking for Trouble’s previous works such as FORT, as well as residencies for the company permitting either repeat or longer stays in your town or community
Community Engagement
Workshops
Both Luke and Christy are exceptional workshop facilitators with over 12 years experience each. They can tailor workshops to suit a large range of participants including:
– Primary aged students
– Secondary aged students
– PD’s for teachers, artists and social workers who work with youth
– Master classes for professional performers.
Workshop content can focus on Circus Skills Development, Physical Movement for non-dancers, Devising, Physical Theatre, Improvisation and Clowning.
Additional resources and activities
There is an education kit available for teachers.
Post-show Q&As can be arranged on request.
Community Responses
” Wow, wow and wow! Asking For Trouble have done it again & we are VERY lucky to have such brilliant performers in Clunes. Brilliant costumes, whimsical & humorous performances and magical soundscape; all this plus heart stopping acrobatics.” Clunes Neighbourhood House
“Wasn’t it extraordinary? That said, I confess I am coming to expect excellence from those amazing and creative folk. ” Jacqueline
“You were MESMERIZING at Smeaton today!! Your Bottle Collection was fabulous & we all thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with you. Thank you for a wonderful Mother’s Day…. and your workshop Saturday arvo teaching us how to juggle (forklift style) & balance feathers!’ Amanda
TEACHER RESPONSES
“Our students and teachers loved this performance. We also had Asking for Trouble last year and our teachers have said they would love to have them back year after year. This show was especially well received for being accessible to all of our students including ESL and hearing impaired students, who often do not get the full experience of a performance due to language/hearing barriers.”
” The children were fascinated with the way in which the performers carried out the acrobatic nature of the performance. Parents have stated that their children went home that night talking about the performance and some even wanted to have their families help demonstrate how the movements where done.”
“These guys are incredibly creative and ingenious in their application of circus skills. We laughed our heads off and when the silence was there you could have heard a pin drop. Their connection to each other and to the audience is powerful! Their attention to detail is mind blowing.”
” It’s so nice for our remote kids to access such high quality drama with an achievable cost – for most it is the only performance they see all year! Thanks!”
The Bottle Collector is supported by the Russell Mills Foundation, the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative, and the Australia Council for the Arts, the arts funding and advisory body of the Australian Government.
