Exit stage right

The outgoing artistic director of State Theatre Company of South Australia plans not to set foot in a theatre for at least a few months

Geordie Brookman on stage at the Dunstan Playhouse, Festival Centre. Picture Matt Turner

Animal Farm, on tour this month, is your final production at STCSA. How do you reflect on your seven years there?

The time has really gone in a flash. It has been thrilling, challenging, deeply satisfying and just a bloody great honour. In simplest terms I hope I leave the company in good shape, connected to its community and confident in its ability to create extraordinary theatre. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in new work, gender equity, diversity, national and international touring, and of the wonderful team at the company itself. I think the most satisfying thing has been being part of the journey of a number of incredible artists including Nescha Jelk, Elena Carapetis, Geoff Cobham, Sue Smith, Miranda Daughtry, Chris Petridis, Imara Savage and many others. You can’t separate those personal journeys from the satisfaction of seeing great work reach the stage.

You’ve had your share of triumphs and challenges — arguably The Kreutzer Sonata was an example of both, when Barry Otto pulled out at the 11th hour and you successfully restaged with a new actor. How have those experiences changed you as a director and a leader?

It really was a baptism of fire … I think it has given me the gift of patience and theknowledge that an artist’s journey and indeed the audience’s journey is shaped over the course of many experiences, many productions, not just one. While you carry personal artistic ambitions into a role like this, the most important thing is the bedrock you lay for other artists to flourish from.

The theatre landscape in Australia has undergone some seismic change recently, with high-profile court cases and subsequent defamation proceedings. What do those cases and the rise of the #MeToo campaign mean for the future of theatre in this country?

I hope it means a deep and permanent cultural shift in terms of the way we look at gender, power and hierarchy. I’m proud of the culture that we’ve fostered within STCSA, but self-reflection and interrogation are critical factors in the industry continuing to progress. I think we need to banish the myth of the “difficult genius” and ensure that anyone who abuses their power or status is called on it.

What is it about Adelaide that makes its theatre scene unique?

I think its sense of closeness and family. You’re able to form long-term artistic relationships and explore them over time and across different mediums and genres. At heart it’s a maker’s town. I only hope that is where government and private investment flows in the future. We’ve become increasingly event and bricks-and-mortar obsessed in South Australia, to the detriment of our local population of makers. I think it’s time to detach from our nostalgic connection to the Dunstan era and let go of the Festival State label — we can do so much more than that. The potential in this place is ridiculous; the support just needs to go in the right direction, which is straight to the work itself.

Where to for you now?

My family and I are moving to Berlin, a city we’ve long wanted to live in, while my partner Nicki Bloom finishes her first novel. My immediate focus is on being an excellent dad to my two boys and immersing myself into a new culture. There are a couple of long-term theatre and film projects bubbling away in the background, but I’ve no desire to rush into anything. From there, who knows? It’s just the start of the next adventure.

Animal Farm shows at Hothouse Theatre, Wodonga, until May 11.