Performance
© Ridiculusmus 2008
Supported by:
Map Magazine, Brisbane 2004 (interview)
It was both our ideas
David Woods co-creator, co-director, co-performer Ridiculusmus Ideas Men Brisbane Powerhouse May 4-8, 11-15 2004
in MAP (motivated Australian people) magazine, Brisbane, May 2004
What attracted you to performance?
I am addicted to making people laugh. I am not proud of it. Like most addictions it can be overwhelming, problematic, embarassing and impossible to cover up. It makes me high.. or it used to now I just do it to feel normal. My granddad was very funny at the dinner table, he would tell tales of senna pods (a laxative) while we ate our pudding with Omo custard (a thick creamy version made with ideal milk by my late grandma).
Where does your creativity come from?
From within, the imagination, natural stimuli, artificial ones, manufactured ones, research, anger, inspiration, irritation, boredom, sleep , dreams, notebooks, miserable times, hunger, a box marked ideas, a computer file of the same name, from the love of my mum and dad, allowing myself to fail, mess up badly, horribly, admitting depression when it comes, running fast, forests-not new agey ones but ones that are on bleak Scottish mountainsides, a place called Knoydart, a programme called Calling All Pensioners, David Jubb our creative producer.
How do you fuel your creativity?
Long walks, breathing, daily prahnass, hot baths, swimming, eating sprouts, carob,spirulina and banana smoothies, mum’s cooking. Thai green curry made by my Japanese chef, sandwiches, cream cakes – I have to have these in the show to keep me going. I get low blood sugar levels if I don’t and can black out and vomit if not careful, afternoon naps.
What do you love about what you do?
Working with Jon Hough which I see as a great honour, making Jon happy, facilitating his brillinance, his writing, acting, wit, helping him overcome his shyness, and enabling his magic talent to shine through his public dead pan veneer, the groupies, getting high without any pollutants legal or illegal, meeting fantastic people and similar places and the impossible promises of going back.
What would you like to achieve through your performances?
Better performances, something tangible in the brain departments of all present .. Happiness for everyone, even if they are really angry and there are plenty of people who get very angry at what we do for some reason .. its not related to age/sex/race/hormones/sexual orientation/ability/disability etc just the ability to be on a particular , meticulous wavelength, exhaustion, a hot dinner or two, stability, energy.
Who is your favourite:
Filmmaker? Angus Barr and Shitflap (http://www.moderntoss.com)
Author? Pat McCabe and Dermot Healy
Director? Sarah Greentree (Playbox) Persis Jade Maravala (Para-active)
Actor? Jon Hough, Geoffrey Rush and Brian Lipson
Musician? Kazuko Hohki
Performer? Patrizia Paolini
Designer? Fiametta Horvat
Comedian? Rumpelstiltskin
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