March 9. Day 68. Wheel of Fortune

Elise Greig and Meg Bowden

Talk of Wheel of Fortune probably takes your mind to the television game show where contestants spin a giant coloured wheel for the chance to guess phrases and win dollars.
Words such as saucy, intriguing and sexy are unlikely to be front of mind.
But as Brisbane audiences are about to learn there is more than one wheel and more than way to spin it.
This Wheel of Fortune is a modern take on La Ronde by Arthur Schnitzler which was so controversial when it was written in 1897 that it was banned and took 25 years to make it too the stage.
Pairs of lovers walk us through a roulette of encounters and sexual gratification all set in present-day Brisbane
Veronica Neave, who is cast as The Stage Actress, says the
production promises to be intriguing.
"It will be saucy," she said. "It will also be interesting. It's a multi-platform, multi-media. performance.

There's going to be live elements. There's going to be filmed elements. It's going to be an intriguing experience for the audience.
"The play has a circularity about it. It has this form that is quite circular."
Meg Bowden, who plays the Transexual, agrees saying there's a great deal of intrigue.
"It's a very sexy show," she adds.
"it's quite risque in regards to who's hooking up with who and who's sitting on the couch with who."
But Veronica says while it may be confrontational it is also relatable and there's every likelihood that audience members will see themselves in at least one of the relationships being played out.
"From the beginning of time homo sapiens have been trying to work out how to relate to another person. We are still unravelling that onion."
Meg says setting the play in Brisbane adds to accessibility of the piece.

"You find the couples in places you go to on a daily basis. That's something the audience can really relate to."
But while there is plenty in the way of fun and games, Meg reminds us that it's more than that.
"There is a serious element," she says. "It's all sexy and flirty and fun but if you dig down in it there are issues that we are addressing."
Cheating is one point in question.
"With any intimate relationship between two people there is always the risk of transgression," Veronica says. "There is always the risk that someone is going to suffer because of that. It's the risk that we take for love or for pleasure."

Wheel of Fortune is part of the Local program at Brisbane's Metro Arts Theatre. This three-play series is about bringing risk-taking plays to Brisbane audiences.
Veronica says the role of the independent theatre makers can not be under-estimated.

"It's profoundly important for our cultural landscape," she said. "The big funded companies have a certain brief. They have certain quotas they have to meet. They have all these KPIs because they are working with government money. But we don't have any money so we can do what the hell we like. We can take risks, we can have fun and we can talk about issues that are important. We have nothing to lose because we have nothing."
Troy Armstong, the producer of Wheel of Fortune, is the man who has taken all the risks.
He describes it as a hybrid production combining film and live performance.

"We are not trying to be tricky about it. It's just a different way of storytelling," Troy said. "Behind the scenes we are filming all of these scenes in their actual locations in Brisbane."
Tim Hill, the director of Wheel of Fortune, says the location is one of the stars of the piece.

Veronica Neave who plays the Stage Actress and Elise Greig

"It being about Brisbane was really important to me. I grew up in Brisbane. I've actually been away from Brisbane for quite a long time and have moved back. Troy and I really wanted to do a play that was about Brisbane, set in Brisbane and created in Brisbane. The actors are local, we are using local musicians for all the music, we are using a team of local writers to create the content. It really is a story for Brisbane."
Troy says Brisbane is losing it's small town Brisvegas tone and the cultural landscape is reflecting that.
"Our local artists are really coming to the fore, in a lot of casting and a lot of theatre productions. We are looking at local talent before we are looking at the talent pool that's beyond. We've got a number of artists from Sydney and Melbourne which are coming back to do the show. It says something about the independent scene here."
Meg says the independent sector is blooming and should be supported
"It's worth taking a shot on them because these independent companies put their heart and their soul and every penny they have into it. There's a lot of soul and passion that goes into it."