Company History

Background

THE BUSINESS formed in 1997 performing short improvised theatre pieces at Al Wunder’s Theatre Of The Ordinary. Interested in clown and physically driven comedic theatre THE BUSINESS are four women dressed as men – four flawed and loveable characters Paul, Barry, Ray and Pierre. They may be described as the eternal optimist with a second hand car salesman charm, the obsessive eccentric, the loser oblivious to his own idiocy, and the grumpy overeating independent.

THE BUSINESS create physical theatre that has musical and dance elements, slapstick and gags, and is largely non-verbal. The focus is humanity and the relationships between characters – the empathy and pathos to be found when the audience identifies with the characters’ ridiculousness and vulnerability.

The Business…. As Usual looks at the insular world of government played as a game, far removed from the horrendous consequences of its actions. The Concert explores the desire for professional recognition, self-delusion and striving (and exposes the idiosyncracies of concert performers along the way).

The work generates strong visual images – for example hundreds of letters falling like rain upon the hapless government officials, or the painting of ultimate disappointment spread across the faces of the concert members who have the wrong instruments to play on the Night of All Concert Nights. There is mad dancing and competitive play for the secret wine bottle and its forbidden contents; there is ballet of office chairs and farcical elections.

THE BUSINESS has demonstrated a commitment to furthering the development of women’s clown performance in Australia.

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