THE NIGHTLINE PROJECT
By Roslyn Oades & Bob Scott, with collaborators
“An exquisite piece of storytelling… by turns eerie, delightful and deeply moving” — Richard Watts, ArtsHub
“It is almost impossible to describe the beauty, the fantasy, the tenderness, the smarts of this very original work.” — Neil Armfield, Co-Artistic Director, Adelaide International Festival
You are led into a dimly-lit venue full of tables for one. Placed before you is an old telephone and switchboard. This is your direct connection to The Nightline — hundreds of real-life anonymous voice messages left by shift-workers, insomniacs, truck drivers, prank callers, emergency workers, new parents, revellers and all manner of fellow night owls... You eavesdrop on intimate confessions, angry rants, musical serenades, pranks and laments, using your switchboard to change channels at will. But there is a ghost in the machine. The audience is plunged into the loneliest hours of the night, through a hallucinogenic dream scape, emerging out the other side having been initiated into this invisible, big-hearted community. The Nightline explores themes of loneliness and connection, concepts that resonate globally, as we pick up the pieces of what it means to be a community.
ATTENTION NIGHT-OWLS
The Nightline is an ongoing creative audio project. If you’d like to stay informed of upcoming presentations, or contribute your own Nightline voice message, please visit our dedicated Nightline Project website. And if you’d like to bring The Nightline to your city, please make contact.
Ros with the Brainstrust at Sydney Festival, photo Joshua Morris
CREATIVE TEAM
Director/co-creaotr: Roslyn Oades
Sound artist/co-creator: Bob Scott
Lighting design: Fausto Brusamolino
Site design: Clare Britton
Nightline Concierge: Katia Molino
Phone-switchboard design: Greg Cameron
Technical Director: Keith Tucker, Megafun
Operator & SM: Jem Hoppe-Smith
Stills: Sarah Walker (Melb) / Joshua Morris (Syd)
Nightline Brainstrust: Krystal Docker, Sam Kanaan-Oringo, Anshika Sharma, Harsh Yalam & Kellie Zhao-Culpan
PRESENTATION ENQUIRIES
Please direct initial enquiries to Roslyn Oades>>
PRESENTATION DATES
2024
Carrefour international de théâtre — 5-8June, Quebec City, CANADA
2023
APAM profiled project — Melbourne gathering, RISING 2023
2022
Sydney Festival, NSW — Old Darlinghurst Gaol
Adelaide International Arts Festival, SA — Stables, Queen’s Theatre
Bleach* Festival, Gold Coast, QLD — Burleigh Heads RSL Memorial Hall
2021
RISING Festival, Melbourne, VIC (1 night only, due to COVID cancellation)
The Nightline - Calling all night owls
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Heartfelt thanks to the many night owls, insomniacs, shift workers, dreamers and pranksters who have contributed anonymous voice messages to The Nightline - especially the Brainstrust who have been inspiring collaborators. This work would not be possible without your generosity and playfulness. May you be blessed with sweet dreams.
The Nightline was commissioned by RISING Festival and generously assisted by the City of Melbourne and the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. The Nightline prototype was commissioned by Utp, as part of the inaugural RHRN artist residency curated by Rosie Dennis.