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THE PITCH's Peter Houghton - Q&A
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Many HotHouse subscribers would know you already from the whimsical Ruby Moon in 2004. What have you been up to since then?
Well, I did The Pitch at La Mama which has become something of a juggernaut since then. We took the show to Edinburgh and London with the whole family which was great. I’ve done a fair bit of work at Malthouse, lots of writing, some work on television most recently with Shaun Micallef on Newstopia for SBS. I’m writing plays for Malthouse and Melbourne Theatre Company. And I’m adapting The Pitch for a film.
What hooked you on theatre? Have you had to work at other things as well?
Theatre is about people. Television is largely driven by advertising. Film is driven by celebrity. Theatre is driven by stories and artists. So I feel at home there. I love the live nature of it. Once you walk out on stage there’s no turning back. No-one shouts cut or cuts to an ad. It’s always an event. It’s a workplace which retains a sense of magic and mystery despite all its difficulties. I’ve been lucky over the last decade or more. I’ve only worked as an actor, director or writer. I’m touching a large lump of wood as I say that because you never know where it’s going. But I guess I’ve followed my heart... and I’ve had some luck.
Where did the idea for The Pitch spring from?
A momentous failure. I worked on a film script for five years and got close to getting it made. But I had to jump through a hundred hoops to get there. The project fell over at the eleventh hour and I was very depressed about it. When I moved house I found all the drafts of the script – there were more than twenty, thousands of storyboards, budgets etc. I wanted to get rid of it all but it seemed wrong to throw away so much work. Then I got the idea of purging myself of the whole experience by writing a play about it. I had to pitch the film several times so I decided the play might take the shape of a pitch – it’s changed a lot since then – but something of that idea stuck. It’s a metaphor for life really. How your whole existence can become defined by one short moment, in this case a film pitch.
How did your collaboration with your wife (Director Anne Browning) come about? Is it difficult to develop projects together, or are there lots of advantages?
Gotta be careful how I answer that one! We have a shorthand which really helps. We know each other backwards so we know what we’re capable of. And we work to our strengths. We’ve done about five or six projects together over the years. It’s always different. Sometimes Anne directs and I act, or vice versa – so we take turns being bossy. I reckon she’s a prima donna and she reckons I don’t listen to her. The truth is we push each other further than we’d push people we don’t know. This produces good results. We first worked together in Hamlet at Melbourne Theatre Company, a schools production which Tom Healey directed eleven years ago. I’ve just directed her in my new play The China Incident at Malthouse.
How would you describe your approach to comedy?
I love character comedy. I love watching people pushed beyond their limits. But I also love slapstick and farce. My approach to writing comedy is based on character and situation. I’d never try to present a comedy without a strong situation. Comedy is ruthlessly technical. If it’s good it looks easy. But anyone who’s tried to act, write or direct comedy will know that it’s the most exacting discipline in theatre. I love that challenge, finding the exact right word for the next scene, the joke, the moment. Constructing that on paper and then making it work in a theatre. It’s a good job.
What does a typical week hold? Is there such a thing?
There’s no such thing. The week I’m writing this I’m rehearsing a show in Melbourne. I’m in a rehearsal room from ten to six until Thursday when I work till midnight for the rest of the week. Anne is going to Colac to do a performance so I’m writing some technical notes for that. There’s a few social events and some writing time. Next week the show opens, I get two days off, and then start another rehearsal.
How involved are you in Newstopia?
I’ve done both series as an actor. There are five ensemble actors and Shaun. We generally work three days a week over the ten weeks of a series, they edit on the fourth day and script on the fifth. I had time off for the second series because of a previous theatre gig which clashed. But Shaun is a great boss, bringing me back in as soon as I’m finished and working around my dates. I really enjoy it. Much of the material is topical so we get the scripts the night before. Two days are location and one day in the studio. There’s talk of a third series later this year so hopefully more to come. My favourite character is Tim Cauldrom, the poet. The makeup artist sticks these huge blobs of blutack behind my ears and I stare straight at the camera and come out with this appalling poetry.
Are you looking forward to 5 months on the road with The Pitch? What are some of the challenges of touring for you?
Missing family. I have two young kids. They won’t remember me when I get back. We’re doing about a hundred shows so keeping the play fresh is an issue. I’ve made all sorts of resolutions, swimming, jogging, not smoking etc while on tour. But it’s probably only a matter of time before I’m lying in the hotel room with a pizza and a fag glued to reality TV trash.
Where to after The Pitch?
When I get back in November I’m reprising the role of Hamm in a production of Endgame for the Melbourne Festival. I’ve got drafts of my new plays due mid year and hopefully they’ll be bubbling towards production for next year. The film of The Pitch is my big project and where I’ll put most of my energy. I’ll take a break too – somewhere hot!
See The Pitch at the Hume Building Society Butter Factory Theatre Wodonga from May 20-24.
For show times view SEASON 2008 Season Dates top left of page.
Book now online, or by calling 02 6021 7433.
Warnings: Occasional use of strong language. Use of smoke effect.
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