Old Friends

New Friends

Old Friends New Friends is a 40 min documentary directed by Philippe Charluet, around the making of a short dance theatre work of the same name created in 1984 (broadcast on ABC-TV in 1986) and filmed in the old Sydney Dance Company’s Woolloomooloo studios. This dance work tells the story where the present arrives some thirty years late only to find the past still patiently waiting – albeit a little dusty and full of cobwebs. What might have been (in this instance a wedding in a small Australian country town hall) becomes inextricably linked with what was and paths that might have entwined meet fleetingly only to be forever parted.

This dance work grew into a three act work, Nearly Beloved performed in 1986-92. Interestingly, in 2000, during rehearsals for a revival in the Body of Work Gala at the Sydney Opera House, even Graeme Murphy found himself moved to tears in the Studio, confronted by the tender evocation of love and loss as interpreted by its original performers.

Program

Choreography and Concept  Graeme Murphy AO
Creative Associate  Janet Vernon AM
Music  Graeme Koehne
Set Design  Stephen Curtis
Costume Design  Anthony Jones
Lighting  John Drummond Montgomery

This is now available as YouTube episodes
Featured Video: Episode 1
Videos tab above: Episodes 2 to 6