TINDERBOX

Alana Valentine’s latest play Tinderbox explores the themes of destruction and regeneration in the lives of the three characters Tom (Alan Lovell), a firefighter, Ben (Benjamin Ross), an arsonist, and Viv (Nastassja Djalog), their next-door neighbour,

Tinderbox marks the second collaboration between Nastassja Djalog and Zoe Carides, the first being Tarantula at King Street Theatre in October. This time, they’re switching roles – Tinderbox is Carides’ directorial debut, and Djalog is the producer and playing the character of Viv.

Although Carides was hesitant to accept the role as director, having only directed short films in the past, she considered the opportunity too good to pass up.

“I was a little bit nervous about directing a full-length piece,” she says.

“It’s a beautiful piece. It’s not a straight narrative, just three people speaking monologues…it’s very unusual and very challenging.”

Djalog says that she found it to be quite a natural transition between roles. “The working relationship has been so fantastic…we worked in a very collaborative way [on Tarantula] so it’s not much different now.”

So what can people expect from Tinderbox?

“Rawness, I would say,” according to Djalog.

“They can expect to see beauty…within the text and within these three people and their complex relationships…there’s a transformative reveal in all the characters that I think audiences can relate to, and they’ll certainly learn a lot about bushfires in Australia!”

Jan 4-27, Theatre 19, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point, $33-38, 8356 9987, darlinghursttheatre.com/tinderbox.html

BY ANITA SENARATNA