Diamond Dogs

We have of course had the Diamond Dogs Hall of Fame, and there are many amazing people I didn’t get to besides, and it can be comforting to think of yourself as part of a rich tradition or a secret society. However, my last admittance to the Diamond Dogs Hall of Fame is the one in five of us that will suffer from depression at some point in our lifetimes, and the loved ones who stand behind them. Because the history books can sometimes put a romantic gloss over depression; with her genius suffers, and fruitful misery. The vast majority just battle on. They are welcomed to the Diamond Dogs Hall of Fame with open arms.

So! Opening night is tonight! Go down and check it out, and if you have a black down of your own (a metaphorical one) you’re welcome to bring it along. We will have bowl of water outside on the pavement!

Step one: Download and print out this image.
Step two: Cut it out, including eyes (I’ve given you dotty line as a guide!)
Step three: Put on a stick! And take it with you to our play!

For opening night, tomorrow night, you get extra Ziggy-Stardust pixies points if you come dressed as David Bowie!

Julia Harrison has recently returned from Berlin where she taught at Humboldt University, worked as script translator for film company 23/5 Filmproduktion and trained under acting coach Michael Klich. Before leaving Wellington, Julia was part of the award-winning theatre company The Bacchanals, playing a title role in their sell-out BATS season and NZ tour of Romeo and Juliet. She also appeared in their 2003 STAB season of The Bacchae and worked with Jean Betts as actor and publicist for The Collective. Julia currently manages the New Zealand Aid Programme contract at Victoria University, supporting NZ Development Scholarship students from the Pacific, Asia, Latin America and Africa. This role has increased her awareness of the importance of good mental health for all of us!

What’s your favourite Bowie song? At the moment, Sorrow. It reminds me of that sad song at the beginning of Labyrinth when Sarah is running home late, which in turn takes me back to my mid-eighties childhood, when I watched that film about 350 times a week. It’s also a song where Bowie sounds most like Bowie and not like The Beatles, Stones, and everyone else he copied.

If you could be a species of dog, which would it be and why?
A Whippet. They look racy and they have a cool name. I like to walk fast and but also get easily distracted

In my own life I’d be most likely to ask what Bowie would do when…
I’m having yet another dark night of the soul.

When I’m happy I like to… EAT

Working on Diamond Dogs appealed to me because… it combined my interest in creative therapies with a potentially entertaining and helpful story. It was also an opportunity to finally perform on stage again with my favourite Wellington actor.

The “depressed genius” I most admire is… Spike Milligan.

Here at Diamond Dogs we do, of course, love David Bowie. (And Iggy Pop – Ed.) But we also like to take musical inspiration from a wide catchment.

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s enduring reputation (particularly in popular culture) is largely due to his Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. What is lesser know is that it was not only a musical triumph but a significant personal one too.

Readers will of course know that this concerto is dedicated to a Nikolai Dahl.

Mr Dahl was Rachmaninoff’s physician. When he premiered his first symphony (which is now generally admired, I understand) it was generally bagged by critics. Being only human, and having much going on in his personal life, he suffered a bout of depression that lasted more than three years.

So it goes.

His trusted physician Dahl did much not only to restore his health but to restore his confidence as well.

And if anything validates your recovery from clinical depression, it is naturally composing a wildly acclaimed piano concerto.

Once you’ve seen Diamond Dogs, which you have no doubt already booked your tickets for, you’ll understand the significance for our own, humble play.

Rachmaninoff is wholly and heartily welcomed to the Diamond Dogs Hall of Fame. Not that he needs any validation from us.

Diamond Dogs will be playing at Bats Theatre, on the 15, 16 and 17 February, as part of the Fringe Festival 2011.

Steven likes making stuff… Sometimes big loud shiny stuff, like opera, sometimes smaller more intimate stuff, like Diamond Dogs. He’s been making stuff on stage, street and film for a couple of years now, and this year he’s experimenting with homes, bars and restaurants.

What’s your favourite Bowie song?

Definitely “Young Americans”.

And “The Man Who Sold the World”.

And “Ashes to Ashes”.

And “Space Oddity”.

No, definitely, definitely “Life on Mars”.

I wouldn’t, actually… I’m a cat man myself. Not that dog’s aren’t fab, they are just not me. I’m tempted to say wolf, but I don’t want to sound like one of those people who think they’re a wolf (and often have a thing for high-powered semi-automatic weapons). So I’ll say: “I wouldn’t actually… I’m a cat man myself.”

When I’m being forced to do David Bowie impressions… in rehearsal and the suchlike.

I’m happy when… I’m working, when my energies are being successfully harnessed, when it’s sunny and when I’m in music.

We’ve got two weeks to go and we are working like, forgive me, dogs. And we do it all for YOU! So don’t forget to book your tickets.

On that note, I google old Bowie ticket stubs. It’s a shame the first isn’t dated, but I found them going back to 1983 (which is the year I was born.) And both Dandy Warhols and Nine Inch Nails have opened for him… man I would have loved to have seen those!

Hopefully we’ll see you all at Bats in two weeks!

Diamond Dogs will be playing at Bats Theatre, on the 15, 16 and 17 February, as part of the Fringe Festival 2011.