Raised by Wolves

Handspan & Regurgitator

Raised By Wolves was very ambitious and very complex. It was developed with Melbourne indie band Regurgitator, then riding a wave of popularity and recent ARIA Award winners, contemporary recording artist, Shinjuku Thief and Ben Cobham with his lighting company, Bluebottle.

The production's title referenced the myth of Romulus and Remus, the twins who were suckled by a wolf as babies, and founded the Roman Empire. Thematically, however, it postulated the decline of civilisation and culture and claimed closer connections to Satyricon. Teenage runaways, born of a giant cockroach in a modern urban wasteland, were beset by not only their own confused realities but by tortuous dreams and nightmares. Shipping containers, plastic and metal, overhung by multiple TV screens and capitalised slogans made up their world.

The work was described by Bell as 'sensory theatre': "fragmented images that are rapid, fleeting and sweep together for a lasting effect2". Its combination of actors, animated imagery, video projection, industrial machinery, large scale puppetry, live rock music and live video aimed to create a multi-focused experience for the audience. Shed 14 was huge and watchers trudged rather than promenaded through a vast clutter. 

Writers David Bell and Bill Haycock
Text fragments Stephen Sewell
Director David Bell
Executive Producer Fleur Parry
Assistant Director Katy Bowman
Designer Bill Haycock
Lighting Designer Ben Cobham
Live Music Regurgitator
Recorded Soundtrack Darren Verhagen (Shinjuku Thief)
Structural Design David Hope
Video Imagery Richard Grant
Production Designer Daniel Zika
Performers
Winston Appleyard
Megan Cameron
Anni Finsterer
Liss Gabb
Bob Hornery
Heather Monk
Justin Ratcliffe
Leigh Russell

Image l Jeff Busby