A COMEDY... Sort of: “I Worked With Heath Ledger Once... ” is an original play based on a true story about an ill-fated documentary that almost came to be...
I WORKED WITH HEATH LEDGER ONCE... is a hybrid performance in the style of a mockumentary, interweaving scenes played out live on stage with scenes shown on screen.Maya, a young film student, decides to make a documentary about an aspiring actor with a pact to either “Make it or Quit it” by the time he turns 30, except he’s almost 35. Under pressure to tell a more personal, serious story about her difficult past and the issues faced by BIPOC in modern-day Sydney, she begins to get involved with, and even intervene in the actor’s life to find a better ending for her film.In the spirit of Waiting for Guffman, American Movie, Barry, and the Office, this work is about the chasing of a dream, and trying desperately to be seen, especially when the limelight can’t be felt. It’s about the struggle to accept the pains of our past, the craving for connection, and the realisation that even the most foolish and foolhardy among us deserves to be loved. This work also explores the serious themes of sexism, racism, ageism, and homophobia along with philosophical themes of self acceptance, identity, and authenticity within a world built on illusion.
