Rock Surfers Relish Their Bondi Residence

By Sarah Healey on May 1, 2012 in Arts

Whenever I utilise my ‘admission free’ ticket to Bondi Beach, I am inevitably guaranteed to see a show. A show I’d pay good money for? Well, that’s debatable. When you visit the Bondi Circus be prepared for a stellar cast. Be bamboozled by the Frisbee Guy, who has the breathtaking ability to throw a flying disc ridiculously far and then somehow catch it – all by himself. Or sit back, relax, and enjoy the soothing sounds of Eamon O’Riley and Friends – an ensemble of Irishmen who warm their vocal chords with Guinness at the Bondi Hotel, obnoxiously sing a few incoherent songs on the sand, then stumble into the water and get caught in a rip for their finale.

Entertaining as this may sound, I implore you to look away from the crazy carnage on the sand and instead set your sights on the Bondi Pavilion, because this is where the real entertainment lies, proudly brought to you by the Tamarama Rock Surfers (TRS). Through their two iconic Sydney venues, the Old Fitzroy Hotel in Woolloomooloo and the Bondi Pavilion, this independent theatre company gives emerging theatre artists an opportunity to showcase their work, and audiences a chance to immerse themselves in some community culture.

Artistic Director Leland Kean is undeniably proud of TRS’s 15-year long history. According to Leland, a group of university graduates tired of the inability to find a fringe venue to showcase their work literally “hopped in the car, drove around and stumbled across the Old Fitz Hotel, asked the owner if they could stick a theatre in their back room, and now we’re 15 years down the track and still going strong.”

Last year the Bondi Pavilion became TRS’s second home to unmask Australian talent. Seating 230 people upstairs with phenomenal views of iconic Bondi Beach, it’s a venue that is incomparable to any other.

“We’re trying to work towards bringing that sense of community for artists living in the east – it is somewhere they can have their work produced,” Leland told The Beast.

Budding artists should keep an eye out for the Rock Surfers’ next competition, ‘Bondi Feast’, which will run in the last two weeks of July.

“We’re inviting artists from the community to present short plays about Bondi, their experiences of Bondi. It’s the idea that we want to engage the restaurants and different spaces to give the sense of what a feast of culture can actually be had from the community down there,” Leland said.

One of the greatest benefits of the Rock Surfers’ residency at the Bondi Pavilion is that Bondi locals no longer have to leave Scum Valley to get their theatrical fix.

“It’s really amazing to see hundreds of people engage and interact with a few people on stage. The communication that happens within those four walls is totally unique to theatre and it’s not something you get in any other artform,” Leland explained.

The next show on the TRS bill at the Bondi Pavilion is ‘Keep smiling! The Housewife’s Guide’ – a cheeky and salacious tale of six women pushing for perfection, with a Shakespearian twist.

All the details of upcoming shows and information about the 2012 season can be found by visiting the TRS website at www.rocksurfers.org or by calling 9365 0147.