An intimate duet for actor and musician, this is a story about learning to live wherever we find ourselves. It’s about coexisting with those who are already here and finding a sense of belonging by understanding who we are and who we can become in a place.

An Imaginary Life, the classic Australian novel by David Malouf, has been adapted for the stage by award-winning actor, director and writer Humphrey Bower with live music by Pavan Kumar Hari. This intimate performance explores the theme of learning to be where we are by collaborating with those who are already here in order to truly become ourselves.

The story follows the Ancient Roman poet Ovid, who is exiled to a community on the edge of the Black Sea, and his encounter with a ‘wild’ child whom he teaches to speak, and who in return teaches him the language of nature and the body, with tragic but ultimately transformative consequences.

A site-responsive work tailor-made (and re-made) for found venues and their communities.

Image Credit: Daniel Grant