OBSERVER: Chip On Her Shoulder
Chip on Her Shoulder, presented in partnership with Theatre Works, will be presented at the Explosives Factory Theatre Works from October 7 -11.
An Aussie living in New York, chasing a Broadway dream, sounds like a recipe for success, or disaster.
This October, Chip On Her Shoulder, starring Vanessa Buckley (Doctor Doctor, La Brea, Home and Away) will have its premiere as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival.
The brainchild of writer, producer, director Jen McAuliffe, Chip on Her Shoulder is a one-woman play weaving a relatable story.
While everyone else is busy journalling their feelings, attending reformer Pilates, Kate (Buckley) is trying not to completely lose it — one salty snack at a time.
McAuliffe developed the play under the mentorship of Steve Leff (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Two and a Half Men) and commenced writing while working in theatre in New York. Chip On Her Shoulder features a solo performance by Vanessa Buckley who plays Kate, an Aussie nurse pulling double shifts in New York City while chasing the dream.
In between auditioning, trauma shifts, dating disappointments, and snack-fuelled self-reckonings we discover that Kate isn’t bitter, she’s just a little bit salty.
Chip on Her Shoulder is the result of a bold new creative partnership between Buckley and McAuliffe, who met whilst colleagues at Fremantle Productions.
The pair formed a fast friendship and quickly turned to collaboration. Together they’ve channelled shared heartbreak and humour into a darkly funny survival story.
“I wanted to write something for women who’ve held everything together while falling apart,” said Jen McAuliffe. “[They] cry in the carpark at Woollies, fantasise about revenge bodies, and still believe in love. I wanted to make something funny and truthful and a little bit cathartic.”
Venue: Explosives Factory, Rear Laneway, 67 Inkerman St, St Kilda
Dates: October 7–11
Time: 6 pm
Running Time: 60 mins, no interval
Tickets: $35
Bookings: melbournefringe.com.au
Cheryl Threadgold