National Wine Centre is synonymous with quality. Showcasing the best South Australian wine amongst stunning and innovative architecture and with a reputation for exquisite events, it’s not surprising that the pairing with Emma Knights Productions makes for a top shelf blend.
Sam About Town was lucky enough to catch Emma Knights for a slightly breathless chat between the many, many shows she is curating as well as performing in.
SAT: Emma, once again you have created an inspiring program of events for the Adelaide Fringe. Not only at the Wine Centre, but also a separate program at Woodville Town Hall and the award winning Floating Melodies events on the River Torrens. How many shows have you curated this Adelaide Fringe?
EK: 59 shows all up, all doing between 1-6 performances so it has been a bit of a monster Fringe this year!
SAT: While we catch our breath, could you tell us about how you begin planning such an extensive and varied program? Where does the inspiration come from and how do you begin the logistics of something so challenging?
EK: Hmm…I have a lot of spreadsheets! It starts with the availability of the spaces, then I contact people I know that I want in the program, others apply and then I create a few shows of my own to throw in that I think will suit the spaces. For the National Wine Centre, there was definitely a lot of inspiration from the building itself, its surroundings in the Botanical Gardens and the wine! The Woodville Town Hall is also a beautiful building and we made great use of the Murree Smith Hall which was perfect for intimate pieces. The inspiration here was community and families.
SAT: Could you share with us some of your highlights this year?
EK: That is a tough one as there have been so many! I always love having Humphrey around, my cast/director of Buffy Kills Edward have been fabulous and playing Aussie rock for Stone Cold Sober has been truly awesome. Pirates of Penzance is celebrating its fifth Fringe season and despite that I still find it so funny and the crew are amazing, plus it is super relaxing on the river! I also got to meet Lenka and have two great local groups support her show which made for an amazing night. Another highlight was playing for Chrysalis in a show that expressed how I often feel as a person and artist.
SAT: As well as curating, you are a performer yourself. How do you balance an organisational role with getting into the creative zone to perform? And do you have a preference between curating and performing?
EK: That is tough. I love meeting new people and being inspired by their work so curating is a great way to explore that side – and it is also quite creative too. You are building a space for people to come and also be inspired. Nothing, however, will ever beat the buzz of performing. It is inexplainable how it makes you feel and what you give up to be able to do it. It is who I am and how I feel and express that so performing will always win out!
There is no way I would have been able to do what I have done without the help of my truly amazing assistant Deana Martino. She cares about my business, my artists and audiences as much as I do and that is very rare to find. The fact that I can trust her explicitly means that I can relax into the performing zone when I need to perform. I cannot thank her enough. Amanda Wurst has also been our super awesome worker. Then there is an amazing group of door staff that have helped too.
My casts and the artists I have worked with have been so supportive and so very delightful so there have been many nights dancing and laughing which makes the whole process a joy! My regular audience members have also been great, giving me hugs and words of encouragement!
The teams at the Wine Centre and Woodville Town Hall have been amazing – getting me coffees and food when they see I am fading and having a cheeky drink at the end of the night. Lastly, I also have so much support from my family and friends whom I couldn’t do without. I am a very lucky lady!
Without all of this, switching between running venues, producing and performing can be really stressful. It is not to say there haven’t been moments of stress but when you are surrounded by so much love and support they have been short lived. A huge thank you to everyone! Sorry that answer was really mushy!
SAT: The Botanic Gardens adjacent the Wine Centre is a beautiful and peaceful setting. Can you tell us a bit about the pop-up bar situated there and what it has to offer patrons?
EK: The Glass House section that leads into the Botanic Gardens is a stunning little space, especially at sunset. There are some awesome chefs and staff that will serve you special Prosecco cocktails, scrumptious salt and pepper squid and black bun burgers! It is a space to chill out in the perfect weather we have been having and catch up with friends or artists. There is a varied menu to choose from and offers a bit more of a ‘fringe food’ feel than what the Wined Bar has on offer!
SAT: You have created a program that varies from the sublime to the hilarious, all with quality musicians, actors and performers. How are the audiences reacting?
EK: The audiences have been amazing! Most have never ventured to the National Wine Centre and so their reaction to the space itself has been great! We have had numerous sell out shows and performances and people have left singing, dancing and contemplating. That is really all you can ask for! I have tried to create something for everyone and we have had very diverse audiences coming through.
SAT: There is still time to catch some Fringe action and at the risk of ‘playing favourites’ can you offer any recommendations?
EK: Gosh! Yes! This week sees the final Pirates of Penzance performances on the Popeye and the National Wine Centre is cracking till the last day of Fringe on the 18th of March. We still have Cookin’ With Gas: That’s Jazz (with Keith Conlon and Kerin Bailey) to open, Sense and Spontaneity (an improvised Jane Austen novel) to open, we have the final performance of Manchild (Australia’s answer to Hair that has been lost to time), Obsession (a sensory dance experience), Peggy Lee: Is That All There Is?, Cohen & Waits, a secret improvised show late on Friday night and Two Idiots, No Script finish their season. So there is still heaps to see and wine to taste!
For information about all shows and to purchase tickets, see links below.
Featured photo of Emma Knights, insert photo of Megan Doherty in Chrysalis, courtesy of Emma Knights Productions.
