LOVE & FORGETTING continues to "captivate" audiences with its unique blend of theatre, cabaret, and hospitality. RARE BIRD ensemble represents the dynamic partnership of JEREMY JAMES and JACK MARTIN, drawing together decades of experience in Australia and overseas. Grounded in principles of ensemble theatre, innovation, and site-responsive storytelling, they seek to deepen the connection between s
tory, place and community. Reimagining live performance beyond the conventional stage, their work places audiences at the heart of the experience. Combining musical, physical, and ‘traditional’ theatre practices, their creative projects and interdisciplinary workshops promote experimentation, encourage risk, and foster new approaches to storytelling that enrich the connection between artist and audience, creating theatre to inspire civic dialogue and meaningful connection. "With the character from a regional town, it captured a clear love and honest respect for place and its influence on how we travel through our lives."
– Alicia Leggett, Executive Director, Orana Arts, Dubbo
The company's inaugural work, LOVE & FORGETTING – Tales from a Young Mixer, was developed in partnership with Sofitel Melbourne On Collins and Global Art Projects as part of their acclaimed Artists-in-Residence Program in 2023. The site-responsive cabaret continues to "captivate" audiences across Australia in a unique collaboration between theatre and hospitality, redefining how audiences encounter and participate with theatre. "The show rolled in from the bar, and before I knew it I was immersed in a world I’ve only ever seen in the movies."
– audience, Atrium Bar on 35, Sofitel Melbourne on Collins
"Delighted to bring a new audience to the theatre by offering our community something outside the 'red-seat' experience."
– Claire Harris, Manager, Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre
JEREMY JAMES has received public and critical acclaim for his work with renowned theatre companies and drama schools across five continents over the past 25 years; notably with Théâtre du Soleil in Paris and touring internationally for a decade and back in Australia as a guest artist at NIDA, WAAPA and UNSW. His sharply crafted ensemble work is underpinned by a refined methodology of practice and a passionate commitment to investigation and exchange. Informed by his initial training at the Canberra School of Art and subsequently with master directors and teachers, incl Ariane Mnouchkine, Philippe Gaulier, Monika Pagneux, Katie Mitchell, Kristin Linklater, and the founding members of Complicite, Jeremy's distinctive approach to performance spans form and genre, and actively questions the role that theatre plays in society today. JACK MARTIN is an interdisciplinary performer and theatre-maker. A graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), he holds a double degree in Musical Theatre and Performance Making, bringing extensive experience in acting, dance and singing to the stage. He has written, devised and directed original works, including the award-winning musical, Growing Pains, for Perth Fringe 2021, and Service, With a Smile!; which represented WAAPA at Bunbury Fringe 2023.
