Starring two fabulous multi-talened local performers, What Doesn’t Kill You [blah blah] Stronger has already been a stand-out show among this year’s stacked Fringe World lineup.
Erin Hutchinson and Tyler Jacob Jones take audiences on a whirlwind cabaret journey through tales of hardship and survival, bursting with killer original songs composed by Jones and his Holland St Productions writing partner, Robert Woods.
Our review described the show as a “hectic but hilarious experience”, so we caught up with Erin and Tyler to hear more about their (almost) lethal production.
It not unusual for a musical production to find inspiration in the fringes – but why did you want to explore near-death experiences?
Tyler: “We love collecting random facts and stories, the kind of fun “did-you-knows” that you can pull out at a party when there’s a lull in conversation. When we stumbled across the story of Violet Jessop, an English woman famed for surviving not only the Titanic, but two other shipwrecks in her lifetime, we thought it was the type of outlandish tale begging for a musical adaptation.
“From there the idea grew, and we began to discover all sorts of similar tales of people surviving bizarre and extraordinary circumstances that we thought would make great original songs.”
The stories you explore in What Doesn’t Kill You… are real – how did you go about your research? Are there any interesting stories that didn’t make the final cut?
Erin: “We immersed ourselves in documentaries, podcasts, news articles, and first-hand accounts of near-death experiences, but ultimately decided to focus on stories with positive, life-affirming messages—tales that really showcase human ingenuity and perseverance.
“Some fascinating but slightly more tragic stories didn’t quite fit the tone of a fifty-minute comedy cabaret, so they ended up on the cutting room floor.”
Have you encountered a near-death experience yourself?
Tyler: “I recently found myself walking through the bush at night (with show composer Robert Woods!) on a particularly spider-infested trail.
As an arachnophobe, that sure felt like a near-death experience!”
Erin: “I experienced a couple of water-basedsituations as a teen (many years ago), which as we know in Australia can be frightening.
“A particularly tumble-some dump by a wave when body boarding in Margs, and being swept off some rocks whilst learning about abalone hunting on a school camp. Be careful out there folks!”
Musicals have a reputation for being grand and larger than life – how do you condense that energy for a ‘small-scale’ production?
Tyler: “Small-scale musical theatre is where it’s at!
“You take all that grand, larger-than-life energy and concentrate it down to just two people and a piano, the results are even more explosive.”
Erin: “Small-scale musical theatre also offers an intimacy and a relationship with the audience that is tougher to achieve in a big lavish production.
“Connection is what we are all looking for in live theatre experiences, so a tight little musical in a tent can provide a wonderful energy where the audience are part of the action.”
Where did your love for musical theatre/Broadway begin? Inquiring minds want to know… what’s your favourite musical?
Tyler: “That’s a tough one! I always come back to Little Shop of Horrors as an enduring favourite.
“It’s impeccably written and a perfect example of how you can take a truly offbeat idea and make it sing.”
Erin: “Yes, Little Shop is fab! I grew up with classics like Singing in the Rain and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on repeat, but as the genre expands it’s the wacky ones with loveable characters, or characters we love to hate, that I enjoy the most.”
What other productions will our readers know Holland St Productions for?
Tyler: “Holland St Productions presented a number of hit small-scale musicals throughout the early years of Fringe World, including the Martin Sims Award-winning Point & Shoot, and Theatre Award winners Falling to the Top and Dr. Felicity Rickshaw’s Celebrity Sex Party.”
Erin: “Our team has presented some other existing works, such as Gutenberg! The Musical, and collaborated with others in presenting more of Tyler and Robert’s original work, such as the PAWA award winning musical, The Summer of Our Lives.
“Tyler and I produced our casual cabaret sessions Homestyle Cabaret, honestly just an excuse to sing and drink together! Both of us, and Joe and Josh (our fabulous pianists), have worked around the traps with numerous other groups but we really love performing together.
Where can people stay connected with Holland St and keep up with upcoming shows?
Tyler: “We are only just stepping back into the spotlight after a five-year hiatus, so we are in the process of firing up the socials again and re-establishing our company.”
Erin: “Although there are no plans for the immediate future for new works, we’ve had some inspirational idea sessions recently so some sparks are there for our next one or two… keep an eye out!
“You can follow Holland St Productions on Facebook and Instagram, so stay tuned for more to come!”
What Doesn’t Kill You [blah blah] Stronger is running until Friday, 24 January. For more, head to fringeworld.com.au
