Immersive, Sustainable South Australian Oklahoma!

Today’s musical theatre audiences expect to see increasingly innovative staging for shows, which can be a challenge for theatre companies. Undaunted, Adelaide’s Emma Knights has faced such a challenge with enthusiasm. In January, Emma Knights Productions will produce Oklahoma! in an unusually immersive and environmentally friendly theatrical environment, a real farm. Lesley Reed reports.

Featuring local artists as well as new talent, Emma Knights Productions’ version of the era-defining 1940’s musical Oklahoma! will be a very different experience than any production of this musical seen before in Adelaide. Staged at a picturesque Littlehampton farmstead, Oklahoma!’s love triangle between a cowboy, a farmhand and a farm girl will feel very real indeed.

“The idea came about when I wanted to create experiences that were more immersive than sitting in a theatre and that gave new life to some of the older shows,” said Artistic Director Emma Knights, who has already given The Pirates of Penzance such treatment. In 2014 and 2015 she staged that sellout show on the ‘Popeye’ passenger craft while it cruised along the River Torrens.

“Pirates of Penzance on the Popeye led me to come up with other ideas,” said Emma. “A number of people in my Pirates cast had been involved with Oklahoma! previously and so an idea came into my head. I did a Google search looking for a farm to put it on and found Four Oaks. I took a country drive one afternoon and headed down to the property. It was perfect for what I had in mind and so I took some photos. Whilst doing so, Sue (farm owner) rode up on her tractor and asked me if I needed some assistance. I mentioned ‘this may seem a little strange, but…’ and told her of my idea. Sue loved the idea and said that she had always wanted to do music events on the farm but did not have the knowledge to make it happen. So it was a match made in heaven! Earlier this year we ran a Good Ol’ Fashioned Barn Dance, just to give the venue a trial and to see whether people would make the trek and it was really successful so we moved to the next step of doing Oklahoma!”

Oklahoma! will be performed in early January 2016 against the stunning rural South Australian backdrop of Four Oaks Farm, with real horses being used in the production and plenty of additional authenticity to ensure a delightful, immersive theatrical experience.

Imagine this: a real country fair- a mini version- with some delicious local produce. There’ll be activities including pony rides, audience participation in the box social dance, a merry-go-round, a fundraising sausage sizzle, country baked goods and much more.

Emma Knights Productions’ Oklahoma! will be a pro-amateur production, where the cast and orchestra are being paid an honorarium. It is the next step towards highly experienced and talented Emma Knights setting up her company to be a professional entity.

Emma is following through on her company’s vision. Emma Knights Productions aims to create new and immersive music experiences for audiences.

As an accredited tourism business, sustainable theatre is also of great importance to the business. By bringing shows into natural settings no consumption of resources is needed to create sets, shows are performed using natural light and waste is kept to a minimum. The company is going a step further for Oklahoma!, by having programs printed on seeded paper so they can be planted once used.

When you can smell the hay, be amongst real farm animals, taste delicious local produce, be part of the fair and the dance, and immerse yourself in the iconic and enduring love story that is Oklahoma!, you’re surely going to say, “I Cain’t Say No”.

What musical theatre lover would want to miss this?

Emma Knights Productions

Presents

Oklahoma!

Venue: Four Oaks Farm, 23 Downing Rd, Littlehampton.

Bookings:https://www.dramatix.com.au/events/1522

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/306769016160203/

Dates: January 7 at 10 am, Jan 8 at 6 pm, Jan 9 at 5pm, Jan 10 at 5pm. Doors open 30 mins prior to enjoy fair.

Tickets: Adult- $43;concession- $38; Children- $25