“The Brothers Grimm watered them down, they are the guys who committed them to the page but the stories all existed and they were just stories, more for adults than for children,” Nicholas notes. “They were very dark. They came from the mediaeval times when there was torture happening, people were doing those types of things. They were gruesome. They were also juicier. In the original story Rapunzel had an affair with the prince before they got married. Her stomach grew and her clothes no longer fitted. The part of the story that related to her pregnancy was edited out. I wondered what life was like after the fairy tale ended.” Nicholas has created a cast of 15 characters to answer that question in After Ever After, the heroines and heroes of the fairy tales now middle-aged. “Life has gone on,” she says. “It’s not a new idea – there’s a lot of fan fiction in every genre. Everyone has their own version of what happens.”
Nicholas says this show has been baking in her mind for “a long, long time”. “The seed came from an improvisation actors’ workshop I did with Randy Dickson. Everyone knows these characters, we all know these stories.” In comparison to last year’s show, Death Rides a Horse, which Nicholas says flowed out of her, After Ever After has required much more in terms of writing.
“My biggest challenge – the discipline of writing a script. I’m an improviser; I think on my feet. I’m not a writer per se. I get itchy feet writing dialogue, scenes, story structure; I want to be up doing it. This show required a lot more tweaking. It’s been an interesting writing journey. I did some research. I have an acting background so I think about characters and their backstories – all that’s important to an actor.”
What has she needed to do in terms of putting the show together? “For this show I watched a lot of movies, telly shows, read a few versions of fairy tales, which are watered down versions of stories that are actually very dark. I have a story arc, and a clear idea about what I want through the written word – I’ve got good instincts for studying story.” Nicholas can see the progress she has made from even a year ago. “This show has grown me as a performer,” she says. “Through the collaboration with a director.”
Being one of the recipients of this year’s Moosehead Award has made a huge difference to her. “It’s so valuable,” she says. “I’ve been able to just create the work. I don’t have to produce or publicise it. I love the fact that the Moosehead comes at comedy from a creative point of view; it’s not all about stand-up. They look at all kinds of comedy. It’s such a Melbourne thing. It’s an amazing award, more like a grant really. You get the support so you can go and be the performer.”
So what does happen to Little Red Riding Hood? “I like strong independent female protagonists, a female hero,” answers Nicholas. “But I also like a love story; I’m a bit of a softie. My angle is that life’s not perfect. Shit goes down. There are no happy endings. We have to deal with things and life goes on. Crazy stuff happens.”
BY LIZA DEZFOULI
