29 Scenes acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we live, work, create, and gather. We pay our deep and enduring respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we are touring this work: the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Peoples of the Kulin Nation, and the Yorta Yorta Peoples of the land now comprising Greater Shepparton. We extend this respect to all First Nations people and their Elders, past, present, and emerging. We acknowledge and celebrate their enduring connections to Country, knowledge, and stories.
What do you do when you can’t look away?
In the quiet streets of an ordinary suburb, the fence between two neighbouring houses comes down. Where once there was a clear separation between you and the couple next door, now there’s only a dirt line and human decency keeping prying eyes out of each other’s backyards.
Except you’ve noticed they have a new baby and that she keeps locking herself out. And then there are the sounds late at night that have become impossible not to hear. Should you say something, do something? But is it what you think it is? And is it really your place to get involved?
Shortlisted for the 2022 Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award, The Fence is a scintillating solo work about privacy, bravery, and testimony by acclaimed playwright Fleur Murphy (Nothing, Hearth). Performed by Louisa Mignone (The Almighty Sometimes, Death of a Salesman, Fake, The Twelve), this gripping new play will lead you through the streets we know, shining a light on the violence found in our own backyards.
This production contains some flashing lights, theatrical haze, and references to, and descriptions of, intimate partner violence.
In the quiet streets of an ordinary suburb, the fence between two neighbouring houses comes down. Where once there was a clear separation between you and the couple next door, now there’s only a dirt line and human decency keeping prying eyes out of each other’s backyards.
Except you’ve noticed they have a new baby and that she keeps locking herself out. And then there are the sounds late at night that have become impossible not to hear. Should you say something, do something? But is it what you think it is? And is it really your place to get involved?
Shortlisted for the 2022 Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award, The Fence is a scintillating solo work about privacy, bravery, and testimony by acclaimed playwright Fleur Murphy (Nothing, Hearth). Performed by Louisa Mignone (The Almighty Sometimes, Death of a Salesman, Fake, The Twelve), this gripping new play will lead you through the streets we know, shining a light on the violence found in our own backyards.
This production contains some flashing lights, theatrical haze, and references to, and descriptions of, intimate partner violence.
2024 TOUR VENUES
The Round, Nunawadding
August 17 at 2pm & 8pm
Kingston Arts Centre, Moorabbin
August 23 at 7.30pm
Riverlinks Westside Mooroopna
August 31 at 7.30pm
Clocktower Theatre, Moonee Ponds
September 4 at 7.30pm
The Round, Nunawadding
August 17 at 2pm & 8pm
Kingston Arts Centre, Moorabbin
August 23 at 7.30pm
Riverlinks Westside Mooroopna
August 31 at 7.30pm
Clocktower Theatre, Moonee Ponds
September 4 at 7.30pm
Director's Note:
What are we like as neighbours?
Personally, I am pretty average. I know first names, we chat about the weather and who is dumping stuff on the nature strip.
What are we like as friends?
Since having kids I would have to own up to being a sub par friend. I don’t really do phone calls any more, I send emoji-laden text messages on birthdays (but only because my phone reminds me to), and I end our yearly ‘big night out’ at 10pm because I don’t want to deal with a rampaging toddler on less than six hours sleep.
But despite all that, would I recognise if my friend was in trouble? “Absolutely yes” I want to say.
Would I know if there was a life-threatening situation playing out right next door? “I definitely would” I want to say.
The Fence turns our gaze inward and asks our deepest selves whether we are truly up to the task of recognising violence hidden in plain sight. And then, if we recognise it, what are we prepared to do with that information? How would we walk that volatile tightrope?
It has been an immense pleasure to grow this new Australian work with Fleur, Lou and our stunning, smart team. The Fence is based on real experience. It makes a delicate and precise contribution from the point of view of a witness, to the ongoing urgent conversation about intimate partner violence in Australia.
- Alice Darling
Director
What are we like as neighbours?
Personally, I am pretty average. I know first names, we chat about the weather and who is dumping stuff on the nature strip.
What are we like as friends?
Since having kids I would have to own up to being a sub par friend. I don’t really do phone calls any more, I send emoji-laden text messages on birthdays (but only because my phone reminds me to), and I end our yearly ‘big night out’ at 10pm because I don’t want to deal with a rampaging toddler on less than six hours sleep.
But despite all that, would I recognise if my friend was in trouble? “Absolutely yes” I want to say.
Would I know if there was a life-threatening situation playing out right next door? “I definitely would” I want to say.
The Fence turns our gaze inward and asks our deepest selves whether we are truly up to the task of recognising violence hidden in plain sight. And then, if we recognise it, what are we prepared to do with that information? How would we walk that volatile tightrope?
It has been an immense pleasure to grow this new Australian work with Fleur, Lou and our stunning, smart team. The Fence is based on real experience. It makes a delicate and precise contribution from the point of view of a witness, to the ongoing urgent conversation about intimate partner violence in Australia.
- Alice Darling
Director
The Fence in rehearsals at The Round, August 2024.
Images supplied by The Round.
Images supplied by The Round.
CAST & CREATIVES
FLEUR MURPHY - PLAYWRIGHT
Originally from country Victoria and based in Naarm/Melbourne, Fleur is a playwright and theatre producer. Her award-nominated play The Fence premiered as part of Darebin Arts Speakeasy’s 2023 mainstage season and is touring locally and nationally throughout 2024 and 2025. Her immersive theatre production ROARING premiered in July 2024 to sold-out performances and widespread audience acclaim. In 2022 her play Hearth, selected for the 2022 VCAA Theatre Studies Playlist, opened at La Mama Courthouse in Melbourne and toured regionally throughout Victoria. The play was also longlisted for the Theatre503 Award in London, and shortlisted for the 2021 Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award. That same year her adaptation of Janne Teller’s award-winning young adult novel, Nothing, premiered at fortyfivedownstairs under the direction of Alonso Pineda. Her other plays include Shadows of Angels, which has been staged in Adelaide, Melbourne, regional Victoria and more recently in Edinburgh; My Country for a Peach (Vessel Arts & Arts Centre Melbourne 2016); and Don’t Say Bubba (Anglesea Performing Arts 2022, and shortlisted Top 10 for the 2023 Lysicrates Prize). |
LOUISA MIGNONE - PERFORMER "WOMAN"
Louisa performed the premiere season of The Fence for 29 Scenes and Darebin Arts Speakeasy in 2023 and is excited to be bringing this acclaimed work to a wider audience in 2024. Her other theatre credits include: The Almighty Sometimes (Melbourne Theatre Company); Death of a Salesman (GWB Entertainment/Red Line Productions); Anna K (Malthouse Theatre); Mortido(Belvoir); The Club (State Theatre Company South Australia); Antigone (Sport For Jove); The Pork Stiletto (The Old Fitzroy); The Boys (Griffin Theatre Company); Fugitive, Boom Bah! (Windmill Theatre); Actors At Work (Bell Shakespeare Company). She is a Graduate of the Flinders Drama Centre and founding member of Adelaide-based theatre company isthisyours?, formed with the women from her year, whose original works have toured nationally and picked up numerous awards. Louisa’s film and television highlights include; Fake, The Twelve (1), Scrublands, Australian Gangster, Ms Fisher’s MODern Murder Mysteries (1,2), Wentworth (8,9), Halifax Retribution, Secret City: Under the Eagle, Rake (2,3,4), How to Stay Married (2), Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Fat Tony & Co, My Place, East West 101, Infini, Two Fists One Heart, and Latte e Miele, which she also created. |
ALICE DARLING - DIRECTOR
Alice Darling (she/her) is a Naarm/Melbourne based theatre director passionate about new Australian writing and collaborative practice. Alice holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts (hons) from Flinders University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Performance Creation – Directing from the VCA. Alice is a Besen Artist Placement at the Malthouse in 2024 and was the inaugural graduate director at Red Stitch Actors Theatre in 2014. Alice’s directing credits include: The Exact Dimensions of Hell by Bridget Mackey (45downstairs), Rakali by Alexander Duncan (Nominated for Best Theatre - Melbourne Fringe 2023), The Fence by Fleur Murphy (Darebin Speakeasy), Top Acts 2022 (VCAA), RUST by Vaughn Rae & Sophie Joske (TBC Theatre), Thigh Gap by Jamaica Zuanetti (La Mama), FIERCE by Jane e Thompson (Theatre Works), The Chapel Perilous by Dorothy Hewett (Federation University), Catherine: the body politic by Caroline Lee (La Mama), Undercoat: a parafoxical tale by Cynthia Troup (La Mama), True West by Sam Shepard (Matchstick Theatre), Middletown by Will Eno (Red Stitch) and Kindness by Bridget Mackey (Theatre Works). |
FIONA STAFFORD - PRODUCER
Fiona Stafford is a freelance producer based in Melbourne, with over 15 years of diverse experience in the arts and entertainment industry. Throughout her career, Fiona has taken on various roles, including artist management, immigration services, publicity and marketing, and event and operations management. Her breadth of experience has allowed her to develop a well-rounded skill set and a deep understanding of the industry's intricacies. Currently, Fiona is the Operations Manager at the iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl, overseeing the day-to-day operations of one of Australia's most renowned outdoor performance venues. Her role at the Bowl allows her to blend her organisational expertise with her passion for the arts, contributing to successfully executing a wide range of events, from large-scale concerts and festivals to community gatherings. In addition to her role at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Fiona made her debut as an independent theatre producer with the production HEARTH (29 Scenes). This project marked a significant milestone in her career, providing her with the opportunity to expand her skills and immerse herself in the world of independent theatre. HEARTH reflects Fiona's commitment to nurturing and supporting emerging theatre-makers, particularly in the development, staging, and touring of new Australian works. Fiona's passion for supporting emerging voices in theatre is further exemplified by her work on The Fence (29 Scenes). Her involvement in this production highlights her dedication to bringing compelling and socially relevant stories to the stage, showcasing her ability to collaborate with talented playwrights and directors. Looking ahead, Fiona is excited to continue her collaboration with 29 Scenes, focusing on presenting innovative and thought-provoking productions. Her dedication to fostering creativity and supporting independent artists remains at the core of her work, driving her to seek out new opportunities and challenges in the arts. |
TOM ROYCE-HAMPTOM - CREATIVE PRODUCER
Tom Royce-Hampton is a director, creative producer, and artist based in Melbourne/Naarm. He is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts School of Music, Actors Centre Australia, and the VCA’s 2020 Master of Theatre (Directing). Tom began his career as a member of Taikoz, Australia’s leading taiko ensemble, with whom he toured nationally and internationally for over a decade, performing with a diverse range of artists and companies including Lingalayam Dance Company, Matthew Doyle, Kaoru Watanabe, Douglas Dunn + Dancers, Sandy Evans, Synergy, Eitetsu Fuun no Kai, and Kodo, as well as in concerto performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and Dresden Sinfonika. Tom’s directing credits include: Bernhardt/Hamlet (Assistant Fight and Movement Director) for Melbourne Theatre Company; Hearth(Director) for 29 Scenes; Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream(Assistant Fight and Movement Director) for Bell Shakespeare; ABYSS (Director) and Machinal (Assistant Director) for VCA Theatre School; The View Upstairs (Assistant Director) for Sugary Rum Productions; and the Australia and India tour of Chi Udaka (Director) for Taikoz. Tom is passionate about developing new Australian work across film and theatre. He is a founding member of the independent theatre company 29 Scenes and the production company Brickwood Films. He directed Fleur Murphy’s Hearth for 29 Scenes, presented by La Mama Theatre in 2021, and produced Murphy’s follow-up play The Fence for 29 Scenes and Darebin Speakeasy in 2023, with subsequent tours scheduled for 2024 and 2025. Tom’s video work Name, Height, Location… was the catalyst for the group exhibition RENDITIONS by Cura8 for Project 8 Gallery in 2023. |
SIDNEY MILLAR - SOUND DESIGN/COMPOSITION & STAGE MANAGER
Sidney is an award-winning composer and sound designer for theatre, dance, film and installations. Her unique style has emerged from her extensive experience as a performer and composer of classical and jazz music. She particularly enjoys using sound and music to create emotional states and subtle tensions in a work. Sidney studied a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) degree at the Victorian College of the Arts. Design highlights include WILD, Girls & Boys (Melbourne Theatre Company); Bread Crumbs (Poppy Seed Festival); The Fence (Darebin Speakeasy), The Exact Dimensions of Hell (fortyfivedownstairs), Crazy Brave (dir. Melanie Beddie), and Lou Wall’s Drag Race (Melbourne Fringe). Sidney was the Associate Sound Designer to Russell Goldsmith for Angels In America (dir. Gary Abrahams); and FIERCE (Theatre Works). Sidney's other interests include lighting, visual art, stage and production management. In 2016 she was nominated for the Union House Theatre Stage Management Award for the musical Rent. In 2018 she participated in Melbourne Theatre Company’s Women in Theatre program. Sidney is based between Melbourne (Naarm) and Adelaide (Tarndanya). |
CLARE SPRINGETT - LIGHTING DESIGN & ASM
Clare is Greenroom Award nominated lighting designer and theatre maker based in Naarm (Melbourne). Clare was the resident lighting designer at Red Stitch Actors Theatre for 7 years, she has participated the Besen Artist Placement at the Malthouse and in MTC’s Women in Theatre Program 2018/2019. Clare’s recent productions include: The Platypus – with Francis Greenslade, Unfunny – with Tim Minchin, Dream Factory - Rollercoaster Theatre, The Fence (Round 1) – Fleur Murphy and 29 Scenes |
KARINE LARCHÉ - SET & COSTUME DESIGN
Karine is a Set and Costume designer based in Melbourne. Her most recent credits include Set Design Associate for Hour of the Wolf, ( Dir. Matt Lutton, Malthouse Theatre) under set designer Anna Cordingley, Set and Costume Design for The Fence, (Dir. Alice Darling, Northcote Town Hall) , Costume Design for Underneath Ms Archer, (Dir. Peter Houghton, St Martins), Set and Costume Design for Atlantis (Dir. Bella Vadiveloo, Malthouse Theatre), Costume Design for Laurinda ( Dir. Petra Kalive, Melbourne Theatre Company), Costume Design for Gugu naGogo, (Dir. Taku Mbudzi, ABC/ Screen Australia short film). Karine was born in Mauritius. Although always drawing, she also had a taste for stories and was very good at grammar. At the end of her secondary studies, Karine was awarded a scholarship to study literature in Paris. After graduating from a Master at La Sorbonne Nouvelle, she decided to pursue her penchant for the Arts and graduated 3 years later from the Costume Department of ENSATT- École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre, Lyon. For the decade that followed, Karine worked as a costumier in France and in Australia, mainly at The Australian Ballet. In 2019, Karine enrolled in the Master of Design for Performance at VCA- Victorian College of the Arts/ University of Melbourne, to realise her lifelong dream of designing sets and costumes, and has recently graduated with first class honours. During her time at VCA, Karine has been awarded the Portland House Outreach Program Scholarship, the Trina Parker Scholarship and the Jim Marks Postgraduate Scholarship. After VCA, Karine completed the Besen Family Artist Program ( Set and Costume Design) at Malthouse Theatre. |
If you or someone you know needs information or support, these organisations are here to help:
SAFE STEPS: A confidential and supportive family violence responsive line for Victoria. Phone service available 24/7 at 1800 015 188 or visit safe steps.org.au
1800 RESPECT: A 24-hour national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling service. Call 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au
BEYOND BLUE: Information and support for anxiety, depression and suicide prevention. Call 1300 224 636 or visit beyondblue.org.au
LIFELINE: A 24-hour national crisis support and suicide prevention service. Call 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au
WHITE RIBBON AUSTRALIA: Information and resources for the prevention of gendered violence. Visit whiteribbon.org.au
MEN'S REFERRAL SERVICE: Advice for men about family violence. Call 1300 766 491 or visit ntv.org.au/get-help
13 YARN: Free and confidential 24-hour phoneline offering yarning opportunity and support with trained Lifeline Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis supporters. Call 13 92 76 or visit 13yarn.org.au
SAFE STEPS: A confidential and supportive family violence responsive line for Victoria. Phone service available 24/7 at 1800 015 188 or visit safe steps.org.au
1800 RESPECT: A 24-hour national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling service. Call 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au
BEYOND BLUE: Information and support for anxiety, depression and suicide prevention. Call 1300 224 636 or visit beyondblue.org.au
LIFELINE: A 24-hour national crisis support and suicide prevention service. Call 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au
WHITE RIBBON AUSTRALIA: Information and resources for the prevention of gendered violence. Visit whiteribbon.org.au
MEN'S REFERRAL SERVICE: Advice for men about family violence. Call 1300 766 491 or visit ntv.org.au/get-help
13 YARN: Free and confidential 24-hour phoneline offering yarning opportunity and support with trained Lifeline Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis supporters. Call 13 92 76 or visit 13yarn.org.au
The following document has been developed by the Whitehorse City Council.
