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Body Collision:the work of this globally-dispersed
cyberformance troupe is devised online by the four Colliders, with scripts
developed from improvisations and chat dialogue. Helen contributes to
the shaping of scripts and was the main writer of texts for "swim
- an exercise in remote intimacy".
Playwriting: three stage plays professionally
produced, in Dunedin and Wellington (NZ), 1992-2001; and a fourth waiting
in the wings.
Water[war]s:
participation in Jill Greenhalgh's ongoing performance installation
project, Water[war]s, in 2001, 2002 and 2003, including scripting and
presenting a cyberformance and editing texts that were projected and
displayed during the installations and performances
Dating,
Relating and Performing Inside the Internet - an article about the
cyberformance "swim - an exercise in remote intimacy", in
the third issue of Artefact, "Technomythologies", edited by
Marina Grzinic, November 2004;
Magdalena Australia - report on
the Magdalena Australia International Festival of Women's Performance,
6-16 April 2003;
"Avatars in Cyberspace", published in the 2003 issue of
The Open Page;
A Month of New Media and Theatre
- a report on the Medi@terra festival of new media and ANET festival
of independent theatre, December 2002;
web column for the NZ
Infotech (2001-02); the articles have been archived and are only
accessible to stuff.co.nz subscribers - here is a sample
article (on genetic engineering sites);
"From paper and ink to pixels and links",
an article on the impact of the internet on theatre - cyber stages,
email collaborations, hypertexts - published in the 2001 issue of the
Open
Page.
Nice Little Learner: Helen assisted in editing the content for this
CD-ROM, produced as a financial education tool for Scottish high schools
(2000).
Creative Explorer:
Helen researched and wrote the text for Creative Explorer, a comprehensive
CD-ROM on the arts of New Zealand (1996-97). This included in-depth
interviews with the six featured artists, sourcing and copyright clearing
hundreds of images, and researching hundreds of related artists and
topics. She also assisted with the layout, testing and project management.
"... a very comprehensive resource and an extremely rich source of information."
Computers In New Zealand Schools
editing Dance News for The Royal New Zealand Ballet (1996-99);
editing the Magdalena Aotearoa newsletter (since 1998);
editing DANZ Magazine (1996-97).
Playwriting
Phone Jam
As yet unperformed, Phone Jam is the story of a woman trapped in
a phone box. Physical theatre, sheer poetry and universal truths are squeezed
into this confined space and played out within the complexity of contemporary
human communication. The script received a professional workshop with
New Theatre Initiatives in Auckland, NZ (Feb-April 2002), and is now eager
to see the light of the stage.
Between
"... a treasure of a play ... delightful yet profound." John Smythe,
National Business Review
Commissioned by the Young and Hungry Trust in 1999, Between is
a one act play for five actors, exploring the transition from childhood
to adulthood and the role of imagination in that transition. Premiered
at the 2001 NZ Fringe Festival; performed
at Aurora
College, Invercargill, NZ, June 2010 (images from this performance at right).
Risky/Risque
"...rapturously rich, refreshingly real."Capital Times
"Helen Jamieson tackles head on the subject of lesbians and AIDS and,
miraculously, she has done it with humour and feeling and without sentimentality
and gloom." Evening Post
Performed at BATS Theatre, Wellington, during the 1995 Devotion Festival,
Risky/Risque is a dark comedy about the impact of AIDS on two women's
relationship.
Women Like Us
"... a powerful play. As a debut full-length production it represented
an achievement little short of staggering." The Listener
"...crisp and challenging, sprinkled with moments of hilarity." City
Voice
Commissioned by the Suffrage Centenary Trust in 1993, Women Like
Us celebrates the little-documented history of women in New Zealand
politics. It was first performed at the Globe Theatre, Dunedin in 1993
and then at Taki Rua Theatre, Wellington during the 1994 Fringe Festival.
It is a two act play for three actors, who play more than 25 characters.
It's funny, too.
