Two's an Aussie party

Two Western Australians make their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut with Three’s Company, Two’s a party!, alongside Bristolian former disco dancer and comedian Jayde Adams, at Sweet Venues. Not forgetting to bring a spot of art to the work, Rambert Dance Company animateur Sarah Alexander provides a sprinkle of choreography to add to the comedic madness.

Quin Orton and Helen Duncan are both graduates of the WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts) Honours programme – Link. Helen was invited to be an artist in residence with the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre (MPAC) in May 2011. She is now based in Brighton after receiving an Australian Arts Council Artstart grant to partake in dance research in London, Brighton being where the two created and rehearsed this work. Quin, the work’s “fiery redhead”, has been living out of a suitcase since March, shifting from internship with Netherlands Dance Company, Club Guy and Roni to participating in workshops with in Avignon, Vienna and at Roberton Olivan’s baby DELTEBRE DANSA, her funding coming from a Department of Culture and Arts grant.

It is the relative isolation of Australasian dance (especially in Perth, the most isolated city in the world) that drove the two to head to European waters for greater exposure to contemporary art practices. A decidedly sporting nation, Australia is consistently breeding highly technical dance artists who head northwards for the concentration of performance and research.

Now that they have come all this way, in true Antipodean style they said to each other “wanna do our show at Edinburgh?” – “yer no worries”. Neither Helen nor Quin are quite sure when they are going home, but is certain they will inject a sense of laid-back fun into the dance proceedings in Edinburgh this year. They serve up a cocktail of dance, games and classic hits in what is Sweet Grassmarket’s only dance season this Fringe. There will be leopard print, sequins and dance highjinks!