Rebecca Bradley, Assistant Director and Performer
Rebecca is a theatre maker with a passion for creating impactful and inspirational theatrical experiences. As a skilled puppeteer, musician, clown, physical performer, and facilitator, she has spent much of her career traveling extensively throughout Australia, Europe, Indonesia, and Latin America, working, training and teaching in her field.
Rebecca has worked with Spare Parts Puppet Theatre since 2005 on numerous shows including Tim Winton’s Blue Back, (2010) Shaun Tan’s Tales from Outer Suburbia (2013), Moominpapa at Sea (2014) and Farm (2014) for which she received a nomination for best supporting actress from Performing Arts WA.
She has worked independently with international companies such as Teatro de Los Sentidos, (Spain) and Les Commando Percu (France) for the Perth International Arts Festival.
In 2010 she became a core artist and musician for Sensorium Theatre, and has toured extensively with the company since. Rebecca is also a certified Yoga and TaKeTiNa teacher.
Where are you from?
Perth, Western Australia
What character do you play in Rules of Summer/What do you like about playing your character?
I play an “agent of the imagination” who is constantly curious and creative and has many magical moments of discovery in the show. I love that I get to dress like a special agent and play with a super powerful torch to illuminate the darkness and make shadows. I also love that I get to interact directly with the audience in very fun ways!
Which of the senses could you never give up and why?
My sense of hearing: nothing moves me more than music – I’d hate to never be able to hear it!
What is a rule that you never break?
Never say never.
What is your always rule?
Always be kind to yourself and others.
Why did you want to become a performer?
Early on, I discovered performing gave me the chance to ignite my imagination, to change space and time, to play, create and have fun; and often people would applaud me for doing so. This seemed like a pretty awesome thing to do! I’ve since learned there is much more to performing. It is a constant investigation of human behaviour, impulse, rhythm, connection, intention and presence in order to tell a story we feel is worthwhile.
Who inspires you?
People who have a dream and make the brave choice to pursue it.
If I wanted to become a performer what advice would you give to me?
Be prepared to get comfortable with change and the unknown. Everything about this job constantly changes: the roles, the projects, the people you work with, the places you work, the hours, what skills are required of you. Often, you don’t know where you’ll be and what work you’ll be doing so far in advance. With this comes a sense of freedom and equally a sense of uncertainty that can be unnerving. That is, until you accept that as how you live and learn to trust that everything will work out. Yet, like any thing: if you really want it and really work hard, the rewards will be worth it. You’ll never be bored – that’s for sure!