The Quadrangle: Sharing the unfiltered voices of children

The Quadrangle is a unique verbatim theatre performance that explores the candid perspectives of young people, as actors present live interviews with children and relay the words exactly as they hear them, without any embellishment. Accompanied by live music, this collaborative performance from Barking Gecko Theatre Company and Perth-based performance company Whiskey & Boots will capture the raw, heartfelt, and humorous insights of children at Rehearsal Room 1 at State Theatre Centre of WA from Thursday, January 23 to Saturday, February 1—with tickets on sale now. BRAYDEN EDWARDS caught up with the team at Whiskey & Boots to find out more.

Congratulations on bringing The Quadrangle to Fringe World 2025! With the show having been around for a couple of years now, how does it feel to be bringing it to the Fringe stage this summer?

Thank you! It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to be a part of Fringe again and be collaborating with Barking Gecko Arts to boot! The last time Georgia and I performed in the Fringe was in 2017 with our award-winning show The One by Jeffrey Jay Fowler, so it’s nice to be back!

The Quadrangle is described as a ‘unique Headphone Verbatim Performance’ that includes live music and recorded interviews with young children. Where did the idea for this come from, and how does it work as a performance? 

We have been working with Headphone Verbatim for about eight years now. We were introduced to the form by a good friend of ours, Alex Nell, and both thought what a great way to tell people’s stories.

Georgia had an idea for a show called Mama Stitch, which was our first work combining headphone verbatim, music and storytelling. We included one young person for this show in the mix of adults, and we loved it so much we thought, let’s make a whole show about young people using this model of performance making.

The way it works is we hear the participant’s interviews through the headphones and speak their words as we hear them without embellishment. We become a conduit for their voices. Each story is soundtracked, and a song is composed by our musicians on the team and performed live in direct response to each story or interview.

Having young participants involved in the show would certainly be entertaining! What’s something funny or amusing you heard a child say in the previous seasons of the show?

So many things; it’s hard to pick only one! “I live in Subiaco, and there’s graffiti printed Snobiaco, which basically sums up my whole town—no offence to everyone who lives in Subiaco, but I think we can all agree we are a very privileged neighbourhood!”

And what’s the most wise or profound thing you have heard a kid say as a part of the shows?

One of the most profound or wise things we have heard is, “To the young people, your story has just begun, and for the grown-ups, your story will never end.”

The Quadrangle has had successful seasons at the Hamilton Hill Memorial Hall in 2024 and Midland Junction Arts Centre in 2022. What kind of responses did you get from audiences at those shows that made you want to build on that with this Fringe season?

The response was very positive. I think people are genuinely surprised by some of the things kids say! We also think it’s slightly nostalgic for an audience who might be inspired to think about the kind of young person they were and the kind of adult they are now.

The show’s content is delivered by the voices of young people, but the show is definitely for adults or families.

The show is a co-production between Whiskey & Boots and Barking Gecko Arts, which aims to inspire and educate young minds. Why do you think it is important to have children’s voices and stories at the forefront like this?

Both Georgia and I work with young people a lot and are constantly surprised and inspired by how articulate and engaged in the world they are. We think they don’t get enough credit for this and are often dismissed for their opinions.

The Quadrangle aligns with Barking Gecko Arts to inspire and educate, but also to spotlight the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of young people and that adults might need to listen more closely to some of the things they say.

The Quadrangle is showing at Rehearsal Room 1 at State Theatre Centre of WA from Thursday, January 23 to Saturday, February 1, 2025. Tickets are on sale now from fringeworld.com.au