Those who have been fortunate enough to see Elizabeth Millington in action know she is a cheeky, highly insightful and evocative theatre maker and director, making her mark both here in Melbourne and internationally. Having witnessed a little of her work whilst being a photo-snapping fly-on-the-wall during rehearsal, Cazz couldn’t wait to sit down and chat with her about what made her creative mind tick.

What drew you to the script? Was there a part of the story or concept that particularly excited you as a theatre maker?
I love theatre that has ‘a world’. This script captures a time and place so different to our own. Transporting the audience is very important to me and what better world to visit than one where the Devil ambles through corn fields?

Was there a part of the narrative that particularly resonated with you?
Our society’s need for religion is explored very nicely in this play. Belief in an almighty force is a very interesting concept and I feel speaks volumes about our psychological need for a purpose.

The play is set in 1702, do you think the story and/or themes are still relevant today?
Any story, if told well, is always relevant. It is told by people, about people and so will always be true to the human condition. This work is about a young woman who cried witch to try win over the man she loved and now lives with the consequences – nothing has changed! 😉

There are lots of shades of both light and dark in the play, has that been difficult to navigate as a director?
Not at all! You can only really appreciate the light if you have an understanding of the dark. Lightness is very important if you want the audience to relate to the characters and follow them on a journey. The harder they laugh, the harder they will cry  – and we have definitely laughed more than the writer probably intended!

You have a background in working in immersive performance, have you drawn on that experience in your direction of this show?
What I love about immersive theatre is that the focus is on the audiences’ experience. The text, actors and design are all ingredients used to take the audience out of their own world and indulge in an environment created for them. With this production I have used snippets of these methods such as smell, and sound to help deepen their understanding of a world so far removed from our own.

With actor Pat Moonie during rehearsal

Has the process of developing Abigail 1702 been unique in any way to you- has it differed from your usual practices? Does that make process more of a challenge? 
Developing Abigail/1702 has been a little different. Finding the perfect balance between the realism of the characters and their supernatural world has been an exciting challenge. But the cast have been exceptionally generous and open to my often mad and unorthodox methods.

Without giving too much away, what can audiences expect with Abigail/1702?
This play allows you, the audience to make up your mind about whether Abigail deserves to be punished. And your feelings towards her may depend on your own personal baggage and moral compass. This story is not black and white. It is an unsettling battle between fear and reverence, belief and truth, love and lust. It is best to prepare with a holy chalice in one hand and a Ouija board in the other!

This is your first production with Boutique Theatre, how has it been working with them on this project? 
Fabulous! This is a company that is passionate about creating theatre that engages with its audience on a number of levels. They are not afraid to take risks and explore new ways of bringing exceptional theatre to the independent scene.

Working with bodily fluid replicas: best or worst part of the job? 
Love it. There is nothing like getting a late night text from your cast with in depth descriptions about where they found remnants of viscera post rehearsal.

The Australian premiere production of Abigail/1702 runs 14-30th July 2016

Old Council Chambers, Victorian Trades Hall, Victoria Street, Carlton.

Bookings at https://boutiquetheatre.com.au