Lisa O'Neill | The Weekend Edition

Lisa O’Neill, Performer, RRAMP, Brisbane Powerhouse

Making the work you want to make and having an impact on people ...

Love, loss and pet chickens are what you’ll find in the satiric, black comedy RRAMP: the Collector, the Archivist & the Electrocrat premiering at Brisbane Powerhouse this weekend. A collaboration between Lisa O’Neill, Christine Johnston and Peter Nelson, RRAMP combines animation, electronica, dance and storytelling to form a contemporary performance piece. With her Archivist (Lisa) and Electrocat (Peter) on board, the Collector (Christine) sifts through a collection of memories stored in jars, files her ever-building pile of paperwork and lives out her dream of having a band. With a resume ranging from dance and theatre to writing graphic novels and teaching acting at Southbank Institute of Technology, polymath Lisa O’Neill has a history of delving into new depths of off-beat new media performance. The Weekend Edition caught up with Lisa to chat weekends before RRAMP makes its debut this weekend.

By Linsey Rendell

How do you like to start your weekend?
Stay in bed with a coffee and my cat.

What’s your favourite thing to do on a Saturday morning?
Potter around my little flat.

How do you like to unwind?
Sitting still and thinking … and watching documentaries.

What are your essentials for a well-spent weekend?
A little bit of rest … a little bit of work …

What’s something you’ve been meaning to do on the weekend but haven’t got around to yet?
There is always reading to catch up on.

What’s your favourite thing to do on a Sunday evening?
Staying in and not having to go out.

What are you looking forward to next weekend?
With a new show looming closer I will spend the weekend thinking about this.

What are you reading at the moment?
Thrill Seekers by a local writer Edwina Shaw.

What inspires you?
Viewing great work! Whether it be live performance, music or any event or person that has a deep impact on me.

What was your childhood dream?
To dance professionally.

What has been your greatest achievement?
In terms of my career, making performance work, teaching and travelling.

What is success to you?
Making the work you want to make and having an impact on people.

What are your words of wisdom?
Not sure about words of wisdom … but I tell my students not to waste one moment of time as these moments strung together make up your quality of life and work.

Only a local would know that … sometimes a local doesn’t know.

FAVOURITE WEEKEND SPOT TO:
Perk up … Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm
Relax … At home
Dine … The Crosstown Eating House, Woolloongabba
Indulge … Choquette, New Farm
Shop … Not a shopper
Catch-up … Back veranda
Be inspired … Anywhere I can see great work!