Action Hero Arts House Residency

Overview

Acclaimed live art duo Action Hero is taking over the stage for a week and a half-long residency at Arts House in North Melbourne. Between May 24 and June 3, Bristol-based performers James Stenhouse and Gemma Paintin will present a trio of shows, each of which will explore pop culture iconography "as a weapon and as a shared cultural memory".

The takeover begins with Hoke's Bluff (May 24–27), a show that mines the cornball tropes of underdog sports movies to find genuine beauty amidst the myths of modern day America. Up next comes Slap Talk (May 28), a six hour-long shouting match inspired by the verbal violence of 24-hour news channels. The show is free, with viewers welcome to enter and exit at any time.

Last but not least, Wrecking Ball (May 31 to June 3) is described as "a funny, surreal and unsettling play" about a female celebrity and a male photographer that explores subtle questions of power, abuse, consent and control.