Former Castlemaine local and talented singer and actress Eleanor Barkla is currently starring in the Melbourne Theatre Company’s award-winning Education & Families program production I Wanna Be Yours.
The widely acclaimed debut play from London Laureate and poetry slam champion Zia Ahmed opened last Monday at the Lawler Theatre Southbank.
Local audiences will have the chance to catch the production when it comes to Bendigo’s Ulumbarra Theatre for one special performance as part of a regional tour on Friday June 9.
The modern-day romance explores the complexities of cross-cultural relationships and questions whether love really is all you need?
Eleanor is delighted to have secured the lead role of Ella opposite fellow MTC debutante Oz Malik who plays Haseeb and the production is directed by Melbourne Theatre Company Resident Director Tasnim Hossain.
Haseeb and Ella meet at a performance workshop. From opposite sides of the Thames, he’s a poet and she’s an actor hired to help him with his enunciation. Their attraction is immediate. They start dating, get serious and fall in love. Soon there is each other’s family and friends to navigate, and then big questions about the future. Can their love surpass the cultural and physical boundaries between them?
The production debuted at the London’s renowned Bush Theatre in 2019 and makes its Aussie debut at the MTC.
The show has already had some notable press including an interview with its creator in The Age recently.
Director Tasnim Hossain says there’s such humanity to the work.
“I think that makes it easy to connect with but it feels particularly relevant for young people, people from diverse backgrounds, and people from regional areas, as Haseeb and Ella are. We have an extraordinary team, many of whom are making their Melbourne Theatre Company debuts, bringing this intimate love story to blazing life,” she said.
Eleanor said she is thrilled to be part of the MTC production which explores the themes of love, racism and the subtle microaggressions many endure on a day to day basis around race, gender or class.
Eleanor attended school at St Mary’s Castlemaine and secondary school at Sacred Heart Kyneton.
The local performer studied Bachelor of Arts (Acting) at Federation University Arts Academy from 2016-2018, in Ballarat.
“I am so grateful for my training there. It was so comprehensive and there was real emphasis on collaboration and community, which I feel is the only way to approach performing arts, especially when you’re starting out. No one gets a gold star for going it alone! I’m still extremely close with many of my peers now,” she said.
Many locals would recognise Eleanor as a regular at the annual Rotary Castlemaine Carols by Candlelight in Victory Park.
Her other theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Prague) (The Australian Shakespeare Company); Bright Star (Three’s A Crowd); and Analog (Three Fates Theatre Company). On screen, Eleanor’s recent credits include the SBS drama series New Gold Mountain.
The performer is excited to make her debut with the MTC.
“It is a dream come true if I am being honest. It’s a real pleasure and privilege to be working with such a highly regarded company,” she said.
What does the local actor hope audiences will take away from the performance?
“My hope is that audiences see a little bit of themselves in this show, or at least see something familiar to them. As human beings, we’re wired to engage with ‘challenging’ stories much more openly when they feel familiar, when we recognise ourselves or others within them. This then sparks conversation, which plants the seed for change,” she said.
The show is recommended for theatre goers 14+. Tickets for the MTC Family and Education program regional events are free, but bookings are essential at boxoffice.gotix.com.au