Roshelle fong 方伊貝
Multidisciplinary Artist
Past shows
Laurinda
Melbourne Theatre Company (6 Aug - 10 Sept 2022)
Roshelle was Assistant Director, part of Melbourne Theatre Company's Minter-Ellison Future Directors' program. More here.
Adapting Alice Pung’s award-winning book, writer and comedian Diana Nguyen and director Petra Kalive bring Laurinda’s schoolyard setting to the stage. Like Heathers or Mean Girls with a uniquely Australian flavour & featuring an all Asian ensemble cast, this delightful take on the beloved novel stars Fiona Choi (The Family Law), Gemma Chua-Tran (Netflix's Heartbreak High), Georgina Naidu (Minnie & Liraz), Chi Nguyen (The Wilds), Ngoc Phan (Boy Swallows Universe), Roy Phung (Jasper Jones) and Jenny Zhou (Girl, Interpreted).
Ruthless World
Melbourne Fringe Festival, 14-17 October 2021
Livestreamed on Zoom
Winner of the Melbourne Fringe Head Room Award supported by RISING
Ruthless World was assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and by Creative Victoria's Sustaining Creative Workers fund.
This project was amplified by Melbourne Fringe as part of the Cash For Creatives Program.
In this psychedelic journey of spoken word, performance and projection art, heart-broken poet Ruth Lee is guided by Dr. Seveer down an unconventional route to self love. Using the Doctor’s patented ‘Heart Solve Matchy Match’ app, Ruth must date everyone from a critical plastic surgeon to a self-flagellating dog poo. Will the dumpster fire of the dating world help Ruth find inner peace? Or send her into an unthinkable worm-hole she may never escape from...?
Performer, Writer, Co-Director: Roshelle Fong
Co-Director, Editor: Helen He
Produced by: Ken Chau and Christie Widiarto
Animations by: Derrick Duan and Christie Widiarto
Poems by: Ken Chau
Sound and Music: Paxus Productions
Concept by: Roshelle Fong, Helen He, Caroline Jiang, Christie Widiarto, Ken Chau and Derrick Duan
AUSLAN interpreter: Scarlette Baccini
Videography and Technical support by: Daniel Last
Poona
Presented by Next Wave in association with the Chinese Museum, 11-23 May 2021
Poona was commissioned by Next Wave for Next Wave Festival 2020 through Kickstart. Supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body and by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants Program.
Welcome to 2050. The country is witnessing one of the tightest presidential runs in history, with one-time underdog, independent party candidate Poona Li Hung, now an unlikely frontrunner. In 1997, the controversial book, Pauline Hanson: The Truth imagined Australia in the year 2050, run by Poona, a “lesbian… of Indian and Chinese background” and… a cyborg. Roshelle Fong and Keziah Warner bring Poona to life in this necessary and timely interactive theatre work. As a Poona staffer on the campaign trail, only you can navigate the election cycle to determine your candidate’s future. Fasten your ‘Vote Poona’ badge, collect that last-minute polling data, and brace yourself – will Poona be voted Cyborg in Chief? The fate of the nation is up to you.
Creator & Producer: Roshelle Fong
Creator & Assistant Director: Keziah Warner
Director: Isabella Vadiveloo
Lighting Designer: Rachel Lee
Set and Costume Designer: Matilda Woodroofe
Sound Designer: Jess Keeffe
Script Consultants: Kat Clarke, Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa, Lisa Dethridge
Cast: Emina Ashman, Cecilia Low, Cheryl Ho and Elsa Tuet-Rosenberg
Graphic and Web Designer: Vy Ray
Can art: Kim Lam
Stage Manager: Steph Young
Image © Theresa Harrison
⭐️ Reviews ⭐️
“Poona ★★★½ High-wattage performances from the cast energise this glamorous and inventive experimental work, which combines upbeat comedy and political soap with an interactive examination of contemporary issues in Australian politics and society, viewed through the prism of robot/human tensions.”
- The Age, Cameron Woodhead
“Roshelle and Keziah have loaded Poona with lots of great ideas and the lead character is a nexus for intersectionality, but a lot of the drama relies on the tropes of modern-day political dramas to feed the narrative of the piece…There are some beautifully theatrical moments that come from energetic performances coupled with exquisite sound, lighting and projection work.”
“I have always had, and will continue to have, a soft spot for interactive and immersive works. In 2021, Poona more than scratched that that itch. Created by Roshelle Fong and Keziah Warner, Poona was a highly entertaining, creative and considered theatrical experience.”
- #1 My Melbourne Arts’ Top 10 Shows of 2021
Zoophobia
An anti-racism card game for primary and secondary school students. Play it now here: www.zoophobia.com.au
This card game was supported by City of Melbourne's COVID-19 arts grant, and the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body and by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants Program.
Co-created by: Ngioka Bunda-Heath, Roshelle Fong, Elsa Tuet-Rosenberg
Online game programmed by: Minh Bui, Cam Melville
Thirsty!
A detective noir interactive performance piece for the quarantine era. Audience members help Melanie Wong track down the person who committed a hate crime against her uncle.
By dating him.
Created by Roshelle Fong
Devised and performed with Daniel Last
Technical Director David Bergman
Broadcast Director Khym Scott
⭐️ Review ⭐️
“My fav aspect of the show is how the cast convert the suggestions ... ‘tell him you are hungry!’ becomes ‘I have a bit of tum tum.’ Plus an eagle eyed watcher can see words or phrases pop from the chat screen into the mouth of the actors even, sometimes, a reversal of input - schmicko!…There are well created inserts, like Jared’s Insta feed, with some excellent choices of audio effects and the vision involves smooth intercuts between laptop cameras and two larger area spy cams. But it is the cast who greatly impress considering the input that performer/ devisors Roshelle Fong and Daniel Last must be getting. That’s where the support of the structure of the piece really shows the work involved…This is raw, improvisational and immediate work which has a deceptively well created plot, a great deal of style and a form that takes murder parties to a new level…”
*Griffin Lock-In, Live-streamed 25 April 2020
*Google Creative Lab's 'Theatre, Made for the Internet', Live-streamed 21 May 2020
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Zhujiajiao 朱家角, Shanghai 上海 9-11 August 2019
In partnership with Untitled Space 无题空间 Artist Residency
Supported by the Ian Potter Cultural Trust
Writer, Director, Producer: Roshelle Fong
Sound Designer: Jess Keeffe
Dramaturg: Keziah Warner
Graphic Designer: Vy Ray
Translator: George Liu Zhen
Immersive Design Consultant: Tara O’Con
Cast: Maggie Guan, Hao Zhenge, He Xiangyun, Daniel Last, Sharon Zhang
⭐️ Media ⭐️
Listen to my interview on ABC Radio National with The Stage Show’s Michael Cathcart ‘Staging a show abroad - nomnomnom goes to China’ here.
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Writer, Director, Producer: Roshelle Fong
Lighting Designer: John Harrison
Sound Designer: Jess Keeffe
Dramaturg: Keziah Warner
Graphic designer: Vy Ray
Artist: Chanel Tobler
Cast: Gabrielle Chan, Daniel Last, Roshelle Fong, Seaton Kay-Smith, Jeeves Verma, Susan Young
Image © Carol Cho
⭐️ Review ⭐️
“Nomnomnom has an important message for its audience. One that reinforces the importance of being receptive to those in need of support and help, especially when it comes out of the blue…If you’re looking for theatre that is completely outside of the box (or you just want to run around the streets of Kings Cross and enter strangers’ houses for the sake of theatre), Nomnomnom is an all-round enjoyable experience that will have you both laughing and crying…”
-Rosie Niven, Theatre Travels
Kings Cross Theatre, Sydney 4-12 June 2019
Part of Kings Cross Hotel's Vivid Programming
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Testing Grounds 9-12 May 2019
Supported by City of Melbourne Arts Grants Program and the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body
Curator, Director, Producer: Roshelle Fong
Writers: Kat Clarke, Grace De Morgan, Scott Sneddon, Keziah Warner
Set & Costume Designer: Eloise Kent
Lighting Designer: Michelle Thorne
Sound Designer: Jess Keeffe
Dramaturg: Keziah Warner
Portal Design & Build: Britt Salt & Lucy Hughes
Graphic & Web Designer: Vy Ray
Cast: Liz Connors, John Marc Desengano, Emil Freund, Daniel Last, Anna Thomson, Ra Chapman, Phoebe Mason, Sermsah Bin Saad, Ben Clements, Yuchen Wang, Scott Sneddon
Image © James Henry
⭐️ Reviews ⭐️
“In its execution and intent, nomnomnom is unique and fascinating work, an unexpected delight that tracks through time in a surprising recontextualisation of the ubiquitous gig economy. There’s genuine delight in taking part in the work, a delight that is shared by the performers and audience alike. The audience is close to the action and almost feel like kids playing make-believe…Intriguing and unexpected from beginning to the end.”
-Xia Cui, Peril Magazine (Asian Australian Arts & Culture)
“Nomnomnom at Testing Grounds was phenomenal. A thought-provoking, clever, funny, life affirming, wacky, joyful journey forward and back in time. An inter-timensional invitation to think about the present - about the world as it is now.”
– Amy Hardingham, Bell Shakespeare (Community Partnerships Advisor)
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Adaptation of the immersive food delivery show in East Icelandic town of 670 inhabitants, Seyðisfjörður. In association with HEIMA artist residency with all proceeds going towards local charity.
Writer, Director, Producer: Roshelle Fong
Sound Designer: Liam Power
Dramaturg: Keziah Warner
Artist: Chanel Tobler
Cast: Steiner Gunnar Steinarsson, Lilja Kjerúlf, Nanna Vibe S. Juelsbo, Illugi Arinbjörn Már Jónsson, Jim van Woensel, Ludvík Praspaliauskas, Tora Sanden Døskeland, Anna Henningsen, Hildur Iðunn Sverrisdóttir
Seyðisfjörður 13-16 December 2018
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Coburg Carnivale, Melbourne Fringe Festival 22 September 2018
A site-specific, participatory event in which you the audience role-play as food delivery people, guided by your trusty team leader Trevor. This job trial will take you through the streets and into real houses (plus the occasional time portal) where you’ll discover that the job’s not just about cheesy crust pizza or spaghetti carbonara… it’s about connection. This intercultural, intergenerational immersive adventure will teach you the importance of community and that being kind can be a matter of life and death.
Supported by Moreland City Council. Winner of the Melbourne Fringe Award for Innovation in Culturally Diverse Practice
Writer, Director, Producer: Roshelle Fong
Set & Costume Designer: Soma Garner
Lighting Designer: Efterpi Soropos
Sound Designer: Liam Power
Dramaturg: Keziah Warner
Poster Design: Vy Ray
Artist: Trent McWhinney
Cast: Malith Wijayawardhana, Francesca Waters, Nicholas Baldas
Image © James Henry
A Virtual Virtual Reality Show
Auckland Fringe Festival 2017
‘A Virtual Virtual Reality Show’ (presented by Girls on Key) premiered at Auckland Fringe Festival 2017. An interactive Facebook live-stream experience where audiences decide a young woman's fate. 40 mins duration.
Writer, Director, Performer, AV: Roshelle Fong
Producer: Anna Forsyth (Managing Director, Girls on Key)
Supporting Performer: James Crompton
