SINCE forming a year-and-a-half ago, local independent theatre group The Last Great Hunt has pushed to produce new and challenging stories.
Its latest work, All That Glitters, takes this ambition to a new height.
Based on the experiences of asylum seekers and refugees in Australia, it strives to strike a punch in a very palatable way.
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READ NOW"We've been feeling helpless in the whole scenario and were interested in making a political piece of theatre but not in a traditional way, because it's a little bit boring to be lectured at," founding member and actor-writer Arielle Gray said.
"So we've tried to put together a work that has an element of political theatre but present it in a way that is satirical and fun and full of silly theatre extravaganzas."
Gray said it was intimidating to make this kind of work, so the group " comprising seven homegrown talents " added its own style and flair to make the subject more accessible.
"When we are ingesting all this information and ideas about horrible things that are happening to people " the way things are set up in offshore detention centres, etc " we find ourselves getting pretty bogged down and feeling like there is no way to do anything about it," she said.
"But then you watch a video of a puppy or listen to a fun song and you feel better and are more able to be active.
"We are looking at the way our society digests information and feels empathy and apathy as well, and so we have chosen to incorporate pop music: it's giving people a break, the ability to escape and feel apathy for a moment and feel like that's OK."
The Perth performer, originally from Adelaide, acts in the show as a heightened version of herself as well as the character Irene, and helped devise the script with fellow group members.
Gray was beguiled by theatrics from a young age and went to WAAPA after finishing high school.
Since then she has been creating her own shows, performing in them and touring them around the world.
Community asked for her top tip for aspiring performers and theatre-makers.
"The best way to learn is to see as much as possible and figure out what sort of art or styles you are particularly drawn to," Gray said.
"Over time I figured out what I was drawn to and thankfully got a tool kit given to me during my studies. I found a bunch of people who were passionate about creating similar work to me and managed to gain a bunch of skills that would help me create things."
All That Glitters is the first production of Season Two 2015 at The Blue Room Theatre.
THE ESSENTIALS
What: All That Glitters
Where: The Blue Room Theatre, Northbridge
When: August 11-29
Tickets: www.blueroom.org.au