Kimberlite

“Kimberlite," written by Hailey Mashburn, is the story of Rose, a young woman in the ‘in-between.’ She lives an average life, with an average job, and average expectations… and ID, of course, the embodiment of everything Rose can’t stand to see in the mirror. The one she can’t imagine life without. The one she can’t escape.

The play is an intimate look at how we present to the world, how we see ourselves in the quiet moments, when there’s nowhere to hide from the thoughts that creep in, and what happens after the breaking point. “Kimberlite” was initially conceived as a result of wanting to build a bridge between those who have experienced depression, and those who have not. It is honest, unfiltered, and, like most stories, it is about love.

In the vein of “I Am A Star” and “Good Day,” other works by Hailey Mashburn, “Kimberlite” incorporates spoken word.

Freedom of Expression

In 2017, Hailey’s short play “Good Day” premiered as part of Blue Balloon Theatre’s inaugural Freedom of Expression event, performed by Blue Balloon Theatre’s own Rebecca Phythian and Jas Nisic. The evening of new theatre, poetry, and other live performance art provided the perfect welcoming and supportive environment for a piece of experimental theatre.

From there, Hailey expanded on the ideas, both structurally and plotwise, writing what would eventually become “Kimberlite.” Over the course of the next few years, the play was workshopped and developed in Los Angeles, CA.

Instagram Live

In the summer of 2020, Hailey was a guest on Blue Balloon Theatre’s Instagram Live series, where they discussed their mutual work ethic and the development of “Good Day” as a result of Freedom of Expression. Shortly after the interview, Hailey and Rebecca spoke about “Kimberlite,” and how the piece fit into the ethos of Blue Balloon Theatre, and the play found a home, back where it all began.

From there, they got to work further developing the piece in a way where it could be produced safely at different levels of lockdown (should they continue), while maintaining the same impact and audience experience as in a Covid-free environment. “Kimberlite” truly is an embodiment of Blue Balloon Theatre’s slogan: #MakeItHappen!

Kimberlite R&D over Zoom

Most recently, in November, Blue Balloon Theatre hosted an R&D event for “Kimberlite” over Zoom, featuring the revised version of the script. Actors brought life to the script, lifting the words off of the page and discussed the themes of the play and experimented with pacing and different intentions.

Manchester International Festival

Blue Balloon Theatre were feautured as part of the Arty Farty | Festival In My House... And Yours with Melandra Jacks commissioned by the Manchester International Festival. The parts of Rose and ID were played by Jas and Rebecca.

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