The ‘head storyteller’ of Wickedly Good Productions, Caitlin Ellen Moore has built a steady profile as a producer and media presenter, championing projects with a strong social justice and advocacy focus.
With a background in international development, and interests in media, politics and activism, Caitlin’s first major foray in storytelling was as co-host of queer-themed Radio Adelaide show, Pride and Prejudice. Now co-producing with Mark Tripodi, the show is an important fixture of the Adelaide media environment, as Caitlin explains:
“Pride and Prejudice is the only show in Adelaide informing what’s going on in the local queer community, responding to community wants, needs and issues impacting them. Programming lots of queer Australian music and arts, the show provides a platform for queer voices – the current presenter team is the most diverse it has ever been.”
Channeling these collective interests into creative pursuits, Caitlin established Wickedly Good Productions, a multi-disciplinary arts company that’s:
“…all about stories. Stories of recovering alcoholics, women commended for their work, about people who give a damn about the environment, and they’re always going on about space rebellions.”
Pivoting from radio to podcasting, Caitlin’s first Wickedly Good venture was WHY AM I LIKE THIS?!, a series exploring addiction and mental health with co-host Tash Evelle. From there, she broadened the company’s activities into the live-theatre space, collaborating with Mary Angley’s company Paper Mouth Theatre to present the critically-acclaimed Grief Lighting at the 2021 Adelaide Fringe. The show is a university-style satirical lecture (in 78 slides) that critically analyses the movie-musical Grease through feminist and queer theory lenses, discussing themes of sexual assault, homoeroticism, feminine friendship, climate crises and the experience of death. A follow-up season at RUMPUS Theatre is anticipated for later this year.
Caitlin also produced the work-in-development Close To The Knives as part of Feast Festival 2021. Written by composer Dan Thorpe and performed by him and local punk band Raccoon City, Knives is an experimental song cycle adapting the texts of the eponymous volume by American artist and AIDS activist David Wojnarowicz.
Collaboration forms a key part in the success of these projects, as Caitlin notes:
“I’ve been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, building relationships with like-minded passionate people keen to tell stories from a variety of perspectives.”
For the 2022 Fringe season, Caitlin maintains a steady freelance production output, starting on February 26 with Backyard Picnic, an afternoon of live music, performances and workshops by emerging South Australian artists at Carclew in North Adelaide. The Picnic forms an integral part of the Carclew Sharehouse program, which this year supports Emerging Creative Producers Zoe Gay, Jemah Finn, Jacqueline Tedmanson and Caitlin to collaboratively produce the event, as well their own independent projects.
Teaming again with Paper Mouth Theatre, Caitlin is also producing You’re All Invited To My Son Samuel’s Fourth Birthday Party alongside actors Yoz Mensch and Mary Angley (also directing), and sound designer Dan Thorpe. Like Pandora’s Box packed into a surprise cake, Samuel’s Fourth Birthday Party quickly plunges the festivities into the realm of parental struggle, climate catastrophism, space colonisation and terrestrial apocalypse, a ‘shimmering, hyper-colour attempt at extinguishing the flames of the apocalypse, one birthday candle at a time’. Following a well-received showing as part of The Mill’s Breakout Residency program in November 2021, the show returns to the same venue from 8 to 20 March.
Asked if there was any secret to cultivating a fruitful path as a producer, Caitlin shared some thoughts:
“Be open to collaborating with people, to plans changing, and growing the story from your initial idea.”
Learn more about Caitlin Ellen Moore by following her on Instagram @caelmoco.
