Interview: Josh Belperio on 30,000 Notes

The Fringe is a place where artists can experiment and further explore their passion for various disciplines. And Adelaide in particular has always welcomed new and adventurous ideas.

Fitting in with the best of the Fringe's traditions is Josh Belperio's 30,000 Notes. His new show is an innovative tribute to his beloved nonna, their shared note-taking habits, and his classical music training.

Known for his theatre work Scarred for Life, produced with his partner Matthew Briggs, Belperio now puts his talents as a composer to use.

With aims to make classical music accessible to a wider audience, Belperio intends to overlay the music with his nonna’s old videos. The show is a unique celebration of their relationship and her lasting influence on Belperio’s life.

"We’re doing all this music to try to contextualise it," he says.

While much of his work tends towards a blend of comedy and drama, 30,000 Notes is a more serious work encompassing grief, falling in love and coming out.

Naturally such a show must also be technically sophiticated, and this one incorporates both classical music and a virtual choir. "The music was recorded in a special way which was basically binaural audio," he says. "Instead of it being stereo, which most music is, it was recorded in this way where it actually sounds like you are in the room."

The resulting product is an immersive mixture of a play and a concert which envelopes the audience. "We used four microphones and created digital ears which colour the sound and then gives you the sense that the music is all around you."