Monica Corduff Gonzalez on Monski Mouse: 'This is how we communicate'
As Monica Corduff Gonzalez (aka Monski Mouse) brings her two seasoned baby shows back to Adelaide alongside a new more grown-up affair, Annabel Fedcesin finds common threads run through all three
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Back at the festival where it all started, Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall and Baby Cabaret Deluxe return for their 14th and 8th (respectively) show anniversaries. A veritable staple of the Adelaide Fringe, grown-ups and tinies can expect the usual positive, active energy, alongside a few new faces and sounds. Creator Monica Corduff Gonzalez has clearly refined her craft (the Monski Mouse persona was originally developed in 1992 when Gonzalez was an art school student), paying close attention to what needs updating and adjusting, adding ‘a few little tweaks and extra sparkles’ to keep the show fresh.
‘Since time began, people have gathered around the fire and sang and danced together,’ says Gonzalez. ‘It's an essential human need. This is how we communicate.’ Her Monski Mouse performances aim to create a safe space for families to explore music, dance and other forms of self-expression together. As a mother of two herself, while she remembers early mornings and sleepless nights, her more vivid memories are of the responses her own children had to music and dance. And Gonzalez is clear on the purpose of her shows. ‘My aim is very much to make something that is there for the parents and the kids at the same time. Being able to make a space where the two can come together in a joyful, playful way is what it’s all about.’
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She also continues to create new work, debuting her folk music show, Moko Kodo & The Pursuits: I’m Not Going To Marry You! for just two performances. Combining the work of some of music’s most prolific and emotive writers (think Leonard Cohen and George Michael) as well as new songs, it’s pitched at adults and tries to create a haven to celebrate and unravel from the tougher aspects of life. It’s not hard to spot the parallels between Moko Kodo and Monski Mouse though: whatever show you choose, it’s time to dance away those blues, express yourself, connect and simply have fun.
Monski Mouse’s Baby Cabaret Deluxe, 7, 14, 21 March, 10.30am; Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall, 14 & 15, 21 & 22, 28 February, 1, 8 & 9, 15, 22 March, 10.30am; Moko Kodo & The Pursuits: I’m Not Going To Marry You!, 24 & 25 February, 7pm; all at The Garden Of Unearthly Delights.