The Black Lung Theatre (Hindley St)

 An old venue gets a little black magic for the Fringe, writes MATT BYRNE

BLACK Lung Theatre is skating on thin ice for the Adelaide Fringe, and loving every minute of it.

The innovative Melbourne arts collective has revived the old skating rink in Hindley St to create The Black Lung Theatre for the Fringe.

Co-director Thomas Wright said the rink had been out of commission for many years.

"It's been an interesting experience as we have encountered everything you could imagine," Wright said.

"It's been a hard slog but it's been worth it. We have completely turned the place inside out and put in a bar for good measure."

Wright said the aim was to create a venue where people could come and spend the whole evening.

"We are bringing four shows and we have also been joined by Adelaide group The Pants," he said.

"There will be an array of shows for people to sample every night, and plenty of great conversation and drinks in between."

Wright said Black Lung came together as a concept a year ago in Melbourne. At the 2006 Melbourne Fringe the awards came thick and fast.

"We were given a venue above a bar so we could do a couple of shows," he said.

"From that we decided to approach people we thought were of a like mind and create shows with a purpose.

"We gathered people whose talents complemented each other, who wanted to do shows based on raw energy and creativity, and it has worked."

"Thomas Henning - who has written three of the shows we are bringing - and I are artistic directors who are also responsible for the marketing and administration. The buck stops with us," he said.

Wright said the four Black Lung shows varied widely in content and presentation.

"Rubeville is a film about a play about a film about a play about a con about death," he said.

"It's different, it's challenging, it's raw and exciting and it gets you involved.

"Avast is like at a gig; it's different every night and is our personal favourite.

"We wanted to create our own audience for people outside the arts industry and Avast brings those people in. It's about sending up bad theatre, attacking it.

"Sugar is an ensemble piece about a young man who is dying on a boat in the middle of the ocean and he's living out his life through his memory.

"But he is losing his mind and he is conscious that he is dying.

"The Ghost of Ricketts Hill has been devised by three amazing actors called The Suitcase Royale and played to international acclaim.

"It's very funny and spontaneous as three men stranded on a desert island of eternal twilight - it's clever and it's insane."

Wright said he was delighted The Pants had come on board.

"They are a terrific group whose ethos matches ours and their show The Kissy Kissy Sideshow is an exercise in perpetually self- interrupting romance," he said.

Coming to the Adelaide Fringe is a huge step forward for Black Lung.

"But we love stepping out into the unknown because that's where our audience is waiting," Wright said.

"Theatre has to be innovative, spontaneous, intriguing and demanding. We are out to offer something different to the big subsidised companies. We're not relying on government funds, we are relying on ourselves.

"That makes you hungry and you go that extra yard and now were going to Adelaide."