Ordinary Days, Extraordinary Vision: A Conversation with Tyran Parke

In a city that never stops moving, it’s the smallest moments that can transform a life.

That’s the heartbeat of Ordinary Days, Adam Gwon’s delicate and contemporary musical. First performed in 2008, the show follows four New Yorkers whose seemingly disconnected stories slowly intertwine — an artist searching for inspiration, a graduate student chasing meaning, and a couple navigating the highs and lows of their relationship. With its pared-back structure, witty lyrics, and luminous score, Ordinary Days captures the comedy and quiet tragedy of urban existence, reminding us that significance often hides in the fleeting details of everyday life.

Returning to Ordinary Days is acclaimed director Tyran Parke, whose career spans both the stage and behind the scenes. Parke first directed the musical at Chapel Off Chapel in 2017, and the chance to revisit it now offers him an opportunity to deepen and expand his interpretation of the work. Known for his imaginative vision and ability to uncover emotional truth, he has helmed everything from sweeping Golden Age musicals to intimate contemporary pieces. As Artistic Director of the Australian Musical Theatre Festival and Head of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) Musical Theatre Program, his influence on the next generation of performers is as significant as his own artistic output. With acclaimed directing credits including Elegies, Sunday in the Park with George, Follies in Concert, and Jekyll & Hyde, Parke has established himself as one of Australia’s most versatile and respected theatre-makers. In returning to Ordinary Days, he once again turns his focus to a story where the power lies not in spectacle, but in stillness—the everyday details that connect us all.

What drew you to this piece, and why do you think it resonates now?

Tyran: I was first introduced ‘Ordinary Days’ eight years ago, when I was asked to direct It in a much more traditional setting in the loft theatre at Chapel Off Chapel. I think, at the time, none of us really knew the deep impact that show would have on audiences. It almost felt like a cabaret show and yet the culmination of all of these songs next to each other was so deeply affecting for the audience, that it really lingered with me. It became much bigger than the sum of its parts. Last year, I created Clovelly Fox to really celebrate actor-driven stories, primarily through music. Our first show was ‘Elegies, a song cycle’ and I was so delighted that it had such a phenomenal success both with audiences and critics alike and it encouraged me to consider what should be next. The good news is, I have a series of ‘Australian premiere’s’ up my sleeve but they are bigger in nature and, as such, require a little more preproduction time, so it meant that I didn’t plan on having a show in the market this year. When a cancellation occurred in the 45 downstairs calendar, and they rang and it coincided with a notion that I deeply felt-  that I wanted to make something of beauty. ‘Elegies’ was about death and dying and was certainly beautiful in its own way but I wanted to do something that celebrated connection. I feel like we are increasingly being asked to be separate from each other and to distrust opposing opinions. ‘Ordinary Days’ is about how connected we can be when we explore other perspectives and diversify our beliefs. It felt like the perfect time to bring some joy into the world.

The show is small in scale compared to some of your other directing projects — how does that shift your approach as a director?

Tyran: In a way, this whole company came as a response to doing those big commercial shows. I longed for opportunities to have a more direct relationship with the audience through exceptional storytelling in music. In so many ways 45 downstairs offers us all the opportunities we need for that, and ‘Ordinary Days’ is at its best when the characters speak to the audience – when you feel that you are part of the show. As a society, as we get more technologically focused and we consume and discard entertainment at an alarming rate without true engagement, I think this engagement is increasingly special and, I also think it’s what our viewers and audiences have responded to so positively in this production. People talk about laughing to their cheeks hurt or crying till they ask for a tissue for the person next to them. That’s Theatre. That’s connection. That’s Clovelly Fox.

What central themes or images guided your vision for this production?

Tyran: I often start with visual art and in this case, I found these incredible illustrations of tiny people who were living in the New York gutters – it was kind of fanciful but the emotional experience of them captured a sense of what it was like to be isolated in one of the busiest cities in the world and yet, still with a sense of irony and playfulness that I felt was very important in the show.

Ordinary Days captures the beauty in everyday life — how do you bring that subtlety and simplicity to the stage without losing impact?

Tyran: It starts with design really and I have to say, I have the Christmas list of designers working with me on the show – Gavan Swift recently returned from lighting at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Richard Roberts is one of Australia’s leading set designers, and Louisa Fitzgerald is a bright star amongst the costume designers in this country. We knew that the structure of 45 downstairs was something we wanted to lean into rather than cover up. A lot of the characters feel like there is a window between them and the dreams they can see, just outside of reach. Having this incredible space with those remarkable windows formed a key design element and Richard was very bold in embracing the full length of that space – I don’t think I’ve ever seen that done before. It is at once a bustling avenue in New York, and then simultaneously, the interior of several apartments that are all alive with real hopes and challenges, living right next to each other. And the last part of that puzzle are the actors. I needed actors who would be comfortable truly sharing who they were inside of these stories, and I couldn’t be more impressed and grateful to Sarah Morrison, Melanie Bird, Joel Granger and Bobby Fox for their incredible work, which has elevated a series of songs into something truly joyous.

What do you hope audiences carry with them after seeing Ordinary Days?

Tyran: At the end of the show, the set is covered in flyers that the character of Warren creates. They are, as another character states, “a little precious” but when you take the cynicism away they are simple placards to remind ourselves that we are all connected; that we are all human beings trying to do our best. After each performance I see people collecting them and taking them from the stage, if they mean something to them. That is the most literal representation of taking inspiration from a play into your lives I could imagine. I hope that people remember that in a world where we are being asked to face each other in all levels of combat, that human kindness and empathy can change people’s lives. And we are all capable of that.

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Ordinary Days is playing now at Melbourne’s fourtyfivedownstairs. 

For tickets and more information, visit the fourtyfivedownstairs website.

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Photos by Ben Fon