Category: Interviews

Interview: Anthony Orme, Sanctuary

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2040. The war is over, and the world is resolved… so why can’t Kari remember anything? What is S.A.M. and how can she escape Sanctuary?

So begins Anthony Orme’s feminist sci-fi thriller, Sanctuary. “In the aftermath of the war, Kari Allwood wakes in a cell with no recollection of how or why she got there,” explains Anthony. “We see as she struggles to survive her life as a woman in the army and to comprehend the mistakes that she has made and conquer her own mental instability. Tackling the subjects of women at war, PTSD, and the essence of human self-preservation, Sanctuary creates an exciting and thrilling whirlwind of a show that will leave you questioning your own view on life as we currently understand it.”

Anthony was inspired to write Sanctuary by two main factors: “The first was my own history and exploration of mental health and its effect on my own life, and secondly the lack of representation of women in war and theatre,” he says. “Having struggled with mental health issues all my adult life but never really having a way to present parts of it, I wanted to create a piece that discussed this as well as being entertaining and enthralling – which is where the idea of Sanctuary was born. From there I started to look closely at PTSD and the women who suffer from it and how little we hear about them, much like strong females in the arts. All three combined became the perfect inspiration for a play.

“I’ve always been a massive fan of sci-fi. I think when done correctly, it enables viewers to see and acknowledge problems in their own society without even realising. The entertainment and escapism of future and the unknown wraps the audience in a blanket of theatre and art which allows them to soak in the political and social undertones of a piece. With a piece like Sanctuary there is no other genre it could have been. Plus it’s also very rare to find a strong piece of sci-fi on stage and so I was very up for taking on the challenge.”

As writer and director, Anthony is full of praise for actors Elizabeth Robin and Catalina Blackman. “They are two of the most hardworking and dedicated cast I have had the pleasure to work with. Sanctuary is not an easy play – it’s intense, real and a challenge for any actor, yet these two incredible women have been stoic throughout. Both characters are equally challenging – one is never on the stage and so has to express empathy, fear and desire using only her voice, while the other never leaves and has to hold the show and bare a lifetime’s worth of emotions alone and exposed. They truly are artists of their craft.

“It’s fair to say that we have had our fair share of personal trauma throughout the rehearsal process, which leaves me in even more awe of the incredible performances they have delivered.”

With themes of feminism, LGBT, mental health and war, Anthony believes every audience member can take something from the play. “Maybe I’m biased, but I feel that Sanctuary speaks to people from all ages and creeds,” he says. “I might add that due to very adult themes and language it may be best to restrict the viewing to audiences above the age of 16… but we all learn sometime.”

In addition to winning Best Play at the Stockwell Play House One Act Festival, Sanctuary is also Bechdel approved. “The Bechdel Test and Bechdel Theatre are in my opinion one of the most important companies in the arts at the moment,” says Anthony. “Their aim is to bring awareness to pieces of theatre that have strong feminist bases. The test is simple:
1. Are there two women on stage?
2. Are they talking to each other?
3. Does that conversation involve anything except men and relationships?
Congrats – you have been approved.

“Why it is so important to me? In short, there is too little theatre around with strong female characters, and too much that thinks their characters adequately represent real women. It has always been a strong passion of mine to create parts for women and to prove that feminism and equality aren’t fads… they are here to stay. Having Sanctuary Bechdel approved not only proves that we have been able to, but also helps to raise awareness of this glaring issue and highlights to fellow feminists the theatre they should be seeing.”

London and Merseyside-based Now You Know Productions was founded four years ago. “We started as most small companies do, with a few friends, in a bar, wanting to take a piece of theatre to the Edinburgh Fringe, and we did,” says Anthony. “We took I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change up and haven’t looked back since.

“Since our first outing, Now You Know has grown and developed into the company it is now, a company who creates new and exciting theatre that constantly tries to break the mould and highlight the real issues at hand. We are always looking for the next best play and team and constantly growing. Commercial theatre to some extent has forgotten what theatre is for, which is to enlighten, to teach and to empower… we have not forgotten this message.”

Sanctuary opens at the Tristan Bates on 14th August. “I think people should come and see the play because it’s exciting, different and the themes are important,” says Anthony. “It’s not just another millennial piece of theatre where boy meets girl – it has a message and a purpose, one which I think matters. That’s why we decided to go to the Tristan Bates, a space that prides itself on fringe theatre at the front of change.

“Also having won best play, as well as highly commended directing and acting at the Stockwell Playhouse One Act Festival, people don’t need to just take my word for it.”

Book now for Sanctuary at the Tristan Bates Theatre from 14th-19th August.

Interview: Julian Bruton, HOT MESS

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“HOT MESS is a coming-of-age story about love, sex, connection and relationships,” says Julian Bruton, co-director of Vernal Theatre Company. “The play is about twins, Polo and Twitch, who have returned to their hometown to celebrate their 25th birthday. Inherently one twin can love, the other cannot. The story unfolds on their big night out, as the twins and their friends come to terms with their dichotomy.”

The play was written by Ella Hickson, whose other work includes Oil and Eight, and was first performed in 2010 at the Hawke & Hunter Below Stairs Nightclub as part of the Edinburgh Fringe. “I think what makes Ella Hickson’s work special is how it explores and challenges themes and subject matters that are relevant to audiences today. Her latest play, Oil at the Almeida, is a brilliant example of that,” says Julian.

“I was attracted to HOT MESS by its unique form. When it comes to plays, I admire plays that are unique, adventurous and different in their form. Anatomy of a Suicide at the Royal Court is a good recent example. An integral part of the form of HOT MESS was its direct storytelling to the audience; the lack of fourth wall. I was also drawn to this play because of its focus on younger characters and their experiences pertinent to them. I feel there are not a lot of plays that solely explore characters of that age range.”

In light of this, Julian thinks the play will particularly appeal to twenty-somethings and teenagers, but he hopes it’s also got something for other audience demographics: “I think people should come and see the show because it’s entertaining and funny, with a good dose of pathos and a thumping soundtrack. Another reason to see the show is because it’s very relatable. It’s a play about love. In an age of social media and phone apps such as Tinder and Grindr, exploring the challenges of finding love and connection couldn’t be more relevant. I’d like audiences to have an entertaining experience and as part of that, to delve and ponder the play’s explorations of love, sex and coming-of-age.”

HOT MESS opens at the Lion and Unicorn on 22nd August as part of the Camden Fringe. “I’m looking forward to being part of the buzzy atmosphere of Camden and its equally exciting festival!” says Julian.

He’s just as excited about the play’s cast: “They’re a group of actors who are really active and in the thick of it. Timothy Renouf has recently finished filming the upcoming feature film, Game Over, with Mark Heap. Gareth Balai has only just finished appearing in The Taming of the Shrew at The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre with Lazarus Theatre Company. Katrina Allen recently performed in a new play, Baby Come Back, at the Leicester Square Theatre, and Natalia Titcomb graduated from the Guildford School of Acting this year.”

Vernal Theatre Company was founded earlier this year by Julian and co-director/producer Kieran Rogers. “The company started when Kieran and I met at the Director’s Club, as part of the Director’s Cut Theatre Company,” says Julian. “We also met and worked with Katrina and Timothy as they were members of the Actor’s Club with Director’s Cut.

“As a company, we have an aim of producing new writing in the future. We aim to produce theatre that is current, exciting, bold, entertaining and provocative.”

Book now for HOT MESS at the Lion and Unicorn from 22nd-26th August.

Interview: Claire Rammelkamp and Danica Corns, A Womb of One’s Own

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The founding members of emerging all-female theatre company Wonderbox – who include Danica Corns, Carla Garratt, Claire Rammelkamp, Holly Bond, Larissa Pinkham and Olivia Early – met as members of the National Youth Theatre. “We got so comfortable with each other that we started oversharing about sex, periods, emotions, mental health, politics, relationships, wanking… the list goes on,” admits Claire. “So we decided to carry on doing that as a theatre company, and turn it into art. We want to explode taboos and share unheard stories with some filthy, fabulous feminism.”

They’re turning their attention first to the issue of abortion in their debut production A Womb of One’s Own, which runs at The Space from 15th-19th August.  “The play follows the story of Babygirl, an eighteen-year-old fresher who was raised Catholic by two strict elderly women and ends up getting pregnant the first time she has sex,” says Claire, who wrote and performs in the play, as she and fellow cast members Danica, Larissa and Carla bring Babygirl to life, revealing different aspects of her personality and an absurd cast of characters. “It starts off as a coming of age comedy; she’s learning how to flirt and get drunk, she’s exploring her sexuality, she’s trying not to embarrass herself on a date. Then all of a sudden she’s facing much bigger challenges.”

A Womb of One’s Own was inspired by Claire’s own personal experience: “I had an abortion at university, and I had no idea how to handle it because no one had ever spoken to me about abortions. Fortunately, I have a very supportive Mum and friends. Babygirl doesn’t have a mother, and she’s only been at uni a few weeks, so the play explores what it would be like to go through an abortion feeling totally alone.”

One of Wonderbox’s aims is to break the taboos surrounding abortion and get people talking about what’s traditionally been a difficult subject. “We’re still oddly hung up on old-fashioned notions of propriety when it comes to discussing abortion,” says Claire. “It used to be the same for divorce and homosexuality. Even periods. One in three women in the UK will have an abortion at some point, and yet people are largely silent about it. If we all spoke about it more then women wouldn’t feel scared or ashamed. We’ve still got a lot of education work to do to give women control over their own bodies and we need to make sure we don’t go backwards – like with Trump’s abortion gag order.”

Despite the heavy topic, Claire and her co-founders are quick to point out that the show is at times irreverent and laugh-out-loud funny: “I’m a firm believer in laughing at essentially everything, especially myself. We didn’t want to be didactic – an audience will pay much more attention to a comedy full of sex jokes than a lecture. It also helps to humanise a character; once the audience have shared a joke with Babygirl they’ll have more empathy when she starts having a hard time.”

And it seems to be working; they’ve been thrilled with early responses to the show, which include an endorsement in February from actor Paul McGann. “Our first performance was to a bunch of queer, feminist, theatre-lovers, so we were really preaching to the choir,” says Claire. “But then our second audience had middle-aged people, older people, Tories, and a vicar. The vicar was especially fond of it.”

Of course, starting a theatre company isn’t always easy, and co-founder Danica has no hesitation in identifying their biggest challenge: “Money! We’re a young, unfunded theatre company so this is of course the first and biggest obstacle we are having to overcome – but we are getting creative with how we do this. Finding rehearsal space free of charge has been and remains one of the biggest challenges we face, and so far we have been getting round this by using gardens, living rooms and empty classrooms at our universities/previous places of study. We even once did a voice warm-up on Clapham Common. Social media has also been a great alternative to a website for us in the first instance to help build our online presence while funding is scarce.

“Around 90% of the work we put into the company and the show is not in the rehearsal room,” she adds. “We’ve all had to turn our hands to other things and use our skills and knowledge effectively and efficiently. We’re lucky enough to have a photographer, a designer, a marketer and members with lighting technician knowledge within our company, so we haven’t had to hire anyone in yet – which would come with a cost. However, while we’re all working hard on this to get things off the ground, we have found it difficult balancing being creative and making the art with the admin and running the business side of the company – it’s a bit of a juggling act at the moment, and we’re still figuring this out. One of the things we are finding so important is timetabling separate rehearsals for creativity and meetings about important business stuff.”

Claire’s hoping that the show will speak to everyone, whether or not they have personal experience with abortion: “I hope if they’ve had an abortion, they’ll feel a sense of community, and that anyone who needs an abortion in future won’t feel so alone. I hope it encourages people to share their own experiences, and I hope it will make other people more understanding. I also hope everyone will wet themselves laughing.”

A Womb of One’s Own is at The Space from 15th-19th August.

Interview: Liam Joseph, PLUTO

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Liam Joseph and Callum O’Brien met when they were working Front of House together at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Now co-founders of their own company, Moonchild Theatre, this month they return to London with their acclaimed first production, PLUTO.

“PLUTO tells the story of the titular former planet during the period in which he finds out he is no longer a planet,” says Liam, who plays Pluto. “We follow his story as he battles with an identity crisis and his moon Charon tries her best to keep his spirits high. The show is an allegorical examination of LGBT issues that are still rampant in the world today.”

Liam explains that the story of PLUTO was inspired by the now notorious anti-LGBT laws passed in North Carolina last year, which required transgender people to use the restrooms that matched their birth certificate. “On the surface this would seem an unlikely source to inspire a play about the former planet Pluto,” he admits. “However, the story of a governing body dictating the personal identity of others and actively doing harm in the process, upon closer inspection, does in fact bear a remarkable similarity to that of our fallen cosmic comrade. The toilets of North Carolina have been exchanged for the constellations of the night sky. In lieu of the transgender population there is a distant planet battling with his identity.

Photo credit: Dave Bird

“Although our story is not limited specifically to transgender struggles, these ongoing issues – and many like it – helped develop the themes of identity, labelling and loneliness that form the emotional crux of PLUTO. This play is a marriage of two enormous but previously unrelated themes; the LGBTQ+ experience in today’s society and the beautiful, incomprehensible mysteries of space.”

The show was last performed in April at Baron’s Court Theatre, where Millennial London called it “an impressive first production of a new play that captures many important issues in today’s world”. Now returning as part of the Camden Fringe, the show’s undergone some changes: “As we’re now performing as part of a festival run, the show had to be adapted to suit the new working environment,” explains Liam. “With strict get in and get out times, it was necessary for us to cut the run time of the play from eighty minutes to one hour. It used to be bookended by a prologue and epilogue of human characters, to bring the audience back down to earth – literally – but that’s completely gone now.

“It’s much more streamlined and serious, focusing more on the effect of labels and the issues that labels cause in society. And it also opens up a whole new level to the relationship between Pluto and Charon, the icy twins who live in the furthest reaches of the solar system. Completely removed from the solar system, one wants to escape their one-billion-year solitude and the other wants to stay in their ‘safe oasis of anxiety’. Naturally this causes catastrophic tension…”

Despite these changes in structure, the message and spirit of the piece has remained intact: “The show is generally aimed at a millennial/queer audience whose experiences we hope the show manages to capture,” says Liam. “We are a theatre company composed of relatively young individuals and so it was in our interest to create theatre that appealed to us as audience members.

“I think Callum would agree in saying it’s a fable for the millennial; understand that this story is happening now in London as we speak. So many young millennials struggle with being labelled something by ‘words on a page’ and it affects them deeply. We can all do something by accepting each other for who we are: human beings. Simple as that.”

Photo credit: Dave Bird

 

The foundation of Moonchild Theatre came about when the two friends and colleagues realised they’d rather be on the stage than in front of it. “I wanted to be on stage so I asked Callum to write me a play – that’s it!” says Liam. “Over time, we’ve seen PLUTO and ultimately our ethos grow and change, but our aim is to create ‘Now Theatre’, dealing with issues that society’s happy to brush under the rug. We don’t want to solve them, we want people to be aware of them and be able to engage and debate these issues.

“The whole process has been a huge surprise. We only wanted to put a play on and now it’s turned into a successful theatre company with fans and regulars. We were surprised about how many people wanted to see PLUTO at the Baron’s Court and how well it was received by the reviewers.

“All in all, to be able to perform at the King’s Head Theatre, the most prestigious gay theatre in the world, and The Cockpit this summer, we’ve done and achieved a lot more than we’d ever hoped for. The future is ours!”

See PLUTO tonight (1st August) at the King’s Head Theatre or book for the Cockpit Theatre from 14th-17th August.

Interview: Ashley Winter and Christopher Montague, Skin Deep

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Attila Theatre’s Skin Deep was first performed last year at the London Horror Festival, where the festival’s patron Nicholas Vince commented, “This is physical ensemble theatre in its purest form and will haunt me for days.” This week, Attila bring their gruesome true story to the Camden Fringe, opening tonight at the Lion and Unicorn.

“Skin Deep is the origin story of real-life historical figure Erzsébet Báthory – branded the world’s most prolific female serial killer,” says Ashley Winter, who plays her. “We explore her childhood, marriage to soldier Ferenc Nadasdy, and the events that led to her very first murder. It’s also a love story between Erzsebet and her handmaid Lucie.”

The show is an obvious must for horror fans, “but also fans of ensemble theatre, feminist theatre, physical theatre…” says Ashley.

“All the above, but especially female theatre makers,” agrees director Christopher Montague. “We may have stumbled upon an iconic female character from history, so underrepresented and interesting that people will want to explore her life for years to come. Ashley plays her brilliantly, and it is a very desireable role in my eyes; hopefully in twenty years’ time we’ll be talking about the character Báthory in the same way we talk about Richard III.

“We’ve slapped a 14+ recommendation on the play, purely because of foul language and violent imagery – we don’t want to warp any young minds. That will happen without our input. The play is nowhere near as gruesome as it could’ve been, so even if you’re a bit squeamish, you’ll be fine!”

Ashley’s hoping audiences will come away as obsessed with Báthory as she is: “I think the most interesting thing about her is that her actual real-life existence is so removed from the image of the sexy, vampish killer that pop culture has bestowed upon her. She’s been appropriated by the goth community as this macabre pin-up, but we really have no way of knowing what she was like, what motivated her, what she wanted from life.

“I think it’s important to look at how history represents those in the past; Erzsébet’s name was considered a curse word for 100 years after she died – but her husband Ferenc, ‘The Black Knight’, is still considered to be a national hero in Hungary, despite being known for his horrendous and brutal torture of Turks in the Ottoman war. Gender inequality presents itself in many ways and Erzsébet Báthory – the most famous woman of her time – has not escaped it. We wanted to present an Erzsébet that was a product of the brutal time in which she existed, but try to steer clear of culturally presented clichés about ‘dangerous women’.”

The first version of the show, produced in late 2016 for the London Horror Festival, was developed in just three weeks. Since then it’s changed quite dramatically: “We brought director Ailin Conant on board, whose experience working in physical theatre, mask and puppetry helped us develop the physical language and the multiple ‘worlds’ of the play,” explains Ashley. “We’ve introduced a chorus of maids to the piece too, who are present on stage most of the time; you get to see much more of the immense dichotomy between the rich and poor of the time. Erzsébet’s story has become more about the struggle to break free from societal constraints relating to gender and social status.”

“The show is a little less sensationalist this time around,” adds Christopher. “Last year, performing the show on Halloween weekend and with little time to really explore the story we wanted to tell, we opted for a version of the show that was overall darker, included more torture and more blood. Don’t worry gore-fans, there’s still a fair bit, but in the interests of creating a dramatic story arc, we’ve focused more on the character’s relationships and making them all fully developed, rather than just victims.

“Also, I no longer perform in the show as ‘Percy’ the pigkeeper boy, much to many people’s dismay. It was decided my skills could be used elsewhere.”

So why should people come and see Skin Deep? “Because we worked really hard on it?” suggests Christopher. “Brush away the Edinburgh blues and see some of the amazing work that’s right on your doorstep at the Camden Fringe!”

Ashley expands, “Firstly, it will defy expectations about who Báthory was. We have an amazing female-heavy cast who have incredible energy and passion for the show. The music is totally brilliant – designed by the talented Ross Kernahan – and gives the whole show this creeping tension that builds to a furious ending. It’s surprisingly funny too! It’s a fast-paced physical show with really taut dialogue, so if you’re not into stuffy history plays then it’s definitely for you.”

“I’d love for audiences to see something of a contemporary ‘history’ play,” adds Christopher. “A lot of plays you see that explore historical figures tend to include large monologues and elaborate set design that mirror the time of their life – whereas being an emerging company with training in ensemble theatre, our instincts led us to this stripped back design, which allows us to fully utilise the large cast and their talents. Plays about history don’t have to simply be biopics. We’ve definitely taken liberty with the truth at times, but always in the interest of making a better show. Hopefully audiences will forgive us for that!”

Ashley and Christopher started Attila Theatre after graduating from the University of Reading. “We didn’t start with any aims, other than to start making our own work and see what naturally came out of that,” Ashley explains. “We’ve discovered that we’re interested in telling stories about women in traditionally male realms. We’re very much inspired by companies like Told by an Idiot – irreverent, funny, daring and devised!”

“After making a few shows and having a decent network of friends with theatre companies in London, my main goal is to stay in amongst these people and keep making work,” says Christopher. “Sounds simple, but there’s a huge amount to be said for companies like us being ‘in the same boat’ as all the others who are struggling to get funding, working two jobs alongside rehearsals etc. The knowledge that we’re all still doing it despite the difficulties, for me, is a testament to the artists who make the work and the support they provide each other.”

Skin Deep opens at the Lion and Unicorn on 31st July and runs until 6th August.