actio hero

Here is a link to an interview we did for the Theatre Bristol website. TB interview

It also contains some images taken of the work-in-progress of ‘Watch Me Fall’ we did at Shunt. They were taken by a photographer called Sandy Danbury and we rather like them.

We’ll be performing at approx 9:30pm thursday, friday and saturday. We are in a small room, through a door, off the long corridor. Our room has its own bar that will be selling whisky and beer all night, so get in early to avoid the queues and relax with a drink.

See you there.

We will be performing ‘A Western’ at the Shunt Vaults, London on Wednesday 19th, Thursday 20th and Friday 21st November. Contact shunt for more details.

“Resolutely off-kilter but entirely accessible…brilliant…immensely clever” Metro

So now I know the true meaning of ‘the baying mob’.

Before we performed ‘Watch Me Fall’ at Shunt we were warned that on a Friday night at 10pm it was a bit of a bear pit. We thought we’d take it on as a challenge and thought it would be a good exercise for the development of the show. The idea being that the risk and energy of the space would teach us lessons about the material.

Well we definately learnt a few lessons.

The audience were a chaotic mix of aggressive interventionists, apathetic bystanders, flailing drunks and anguished sympathisers watching the tragedy unfold before them. As soon as we started it was clear we were in for a rough ride, and the intricate subtleties we had been working on were immediatley thrown out the window. It was only going to be broad strokes that could carry us through and when even setting yourself on fire is not quite enough of a broad stroke, you know its going to be a long night.

To give you an accurate picture of the audience we were facing, the bicycle we use to make the jump was stolen halfway through the show and had to be retrieved by a bouncer. As were the safety elbow and knee pads I need to wear. The bouncers managed to retrieve the elbow pads, but not the knee pads (which accounts for the large bruise and cut I’m now nursing on my knee). We were shouted at, abused, pushed, ignored, yet still, in amongst the chaos, there were moments of glory that carried us through.

The theme of futility was pushed beautifully to the forefront of the piece as we persistently tried our best to win the audience over to little or no avail. With rowsing speeches that became desperate pleas the folly in the act was exaggerated to new heights,  helping to emphasise the content we’re currently exploring. The arrogant young clubbers who postured and paraded themselves throughout the show served as perfect exemplars for the obnoxious, aggressive, masculine ideal we were attempting to crash land.

When you set out to use audiences as collaborators you have to except that you are going to come across audiences who want it all on their terms. Friday nights audience wanted flame and spectacle and when they didn’t get it they felt cheated and weren’t prepared to take the embarrasingly cheap subsitute we were offering. So they bayed and drunkenly staggered across our work, stamping their own authority of mass upon it and they’ve left an indelible mark on the piece that we are indebted to them for.

Both us as performers and a faction of the audience who were willing to collaborate got a truly unique experience from the event. A rock and roll car crash with two tragic heroes at its heart, whimpering and straining to be heard, moving from one hilariously futile attempt to the next. At various moments I looked into the eyes of audience members who looked back with deep, deep pity in the eyes and a worn out grin that said, “I’m not sure you’re going to make it”. For that fleeting moment, I loved them and I think they loved me.

Thank you Shunt.

Bring on the next work-in-progress.

We are performing a work-in-progress of ‘Watch Me Fall’ at Shunt Lounge on Friday 10th October at 10pm. There will be fire and fountains.  Come along and cheer us on as we attempt the impossible. We’ve done it five times before but this time we’re going further…..

Look out for a couple more ‘A Western’ dates coming up too and some more works-in-progress of ‘Watch Me Fall’ in Chichester.

Bye for now x

So after a hectic time at the brilliant ‘Forest Fringe we’re now spending some time developing ‘Watch Me Fall’ ready for a couple of work-in-progress dates in Autumn and the premiere of the full length version at Arnolfini in February. Keep an eye on the news page for exact dates.

Meanwhile I’m off to Finland  to the Anti-Festival with Search Party to challenge the town of Kuipio to a marathon game of table tennis. Its then going to be performed at Leeds Met Studio again on December 5th so come along and try and beat me!

You might have noticed (or not) that we’ve been resting ‘A Western’ for a while as well but we’ll be performing it again in March next year in Spain as part of a British Council showcase. More details will follow shortly,

until then……..James xxx