THE DARK ROOM FOR KIDS
86 Candlemaker Row, EH1
2QA (The Old Foundry Room)
August
4 – 27 (Not 14)
What
was the inspiration for this performance?
Well,
quite often at Dark Room shows for adults, we get adorable children
who don't seem to mind being yelled at by a man dressed in spikes and
armour, so I thought, let's dispose of the adults entirely.
Is
performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas?
Oh,
absolutely. Far better than social media, which is mostly anonymous
groundlings claiming anything outside their worldview is either
wrong, or somehow fake. I've never cared less about the human race
than when I'm on the internet, but at the theatre, much better.
How
did you become interested in making performance?
Tolerant
parents, and a completely full dress-up box.
Is
there any particular approach to the making of the show?
Honing
the interactive content down to that fine edge of horror that
delights and amuses young people, and pleases the kind of parent
who'll show their kids "Jaws", then take them out
swimming.
Does
the show fit with your usual productions?
It
is my usual production! (Minus some of my favourite four-letter
words.) That's not censorship - children are just more articulate
than adults - and a grown man screaming that he's going to rip
your lungs out straight into a 10 year-old's face probably carries
enough weight.
What
do you hope that the audience will experience?
The
kind of joy and terror that turns every fumble for a light switch
into a tremendous adventure. Also enough goodwill towards me that
they'll buy a shirt afterwards.
What
strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?
None!
It's the show I do for adults, with some extra-strange diversions.
I'm always amazed by the wealth of information inside a 10 year-old's
head, so any kid should be able to handle my little game of life and
death. It's the adults who have trouble, because life starts hurting
after the second divorce.
No comments :
Post a Comment