London Theatre: Interview

London Theatre: Interview

18 November, 2008
by: Joe Harrod

Wig Out! opens at the Royal Court this week. Set in the New York Headquarters of a drag queen troupe as they prepare to do battle with a rival outfit, the play was a huge sensation when it first appeared in New York. Playwright Tarrel Alvin McCraney has been hailed as America's hottest young talent, and the language and mythology he's created for his community of queens is completely revolutionary. The show also present a stunning visual spectacle, with tall, dark heroines, fabulous costumes and a cracking disco and hip hop soundtrack.

Spoonfed caught up with the Royal Court's production manager Paul Handley to learn a bit more about this show, and along the way to find out about the attitude of the ultimate outsider theatre to the West End.

SF: Is this the most unusual show you've ever produced?

PH: In my time here I've seen giant swans swoop down on naked old ladies dancing around the stage, male Marilyn Monroe impersonators skating on an ice rink and last year a play about obsessive Celine Dion fans working in Wall-Mart so it's not a definition we use much.

SF: Why should everyone go see Wig Out!?

PH: For an insight into a surprisingly large cultural and social phenomenon in New York, to see the work of an exceptionally talented writer and to be entertained like you'd just bought a New Years Eve party ticket to Koko in Camden.

SF: Which were you most drawn to? The score, the premise, the language or the characters?

PH: We're essentially a writers theatre and so it is the quality of the writing in this play, the poetry of its very particular vernacular that generated that appeal. But it is certainly true that the originality of this voice is given a great boost by the theatrically unexplored world it inhabits.

SF: How long has the production process for the UK run been?

PH: About two months design time, five weeks rehearsal and two weeks to get it into the theatre.

SF: Will audiences have to be open minded?

PH: Visiting the theatre tends to be a rather pointless pursuit for closed minds.
 
SF: How did the cast and crew react to the subject of the show?

PH: With great excitement. There aren't many male roles that require 5-inch heels so for most of them it's unchartered territory and the female parts are given the opportunity to perform every night as if they're in Destiny's Child within the context of a beautifully written play – again a rare chance. And the crew are disappointed that they don't get a chance to wear them – not until the rest of us have gone home that is.

SF: Wig Out was a sensation in New York and has Londoners very excited. But with such overt sexuality and 'outsider' subject matter, will it take years for a show like this to hit Broadway? Or is it happening in 2010?

PH: John Bolton the former US ambassador to the UN said on election night that people had to realize that America was basically centre right in temperament and that expectations of Obama had to fit into that context. We'll just have to see whether the brakes have really gone on the post 9/11 slide towards conservatism and censorship but the current mood suggests anything might be possible.

SF: Which is the most important factor in a musical's success – audience word of mouth or critical reception?

PH: We're always going to want to say word of mouth but though some of the cultish variety might survive a critical mauling, they tend to be the exception.

SF: Do you have a place in your heart for obviously nostalgic and nakedly commercial ventures like Dirty Dancing? Have you been to see any of these shows recently?

PH: Absolutely no and absolutely no.

SF: Have these kind of 'pop' musicals made it harder for entirely new shows to win audiences?

PH: We would of course want to attract these audiences but they tend to be in a separate bracket in terms of their expectation of a night out. The day coach loads of hen parties from Scarborough start coming to the Royal Court we'll know the prevailing culture has changed. Roll on that day.

We'll have some words for you on the subject of Wig Out! next week.

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Joe Harrod