London Theatre: September

London Theatre: September

29 August, 2008
by: Joe Harrod

Theatre is the oldest form of pop culture. But it never stands still.

London is at the forefront of theatrical evolution as directors and companies push productions off the stage and drag the audience into the action. Interaction increases impact as audiences feel part of unfolding events. Purists sniff about the dilatory attention spans of MTV kids. In truth, this new wave revives the bawdy, immediate spirit of the Elizabethan theatre performed in a maelstrom of shouts and imprecations. Theatre is for everyone again.

Some interactive experiments such as Contains Violence at the Lyric have been gimmicks, failures. Others like Punchdrunk's The Masque of the Red Death have helped to get people passionate about the theatre again. It is a rare pleasure to hear kids at parties shouting about the latest show.

This month there's a slew of interactive or promenade shows including a first foray by the Barbican, a charming backwards history entitled Helium, a brilliant Twelfth Night disguised as a band rehearsal at the Tricycle and three long weekends of interactive workshops and performances at the Battersea Arts Centre's Scratch Festival. But the pick of the bunch is definitely The Factory's Last Ever Underground Hamlet.

This show is not only at the bleeding edge of improvisation – it's also the best Hamlet we've ever seen. Flitting around various venues in London, the actors pitch up and mingle with the audience. Roles are interchangeable and decided by lot at the last minute. Props are provided by the audience who are encouraged to get involved. It should be a mess, or at best, an amusing Whose Line Is It Anyway romp. Instead, audiences have arrived in curiosity and high spirits and left with an emotional punch to the guts.

On Saturday 6th this bold and brilliant crew bid a triumphant farewell to their audience with a one off midnight performance at Shakespeare's Globe. This is the theatre event of the year so far. You can still buy tickets, or why not win 2 tickets to factory's hamlet via our competition?

We tracked down Alex Hassell, one of the co-founders of this remarkable troupe, and found him excited about the swansong of a show that's been the biggest buzz of 2008.

Spoonfed: Do last minute promotions and lack of fixed venues create a buzz that fixed productions can't match?

I do think it has made the show seem exclusive somehow and quite ballsy. People talk about it being 'shrouded in mystery' which is partly intentional and partly because we can't afford the means to tell a wider pool of people about it. The venues changing makes people come back and see it more than once as they want to see it change, and also quite possibly don't really believe that it can. Which it can, must and does.

What was the most effective prop provided?

My 4 month old nephew. I picked him up during a speech about how shit people and the world is and felt so protective over him and his future that I burst into tears and could barely pull it together. It was the biggest swell of emotion I have ever felt while acting, the most vulnerable I have ever been in front of a crowd of people and something that I could never fake.

Have you ever come unstuck?

All the time, which is the whole point really. I can't think of any particular moments but know I have felt utterly shit a good number of times. It's a brilliant knife edge. Oh Tim once shaved a clump of his hair off which was fantastic. I've had all manner of foodstuffs rubbed into my face also and about 4 of my favorite T-shirts ripped off me.

What was your favourite of the venues?

The all have pluses and minuses. I think the festivals were incredible for the show. I like it when we are somewhere weird, outside or on other people sets. I am very excited about the Globe as it is probably the best theatre to play in in the world.

Did the show you did at the Secret Garden Party work?

We did two and they were possibly the hardest and most exciting performance experiences of my life. Having people who were clearly on acid come up and talk or sing and get involved was such an awesome challenge. We talk about making 'offers' a lot which I suppose you could think about as creative opportunities, well the festival goers gave us an offer a minute. There was so much to play with and include, we were very flexible and playful with them and they with us. You had to see it to believe it I think. It was absolutely insane and wonderful. I also think it is possibly nearer to the atmosphere that these plays would have been played in than is often possible today. Crazy, brash, debauched and beautiful.

Are you looking forward to playing Shakespeare's 'home' on your closing night?

More than I can possibly express. If I'm not Hamlet I'll cry.

What do you think the Bard would make of your version?

Fuck knows. We are more faithful to the verse than most so I think he'd like that. I also think we get people along who wouldn't usually see a Shakespeare so that's good too.

Does contributing props and interacting increase the emotional investment of the audience?

I think so. They feel involved more and responsible. They also know we are making ourselves vulnerable for them and in front of them which I think is interesting. They know we could 'fail' at any moment.

Who and what inspired the freeform/interactive Factory style?

The Globe, Tim Carroll, Gigs, Stand up. The venues.

Would you ever go back to traditional seated, fixed-role performances for the right show?

Not sure. It seems a bit empty now by comparison and everyone else has got that covered so I don't know. Maybe. Not ruling anything out

What are your plans for the future?

We are developing a collaborative new writing night thing which should be ready soon. It goes even further down some of the avenues Hamlet has taken us and could be pretty wild. We have a lot of ideas that we are extremely excited about for these and new shows. We are also taking Hamlet to Hungary for a cross language pair of shows and are also trying to get it to New York to see what they make of it.

Who is next for the Factory treatment?

Not sure. Maybe Chekhov?


It makes you want to go, doesn't it?

And the fun doesn't stop this month. This Christmas the Barbican will stage the first promenade panto. As well as shouting along the audience will be invited to follow Hansel and Gretel into the gingerbread house.

We're not knocking traditional bums on seats theatre, but it's great to be in a city where the art form is constantly re-inventing itself, and there's a whole generation of kids coming up who'll take it for granted that actors may cross the divide, or audiences tread the boards. Stuff the purists, we're all for it.

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Joe Harrod