Alex Murdoch artistic director of Cartoon de Salvo, the emsemble behind Pub Rock and Hard Hearted Hannah sheds some light on the inspiration behind the name and the intimate new show.
Cartoon De Salvo are the brains behind some of London's most unpredictable theatre. Crowd favourite Hard Hearted Hannah, the completely improvised show that provided audiences with a different performance every night, has now finished touring and the troupe are setting up camp at Lyric Hammersmith with Pub Rock. Artistic Director Alex Murdoch answers a few of our questions about this impulsive show.
It's been two years since the brilliantly successful Hard Hearted Hannah, what have you been up to?
Mainly we’ve been touring Hannah… I think we’ve now clocked up 72 completely new improvised stories. Then we collaborated with our friends, pyro-technical company The World Famous, on an environmental apocalypse in four shopping centres.
Where did the idea of Pub Rock come from?
I wanted to tell a story about artistic risk, and play that off against something entertaining, baggage-free and down to earth. My family in Wales play this same repertoire of songs, so-called ‘guilty pleasures’, at parties and so on, and I love them. I was also listening to the Welsh art-rockers Super Furry Animals and thinking; where did this come from?
The Spoonfed office is often cake-inspired and it's on the brain this morning so excuse the metaphor but what are the essential ingredients to a Cartoon de Salvo show and how should a well turned out performance look?
Our main thing is the pull between improvisation and storytelling. We want to mess around with the live theatre experience and we often reinvent the idea of who or what we are to achieve that.
We’re kind of gung-ho and adventurous and we’re not one of those too-cool-for-school companies. We work really hard and we’re an ensemble; I’ve no interest in actors' egos.
What it comes down to is a feeling from the audience that we’ve dealt with them honestly; we wear our hearts on our sleeves.
Who or what inspires Cartoon de Salvo?
The audience. Along with proper theatres we’ve done a lot of work on the village hall circuit because you get that direct and honest relationship and everyone is there with a sense of community and to have fun together.
Lately our ideas have come from some feeling in the show we did before. For example, the risk we took in Hannah… and a lot of our work actually, and how that is received, that’s all in Pub Rock.
What's the story behind the name Cartoon de Salvo?
We nicked it from my friend’s band in Cardiff. Frankly they were never going to play a second gig.
What kind of theatre do you absolutely detest?
I can’t bear it when live things happen – accidents and so on – that are ignored by actors who are locked in their ‘fourth wall’. Also, confronting the audience with the assumption that the character or actor knows more about life, politics and art than they do: I find that embarrassing and dated. I think there’s more to taking risks in the theatre than swearing or taking your clothes off.
What exciting projects will you be working on after Pub Rock?
We’re researching a show called Seasalter which will be in a caravan park. And there’s a story we really want to explore called The Irish Giant about early forensic science and death and religion. And we’re touring Pub Rock which will be different in every location.
Any predictions for good upcoming theatre this year?
Kneehigh Theatre are building this big tent called the Asylum; it will be amazing. Neil Haigh, who’s worked with us for years, is doing a project called The Summer House with Will Adamsdale and Fuel. And – this is obvious – but Improbable’s Lifegame* is back at the Lyric, which is the most inspirational show I’ve ever seen.
I enjoyed that. See you down the pub.
Pub Rock runs at Lyric Hammersmith from 02.02.10 until 20.02.10
*Lifegame runs at Lyric Hammersmith from 06-17th July times are yet to be confirmed.
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