Tell us about yourself and the character you are playing
Emily: “I have been acting for 10 years, but this is my first Shakespeare piece. I’m really excited. I’m playing Petruchio, which is obviously usually a male role, but with the context of us performing it inside a cabaret club, I am the cabaret performer who’s taking on the part of the Petruchio. He’s bombastic, he’s loud, he is, can be aggressive, he can be violent, he is controlling, and he always gets his own way. And he certainly likes to control a situation and he believes that what he says goes, and that he can do anything that he wants to do because he’s just that kind of man.”

What drove you to play this role? What has been the most interesting aspect of your character to explore?

Emily: “We’re moving on with the kind of parts that get written for women, but parts like this still don’t get written for women, really. So, it’s brilliant to be able to step into playing these shoes. I’m also really enjoying the element of it being an all-female cast and the fact that we aren’t shying away from the fact that we are women playing these parts. We’re stepping into the over-the-top nature of it and really playing those stereotypes and those kind of features and characteristics of this kind of man, that this kind of man would not see in himself”.

How do the elements of burlesque, clowns, and cabaret contribute to the storytelling of The Taming of the Shrew?

Emily: “So, we have a central pole for a start. So, the pole, as in a pole dancing pole is the central feature of our set. We use it as different elements of the set. Sometimes it’s a door, sometimes it’s a lookout point, sometimes it’s being used as a pole. Also, the cast is very much a chorus in a way. Lots of characters multi-role anyway but when we aren’t playing another character, we might be supporting vocally. We might be creating some set, and some people are playing tables and pieces of furniture so it’s very much created in the moment. So visually it looks great. Obviously, it’s a minimal set, but we’re utilising all the people to create those elements.

“Also, the cast is super talented. We’ve got some beautiful singers and amazing dancers so it’s kind of all singing, all dancing, all grinding!”

Can you share any interesting or surprising moments from the rehearsal process that significantly shaped your performance?

Emily: “I’d been focusing on Petruchio, so working the cabaret performer into that was really interesting for me. There’s some beautiful moments where some cabaret is happening at the same time as a really interesting monologue. And just the fact that it’s all women on the stage and the way we’re staging these things – it really gives weight to the words.

“Obviously, when this play was written, there’s a few ways of interpreting it, but often it is repeated in this text that a woman, a wife is a belonging – she belongs to her husband. He can decide what she does, where she goes, how she lives and who she is. So, I think it really brings out those words that it is a woman performing. Especially with that cabaret element, which can be so empowering and so political at the same time. I just think it’s adding weight to the patriarchal structures that we still also live in”.

What do you hope the audience takes away from this production?

Emily: ““I think this play has been demonised a little bit and quite rightly because there’s quite a lot of spousal abuse in it, even though it is a comedy.

“We have made it funny. It’s funny, it’s entertaining, it’s got singing, it’s got dancing, it’s got burlesque. But the weight of the play is about the patriarchy and the violence that a lot of women still have to suffer. The beauty of Shakespeare is that we can keep looking at it through different eyes, through modern eyes and we can just give different people the power to tell the story and put the microphone in a different person’s hands and say, ‘I’m going to tell this story from a woman’s perspective’.

“We are going to tell this story and we’re going to take back the power in a way. So, I think we shouldn’t be frightened of any of these plays, it’s just who we give the microphone to, and I think that’s what we’re trying to explore”.

HER productions The Taming of The Shrew is at Hope Mill Theatre on June 19 – 30, the production will then move to Shakespeare North Playhouse July 10-13 and conclude its run with two nights at Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield on 17 and 19 July.

Read our review,

The post Emily Spowage on pole dancing, Shakespeare and a gender-swapping Petruchio appeared first on Quays Life.

What is Welcome to Shangri-La about?

Gemma: “The play is set in a small rundown seaside B & B, where its inhabitants have created a lovely family, of sorts. As they struggle to survive, they long and wish to be normal. To be like everyone else.

“But you should be careful what you wish for.

“Late one night a stranger calls, looking for his missing wife. He brings with him a cash-filled wallet and the promise of a normal life. But this promise comes with a price – the very soul of Shangri-La”.

Where did the inspiration come from to write the piece?

Gemma: “Fitting in has never been a simple thing for me. I’ve always been a bit of weirdo and when I was younger. I so desperately wanted to be ‘normal’. As I grew, I learned to love and embrace who I was, but that word ‘normal’ has continued to stalk me. I wanted to write a piece that makes us look at normal and reassess its meaning…if it exists at all! “

Do you have a definition of ‘normality’?

Gemma: “Hahaha – personally I’d throw that word in the bin! But it’s a good question…an impossible question. I want the audience to take a hard look at that word and what it means to them. To ask themselves, if their definition is really their own, or one that’s been imposed on them. I’m looking forward to the chat in the Hope Mill bar after the show! For me, everyone has their own ‘normal’ that should be respected, and I think that in times such as ours, it’s important to re-evaluate / update that.

“Sadly, in recent years we’ve seen the UK become more and more conservative in what it considers ‘normal’. It feels like we’re going back in time. This is my protest against that”.

What attracts you about dark comedy?

Gemma: “One of the things I love most about humanity is our ability to find laughter in the darkest times. When you’re at your worst and something makes you laugh, it hits a part of your gut that nothing else can reach. It’s a confusing and delicious kind of humour. Addictive. Honest. It’s the kind of comedy which feeds on our insecurities and vulnerabilities and joins us together in something genuine.

“And I’m a little closet goth, so dark is my favourite hue”.

What does it mean to be 2020 BAFTA Breakthrough Brit?

Gemma: “It’s…miraculous. To be recognised by your peers in that way, for doing something you love…there are no words. You associate BAFTA with this level of talent that seems intangible. But to have them reach out a hand and welcome you to the family is just an honour. A total honour”.

How does writing for video games differ to writing for stage and screen?

Gemma: “I think all genres can learn from each other – it’s something I’m very passionate about. When you’re writing for games, action is king. It’s all about gameplay. What is the player doing? What mechanics are at play? Is this fun? Then when it comes to story, you ask yourself, what can accentuate and compliment that journey for the player. Whereas much of my work in other genres has been led by a question that I want the audience to help me answer. The story grows out of that question. But as I say, these days I try to integrate disciplines from all genres in my work – whatever hat I have on that day. For instance, that physical urgency that you find in games is a wonderful drive to incorporate into theatre writing. And that’s the wonderful thing with working as a three-person team over at Ghost Town Games – it’s collaborative, experimental. We can put everything in the pot!”

Can you see any cross-overs?

Gemma: “Too many to name. I want to stress, there are so many video games out there which have amazing stories to tell – important stories. It’s an exciting time in games narrative and I’m thrilled to be part of that. I can personally attest that games, stage and screen are increasingly meeting together to talk about possible ways of collaborating. At the end of the day, all of us want to take our audience on a physical and mental journey. We want to make them experience new worlds / different lives in whole new ways. And that demands that we learn from each other. Incorporate each other’s experiences as artists. If we do this, and I’m certain we will, the future for stage, screen and games is bright!”

What has it been like to be a woman in the video game industry?

Gemma: “It’s been a learning curve. And not always an easy one if I’m being honest. But Phil Duncan and Oli De-Vine at Ghost Town Games have always had my back and in time I established this incredibly supportive network of strong, intelligent, creative, kick-ass women in games that I can call on. That support’s invaluable when you’re the only woman in a room of contemporaries. And it’s something I hope to carry with me into all the genres I work for. All the women I meet have their stories and it’s vital that we support each other, not see each other as competition. And that goes for all areas that are under-represented. Support and raise”.

Would you like to encourage more women to work in gaming?

Gemma: “Yes. Join us! Only the same old, same old comes from the same old, same old and if we want exciting new games, with original imaginations threaded through them, we need fresh voices and minds! Come one, come all. And you will meet the most beautiful people in the games industry, I promise”.

What is next for you?

Gemma: “Lots of things I’m not allowed to talk about! But to be vague, I’ve a couple of plays in the pipeline and will be writing another audio drama later in the year. We’re also working on a new game over at Ghost Town Games that’s going to blow your socks off!”

Welcome to Shangri-La written by Gemma Langford and presented by Broken Biscuit Theatre Company is at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester from 11-20 February 2020. The show is suitable for people aged 14 and above.

Read our interview with comedian Rob Beckett – ‘I had come from a working-class background and didn’t even know the Edinburgh Fringe existed’

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