‘Reel Life’, Q&A with Cast and Crew

Questions for the Company:

Tell us a little about Far Between Theatre: Who’s on the team, how did the company begin and what makes you unique?

We’re Eva and David. As our name suggests, Far Between Theatre is a company that is interested in the spaces between humans and what surrounds them: both other humans and our natural environments. We want to explore where those spaces pinch and where they give room to grow, and for whom. And whether and how we change that! By telling those stories of softness, difference and violence that are situated there, we encourage audiences to open up their hearts and fire up their bellies. 

The productions I've seen from Far Between Theatre often explore challenging ideas and themes, which can be quite a lot for audiences to come to terms with. Is it important for you as a company to have something bold and impactful to say through your work? 

The observation that we tend to explore challenging ideas and themes is astute, although we don’t set out to shock needlessly. Bold compassion is at the root of what we do with our storytelling. I suppose we just don’t see a point in making theatre that doesn’t highlight something new about ourselves in the world; that doesn’t make something tangible, for the brief time that you are in the theatre, that you might not be experiencing consciously in the rest of your life. It’s not about making you feel guilty or scared, it’s about showing you something new, and asking you: what do you want to do now?

As an emerging theatre company, who are your biggest inspirations?

The answer is more of a ‘what’. And it goes back to your first question, so we get to answer that a little more in-depth! We both have backgrounds outside theatre, too: David in biology and conservation, Eva in international politics and philosophy. We are constantly inspired to make palpable the ideas that we find in those fields. How do you allow an audience to experience the subjective layer-peeling of a phenomenological investigation? How do you focus their awareness on the complexity and ambiguity of deep biological time and our role in it? Within theatre, we are constantly inspired by practitioners who embody daring, refreshing perspectives and storytelling methods, through craft that defies ego. We recently loved Straight Line Crazy at The Bridge, Deep Azure at the Sam Wanamaker, Proof at Network Theatre, Party Favour at the Etcetera, and Kyoto at Soho Place, amongst many other things. Also, we both honestly find endless nerdy, crafty, poetic inspiration in Shakespeare, and in continuing to take classes to develop our acting, clown, directing, improv, singing, producing, and writing.

Tell us about ‘Reel Life’. What drew you to this play and made you want to stage it?

Ian and Levenka approached us with the idea and we immediately loved it. Without giving too much away, it definitely ticks the box of highlighting the wrestle for space between two people, and then actually, between them and their environment. And this latter struggle draws attention to a power negotiation that we find ourselves entangled in today. Also, Reel Life’s form, the silent film-inspired physical theatre, veers into very exciting new territory for us. In the play, the characters are constantly seeking the audience's approval, something that was once primarily associated with performers. 

In our contemporary digital age, do you think this desire for attention and validation is something that everyone can relate to?

Yes. To be fair, the desire for attention and validation is probably a thing of all human time, but they are just so readily available now, to so many people, on such a large scale. Maybe there were lots of people in, say, Napoleon’s empire who were as desirous of attention and validation as he was, but it was quite hard to come by to the extent that he managed it. So, we all probably struggle with the temptation to go after that longed-for attention and validation much more prominently now. Giving in seems to be rewarded quickly and richly. But the fall can be so public and permanent, too.

What do you see as the key themes running through the piece?

Individuality versus collaboration, sacrifice and ruthlessness, hubris and self-destruction, (artificial) intelligence, and a kind of philosophical myopia that makes one unable to see the bigger picture.

Why did you choose the Etcetera Theatre in Camden as the venue for this production?

Et Cetera is a great venue for black box theatre, and especially for a show like this, with an intimate audience relationship. Et Cetera also puts up fantastic experimental and politically daring fringe theatre and new writing. It felt like a natural fit.

Can you sum up ‘Reel Life’ in a single sentence? Why should audiences come and see it?

Algernon and Bruno are the feuding co-stars of a 1920s silent film variety show, increasingly willing to cross any line to claim the limelight – but unbeknownst to them, there is something else that craves the roar of applause even more. Audiences should come to see it because they love physical storytelling, comedy with a dark shadow, shows that make political thought palpable, and fresh fringe theatre from new makers!

What are your ambitions for the play beyond this run at the Etcetera?

While this is ultimately up to the creators of the show, Levenka and Ian, we would be very excited to see the project develop further and be put on in more venues and festivals – in particular ones with a connection to silent film!

Looking ahead, what are your long-term ambitions for Far Between Theatre as a company?

We want to keep expanding on the same path. We’re excited to be working with bigger theatres and bigger audiences in the coming year, and we want to continue to champion new work we believe in. We’re strong believers in fair treatment and valuing the work that creatives do, so we are working hard to be able to reward them as they should be, which isn’t easy in fringe theatre. Creatives train for years to use their whole being to not only reflect parts of ourselves we don’t see, but also generate new visions. We make a distinction between shows we initiate (“Far Between Theatre Presents”) and shows we have been approached to produce (“A Far Between Theatre Production”) and would love to encourage anyone who likes our work and wants help putting their show on to approach us (farbetweentheatre@gmail.com). Finally, we are working on an educational arm of the company, that will bring secondary school students into contact with our methodology of recreating Shakespeare and empower their own creative engagement with his work.

Questions for Levenka and Ian:

As performers, what is your take on the characters need for attention and validation? Do you think audiences will relate to this?

Ian: Absolutely I think they will. It’s an incredibly relatable feeling. We all want attention and validation, in some form or another, and as an actor, I’d be lying if I said performers aren’t a special distillation of that feeling. Algernon and Bruno want that special rush from the audience. They put themselves up there to be looked at, to feel people appreciate and cheer for them, and that is the fuel that keeps them going. It gives them meaning, however they interpret it, and that is definitely something the audience can sympathize with.

Levenka: It’s a very relatable feeling. For actors it is a more obvious relatability, we literally made being looked at and hopefully earning applause at the end our job. But in truth all of us want attention and crave it in one way or another, be it in the workplace or in our relationships. We want to get validation and be loved for what we do and who we are as people. For Algernon and Bruno, attention and validation is the ultimate goal, it’s as if they have blinders on and that is all they can see and all that matters. For them it’s the feeling of, “if I don’t have proof of people loving me through applause and attention, do I even exist? Do I even have worth?” The feeling of needing outside validation to feel your own worth is sadly a feeling that I think a lot of people can relate to.

What themes or ideas do you think are most pertinent in ‘Reel Life’?

Ian: We sure tried to work a bunch of themes into the show, to give it some body and soul. There’s some heady stuff about free will and self-determination, offset with some measly stuff about the dangers of smoking and HR violations. Ultimately, however, Reel Life is about cruelty. It’s about how people can be cruel, how audiences can be cruel, all in the pursuit of more entertainment. People want to be entertained, which can be such a mundane thing, but it takes on a cruel twist when it becomes ‘not enough,’ and people want more of it. 

Levenka: To add on to that it is also about loosing yourself in your own pursuits, realising (too?) late that you’ve went further than you ever thought you would. The number one entertainment of our age is social media and the fleeting and unpredictable bouts of fame that you can get on there and how easy it is to disappear into anonymity again, definitely influenced the themes of Reel Life.

How do you envisage the relationship between Algernon and Bruno - is it a friendship, a competition or something more complicated?

Levenka: Navigating being dependent on each other and at the same time competing for the spotlight and trying to establish yourself as a solo artist is difficult. Both know that they need each other in order to stay in the spotlight, but it’s an unspoken reality that it could change at any time and that both would take the first chance they could get to not share the spotlight anymore. It’s an uncomfortable truth that both are very aware of but would never openly talk about. They’ve spent a lot of time with each other and there’s respect for each other’s craft. I wouldn’t go as far as to call them friends, but they are bonded more than normal co-workers however their job is one filled with rivalry. It’s confusing and unpredictable, which is a delicious relationship dynamic to be in as an actor.

Ian: Oh it’s absolutely more complicated. At its core, they’re co-workers. Co-stars, to be exact, which has a sharper edge to it than just co-workers. They rely on each other. It’s the ‘Algernon & Bruno Show,’ and so it’s not like one of them can just pick up the slack if the other is lacking. They have to trust each other to do their job, and validate that same trust in return. But of course, they both also dream of more. They want the spotlight for themselves, and so the person they must trust also becomes an obstacle. What happens when the person you rely on most for your own success also becomes the thing hindering it?

The story is set in the world of 1920s silent film and variety entertainment. Did that setting influence how you approached your performance?

Ian: To be honest? Not so much. It influenced the way the show looks, and the way we built the choreography, but in terms of our performances, the 1920’s never really informed what we did. People are people, characters are characters, regardless what decade they come from, and all of our performance decisions stemmed from what Algernon and Bruno would do, as people.

Levenka: Yes and No. As Ian mentioned, it informed mostly the overall look of the show, the costuming and also the larger than life movement quality a lot of silent movie stars in the 1920s had but the themes and the core of the story is timeless. It’s about ambition and cruelty and being seduced by fame.

Without giving too much away, the play hints that there is something darker lurking beneath the surface. How does this affect the atmosphere of the piece?

Ian: We weave it in from the very beginning. The play is upbeat and cheerful, silly even, at the beginning, but there is always a tension, always an edge. Hell, we even tried to weave some of that into the social media marketing we’ve been doing. I won’t say much more, but whatever the audience sees right from the beginning, is only going to build with every second of the play.

Do you sympathise with your respective characters?

Levenka: It’s a mixed bag for me. On one side I sympathise with Algernon’s dreamlike pursuit of his dreams, of his ambition to reach the ultimate goal of being a household name as a solo artist, but his ruthlessness in pursuing it and only doing what will guarantee him the biggest gain for his career disregarding the feelings of anyone around him, is something I cannot relate to. There is nothing wrong with having ambition and working hard to reach your goals and look out for yourself and what is going to be good for you and your career, but for me there are lines I wouldn’t ever cross that Algernon finds himself willing to cross. This might sound a bit blasphemous, but performing and acting is also just a job. And no job should be 100% of your personality and everything you define yourself as, I wish I could tell Algernon that. But I doubt he’d listen.

Ian: Again, I’m going to say it’s more of a ‘no.’ There’s elements of Bruno that I can certainly sympathize with, such as his ambition and dedication, but those are very broad strokes that don’t reveal much. Bruno carries a lot of aggression and jealousy regarding his co-star, and that’s just not a level of ire that I carry. I know what it’s like to be angry and jealous of someone I’m working with, but Bruno, as an over-the top character, takes it too far. He could stand to calm down a bit, in my opinion. But I guess that wouldn’t be as interesting.

What has been the most rewarding or challenging aspect of bringing this story to life?

Ian: The most rewarding and challenging moments have all gone hand in hand. Creating the show becomes a challenge when we have no earthly idea what to do. We have moments we’re trying to build, scenes we’re trying to move between, breadcrumbs we’re trying to lay, and no idea how to do it. It’s incredibly infuriating and disheartening. And then the rewarding moments come when we have the ‘ah-ha,’ followed by a cascade of creativity as it all fits into place and makes sense.

Levenka: Yes, it’s been both rewarding and challenging. The rehearsals where everything starts to flow and the loose ends basically fix themselves and you bounce off off each others ideas make the hard moments, feeling stuck and unsure how to proceed, all worth it.

What do you think ‘Reel Life’ is ultimately saying about fame and the pursuit of attention?

Ian: It’s saying be careful. It’s saying don’t let it all go to your head. Fame and attention are intoxicating and attractive, and worthy of pursuit, but only up to a point. Reel LIfe shows the darker side of fame, and hopefully reminds the audience that chasing that high too much can burn one out fast.

Levenka: It’s as much of a warning as it’s also an acknowledgement that we’re all prone to fall into this trap of getting lost in the numbers game of attention and fame. In the end we’re all tiny specs on a floating rock in the universe. Fame and adoration are fun, no doubt, but also it is not that serious. It doesn’t define you or make you a better person than anyone else. And life, to be honest, is too precious and short to let how many people watched your stories, follow you or wanting to be adored by thousands of strangers, consume you.

What do you want audiences to take away from the play? And why do audiences need to see ‘Reel Life’ right now?

Ian: We want them to be charmed, we want them to be amazed, we want them to be entertained. We want them to walk away from the show with things to think about. It’s a show about being relevant in an unforgiving, fast moving world, and we want people to watch it and think about their place in that world. If someone comes to us a week, two weeks, a month after the show and says ‘yeah, I still think about it whenever I open Instagram, or turn on Netflix to watch a show, or read an article about some director or screenwriter, and am reminded to take a breath and be a human before engaging further,’ I think that will be a massive success.