Naomi Obeng and J\u00falia Levai on We\u2019ll Be Who We Are.<\/h2>\n
We\u2019ll Be Who We<\/strong> Are<\/strong> <\/em>instantly caught the eye of the ET workforce when VAULT Festiva<\/strong>l was introduced. After all, how are you going to not be intrigued by an outline of \u201cA plant-filled play that embraces quiet tenderness and envelops you in its playful logic.<\/em>\u201d You wish to know extra as properly, don\u2019t you. So we have been delighted to speak with author Naomi Obeng<\/strong> and director J\u00falia Levai<\/strong> in regards to the present and the problem of conserving vegetation alive beneath Waterloo station!<\/p>\n Lovely to satisfy you each, we could do introductions first then?<\/strong><\/p>\n Naomi: I\u2019m Naomi, the author. I additionally do different issues. Like dramaturging. Occasionally performing.<\/p>\n J\u00falia: I\u2019m J\u00falia, the director. I additionally dabble in different issues, like dramaturgy and theatre-making. The previous few years I\u2019ve been discovering myself drawn to new writing that makes an attempt to push what theatre might be, and invitations audiences to marvel (so engaged on Naomi\u2019s play has been a dream).<\/p>\n And what are you able to inform us about We\u2019ll Be Who We Are?<\/strong><\/p>\n Naomi: Where to begin. Well, it\u2019s my first play. I wrote it in 2019, after I was on Soho Writers\u2019 Lab<\/a>. It\u2019s an bold, playful and unusual play about not becoming in, and probably not desirous to. The world the characters dwell in isn\u2019t ours, but it surely\u2019s associated. People have informed me greater than as soon as that they\u2019ve by no means learn something prefer it, however come see it and you’ll be the choose! I believe I wrote it as an try and truthfully distil and transmit quite a lot of tough emotions I’ve had as an individual who was typically \u2018in between\u2019. Not fairly becoming classes that individuals appear very intent on placing you in supplies a sure perspective on the unwritten and invisible social expectations that steer our lives. It\u2019s filled with feeling, however not the form of play that tells you what to suppose, which hopefully might be thrilling for individuals to expertise.<\/p>\n J\u00falia: The play begins with three pals of their 20s, a faculty reunion, and a lacking shoe. It\u2019s an unsettling, humorous, and mesmerising new play about outsiders looking for a hide-away from a inflexible world. I believe Naomi\u2019s play holds a lot in each inch of the textual content which now we have been discovering in rehearsals, and I hope that audiences will be capable of marvel and revel in its invitation of a distinct tempo, preventing our fixed want for productiveness.\u00a0<\/p>\n We are actually intrigued by the outline of a plant-filled play! Can you speak in regards to the position of vegetation within the play and the way they contribute to the general environment and themes?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Naomi: Aha! I\u2019m glad you\u2019re intrigued. We\u2019ve already had some enjoyable durational plant research and improvs as a part of the method of discovering the play\u2019s theatrical language. The vegetation are an enormous a part of the story and the characters\u2019 journeys. It\u2019s a pleasant little problem for us to see the way to preserve vegetation alive within the Cavern. And it’ll add to the play\u2019s unusual environment for the performers and viewers to be sharing the house with different, silent, dwelling beings.<\/p>\n Could we get somewhat teaser in regards to the absurd social norms the characters could be seeking to escape from?<\/strong><\/p>\n J\u00falia: The play takes the concept of individuals being labelled and informed from a younger age what they are often to the acute. It\u2019s a world the place altering as an individual is unprecedented, and every thing has been created for the comfort and optimisation of the system they dwell in. It\u2019s a heightened, however not too far off model of our society. I believe it\u2019s chillingly recognisable.\u00a0<\/p>\n Naomi, the play was shortlisted for the 2020 Women\u2019s Prize for Playwriting<\/a>, what\u2019s the method of submitting the play and what does it imply to you to be recognised on this manner?<\/strong><\/p>\n Naomi: The course of began prefer it often does for me after I see a chance \u2013 I resolve I\u2019m not adequate and that I received\u2019t submit my play! But I did submit this time. I used to be extremely stunned and honoured to be shortlisted, and in such good firm on that shortlist. Certainly as a result of it\u2019s my first play, but in addition as a result of it\u2019s such an odd, non-traditional one \u2013 and people are sometimes casualties of how prize studying processes are constructed. I felt so inspired and so validated.<\/p>\n J\u00falia, how did you turn out to be concerned within the undertaking then?<\/strong><\/p>\n J\u00falia: I’m a reader for the Women\u2019s Prize for Playwriting, and I keep in mind studying the outline of We\u2019ll Be Who We Are<\/em> on the shortlist and immediately connecting to it. I bought in contact with Naomi, who kindly despatched the play to me. I’m drawn to non-traditional writing, to the summary, to photographs \u2013 all of which weren’t simply current however weaved into the essence of the play with so many mind-bending concepts. After studying it, I carried the play\u2019s environment with me for the remainder of the day. I then despatched a probably (undoubtedly) too lengthy fanmail to Naomi. It was adopted by a joyous and galvanizing chain of emails sharing artwork that we love main us to collaborating on the R&D of the play and now to working in direction of its first previews on the VAULT Festival.\u00a0<\/p>\n How have rehearsals been going?<\/strong><\/p>\n J\u00falia: Rehearsals have been full of exploration \u2013 diving into Naomi\u2019s textual content through a number of conversations, picture making, motion, and taking part in. Joshua Merara<\/strong>, Joanne Marie Mason<\/strong> and Adam Tutt<\/strong> have all been extremely considerate, type & playful, really embracing all the probabilities of the textual content! We are at a part the place it\u2019s all slowly coming into focus which is thrilling. There\u2019s been quite a lot of giggles!<\/p>\n Naomi: Numerous giggles. The deepest chats but in addition essentially the most joyful nonsense. There isn\u2019t an current blueprint to method a play like this, so J\u00falia\u2019s been good at guiding us all by way of.<\/p>\n Have you been to VAULT Fest earlier than and do you could have any last ideas to share on the VAULT Festival being left and not using a dwelling for 2024 and past?<\/strong><\/p>\n J\u00falia: It\u2019s most of our workforce\u2019s first ever VAULT present, so we’re actually excited to have our present on the competition! It\u2019s the primary probability for us to share Naomi\u2019s play for 3 preview performances following an thrilling growth interval. We are extremely fortunate to be within the Cavern that\u2019s such an atmospheric house, which TK, our designer & all our workforce are so thrilled to embrace.\u00a0<\/p>\n Naomi: It\u2019s fairly unhappy to grasp that we\u2019ll be one of many final VAULT reveals in that iconic house. The Cavern is weirdly excellent for this play. As a brand new author, the theatre sector these days seems like outrunning the Indiana Jones boulder \u2013 alternatives disappearing simply behind you, in the event you\u2019re fortunate. It\u2019s worrying. So it\u2019s bittersweet to welcome individuals into the house for one first\/final time. We at all times wished to supply audiences a novel and significant theatrical expertise, in order that\u2019s what we\u2019re striving to do and we are able to\u2019t wait to see what individuals make of it!<\/p>\n Our because of Naomi and J\u00falia for taking time to speak with us.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll Be Who We Are <\/em>performs at VAULT Festival<\/strong> from 10 \u2013 12 March. Further data and tickets might be discovered right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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