Bydd enillydd y Wobr Fringe First, Dark Vanilla Jungle, gan Philip Ridley, yn rhoi dechrau da i dymor y gwanwyn yn ein Stiwdio Weston ar 3 Mawrth, gyda Gemma Whelan o Game of Thrones. Rydyn ni wedi cwrdd â’r cyfarwyddwr David Mercatali i ddarganfod mwy am y sioe.
You’ve directed a lot of Philip Ridley plays, what is it about his work that particularly appeals to you? And what interested you in Dark Vanilla Jungle?I've always found myself drawn to Phil's writing - each time I read or see his plays I feel like I'm back in his world, which is one I relate to and understand. His characters are a big part of that - they're truthful and believable but at the same time expressed in such an imaginative world and in such creative ways; and that combination - which is very true of Andrea in Dark Vanilla Jungle - excites me.
Without giving too much away, what’s Dark Vanilla Jungle about?
It's about a young girl's quest for love - from her family and from the men that she meets. It explores some of the difficulties she's confronted with along the way, particularly as she's drawn into a gang and mistreated by the men in her life. It's also an incredible piece of storytelling - a solo viewpoint presented with truthfulness, humour, poetry and hope.
Dark Vanilla Jungle is a one woman show. What challenges does this pose for a director?
Mainly practical ones - it obviously means the play depends on a single actor, so you can't take the same rehearsal process you would for a bigger ensemble - you're in the room with them for the whole time and 100% of your focus is on them. So you have to be aware of that and allow for it, and develop a completely unique relationship with the performer to tell the story.
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| Gemma Whelan - Dark Vanilla Jungle, photo by / llun gan Camilla Greenwell |
I loved being in Cardiff! It's a great place and I go back regularly to visit friends. Studying there was also hugely influential - I was very involved with the drama society at uni and so I worked at places like Chapter Arts and the Sherman, which were great opportunities to take the first steps towards a professional career while still studying. That was really exciting and played a big part in my eventual career.
Tell us about your career path after university. How did you go from journalism into directing?
Well I worked out while I was doing the course that I didn't want to be a journalist! So I guess that was the first step - and then a lot of my free time was spent directing plays for the drama society, and eventually I took one to Edinburgh which went very well. And encouraged by that I did what lots of people do - moved to London and tried to get involved! It's not easy and there's no set process - but my attitude was that the way to make progress is just by getting stuck in, making as much work as you're able to and creating opportunities for others to see your work. You have to be patient and be prepared to take things step by step, I think.
How have you found taking the show from Edinburgh to touring the UK?
Really exciting! The show is perfectly suited to touring and it's great to be showing it to audiences again. You get a bit used to festival audiences in Edinburgh but touring to different cities means you get different reactions wherever you go - so it can make you think about the show in new ways.
Give us three words that sum up Dark Vanilla Jungle…
Intense, emotional, impactful.
Dark Vanilla Jungle will be performed in the Urdd Hall at Wales Millennium Centre on 3 Mar '14 at 8pm. Find out more here, and join us after the performance for a free post-show talk.
Bydd Dark Vanilla Jungle yn cael ei berfformio yn Neuadd yr Urdd yng Nghanolfan Mileniwm Cymru ar 3 Maw ’14. Cewch o hyd i ragor o wybodaeth am brisiau’r tocynnau yma, ac ymunwch â ni yn dilyn y perfformiad am sgwrs am ddim.
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