Theatre
"As we all know, some of the best art emerges not just despite but actually thanks to constrictions. It forces one to figure things out on one’s own."
1st Springboard: FESTIVAL FOR EMERGING ARTISTS
29 March - 23 April, 2022
Interview
Theodor Spiridon
SPRINGBOARD: FRUITS, OR THE DECLINE OF A DISTANT MEMORY
31 March - 2 April | Book Now
Fruits or, The Decline of a Distant Memory is a neo-cabaret performance from the trenches of humanity about the fruitless attempts of finding love.
Stuck in the midst of space and time three entities are searching for meaning. There’s a smell of longing in the air and we’re falling through oblivion. Through a series of apparently disconnected vignettes, they navigate by morphing into various shapes. This is ultimately a love story between the self and its reflection. Electric and infantile flavours of sweet and bitter collapse.
Hey Theodor, thank you for talking with The New Current, how is everything been going?
Thanks for having me! Really well thank you.
Fruits, or The Decline of a Distant Memory is set to run at The King’s Head Theatre as part of SPRINGBOARD 2022, what does it mean to you to be part of such an amazing line up of theatre?
It’s wonderful. I’m so excited and can’t wait to get started.
How essential are opportunities like SPRINGBOARD for theatre?
Absolutely crucial. This is not always an easy country in which to be an artist, at least economically speaking. Festivals like SPRINGBOARD provide an invaluable forum for emerging artist to experiment, learn and develop.
What has it been like for you to revisit Fruits, or The Decline of a Distant Memory, how much has the show changed since it premiered?
It’s been a real joy. The show has really come into its own. We’re finding so much humour and warmth, whereas some of its previous iterations were more serious and melancholic (although there is still plenty of melancholy and nostalgia)!
Can you tell me a little bit about how Fruits, or The Decline of a Distant Memory came about, what can we expect?
So in mid-2019, Michał, Pat, Mimmi and I got together to consume fruits and recount stories associated with or inspired by the tastes, textures, scents and smells. That was the ‘seed’ from which ‘Fruits’ grew and ripened into the luscious, bonkers delicacy that we enjoy today!
What has the experience been like working with your Mimmi, Pat and Michal on this production?
So much fun. They’re wonderful, generous artists who are willing to experiment and take risks; taking one idea, tearing it to shreds, and repaying it tenfold. They’re truly remarkable and I’m so proud to be part of TAKDAJA with them.
With a show like Fruits, or The Decline of a Distant Memory how important is the relationship between the creators and director?
I don’t really recognise the distinction – we’re all just artists creating theatre together. There’s no hierarchy as between me and performers – we’re just juicy pieces of fruit in the same bowl. Don’t forget to bring your own cream!
As well as directing you also created the Lighting Design, what are some of the biggest challenges you might face when creating Lighting Design for a production like this?
Technically it’s been a learning curve but the biggest challenge is the limited time available to get things right. But actually that’s in some ways a blessing. As we all know, some of the best art emerges not just despite but actually thanks to constrictions. It forces one to figure things out on one’s own.
Where did your passion for theatre come from and how much has your approach to your work changed since you started out?
My work has always been eclectic and experimental. I fall in love with an idea and allow it the freedom to become what it needs to become. In that sense my approach has never changed but perhaps I’ve found more confidence in it over the years. I just ran out of fucks to give!
What has been the best piece of advice you have been given and is there any advice or tips you would offer any emerging Lighting Designer or Director?
Allow the art to speak for itself. Have a conversation with it and never rush it. Don’t try to please others or ‘play the game’. As the cliché goes: ‘you do you’. We never know when we’re going to die or if we’ll ever ‘make it’, so you might as well search for the art within yourself and make that happen.
And finally, what do you hope people will take away from Fruits, or The Decline of a Distant Memory?
A lingering scent of putrefaction, laced with a sense of hope.