#Interview By Lou with Toby Mitchell, Theatre Director about UK Tour of The Elmer Adventure, A Stage Adaptation of David McKee’s Books About That Patchwork Elephant #TheElmerAdventure #Elmer #Theatre #ChildrensTheatre #FamilyPlay #Summer #SummerActivities #TouringPlay

Interview by Lou with Toby Mitchell
The Elmer Adventure

Elmer The Patchwork Elephant is on tour in a highly anticipated, very colourful, very exciting new stage play – The Elmer Adventure, adapted from those worldwide famous books by David McKee. More about that in a moment.

Thanks to The Space InBetween, I have had the absolute pleasure to interview the Award Winning Artistic Director Toby Mitchell from “Tall Stories” (Room on the Broom, The Gruffalo and more… Discover more later in the interview) about this new play suitable for 3 year olds plus.

Welcome Toby to Bookmarks and Stages.

Elmer was created by David McKee and first published by Andersen Press in 1989. There are 30 picture books in the series and more novelty titles. Elmer has since gone on to sell over 10 million copies in over 60 languages. In the original classic book, Elmer realises that it is his differences that make him who he truly is, and these differences are what his friends love about him. ‘The Elmer Adventure’ is a new show that brings together three David McKee stories, ‘Elmer’, ‘Elmer and the Tune’ and ‘Elmer and the Hippos’.

Everyone is invited to come to see the show wearing their most colourful clothes and accessories.

So, on with the interview and some rather fun cast photos.
You can find out at the end where you too can join in fun of stories, magical puppetry, playfulness, songs and humour about a quest, friendship, acceptance and more…

1. Who or what inspired you to become a director and what was your pathway into this profession?

I’ve worked as a performer and as a director. When I was performing, I gradually realised that I preferred seeing the whole picture, rather than focusing on a smaller part of it. I originally studied French & German at university (and did loads of music and drama alongside) – I did an MA in Theatre Practice a few years later. Tall Stories was a very small company until we came across The Gruffalo story, just before the book became famous, and excitingly, we managed to get permission to put it on stage!

2. Elmer has had a very long life with many generations of children reading the books, meaning expectations are high. What made you decide to create a live action stage show of Elmer?

The stories are brilliant! Such life and humour and joy. Also, the world loves Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, and 10 million books have been sold internationally. David McKee wrote over 30 Elmer books, which have been translated into more than 50 languages. So we came up with a satisfying way of telling three of the stories together in one show that would involve an exciting onstage journey for our three storytellers/performers too. Elmer is a well-travelled elephant, and that’s why we wanted to bring him to life on stage in a magical way, and we specially developed a life-size puppet for a big reveal.

3. How did you go about getting permission to create the stage show and was this an easy or challenging process?

We were competing against three or four other companies, so it was both exciting and an honour to get the rights! And now, having the opportunity to translate it for the stage has been great fun! As well as co-creating the script, I had a hugely talented creative team on board: designer, composer, lighting designer, sound designer, costume supervisor, and many others. When the audience enters the auditorium, it really feels like they’re stepping into the heart of a magical jungle. At Tall Stories, we have become known for our unique design and audience interactions through all our shows. In particular, we have a style of ‘try it at home’ storytelling, and we know that children re-enact the story and dress up when they are back at home, which is great for their development.

You’ve talked about bringing playfulness and the magical spirit of Elmer to the stage. How was it to get inside the head of a 3 year old plus mindset and direct a play that would hold their attention and create magical memories?

Essentially, I’m still a big kid – many people who work in theatre are. When we bring picture books to life on stage, we’re able to bring so much more to the original text and pictures. The trick is to tell great stories and take your audience (younger and older) seriously. Then you need to add humour, music, songs, and (when needed) puppets. Our near-lifesize Elmer puppet is a thing of beauty. There’s also extra dialogue, jokes, music, puppetry – and we engage with and interact with the audience throughout the show. All of these elements add hugely to the audience’s experience and create great memories for families.

4. How can people find out where to see the play and where can they follow you on social media?

The Elmer Adventure is on a UK tour until 20 July 2025. For more information visit tallstories.org.uk/the-elmer-adventure and come and chat to us at https://www.instagram.com/tallstories/

5. Have you any other projects in mind at the moment?

Always! I’m especially proud of our famous adaptation of ‘The Gruffalo’ and our show celebrates its 25th birthday next year! ‘The Smeds and The Smoos’ is currently on tour, and The Gruffalo’s Child is on a national tour from September. Over our 28 years of existence (and 20 years as a charity), we’ve produced over 30 shows. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to spend my life making theatre for young children and families that captures their imaginations.

UK Tour Dates

Fri 27 – Sun 29 June: Norwich Playhouse, Norwich Booking LINK

Sat 5 – Sun 6 July: Chelmsford Civic, Chelmsford Booking LINK

Tues 8 – Weds 9 July: Storyhouse Chester, Chester

Tues 15 – Thurs 17 July: Sheffield Lyceum, Sheffield Booking LINK

Fri 18 – Sun 20 July: Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield

#Interview By Lou with Producer Nathan Hertz and Writer Avra Fox-Lerner on new film, Thinestra and more… @thinestra @nertzzz @avra.jr @Tom_Brumpton_PR #Thinestra #Movie #Film

Interview with Producer Nathan Hertz
and writer Avra Fox-Lerner
about Thinestra

Interview by Louise Cannon

Welcome Nathan and Avra to Bookmarks and Stages to talk about your film and more…
Thinestra is a horror film that takes on the hot topic of diet pills where the type shown is like the popular one taken in the real world known as Ozempic that as a topic in the film and the answer is very personal to them and honest about mental health, diets and more…. We also talk about the film itself, classic horror like Jekyll and Hyde, how they celebrated the success at premiering at Raindance Film Festival, being picked up by Deadline and much more… The answers are in-depth, honest, personal and fascinating.

Without further ado, here is the synopsis and then we will get on with the interview, where you will also find links to where you can watch it…

Synopsis

A miracle drug delivers the overnight weight loss you’ve always dreamed of. But will it turn you into a walking nightmare? It’s a sweltering Christmas in LA. Penny—plagued by body dysmorphia and cycles of binge eating—impulsively takes Thinestra, a mysterious Ozempic-like drug. That night, she violently expels masses of fat in a painful and grotesque purge. But her discarded flesh returns… and like the Hyde to Penny’s Jekyll, PENELOPE is born. As her ravenous dopplegänger wreaks bloody havoc, Penny struggles to regain control. Can she overcome her hunger before it’s too late?

Styled as “The Substance” on Ozempic, “Thinestra” imagines a world not dissimilar from today in which quick weight loss drugs are readily available, but there is a price to pay. The cast also features Mary Beth Barone (“Overcompensating”), Brian Husky (“Veep”), Annie Ilonzeh (“SWAT”), Gavin Stenhouse (“Black Mirror”), and Shannon Dang (“Kung Fu”). “Thinestra” is produced by Alexandra Lubenova’s Dogplayer & Kelly Parker’s Mary Ellen Moffat, alongside Hitmaker’s Media and Stay Lucky Studios. Hertz, Joe Wesley, and both Macedo sisters act as executive producers.

What attracted you to the horror genre?

Nathan: I watched The Shining too young, and it kind of rewired my brain. I love the horror genre, but it encompasses a lot for me; I don’t make much of a distinction between horror movies and just… scary stories in general. I like to joke that Thinestra is Bridget Jones’s Diary meets The Fly.

Avra: I actually came to horror later, in high school. I was sick one summer and my dad had the entire Cronenberg canon on VHS. I spent a week sitting in a dark bedroom watching my way from Shivers to Dead Ringers and I’ve never been the same since.

2. The film covers the hot topic of weight loss pills, especially a fictionalised one called Thinestra, an Ozempic-like pill. What research did you do to make this believable and then credibly turn it into horror?

Nathan: I guess my research was mostly first-hand experience. I’ve struggled a lot with body image and weight loss—so when I heard about the new drugs hitting the market, I jumped at the opportunity to try them. Unfortunately, my body had a really bad reaction, and I was sick for over a week! I was left asking myself the same question that Penny, the main character in our film asks, how far am I willing to go to lose weight?

Avra: It’s funny I first wrote this script before Ozempic was even an idea in the world. Like Nathan, I’ve struggled with body image issues. I grew up in LA, a heavy set teenager and the daughter of a heavy set mother. I watched my mom go through starvation diets and early diet pills that had pretty nasty side effects and was also friends with girls who had full blown eating disorders. I remember being angry at myself in high school for not having the discipline to be anorexic because I always got hungry and ate something. At some point I began to fantasize about a pill I could take that would just make the fat melt away, but I also understood by that point in my life that nothing comes without a price, and so Thinestra was born.

3. The film looks at mental health and body dysmorphia. How important is it that films portray these issues, and why did you choose to explore them as a main theme?

Nathan: I think we’re living in a time where people are performing “wellness” while secretly falling apart. They’re posting ‘body positive’ platitudes while scrutinizing their own reflections in private. So I think we’ve all become a bit too isolated in our issues on this subject—me included. Nothing brings people together like a common enemy… And when the villain is a distorted version of yourself—the part you’re desperate to escape—big bad body horror becomes the perfect genre to externalize that inner fracture.

Avra: I think there is a privilege of beauty that people don’t like to talk about or admit is real, but we are all subject to and affected by. It’s a knife that cuts both ways. In my opinion it isn’t doing great things for anyone, even those seen as “beautiful.” I believe, especially when we are young, we think – if I could just fix this one thing, everything in my life would be better. And especially for a lot of young women, that thing is the way we look. So it becomes an unhealthy fixation that is a stand in for everything we don’t like about ourselves. As Nathan says, body horror is a gift that allows us to externalize the internal. What is more horrifying than living inside your own worst enemy – your body?

4. There’s a Jekyll and Hyde theme with Penelope and her doppelgänger. How did you approach that without becoming too derivative, while still nodding to Stevenson’s novel?

Nathan: No mustaches! And… Jekyll and Hyde inhabit the same physical structure, whereas Penny is completely physically separated from Penelope (evil doppelganger formed from Penny’s discarded fat) yet linked psychologically. Penbelope is a physical manifestation of Penny’s binge state.

Avra: I think when writing horror, and especially monster horror, you’re essentially building off a collection of classic archetypes. There’s always a moment when a writer wants to reinvent the wheel and come up with a monster no one has seen before but … it never really works! I’ve learned to embrace the archetype monster as a base and then figure out what my personal take on it is from there. And I don’t feel like I see enough Jekyll/Hyde influenced stories! And it’s so scary!!

5. Congratulations on premiering at Raindance and being picked up by Deadline and others! What was that like and how did you celebrate?

Nathan: With a trip to London and one too many pints!

Avra: With a lot of dancing around my apartment and telling everyone I know!

6. Where can people follow you and where can they watch Thinestra?
@nertzzz
@thinestra
www.thinestra.com
@avra.jr

And we are just starting our festival year, so we have lots of exciting screenings on the horizon.

7. What’s next for you?

Nathan: I’m developing a new feature called The Green. It’s a 1950s-set horror film (subgenre: people hunting people) that takes place on a golf course. It’s got mid-century Americana, humor, and plenty of blood in the sand traps!

Avra: I’m working on a folk horror script called Safe Haven about the cost of safety in an unsafe world and directing a play in New York City this summer called Transgression that is only horror in theme, not in genre.

#Interview By Lou with director, writer, producer, actor, musician Brandon Bernath about short film, Illionaire @brandon_bernath @Tom_Brumpton_PR #Films #Movies #Music #Illionaire

Today, I have the privilege of interviewing Brandon Bernath about new short film/music, Illionaire. It has been screened as part of the Dallas International Film Festival and at SXSW London. We also talk about inspiration, influences and what he is doing next, which sounds an exciting opportunity with his band, THE ABOMIC TOMS, which have featured on the BBC. Their most recent single, “RUN” landed placement in Amazon Prime’s hit new action/drama series, “Motorheads”. There are also links at the end for how you can see the film…

Brandon Bernath an accomplished writer, director, actor, producer, and musician based out of Los Angeles.

He has appeared in films such as “Queen Of Manhattan” alongside Rainey Qualley, (“Delilah”), Taryn Manning (“Orange Is The New Black”), & Drea de Matteo (“The Sopranos”) and “Shot In The Dark” with Jacqueline Toboni (“Grimm”), Austin Hebert (“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back”) and more…
Brandon was nominated for Best Actor at the 2017 CineFashion Film Awards for his role in the comedy short “The Selfie That Changed The World”.

He has been recognized in numerous publications for his work, including Rolling Stone Magazine NPR, & American Songwriter Magazine. He has collaborated with major brands and companies such as,L’Agence, Choose Love, Warner Records and more…
Brandon’s next project includes creating a series of shorts for the online fashion brand Vague Studios.

So, without further ado, let’s get down to business with the interview.

Brandon Bernath, who or what inspired you to become a director writer, producer, actor and musician and how do you manage to pull all those passions and talents together to make them work for you?

BB: I am a director, writer, producer, actor, and musician. I fell into acting at a young age and then pursued my studies in college and then law school. Coming back into acting 7 years later was a big struggle and forced me to create my own projects to star in, which led me to pursue more directing and producing opportunities. I am a project based artist. I find it easy to multitask in the mediums of art. Whatever the project is I find it natural to pivot to another medium if needed.

Your latest film, Illionaire follows rising New York rock and roll musician, Zoe Fromer and 3 demons in pursuit of Illionaire. How did you come to calling it Illionaire?

BB: Illionaire is the title of Zoe’s song.

The first time we see Illionaire, he is like a comic book character/hero in look and the way he acts. What inspired this characterisation?

BB: I have a deep desire to create real life looney tune characters that are relatable. I am deeply influenced by American genre films and American aesthetics.

You play with surrealism and humour in the acting that then turns into a rock music video like in feel and look. How did you arrive at the decision of this genre to play out the storyline?

BB: The genre is a surrealist comedy with sci-fi elements. I feel that is my aesthetic that I am exploring at the moment; a larger than life absurdist viewpoint based on American tropes, like greasers, burgers, fast cars, shiny colors, and rock and roll.

What is next for you and your very varied career?

BB: I am writing, directing, and producing more short content for fashion brands. I am finishing a feature script, and getting ready to open up for Billy Idol and Joan Jett at the kia forum in September with my band THE ABOMIC TOMS

Where can people watch Illionaire and where can they follow you?

BB: Here is my instagram https://www.instagram.com/brandon_bernath/.
Here is a link to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVobflw1UZY&list=RDzVobflw1UZY&start_radio=1

#Interview By Lou with Film, Conveyance Director Gemma Creagh @creagh_fish #GemmaCreagh @Tom_Brumpton_PR @glasgowfilmfest #Film #Movie #Horror

Interview By Louise Cannon (Lou) with Gemma Creagh

I recently had the pleasure to interview Gemma Creagh about her film, Conveyance, thanks to Tom Brumpton. Conveyance was shown at The Glasgow Film Festival earlier in the year.
We talk about this, the film itself and more… Firstly, lets start with the synopsis.

After years of living in sub-par rented accommodation, young couple Brian and Suzanne can’t believe their luck when they finally find their dream home – and at a price that’s almost too good to be true. Elated, they move into their brand new, stunning, sea facing South Dublin apartment, but they soon discover that this idyllic spot isn’t quite what it seems. When objects start moving of their own accord, Brian begins to suspect Apartment 19 in the Seaview complex is haunted by a malevolent spirit. He even calls in spiritual assistance in the form of a white witch to attempt to “cleanse the space”.

Suzanne, however, always the sceptic, barely hides the fact that she thinks he is being ridiculous. With tensions escalating between the couple, and as their living situation becomes borderline dangerous, Suzanne and Brian must face an impossible dilemma. How far will they have to go to keep their dream home?

The film has been covered nationally in Ireland following its premiere at the prestigious Galway Film Fleadh in 2024. This includes mentions by RTE Radio One, Irish Independent, Midlands 103, and the Dublin Gazette.

Welcome, Gemma, to Bookmarks and Stages. It’s a pleasure to interview you.

Thanks for having me!

What or who inspired you to be in the business of directing and writing films?

I read an obscene amount growing up. Reading, then writing was something I’d always really enjoyed. I loved disappearing into my weird mind and building make-believe worlds. Not only is this a great way to pass time, it helps you figure things out, and was something I just continued doing all the way into adulthood. One day, just out of college, I got paid to write my first article. Then I submitted a funding application and was commissioned to write a web series for RTÉ.

Making films, and working in the industry in various roles, from training, to production, to administration, hasn’t been easy… and as a writer, I’ve had my work rejected more times than I care to remember. However, I’ve stuck it out, and learned a lot over the years. Directing is quite new to me—this is my first longer-form funded film, and I absolutely adored every second of it. I hope I get to direct another one soon.

2. Congratulations in Conveyance being shown at the Glasgow Film Festival. How did you all react when you discovered that your film was chosen for such a prestigious film event and how important a stage is the festival for films such as Conveyance?

Thanks so much! Myself and the whole team were all over the moon. The film premiered last July at the Galway Film Fleadh. This is a brilliant, Oscar-qualifying festival—I’d heartily recommend everyone go. The films are wonderful, and the craic is even better. We’d also screened at some lovely festivals around Ireland.

Finally, to be selected for FrightFest at the Glasgow Film Festival was the best international premiere I could have hoped for. This March, Conveyance screened to a sold-out audience of over 500, alongside a really brilliant lineup of UK horror shorts. We were the only non-UK title, and this was the only short film section in the festival’s main programme. Myself, Chrissie Cronin (Suzanne in the film), and our collaborator Roisín Kearney met some really lovely people from the Scottish film industry. I really hope I get to come back to Glasgow with something else in the future. And FrightFest audiences? Absolutely brilliant.

3. Conveyance starts with a black cat, with the camera zooming in, making it look quite foreboding as tension immediately rises.
What was your inspiration behind this rather effective opening scene?

There is a really wonderful script consultant and teacher, Eilish Kent—here’s her website: https://www.eilishkent.com/about-eilish. She gave me my first break in the industry and very kindly offered to take a peek at the script. That cat was her suggestion, as a way to reveal more of Brian’s nature and the issues in his relationship with Suzanne early on. And funnily enough, that cat now gets us our first laugh at every single screening. Thank you, Eilish!

4. The food bubbles too much (which adds a bit of light humour) and then you cut to the sea roaring up, you also have the calm, serene, before the malevolent activity, it seems poetic in a way. Is this technique part of your directing style or something that fit together for this film in-particular and how did it come about?

I’m glad you noticed! Those small moments were there to create a sense of discomfort between each scene change. We used pre-laps—like the sound of Suzanne violently chopping blood-red peppers, or odd chimes or footsteps—to bridge the scenes and keep the energy slightly off-kilter. Sound played such an important role in all films, but horror especially. The violent transitions are a classic horror tool, so I don’t know if I’d get to bring them with me into a different genre. Come to think of it, they might make a dramedy all the more interesting though.

5. There is some paranormal activity in what should have been the perfect, dream house. What pulled you towards making the house uninhabitable in this particular way and do you believe in ghostly spirits?

So I don’t quite believe in supernatural things like ghosts… but then again, our human perspective on the world is limited—who knows what exists? Plus, I still won’t watch anything spooky by myself late at night. So what does that tell you?

The apartment is beautiful, and of course it’s too good to be true. It’s a very direct metaphor for the stress that so many in my generation (and the ones coming up behind me) are dealing with. This couple is stuck. On Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, their base level isn’t even being met. So yes, the flat is haunted, and even dangerous for poor Brian at times… but sadly it’s still less bad than the alternatives.

6. What fascinates you about the paranormal and the techniques used to try to cleanse them from a place, like the house in your film?

Growing up, I loved a good ghost story. Horror is a great way to manifest those real-life fears—finances, love, pressure— in the form of some threat and process them through catharsis.

Our film is a bit of fun, but in real life I’m very wary of people who claim to be psychics or say they have the answers in exchange for money. All our “cleansers” are a bit sillier and are nods to classic horror tropes. Fr. O’Leary is a lighter take on The Exorcist. Marian, our white witch, wants to believe she’s got all the folk horror rituals down. And Greg, the real estate agent, is our nod to the scariest horror of all—unchecked capitalism. He’s a love letter of sorts to American Psycho.

7. There’s quite a twist at the end. I won’t say what, so it doesn’t spoil it for future audiences, but how important do you think it is to keep viewers guessing and to have it end in a manner that is, in my opinion, unguessable?

I’m delighted you think it was unguessable—that’s a relief! Because for me, as a writer, that ending was inevitable.

When you’re working on a script, it’s easy to get lost in parts or distracted by details. But for me, theme is key. On the surface, Conveyance is the story of a haunting—but at its core, this film is about Brian and Suzanne as a couple. They’ve spent so much time and energy stressed out by flatmates, parental pressure, house-hunting… they’ve missed something big: are they even suited to one another? In the beginning of our story, Suzanne barrels through everything without a second thought. While Brian avoids conflict so much that he misses aggressive cues altogether. This is their journey to discover if they are even really meant to be together.

8. Have you got any other film projects lined up?

The proverbial drawer is overrun with ideas. I’m not sure which film project will bubble up next. I was very grateful to get Arts Council funding to write a play, and I’m also attached to some very exciting short films with really talented writers. It’s up to the fates to decide which project gets funded next.

9. Where can people follow you?

You can catch me on LinkedIn and Instagram!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemmacreagh/

https://www.instagram.com/creagh_fish/

“Thank you very much for your time.”

“Thank you so much for the lovely insightful questions!”

#Inteview by Lou with Actor Alexandra Keddie About her play I See Me & Meryl Streep @TheOtherPalace until 4th May #ISeeMeAndMerylStreep #Theatre #Comedy

I See Me & Meryl Streep
Interview with Alexandra Keddie by Louise Cannon

After a successful sell-out run in Australia over several years, the AACTA and AWG nominated writer/actor/comedian, Alexandra Keddie has brought her one woman show – I See Me & Meryl Streep to The Other Palace, London.
It is on until 4th May, suitable for 12+. Find out more details after the interview.

I See Me & Meryl Streep promises to be: “laugh a minute and more sequins, accents and single tears than you can poke and Oscar at”.

I had the privilege to interview her about the play, her passion for the actress, Meryl Streep, creating the play, performing in the UK and tapping into her youth and more…
Firstly, find out a bit from the synopsis and then we will get into the Q&A session. Below, you’ll also find more details about how you can book your ticket and dates.

Synopsis

I See Me and Meryl Streep is a journey through the life of Meryl Streep told through the eyes of her biggest fan, a misfit, also named Meryl, who finally gets to live out her fantasy of being loved and adored.

At school, Meryl is made fun of and ridiculed but in this safe space she gets to shine and do all her favourite Streep impressions, from A Cry in the Dark to Out of Africa to The Devil Wears Prada to The Iron Lady and everything in between. With more props and costumes than Meryl Streep has Oscar nominations, Keddie whips through iconic impersonations and songs from Into the Woods, Ray Charles, Death Becomes Her, Mother Courage and of course Mamma Mia.

So, let’s begin to find out more from Alexandra Keddie herself.

1. What or who inspired you to act and how did you get started?

I’d been performing since I was really little but at 12 I essentially just decided that enormous success in big Hollywood movies was the logical path for a kid living in rural Queensland. I looked up acting classes and an agent in the phone book and asked mum if I could go along… I’d always loved movies. I didn’t have the best time at school (shock horror, the comic performer was bullied) and movies were my escape. If I wasn’t watching them I was quoting them to my mum and trying to make her laugh. She’s always been the best audience, she continues to indulge me!

2. Your play is called I See Me & Meryl Streep, what is it about the real actor Meryl Streep that you like most and what is it about her that made you create this play?

Well at 12 when I decided I wanted to be an actor I, very logically, went ‘well who is the best actress, I’ll be like her’. Meryl is known for being the most celebrated actress of this generation and is generally considered to be the ‘best actress’ – so I decided I’d be like her. I soon realised that she’d been given this title for a reason. She’s just exceptional. She’s able to take on so many different characters and truthfully and honestly embody them. She oozes charisma and is both unattainable and completely relatable at the same time. She made 12 year old Alex believe she could also be all those different characters and 33 year old Alex sit back in awe.

3. In the play, your character, also called, Meryl does impressions of Meryl Streep of some favourite films, The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia and many more.
How did you prepare to do this so you’re convincing, since she’s so iconic?

Repetition is KEY! I have watched clips of her more times than you could imagine. It’s so much about finding the essence to her and threading that through the impressions. She has such a masterful way of using her voice so I did a lot of work in finding all that nuance. And she has her little physical quirks too that when you do them people instantly recognise HER.

But voice is usually my way in with impressions. When I first did the show I created a playlist on my phone that I’d listen to as drove to work. I had a 1hr drive each way and I’d just repeat and mimic every word over and over. Those vocal patterns became like a song and they’ve been stuck in my head ever since. Some of the impressions are more silly than others though. Sometimes you’re getting an impression where I’m striving for that Oscar, and others you’re getting the SNL impression where I’m going for the laughs!

4. I See Me & Meryl Streep had you tapping into your own youth.
What was that like looking back and exposing part of your life into your play?

It’s changed a lot since I first did the show. When I started writing it, I was 22. I was so close to that age that I was trying to speak to and I was still embarrassed and ashamed of all my weird quirks. The show has grown and evolved so much over the decade and now in my 30s I really look back at my teenage self so much more fondly. There’s that phrase, ‘show your scars not your wounds’. I think at 22/23 I still had a lot of wounds from that time in my life, I’d been bullied and felt really insecure and small for a long time. I’ve healed and grown so much and now have a story to share that’s much more evolved. I think there’s something quite powerful about a 33 year old woman presenting a story as her 16 year old self in a really loving way, yet completely irreverent way.

5. You’re performing at The Other Palace in London, once owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and then the late Bill Kenwright.
What does that feel like to perform in a theatre of such prestige?

As an Australian it’s such a dream to be able to do any show in London, let alone one that I’ve written and one that I feel so proud of. The Other Palace is such a magnificent venue and it’s the perfect home for this show. I’m thrilled. Plus I’ve added a little Cats reference just for ALW.

6. This London debut celebrates your 10^th anniversary of I See Me & Meryl Streep as you’ve previously taken it across Australia.
What keeps the play fresh and interesting for you to perform it over so many years and have you found it’s evolved since the first performance?

Honestly, doing a one woman show is never dull. Stepping on stage each time is like stepping on a train and just trusting that you’ll get to the end. It’s such a mammoth thing to do that there’s no way it’d get dull. Plus every time I do it I always insist on rewriting at least some of it. When I first did the show I hadn’t written anything ever, now I’ve worked as a writer in many capacities and actually almost know what I’m doing. So the script has developed as I’ve become a better writer. And finding new moments and seeing how the audience responds is always really exciting.

7. What are you looking forward to most about performing in London?

Desperately hoping that Brits like my jokes!!!

8. What made you decide to tour your play to the UK and will you be taking it to other theatres across the UK? (being up in Scotland, I often wonder what’s touring).

I moved to London a year ago and doing this show has always been a great way to introduce myself to the theatre scene. I’d love to do the show around the UK! Fingers crossed that gets to happen!

9. Have you any other plans for either I See Me and Meryl Streep or any completely different acting plans in the pipework you can tell us about?

Funnily enough, once upon a time I intended for this show to be solely an acting piece, but it taught me to write and now that’s mostly what I do! I’ve got quite a few projects bubbling away. Watch this space!

You can book your tickets via The Other Palace website here: The Other Palace

#Interview By Lou with Producer/Director, Bear Damen about new film, Synthesize Me @beardamen @Tom_Brumpton_PR #Films #Movies #Music

Interview hosted by Lou
with Film Producer/Director Bear Damen

Welcome to my blog Bookmarks and Stages, Bear Damen to tell us about your latest short film, Synthesize Me. We also discuss, creating films, a music video, working with James Blake on Say What You Will, further films and more..

First of all, let’s find out about the film, Synthesize Me.

Violeta, the young daughter of a widowed electrical maintenance worker, retreats to her mother’s neglected music workshop to play music to remember her. When she causes a widespread power cut tensions rise between father and daughter bringing their grief to boiling point.

A teaser for the film can be found here.

Bear has said the following on the film:

““Synthesize Me” is a personal allegory. While traveling through a liminal town near Mexico City, I realized it was the missing piece of a story idea I had been struggling with for some time. The town’s “unstable currents” and distressed electrical system became the perfect metaphor for two people who rely on the same source yet create something entirely different from it, only to need it to break in order to finally understand each other, even just a little.”

Let’s now plunge into the interview:

You now have quite a body of work in ﬁlms, such as Song and War Pony, you’re your latest being Synthesize Me.

What or who inspired you to write and direct ﬁlms?

For the record, I produced War Pony together with friends who brought me on board, I didn’t direct it.
“Oh, wow, that’s still brilliant”.

I’ve been heavily inspired by 90s cinema. And eventually, like many, Paul Thomas Anderson being a very accessible gateway drug to many other movies in my late teens and early twenties. I remember vividly The Matrix really blowing my mind, aWer which I’ll forever be chasing a certain feeling of understanding a character even though the world they live in is fantastical and mysterious.

How did you start out creating ﬁlms?

Music Videos, which I feel are common but for a reason. It’s small ﬁlms that you can wrap your head around if you’ve never directed before. It’s a great start but you can get addicted to short form if you don’t watch out. If you want to make movies you should just start making shorts and write stuﬀ.

You’ve worked with musician/singer/songwriter James Blake on the video, ‘Say What You Will’. How did that come about and what was it like to work with him?

James had seen some of my work and basically asked to jump on a zoom out of the blue. I’m a huge fan and of course said yes immediately. I think we both felt it was fun to work on something that was the opposite of what he’d done so far, which was more melancholic, heavy videos. But in fact, James is a super funny guy. As is his girlfriend Jameela, who co-wrote the video.

Where do you start to create a music video and are there any crossovers in how you go about creating a ﬁlm?

No I think it’s diﬀerent. You can of course go full narrative in a video, but I love how in a music video you can also play more with abtude and style, and jump into weird vortexes that don’t make sense real quick without anyone asking questions. You should deﬁnitely exploit that I feel when making a music video. It’s why the medium is so unique.

Synthesize Me is your latest short ﬁlm. It tells the story of Violetta who retreats to her mother’s music workshop and plays music to remember her. How do you think music and life events correlate and was it a conscious decision to have the music she plays to be upbeat?

It has Ees to real life as it’s a story drawn from personal experience. And I think a lot of people relate to a parent that didn’t quite understand their world. This ﬁlm is about how sometimes all has to break down in order to take one step towards understanding each other.

The music she plays is just what I love, poly-rhythmic synth music. Like Steve Reich inspired music for synths. It’s just what I heard in my head all the time.

In the screener I was privy to watch, there are quiet moments of scenic shots as well as when viewers see the actors. What are the challenges of ﬁlming such scenes to keep audiences engaged in the ﬁlm?

Shooting with intention. Or at least that’s what I tried. So that you feel that the perspective of Eve and distance to the characters is deliberate and hopefully you feel you’re in the hands of someone who knows what he’s doing.

When there’s a power-cut in the small town, the diﬀerences in how grief is handled by Violetta and her father are stark. What motivated you to show diﬀerent ways people react and how important it is to show that one event, such as a power cut can have a knock-on eﬀect in creating tensions?

Under pressure you see how buried emotions surface. The father shows clearly that he doesn’t want to deal with it and has some mental drawer he’d rather stuﬀ it in. Just as he does with his tools. Violeta is a young girl that’s still clinging on, she’s a bit sloppy and irresponsible which I normally. They both needed this to happen to understand each other’s stakes better. Violeta seeing that her dad has a ‘boss’ that kind of decides both their fates, and how he’s struggling to make life work for her too. Quite literally as she depends on electricity for her art. He now sees how his daughter is an artist. Even if he takes everything away, she will always do that even without power. She’s more powerful than him in that way.

He realizes that before the light comes on. The light indicating they have to move on.

You’ve travelled around a fair bit of the How has this inﬂuenced the style in which you tell stories and what type of stories to tell?

I think it deﬁnitely made me feel more like a world person. I’m trying to avoid the word citizen as it sounds corny as hell.

What that does is that I don’t feel I have to tell ‘my life’ or ‘my country’ or ‘my people’ to the world. I feel I can belong everywhere when it comes to storytelling and chameleon my way through that. It has pros and cons.

In terms of type, I’m deﬁnitely a Spielberg devote in that I want to create a wide opening of my stories o that everything can latch on, and hopefully a ﬁlm then takes them to a place they’ve never been or never dared to go before.

You are currently developing another short and also a feature ﬁlm. Can you tell us a bit about those, the release dates and where people can view them?

Still have to shoot my new short, but the script is done. I have a feature in early development and I’m working on a comedy with a friend.

Apart from the diﬀerence between a short and feature ﬁlm, what other diﬀerences do you have to navigate and how do you go about doing that, in the likes of the way you work, how you’re funded, how you pitch to have ﬁlms released?

A short you can now do anywhere, if you can write compact. Which is hard. A feature will cost a lot of money, even if you do a micro budget. It’s not something coming out of most people’s pockets easily. And the latter only works with improvisation and locations that are accessible. Which requires good writing. All doable, not easy.

Funding in the Netherlands is all government funding based. Which can be a little problematic slow and makes people be good at writing for funds, which is not always a good thing…

Funding indie in the US is private funding mostly. Which hinges on the producer’s network. It’s just hard. And it’s not getting any easier.