Olly Hawes Interview
F**King Legend is at the Riverside Studios, London between Wednesday 13th November to Saturday 21st December. We caught up with Olly to ask him a few questions…
Q. Congratulations on a hugely successful Edinburgh run. Tell us about your experience at the festival?
A. Why, thank you! Well, I have a lot of history at the Fringe. I fell in love there for the first time; I was in a stage fight that went wrong and ended up with a knife embedded 8cm into my spine; I did show where every day, for 25 days, I gave myself a coffee enema. A lot of history. But this was my first time back in 10 years, and do you know what? It felt exactly the same as it always had (except everything was even more absurdly expensive). I feel I should state at this point that my current show, F**king Legend, features no knives or enemas, and was very well critically reviewed.
Q. The festival can be a tough place to make an impact. What were the highs and lows for you while you were there?
A. It certainly can. The high was the gradual realisation that the show had been a success, in terms of audience, in terms of reviews, and in terms of my view of it, that was immensely satisfying. The low point – and this is really hard to say – were the sacrifices I’d forced my partner and kids to make so that I could make the show happen – ugh. (And the irony of making a show that’s at least kind of about toxic masculinity where my wife and kids have to suffer in order for said show to happen is not lost on me.)
Q. You received so many wonderful reviews. Are you a performer who likes to read reviews and if so, how did you feel seeing such high praise about your work?
A. I read EVERYTHING, and I INTENSELY feel every bit of praise, and every bit of criticism. But I am also older and somewhat wiser than I was, and I now have an automatic impulse to not let the praise get me too peacock-y nor criticism get me too Eyeore-y. Having said that, when I got a half page spread with a photo in The Scotsman, I did find it hard not to run around and do a knee slide.
Q. You’re now bringing F**king Legend to the Riverside Studios in London which must be a dream scenario. How did that come about?
A. Yeah, it’s great. A few venues were interested, but when I spoke with Rhys (Williamson, Head of Programming at Riverside Studios), his enthusiasm for the show convinced me straight away. There is no substitute for working with someone who is passionate and brilliant at what they do, and I try to surround myself with people with these qualities. It makes my heart sing. Also, Rhys has obtained a series of photos of me in very uncompromising situations, so I basically have to do what he says.
Q. Will you be changing or extending the show now it is coming to London?
A. Got some suggestions, have you? Ha! I’m a big believer in making what Peter Brook called Immediate Theatre. The show evolved through previews and the Edinburgh run, and it will continue to do so throughout the run at Riverside – and I love that part of sharing something you’ve made with people. One of the things that makes theatre so unique and wonderful and precious is that it happens live, and so a show has to remain a living, breathing, responsive entity, if it is going to be ‘immediate’ (and if it doesn’t you end up with what Peter Brook called Deadly Theatre, which is shit, and I don’t want to do something shit).
Q. When did you start working on the show and what inspired you?
A. I find it’s often the case that as one show finishes the idea for the next emerges – I’m never exactly sure why. And as is often the case, the show started out very differently to what it became. It was originally going to be about a man helping a woman going through a mental health crisis, then realising his inherent toxicity meant he was harming her more than he was helping. The original ending was set one million years in the future and expressed through the medium of interpretive dance. I still think it’s a great idea, but everyone I’ve explained it to just shakes their head or laughs in my face.
Q. Did you always intend to perform the show yourself and if so, did that shape the writing?
A. It started as an open question, but as the script got closer to being rehearsal ready, the financial realities of making theatre right now hit home, and I realised that the best way to serve the show was to spend money where it absolutely needed to be spent and save it everywhere else. The biggest saving I could make was to perform it myself, so that’s what happened. Hurray for the poverty of the arts in the UK.
Q. For those readers coming to see the show in London, can you give us a flavour of what they can expect?
A. F**king Legend is a seemingly simple story about a man trying to change himself, but also a coruscating attack on an apathetic society sleepwalking into self-immolation. It’s a seemingly simple show – just a man on stage telling a story, but is he just an actor performing a role? Or a writer making a confession? Or a narrator weaving a series of complex layers of metanarratives? Is it all a joke, or should we take it seriously? The show is trashy, but intellectual; silly, but serious – and I’m told, a unique and innovative theatrical experience. Oh la la.
Q. As a writer, what do you want audiences to take away?
A. A theatrical experience that you will really love for its immediacy and for its relevance. Something that is cackle-worthy and utterly thought-provoking. Something that’s probably a bit frustrating at times, that’s challenging, but ultimately an enthralling, visceral theatrical experience.
That and an unending sense of admiration for the genius that created such a masterpiece.
That’s what I want to happen, but I’ll settle for less.
Q. You must be so proud to transfer to London. Where do you see the show going next?
A. I’d like the show to launch my political career. My target is the White House or The Kremlin, whichever one will take me first. Comrades! We have nothing to lose but our chains! Through unity and struggle, we shall achieve victory!
Olly Hawes was interviewed by Stephen Cambridge
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