Olivier Award-winning Drew McOnie is one of Britain's most
sought-after emerging director and choreographers. He is particularly known for
his choreographic work in musical theatre including King Kong on Broadway, Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom the Musical and In the Heights.
After a year’s delay due to the pandemic Drew’s
first full-length ballet, Merlin for
Northern Ballet, will première at Nottingham Theatre Royal this September
before embarking on a national tour. What
drew you to the story of Merlin for your first full length ballet?
Merlin provided me the
opportunity to weave well known characters into an original story. I felt
immediately excited about delivering a theatrical universe of high stakes,
passion and of course magic, using choreography and deeply felt performances.
It also felt like a great opportunity to use a 'land far far away' to discuss
modern themes of connection, belonging and acceptance.
How did you begin the creation process for Merlin?
For me, the story always has to
come first. Choreography, design and composition are all tools to express and
need to respond to the task of sharing an emotional state or idea with the
audience. I spent a lot of time soaking up the legends that surrounded the
iconic characters, and set out to use these characters the audience knows to
create a story they didn’t. Once I had a solid idea of the journey I wanted to
go on narratively, I began working scene-by-scene with Grant Olding (Composer)
on the score.
How have you found the creation so far in
the studio?
Extraordinary. The process of
working with the dancers has been incredibly inspiring and their commitment and
open-hearted nature has felt to me even more impressive due to the challenges
of creating it during a pandemic. We have all been made to think outside the
box when it came to creating the piece and I have loved every moment.
How did you decide what to include from the
Arthurian legend?
I never wanted this to be a historical ballet or a familiar
retelling. What I mean is I want the story to feel like you don’t know what’s
coming next, but still deliver a world and characters that audiences will know
and recognise. How do you deliver the 'Merlin' they came to see but whisk them
off on an adventure that delivers genuine discoveries along the way? All of my
decisions about how to use the Arthurian legends were made with the audience’s
experience and understanding as my main focus.
What are the key themes of Merlin?
In my production of Merlin I
would say the main themes are acceptance, belonging and perhaps surprisingly, a
study of what is family.
What is your vision for the ballet – how
will it look?
Colin Richmond (designer) and I
were very keen to deliver a visual world that felt epic and otherworldly in an
original and fluid way. I feel excited that the outcome sits somewhere
alongside the worlds of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Medieval in many
ways but with contemporary blood running through its heart.
What has it been like working with your
creative team?
It’s been incredible. Again, the
passion and commitment this team have held for this piece during the
complexities of the pandemic has been nothing short of magic itself. The
generosity of spirit and imagination they have shown me has been very moving
and I’m so excited to see all of their work come together onstage.
What can you tell us about the illusions?
That you should come and see
them! That’s the thing with illusions, a wizard can never reveal his secrets.
What I will say is that working with Chris Fisher has been utterly brilliant
and these dancers don’t have to do much to make you believe in magic.
What do you hope audiences will take away
from Merlin?
I hope that people will leave the
theatre with a sense that perhaps what makes you different may ultimately be
the thing that makes you powerful. It’s a celebration of all those people who
feel different and ultimately it is an epic adventure of the heart. A wild
adventure to realise that your desired destination is home.
Tell us about some of the challenges of
creating during a pandemic? Has this brought about any interesting stories or
things that would not have occurred otherwise?
There have been a few challenges.
So much of my job is to learn quickly what is special and unique about an
artist and work out how to make them fly with such honesty that the audience go
without question into the sky with them. Working with a whole new company (one
I admire greatly) and having to get to know them quickly whilst wearing masks
and keeping a distance was hard. Also, very often we had one cast working via
Zoom so many of the dancers I only really saw through a screen. Together of
course we overcame these challenges and in many ways I feel the process has
made us very close. I also had to learn entire new ways of communicating as I
would usually make up all of the duets by getting involved physically in the
lifts, but without being able to make physical contact I was pushed to learn
new ways to articulate and communicate.
What is special about working with Northern
Ballet?
For me as a storyteller, the thrilling thing about this
Company is their passion for acting as well as the dancing. Their technique is
extraordinary but it is used to support and deliver great performances. The
audience is very important to them and every moment on stage is used to connect
with them. I love that.
Interview: Syndicated.
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