Theatre maker Olly Hawes tackles the complexities of modern masculinity and cultural decay in his one-man show, F**king Legend. Following a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Olly is bringing the rollercoaster piece to London. Blending the silly with the serious, this is an experimental storytelling show which draws parallels between the state of men and the state of the world. In this interview, Olly shares insights into his creative journey, the role of theatre today, and why he wants you to wrestle with his show…
Tell us about F**king Legend – the creation of the show, the Edinburgh Fringe run and now its transfer to London.
I’d be delighted to. The show has two starting points. The first, a question: is it possible to be a good man? The second, a limitation: one performer, no set. What emerged is a show that is trashy, but intellectual; fairly silly, but also very serious - because I feel to properly respond to the world right now, it has to be all these things.
Honestly, I took the show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to relaunch myself after a few years in the artistic wilderness (partially self-imposed, partially not), and was very happy to discover that it (kind of) worked!
What’s the silliest piece of advice someone’s ever given to you about ‘being a man?’
I’ve never been one to listen to advice - which is partially a strength but mostly a weakness - and probably a typically masculine one. ‘Don’t be a wuss’ is something I used to hear a lot. To my horror, I found myself saying it to my toddler son not long ago. The silliness passes down through generations.
However, I also feel compelled to say, my life has been full of excellent male role models - and still is. Despite everything, I think we could be in an exciting moment for masculinity, where the word evolves to become a little more synonymous with softness and flexibility, as well as grit and strength. Our economy and our culture are in decay - but we can’t let that turn us into permanent pessimists and cynicists, hope is an obligation, and so is trying to make a better future.
How do you want audiences to feel after leaving the theatre? Entertained, challenged, unsettled, perhaps?
I want you to love the show for its immediacy and for its relevance. To cackle and find it completely thought-provoking. To be maybe a bit frustrated at times, to be challenged, but ultimately to be enthralled by a visceral theatrical experience…
… but at the same time (and here I’m going to use the artist’s right to contradiction) I don’t want to place any particular limits on an audience reaction. I want people to meet the work on their own terms. The show is both an emotional, unthinking splurge and a painstakingly crafted response to the toxicity of our culture. Is it all meant to be a joke, or taken very seriously? I want people to wrestle with that.
Do you think the arts, especially theatre, has a unique ability to address significant societal issues in ways other forms of art can’t? Why?
Yes and No. No, because, well, it’s becoming harder and harder to make and watch theatre - both are kind of expensive to do, and we’re in a cost-of-living crisis. Funding is getting cut more and more, and the first work to go is the most risky - and therefore most interesting. If the work isn’t getting made, and if people aren’t coming to see it, then I’m not sure it can be said to address anything particularly.
And yet, live, undigitized experience is a rare commodity today. That liveness changes the way people experience a story, a work of art, and the themes they explore. So, theatre isn’t becoming obsolete, it’s becoming more relevant, vital; and yet we - as a society - seem to be doing everything to make it less accessible - an absurdly frustrating act of self-sabotage.
What has been the most rewarding and the most challenging aspect of writing and performing such a deeply personal show?
Okay - I have an ever so slight contention with the premise of your question. The show plays with the IDEA of being deeply personal. Is this someone making a confession? Or is it an actor playing a role? Or a narrator playing some sort of metatheatrical game? I want to create a tension and uncertainty between those questions to make the story and themes feel more immediate to an audience. But this definitely isn’t one of those shows about bad stuff happening to me - neither I, nor the protagonist of this story, are victims.
The most challenging part has been the sacrifices my partner and kids have made in order for the show to happen (god, that feels awful to write!). The most rewarding aspect has been the feeling inside me that’s gradually emerged that people have got something from the thing I’ve made - as a maker, that’s really all I’ve ever wanted.
Any pre-show rituals?
Weeeeeell, I have one that I consistently do, but it’s so silly I daren’t say it. It really is the apotheosis of w*nky artsy pretension. Jess Latowiki from the performance company Made In China was guest appearing in a show I was doing a few years ago, and when I asked her to do it she literally laughed in my face.
Other than that, I like to let what I do before a show evolve as the show evolves, what feels right to do on opening night and closing night is usually different. Theatre and performance are not about trying to repeat, but make anew each time.
Olly Hawes: F**King Legend is at the Riverside Studios, London between Wednesday 13th November to Saturday 21st December. For tickets, visit: https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/fking-legend-136800/
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