Invasion! An anarchic romp through some serious issues
Tomorrow, the play Invasion! starts its second week at the Selkirk. Since its run began, it has received a thumbs up from Time Out with plaudits for the cast and director Jamie Harper.
Common People caught up with Jamie, whose recent directing credits include Beyond the Pale (Southwark Playhouse); The Things Good Men Do (Lyric Hammersmith); A Lie of the Mind (Battersea Arts Centre); and Left, an improvised play for BBC Radio 4.
What is the Selkirk like as a venue for Theatre?
“I liked the idea of presenting the play in quite an informal setting. Very often you have the fourth wall diving you from the stage. In this environment, you feel like you are really with the performers. They are in the same room as you. It makes it feel more like almost like a storytelling circle, rather than actors and audience being separate.
Is this the first time you’ve worked in a venue this size?
“I’ve had experience of intimate venues before but this is a different type of play where so much of the action is about actors directly telling a story. I think there’s more and more of an appetite from people to experience theatre in a different type of ways and in different types of locations. There’s something really democratic about it.”
How does Invasion! work as a play?
“The play struck me as a very theatrical, playful play but handling some big issues. In this play you see everything. It all happens within the room. A lot of the play is about putting on different disguises, putting on different masks. It has a group of four actors who self consciously talk about when they change from one character to the next. Rather than hiding those transitions you want to show it.”
What attracted you to Invasion!
“Sweden is politically topical with the first Swedish suicide attack before Christmas and in trying to extradite Julian Assange. For me, Sweden is appearing on the political map in a way that I’ve never seen before. It made me want to look at the politics more closely.
“We assume that it’s this homogeneous Caucasian liberal society and I think it’s a good deal more complicated than that. I wasn’t aware of the extent of immigration and the rise of right wing attitudes in response to that. It’s a very mischievous and jaunty way of exploring issues of terrorism.”
What are your impressions of Tooting?
“I’ve spent my fair share of time locally and become a fan of the South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine.
“One thing I am genuinely curious about is to what extent Tooting is culturally integrated. I am a middle class white guy from Ireland to what extent am I likely to rub shoulders with Sri Lankan and South Indian people other than when I go to their restaurants? Are people locally interested in the arts locally?
“I think it would be fascinating to do an Indian play or a Sri Lankan play and to see how local people would react to it.”
So why should we come and see Invasion!
“If you look at the London theatre scene, you see a lot of plays about middle class people who have very hard relationships. And that can be a bit boring. If you want something a little more colourful, this might be up your street.
