“This is my first step into the realm of truly professional theatre-making, and, I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect it to be this tough!” Exciting young theatremaker Patrick Bayele doesn’t pull any punches as he tells us about creating new production How To Save The World. Read his fascinating interview, then book you tickets.
Devised by the show’s company, the modern reinvention of Chekhov’s The Seagull play runs at Studio 9294 from 29-31 July 2019.
How To Save The World is an epic theatre experience revolving around Keira, an idealistic yet troubled drama student who longs to establish herself as a professional playwright by winning the London Student Drama Festival. However, the lengths that she and her cast of closest friends must go to in order to achieve artistic excellence will irrevocably change how they see the world, and themselves.
This new reimagining is created by the cast under the directorship of Bayele, who trained at the Moscow Art Theatre School. His vision transforms the play into a multidisciplinary production, bringing design, music, choreography and cuttingly real characters together to build a hilarious and heartbreaking modern adaptation that promises to be a mosaic of real-life experiences and societal issues which illustrates the perils of our modern youth.
The play is produced by Bayele’s Pat on the Back Productions and Redgates Theatre, a Hackney Wick-based company providing opportunities for emerging creatives.
How To Save The World runs at Studio 9294, 92 Wallis Rd, Hackney Wick, London E9 5LN from 29 to 31 July 2019, with performances Monday to Wednesday at 7pm. Tickets are priced £10.99. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!
Patrick Bayele on How To Save The World
What originally drew you to The Seagull?
I was drawn to The Seagull by its simplicity, but also by its depth and sincerity. It struck me as a play that explored the interweaving boundaries of love and art like no other play I have seen or read, and it perfectly illustrated how dwelling within these boundaries can mould us in unforeseen ways. During my time studying acting at the Moscow Art Theatre School, we dissected the majority of Chekhov’s work, and The Seagull was the play that clutched on to me and refused to let go. It’s one of those plays that never leaves you. It is a play about what it means to be an artist, as well as a human – an innately complex creature. As someone who finds themselves navigating such treacherous personal terrain on a daily basis, I wanted to adapt this story to unite all kinds of audiences through a story of what it means to unearth your true identity.
Why did you think it would work so well with a modern adaptation?
I thought it would work well as a modern adaptation because there was so much room for evolution. We knew that it could become so much more, and we were inspired to discover how the plights of Chekhov’s characters would play out in modern day London. We wanted to see how The Seagull would unfold among a community of university students, and what we have created is an authentic re-interpretation.
Our current social realm is so multi-faceted, diverse and colourful that it provides a setting in which Chekhov’s work can take a completely new, poetic shape. As a young adult myself, entrenched in the hustle and bustle of postmodern youth, the things you hear and see are hilarious, horrifying, astounding and heartbreaking. Blending Chekhov’s masterpiece with our turbulent but idealistic generation was simply an offer we couldn’t refuse. However, its growth into a multidisciplinary epic was something that grew organically day-by-day. We wanted to create a modern classic, and so we re-imagined The Seagull not only to illuminate Chekhov’s work, but also to illustrate the realms between love and art in the 21st century, and bring together communities through common traits and ideas that all of us share.
Chekhov’s work is a rich source for new versions and adaptations. What’s new about How To Save The World?
What’s new about How To Save The World is the world within which it takes place. A hyper-real London, filled with dramatic, exciting set pieces. What separates our play from other versions is the fact that our version is a true adventure. We have taken Chekhov’s characters and have truly nurtured them so that they have very much become completely unique individuals. However, it is our deviation from the source material and our creative exploration that turns How To Save The World into its own amazing story, an epic journey, as well as an adaptation of The Seagull. It is entirely it’s own thing, whilst being intrinsically linked to the source material, and through its various multidisciplinary elements, it is truly a one of a kind show.
The piece is devised by the company, how have you worked together to create it?
Since February, we have explored how our characters meet and their growth up until the events of the play. It was an extended, joyful, creative R&D process of improvisations and devising exercises, and this allowed us to truly helm our characters and know them inside out. Our characters are not merely lines on a page – they truly exist, have depth and dimensions. The social economy that we created through creative R&D gave us a foundation to create truly honest work, and this honesty shines through in every gesture, line or movement. It was an amazing process, and we’ve loved every moment of it! Our script is written out of these improvisations, so the text feels entirely grounded for the actors. This process, while time-consuming, is a truly liberating method of work, and it allowed us to create an absolutely fantastic script that simply cannot be replicated with one brain alone.
You’re directing, producing and starring in the production. How do you manage to balance it all?
This is my first step into the realm of truly professional theatre-making, and, I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect it to be this tough! As someone who prides themselves on independent achievement, balancing various duties has been a mammoth but deeply rewarding task. In all honesty, it has been an ego-crushing experience learning to truly entrust artistic work with friends, and as we have begun to really take individual responsibility for the show, the balancing act has become easier and much less stressful. I love a challenge, but this took me by surprise. I will always cherish my friends who are in this production for being so strong, patient and willing to go the distance for this play (sometimes it feels like we are in our own version of How To Save The World – you could say that we are!)
You’ve said the production will change audience’s lives – what makes it so special?
What makes our play so special is it’s honesty. It’s uncompromising, and it rips off the appearances that we often like to sustain for the sake of our own personal growth. Through it’s various characters and interlinking themes, the play sheds a light on so many aspects of modern human personality. As the characters grow together, they become ever more united, and this unison that is formed reflects the infinite potential that life brings. What makes our play special is that you are in the play as much as we are. It is a story that encompasses all of us through eight characters, and its narrative alludes to the great beyond of our society. It is not only an adaptation of The Seagull, it is a story about what it means to be you or I, here and now. It is a play that truly demonstrates how ‘we could all be heroes’ in its own completely original way.
How are you feeling about staging it a Studio 9294?
We can’t wait to perform in 9294. As an upcoming warehouse venue, we can’t wait to immerse audiences through stellar lighting, distinct atmosphere and great location. Slap, bang in Hackney Wick, a true hub of culture and creativity, performing in the area is exciting and challenging. We’re looking forward to telling a bold story in such a bold venue, and it only adds to the sense of epic adventure that our piece contains.
What can audiences expect from the piece?
Audiences can expect to laugh – a lot – and audiences can expect to have their heart strings ripped. We have decided to honour the true magnitude of the issues at hand, so audiences can expect a wide range of pertinent themes. Other than our physical theatre influences, dripping with flair and style, an awesome soundtrack, cuttingly real performances and writing which you literally cannot make up, audiences can expect a play that they have never seen before. Expect to leave 9294 wanting to become a hero – that’s all we’ll say on that.
How To Save The World runs at Studio 9294, 92 Wallis Rd, Hackney Wick, London E9 5LN from 29 to 31 July 2019, with performances Monday to Wednesday at 7pm. Tickets are priced £10.99. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!