London Calling with Champagne Charlie: DAI!
By: Charlie Salem Mar. 20, 2009
London Calling with Champagne Charlie: Dateline: DAI!
Theatre ALWAYS reflects the world around us.
These days some of past tasks undertaken by journalists to assess expose and review events have been taken up by writers as the media is seen to be untrustworthy and unbalanced.
With DAI; a 1 woman play by Iris Bahr, eleven different characters that span the ideological & physical spectrum of Israeli society are brought to life around the moment a suicide bomber unleashes his deadly package at the café where the characters sit.
She plays all the 11 characters and after hit runs in Los Angeles, New York and Edinburgh, the West End was treated to this example of powerhouse acting and writing by the ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ star.
We did meet before the show however is slightly different circumstances as Iris took on the role of NPR favorite, Svetlana – the Russian prostitute. Fans of farce and mistaken identity can hear the results below.
But after sorting out who was who – she sat down to reveal what was behinds the work and why it sadly remains still pertinent for all its comedic twists and turns.
Champagne Charlie
How did you 1st get the idea for the show?
I had been wanting to do a piece about Israel for a while, the idea for DAI really solidified as I was sitting in a cafe in los angels one day being barraged by various accusations and misconceptions about Israeli society, at that point I decided to set the piece in a cafe moments before a suicide bombing, to give people that do not live in conflict-torn areas a sensation of what it feels like to sit in a cafe where a bomber could enter at any moment, to have a person with you one minute and lose him/her the next, regardless of that persons views beliefs or ethnicity.
Champagne Charlie
What was the production process - was it a work in progress or did it come to you all at once?
The concept of the bombing framework and the transitions between characters came to me immediately but the characters monologues themselves were written and re-written…and re-written
Champagne Charlie
Why is the theatre the best platform for this kind of work or is it TV / film?
I think the visceral sensation of being in a cafe with live people that are talking directly to you one minute and lay lifeless in front of you the next is most effective in a theatrical forum. That being said, I’ve written a film version of the piece and it will be interesting to see what translates and what doesn't, obviously film gives more opportunities to open the stories up, get a deeper insight into the characters lives on many other rich levels.
Champagne Charlie
How were you surprised by audience responses to the work?
I guess I was surprised by how much humour translated to audiences that are not familiar with Israeli culture, its always so gratifying to me as an artist when audiences outside the obvious demographic enjoy the show; I just did the show in Los Angeles and a group of high school students from EAST LA came to see the show and connected to it, not only did they know nothing about Israel and the conflict, they had never seen a play before.
Champagne Charlie
Was it based on a SINGLE real incident and if so what happened?
No it is not based on a single event
Champagne Charlie
You alternate between comic character creations like Svetlana and your personal writing - which do you, prefer doing and why?
I don't prefer one over the other, I try and make all writing personal in a way even if it is through my alter-egos, obviously my memoir DORK WHORE is on a whole other level of vulnerability, I reveal things about me that I still can't believe I reveal, and that is a much scarier process.
Champagne Charlie
What theatrical part would you like most to be cast in?
Hmm so much to choose from - Joan of Arc, Lady MacB, King Lear (I played him in an experimental bit version in college); in essence I’d love to do something period.
Champagne Charlie
How would DAI be expanded to feature a multi cast - is that something you want?
The feature version of DAI will involve a multi cast, for now I like to keep the theatre version a solo piece.
Champagne Charlie
What are your next plans - more theatre or return to TV?
As an actor I'd love to return to TV and hopefully do some comedic films in the next year or so. I just directed a pilot presentation with Svetlana, so I’m hoping that gets picked up by a network of some sort, my book was optioned for the screen so I’ve been working on that as well and I’m working on a sequel to DORK WHORE for a German publisher.
Champagne Charlie
Can you remember any moments when things may have gone wrong and only by ad libbing or doing something unexpected - could you restore the flow of the show (this show or any other work you've been in).
There was a technical disaster at one performance of DAI where I started speaking and the lights all went out, so I started improvising in the dark joking with the reporter about how hard it is to be interviewed when the lights are out. Of course as I’m improvising I can see the technical guys all the way in the back booth running back and forth frantically waving their hands, it was hilarious. But not at the time!
Champagne Charlie
Could you ever see yourself directing n already written piece. One of the 'classics' and if so what would that be. any casting ideas for this production?
I love directing and I’m highly inspired by companies like Theatre de Complicate so I’d definitely like to make it as physical a production as possible, I'd love to direct Macbeth. Really exploring the relationship between the musicality of the language, the physicality and the emotion.
Champagne Charlie
What would your tip list be to George Mitchell when he attempts to untangle the situation in the Middle East?
Ha. Tip list? More like miracle list!
Comments
Videos