Head to the Black Lion pub for a carnivalesque phantasmagoria evening to “Wake the Dead”. Rising into the spotlight today is KT Simpson from Copperdollar who celebrates life and death with his fellow band of dancers and actors. Copperdollar are on for two nights – the 21st and 23rd May from 9.00 pm to 2.00 am and 9.00 pm to 3 pm. So let’s chat with KT and learn more about this colourful and dark side of the arts…
1. What inspired you to become an artist, performer, musician, dancer, writer and entertainer?
As a child, the Elvis Presley movies that I would sneekily watch on a Saturday morning. Years later, after training as a professional dancer, seeing a family of street performers in India and having to give offerings to the gods before being allowed to dance. They could reach out to far more people than conventional theatre, and that excited me greatly. This really ignited a passion in me for street theatre and New Circus, which still drives me forward.
2. What’s your show about and what should the public expect from your show at the 2009 Brighton Festival Fringe?
Wake the Dead is really all about getting into a world beyond your own. The audience are invited into the show where they can play and become a part of it. Copperdollar is interested in breaking down the barriers of conventional theatre, allowing the audience to walk through the fourth wall, passing through the veil that separates the two worlds.
People around the world have lots of ideas about what happens when you die, but no-one knows for sure. Similarly, in ‘Wake the Dead’, we play with the concept of being between two worlds – whether that be show or party, audience or performer, exhibition or gig, life or death – we are playing in the new territory of immersive theatre where the rules have not yet been written, we make them up as we go.
3. What was the last Fringe or Festival you performed at and what was it like?
Last year (’08) I played at the Brighton Fringe with Voodoo Vaudeville. We did a show at the Udderbelly with an enthusiastic audience. Since then Copperdollar’s brand of close-up theatre has been very well received at Blank Gallery Porstlade, at Glastonbury Festival in Trash City, and in Brighton as part of the first ever Beach Hut Advent Calendar.
4. What are your funniest and worst experiences performing in front of an audience?
The worst experience was seeing a pyro explode in the face of a friend, and having to go on stage, not knowing whether he would be all right or not. The classic “the show must go on” scenario. But we did the shows for him and it was one of the best of the season, and he pulled through with a hairless extremely suntanned “pink” face.
The funniest was watching my son’s full potty being pushed by the wind from under my trailer towards a Portuguese festival producer who was being given a far to early morning tour around backstage of the circus.
5. What’s the best and worst advice you have ever been given? And did you follow it?
The best advice was from Gerry Cottle: Never rely on funding! Very sound.
The worst advice was “Get a Proper Job”. No, I didn’t take that one seriously!
6. What are you most proud of and what dreams or goals would you like to fulfill?
I’m very proud of the artists on board Copperdollar. They’re a talented group of individuals in their own right and make a fantastically committed team. My immediate aim is to develop a national and international reputation for Copperdollar. Ultimately becoming completely self-sustaining.
7. Which three famous people would you invite to dinner and why [dead celebrities included]? And what culinary dish would you prepare?
I don’t have enough time for my friends and family let alone needing to have dinner with a bunch of celebrities. But my choice today would be Joe Strummer, Barack Obama, and Michael Eavis. They’d get my special organic salad and frittata. After all their only human!
8. What is the best book or books you have read and why?
‘The Gray Gentlemen’, it highlighted the madness of our society and how we are always in a hurry and never have enough time, ’Memoirs of a Geisha’; I loved the way it engaged me into the grace and hardship of these women’s lives. ’The Kite Runner’ exposed me to the harshness of these boys lives, and the cruelty of this regime. I was so moved that I cried for about three chapters.
9. Tell us 5 interesting and unknown facts about yourself?
• I am good at drying flowers – through pure neglect of living flowers.
• I collect natural heart shaped stones
• I sponsor a tiger in west Nepal
• I dance on a bar stool in my kitchen.
• I’ve got a coffin in my hall.
10. If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
If I could change one thing about the world I’d spread the wealth and make sure that anyone who earned millions would have to give a percentage to a charitable cause. End those sickeningly huge bonuses that the already richer than rich get. Then force the companies who give that kind of money to one individual, to give the money to an organisation that can help hundreds, or invest it into an company developing environmental technology.
Tags: 2009 Brighton Fringe, David Copperdollar, Gerry Cottle's Circus, Street circus, Voodoo Vaudeville, Wake the dead