This week’s campus celebrity is final year, English student Christina Caillard, Marketing Director of the upcoming production of Dirty Decadence!
Name: Christina Caillard
Course: English
Year: Final Year
How does it feel to be campus celebrity?
It’s really exciting that the theatrical side of the university is gaining more and more recognition!
How did you get involved with Theatre with Teeth and Dirty Decadence?
Last October, Shotgun Theatre were looking for someone to do the marketing for their musical Spring Awakening. My friend Cecily, who was vocal coach for the show, put me forward and I am so grateful that she did! I had a great experience and the show was enormously successful, satisfyingly selling out for all three performances at the Exeter Phoenix Theatre. When it came to an end, I wanted to repeat the whole experience! Thankfully my friend Benji, who was the choreographer for Spring, decided to direct his own show Dirty Decadence this summer. He asked me to take on the marketing and fundraising role for this Theatre With Teeth production and of course I said yes!
What attracted you to the project?
When Benji first mentioned this project to me in March, selling it to me as ‘Matthew Bourne on LSD’, I was instantly intrigued. It sounded like a really unique show, unlike anything I had seen or heard of before. Working with Benji on Spring was so much fun and I definitely wanted to work with him again. I knew he had put a great team together for his show, including one of my friends Alice, who is producer. I thought it would be fun to be involved in one more project with my friends before leaving university, also knowing it would be another fantastic experience for me
Tell us a little more about Theatre with Teeth’s production of Dirty Decadence? What is your involvement with the project? What can we expect?
Dirty Decadence is about seven friends who go to a country estate for a relaxing weekend but it soon becomes a very promiscuous stay. Nearly all embark on scandalous affairs with each other and so it is a show about secrets: who is doing what with who, then who finds out what and finally what they do with this information. There’s a lot going on which makes it so entertaining! Dirty Decadence was inspired by Laura Wade’s play Posh but Benji has transformed it into a ballet. As I said before, I’m doing the marketing and fundraising for the show. We have several social media accounts now that are gaining a great following and we set up a Kickstarter page in April to raise some money. We’ve surpassed our target now but we still have some days left before our account ends so hopefully we will raise more! We have a lot more fundraising events going on this term, so watch this space… You can certainly expect the show to be something very different to anything you’ve seen before. Benji has not only converted a play to a ballet with his own twist but he has also made it very modern, choosing Dubstep type soundtracks as the music for the show. It should be quite eccentric, considering the Matthew Bourne on LSD vision – it will definitely be entertaining!
Dirty Decadence is described as a “modern ballet”. What was behind the decision to put on a ballet?
When Benji was thinking about what kind of show he wanted to put on, I think he was very keen on a ballet. He has been doing work experience at the Royal Opera House in London for about a year now and so has become very familiar with classical ballet. Having also done the choreography for Spring Awakening, I think he was very interested in employing some more modern elements in his next show. I think it was these two influences that really instigated his decision to put on a modern ballet.
What do you think people’s perception of ballet is today?
I think many people, much of our generation, regard ballet as somewhat old fashioned. However, a lot of my friends have recently gone to several ballets and so I think that it is becoming more fashionable now. It takes a lot of athleticism and discipline to be a ballet dancer and it truly is amazing to watch. I read an article a couple months ago saying that more people watch ballet now than a few years ago because anyone can go to Odeon cinemas to watch recorded ballet performances from The Royal Opera House. I think it’s a great idea as it makes ballet less of an elitist experience, as some believe, making it accessible to everyone.
Will there be any previews that we can look forward to of the performance in Exeter?
Yes! We are having a tech run and preview on 30th and 31st May in Thornlea on campus. Dirty Decadence will then move to the Exeter Phoenix Theatre for the 3rd and 4th June as part of Exeter’s Ignite Festival. We would love as many people as possible to come see our performances in either (or both) venues!
What has been the most enjoyable part of the process so far?
I like to be creative and my role in this production really allows me to do this. It’s been fun collaborating with the production team and cast to come up with some great ideas to get the show going.
Have you ever been to the Edinburgh Fringe?
No, I’ve never been before but looking forward to going up there! I’m only going for a few days at the beginning to help out, but should be a lot of fun!
What are you most looking forward to at the Fringe?
Definitely the atmosphere since everyone goes to the Fringe for some great theatrical experiences! I’m really looking forward to people’s reactions to our show!
For more information about Dirty Decadence, make sure you read our interview with one of the cast, our Campus Cutie Henry Cox. Also check out their Facebook page here.