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In the affectionate words of my father I was “a weird kid”. Always making up stories and would spend hours telling them to goblins at the bottom of the garden.
Katherine Newman is a trained actress, storyteller and voice over artist based in London. Her credits include Curious Directives’ award winning "Spindrift", the 2016 London Film Festival short "Life In Orbit" and the voice of Professor McGonagal for The Harry Potter video game. She has been writing for many years and recently began to develop her work for the stage. A collection of her short stories are currently being developed for performance. FLEB is her first solo show. She is an artistic director of the theatre company 'Boxing Rabbit', an associate director of ‘Applecart’ and the co-founder of 'Mammalian'.
What first attracted you to the theatre?
It was something I was attracted to even before I knew what it was. In the affectionate words of my father I was “a weird kid”. Always making up stories and would spend hours telling them to goblins at the bottom of the garden. I found out I was quite severely dyslexic when I was seven and so theatre motifs became an important way of expression. I would watch a play or hear a story and be like “Oh yes, I get it. This is a form of communication I understand”. And the love affair grew from then on.
If you could pick any one person or theatre company to work with on your next project, who/which would it be?
That is tough. Really tough. There is a Brooklyn based theatre company called ‘The Team’. They did a show called at “RoosevElvis” at The Royal Court last year that blew my socks off. They are full of energy and very funny. There is also a Devon based company called Theatre Alibi that caught my attention about 18 years ago. They are brilliant storytellers. Imaginative, joyful and often moving. I know that is two but please don’t make me decide. There are so many wonderful companies and theatre makers out there.
What is your opinion of Off West End theatre, in general?
It is where I see the majority of theatre. The productions happening on the fringes are, in my opinion, the most daring, innovative, exciting and bold. I find the smaller venues offer a more intimate experience for the audience and events like Vault festival are brilliantly vibrant and diverse. These smaller, off the beaten track venues need our support. Word of mouth is important for bums on seats. I would always rather part with some cash for a burgeoning theatre company making risky work in a back street venue then one of the bigger better supported theatres that can afford a huge marketing budget.
What was the most inspiring performance you have ever seen? Why?
Again that is tough. The list includes Noma Dumezweni in “A Human Being Died That Night”, Michaela Coel in “Chewing Gum Dreams”, Kim Noble “You Are Not Alone”, Cush Jumbo in “Josephine and I”, Adelayo Adedayo and Tsion Habte in “Cutting It”, James Rowland “Team Viking”, Kate Tempest’s “Brand New Ancients”… … Okay I realise I’m not doing very well choosing just one. If I had to choose it would be to Jess Thom for “Backstage in Biscuit Land”. Her performance was a unique, spontaneous, bonkers and insightful delve into the world of Tourettes. And she is f*cking hilarious.
What piece of work are you the most proud of?
There was a turning point for me about 5 years ago. I began working with a very special theatre company called BAZ Productions. The artistic director Sarah Bedi was, and still is, an inspiration. The company focus on ensemble play with the audience at the heart of each performance. I was part of a project called “Prophesy” which took 18 months from the initial idea to performance. As performers we would meet weekly to play, explore and create together. When things didn’t work we threw them away and when they felt right we would push them further. Being part of that process taught me the importance of the ensemble, how to share with an audience, not to be precious and to remember to be playful.
What things in your personal life do you draw from when you perform?
Everything. That’s all you have. Reminding yourself that you are a human being with fears, concerns, and needs and that it is okay to be vulnerable. As well as reminding myself that in the grand scheme of things what I do is not the most critical thing going on in the world. Being a performer is a privilege and an opportunity to, even for one brief moment, transport a room full of strangers to a place that lets them experience something different together.
Who is the best actor/actress performing on Off West End today?
I couldn’t choose the best. I will give a shout out to all the actors in “BU21” at Theatre 503. They are all amazing. So much so that they now have a transfer to The Trafalgar Studios in January. An Off West End success story. There really is some amazing theatre happening on the fringes and it deserves lots of support.
Musical, comedy or drama- what’s your preference to watch?
I’m probably more inclined toward drama. But I’m up for enjoying theatre in all its guises. If it’s good then it’s good. It doesn’t matter what the genre is.
Can you tell our readers about what you’re doing now/next?
Well, I am performing “F*cking Little Elf B*tch” until the 31st of December. After that Dudley Rees (FLEB Director) and I will be flinging around ideas for our next production. We set up the company MAMMALIAN earlier this year and are excited about making lots of new work together. I am also in the process of writing funding applications for a new puppet/dance/storytelling project I have written called “The Thought Child”. For this, I’m working with the company ‘Applecart’ and we hope to have the show on its feet next year.
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