Theatre Centre is back with their new show 'Dizzy', with just two performers on stage and the title character being voiced by Reda Elazouar. I spoke to two of the shows stars Sera Mustafa and Brendan Barclay to find out more about this brand-new show.
Could you tell us what ‘Dizzy’ is about?
Sera - ‘Dizzy’ follows Qamar, a 15 year old who has recently lost her brother Yaseen. Qamar is determined to find out answers about her brother's death, but has to battle with slipping away from reality. On her journey she meets Stax, who introduces her to the world of graffiti and the Axis.
The show covers difficult subjects, such as grief, focused around how young people deal with this. How important is it to share this message? And how as actors do you approach this type of subject matter?
Sera - It is important not to shy away from difficult topics even though they may be hard to watch and process. In the room we are always asking the question of how we can protect our audience and be graceful in our execution. We want the show to be cathartic so we have approached the heaviness of grief with a sensitivity and lightness.
Brendan - I think stories dealing with such difficult and complex subject matters as grief need to be more commonplace in the educational environment. Social norms have taught us to hide emotion and to an extent deal with grief in private. I think for young people to see someone like Qamar figuring out how to grieve is such an important message, and will hopefully promote healthy conversation around death and loss both at home and in classrooms As actors we’ve made sure to create a rehearsal room where if the text triggers anything, we can step out of the room and take as much time as we need. We also make sure to check in regularly with each other to make sure neither of us are feeling overwhelmed or uncomfortable with the work.
You both play the characters of Stax and Qamar how would you both describe your characters?
Sera - Qamar spends the play trying to find out answers. Why her brother died, how he died, how did it all happen, what next. She is practical ; she works through logic rather than emotion. She believes that there is always an answer and always a reason. She’s intelligent, a maths wiz, an A* student. She uses her intelligence as a tool to get Stax to help her. Although wise beyond her years, she is 15, and often forgets about consequences after she bulldozes into situations. Her faith is important to her, Islam is a guide through her dark days of grief. We see flashbacks to her and Yaseen in the Madrasa when they are young and mischievous, and through this we have a glimmer of how important culture and family is to her.
Brendan - Stax is a graffiti artist. He likes to think he operates outside of society’s constructs, refusing to be constrained by the establishment. He’s a free thinker, never wanting to be pinned down to any label or faction. There’s an enigmatic quality to him that I think is fascinating to explore, but he’s also someone who has a lot of pent-up trauma that he refuses to acknowledge. He’s a joker, constantly poking fun at Qamar for her analytical way of thinking
and uptight demeanour.
The show is described as “a captivating blend of technology and storytelling” could you explain more and tell us how this is used/shown in the show?
Sera - The tech in the show is used to amplify the distortion between reality and the axis. We have a surround sound system which gives the impression that Yaseen’s voice can be heard everywhere, which gives us insight into how Qamar is experiencing the world around her. The set is a minimal three piece tier that is staggered and splattered with graffiti and bright colours. This introduces us to the world of Stax, Dizzy and Graffiti, but also the idea that our world has slightly tilted on its axis.
Brendan - Within Dizzy there are two worlds. One is the world that we regularly operate in and the other is a world we see through Qamar’s eyes as she tries to deal with the loss of her brother. We spent a great deal of time figuring out what this world looks, sounds, and feels like. To do that, the incredible creatives in the sound, lighting, and design department have worked tirelessly to make this world feel completely different to the one that we exist in. I think audiences will be blown away by this alternative landscape.
How has rehearsals been and what would you say has been the biggest challenge so far within creating this piece?
Sera - Rehearsals have been brilliant and it’s been wonderful to be back in a creative room. The biggest challenge is finding how to make the show work both in theatre’s and in schools!
Brendan - Rehearsals have been a great deal of fun, but also very intense. This is my first time working on a two-hander show which has meant days have been long and intense as it has just been myself and Sera working in the space. That being said, I actually quite like working with intensity, so as tiring as it’s been, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
With only you both on stage, could you tell us what the easiest and hardest part of working with just two people is?
Sera - The easiest part of this being a two-hander is that the script is written beautifully, so even though there are two of us, the play is captivating enough with the world that’s been created and also our third unseen character. The challenge is keeping energy up throughout and finding ways to make each scene varied.
Brendan - One of the biggest pros with working with just one other person is the amount of time we can spend really detailing our relationship. With shows with larger casts, rehearsal schedules mean that depending on the size of your role, you could spend short stints observing, or sometimes not even being called to rehearse that day at all, but with a show such as this, we have the luxury of being able to work continuously in the space together, which I hope will show come opening night. This high octane contact time can but strain on a relationship, so Sera and I have made sure to lay down boundaries so that we don’t get sick of each other’s company! Whether that be giving each other space during breaks or on evenings/weekends, or not talking about the show outside of working hour
s to avoid burning out, these simple fixes make sure we don’t feel too overwhelmed with the workload.
Without giving anything away what are you both most looking forward to for the audiences to see?
Sera - I’m looking forward to the audience seeing the relationship develop between the two opposing characters.
Brendan - The alternate world. This week we’ve had the pleasure of working with speakers, and I have to say our sound designer, Mwen, has smashed it out of the park! The soundscape she’s created really brings both worlds to life. I don’t want to say much more on that in case I spoil it but it’s seriously shaping up to be very special.
Who do you think Dizzy’s target audience is? And why should people come and see it?
Sera - Whilst Dizzy is perfect for young audiences, the writing is so beautiful that I think anyone will truly enjoy this show. Come along!
Brendan - I’d say the demographic of Dizzy is a younger one, but there’s definitely something in this play for all ages. One of the running themes in Dizzy is acceptance of others, with Stax and Qamar being wildly different and having to navigate grief together. On their journey, they realise that in order to grow they must learn to view life from another’s perspective. This is a lesson that I think is incumbent for all ages.
What are your favourite parts of the show?
Sera - The moments of connection between Qamar and Stax, and the movement sequences within the axis.
Brendan - I don’t want to give too much away, but the second act largely takes place in a Halfords, and that stretch is extremely fun. In a lot of ways it’s the climax of the show, and we’ve worked very hard to turn up the heat so to speak as they work their way towards this defining moment.
Describe the show in one sentence or 3 words.
Sera - Colourful, exhilarating, cathartic.
Brendan - Graffiti. Grief. Growth.
Dizzy plays at the Tanya Moiseiwitch Playhouse from Wednesday 25th September - Saturday 12th of October, before touring to Crawley and London.
Book your tickets here!
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