The countdown to the Camden Fringe has begun with 13 days to go. High time to take a closer look at some of the first time fringers about to pop their Camden cherries.
Who are you?
We are The Lab Theatre Collective. A few months after graduation, we gave up trying to lick the boots of those at the top and decided that the fringe is the best place to be. We were sick of watching the same old same old, and decided to incorporate ideas and practices from other artists and forms. We have really grasped onto using film and sonic art to support live performance, and most recently begun to work with an amazing writer (Tom Kendall) who has helped us push our work onto another level.
Our work is constantly moving forward with the changing faces of the collective, creating exciting and challenging projects.
What are you doing, when and where?
A Crack in the Wall has been in development for the past six months, and comes from our underlying feelings of loneliness in a city of millions. After scratching the piece in May, we decided to redevelop the material, and were inspired to gather stories of the neighbours who surround us.
These came from diary entries (we didn’t stalk them or anything...) and our imaginations, placing stories on the people we only see through windows. We have created these characters and stories through film, sound and live performance, to ask: How close do we want to live to our neighbours?
A Crack in the Wall is at the Roundhouse Studios on the 15th and 16th of August at 1.30pm.
And why?
One evening I got locked out of the flat, and after I farted around for a few hours waiting for someone to get home, I realised that there was no one living nearby who I trusted with our front door key. As well as making me quite sad, it also made us look at our relationships to the people who live so close to us, and think about the assumptions we impose on them.
What are your hopes and fears for the Camden Fringe?
We hope the audience find something new in our work, and are really looking forward to performing in such an amazing venue. The Camden Fringe has really grown over the last couple of years, so we are hoping to get lots of bums on seats!
Our fear would be the usual... that it could all go tits up.
What image best sums up the spirit of Camden for you?
The Doc Martin boots hanging from their laces on the market stalls, vintage Camden, love it.
Find our more at the Lab Theatre Collective website and book tickets via the Camden Fringe which kicks off on 3 August. We'll be there with knobs on.
