Artist of the Month-December-Adam Walker
This month's AoM is Adam Walker. Mr. Walker has become a reoccurring face in the local theatre scene over the past couple of years. He was nominated by one of our readers for "Being one of the most talented people I've worked with and a person who is genuinely kind to all."
You may have seen him in Follies, Filumena and Six Characters in Search of an Author. You can catch him this month in Hong Kong Players' annual Panto, Sleeping Beauty.
1. Name, Birthplace, Age
Adam Walker, Birmingham England, 31 years old
2. How does where you were raised affect your work?
Birmingham is a vibrant, multi cultural city with lots of opportunities for people to create Theatre. As a very young man, I was given the opportunity to get up on stage, to sing and perform and have my voice heard through taking part in Youth Theatre. This was a gateway for me to avoid the disillusionment that a lot of my peers felt with their situations growing up in suburbs. That is why I became a Drama educator; to enable others to develop a passion that encourages creativity, passion and play.
3. Where did you train?
I trained in Dance, Drama and Music at the University of Birmingham and then in Drama Education at University of Warwick.
4. What is your favourite style of Theatre? Why?
Such a difficult question! I love seeing and using stark, physical movement onstage, but I also love to be engaged intellectually. The Physical Theatre of DV8 and Frantic Assembly would be my favourite visual style combined with elements of Verbatim Theatre, bringing direct connection to people’s lives.
5. What was the best show you EVER saw?
I love the work of PunchDrunk and am an avid follower of their work. I first saw them in the Battersea Arts centre in London with their immersive, interactive version of ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ which influenced me greatly, but I went to see their new work this summer, an adaptation of one of my favourite plays, Woyzeck, which has to be far and away the favourite show that I’ve seen. They took over an old 4 storey building and created the most intricate piece of traverse immersive theatre on the largest scale I have ever seen. If you haven’t seen their work – check them out!
6. What was the best show in HK you EVER saw? (You cannot say your own.)
I keep coming back to a performance by Akram Khan called ‘Desh’ that was performed in the Kwai Tsing Theatre a few years ago. The one man show was funny, moving, intricately designed and yet so very simple at the same time. Even the use of air conditioning to affect the mood of the audience really opened my eyes to what Total Theatre can achieve. This piece inspired many of my students in design and performance style to realise how many elements Contemporary Dance and Theatre share in kind.
7.What piece of work are you the most proud of? (please include photo, if possible)
It’s hard to single out one piece but I guess the work that has the most resonance with me is a version of Les Miserables I worked on when I first began teaching. This really showed me what young people are capable of if you push them hard enough, and the power that can come from a student performance (I was in tears most nights as Eponine died.) The boy who played Jean Valjean in this performance has since gone on to receive an Olivier award for his work on Les Miserables on the West End, so I’m very proud of him.
8. What is your process like?
When directing I’m meticulous in pre - production, scheduling, writing notes and organising myself as I am quite O.C.D, but the second that I walk into a rehearsal space, I ignore all of that and act on instinct. I’m often the same when creating character – many people know me for being the last to learn lines, which I always find frustrating. I love improvising and living on my wits, so Pantomime is a great opportunity to play, and Terry Hart has been great to play opposite as he is very playful.
9. What is your dream project?
I have many versions of many of my favourite texts in my head. I’d like to say that my dream would be a dense heavy political piece, but would love a chance to direct a version of ‘Noises Off’ by Michael Frayn. It’s comedic, farcical and energetic, but my version would involve such a complicated revolving set, I would have to run the production for a month just to justify the cost. I have worked on this with students, but would love to see some of the talent in Hong Kong working on this text. There are so many stock types in the Hong Kong theatre scene, farce is perfect for them!
10. If you could change one thing about the art scene in HK, what would it be?
Light. Emitting. Devices.
Comments
Panto Fan
So nice to see Adam on here! Love him. Such a nice bloke.
03 December 2013HKMum
My little girl thought he was so handsome in the panto.
18 January 2014