Candide seems like a very different direction for the company. What made you select the play this time?
Voltaire's novel Candide is a French novel that I really like. I have always wanted to adapt it into a theatrical work since way back. In addition to strongly satirizing the optimism of his era, the novel also directly showcases the ugliness of human nature and the cruel and twisted conditions of a decaying world. In recent years the whole world seems to be experiencing an absurd world depicted by Voltaire – plagued by epidemics, wars, the retreat of democracy and climate change among other problems. In this chaotic era how are we going to continue to live? This is the question I want to explore through Candide in the theatre. Can we like Candide said at the end "cultivate our own garden" and find a way out?
Ima Collab is our newly established group or you can call it a platform. It aims to bring together performers and creators from different backgrounds to collectively research and develop theater performances of different styles over a longer period of time. The cast of Candide includes a university teaching assistant, a primary school teacher, theatre actors, film actors, YouTubers, a table tennis coach, a sound artist, a taxi driver / energy healer, a pastry chef, to name a few.
How are you feeling about the fringe? Is it getting the message out there in the right way for you?
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe remains a platform that allows our works to reach audiences from all around the world. It is an easily accessible international arts festival but the cost of participating in it has become increasingly expensive, making it difficult to afford. Attracting audiences is also not an easy task. The majority of Fringe attendees are seeking entertainment and joy which makes it challenging for works like ours that delve into serious subjects to garner enough audience support. Having said that, based on past experiences, we encountered many audience members who appreciated thought-provoking works and truly understood our creative intentions. Some have even provided fascinating interpretations and insights that we had not considered before. It is truly inspiring!
How far will audiences see the same kind of dramaturgy that you have used in the past?
The way and performance style of how we tell our story this time are similar to previous ones but not exactly the same. We are not merely telling the story of Candide. Each actor also plays a specific role representing different social classes and backgrounds. Their shared identity is that of ‘travelers’ who want to escape from the chaotic world. They gather on a ship with an uncertain destination to listen to a scholar who studies Candide tell the story. In the process they themselves transform from listeners to various characters within the novel! In terms of performance style, the actors still use simple everyday objects as costumes and props to portray the characters. The performance will incorporate storytelling, role-playing, musical instrument playing, singing, dancing, movement, stage combat and other forms of expression. This creates an entertaining show that is also poetic and thought-provoking!
Does the play have a political intention?
I believe that theatre or any kind of art has always been political but that is not the starting point for our creative process. We hope to use theatre as a means to reflect certain social conditions and raise questions for the audience to ponder, or stimulate their imagination. Sometimes we also aim to bring a little joy or solace to audiences who may be experiencing hardship. This is also the starting point for our creation of Candide!
Are there any companies that you feel are working in a similar area to you?
We are also changing as we speak. I think there may be some. Some of my best friends in the theatre field are working in a similar manner.
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