We spoke to Little Creatures Theatre co-founder, Jonathan Walfisz, about their upcoming show 'Road to Nowhere' - a new play centring on a queer film-making collective who embark on an ill-judged road trip to Paris to coerce their one successful movie-star friend to help them, willing or not. Running 7th - 9th February 2022 at The Bread & Roses Theatre
What inspired you to create this show? Why this story?
I had felt stuck in the creative doldrums for quite a while when the pandemic began. It had been a few years since I had last made a play, and while I knew in my heart of hearts it was what I wanted to do, life had kinda got in the way. Being stuck at home in lockdown gave me time to re-evaluate that I had evaded playwriting for fear of failing, but wasn’t doing particularly well at the career I’d chosen instead. So I quit my cushy work-from-home job mid-lockdown and decided to write something about artists who create knowing they most likely won’t be successes - and what that does to their motivation. In a lot of ways, it was a means for me to ask myself, ‘am I willing to do this even if it fails?’
Who should see this show & why?
Anyone who’s ever tried to make something despite the odds! The story focuses on a group of artists facing different internal and external gatekeepers - from a trans character wanting to break free of stereotypes, to a Dutch character wondering how long he can stay in the UK. I think anyone can find something of themselves in the characters.
Have there been any obstacles in the creation of 'Road to Nowhere'?
We had a month where we couldn’t rehearse due to cast members almost taking it in turns to test positive with the Omicron variant. It’s definitely pushed up our blood pressure to know we’re inching towards opening night and haven’t been in a room together for the entirety of December. Thankfully, rehearsals are back on track now!
I had felt stuck in the creative doldrums for quite a while when the pandemic began. It had been a few years since I had last made a play, and while I knew in my heart of hearts it was what I wanted to do, life had kinda got in the way. Being stuck at home in lockdown gave me time to re-evaluate that I had evaded playwriting for fear of failing, but wasn’t doing particularly well at the career I’d chosen instead. So I quit my cushy work-from-home job mid-lockdown and decided to write something about artists who create knowing they most likely won’t be successes - and what that does to their motivation. In a lot of ways, it was a means for me to ask myself, ‘am I willing to do this even if it fails?’
Who should see this show & why?
Anyone who’s ever tried to make something despite the odds! The story focuses on a group of artists facing different internal and external gatekeepers - from a trans character wanting to break free of stereotypes, to a Dutch character wondering how long he can stay in the UK. I think anyone can find something of themselves in the characters.
Have there been any obstacles in the creation of 'Road to Nowhere'?
We had a month where we couldn’t rehearse due to cast members almost taking it in turns to test positive with the Omicron variant. It’s definitely pushed up our blood pressure to know we’re inching towards opening night and haven’t been in a room together for the entirety of December. Thankfully, rehearsals are back on track now!
What do audiences have to look forward to?
Road to Nowhere is such a fun play. Despite the title, the play is constantly changing and throwing new elements in the audience's way. One of the most exciting elements is the short films that we’ve included into the production. As the characters are all filmmakers - we thought it was essential to see snippets of the characters’ passion projects to understand why their art is important to them.
Who are the collaborators on this production?
The main collaborators are me (Jonathan Walfisz) as writer/producer/actor and Little Creatures Theatre co-founder Molly Marsh who is directing and acting in the play. We’ve also got the amazing Cath Fleming, Malak El-Gonemy, Denys Wooley, and Harry Duff-Walker in the cast. The other big collaborators have been on the filming side of the project with Ellen McGahey and Oli Frost on cinematography and Daniel Rodriguez Correia editing.
Road to Nowhere is such a fun play. Despite the title, the play is constantly changing and throwing new elements in the audience's way. One of the most exciting elements is the short films that we’ve included into the production. As the characters are all filmmakers - we thought it was essential to see snippets of the characters’ passion projects to understand why their art is important to them.
Who are the collaborators on this production?
The main collaborators are me (Jonathan Walfisz) as writer/producer/actor and Little Creatures Theatre co-founder Molly Marsh who is directing and acting in the play. We’ve also got the amazing Cath Fleming, Malak El-Gonemy, Denys Wooley, and Harry Duff-Walker in the cast. The other big collaborators have been on the filming side of the project with Ellen McGahey and Oli Frost on cinematography and Daniel Rodriguez Correia editing.
What attracted you to stage this production at The Bread & Roses Theatre?
When I came across Bread & Roses, I was so encouraged by the diversity of its programming and the efforts you make to help shows get produced. With the 50:50 box office split and no upfront hire-fees, it was clear to me this was a theatre that actually cared about getting new and exciting writing performed.
What have been the highlights of the process for the show?
Having spent a few years writing and not feeling confident enough to show people my work, the biggest satisfaction I’ve felt is in watching this piece come to life in other actors’ hands. After so long hoarding my writing to myself, letting it be seen has been wonderful. I can’t wait for even more people to see it when the run starts.
What do you think the future of British fringe theatre looks like and how do Little Creatures Theatre fit into it?
It’s sadly quite hard to say at the moment. Last week, VAULT Festival was cancelled which is a massive blow for so many fringe theatre makers. I do think that theatres like Bread & Roses are crucial to British fringe theatre’s survival as it’s venues like these that provide such an open platform for creatives that give people such a great opportunity to thrive. In terms of where Little Creatures fit in, honestly I don’t know. We’ve always just endeavoured to make things that we care about and don’t pay much heed to trends. We’re just happy to be doing what we love.
What's next?
We’ve already confirmed another short run for Road to Nowhere at the Hope Theatre for this summer which is super exciting. When we co-founded Little Creatures, we said we’d take turns writing the plays, so after Road to Nowhere, Molly has a play she’s been working on that we’re planning on staging. I won’t reveal too much as she’s still writing it, but it will definitely include Molly’s trademark mix of pop-culture gags, personal drama and sci-fi trickery.
You can catch 'Road to Nowhere' 7th - 9th February 2022 at The Bread & Roses Theatre, tickets available here
When I came across Bread & Roses, I was so encouraged by the diversity of its programming and the efforts you make to help shows get produced. With the 50:50 box office split and no upfront hire-fees, it was clear to me this was a theatre that actually cared about getting new and exciting writing performed.
What have been the highlights of the process for the show?
Having spent a few years writing and not feeling confident enough to show people my work, the biggest satisfaction I’ve felt is in watching this piece come to life in other actors’ hands. After so long hoarding my writing to myself, letting it be seen has been wonderful. I can’t wait for even more people to see it when the run starts.
What do you think the future of British fringe theatre looks like and how do Little Creatures Theatre fit into it?
It’s sadly quite hard to say at the moment. Last week, VAULT Festival was cancelled which is a massive blow for so many fringe theatre makers. I do think that theatres like Bread & Roses are crucial to British fringe theatre’s survival as it’s venues like these that provide such an open platform for creatives that give people such a great opportunity to thrive. In terms of where Little Creatures fit in, honestly I don’t know. We’ve always just endeavoured to make things that we care about and don’t pay much heed to trends. We’re just happy to be doing what we love.
What's next?
We’ve already confirmed another short run for Road to Nowhere at the Hope Theatre for this summer which is super exciting. When we co-founded Little Creatures, we said we’d take turns writing the plays, so after Road to Nowhere, Molly has a play she’s been working on that we’re planning on staging. I won’t reveal too much as she’s still writing it, but it will definitely include Molly’s trademark mix of pop-culture gags, personal drama and sci-fi trickery.
You can catch 'Road to Nowhere' 7th - 9th February 2022 at The Bread & Roses Theatre, tickets available here
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