Bread & Roses Theatre Emerging Company 2021 VELVET SMOKE PRODUCTIONS talk us through their new production Disc Jockey, the highs and lows and everything in-between.
What do audiences have to look forward to?
Audiences can look forward to a moving piece that will take you on the journey of Daniel Johnson, aka, DJ. An up and coming DJ who finally catches his big break, and as they say, the higher the climb, the harder they fall. But underlying this, they can also expect a heartwarming tale about friendship, and the trials and tribulations of that. The more you love someone the more you will be willing to fight for that person. Relationships are like roller coasters, they have their ups and downs. Friendships will be tested, passions will rise, laughter will be had. For those fellow underground house music lovers also, expect to hear a score of completely original music produced by Tiwai himself. At moments, it will transport you from the theatre to the rave.
What inspired you to create this show? Why this story?
The initial concept for the story came from moments in my life and my journey into the rave culture that I experienced when I (Tiwai) went to University. In a lot of ways ‘Disc Jockey’ is a semi-biographical story or one that takes place in an alternate reality had my life gone down a different route. I think the use of substances at raves is such an important topic and in this generation it has become so desensitized, as it is almost part and parcel of going raving. Many people often say they only go to raves to do the drugs. I love the music and I wanted the chance to bring my two worlds, theatre and music, together and ‘Disc Jockey’ ended up being the outcome of that. And now together with Joseph Ward, the Co-Writer, it has evolved into this tragic forewarning of the dangers of substance abuse being viewed so lightly. We think this is an important story that a lot of people need to hear, as often it is shied away from. Hopefully this story can now inspire people to maybe just think twice, and try to emphasise being safe within the rave scene, to avoid the unnecessary deaths of many party goers.
What do audiences have to look forward to?
Audiences can look forward to a moving piece that will take you on the journey of Daniel Johnson, aka, DJ. An up and coming DJ who finally catches his big break, and as they say, the higher the climb, the harder they fall. But underlying this, they can also expect a heartwarming tale about friendship, and the trials and tribulations of that. The more you love someone the more you will be willing to fight for that person. Relationships are like roller coasters, they have their ups and downs. Friendships will be tested, passions will rise, laughter will be had. For those fellow underground house music lovers also, expect to hear a score of completely original music produced by Tiwai himself. At moments, it will transport you from the theatre to the rave.
What inspired you to create this show? Why this story?
The initial concept for the story came from moments in my life and my journey into the rave culture that I experienced when I (Tiwai) went to University. In a lot of ways ‘Disc Jockey’ is a semi-biographical story or one that takes place in an alternate reality had my life gone down a different route. I think the use of substances at raves is such an important topic and in this generation it has become so desensitized, as it is almost part and parcel of going raving. Many people often say they only go to raves to do the drugs. I love the music and I wanted the chance to bring my two worlds, theatre and music, together and ‘Disc Jockey’ ended up being the outcome of that. And now together with Joseph Ward, the Co-Writer, it has evolved into this tragic forewarning of the dangers of substance abuse being viewed so lightly. We think this is an important story that a lot of people need to hear, as often it is shied away from. Hopefully this story can now inspire people to maybe just think twice, and try to emphasise being safe within the rave scene, to avoid the unnecessary deaths of many party goers.
Have there been any obstacles in the creation of 'Disc Jockey'?
Disc Jockey has undergone a massive transformation since the original script, which was sent into The Bread & Roses Theatre and consequently provided us with the opportunity to receive the Emerging Companies 2021 Award. With the honour of this privilege, we were allowed to Research and Develop the piece for a week. In the run up, this was when we really began to closely collaborate with the director Joseph Ward and ended up co-writing the piece into something that transformed the initial concept into this hard hitting piece - which it always had the potential to be. After initial feedback given to us from the lovely team at Bread & Roses, we realised that there was something in the ending that wasn’t quite as truthful as it could be. The topics discussed in the play, although being familiar with the world that the play takes place in, is of course dramatised. We now had to find the authenticity in this story. This then took a lot of extra drafts, whole scenes re-written. We had to say bye to a lot of the material that we loved and had become attached to, but it was all for the good of the piece. The way the piece stands at the minute, we are all sure that all the frustration in getting here was worth it.
Has your experience as Bread & Roses Emerging Company 2021 changed the development of the show?
The R & D process, provided by the theatre, was invaluable in our development journey. During that week, we had the freedom to explore in a safe space, topics of great magnitude and in turn, discuss the gravity of the subject matter. It was important to make the piece as truthful as we could and following the feedback from the theatre, we have since been able to adapt the script further to find a deeper story to tell. It was a really enjoyable process that we would highly recommend to any new companies.
What have been the highlights of the process for 'Disc Jockey'?
We loved the R & D process and having the freedom to explore with no limitations. We have really enjoyed being able to rehearse in the NDT Broadgate space and meet other early career creatives, sharing our shows with each other and making future connections. Personally, it has been a pleasure to watch the development of the piece, from concept to a fully realised show. The depth is far greater than when we started and seeing the layers within each character appear has been so rewarding.
Disc Jockey has undergone a massive transformation since the original script, which was sent into The Bread & Roses Theatre and consequently provided us with the opportunity to receive the Emerging Companies 2021 Award. With the honour of this privilege, we were allowed to Research and Develop the piece for a week. In the run up, this was when we really began to closely collaborate with the director Joseph Ward and ended up co-writing the piece into something that transformed the initial concept into this hard hitting piece - which it always had the potential to be. After initial feedback given to us from the lovely team at Bread & Roses, we realised that there was something in the ending that wasn’t quite as truthful as it could be. The topics discussed in the play, although being familiar with the world that the play takes place in, is of course dramatised. We now had to find the authenticity in this story. This then took a lot of extra drafts, whole scenes re-written. We had to say bye to a lot of the material that we loved and had become attached to, but it was all for the good of the piece. The way the piece stands at the minute, we are all sure that all the frustration in getting here was worth it.
Has your experience as Bread & Roses Emerging Company 2021 changed the development of the show?
The R & D process, provided by the theatre, was invaluable in our development journey. During that week, we had the freedom to explore in a safe space, topics of great magnitude and in turn, discuss the gravity of the subject matter. It was important to make the piece as truthful as we could and following the feedback from the theatre, we have since been able to adapt the script further to find a deeper story to tell. It was a really enjoyable process that we would highly recommend to any new companies.
What have been the highlights of the process for 'Disc Jockey'?
We loved the R & D process and having the freedom to explore with no limitations. We have really enjoyed being able to rehearse in the NDT Broadgate space and meet other early career creatives, sharing our shows with each other and making future connections. Personally, it has been a pleasure to watch the development of the piece, from concept to a fully realised show. The depth is far greater than when we started and seeing the layers within each character appear has been so rewarding.
| | Who are the collaborators on this production? The producers of the show are Velvet Smoke Productions, which consists of Tiwai Muza and Sian Duggan. The show has been written by Tiwai Muza and Joseph Ward and the show will be performed by Tiwai Muza, William Ni, Mei Mei MacLeod and Sarah Cameron West. We have also been lucky enough to receive rehearsal space from NDT Broadgate, which was an added bonus! |
Who should see this show & why?
Everyone and anyone should see this show. Yes the story heavily takes place within the rave culture, so to some this may be a niche. Certainly to those within that scene, this piece will not only be nostalgic, but it will push you to think a little bit more next time that you’re out partying. But one of the most important themes in the piece is friendship. People need a reminder to try to check in on your friends, sometimes those who need help are either too afraid to ask or can’t yet see themselves, that maybe they need help. But even without being too deep, on the surface level this is a modern day tragedy, with ups and downs, moments of joy and ecstasy and a story that will leave you on the edge of your seats. So if you like to be entertained, this is most certainly the show for you.
What do you think the future of british fringe theatre looks like and how do Velvet Smoke Productions fit into it?
We think the future of British Fringe is a force to be reckoned with. Along our journey, we have already met so many amazing and inspiring creatives who fuel our passion further to make interesting and new work. We hope fellow theatre makers keep making bold decisions and strive to push boundaries. At this stage in all of our careers, it is important to lay a groundwork for the next emerging companies and keep inspiring each other. We want to keep championing diversity within our shows and exploring subject matters that resonate particularly with young people, as sometimes it can be a voice that gets ignored within society. Our work should reflect the world we live in and keep tackling difficult subject matters, whilst entertaining and uplifting our audiences. We are very excited to see what the future holds and know British Fringe is in good hands!
What's next for Velvet Smoke Productions?
We have 3 shows in development, 2 in March and one in April. A musical show focusing on a female performer from the 1920s in America, our next new writing festival and our next full length play about students being locked in, in Manchester. Each show is completely different and we hope to see some of you there. We want to keep audiences guessing as to what we do next, but excited for our next move! We hope this is the start of a long, but rewarding journey as an emerging company.
The shows are as follows:
The Fallen Follie - The Golden Goose Theatre - 3rd-5th March 2022
Project Chuckle - The White Bear Theatre - 16-19th March 2022
Forgotten Fallow - The Lion & the Unicorn Theatre - 19th-23rd April 2022
Hope to see you all there!
DISC JOCKEY runs 1st - 5th February 2022 at 7:30pm, BOOK NOW
Everyone and anyone should see this show. Yes the story heavily takes place within the rave culture, so to some this may be a niche. Certainly to those within that scene, this piece will not only be nostalgic, but it will push you to think a little bit more next time that you’re out partying. But one of the most important themes in the piece is friendship. People need a reminder to try to check in on your friends, sometimes those who need help are either too afraid to ask or can’t yet see themselves, that maybe they need help. But even without being too deep, on the surface level this is a modern day tragedy, with ups and downs, moments of joy and ecstasy and a story that will leave you on the edge of your seats. So if you like to be entertained, this is most certainly the show for you.
What do you think the future of british fringe theatre looks like and how do Velvet Smoke Productions fit into it?
We think the future of British Fringe is a force to be reckoned with. Along our journey, we have already met so many amazing and inspiring creatives who fuel our passion further to make interesting and new work. We hope fellow theatre makers keep making bold decisions and strive to push boundaries. At this stage in all of our careers, it is important to lay a groundwork for the next emerging companies and keep inspiring each other. We want to keep championing diversity within our shows and exploring subject matters that resonate particularly with young people, as sometimes it can be a voice that gets ignored within society. Our work should reflect the world we live in and keep tackling difficult subject matters, whilst entertaining and uplifting our audiences. We are very excited to see what the future holds and know British Fringe is in good hands!
What's next for Velvet Smoke Productions?
We have 3 shows in development, 2 in March and one in April. A musical show focusing on a female performer from the 1920s in America, our next new writing festival and our next full length play about students being locked in, in Manchester. Each show is completely different and we hope to see some of you there. We want to keep audiences guessing as to what we do next, but excited for our next move! We hope this is the start of a long, but rewarding journey as an emerging company.
The shows are as follows:
The Fallen Follie - The Golden Goose Theatre - 3rd-5th March 2022
Project Chuckle - The White Bear Theatre - 16-19th March 2022
Forgotten Fallow - The Lion & the Unicorn Theatre - 19th-23rd April 2022
Hope to see you all there!
DISC JOCKEY runs 1st - 5th February 2022 at 7:30pm, BOOK NOW
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