Kitty Pilgrim-Morris, artistic director of Red Patch Productions, stopped by for a chat about their upcoming Camden Fringe show, The Trying Rooms.
“An explosion of words and movement, The Trying Rooms is a tragicomedy untangling turbulent relationships; those between the ones we love the most, and between our own inner and outer worlds.”
Where: Theatro Technis
When: 3 Aug
Ticket link:Â https://camdenfringe.com/events/the-trying-rooms/
What are you looking forward to the most at Camden Fringe?
It’s such a privilege being in a programme alongside so many exciting and boundary pushing shows.
This is my first Fringe Festival, so I am looking forward to getting stuck in and learning the ropes as I go- and watching lots of other shows!
There are a bunch that have caught my eye, but I’m especially looking forward to Moths, Mothers & Dead People by Ellie Drayton.
It’s on at The Rose and Crown and looks like it has my favourite mix of comedy with a big undercurrent of some really heartfelt themes.
Soft Boi by Liz Hogan at The Libra also looks great!
Tell me about The Trying Rooms. It’s a dance theatre, female-centred double-bill which sounds fascinating!
The Trying Rooms is the first full length work created by Red Patch Productions.
I started the company after a long period of not creating any work due to a chronic illness. The cycle of being ill and then recovering, taking two steps forward and then one step back, meant that feeling of constantly ‘trying’ to get things right kind of landed in my lap very naturally as a stimulus for a piece.
I think we can all relate the monotony of wanting things to shift, of seeing change peering down at us over the horizon, just out of our reach. It’s a painful place to be, the moment before the change comes into fruition.
The show is a double bill, and the first piece, The Agony of Definition, is about a character called Claybourne.
They have been in this same place for as long as they can remember, and they know they have a job to do.
There is something they are desperate to communicate to you- the only problem is they cannot remember what it is.
Stuck in this Sisyphean nightmare, Claybourne embarks once again on the task of trying to remember, of trying to tell you – as they did the day before, and the day before that.
The second piece, DAUGHTERED, is a duet between me and my mother exploring how a love so intense can be corrosive when it’s misdirected.
Our relationship has at times been turbulent and codependent, mostly because of how heightened the love was under the surface.
In the piece we attempt to untangle this fear-based love, and a mother’s journey of letting go of their child as they enter adulthood.
Shouldn’t a mother be able to save their child, to protect them from all harm?
Shouldn’t a mother have all the answers?
Both go on a journey of realising this may not be the case.
One of the pieces has been developed with your mother. What has that experience been like for you?
It was a really interesting experience to be in the studio with my mum- we got to know each other a lot deeper in this different context.
She has never had any training, whereas I have a degree in performance, so in some ways I felt like I was the adult guiding her through this unknown territory. I’ve loved working with her- she is incredibly talented, although I don’t think she believes that!
Remembering all the words and steps has been the most challenging part for her- and admittedly been stressful at points for me.
It’s also been quite eye-opening to notice the dynamics we explore in the piece play out at times outside of rehearsals- now that we are talking about them openly, and quite literally putting them onstage for people to observe, the piece loses its integrity if we are still acting codependent and enmeshed outside of rehearsals!
So it’s made me want to continue to be a better daughter.
You are playing the show at Theatro Technis. What do you like about the space?
Honestly, when I was researching venues I just fell in love with its exterior! It’s such a beautiful building, nestled into one of my favourite areas of London.
I studied at London ntemporary Dance School in King’s Cross, so I have lots of happy memories from around there.
Theatro Technis has been an independent venue for over six decades, so it’s incredible that our show will join its rich history of visiting companies.
Since working with them, the team have been so supportive and friendly, so I really recommend them as a venue to companies just starting out.Â
What’s next for Red Patch Productions?
I’m hoping to get funding to develop a full length solo show. I’m also really interested in making work for younger audiences, and incorporating participation workshops.
Watching and performing in theatre has been probably the most valuable tool I’ve found to process and untangle feelings and experiences I’ve had, and I would love to share that with children and families.
I’m also writing a book and working on making music! It’s all cylinders firing over here!.