Interview.
*The words “poetry” and “poem” appear often in articles about Bells and Spells – why do you think this is?
It is not for me to say. Poetry is so personal, it’s almost like a state of being, something you can’t will nor force. It is very nice and humbling to hear that these words appear in articles about Bells and Spells
*How would you describe the underlying meaning of the performance?
Victoria’s answer:
A journey into the remorse of an eccentric kleptomaniac woman.
“Objets inanimés avez vous donc une âme? Qui s attache à notre âme et la force d aimer?” Lamartine
(“Inanimate objects, do you not have a soul? That attaches itself to ours and compels us to love?”)
*What can you tell us about the mechanics behind the illusions that make objects appear and disappear?
Victoria’s answer: it’s about timing and dexterity.
*You’ve now collaborated with your mother on quite a few performances - Aurélia's Oratorio, Murmures des Murs and now Bells and Spells. What has it been like to work with your mother so closely over the years? Would you say you have a special bond?
We are both very passionate. We keep our fingers crossed. I love the worlds Victoria creates on stage. They are challenging, mysterious, fun…We have a saying: that the minute we know how a show works, we have to move on to the next one.
*We read that you started performing in your parents’ circus shows at the age of four – what kind of memories do you have from these early years as a child performer?
The first memory: I remember the warmth of the lights on stage: there was something comforting: it was like being in front a fire, and the fire was also the audience in the dark. It’s an odd, funny thing: to learn discipline through entertainment. To be performing as “little beasts” or “insect like creatures”, to jump out of boxes and magical tricks growing up, to be told that it is work and that you have to take it seriously, you have to be reliable, disciplined.. Makes you want to become an adult faster so as to continue.
*Bells and Spells is obviously influenced by Borra, the famous circus pickpocket. How else has the circus and the circus arts influenced Bells and Spells?
Victoria did mention Borra as one of her inspirations
This is a question that she should answer, but since she won’t, I will give it a try:
We come from Circus, originally. I trained in Trapeze and juggling as a child. Victoria comes from Circus too, with Jean Baptiste Thierree, they reinvented circus and created a new current: what is now called New Circus. A new form that mixes theater, dance, visual, vaudeville numbers.. This said, there is very little circus left in Bells and Spells. It’s even more of a hybrid.
*Has Bells and Spells been your primary artistic focus in the past six years? What other projects have you been working on, and do you have any upcoming projects you are excited about?
I like to throw myself whole heartedly in any project I embark on.
Since it is Bells and Spells we are presenting in Hong Kong, I want to talk about it. It has my heart. I am excited that we will continue to tour it, and excited that we will eventually work on a new one.
The beauty of theater is that every night, you have to start anew, jump in with the hope and belief that it will take off, that people will be entertained and have a good time. It s a group effort. It s a gamble. No matter how much work and rehearsals, every night, something will not go as planned, and you have to embrace and incorporate whatever it is: that part which you cannot predict, it makes it interesting, keeps you on your toes, it is inherent to theatre.
*You’ve appeared in theatre, in cabaret, in films, in opera and you’ve even toured with the band Tiger Lillies – what are your qualities that enable you to work in such a wide variety of mediums?
I would say imagination? to nurture flexibility in your imagination, be open to things you hadn’t imagined, available to them, and to work.. I learned how to tap dance once for Victoria, just for one number. I learned to tame unpredictable props.. I’m still learning…
When Milos Forman was working on Goya’s ghost and flew me in for one scene, I suddenly had three kids and a husband, a corset and a wig. And then I flew back to our show, and came out of a chest of drawers. Last year I did a play in London: I had to tame words. Pages and pages, until I didn’t have to think about them.
*You have been to Hong Kong before with your family circus and your earlier show Aurelia's Oratorio – what are your impressions of the city?
It was a long time ago. We remember Hong Kong as a vibrant beautiful city. We are looking forward to come back.