Chris Britton is a humble sort, giving credit where credit is due. Yes, after 30 years of merging film and live performance, his company, Forkbeard Fantasy, could perhaps be considered the pioneers of what has now become a popular contemporary theatre practice in Britain.
But, he points out, early filmmakers, such as Georges Méliès, were experimenting with the illusionary possibilities of film and stage techniques in the 19th century.
‘In a way, we’ve been inspired by our research into the early pioneers of film, who were doing all sorts of extraordinary things… They would use film in a magical context… before it [the film industry] all became terribly commercial,’ Britton explains. ‘I think we have been an influence and left a mark on contemporary British theatre, though,’ he admits eventually, after careful consideration.
Founded by brothers Chris and Tim Britton, who were later joined by designer Penny Saunders, Forkbeard Fantasy launched itself onto an unsuspecting public in 1974 with its unique blend of absurd comedy, mechanical contraptions and trademark interaction with film on stage. However, attitudes surrounding ‘performance art’ were far from enthusiastic in mainstream Britain in the ‘70s, prompting one of Forkbeard’s earliest works, the Government Warning Show (1976), which parodied the media’s animosity towards experimental theatre.
Men Only, the Britton brothers’ self-referential show about sibling rivalry, followed one year later. Promoting the show was Nikki Milican, who would go on to become Artistic Director of ‘The National Review of Live Art’, in 1984. Four years later, Milican founded the international choreography festival, ‘New Moves’, which she has now merged with the live art showcase to create Glasgow’s annual New Territories festival.
Almost thirty years after first working together, Forkbeard Fantasy has been reunited with Milican at this year’s event, leading one of the four New Territories ‘Winter Workshops’.
‘The New Territories festival is going to be completely different,’ Chris Britton enthuses. ‘We’re working with 25 students to create a live installation – this means we are going to have about 30 or 40 16mm projectors and 25 performers interacting with film on a number of screens, of various shapes and sizes, while visitors to the event wander amongst it all.’
The majority of the participants in the workshops, Britton notes, are university students studying contemporary theatre, which alone is indicative of the changing theatrical landscape in Britain over the past 30 years.
During the ‘70s, ‘performance art’ was the term used to describe work such as Forkbeard’s. Today, performances transcending the boundaries of traditional theatre – incorporating film, new media, dance, puppetry and movement – tend to use ‘visual’ and ‘physical’ theatre and ‘live art’ interchangeably. So does Britton find today’s landscape more accepting of Forkbeard’s work?
‘It is a completely different environment now for artists to be working in,’ he observes. ‘There are university courses in contemporary performance, [while] art centres and galleries are promoting work which is performance- or film-based. It’s a much more acceptable and friendly environment.
‘But, I think our work has always been a little bit more accessible, than say, some of the more “purist” live art,’ Britton continues. ‘Humour has always been an absolutely essential part of our work. By having a comic element, I think you immediately become a little bit more accessible.’
Forkbeard’s appeal almost certainly lies in its dark brand of humour that has been attributed with garnering the company a cult following. But the company’s fetish for the nonsensical and bizarre is often combined with a fascination for scientific developments. Behind the comical veil and exaggerated characters lies an acute social awareness, evident in shows such as The Clone Show, which, in 1980, was produced at a time when the majority of the population had never heard of genetic engineering.
The company also won rave reviews in – of all places – science journals like Nature, for the The Brain (1999-2000), one of three Wellcome Trust Science on Stage & Screen award winners.
Most recently, Forkbeard found inspiration in Frankenstein and the life of its author, Mary Shelley. Frankenstein – A Truly Monstrous Experiment, Britton explains, sprung from an interest in scientific discoveries around the time of Shelley’s novel, but also the ongoing relevance that ‘creating a monster’ has today, mirrored in the genetic experimentation debate. But, issues aside, the show’s interaction between live performers and film did not go unnoticed, described as being executed with ‘masterful skill’ by one broadsheet critic, while the similarities with Improbable’s West End hit, Shockheaded Peter, a year earlier, also resonated.
Although Improbable’s artistic directors come from experimental theatre backgrounds, the company itself has only existed since 1996. Forkbeard Fantasy is one of those rare theatrical breeds existing for a long period of time, perhaps with a relatively simple mandate.
‘The thing about us is we’ve always kept relatively small,’ Britton explains. ‘Although we work with other artists, the core artistic vision comes from the three artists and directors.’
However, humble bloke that he is – and akin to a theatrical cast indicating the orchestra in the pit at curtain call – Britton is quick to point out the contributions of the wider Forkbeard production team.
Despite being on Britain’s visual theatre scene for the past 30 years, it seems Forkbeard Fantasy has only just begun to get the recognition it deserves. As far as the future is concerned, plans for a feature film with director Mike Hodges (Get Carter, 1971) are underway, while the company will tour to France with a group of circus performers later this year, for the street theatre event, Chalon dans la Rue Festival 2003. It’s this diversity, Britton says, that Forkbeard Fantasy thrives on. ‘Variety is just essential,’ he remarks. ‘It’s the spice of life, isn’t it?’
New Territories runs from February 3 until February 15, at the Arches Theatre and Tramway, Glasgow, while the National Review of Live Art runs from February 19-23. For more information, CLICK HERE
For more information about Forkbeard Fantasy visit the company’s website, www.forkbeardfantasy.co.uk
