Theatre
Q&A with the producer of KING KONG, Carmen Pavlovic
With KING KONG taking Melbourne hostage, we took cover with Carmen Pavlovic to discuss a few the questions we’ve been pondering…
What was behind your decision to premiere King Kong in Melbourne?
We knew the production of KING KONG was going to be so physically big it could only have one stop in Australia and New Zealand so it came down to the Sydney vs Melbourne conundrum. On a practical level, the Regent Theatre is one of the few venues that could actually fit our show (it still took 6 months of bump-in though!), our Global Creatures workshop is in West Melbourne and Victoria has a great infrastructure for the arts including a musical-loving public, strong arts schools like VCA and NICA, and a supportive state government. On an emotional level, I loved that the Regent was originally a cinema and its interior design was so reminiscent of the 1930s in which KING KONG is set.
Following the Melbourne season, where will King Kong go next?
Our next stop will be in the northern hemisphere – we hope to have a production on Broadway within two years, but we are also in discussions with producers in other countries including Germany.
We guarantee the next stop for KING KONG will not be in Australia or New Zealand, so now is the time to see the show in Melbourne before it leaves the ‘neighbourhood’.
The music throughout the show is amazing, how did you come to work with Marius de Vries?
Creating a score for KING KONG was every bit as complex and adventurous as the story itself. From the outset I knew the challenge was to present a new musical, set in 1933, to a contemporary audience in a way that was exciting and redefining. On top of that the music had to straddle two very different worlds: the urban razzle-dazzle of Manhattan and the primeval jungle and rituals of Skull Island.
The idea of smashing together genres, times and styles lead us to Marius de Vries because he had mastered that musical sound as the composer and arranger of Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet.
How did you bring together such an amazing pool of artists, including 3D of Massive Attack, Avalanches, Justice, Guy Garvey of Elbow & Sarah McLachlan?
Early on in the development, after discussions with my brother Stephen Pavlovic (Pav) from Modular, I used the example of Massive Attack as the type of eclectic sound that I could see working across the score. When I then met with our Director Daniel Kramer, I used my shorthand reference to Massive Attack and that’s where I really connected with him because he knew exactly what I meant and was excited by the idea. I never thought we would actually get 3D from Massive Attack writing new material for the show!
The music palette developed with Daniel and Pav bouncing ideas off each other, Modular People undertaking research on songs from the period and, with the appointment of Marius de Vries.
As the script has developed, so too did the line-up of contemporary artists contributing to the musical landscape.
Some contributors worked with existing period songs like The Avalanches version of “Get Happy”(1), and we also used current hits like Justice’s “Stress” that was expanded by Marius de Vries for “The Chase” (2). Then there were original gems like “What’s It Gonna Take” that Sarah McLachlan wrote for the Ann Darrow character (3), and “In The Face of Forever” written by 3D (Massive Attack) and Guy Garvey (Elbow) for the Jack Driscoll character (4).
Marius de Vries not only shines as an arranger but as a composer for KING KONG. There is not a dry eye in the house whenever “Full Moon Lullaby” is sung by Ann Darrow to Kong (5), or the power-ballads “A Simple Prayer” (6) and “Rise” (7). “Special FX” is great fun in Act 1 as well (8).
(1) Get Happy
(2) The Chase
(6) A Simple Prayer
(7) Rise
(8) Special FX
Will the soundtrack be made available to purchase?
This is the most frequent question we receive on social media! I’m so glad people love the must but alas with our cast doing an 8-show week and our creative team working all over the world, we haven’t had time to do an album as yet. It’s definitely on the to-do list though!
The music forms part of an overall modern reinterpretation of 1930s New York that includes stunning stage design, lighting and choreography. When conceiving this project, at what point did you decide to take it in such a unique direction?
I think the story of KING KONG has always been associated with pushing the technological barrier – whether it be 80 years ago when Merian C. Cooper’s original movie shocked people with its revolutionary use of stop motion, or in 2005 with Peter Jackson’s use of CGI. The 1930s tale was always delivered through the prism of technology and modernity.
Very early on we decided there would be no miniatures, no shadow tricks, no giant hands with no body – Kong was going to be a full sized puppet and he would have to do it all – run, climb, pick people up and most importantly, hold the audiences attention and gain their empathy. That in turn informed how our set would need to function, how our costumes would need to suggest a period through a modern guise, how our lighting would enhance the realism of Kong, how our sound would immerse the audience in the show. The result is a theatrical experience that is truly unique the world over. As the posters say, “prepare to be amazed.”
We were thrilled the show took home the 2013 Helpmman Awards for Best Scenic Design, Best Costume, Best Sound, Best Lighting and Outstanding Theatrical Achievement for Kong himself.
Can you outline the enormity of the task to create Kong? How many man hours went into creating the puppet?
Creating Kong was a 5 year journey so I don’t even want to think about the man hours! It took 6 months to get him show-ready in the theatre alone.
There were two full prototypes of Kong before the third and final version that you see at the Regent Theatre today. Kong started off as an ultra-realistic pure animatronic like the creatures Sonny Tilders created for our previous shows Walking With Dinosaurs and How To Train Your Dragon. There was even an all-rope version of Kong, which was stunning to look at, but it was more art than gorilla.
Our Director Daniel Kramer convinced Sonny to try a version where the puppeteers could be seen on stage – similar to War Horse. So Sonny set about creating our first hybrid puppet – part animatronic, part traditional manual manipulation by 10 “King’s Men” puppeteers and part marionette. When that Kong was tested we had our eureka moment.
All of sudden Kong was the embodiment of size and masculinity, with 10 athletes all breathing with him and becoming part of him. Our Circus Director Gavin Robbins describes the King’s Men as a school of fish moving with a shark, and that’s exactly the sensation – this incredible, fluid life-force on stage you cant take your eyes off.
Sonny talks about creating Kong
Making Kong c/ CH7 Sunday Night
In particular, King Kong’s facial expressions and reactions are amazingly realistic. Was it difficult to time this up with the goings on in the show?
Everything about Kong is performed live for every show so he can adapt with the rhythm of the show just like our human actors. We have our 10 King’s Men on stage and our 3 ‘Voodoo’ animatronic puppeteers who sit at the back of the theatre for every show. Every movement is performed live – even Kong’s voice is performed live by one of the Voodoo operators.
CH10 Totally Wild meet the puppeteers of Kong
How many puppeteers are required to make Kong come to life for each performance?
13.
10 on stage and 3 off stage.
The puppeteers themselves are almost invisible throughout the performance, was this puppeteering technique invented specifically for the show?
This is a combination of skill and technology.
The King’s Men all come from a circus or dance background and they were given 5-months of intensive puppetry training by Peter Wilson (Puppetry Director) and Gavin Robins (Circus Director) to be able to deliver a performance so realistic that they meld with Kong. They even breath in unison with Kong.
The incredible light projections designed by Frieder Weiss, which give Kong that almost alarming sense of realism, could have been a problem if the projections also lit the King’s Men. So our Costume Designer Roger Kirk tested hundreds of black fabrics before he finally found one that would not interact with Frieder’s projections. As a result, in low light the King’s Men appear to disappear.
What’s next for Sonny Tilders and the team who created Kong? They couldn’t possibly top this accomplishment, could they?
Our mission at Global Creatures is to create locally to play globally. We’re all about Australian innovation, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say we are the world leader in this technology. We have several big projects underway (which I cant mention yet unfortunately!) and we also have our first non-puppetry based project in Strictly Ballroom opening next year in Sydney.
We now know King Kong is a mad Hawthorn supporter. How did he celebrate the Grand Final win?
Briefly! Kong had 2pm and 8pm Saturday shows to perform!
Finally, can you explain what is so special about King Kong and why people must see it before it leaves Melbourne?
We have been so humbled by the way audiences have embraced KING KONG. We’ve already had to extend the season 3 times which is beyond what we could have ever have hoped for our global premiere season.
I think the shows success is a combination of factors. The production truly is unique – you will never see this kind of technology in a stage show anywhere else in the world. The music appeals to a much broader audience than a traditional musical, and visually the show is beyond spectacular. We’ve also noticed lots of people coming to the theatre for the first time to see KING KONG, which is just fantastic.
I think people are very proud of the show and want to support it, knowing that it’s Australian made, our 50 cast and 76 crew are all locals and it’s exciting that Broadway is looking Down Under to see what we are creating.
We’ve also been very conscious of making the show accessible – tickets start from $55 or $50 for students, so we hope that means more people can see KING KONG.
KING KONG is now playing a Melbourne-only season at the Regent Theatre and must close 16 February 2014!
To purchase tickets, click here. Or to visit the official website, click here.
You can also follow KING KONG’s social movements across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
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“You can taste the future in this unique and visionary theatrical event, and it’s mind-blowing.” The Age
“King Kong has redefined the musical” The Australian
“The cast is superlative and Esther Hannaford is perfectly beguiling and quirky as Ann Darrow….The production is a triumph of state-of-the-art technology.” The Herald Sun
“..what emerges is a truth in performance that doesn’t employ the common razzle dazzle fluff of musical theatre acting. Sure, King Kong is an event, but it is also a massive achievement in puppeteering, casting and music.” Inpress Magazine / TheMusic.com.au
“a remarkable theatrical achievement.” The Guardian
“Musicals can be naff – but not King Kong. It’s an incredible spectacle with a gutsy modern soundtrack unlike anything I’ve seen on stage. New material from The Avalanches and Massive Attack’s 3D is just the icing on the cake.” FasterLouder
“Kong is a f*****g impressive sight on stage.” Beat Magazine
