Interview: Top choreographer Stephen Mear
Steam Heat
Top choreographer Stephen Mear returns to Chichester for a new production of The Pajama Game. He talks to Andrew Kay about dance, his career & the new show
The Pajama Game, it’s an odd one isn’t it?
“It’s an odd show but I’ve always wanted to do it, and Richard Eyre, who’s directing it, has always wanted to do it too. I think it was the first album he ever bought and when I came to London to train, it was the first show I was in at college.”
It’s got songs that people know but not where from…
“That’s very true actually.”
Chichester are renowned for casting people who are the right age for the roles…
“You need to cast well and we’ve got Joanna Riding who’s got two Olivier’s and Hadley Fraser. It’s written for an older woman and a younger guy, she’s stuck in a factory, this young guy’s after her and she’s not having any of it. I think it works perfectly.”
Have you kept it in period?
“Totally in period, 1950s, it’s a lovely style, especially for dancing because the skirts flare up. There’s great numbers in it, and dance numbers. We’ve done ‘Steam Heat’ totally differently, just to give it a change.”
Original choreography must be difficult to follow, especially with a show that’s so iconic…
“It can be, yes, we’ve done it as a strip, in a boiler suit. The two boys are tapping and they whip her boiler suit off and she’s like Dita Von Teese.”
You never seem to stop at the moment. How do you balance the amount of work you’re doing?
“I stopped a lot last year for family reasons, so I cut back. Then I was going to do Gypsy which has been postponed until next year now.”
Are you still going to do Gypsy?
“I’m supposed to be doing it next year. I’m going to Milwaukee to do Ragtime first and then to the Metropolitan Opera House to do Die Fledermaus.”
Is that your first opera?
“No, I did Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera House, and I did On The Town at the ENO.”
Was that the production with Janine Duvitski?
“Yes! We took it to Paris as well, with Sheila Reed, also from Benidorm.”
So is The Pajama Game a co-production?
“No, I think it’s just Chichester, but we always hope that somebody might transfer it.”
Kiss Me Kate, which you did, was a co-production with the Old Vic and a big hit…
“Well, it’s just got several Olivier nominations. That was really lovely.”
It was a beautiful show and again, kept in period…
“A very classy show, very true to period and Richard Eyre is very true to the period in this show. It’s large and fluffy at moments but we have such brilliant actors, Jo Riding playing Babe and Hadley Fraser playing Sid.”
“The Pajama Game is written for an older woman and a younger guy, she’s stuck in a factory, this young guy’s after her and she’s not having any of it. I think it works perfectly”
Is it difficult getting that balance, the fluff and the serious drama?
“It can be, but that is what we enjoy. We’ve got all shapes and sizes in this, they all sing, dance and act – they’re all fabulous. It’s a small cast and we’re in the Minerva so when we do ‘Once A Year’, we fill that stage. I looked at them today and I was thinking, the triple threats, people say we don’t have them, but we do, they’re just fabulous, there’s a great atmosphere at the moment and I’m really pleased.”
Are you enjoying just doing choreography after doing some directing?
“I loved doing She Loves Me and I’m being offered a lot of directing work, but I don’t just want to take it for the sake of it. I want to direct shows that I know backwards where no one can catch me out [laughs].”
Will you direct Gypsy in Chichester next year?
“No, Jonathan Kent is directing. I’m choreographing it – my first love is choreography.”
So you’ll stop directing?
“I’m worried some directors won’t use me if they think I want their job, which isn’t the case, and I love working with such brilliant directors.”
They must want you because you’re at the peak of you’re game…
“That’s nice of you to say but hopefully it will carry on. You should never take anything for granted.”
What shows have you enjoyed recently?
“I saw Book Of Mormon. I cried laughing and I thought I really shouldn’t be laughing. I do think that Casey Nicholaw is a genius choreographer. I think he’s just got the perfect wit. I saw Judas Kiss last night which I loved. I loved Rupert Everett in it. I also went to see Chorus Line. That show really put dancers on the map. It breaks your heart that they go through all that, pour their heart out and at the end they’re in a line dancing exactly the same, no individuality. It kills you.”
Are you still keeping fit, still dancing?
“Yes, I’m still dancing, I’m not a fit as I’d like to be, I always dance and go to the gym but I’d like to be fitter. When you’re rehearsing, once you’ve set the piece, you sit on you’re arse giving comments and notes, and I think ‘I haven’t done anything for two weeks’. I don’t just sit in a chair, I still think I’m Peter Pan, sadly.”
What’s on your wish-list?
“I’d love to do Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. I’d love to direct that actually. I’ve always wanted to do Gypsy so I’m praying that actually happens. I’d love to do How To Succeed In Business, again because I really enjoyed that. I loved Music Man as well.”
I loved your Music Man at Chichester. There was so much humour in it…
“I love choreographing with humour, I find that so interesting. I wouldn’t want to choreograph a show that doesn’t forward the story. I was offered Viva Forever at the beginning of the year and I just didn’t feel I was right for it. I just think more commercial choreographers are better for that.
I don’t like to dance for dance’s sake. Just doing numbers for a number’s sake, not to help the story. I also work with a dance arranger now, creating new arrangements for the dance numbers. I learned to read music, and learned what the drum kit does and I have a drummer in rehearsals with us. I’m not brilliant but I know what I’m following.
I made it my business to learn the musicians’ language because if you can’t speak…”
Do the the musicians find it a shock that you speak their language?
“No, because I know most of them. At the moment I’m working with five people I’ve never worked with before and I’ve got quite a few I’ve worked with over the years and haven’t seen for a few years which is lovely. They’re so very talented, you know, once again those triple threats.”
The Pajama Game,
Minerva Theatre, Chichester
Box office 01243 781312
In rep until 8 Jun 2013
www.cft.org.uk
