THE RENDITION MEETS THE CAST OF PASSING STRANGE
Image Credit - Charles Flint
Passing Strange, penned by Stew, makes its European premiere at the Young Vic Theatre, hailed by Rolling Stone as "a thrilling score in which rock, punk, funk, and gospel conduct a revival meeting that blows the roof off." The production has received prestigious honours, including a 2008 Tony Award for ‘Best Book’ and three Drama Desk Awards.
The show follows the life of a protagonist called ”Youth” who, on his journeys to find what's real, rebels against both his mother and societal norms, passing through various places and people. Influenced by his upbringing in Los Angeles and his deep love for music, Stew guides us through Youth's exploration of different musical genres as he seeks to find his true identity.
After a successful six-year run on Broadway, we had the privilege of speaking with some of the European cast members, including Giles Herrera (known for "Hamilton"), Rachel Adedeji ("Dreaming Whilst Black"), and Keaenan Munn-Francis ("Black Dog"), to delve into their experiences with the production.
“It reminded me how sometimes you’re so caught up in your own world, you don’t realise that there are people that are also part of this journey too.”
QUESTION: The play is about a young man that “swaps his middle class L.A upbringing for punk rock and protests in the 80s''... what’s your favourite rock and/or 80s song?
Keenan: I would say something that would get me pumped like “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N Roses.
Rachel: I have a few, I do love a lot, but my favourite band is called Incubus, but I wouldn't say they're 80s… probably Metallica, like Metallica or something. There's a song by Metallica called ‘one which I love.’
Giles: Yeah, that's cool… 80s, yeah that’s my time, I’d say anything by Prince, like probably ‘Let's go crazy’ or ‘Purple Reign’.
QUESTION: I believe you’ve been in rehearsals for about 3 weeks now, what’s been the most exciting/fun thing about rehearsing for this play together? How would you describe the vibes in the rehearsal room?
Giles: It’s been cool, we’ve just jumped straight in.
The only way you can read it (the play) is to sing it through, so we've had a band in rehearsal, which never really happens — normally you don’t get that until you get to the theatre. Normally you have about four weeks or five weeks, with just the piano. Whereas, with this we’ve got the band and so that’s been really cool.
Keenan: It gives you exactly the kind of feeling that you need for the musical, to be in the room and see how crazy talented people are. Like, honestly it’s silly, silly, silly how talented people are and it's a beautiful story that is able to showcase that for a lot of people.
Rachel: It's been amazing. I guess, the feeling, the love, the vibe and the connection, you know?
I was a bit apprehensive coming in because it feels like the first day of school, but straight away I felt ‘wow, I’m with my people’. We just all gelled together so well, you know, musically, personality wise and it's just beautiful. It's like, you know, people say, ’it doesn't feel like work’ and it's like you're right, but also maybe it does. Maybe this is what work should feel like.
So yes, I feel very grateful.
QUESTION: Can you describe Passing Strange to our audience?
Keenan: Personally, I would say, coming of age, adventurous. An adventurous story of a person trying to find themselves and find their passion.
Giles: I mean, the good thing I think about the show is that, even though it is about an artist, you don't have to be an artist to get it.
He needs to get away from where he is, and go out and find himself. It’s a story of anyone, you know, we've all grown up in our little town where we come from, our city, and you feel that you need to get out and go and do something. And that's really what it's about.
So, although the show specifically deals with artists, it's a really universal story of anyone who's felt the need to find themselves and get out and explore or go after their dreams. So it's beautifully done.
Rachel: I agree with what they're both saying, I definitely think when I initially saw the title, I couldn’t quite figure it out. But I guess even through rehearsals, I was still learning about it and finding out what that meaning could be, and for me the title, Passing Strange relates to finding your feet, doing it your way, which could be the strange part, it doesn't always have to be quite straightforward, (because) everyone's journey is different.
QUESTION: The title “Passing Strange'' was inspired by a line in Shakespeare's Othello. “My story being done, She gave me for my pains a world of sighs; She swore, in faith 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange”.... what’s your understanding of the term “Passing Strange '' and its broader significance within the context of the time period it was written?
Giles: Yeah, it does come from Othello and it is referenced in the play, where specifically, the characters talk about passing for white in the original context that would be understood, but also like…
Keenan: Yeah, there is a scene (I have) with one of the characters in which essentially, he explains that all of us in this community are passing black folk passing for black folk. In the sense that they put on a facade of whiteness to allow them to get to certain areas in other communities. But, when they sit with themselves, they come to realise that they're not their true self, they're only kind of passing for black folk.
Giles: Which is great, because you can apply it to anything as well, can’t you? The idea of simply just passing can be anyone, it’s that authenticity. If you're going through life, presenting as something, but you're not actually that, then you're passing. You could be white, you could be black, you could be gay, or straight; or whatever the case is, right. And that idea again, he's really specific about it in the play, but it's got a kind of openness to it, it could apply to anyone really. Also, Othello is specifically about a black African, who finds himself in Europe, and is trying to work out how he fits into that while maintaining his authenticity.
QUESTION: Would you say that there are elements within the script or themes explored in Passing Strange that resonate with you as creatives or artists, given that it’s been described as "autobiographical"?
Rachel: I think, for me, the whole play, you know, I personally feel like it forces you to look inward. Anybody watching it, they’ll leave feeling like ‘man', by force, I've had to take a look at my journey and my life’, and that's what I take from it.
You know, growing up, you know, I remember all my cousins thinking, like, you're never really going to make it as a singer, because our parents told us, we have to be doctors and lawyers, and I'm just very much like - yeah, well, I kind of don't want to follow that. I want to do something different. So it was a challenge, but I knew that at the end of the day it's my life and it's something I want to do; and actually, I'm just going to try and at least I can say that I did it. So definitely, I was touched by it, because I was just like, it's just nice to know that everyone's doing their thing and they're on their own journeys.
So, within this story here, it's like, he's doing his own thing and I think that's what's quite beautiful.
Keenan: I agree with that, and I think a lot of us look back to the decisions that we made when we were younger and ask, was that the right decision or not? I think this play touches on that, but also allows you to know that listen, even though you might not have made exactly the ‘right’ decision, you're where you are, that is where you are meant to be, and you've been able to have a beautiful life without following the exact path that people expect you to do.
It's about as you said (Rachel), finding your own way; finding your own path, your own feet and being your own self unapologetically.
Giles: There were loads for me, really, when I first looked at it, because the guy that wrote it - Stew - his journey, as, as pointed out in play, is very similar to mine. So he starts out in church, going to church, we all start going to church. And then, you know, I was in bands, and I wanted to be a singer, songwriter and that's kind of what I did before I did acting. That idealism that you're talking about when you're young, where you just go, well, this is what I want and that's it.
As an artist, he (Stew) is really honest with that, because it’s him telling the story, he could kind of smooth the edges a little - but he doesn't. He says, no, this is what I was like, I messed up here and I messed up there.
That's what ultimately attracted me to it. I recognise that from my own experience, but ultimately, you’ve got to tell the story. He’s gone, ‘I was really badly behaved there, and then I was really badly behaved here; and then I tried there and then I learned my lesson there’ - that’s rich stuff.
Image Credit - Charles Flint
“It’s a piece where the writer has really gone there, not letting the character off the hook, and therefore not let the audience off the hook - that’s really going to be rich piece of work ”
QUESTION: Giles, Passing Strange marks your first musical since your role as Aaron Burr in Hamilton. How does it feel to be back in this arena? What’s your favourite thing about musicals, what’s the most challenging thing?
Giles: Cool!
I wasn’t looking to do another show, I have really been okay, I'm good. Then, this came up and I thought no, I haven't done that yet. So I was up to do something I haven't done, but at the same time, musicals are a different thing.
It comes along with its own set of anxieties and physically and you’ve got to take care of yourself. So that's the difficult side of it, but then the beauty of it is getting to create something which you know, the audience is really a pop on. I think what we're creating is pointing towards that.
It's tough to do the shows, but it is worth it when it lands.
QUESTION: What would you say is tough about it?
Keenan: With musicals, you can sometimes be a bit self critical of yourself, like, how am I sounding?
But I think I just think the environment of the whole room, like all of the creatives, are amazing, and have helped us through every stage of working on each piece, in regards to the music.
I don't have much fear of musicals, especially this one, because deep down in my core, I know that it's going to be great, because of all the people that we have involved in it.
QUESTION: On the theme of coming back to things, Rachel I believe it’s been 9 years since you’ve been on stage. What was it about Passing Strange that drew you back?
Rachel: It feels great — kind of like what Giles was saying, there’s something about this piece for me, because I had no business coming back on stage.
No business, because I love music, it's my first love. I love singing, I also love acting through song, but, I kind of left it alone, because I was so focused on TV and film. I felt like I was enjoying that path, but then when my agent reached out to me like, “listen, there's a show called Passing Strange, do you know much about it?” And, I was like, “no, I've heard of this”. When I looked it up again, I thought this is amazing and it's coming to London, I was like absolutely, where do I sign, because this is brilliant. It's just a brilliant show.
I just knew that I was going to love being involved in it, there's something about it.
There's just less fear in this. You know, I remember the last time I did a musical, I had so much fear and anxiety around it, and I think that came not necessarily from the craft and my love for it. But a lot of other things, maybe the people I was surrounded by, it just wasn't the most enjoyable experience along the way. Nothing personal with those people, but I probably just naturally didn't feel safe.
Whereas here, it's very different. I can't explain it. It's almost like I walk in every day and I don't have to put on this mask that I do by default sometimes.
QUESTION: What message or feeling do you hope audiences will leave the theatre with after watching "Passing Strange"?
Rachel: Brave, I hope they feel brave and educated.
Keenan: To come out with an understanding of themselves, because as we said before, it’s a play that you would be able to find a bit of yourself in, a reflection.
Giles: There is something that mother says at the end which is…
Rachel: Don’t be sad about your chosen path, or where it’s taken you thus cause this is what you did and that’s who you are..
Giles: This is what you did and that's who you are.
There’s something in the play about forgiveness, that even though you go ‘I was like that in the past - I’m not like that anymore’ you can kind of let that go and that’s a really important thing for anyone, because we hang on and hang on and as long as you’ve learnt the lesson, you can move on - and I hope people get that.
Having said that, it’s also entertaining, it’s a really fun show; so again a good artist can do both those things at the same time and he does that. So hopefully, people feel uplifted and happy, but also hopefully they leave differently from when they came in.
This conversation is a demonstration of what creating honest art looks like. It’s a piece that enables audiences to not just find, but truly see themselves reflected in it. Passing Strange promises to be a musical that entertains and also deeply resonates with and enriches its audience.
Passing Strange is showing at the Young Vic Theatre from 14 May — 06 July.
