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Is this your first theatre commission?
Yup.
Were you aware of Melly Still's work before you became involved with the production?
Nope.
How were you approached about contributing to the show?
It came about through a mutual friend. He was at Gino's house one night getting drunk with Melly's partner and they happened to mention that she was looking for some electronic music for a show she was doing. It was great timing because we had just begun to start thinking about other avenues we could pursue with music (video games, adverts, installations etc.).
Does composing for the stage involve a different kind of creative process?
In some ways, yes, but it's also very similar. The main difference is that with a record you have the luxury of 7 minutes plus to let things unfold, whereas the longest cue we had for Revenger's was 2.30 minutes, so there isn't time to mess about, everything must be condensed. Also, the precision with which everything must be timed is the exact opposite to the utter chaos of a DJ booth at 5 in the morning. The main similarity is that you spend months working on something and then throw it all away and rewrite it at the last minute.
What do you feel your music brings to the production?
It was important for us to make sure that the music we contributed to the show was reflective of what we do and not a pastiche of what the general public perceive house music to be. Hopefully it helps to root the action a modern time while still being sympathetic to the mood of what is happening on stage.
Would you consider working in theatre again?
We have loved every minute of it. Obviously we are very lucky to have been working with Melly and Adrian Sutton (the composer) who are both very open minded, forward thinking people. If the right opportunity came along we would jump at the chance. The staff at the National Theatre have been incredibly welcoming and the cast are great fun; we really feel privileged to have been a part of this.
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