Paris Underground

At the half-way mark of their eight-week season of Paris Underground at Melbourne’s Red Bennies, Richard Vegas and Julia Madotti (the show’s producers and lead performers) took a short breather to speak to Geoffrey Williams.

Tell us about your latest creation, Paris Underground.

Paris Underground came out of a genuine desire to see the type of European variety theatre that is prevalent in Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, etc., here on an Australian stage with an Australian take. Red Bennies allowed us to put more time and effort into mounting a bigger and more varied production and bring a whole bunch of fantastic artists together in one show. We do see it here, but quite often it is the higher end, like the Spiegeltent imports that we see. So, audiences should expect magic, dance, cabaret, song, burlesque and circus acts in a cohesive and highly-theatrical presentation. Naturally, we don’t take it or ourselves too seriously (I guess that’s the Australian take), but there’s a lot of fun and there’s a lot of skill and experience from the performers and performances in this production.

With over 15 years of experience, how do you keep your performances fresh and creatively interesting for yourselves and for your audiences?

Inspiration comes from many places, and along the way you have these ideas and concepts and you work towards getting them off the ground. Sometimes these things come together easily, sometimes they change into something else and sometimes you just have to grind away at it to make it work. We are always out to create new things, whether it be a new routine or a new trick or simply a new presentation to a trick or illusion because to be honest, that’s what keeps it exciting and interesting for us. That’s why we are now producing Paris Underground, to put our magic and our talents into a different performance context.

How has the world of magic changed for you and your audiences over that time?

People have been exposed to a lot more these days because of the internet, interest and popularity and subject matter of foreign and American films/theatre, so the bar is slightly lifted. Of course certain secrets have been, and continue to be, exposed so the world of magic has become more difficult, but it has also, paradoxically, seemed to garner more interest at the same time. Now that Burlesque and Variety have arrived, audiences are a lot more varied and educated to various forms of entertainment and have been exposed to different performance mediums much more so than they used to be. In some ways it’s easier, as you’re not taken so seriously and people can just enjoy the show.

You have both performed extensively overseas. How do international audiences compare to Australian audiences?

It depends where in the world you are, but Australians tend to be louder and clap and cheer,whereas in Asia they tend to be more reserved, but also more interested. In Europe they have been exposed to a lot more, so you are expected to push the boundaries a little more.

Have you had any memorable experiences during your performance careers?

For me [Richard], I guess unexpectedly meeting people you’ve admired – like Clive James – and having them say that they could have watched you all night, or performing a relatively small illusion like the Chinese Linking Rings on the vast stage of The State Theatre in Sydney to a packed house and knowing that it was seen and well-received.

Recently we had an entire section of an audience jump up running and screaming. As they did so, they disconnected the sound system so we had to stop the show. Apparently a large spider was on the loose!

I [Julia] had a contract in Japan once, only to find out I was working for Yakuza and in one club in Hong Kong I was dismissed for not being sexy enough. We also did a show in Kyle Sandilands garden once. I needed to go to the bathroom and a staff member showed me through a door and closed it; there I was standing alone in his bedroom and thinking that it was pretty funny to end up there.

The world of burlesque continues to enjoy something of a renaissance. Is the same true for magic?

Yes, I think it is. Over the past 10 years there have been a lot of films made with magic at the heart of the story. This naturally peaks public interest and has created a sort of renaissance of the art form, which has allowed for even greater exposure and interest in productions encompassing magic –the fantastic UK Penn & Teller TV series “Fool Us”, for example.

Blending magic, theatre and storytelling must require an extensive knowledge of all three disciplines. How do you begin to put your shows together?

Each show we create requires emphasis on a slightly different skill set, but at most times we do try to give our performances a blend of magic, theatre and storytelling so that the overall effect is not just one of a well executed effect or illusion but one that has resonances of a greater idea or an overarching throughline. So we don’t really concern ourselves with where to begin a performance but more with, that in the end they have a greater resonance. That being said, sometimes you find that you just have to play to the audience.

Julia, as one of the few female illusionists in Australia, can you tell us why that might be the case?

I ask myself that question a lot as I expected there to be a lot more now than there were 20 years ago, however this is not the case. I think it’s hard to get started, as you really need another magician to help you. It’s not like wanting to be a singer and just looking up singing teachers. I imagine it’s a bit shrouded in mystery as magicians are a secretive bunch. It’s certainly a lot more mainstream and accessible in America. Girls or women are not actively encouraged as it is seen more as a male archetype, and this certainly plays a part in the rarity of female magicians. That said, I know that magicians assistants (most often the “sexy female role”) are generally the ones who do all the hard work in an illusion show!

Julia, how the world of magic is different for female illusionists?

It can be very sexist, although this is changing rapidly as Generation Y seem to accept that women can do anything, and it’s easier than it was in the 1990s. The internet has also helped as you can do a lot of your own marketing and reach people all over the world. I have a lot of ‘fans’ in America, but almost none here. I think it’s a lot harder as you really have to prove yourself, as many people still have never even heard of a ‘female’ magician. I sometimes still get called an assistant, but less and less these days. I no longer get asked ‘Are you sexy?’ on the phone. Thank goodness those days are over!

Paris Underground at Red Bennies, Chapel Street, Melbourne.Fri and Sat nights until 26 October. Doors open 7pm, Showtime 8pm. http://redbennies.com/events