Dance on the moors with Wuthering Heights because the smash-hit award-winning show An Evening Without Kate Bush is back!
Paying glorious homage to one of the most influential voices in British music, performer Sarah-Louise Young reveals what super fans and newcomers to Kate Bush alike can expect from this joyful, unique and mind-blowing show.
What attracted you to Kate Bush as the possible subject for the show? Were you a fan of her music before you created it?
I’ve always loved Kate Bush’s music and as a child of the 70’s and 80’s remember that first appearance on Top Of The Pops and all those amazing videos and songs which followed. Kate Bush is a true icon: her music is unique, spanning nearly five decades, winning countless awards and selling millions of records, but the woman herself is something of an enigma.
Not performing live for over 30 years between her 1979 Tour Of Life and 2014 Before The Dawn, she spoke to us through her music. In her physical absence, her fans created their own community: ’The Fish People’. They are at the heart of An Evening Without Kate Bush.
We wanted to celebrate them through her music. That was the starting point of making the show.
Do you try and impersonate her in the show?
I never set out to impersonate her (I mean who could?) But it’s amazing how many people tell me I sound like her though. A few fans thought I was miming at the start of the show!
Do you have to know her music and be a super-fan to enjoy An Evening Without Kate Bush?
Absolutely not. It’s one of the biggest compliments the show has received. Of course if you are a super-fan you’ll hear lots of the songs you know and love plus some little hidden gems for those in-the-know. But none of that is at the expense of the audience members who have perhaps come along with a fan friend or just out of curiosity. We elevate and celebrate everyone and when someone tells me after the show that they didn’t know her work but are going home to listen to her music, then I am thrilled.
The show is partly interactive, how does that work?
The show is as interactive as you want it to be. I’ve been working in cabaret for over 20 years and my primary aim is that the audience have a good time. It’s great to be challenged and surprised, but I want them to feel safe. That’s really important to me.
The invitation to participate starts small, a wave of a hand or a howl in the dark. I’m always really careful with any audience interaction to choose people who want to participate. There’s no enforced joining in - just gentle encouragement. I find that people self-select pretty easily. If someone doesn’t want to play, their body language communicates that. So far I’ve never chosen anyone who didn’t want to be asked and I’ve had people come up to me after the show and fling their arms around me with gratitude.
Russell Lucas (co-creator) and I were inspired by Kate Bush flash mobs and events like The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever which have sprung up around the world, from Sydney, Australia to Folkestone, Kent. We’ve taken fans’ stories and paid tribute to them on stage. You’ll enjoy the songs you know and love but put through the lens of the fans’ story.
Do you have a favourite moment in the show?
I guess my favourite parts are when something spontaneous or unexpected happens as a result of some audience interaction. They keep me on my toes and anything unique to that gathering of people reminds them and me that this night, this configuration of people will never happen again. It’s special. I like theatre which is made with love and danger; that excites me.
Why do you think Kate Bush remains so adored and intriguing to so many people after all the decades?
Her fans have travelled with her and as she has evolved as an artist, she has become the soundtrack to their lives. That’s my oven-ready hypothesis. I also think she influenced so many other artists that the whole music scene is steeped in her musical juices as it were. She never shied away from writing about the largeness of life either, epic themes, the loneliness of love, the wonder of creation, the sensuality of being human. Her albums are somewhere you can climb inside and dream in. She’s one of us and yet totally Other. She’s a tea drinking mum and an Ivy Glad Goddess.
You say after the opening song, And Dream of Sheep, “She’s not here but you are!” How would you feel if the real Kate Bush was in the audience… and would you want to know in advance?
We would absolutely LOVE it if she came to see the show - although she’d have to wear a disguise as I think the audience would capsize if they knew she was in. When we were making it we always knew we wanted it to be something she would approve of - so it’s been created with love, respect and a hefty does of joyful eccentricity!
Friends of hers have seen it and loved it and in Chichester I had the great privilege of meeting one of her original Tour Of Life backing singers, Glenys Groves. She was so enthusiastic about the piece and is still in touch with Kate so you never know… we might yet have an evening WITH Kate Bush one of these days!
A love letter to a true original, catch An Evening Without Kate Bush at ours on Wed 16 July.
