Pompeii, L.A.. Photo supplied by Cardiac Theatre.
Pompeii, L.A. by Declan Greene
August 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, and 26 at Walterdale Playhouse
An interview with Harley Morison.
Describe your show in one sentence.
One former child star’s fever dream, set on a Hollywood sound stage, in the aftermath of an accident.
Okay, now that we’re intrigued… what’s the longer description of your show?
A darkly funny fever dream that follows a burnt-out child star in the wake of an accident. Inspired by the suicide of ‘90s child star/heartthrob Jonathan Brandis, POMPEII, L.A. leads audiences through a gallery of bright young stars who were broken by the Hollywood machine: Johnathan Brandis auditions for the role of his life. Judy Garland is backstage at the Johnny Carson show. Meanwhile, a volcano bubbles up beneath the streets of Los Angeles.
How did you come across Declan Greene’s Pompeii, L.A.?
Through reading his play, Moth. Like Pompeii, L.A. it looks at the toxicity of relationships, but from an adolescent perspective.
Pompeii, L.A. is a “fever dream” – what can audiences expect from the storytelling style of this play? How does this style complement the play’s plot?
You know when you’re dreaming, and you’re in L.A., but there’s a volcano and that volcano is hosting the Late Show with Johnny Carson? That’s this play. There’s a sort of nightmare logic to it that pulls the audience in a bunch of strange directions. The “plot” of the piece is the emotional journey of these characters that we encounter along the way: their fears and how those are realized, and their relationships to parasitic parents.
Anything else you want audiences to know about the show?
Judy Garland’s going to be there, so why would you want to miss this???
The 36th Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival is August 17 – 27. Get your tickets at tickets.fringetheatre.ca .