Our Last First - Interview

Exciting theatre company Bullet Point return with their acclaimed production Our Last First.

Our Last First is simply a love story, however, written without any pronouns, genders, names, ages, or physical descriptions this play is designed to be played by any and every actor. But there’s a catch. Each performance is cast live. Four Actors walk onto the stage but you won’t know who is playing who until our live theatre casting begins in front of your eyes.

Meaning that every time a show begins it is a unique combination. Some nights you will see the couple deal with society's views of same-sex relationships, another on the rights of trans love, and love across different cultural backgrounds.

This new ground-breaking piece of theatre celebrates LGBTQIA+ stories and promotes diversity in theatre casting, which is so important in British Theatre today. 

Ahead of the production I spoke with Bullet Point’s Artistic Directors Lucinda Coyle and Samuel Xavier as well as 4 actors, Beca Barton, Joshua Eldridge-Smith, Annie Loftus and Eoin Quinlan, who will perform the piece.

What is Our Last First all about?
Lucy: OLF is very simply a love story, that goes through the firsts and lasts of a relationship. But written without any pronouns, genders, ages, or physical descriptions, it promotes true diversity on stage, and cast live it enables a different love story to be told on stage each night.

The cast and creatives of Our Last First

Where did the inspiration behind the piece come from?
Lucy: I wanted to create a piece that challenged what is currently happening in Casting, to prove that diversity needs to be pushed in casting in so many ways, and that more love stories should be shown by any and every actor.

I love the ethos of Bullet Point Theatre and giving voices and conversations that aren't given that chance a stage. Is that what keeps you driven and how does Our Last First fit into that?

Sam: 1000%! At the moment in British Theatre, I really believe we can be braver and more ambitious in what plays are produced. Bullet Point Theatre was created purely to produce shows that spark controversy by giving a platform to bold and silenced stories/ voices. Our Last First so perfectly fits into this, as we are creating a show for real people with real actors. The live casting means that some audience members might end up watching a couple they would never choose to watch fall in love on stage. We’re proving casting should be done on talent, not looks. Everyone falls in love and it is time we see that truly represented in theatre.

The production sees the actors walk on to stage not knowing who is playing who until they are in front of the audience. How has that worked in the rehearsal room and what inspired that choice?

Lucy: The inspiration was that to truly show diversity in casting onstage, then it had to be cast live, otherwise I’m getting a group of actors together and still then putting them into boxes with their roles. Casting it lives throws all the boxes out the window.

Sam: It has worked beautifully in the rehearsal room as each actor has been able to bounce off each other and work with someone new on each scene. It’s a lot of picking names out of a hat, however, that is definitely not the way we are doing it for the show!  It’s possibly the biggest directing exercise, but it has pushed my craft to its extremes and I’m sure it has been the same for the actors.

From an acting perspective how does it feel to know you'll be walking on the stage knowing you could be any of the roles in that performance and that every performance will be different?
 
Beca:  Very liberating 
Eoin : so exciting, I’m honesty buzzing 
Annie : terrifying, it’s pretty cool 
Josh : it’s demandingly scary, but freeing

What do you want an audience member to take away from seeing Our Last First?

Lucy: I hope that everyone watching the show feels represented or sees a part of their story performed for them. I also hope that audiences who see a love story they might not overwise choose to book and watch, go away and educate themselves and learn that love is love.

Sam: That they can be braver in the choices of theatre they choose to watch. To talk about the show, and to take a chance on new pieces of theatre that push boundaries or see other exciting unconventional shows.

Actors: the feeling of love and appreciation for those first moments, and that you have to live in the present as opposed to always looking for the next thing no matter how crap the current moment is. The fact that roles are so open, and that audiences will see us and there won’t be a stereotype on that stage. Screw fasting types. That love really is everywhere.

Could you describe Our Last First in three words?

Lucy: adrenaline, unique, love
Sam: beautiful, chaotic, singular
Actors:
Eoin:  Our Last First
Annie: cool, cutting-edge,  special
Joshua: relationships, loss, strength
Beca: poignant, queer, raw

Our Last First will run at the Space Arts Centre in Canary Wharf from 6th to 14th June. If you are unable to attend in person the show will be live streamed on 8th, 11th and 12th June. For booking visit https://space.org.uk/event/our-last-first/