Felipe Pacheco - Toto Kerblammo! Interview

Poor Effy. Sent to live with her aunt and uncle in a block that won’t allow dogs. What’s a girl to do? She smuggles her furry friend in, of course. Keeps him under a blanket. Feeds him biscuits. Ssh Toto, quiet.

But it can’t last forever. Effy needs saving. And Toto is up to the task.

Photo by Hugo Glendinning

Tim Crouch’s immersive new play is a tender and powerful story about listening, friendship and finding hope in the darkest of places.

Wearing headphones, the audience will experience Effy’s world through 3D binaural audio technology. Immerse yourself in a compelling live mix of sound and action, and discover the sound of things you never knew had sounds…

With the show running at The Unicorn Theatre we chatted to star Felipe Pacheco about the show to learn more.

What can you tell me about the piece?
Toto tells the story of Effy, and her dog, Toto. Effy’s going through a hard time - her mum isn’t around - and so she is sent to live at her aunt and uncle’s. There are no dogs allowed in their block of flats, but she does meet a friendly neighbour, Noah, who starts asking the right (difficult) questions. In my eyes (or more aptly, ears), it is all about a coming together of worlds. The real world and the dream world, a dog’s and a girl’s world, the sonic and visual worlds... Ultimately, Effy needs help, and Toto and Noah are there to offer that.

What drew you to this role in the piece?
The challenge of multi-rolling is always a fun one, and if you have a copy of the script - you’ll have seen that Tim describes Noah as different to Toto as a boy is to a dog, but he has exactly the same spirit.

That idea really stood out to me from the start, and still does. We’ve obviously worked on differentiating between Noah and Toto since I got the job, but the challenge from the beginning was to find that same spirit, hold on to it, whilst simultaneously making both characters clear-cut and distinct. This is such a juicy task from an actor’s perspective.

How do you relate to the themes or characters in the story?
I’m not really sure how to answer that because I feel the themes in the story (like any good one) are universal. We all recognise experiences like Effy’s, and how incredible dogs are. All you have to do then, is ‘listen, really listen’ to the story and its sounds and you can’t help but relate to it all, entirely.

Can you share your process for preparing for this character?
Lots of reading, playing and asking good questions to Tim, Peyvand, Helen, everyone on the team!

Photo by Hugo Glendinning

How does the use of binaural technology influence your performance?

It is such a pleasure to play with the tech. You can be as quiet and gentle as a mouse in your delivery, which is a privilege in any stage play. And I find it really useful to use the sounds as they’re being played live, as an insight into Toto’s sonic world. He actually hears all of the sounds the audience are introduced to, all the time. Because ‘dogs are clever’. And that makes me feel like I’m really inhabiting his spirit.

What do you think this technology adds to the audience's experience?
It’s different than mostly anything you see on stage, right? So that’s really cool. I think it makes the show intimate, interesting and inviting. It allows us to explore seemingly uncontactable dimensions. If that’s not the best thing about theatre and I think art in general, then I don’t know what is!

How has your journey as an actor shaped your approach to this role?
I’m a pretty physical and instinctive performer, so I have loved getting to know Toto. I also have lots of experience multi-rolling, and as I said above, really relish that challenge.

What continues to inspire you as you take on new characters and projects?
Working with new people, that look at the art of storytelling through different lenses. I am endlessly invigorated when someone like Tim reaches a conclusion I would never have in a million years. That’s what it’s all about - and that’s what makes the quest for new and fulfilling projects a beautiful one.

Photo by Hugo Glendinning

What do you hope an audience member takes away from seeing the show?

I hope audiences understand that work made for young audiences has a lot to offer older audiences too. I hope older audiences understand that we can talk to young people about ostensibly ‘grown-up’ things. I hope that they all listen, really listen to the world around them, take responsibility for their actions and ask for help when the going inevitably gets tough.

Toto Kerblammo! runs at the Unicorn Theatre until
Sunday 3rd November 2024. Tickets are available from  https://www.unicorntheatre.com/events/toto