Marcel Cole has written and will perform in Smile – The Story of Charlie Chaplin, a tribute to Charlie Chaplin at Sydney Fringe. Marcel is an École Philippe Gaulier theatre school graduate. We chat with Marcel about the show and his experience at École Philippe Gaulier in France.
Bonjour Marcel, you’re bringing 2 shows to Sydney Fringe, Ukulele Man and Smile – The Story of Charlie Chaplin. Please tell us about the show Smile – The Story of Charlie Chaplin.
Bonjour Matilda. So, Smile: The story of Charlie Chaplin is just that. It is the story of the life of Charlie Chaplin told in the style of his films. There is some dialogue but wherever possible, I’ve tried to tell the story through physical action in the style of a silent film.
What can audiences expect?
A fun show with a good story. That’s the goal at least! As Chaplin would say, ‘a picture with a smile – and perhaps, a tear.’ And a lot of audience participation. The audience is well and truly part of the show. But don’t worry if that’s not your thing, simply avoid eye-contact and you’ll have nothing to fear!
What inspired you to write a show about Charlie Chaplin?
Well, I came across Charlie Chaplin in a big way while I was studying dancing in New Zealand. The school library had a collection of his films and I was surprised to find how little I knew about him. I had no idea he had made full length feature films, and talkies too. All I knew about were his early silent slapstick comedies. Anyway, I got a little obsessed, read his autobiography and he has been one of my biggest inspirations ever since.
And then after writing and touring The Ukulele Man: The story of George Formby, the inevitable question arose as to who to do next… I wanted to do something more physical and so Charlie Chaplin seemed an obvious choice. Ambitious, but exciting…
Charlie Chaplin was of course British but he spent the later years of his life, and died in Switzerland. How do you think his time in Switzerland affected his work?
Yes, well you’ll have to come and see the show to get the full story haha. Charlie Chaplin was British but he worked most of his career in the United States until he was deported for his Communist sympathies, and then that’s when he moved with his family to a small village in Switzerland. But yes, he did then spend the last twenty years of his life in Switzerland and in that time made two films. I think his time in Switzerland was a kind of retirement, or as close to retirement as a mind like Chaplin’s will ever get.
He was still very active writing scripts and planning future film projects but I think he was finally able to relax a little and enjoy time with his wife and family. How that affected his work, I can only guess. He was principally a physical comedian and so as he got older and started making talkies (as opposed to silent films) his style naturally changed. He also became a lot more overtly satirical in his later films, often making fun of America’s excessively capitalist tendencies. This definitely increased when he was barred from the United States.
The show is directed by Mirjana Ristevski. How long have you worked together? How did you come to work together? What do you look for in a show director?
Well, Mirjana has been a family friend ever since my mother was a child and so there was a natural family connection there long before I was born. I first worked with her about five years ago when she directed a play that my mother wrote. She is a very good director and along with her husband Michael, make a great team. I really got to know her, however, when she directed my show The Ukulele Man for last year’s Fringe and we did so well that I’ve got her back again to direct my new show.
What do I look for in a director? Someone I trust. A little like Chaplin himself, I can feel quite uneasy letting other people make decisions, but I trust Mirjana’s judgement, and that is invaluable.
What audiences is this show for?
This show is for everyone. It’s essentially a show for adults but in the traditions of a lot of clown and physical comedy, it is also great for the whole family. There is no adult-only content and where possible, the show preferences action over information. It’s a show for anyone who wants to see – and maybe even be a part of! – a fun show with a moving story. And it is of course a must-see for any Chaplin fan!
You studied at the French clown school Ecole Philippe Gaulier. Can you tell us about that experience.
So good! Yes, I had a great time in France. It was incredibly difficult and very humbling but I have learned so much from the school.
What led to you deciding to study at that school? How has your training at that school informed your performance and writing?
Well, I had heard about the mysterious French clown master Philippe Gaulier from a couple of friends and so when I was in Europe two years ago, I decided to see what it was all about. I also met a couple of students from the school and they seemed like a really fun bunch of people.
For me, the school has been like a beacon of hope for live theatre. It is a place that celebrates the magic of theatre in ways that film can’t compare with, which in my experience is quite a rare thing here in Australia. It often feels like the Australian theatre scene is geared towards realism and looking realistic, which is great but makes it difficult for local live theatre to compete with the realism of film and the skill of the world’s best actors. The school has, however, reminded me of all the things you can only do on stage, particularly the relationship with the audience, and so my show is very interactive and the audience plays a big part in the telling of the story.
Also, after realising just how much fun you can have in a show, it seems awfully dull to go back to writing about ideas and so in the show, the story is really just an excuse for a great time and a framework to tie everything together.
How long have you been writing and performing? Have you had a love of the arts from a young age? What made you decide to pursue it?
I have actually only been writing and performing in my current capacity for the last couple of years but it has been a long time coming. My parents are both musicians and performers and so music and theatre have been commonplace for as long as I can remember. A little like my mother, I have also had a wide variety of passions within the performing arts and so it has for a long time been very difficult to choose which avenue to pursue. For a long time, my big passion was ballet, and I actually studied full-time for two years at a professional ballet school in New Zealand before realising that I missed the theatre and didn’t want to be a professional dancer. I sing too and am partial to comedy and so writing my own shows has been a great way to put everything together. In a way, I create my own genre where I can sing, dance, act and make people laugh all in the same show.
Why should audiences come to see Smile – The Story of Charlie Chaplin at Sydney Fringe?
Come and be surprised! I hope to transport people far from the ordinary of everyday life. If the idea of a show about Charlie Chaplin and the world of silent film tickles your imagination and gets you even just a little bit excited, please do come along. You won’t be disappointed!
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We thank Marcel Cole for this interview.
KEY INFO ABOUT SMILE – THE STORY OF CHARLIE CHAPLIN
WHAT: Smile – The Story of Charlie Chaplin, a tribute to Charlie Chaplin, at the Sydney Fringe 2024
WHERE: Emerging Artist Share House- Erskineville Town Hall – The Boom Boom Room
WHEN: 7:30pm 10-14 September 2024
HOW: Purchase your tickets via this link
HOW MUCH: Ticket prices are as follows:
- Full Price$28.00
- Deadly Tix(Tickets for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and other First Nations communities) $18.50
- Concession$20.00
- Group of 6+$24.00 per person
Do you have a favourite Charlie Chaplin film? Have you ever seen any of his films?
Read this article to discover other shows with French and Francophone links at Sydney Fringe 2024.
