IN CONVERSATION WITH: Andrea Walker

Reading Time: 4 minutes

We sat down with Andrea Walker, artistic director of 201 Dance Company. Embarking on a UK tour of Sad Book, inspired by Michael Rosen’s award winning novel, this adaptation is a visually inventive, moving story about navigating complex emotions in everyday life. Selected tour dates, including the Hackney Empire showing, will feature live in person narration from Michael Rosen.

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What was it about Michael Rosen’s Sad Book that resonated so deeply with you and inspired you to adapt it into a dance production?

I had never read anything that spoke to my own grief, sadness and depression the way Sad Book did. Many people have tried to describe what “sadness” feels like, yet the way Michael does it – with such simple yet effective language – hits you right to the core. 

Sad Book teaches us that feeling sad is ok. No ifs, no buts, no moral at the end of story. It’s such special writing, I knew I wanted to adapt it for the stage the second I read the final page.  

How did you approach translating such a deeply personal and emotional story into movement and physical theatre?

It was important to me that the movement felt conversational and grounded in reality, so a lot of it was informed by my and the casts’ own experiences with grief and sadness.

The writing in the book is powerful, yet appears deceptively simple at first glance (that couldn’t be further from the truth). We wanted to carry that over with the adaptation, so “deceptively simple” become our key phrase:

Everything – from the movement to the animation – is complex, yet feels like it lives in a picture book. While the book is targeted to a younger audience, we find that its themes and language transcend age, which is why the show is recommended for anyone aged 12+.  

This contrast between the tactile, child-like aesthetic and the themes of grief and sadness explored, is part of what made the novel such a powerful, unique read. We hope the production has a similar effect. 

Sad Book explores themes of grief and mental health—how did you ensure the production remained both powerful and sensitive for audiences?

Striking the right balance between powerful and sensitive subject matter was very important to us:

Many people feel connected to the book because it’s so candid about the reality of death and how it can affect everything around us. We didn’t shy away from that candidness in the show, but while you can put a book down if its pages start to overwhelm you, we appreciate that “stepping away” during a live performance can feel harder. 

We put a lot of work in ensuring the show’s most powerful moments are intertwined with ones that allow the audience space to breathe and process the material. 

Every performance of Sad Book will also have a designated safe space for anyone who might find the work too overwhelming and needs to step out. The use of these spaces – throughout any part of the performance – is encouraged and comes with no judgement.

Can you share any memorable moments or challenges from the creative process of bringing Sad Book to life?

A wonderful, memorable moment was watching the premiere performance of Sad Book at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Michael Rosen sat right next to me:

Something about it felt beautifully surreal… It was one of those rare moments as a creative in which I was able to sit back, take a breath, and genuinely take pride in what we had created. 

Michael is a big supporter of the show and is as accommodating as ever. On selected dates of this tour, he’ll be on stage with us narrating live, which is simply a dream come true. 

What impact do you hope Sad Book will have on audiences, particularly those who have experienced loss?

I hope Sad Book touches anyone who’s struggled – or is still struggling – with feelings that are hard to put into words. 

I hope that audiences who have experienced loss will find a bit of their story represented, and perhaps some solace in a performance that shows there is no correct way to feel sad. In the book Michael writes “I’m sad, not bad”, which I always thought was such a powerful sentiment.

Creating Sad Book also showed me how much beauty sadness can hide. We’re only sad at the loss of someone, if that someone was truly loved by us: there’s tremendous beauty in what we mean to each other. I hope our audiences will pick up on that – not just the devastation in sadness – but all of its complexities. 

With Sad Book being 201 Dance Company’s third touring production, how do you feel your storytelling and choreographic style have evolved over time?

My storytelling and choreographic style have evolved massively since our first production – “Smother” – back in 2014. 

My background is in street dance, which is very apparent in our early work, especially with its big choreographic numbers. 

Sad Book had me develop a stronger interest in physical theatre and contemporary styles. Mixed with street dance, I feel that it evolved my movement vocabulary into something unique to the company, and one that audiences recognise us for. 

Storytelling has and always will be key to what I create.

As well as street dance, I have a background in Film & Television production. One of my favourite things to say when describing a 201 show is I hope people watch it as if it were a film. I feel passionate about creating work that has a clear, accessible narrative, while also being visually exciting. This is particularly apparent in Sad Book, and the production is a great example of the direction we’re moving towards as a company.